Chapter 139 - The Black Flame Dragon Meets the Monster of Manseogo (3)

"Young Master Jin, what happened to your face?"

"Who was it? Who did this to your face?"

Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa spoke as they raised heavy killing intent.

I calmed them down.

"It's nothing like that. These are wounds from my training."

Seong Moran shook her head, as if she couldn't believe my words.

"Tell us honestly. Was it the Nine Sects and One Gang? Or the Five Great Noble Clans? Just who beat you up like this?"

"... Is it that much of a mess?"

Lately, my daily routine consisted of seeking out the Sword Demon as soon as I woke up, picking a fight, getting beaten up, and spending the rest of the day passed out, so I didn't even have time to look in a bronze mirror.

"They turned a person into a complete rag."

'Still, isn't calling a person a rag a bit harsh?'

Since I couldn't tell them the inside story, I changed the subject.

"This is our first break period at the academy, so aren't you returning to your main families?"

"..."

"..."

A strange silence lingered as the two awkwardly met each other's eyes.

"W-Well, I think now is the time to focus on our academy classes."

"If I go back now, my excitement might cause me to lose my tension."

I tilted my head.

The Murim Academy's first break period was the first vacation spent at one's main family after passing the harsh Murim standard exam.

This first vacation wasn't just a simple resting period; it strongly carried the nature of returning home in glory.

For someone like Eun Seollan, whose sect is in the North Sea, the travel distance during the break period was impossible from the start, so she would give up on it.

But even for those from Hebei or Guangxi Province, where the travel distance was considerable, they still insisted on returning to their sects or clans during the break.

Who would want to miss a banquet held exclusively for them, where notices would be posted widely in their sect, their neighborhood, and even nearby cities, causing people to flock over?

"Are you perhaps not going because your exam scores weren't high enough?"

"..."

"..."

I spoke, recalling their low scores on the written exam.

"See, didn't I tell you to memorize everything I pointed out for you?"

"... Do you know how much material that is? How could I memorize it all?"

"Young Master Jin, do you think we are monsters like you?"

"Anyway, it's a shame. You can only receive that kind of celebration once in your life."

"Then why aren't you returning, Young Master Jin?"

At Namgung Seonhwa's question, I replied firmly.

"My father is a cheapskate anyway, so he wouldn't throw a banquet for me."

"Eh... Then do you want to go to the Namgung Clan together? They'll probably throw a grand banquet."

"Huh?"

"Ah, my father kept asking when Young Master Jin Sowoon would be coming. My grandfather did too."

Come to think of it, Namgung Jinmyeong had once invited me to visit as his guest.

"I will accept the thought alone. Right now is a time for training."

Seong Moran pouted her lips and said.

"Are you really going to do nothing but train throughout the entire break period?"

"Didn't you two say you also stayed behind to do that?"

"... That's true, but you still need to rest a little. You know, go hang out nearby. Dongting Lake isn't that far."

"Can't the two of you go hang out together?"

"What?!"

Seong Moran's eyes shot up fiercely.

'Do I really need to intrude when the two of them are resting?'

'Or are they being considerate of my junior brothers?'

"I was planning to go to Yueyang at least once anyway."

"Really? When? How many days are you going for?"

"I have some business to take care of. Doing a little sightseeing while we're at it will also be a good experience for my junior brothers."

"..."

Seong Moran made a disappointed expression.

Namgung Seonhwa began to whisper something into Seong Moran's ear.

Then, Seong Moran whispered back to Namgung Seonhwa again.

'Why are people who can use sound transmission going out of their way to do that?'

"Alright! Then let's at least go hang out in Yueyang as a compromise."

"I told you I'm going because I have business to take care of."

"Right. You can just take care of it quickly and then we can hang out."

"..."

"So when are you going?"

"I plan to go once my training is somewhat finished."

"... You aren't telling us to just wait indefinitely, right?"

"How about the two of you spend your time training like my junior brothers?"

"..."

"..."

Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa were glaring at me with somewhat angry faces.

'Just what did I do wrong to make them so angry?'

* * *

Namgung Seonhwa and Seong Moran were one thing, but if I had to pick the person at the Murim Academy who was the angriest with me right now, it would be the Sword Demon.

I didn't know how angry he was, but every time we met, he would inflict violence on me right up until the point of unconsciousness.

As expected of a giant of the Underworld.

"You came back again even after taking a beating like that?"

CRACK, CRACK.

The bulging bone on his back smoothly popped inward, and the Sword Demon stood up straight.

'It's fascinating no matter how many times I see it.'

No matter how many times I saw it, I couldn't get used to a Bone-Reversing Art that far exceeded the usual limits of transformation to completely turn him into a hunchback.

"I plan to keep coming until you teach me."

"Then I plan to keep beating you until you stop coming."

