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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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“Young Lady—!!!”
The moment Byeok-rak saw Jin Ga-young collapse, he let out a sharp cry.
Swiftly activating his movement technique, he flew toward her and immediately sealed her meridians—first the primary vessels, then the acupoints.
It was to stop the bleeding, but more importantly, to protect her dantian from further damage.
“You damn bitch—!”
Meanwhile, Dokgo Gupae, his face twisted like a furious tiger, stormed onto the stage.
From his mouth spilled curses no Taoist should ever utter.
“S-sect Leader… I-I really didn’t know anything…!”
“Shut your damn mouth! What are you all standing around for?! Drag Baek-hwa away now!”
“Sect Leader…?! Sect Leader! Sect Leader!”
At Dokgo Gupae’s command, the Huashan disciples snapped to attention, restraining Baek-hwa’s limbs and dragging her away.
She struggled, but with her limbs weakened, she couldn’t put up much resistance.
And just like that, the Huashan Sect hastily disappeared from the scene.
“…Didn’t she just… use a killing technique?”
“I-Is Wol-hwa okay…? Her abdomen was pierced while she was manifesting qi…”
The crowd, stunned by the shocking turn of events, slowly began to process what had happened.
“T-that’s not the point right now… The sword technique Baek-hwa used was definitely…”
“The nine-pronged slash… C-could it be…?”
“The Dokgo Nine Swords—only the Sect Leader and the Grand Disciple are permitted to learn it. So how… how did Baek-hwa use it…?”
One by one, the murmurs about Baek-hwa’s dark rumors resurfaced.
“The only ones who know the Dokgo Nine Swords are the Sword Dragon of Huashan and the Venerable Elder…”
“Did Huashan’s rules change? That rigid, conservative Huashan?”
“No way. It’s obvious what happened. Baek-hwa must’ve… you know. Damn. The martial world’s gone mad.”
Before long, Wudang disciples, panting as they dragged a physician by the arm, rushed onto the stage.
And in that moment, they came face to face with—
“No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.”
A young man with disheveled snow-white hair, his crimson pupils burning like embers within the whites of his eyes.
Cradling Jin Ga-young, who was coughing up blood from reversed qi, his gaze was filled with an unfathomable depth of fury and murderous intent.
—
### Foolishness
I had been foolish.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine someone would dare use a killing technique—tantamount to suicide—in the middle of the Seven Flowers Tournament, witnessed by all.
I didn’t bother wondering how Baek-hwa knew the Dokgo Nine Swords or what her intentions were in using such a technique.
Humans are, by nature, impulsive, foolish, and idiotic creatures.
And I, too, am merely human.
“It doesn’t look good.”
“……”
The physician spoke with a grave expression.
I had expected this answer, but hearing it aloud made it even more bitter.
“Fortunately, the sword energy missed her vital organs… but her meridians were damaged while she was circulating her internal energy.”
“Meaning…?”
“I’m sorry. We’ll need to monitor her condition over time.”
The physician wore an apologetic expression.
Why was he sorry? He hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Haah……”
“For meridian-related injuries, a martial artist like yourself would know better than a mere physician like me.”
“Understood. You may leave now.”
“Yes… I apologize for being of so little help.”
Once the physician left, I began carefully inserting acupuncture needles into Jin Ga-young, who lay unconscious on the bed.
– This is the first time I’ve actually seen you perform acupuncture.
“Do you know why I asked the physician to examine her instead of doing it myself?”
– How should I know?
“Because I was afraid. At a glance, her condition didn’t look good. If I confirmed it myself, that fear would become reality—and I was terrified of that.”
– That’s just self-deception. Avoiding reality won’t change it.
“You’re right. Reality doesn’t change. What needs to be revisited is the past.”
Crrk—
I hadn’t meant to, but my teeth clenched on their own.
A flicker of anger simmered within me.
Regret surged—if only I had held onto my focus a little longer.
“Master.”
– What is it?
“Is harsh punishment the right path when dealing with mistakes?”
– Are you asking me to grant you the right to decide Baek-hwa’s life or death?
“No, I’ll answer myself. Using a killing technique was undoubtedly wrong, but it was just a mistake. When emotions run high and one is cornered, any martial artist might make such an error at least once in their life.”
– The way you say that… it’s terrifying. Then what is it you truly want to say?
“But because of that mistake… someone ended up like this.”
I pointed at Jin Ga-young.
Her breathing was faint, as if it could stop at any moment.
“If she ends up permanently disabled, what am I supposed to do?”
– I’m no Buddha, so I can’t bring myself to tell you to forgive.
