Episode 69. Roots and Flowers
The speech of the eastern part of Luoyang.
Waryongjang.
Three men and one woman sat together in the inner quarters.
The hostess of Waryongjang, Baek Mi-ju, Yeon Mu-baek, Yeon Seung-baek, and Yeon Mu-do, the head of Cheongryongdae. Despite their recent victory in the fight over Gong Hyeon-yo, their expressions were not bright.
Baek Mi-ju shook her head as if she was wondering what was being said.
“That’s ridiculous. The bandits called the Five Bongsipgeol are using the martial arts of the original commander? How is that possible? Sisuk, aren’t you mistaken?”
A sigh escaped Yeonmu-do’s mouth.
“Ha! Sister-in-law, I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t lost consciousness. All the warriors of the Blue Dragons who fought the Five Bongsipgyeol are saying the same thing. That the Five Bongsipgyeol used the Nine Heavenly Sword.”
“No! Does that make sense? How can thieves use the martial arts of Waryongjang?”
When Baek Mi-ju raised her voice, Yeon Mu-baek said something.
“Mother, it is not entirely impossible. One of the disciples may have leaked it.”
“The disciples leaked it?”
“Isn’t there nowhere else to think about right now?”
Baek Mi-ju, who was trembling, hit the table.
“Anyway! The ronin are the problem. I knew they would cause trouble at some point, but leaking martial arts? Selling your life for a few bucks? Those crazy guys.”
Yeonmu-do opened his mouth cautiously.
“Considering that the Five Bong Sip Geol used the first to third forms of the ritual, it seems that the culprit is among the ronin belonging to the Jidan or Cheondan in the past.”
Everyone nodded.
The first disciple he accepted was divided into the three levels of Heaven, Earth, and Man and taught swordsmanship. It was certainly impossible for someone from the level of Man who had only learned this method.
We’ve narrowed down the culprit, but it’s still a mystery.
Among the Blue Dragon and White Tiger units, there were as many as thirty people from the Heavenly and Earthly Units. There was no way to find out which of them had left. The life or death of those who left during training was even unknown, making it even more so.
Suddenly Baek Mi-ju looked at Yeon Mu-baek and Yeon Seung-baek.
“You guys, you didn’t teach the Ronin the Heavenly Dragon Musang Shingong, did you?”
Yeonmu Baek answered with a bitter smile.
“No. The elders forbade that and taught the Waryongsim method.”
The Waryongsimbeop is a mind method created by the ancestors of the Yeon clan and is superior to the Samjaesimbeop available on the market.
Only then did Baek Mi-ju look a little relieved.
“That’s fortunate. You shouldn’t teach the Heavenly Dragon Musang Shingong to the ronin.”
“Anyway, they are too old to teach it to me. I am only teaching the Cheonryong Musangsingong to a few children from Jamryongdae. The elders have given me permission to do so.”
“Yes, those kids are fine. They will grow up to be true disciples of Waryongjang.”
That’s how the story about the leak of the Nine Heaven Sword was concluded.
Baek Mi-ju, who had been fiddling with her teacup for a moment, spoke to Yeonmu-do.
“Oh, Si-suk. Mu-baek’s wedding will be held on the first day of the tenth month. Please tell the elders so. I would like to tell them myself, but you know, I don’t have a very good relationship with them.”
“Okay, everyone will be happy.”
The Yeon clan elders wanted Baek Mi-ju to step down and hand over the Waryongjang to the grown Yeon Mu-baek. However, Baek Mi-ju refused for various reasons. The relationship between the Yeon clan elders and Baek Mi-ju was as bad as it could get.
***
Bobonghyun.
Obongsanchae.
Yeonjeokha, Ha So-baek, Han Chae-yeon, and Lee Cheol-san are sitting on a bench in front of Sanchae. It looks like the three of them are watching Yeonjeokha sharpening his sword.
Han Chae-yeon, who was looking at him with a blank expression, asked.
“Brother, you stole that from the guy who is the escort leader of Baekse Sang Bang, right?”
“Aren’t you going to use Park Do anymore?”
“I’m going to change.”
“Huh? Why?”
“The swordsmanship was scary.”
Everyone stared blankly at Yeonjeokha.
It was such a simple reason to change weapons.
In fact, what Yeonjeokha trained in the warehouse was neither swordsmanship nor Taoism. Since he trained with a stick, it was difficult to define it as either one.
At that time, he learned the magic of anti-demonism from the mountain village and was given a sword as a gift. At that time, there was no one among the bandits who used swords, so it happened naturally.
The Nine Thousand Heavenly Sword is a strange martial art that can be used not only with a sword but also with bare hands. I fell in love with the refreshing taste of Park Do’s sword, and the Nine Thousand Heavenly Sword became solidified as a Taoist technique.
In addition, the mysterious world of the Nine Heavenly Laws played a part. The more I learned about it, the more new it became. There was a world of difference between practicing alone in a warehouse and using it in real life.
For that reason, I only used the Nine Heavenly Sword once in a while when practicing. And even then, it was a bit awkward because it didn’t match up with Park Do.
At this time, I didn’t feel the need to change my weapon. Since I had no rivals with just one sword, I just settled for the reality.
But after fighting the Heavenly Sword Master, my thoughts changed.
I was secretly envious of the power of a mountain contained in such delicate details. That fantastic Igi-geom was so shocking that it came to mind even while sleeping.
Now that I’ve gotten somewhat used to the Nine Heavenly Swords, I plan on trying out the ultimate sword, the Nine Heavenly Sword.
Hasobaek tilted his head.
“Your magic is also invincible.”
I smiled sheepishly at her words.
If the nine thousand worldly laws are the roots of the tree called Muhak, then the nine thousand nine swords are the flowers.