"I wonder who will win."

"I will win."

"I also have the last resort of reporting you."

"If you had any intention of reporting me, you would have done so on the very first day you got hit."

"..."

'He doesn't lose a single word, seriously.'

"Therefore, I, who strike with a hard fist, will beat you, who must take the hits with soft flesh."

"Hmm... That makes sense. Then shall I take an exciting beating again today?"

The Sword Demon let out a sigh, as if he found it absurd.

"Why are you going out of your way to ask me to teach you martial arts when I'm not even from the Orthodox faction like you?"

"Weren't you originally from the Orthodox faction, Sword Demon? So there is merit in learning from you."

"That is not a valid reason. Moreover, your martial arts are the type that require you to develop them yourself. You aren't challenging me without knowing that, are you?"

'We've only exchanged blows a few times, yet he has already fully grasped the essence of my martial arts?'

'As expected, he has the makings of the greatest martial arts master.'

"I am aware. But developing it that way takes far too long."

"Why, is someone chasing you right now?"

Thinking I wouldn't hear anything good even if I told the Sword Demon the truth, I casually tossed out a story.

"Do you know about my situation? I am currently at odds with the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Noble Clans, and the Twelve Peaks and Castles."

The Sword Demon scowled heavily and looked at me.

"... They say the Black Flame Dragon is the Underworld's Divine Star, and you truly are good at lying. I was almost fooled."

"..."

The Sword Demon, who had been glaring at me, let out a long sigh and shook his head as he spoke.

"Fine. I don't care what is chasing you. Considering the price of your beatings so far, I will teach you one thing. You want to learn Sword Force?"

"Yes."

"But you do know that you cannot learn Sword Force in isolation, right?"

"I am aware. That is why I wish to hear the trick from you, Sword Demon, who walked alone in Jianghu and created your own martial arts."

"Flattery will get you nowhere. Anyway, is your desire to learn Sword Force so that you can counter Sword Force?"

'I can somewhat counter it with Ten Thousand Swords, but there is a limit to that.'

'I can't exactly wage a life-and-death battle wielding a sword that might break at any moment, can I?'

'To face a master of Sword Force, I must step into the realm of Sword Force.'

"Yes."

"Haha."

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because it's funny watching you covet the lump of silver in someone else's hand without realizing you're holding a lump of gold in your own."

"Excuse me?"

"You have no need to learn Sword Force. Of course, it would be nice if you learned it, but you don't necessarily have to."

"Why do you say that?"

"That martial art called Ten Thousand Swords that you first showed me."

'The Ten Thousand Seas Heaven and Earth Sword Art is essentially the supreme secret of the Taiyi True Scripture, but it is insufficient to counter Sword Force.'

'I've already told him this multiple times.'

"That Ten Thousand Swords is not real, yet it is real, is it not?"

"That is... true."

"Then shouldn't you just overlay Sword Qi onto those swords?"

"..."

'Overlaying Sword Qi onto Ten Thousand Swords? What kind of nonsense is he talking about?'

"Had you not thought of that?"

"Isn't that impossible?"

'Isn't the reason a phantom sword is limited because one cannot overlay Sword Qi on it even as their level rises?'

"That's only true for fools."

The Sword Demon picked up a branch that had fallen on the ground.

It was the same one he had used to create a wave of Sword Force before.

"Watch closely."

In an instant, he swung the branch, and dozens of branches materialized in the air.

Following that, a tangible qi gathered on the Sword Demon's branch.

However, the phantoms of the branches lingering in the air remained as they were.

"If you cannot overlay Sword Qi onto a phantom sword, then shouldn't you just make the Sword Qi itself into a phantom?"

Subsequently, Sword Qi began to form on each of the branches filling the air.

It was truly a festival of light.

As if a splendid banquet were being held, his Sword Qi materialized in all directions.

"And when necessary, you can simply bring reality into it, just like the sword technique you use."

SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH!

The branches that had been phasing through trees and rocks began to leave scars all over the forest.

A tree on the right was suddenly cleanly severed and fell over, and a rock on the left was sliced off with unbelievable sharpness.

"And once you master this, you merge the two into one."

The phantoms of qi stretching out from the Sword Demon's branch became even faster.

Eventually, the Sword Qi and the branch became one, becoming an entity that was a phantom sword yet not a phantom sword, a real sword yet not a real sword.

"Hah..."

While I was unable to collect my senses after seeing a martial art similar to Ten Thousand Swords unfold right before my eyes.

The dazzling branches that had filled the air vanished in an instant.

"This should be enough, right?"

I nodded and said.

"As expected, it seems there is no one but you, Sword Demon."

"For what?"

"To be my martial arts master."

I spoke as I drew the Black Dragon Sword, and the Sword Demon's face scrunched up as if he had chewed on shit.