“I was arrogant. I saw the killing technique coming, yet I foolishly assumed she wouldn’t dare. And this is the result.”
– …You’re drowning in pointless self-blame. You weren’t the only one there.
“I was intoxicated by the thrill of cutting down hundreds with each swing of my sword. Yet I couldn’t even protect my own liege. How laughable—to be this weak while basking in the vanity of being called the ‘Strongest in the Central Plains.’”
– Your emotions are unstable. Calm down. I reside in your mind—if you keep shaking like this, it might collapse. I don’t want to die twice in my old age.
“Pfft…”
Even in a moment like this, he cracks jokes. What a carefree old man.
Though I suppose for him, more deaths just mean more companions in the afterlife.
“If… if something irreversible happens to her…”
– Then what?
“I’ll turn back time. And I’ll return to being the ‘Iron Man’ I once was—the man who never allowed harm to come to his own.”
– Have you forgotten your pact with the Demoness of Tian Shan? There’s no telling what hell will break loose.
“Then I can only pray for her full recovery. Before my wretched emotions drag everyone into hell with me.”
– At least compose yourself. You’re overheating.
“……”
Emotions never help in any situation.
Following Jin Wu-yong’s advice, I sat beside Jin Ga-young and began regulating my breathing to calm my mind.
For any other martial artist, meditating without a guardian would be unthinkable—but since I could freely manipulate my qi, it wasn’t an issue.
Whooo—
But even my meditation refused to cooperate.
The phenomena that should have naturally occurred—Five Qi Converging to the Origin, Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown, Heavenly Flowers Scattering—were eerily absent.
I could force it, but that would only make my emotions erupt further, so I stopped.
Knock knock—
As I cleared my thoughts and silently watched over Jin Ga-young, a knocking sound came from the door.
Extending my senses, I detected the gentle, flowing energy unique to Wudang.
“Come in.”
“Forgive the intrusion.”
Creak—
Cheonjon entered with a solemn air.
His complexion was haggard, as if he hadn’t slept well.
“First, allow me to apologize. This incident was entirely due to my negligence.”
“……”
Cheonjon bowed deeply to me.
Again, I wondered—what fault was his to bear?
It was just an unfortunate accident.
“Baek-hwa, who used the forbidden killing technique, will be stripped of her victory. Thus, Wol-hwa will automatically advance to the sixth rank.”
“Does that matter now? Look at her.”
I gestured to Jin Ga-young. Cheonjon lowered his head with a bitter expression.
“I’m sorry. I have no excuse.”
“……”
“And… beyond the killing technique, the situation is chaotic. Regarding Baek-hwa’s use of the Dokgo Nine Swords… The Huashan Sect Leader has refused to speak, and the Sword Dragon has been missing since yesterday. The confusion only deepens.”
“The final strike Baek-hwa used was undoubtedly the Dokgo Nine Swords. I’m certain of it.”
“…Hmm… Your word carries more weight than most, but…”
Cheonjon glanced at me hesitantly.
Did he doubt me?
Well, from his perspective, it made sense.
“Is the title of Sword Saint so worthless that my testimony holds no weight?”
But I wasn’t him.
I had no obligation to consider his position.
“I could march to Huashan’s quarters right now and turn it into a bloodbath.”
“I don’t doubt that…”
“The only reason I won’t is because I’m not a beast. I’m a human—one taught to live by reason, not emotion.”
My words carried weight.
No—they carried emotion.
The anger with nowhere to go, the fury desperate to erupt, was slowly directed at Cheonjon.
“Leave. Now. And make sure this is handled so thoroughly that I don’t have to step in.”
I had to send him away. If I didn’t, I might attack him.
Trying to calm myself, I turned to look at Jin Ga-young. Seeing her lying there, unconscious, only fueled my rage further.
Grind—
“I said… leave. Now!”
My teeth clenched audibly as the words spilled out.
Uncontainable killing intent and fury enveloped Cheonjon.
I tried to restrain it, but the image of Jin Ga-young’s abdomen pierced by Baek-hwa’s sword energy kept resurfacing.
Groooan—
The building trembled faintly.
At least I had controlled my qi enough to prevent it from collapsing.
“S-Sword Saint…”
Cheonjon let out a pained groan as he spoke.
I told him to leave—what more did he want to say?
I was too busy suppressing my murderous intent to entertain him.
“Y-you… are still as terrifying as ever…”
“……?”
Enduring the pressure, Cheonjon knelt before me.
Both knees planted firmly on the ground.
