Chapter 045. The Condition of Loyalty (5)
"Squad Leader!"
"……I heard the news that the Third Young Master has challenged the Squad Leader."
"That is absurd! Even if he is the Castle Lord's disciple, the qualification……!"
The office of the Squad Leader of the Monster Repelling Squad, Baek Ri-gwan, was chaotic from the early morning.
They were all squad members who came after hearing the news of the duel between Dam Jeok-san and Baek Ri-gwan.
"Quiet."
Baek Ri-gwan spoke while lightly brushing a report.
His short but firm voice contained a chilly aura that overwhelmed the audience.
"……."
"S-sorry."
The squad members who were chattering loudly also shut their mouths tightly, suppressed by his ghostly aura.
It was truly an eeriness befitting the alias 'Ghost Blade.'
In fact, the members of the Monster Repelling Squad had seen enough of his swift Willow Leaf Saber separating the bones and flesh of monsters and cutting them into pieces.
However, only one person was an exception.
"Squad Leader, I must hear an answer. Even if he is the Third Young Master, isn't he just a cripple who lost his dantian? Does he have the qualification to dare point a sword at the Squad Leader……."
"Vice-Squad Leader Peng Cho-seol, stop."
Baek Ri-gwan sighed towards the woman with bobbed hair sharp like a knife, who was so short she barely reached his chest.
She was one of the three Vice-Squad Leaders of the Monster Repelling Squad, a Peak master who wielded a great saber as large as her body like her own limb.
Her alias was Annihilating Saber.
Two years older than Baek Ri-gwan, she was a woman who once competed with him for the position of Squad Leader of the Monster Repelling Squad until the end.
'Although I won in the end.'
She is by no means an opponent to be taken lightly.
Baek Ri-gwan knew that her pride in her saber techniques was almost close to obstinacy.
So she probably couldn't bear that Baek Ri-gwan, who defeated her, was being ignored by someone.
Considering her birth, it wasn't hard to understand.
Hating the family that abandoned her, she must have lived her whole life to prove herself.
"It is something the Sword Venerable permitted; I will not tolerate any further rudeness."
At his firm words, Peng Cho-seol had no choice but to shut her mouth as well.
Although it was the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle who took her in when she turned her back on the Peng Clan and threw herself into the Martial Sovereign Castle, it was Un Wol-hyang who opened the path for her.
"Understood."
Peng Cho-seol shut her mouth tightly as if displeased.
'Third Young Master……. You will have to prove it.'
Whether he has a dantian or not, whether he is a cripple or not, that he is one qualified to fight.
If he challenged the Squad Leader of the Monster Repelling Squad, he would have to show at least that much.
If by any chance he lacks qualification, even if he is the Castle Lord's disciple, and even if Baek Ri-gwan tolerates it.
Her saber will not be patient. She will condemn him whatever the cost.
"……."
Baek Ri-gwan and Peng Cho-seol were comrades who had shared life and death. He couldn't fail to read her thoughts.
But unlike Peng Cho-seol, he believed in Dam Jeok-san.
Because he read the determination in Dam Jeok-san's eyes when he dared to challenge him.
'His emotions did not waver at all.'
Eyes detached from life and death.
Eyes one cannot possess unless prepared for death.
Seeing Peng Cho-seol's reaction made him more certain of his guess.
'The Third Young Master must have known as well.'
If he wasn't a fool, he would have expected this kind of situation.
Acting arrogant despite having lost his dantian.
Running wild relying on the nominal position of the Castle Lord's disciple.
No, he just went completely mad after living as a cripple.
'But it was none of those.'
At least the Dam Jeok-san Baek Ri-gwan saw was not such a foolish man.
But he couldn't have recovered his dantian.
Restoration of the dantian.
It sounds simple, but every martial artist practicing internal energy knows how difficult it is to actually achieve.
Moreover, even if it could be done, it would take at least decades.
That is something that cannot be easily overturned even if the Lord of the Martial Sovereign Castle intervenes.
If he didn't recover his dantian, one can only think he decided to commit suicide.
He probably intends to draw out even his pre-natal qi to fight.
'Haha…….'
Perhaps when that time comes, they too will realize.
What kind of person the Third Young Master is.
Baek Ri-gwan intended to stake everything to be with him in his final fight.
If the Young Master's sword touches his neck, he would willingly give up his life.
However, such a thing would not happen.
