Chapter 117 : Chapter 117

Chapter 117: To Wudang (2)

Today, I once again crossed swords with Uncle Yeo Baek.

Because my uncle’s passion for martial arts has not cooled, it can be said that I spent a truly meaningful time.

Only after competing for nearly an hour could he and I sheathe our swords.

“Hoo-ah-”

Uncle Yeo Baek, forgetting his dignity, lay down on the training ground floor. Seeing his chest heave, it seems it wasn't an act.

Conversely, I was still calm.

It was also true that it wasn't very difficult.

It was said that the biggest difference between the State of Harmony and the Profound Realm is the Will, but that could not be the only difference.

It could be said that this is because the State of Harmony is based on the achievement of the Three Flowers Realm, and the Profound Realm is based on the achievement of Five Qis Courting the Origin.

The moment one achieves the Three Flowers Realm and unifies Essence, Qi, and Spirit, it would be right to see that martial artist as already complete.

But if that were the end, why would one emphasize Five Qis Courting the Origin?

The Five Qis are the addition of yin and yang to Essence, Qi, and Spirit.

Yin and Yang.

The foundation of harmony and circulation.

Moreover, since that yin and yang were achieved not with Taegeuk but with Wuji, there was bound to be a big difference in stamina and endurance between Uncle Yeo Baek and me.

“It feels like the gap is widening instead of closing.”

“I am still lacking.”

I received Uncle Yeo Baek’s grumbling words with a smile.

Uncle Yeo Baek’s words were both right and wrong.

In truth, there is a point where it is difficult to see me as currently growing.

To put it deliberately, it would be more appropriate to say that my skills are catching up to the realm I had already ascended to first with the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art.

Especially in recent times, as I became proficient in the art of the Formless Sword, it was more like Uncle Yeo Baek came to feel the gap between him and me more clearly.

Leaving the exhausted Uncle Yeo Baek behind, my steps headed back toward the training ground.

The opponent was already fully prepared.

“I’m coming.”

“Come.”

Tzeng!

Leaving the sprawled-out Uncle Yeo Baek behind, I began to engage with Brother Chun-baek.

It wasn't arrogance or recklessness, but because my recent training had been focused on exhaustion.

It doesn't mean letting go of strength, but rather a training method of overworking one's martial arts until, literally, exhaustion.

That day when I squeezed out all my strength to cause an earthquake, I had tasted extreme exhaustion for the first time since entering the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art.

The strange point was that I discovered a new, more grown version of myself after that.

The higher the realm, the more important small differences are. Having discovered a new path, wouldn't it be right to walk it?

As a certain high monk once said, the more you empty, the more you are filled.

Indeed, the words of the ancient sages were not wrong.

Another hour passed…….

Cheok.

“I lost.”

Even before I withdrew my Formless Sword, Brother Chun-baek knelt.

He, too, was a martial artist who boasted excellent skills befitting a successor of a Mysterious Sect, but in terms of experience, he was lacking compared to Uncle Yeo Baek.

After all, my uncle had fought a fierce battle and yet never knelt in the end.

This would be even more so because experience, by nature, shows a greater difference in a long battle rather than a short one.

“You’ve worked hard.”

As I took Brother Chun-baek’s hand and helped him up, a figure soaring from afar was rushing toward me ferociously.

“No questions asked!”

Tzeng-!

It was my elder brother, Dancheon Hak.

* * *

By nature, a martial artist grows with the training ground.

Uncle Yeo Baek, the captain of the Dancheon Clan’s escort squad, was a busy man, so he disappeared abruptly after the duel ended, but I, Brother Chun-baek, and Dancheon Hak were resting under a shade on one side of the training ground even after fighting a fierce battle.

It was because we had no intention of leaving the training ground yet.

Since the sun was still in the sky, it was absurd to say that training was over.

“Hmph. This time was a little disappointing. I won’t go easy on you next time.”

My elder brother, Dancheon Hak, said so.

“Hmm.”

In fact, I wasn't very disappointed, but I decided not to refute it.

Although my elder brother Dancheon Hak shows behavior that seems to regress with age, that appearance comes across as a not-so-bad impression.