“We haven’t met often… but every time I’ve faced you, it’s always been like this…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Whenever I saw you, I always felt fear… Not the fear of facing someone stronger, but the dread of standing before something beyond human…”
“So now I’m not even human? Not even a villain? Saying that to my face won’t end well for you.”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant. You know this—what makes humans human is their ability to suppress emotions with reason. But a man who lives solely by reason, devoid of emotion… can such a being truly be called human? The fear I felt when facing you in the past was of that kind. Your hollow eyes, your words laced with boredom, the chilling sense of otherness they carried—it terrified me.”
Cheonjon placed both hands on the floor.
What was he trying to say? What was he doing?
“But… I never imagined the Sword Saint could be so consumed by emotion. The intimidation and sharpness of those days remain, but…”
“……”
What was he trying to tell me?
Why was he kneeling?
If he stayed any longer, the anger I was barely holding back would lash out at him.
“Leave. Please.”
“Just one question.”
“…One. Answer me, and then you go.”
“Sword Saint… were you truly a villain?”
“……”
Why was he asking about my villainy now?
Cheonjon continued in a calm voice.
“I don’t know you well. We’ve barely spoken, met only a handful of times.”
“Get to the point.”
“People called you a villain. A wicked man, they said—that your deeds as the Sword Saint were all a facade. Your disciples, your martial siblings, even your master—they all condemned you in unison. But… well…”
Cheonjon paused briefly.
“I didn’t want to believe it. No, I refused to believe it. If even the Sword Saint—one of the Three Heroes alongside the Divine Monk and Okhwa—was a villain, then how could my granddaughter, Cheonhwa, hope to survive in this martial world?”
“So what’s your final question?”
“Sword Saint, were you truly a villain?”
Cheonjon’s pupils trembled slightly.
He was nervous.
Perhaps because of the killing intent I was radiating.
“Feel the energy I’m emitting right now.”
“…Ah.”
“Do you sense even a shred of demonic energy in it?”
“As I thought… you weren’t.”
Cheonjon’s face twisted.
“Haah……”
A moment later, teardrops like chicken droppings fell from his eyes.
“Truly… truly a relief…”
Plop, plop—
The floor grew damp with the tears of the aged Taoist.
“The hero still stands… Even in this bleak martial world, there is still a glimmer of hope…”
It was irritating.
Why did I have to watch this man cry?
My anger was already boiling—if he got his answer, he should just leave.
“The hero still stands?”
“Of course he does! No matter what rumors spread, the Heavenly Hero Namgoong, who stands before me now, radiating the Namgoong’s righteous energy—how could you not see it?”
Cheonjon fumbled for my sleeve, clinging to it.
“……!”
The sudden contact broke the dam holding back my emotions.
In an instant, I snapped.
“Get your hands off me!”
Thud—!
“……!”
Cheonjon’s pupils dilated.
“Hero, hero, hero! What good is that title now?!”
“S-Sword Saint…!”
“A martial world that doesn’t treat its heroes as heroes has no heroes! What hope can there be?!”
“……”
Cheonjon, who had been about to retort, fell silent.
It was strange—I shouldn’t have been this angry.
Even if Jin Ga-young’s life hung in the balance, my emotions shouldn’t have been this volatile.
“Sword Saint, Sword Saint, Sword Saint! Stop calling me that! That title is uglier than any insult—why do you keep fanning the flames?!”
My voice rose. My killing intent spiraled out of control.
Blood rushed to my face. My eyes must have been bloodshot by now.
“Don’t misunderstand. That’s not what I meant…”
“You said it was a relief, didn’t you? That I wasn’t a villain? And the reason was… your granddaughter!”
“……!”
“Worrying about your granddaughter is fine. That’s what humans should do. I worried about my daughter too, back in the day. But tell me this—why has no one ever spared a thought for me? They praised me as one of the Three Heroes, but the moment I was no longer useful, they all turned away! You were no exception!”
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I should never have turned my back on you. I was wrong a thousand times over…!”
“Ah, there was one person. The only one who ever cared about me. Though thanks to this damned martial world, she’s like this now.”
I didn’t need to point. Both of us knew exactly who I meant.
“……”
“……”
I had so much more to say, but I didn’t want to voice it.
The way I must have looked right now—it was too ugly.
So instead of speaking, I silently raised my hand.
With a light surge of internal energy, I pushed the door open using the Void Grasping technique.
Rumble—
“Leave.”
“……”
“Your beloved granddaughter is waiting outside, isn’t she? If you stay any longer, she might come in to stop you.”
“Sword… what exactly are you planning to do?”
“Nothing. If I can help it.”
I meant it.
A faint shred of sincerity amidst the storm of emotions.
“…Understood. I’ll take my leave.”
With a somber expression, Cheonjon stepped over the threshold and left.