Neither Baek Ri-gwan, who paid respect to Dam Jeok-san's will, nor the members of the Monster Repelling Squad who resented Dam Jeok-san's arrogance.
If there was one thing they were all certain of, it was the fact that the winner of this duel would be Baek Ri-gwan.
They were not assuming a situation where Dam Jeok-san became the Squad Leader of the Monster Repelling Squad at all.
Because even if they brought back Dam Jeok-san from the days he was called Sword Dragon, he couldn't match Baek Ri-gwan.
But the Third Young Master defeats the Squad Leader now? It's impossible.
Even if he is a genius with talent seen only once in an era.
Because the impossible is impossible.
"Everyone, leave. I need some time to think alone."
Baek Ri-gwan, who dismissed his subordinates with a few words, lightly placed his fingers on his brow.
His head felt stiff for some reason.
'I should go to the training ground and practice my saber a bit.'
If the opponent comes out prepared even for death, he too must polish his body and mind to the sharpest possible state.
He stood up from his office holding his gleaming Willow Leaf Saber.
'Please wait, Third Young Master.'
He thought while emitting a sharp ghostly aura.
Even Baek Ri-gwan, who was wary of Dam Jeok-san more than anyone, never once thought that the vow would actually be kept.
Because there is no way he could have recovered his dantian in just a few years.
* * *
"It's really true."
Un Wol-hyang said blinking her eyes, still with a flustered look.
Translucent genuine qi was constantly shimmering in her pupils.
The manifestation of eye techniques piercing through the essence of all things.
Although it falls short of the Castle Lord's, it is a peerless eye technique that has taken a step closer to omnipotence.
Even a Cardinal of the Yin God Cult proficient in illusions cannot deceive her eyes.
In other words.
The grudge and evil spirit dwelling in the Red Cloud Sword have completely disappeared. While leaving the power dwelling in the sword intact.
"How on earth did you do it?"
Un Wol-hyang's voice asking that was close to astonishment. Her long eyelashes trembled, as if following their owner's emotion.
A swordsman who has reached the Entering Transformation Realm can sufficiently suppress the grudge dwelling in a sword.
Although the Sword Ghost was said to have reached the extreme, he was merely an Ultra-Peak master. The Entering Transformation Realm is the starting point of shedding the human form and moving towards transcendence.
Even if their martial power is similar, the 'status' of an Ultra-Peak master and one who has reached the Entering Transformation Realm is different.
And.
Even Un Wol-hyang, possessing the status of transcendence, was not confident in imitating the current Dam Jeok-san.
Suppressing grudge with force and completely eliminating it are issues of different dimensions.
The destruction of the grudge attached to the Red Cloud Sword.
That is a level where a powerful sorcerer might or might not achieve a similar result after diligently performing exorcism for hundreds of days.
'Even then, the power contained in the sword would fly away together.'
Because the abilities of regeneration and frenzy are powers originating not from the cold metal but from the malice and grudge harbored by the evil spirit.
But her Martial Nephew destroyed only the evil spirit as if to show off.
Even piercing through with her eye technique, the ability dwelling in the Red Cloud Sword remained robust without even degrading.
Something clearly beyond Un Wol-hyang's understanding.
"I just did it. I felt like it would work."
Dam Jeok-san said slightly boastfully towards the astonished Un Wol-hyang.
"……."
"It's true."
Dam Jeok-san protested seeing Un Wol-hyang silent with a frown.
It seemed he could sufficiently destroy a petty ghost using Seo Woo-joo's self-consciousness engraved in his mental image.
So, saying he felt he could do it was clearly true.
He cannot tell Un Wol-hyang about the ability of Predation or Seo Woo-joo.
Dam Jeok-san gave the most honest answer possible.
"Right, right, I am not distrusting you, Martial Nephew."
Un Wol-hyang approached abruptly and said while stroking Dam Jeok-san's head.
"……."
"Yes, Martial Nephew is an adult now too. You might have things you hide from this Martial Aunt."
"……."
"Do not worry. I have no intention of prying."
Un Wol-hyang tried to hide her astonishment as she said that.
Dam Jeok-san is a genius.
The Martial Sovereign Castle is a place teeming with people who were revered as geniuses in the village they were born and raised in, in their sect, and even in their city.
Un Wol-hyang felt that her Martial Nephew possessed unique genius even within such a Martial Sovereign Castle.
But what if that scope is widened to all times?
There must be people born with talent comparable to Dam Jeok-san, at least a few in each generation.