Moreover, seeing my brother's martial arts, which were advancing day by day unlike his lightening behavior, it was impossible not to know how hard he was working.

I dare guarantee that there would be almost no martial artist of the same age who could defeat my elder brother Dancheon Hak.

The reason I said ‘almost’ was because it was right to exclude people like me or Brother Chun-baek, who was resting next to me. The Jianghu Murim is so wide and yet so narrow.

Just then…….

“There you are.”

A familiar voice was heard.

“Mother.”

Dancheon Hak revealed her identity.

It was my mother, Baek Yeo-hae.

After the regression, I succeeded in improving my relationship with my mother, Baek Yeo-hae.

But it is also true that it is not a very affectionate relationship.

It's not that there's a lingering resentment in my heart, but rather that expressing it is not easy.

By nature, a son in the Jianghu Murim leaves his mother's embrace after turning twenty, but I was only able to get closer to my mother after I turned twenty.

“Mother, what brings you here?”

My conduct was extremely polite but somewhat stiff for that reason.

There was no ill will in my question.

I asked because my mother, Baek Yeo-hae, who had never learned any martial arts despite being the daughter of the Baek Clan, a martial family, never set foot in the training ground.

“Take this.”

My mother, Baek Yeo-hae, handed me a letter.

I felt a familiar sense of déjà vu.

The memory of her once collecting love letters that flew in from all over the Jianghu and delivering them to me came to mind.

In those days, she was anxious to get me married.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not a love letter from a matchmaker.”

She, too, seemed to know this and quickly cleared up the misunderstanding.

“It’s a letter from Wudang.”

“……!”

At my mother Baek Yeo-hae’s words, the gazes of Brother Chun-baek and Dancheon Hak gathered on the letter.

Finally…….

The great time to head to Wudang, to accomplish a great task, had arrived.

* * *

The Nine Sects One Gang is great.

No, the Beggar’s Gang, which occupies the position of the One Gang, is a group that pursues the lowest place, so it would be right to exclude them from the discussion. This is because I am a person who understands and respects the will of the Beggar’s Gang more than anyone.

I’ll correct myself.

The Nine Sects are great.

Shaolin, Wudang, Mount Hua, Kunlun, Zhongnan, Qingcheng, Emei, Kongtong, Diancang.

Looking at their splendid lineup, it cannot be denied that they are all great sects that boast a star-like prestige.

For reference, the order mentioned above is not listed as I thought of them, but is the ranking of the Nine Sects as determined by the Beggar’s Gang.

It's ambiguous to call it top secret because the public perception is not much different.

It means that it is information that cannot be spoken of openly, but is also difficult to hide.

Anyway…….

Even Diancang, which is considered the last seat of the Nine Sects, possesses a prestige and potential that cannot be compared to the numerous leading sects or clans of the Jianghu.

Their long-accumulated history is such, and their scale is such.

That is the Nine Sects of the current Murim.

“Hehehe.”

I saw Dancheon Hak making a goofy smile.

Although he has been showing a clumsy side lately, my gaze naturally went to his uncharacteristic appearance, which was unlike him who used to act with the prestige of a prestigious family’s successor.

“Are you that happy?”

Only after my question, as if realizing his mistake, did Dancheon Hak’s wide grin quickly return to normal.

“Hmph. Since that Wudang has personally invited me, isn’t it natural to be happy?”

“I see.”

In truth, Dancheon Hak’s reaction should be seen as normal.

Although the various clans and the Nine Sects are in a somewhat competitive relationship, wasn’t it the clans that were unilaterally burning with competitiveness?

To burn with competitiveness also means to hold in awe.

Among them, Wudang is one of the top-ranking places even within the Nine Sects, so it was not difficult to fathom Dancheon Hak’s pride.

“Hehehe.”

As if asking when he had regained his solemnity, Dancheon Hak’s expression became wide with a grin again. I could see how much he respected the Wudang of the Nine Sects.

“Hmm. Is it to that extent?”

It would be right to think of it as a relief.

I don’t know the reason, but the letter inviting Dancheon Hak had arrived a day later than mine.

It was because what happened in between was still vivid.

-This… this can’t be!