“Grandfather…? W-was everything you just said true…?”
“…I was supposed to be your role model, yet I’ve committed a grave sin.”
“T-that man is really the Sword Saint…? But the false accusations…? What does that mean…?”
“The fact that I’m still worried about you getting hurt proves how unworthy I’ve been as a Taoist.”
“A-all the rumors about the Sword Saint were lies…? T-then that’s terrible…! H-he’s been so wronged…!”
“…I don’t deserve to face the ancestors of our sect.”
Even as Cheonjon and Cheonhwa’s lamenting voices faded into the distance, I remained motionless, sitting silently in place.
—
### How much time had passed?
Probably around midnight.
My head throbbed as if splitting apart. I must have clenched and unclenched my fists hundreds of times.
‘Master.’
– Don’t speak. I’m barely holding your turbulent emotions together as it is.
‘It’s pointless anyway.’
– What? Even after I’ve gone to the trouble—damn it. That woman’s coming again.
A sharp, murderous aura was approaching.
The stench of blood was so thick it could be mistaken for demonic energy. Few in the world possessed such an aura.
“Sword Saint—! Get out here—! Didn’t you tell me to come at night—?!”
While others were likely deep asleep, she was shouting at the top of her lungs, infused with internal energy.
It made me even more reluctant to go out.
My mood was so foul that I had no desire to humor anyone.
– Why the hell is that Okhwa woman here? Has she come to die?
‘She said she’d come yesterday. She’s the type to value her convictions over her life, so of course she showed up.’
– I’m already on the verge of losing my mind trying to hold your emotions together…! Ugh, fine. Do as you please. I’m stepping back. I knew this day would come, but I didn’t expect it to be today.
‘Yes, you’ve been getting on my nerves lately anyway.’
– …Listen to this brat. What happened to all that talk about manners?
‘Do I look like I’m in the mood for manners right now? You, of all people, should know—since you’re in my mind.’
– Tch.
Jin Wu-yong grumbled but fell silent.
He conceded.
As I leaned my head against the wall, exhausted—
“You bastard—! Sword Saint—!”
Okhwa’s furious voice rang out again.
I would stay silent. I had no desire to be dragged around by her, not even a shred.
Normally, I felt nothing toward her, but now, the mere thought of her made my blood boil.
I must have been more on edge than I realized.
Bang! Screech—!
“Sword Saint! I know you’re in there! Get out—!”
Okhwa barged in, radiating hostility.
Whoosh—
A freezing winter wind rushed in with her.
Letting cold air into a room with a patient—was she truly so blind?
At this point, the so-called villainous Sword Saint seemed far less evil than the woman who claimed to hunt him.
“Shh.”
“…!”
“Ironically, it’s coming from me, but keep your voice down.”
“Hah! Since when has that filthy mouth of yours ever held back?!”
Shing—!
Okhwa drew her sword and pointed it at me.
Her blade trembled with the unwavering intent to cut me down.
How laughable.
“Speak. There’s a patient here.”
“You think words will work on scum like you…! You vile demon—!”
“The contradiction in your words is endless… but at least lower your sword. Whether you hold it or not changes nothing for me.”
“Guh—! Who do you think you’re fooling—! Do you really think I’d be intimidated by such empty threats?!”
“Haah……”
The anger I had been suppressing surged uncontrollably.
I had never wronged Okhwa, so why did she treat me as her mortal enemy?
How selfish, how self-righteous, how egocentric her so-called “absolute justice” was.
It considered no one but herself, serving only her own satisfaction—what kind of justice was that?
The Divine Monk once said all forms of justice should be respected, but I couldn’t agree when it came to Okhwa.
“If you understand, then come out. I don’t want to drag innocent young ladies into this.”
“Okhwa.”
“I’ve humored you long enough! Now get out here!”
“Okhwa—!!!”
Damn it.
Jin Ga-young needed rest.
What sin had she committed against me that I couldn’t even keep my word because of her?
“…You are a wretched human being.”
“…!”
“You want me to come out? Fine, I’ll come. But be prepared—because the moment the ‘villainous Sword Saint’ rises, it won’t end easily.”
“Y-you bastard…! What nonsense are you spouting?!”
“And you said the young lady would be dragged into this?”
Okhwa faltered for a moment, and I growled under my breath.
“Don’t misunderstand. Crushing you is as easy as breathing for me.”
“…!!”
“The only reason I haven’t is out of respect. So please, show me the same courtesy.”
“Guh…!”
I pushed myself off the wall.
My hands had already clenched into stone-like fists.
“If you don’t want this to be the last request I ever make of you…!”
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