* * *

"Huff, huff... Thank you for your teachings again today."

With those final words, Jin Sowoon collapsed heavily onto the ground.

The Sword Demon, Baek Haegwang, who had been hiding his identity as the hunchbacked old man of Manseogo, looked at Jin Sowoon and then down at the branch in his own hand.

'It broke?'

It was only natural logic that a fragile branch would be sliced away when it clashed with a hard iron sword, but for Baek Haegwang, it was anything but natural.

Because this essentially meant that Jin Sowoon had grown another level due to that brief teaching.

"His martial talent certainly doesn't seem that outstanding."

Baek Haegwang approached Jin Sowoon and examined every inch of his body.

"Hah, look at this brat. Just what kind of fortuitous encounter did he have to attain the Martial Divine Body?"

His inherently born bone structure had undergone another complete transformation, becoming the Martial Divine Body.

Taking into account that his background was the less-than-stellar Taiyi Sect, it meant he had obtained an immense fortuitous encounter.

Then, while observing his palms, Baek Haegwang's movements came to an abrupt halt.

"Goodness."

His palms were utterly covered in calluses, feeling like one was touching hard stone.

Furthermore, despite possessing 180 years' worth of internal energy, his entire body was densely trained, as if he had never slacked off on his external martial arts training either.

"I should view this as pure venom, not just effort. He's no ordinary madman."

After examining him up to this point, the reason why his branch had broken became somewhat understandable.

And as he saw his younger self within the boy, a surge of irritation welled up inside him.

"You brat, you cannot achieve anything with mere obsession over martial arts. Rather, you will only end up losing everything you already have."

On the other hand, there was also a sense of regret.

If the boy weren't a disciple of the Taiyi Sect, and if he himself weren't a being hiding away like this...

Then perhaps he could have passed on his lifelong true inheritance to him—that was the regret he felt.

Possessing this level of tenacity and venom was proof that the boy had lived a life similar to his own.

He would probably be able to perfectly absorb the final sword form he had created.

Baek Haegwang shook his head.

"Stop it, Baek. Are you trying to pass on that karma to the next generation after piling up so much of it yourself? Think of the price you paid because of the title of Demon."

After saying that, Baek Haegwang turned his steps toward his hut before looking back at Jin Sowoon again.

"Tsk, what a bothersome brat."

WOOONG.

Jin Sowoon's body levitated about a foot off the ground and began to smoothly float along, following Baek Haegwang.

* * *

To My Lady.

Have you been well? I am hearing plenty of news about you all the way from Hefei.

Thanks to the news of your admission to the academy, the Iron Sword Sect also threw a long banquet for quite some time.

There were many disciples who were disappointed by the news that you would not be returning to the sect this time. Even if you are busy, please visit us at least once someday to motivate the young disciples.

Additionally, I am curious as to whether your relationship with your lover is progressing well.

Since you have always been someone with no interest in such things, I, Cho, am constantly full of worries.

I suppose the reason you are not coming during this break period is also to spend time with him?

Please do not waste your time. If by any chance you have the opportunity to go wandering together, make absolutely sure to win his heart and make him yours...

Seong Moran, who had been reading Cho Mubin's letter, suddenly crumpled it up and tore it to shreds.

"W-What in the world is Captain Cho talking about!"

Namgung Seonhwa, who had been reading a letter next to her, looked at Seong Moran with wide eyes.

"W-Why? Unnie, is something wrong?"

"Huh? O-Oh, no."

"Your face is flushed bright red, though?"

"I-It must be because it's hot. Is summer already approaching?"

"..."

Seong Moran awkwardly fanned herself with her hand before asking Namgung Seonhwa, as if suddenly remembering something.

"Seonhwa, do you have any clothes to wear when we go to Yueyang?"

"I don't. I haven't even had the time to contact my clan since entering the academy."

"Then should we go buy some clothes? We can't exactly go hanging out in Yueyang looking like this."

"Already? We don't even know when the training will end."

"We should buy them in advance."

"..."

Namgung Seonhwa quietly stared at Seong Moran for a moment.

"Unnie... I'm sorry for asking this so suddenly, but..."

"Hm?"

"Unnie, you still like Young Master Jin, don't you?"

"..."

Seong Moran's already-flushed face turned so red that it looked like it would explode at any moment.

Namgung Seonhwa nodded, as if she knew the answer without even needing to hear it.

"I knew it..."

"W-Why are you asking that so suddenly?"

"..."

Namgung Seonhwa, who was gazing intently at Seong Moran, bowed her head as if she had committed a grave sin.

Then, she spoke in a faint, trailing voice.

"Actually..."

Seong Moran froze like ice and focused on the quiet voice drifting to her.

"I also like Young Master Jin..."

"..."