Hadn’t Dancheon Hak, who shouted so with a despairing expression, stopped eating and secluded himself for a day? That's what I'm saying.

The next day, it was Dancheon Hak who broke his seclusion only after our mother, Baek Yeo-hae, delivered a letter.

-As expected, there’s no way they would only invite you.

That mumble wasn't very pleasant, but it cannot be denied that it saved me some trouble.

“Brother.”

“Why?”

“Why do you like Wudang?”

“Because it is Wudang.”

“……?”

It was an incomprehensible statement.

“Tsk. You ignorant commoner. You don’t know the greatness of Wudang.”

“…….”

Dancheon Hak’s words were wrong.

Hadn’t I lived the life of Myeong-gae and returned?

I would probably know much more about Wudang than Dancheon Hak, who has lived his whole life in a clan.

“Are the Nine Sects great?”

“That’s obvious.”

“Compared to the Emperor Breaker?”

“Hmm.”

At my question, Dancheon Hak began to ponder.

His expression was truly serious; that’s how simple the creatures called men are.

“I would side with Wudang.”

“May I ask the reason?”

“Because a sect is not created by a single great martial artist.”

“Hmm?”

Honestly, I was a little surprised.

It was because I had not expected such a profound answer to come from Dancheon Hak.

Although I had long thought that he was not lacking as the successor of the Dancheon Clan, it was a statement that made me re-evaluate him once again.

“A great sect should be judged by comprehensively considering the history they have built up, public perception, the influence they can exert on the Jianghu Murim, the number and skill of the absolute masters they possess, the number of affiliated martial artists, and the quality of their martial arts. Just because they have the number one person under heaven does not make them the number one faction under heaven.”

“That’s right……”

“And.”

As if his words were not finished, Dancheon Hak quickly cut me off.

“On this trip to Wudang, I will see them with my own eyes. This will surely become a cornerstone for the development of the Dancheon Clan. It is not right to do it carelessly. You should also keep that in mind.”

Dancheon Hak’s solemn scolding of me was pleasing. It meant that he was steadily growing into a Clan Head.

However.

“Brother. Respect and reverence are good, but objectivity is also important.”

“What do you mean?”

“As you said, Brother, the Nine Sects are great. But I am saying that it is right for us to always ponder how long the Nine Sects will remain great.”

“The Nine Sects were great, and they will be great.”

I could see that Dancheon Hak’s perspective was very different from mine.

Nevertheless, it was pleasing because I had early on realized that a family, by nature, develops through friction.

“It would be right to see that the history of the Nine Sects, which has been accumulated uninterruptedly, has long passed the stage of saying that even a flower in full bloom will wither in ten days. However, recall the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”

“The Dragon and Phoenix Assembly?”

At eighteen, when I had regressed.

In that year, there was a Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.

To summarize the Five Dragons at that time, it is as follows.

Severing Dragon, Myeong of the Dancheon Clan.

Sword Dragon, Hak of the Dancheon Clan.

Azure Dragon, Tan of the Namgung Clan.

Subduing Dragon, Unso of Shaolin.

Saber Dragon, Jin-hu of the Peng Clan.

Even considering the exceptional case of the Dancheon Clan, it is a list with some questionable points.

That’s right.

The Dragons of that time were produced mainly from the prestigious clans, not the Nine Sects.

Dancheon Hak also seemed to have noticed my intention. However, it seemed he could not agree.

“That is your arrogance. Aren’t the martial arts of the Nine Sects orthodox martial arts that grow with time?”

“The martial arts of the clans also have their roots in the orthodox. They have just been modified to fit the secular world.”

“Hmm.”

Dancheon Hak was lost in thought, and I did not bother to press him.

It was because the important thing was not whether Dancheon Hak was right or I was right.

The letter from Wudang.

It was certain that the reason Dancheon Hak and I were invited to Wudang stemmed from the fact that I had mentioned.

It was called the New Star Exchange Meeting.

The opportunity to confidently enter the mountain gate of the Nine Sects, which are strict with outsiders, was created for that reason.

Thanks to that, I was able to form a connection with Wudang without overdoing it, so from the perspective of the Central Plains Murim, it might even have to be called a favorable event.