The talent Un Wol-hyang judged while teaching Dam Jeok-san in his childhood was exactly that much.
But thinking about it now, perhaps her judgment was wrong.
The ability to restore a broken dantian and subdue a demonic sword is something that far transcends the line of common sense.
Perhaps Dam Jeok-san was born with talent that could transcend time and change the world just by existing.
Stroke stroke.
Un Wol-hyang continued to ponder while stroking Dam Jeok-san's head.
"Uh, Martial Aunt, how long will you be doing this……."
"Ah, I am sorry."
Un Wol-hyang only then took her hand off and faced Dam Jeok-san.
"I thought you would fail, Third Young Master, but you did it splendidly."
Un Wol-hyang, momentarily returning to the posture of the Sword Venerable governing the North, continued speaking.
"From this time forth, the Red Cloud Sword belongs to you. And……."
Un Wol-hyang approached Dam Jeok-san again abruptly and said.
"I will be watching."
She whispered low in Dam Jeok-san's ear.
She will watch with eyes stricter than anyone else.
Whether Dam Jeok-san has the qualification to lead the massive organization called the Martial Sovereign Castle.
Because the fate of the world under heaven depends on the path the Martial Sovereign Castle takes. Even she could not judge hastily.
'You have taken the first step.'
She thought while looking at the Red Cloud Sword held in Dam Jeok-san's hand.
"Martial Nephew was a turning point in my life."
She said, placing her hands on both of Dam Jeok-san's shoulders and looking up at him.
"The few months spent teaching you. Through that short yet short time, I gained the courage to live again."
"Those are undeserved words."
"Martial Nephew, I cannot easily support you in the fight over the Martial Sovereign Castle."
She chose to live after teaching Dam Jeok-san.
And what holds the greatest meaning in that life is ultimately the Martial Sovereign Castle.
The Martial Sovereign Castle bears the sacred duty of protecting the land of the Central Plains from monsters.
The survival of the Castle is directly connected to the safety of the world.
So Un Wol-hyang could not judge hastily.
"I know."
Dam Jeok-san slowly nodded at her following words.
"Martial Aunt."
Dam Jeok-san called Un Wol-hyang in a heavily sunken voice.
A certain firm determination was visible in Dam Jeok-san's eyes looking down at her.
"You are a very important person to me, Martial Aunt. Perhaps if I hadn't met you that day, I would have been crushed to death by the checks of my Senior Brothers before I could properly blossom my martial arts."
"That is……."
"If I became a turning point in your life, you became the root of my life."
He learned how to walk correctly, how to breathe efficiently, and how to rise even at the end of despair from her.
That became the foundation for him to rise again without giving up until the end even after losing his dantian and becoming a cripple.
"Northern Heaven Sword Venerable Un Wol-hyang."
"……."
"I have no intention of appealing to old affection to drag you in. So do not worry."
With those words as the last, a long silence continued in the area.
Only then did Un Wol-hyang realize that her Martial Nephew had grown much more than she thought.
* * *
Sword Addict Un Am-jin-in.
The Junior Brother of the Plum Blossom Sword Venerable, the current Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, and the Corps Commander of the Fake Heaven Sword Corps overseeing the Northern Branch of the Righteous Heaven Alliance.
Age sixty this year.
But for the Fake Heaven Sword Corps Commander who was crazy about swords, there was a pure side unbecoming of an old man.
"Sword Dragon…… That kid is having a duel with the Squad Leader of the Monster Repelling Squad?"
He had once seen Dam Jeok-san swinging a sword in the past.
Even though he was a brat, he showed sword talent flashing enough to stimulate him.
He was furious that the Martial Sovereign Castle snatched such a treasure instead of Mount Hua.
Although he heard through the grapevine later that he lost his dantian and became a cripple…….
"He was quite something when he was young. I am curious how it turned out……."
Un Am-jin-in yawned lazily and thought.
"Please maintain your dignity, Corps Commander!"
The man reporting to him sighed and spoke, but the Fake Heaven Sword Corps Commander didn't even listen with the back of his ear.
"Let's go too. I am curious about the kid's sword."
He couldn't have recovered his dantian.
But isn't he trying to fight because he found some clue?
Curious light lingered in the eyes of the Sword Addict.
"You cannot! It is clear the Northern Heaven Sword Venerable will not welcome it……."
He said so, but the man knew.
That the Sword Addict would never take back his words once spoken.
Especially if it was related to swords.
Spectators were gathering.
More grandly than Dam Jeok-san had wished.