Roots are important, but how can they be compared to flowers?
“Hey, if I was invincible, would I have run away?”
“That’s because you’re still young… … .”
“That’s because you haven’t seen that old man’s swordsmanship. I told you, it wasn’t a joke.”
“So you’re really going to change it to a sword?”
“Yeah. Actually, if you think about it, my martial arts aren’t Taoism. I inherited a sword from a mountain village and started using it, which is how I got here. My family has always used swords.”
“Ah! So that’s why all the warriors of Waryongjang were carrying swords?”
“My father was also a famous swordsman.”
“I see.”
Only then did Hasobaek realize that Yeonjeokha had not changed his weapon spontaneously.
“Shall we change to swords too?”
“You don’t have to do that. The Nine Heavenly Laws don’t place any restrictions on weapons, so it’s okay. I know the swordsmanship, so you don’t have to follow me.”
“I see. But if you’re going to do it, wouldn’t it be better to use a sword like Yeon Orabeoni? The way the warriors of Waryongjang use swords looks pretty good.”
I didn’t really object to the romance.
“If the taste of the black pepper is a bit refreshing, the black pepper looks soft. Do it as you please.”
This time, Ha So-baek asked Han Chae-yeon.
“Sister, don’t the female warriors of Gangho mostly use swords?”
“That’s right. After all, most of the people of the Chilpai clan use swords.”
Lee Cheol-san said something.
“Actually, the Park Do is mostly carried by people from Nokrim and Haomun, so it’s not very attractive.”
Hasobaek, who had been thinking deeply, spoke in a determined tone.
“Then I should also change to a sword while I’m at it. At least for the sake of the future… … .”
Since Hasobaek had said that he would leave Nokrim one day, no one tried to dissuade him.
“Let’s change, too. What do you think?”
“Well, I guess it’ll be okay… … .”
Han Chae-yeon also has a cheerful face as a woman.
She also only studied martial arts for a short period of time, so it wouldn’t be a problem for her to change.
Han Chae-yeon, who had been hesitating, eventually made up her mind to use the sword.
The two of them decided to catch a glimpse of each other and ask the village chief of Hagachon to buy them a sword.
After deciding to go with the sword, the two of them showed more interest in Yeonjeokha’s sword. Now that they have to use the sword too, it seems like it’s not someone else’s business.
Suddenly, Hasobaek pointed to the sword and said.
“Brother, what does it say on the sword?”
“Warryong.”
“Aha! I see you got this from Waryongjang. It looks fancy.”
“He must have been a fairly high-ranking person even among the Yeon clan. It was a good thing for me.”
“Hey, if I had known how to change into a sword, I would have brought it with me that day.”
“That’s right. They say that good things don’t cost a penny or two.”
Han Chae-yeon also has a very regretful face.
The couple smiled sheepishly.
I think it’s important for people to live in the environment they live in. What they saw and learned in the forest was to take away, so they considered other people’s things as their own.
***
The full moon of July.
Luoyang, Hanam Province.
The Seven Paicun, Five Great Families, and famous Jeongpas gathered in Luoyang.
The elders of the Chilpai sect were allowed to stay in the guesthouse of the Uicheon sect, but the other sects, even the Five Dynasties, had to rent guesthouses or estates in Luoyang.
When the Jeongui Maeng and the Seven Great Families gathered in Luoyang, they held a martial arts competition at the Yicheonmun. It would take months for all the sects scattered across the world to gather, so they started for now.
The martial arts studio of Uicheonmun.
In the center, the heads of the Chilpa clan sit on chairs, to the left are the heads of the Odae clan, and to the right are the heads of the Jeongpa clan.
The five hundred or so ordinary disciples sat or stood on the bare floor opposite the long-suffering men.
If 500 people gathered in a short period of less than two months, it could be considered a success. Perhaps that is why the expressions on the faces of the Justice Alliance leaders were so calm.
As soon as Jang Gang-ho, the leader of the Justice League, nodded, the general and new investigator Jegal Seung-un stepped forward.
“Thank you to all the fellow martial artists who came running after receiving the Moorimcheop. Let’s cut to the chase and get to the main point. Last May, the empty master of the Shaolin Temple’s Jipbeopdang discovered traces of the famous religion in Yeoju. After that, the Jeongui Alliance’s Uigi-dae and the five martial artists from Luoyang left for Yeoju.”
Even though there were over 700 people gathered, not a single breath could be heard.
Everyone was focused on Zhuge Liang’s words.
“… … The only survivors were the Lord of the Uicheon Gate and the Swordsman of Warong. The master of the Milky Way Gate, Honse Swordsman, was no less skilled than the ten greatest swordsmen in the world, and his subordinates were also found to be of a similar level to the elders of the Seven-Pay Gate. The Justice Alliance believes that they gained supernatural powers by sacrificing living monks.”
The shocked warlords were in an uproar.
Not only is the inaction of the famous religion surprising, but the method of obtaining supernatural powers is also extremely evil.
“You must know that the swordsmen of the Honsegeommado faction of the Milky Way are gathering in Luoyang. You must be making preparations accordingly. No matter what countermeasures they come up with, we will destroy them and hold high the banner of destroying evil and exposing the truth. If you have any questions about the suppression of the famous sect this time, please feel free to ask.”
Then, Murong Se, the head of the household, Murong Huang, asked.
“Twenty years ago, there was no one in the famous religion who could come close to the top ten masters in the world. How do we know whether the Milky Way’s Honsegeomma had reached that level through supernatural powers or not?”
Zhuge Liang glanced at the sword of the military officer of Uicheonmun.
I think it would be better if he explained the answer to this question himself.
After Gunjageom Lee Yeon-ik nodded, he stood up from his seat.
“I will explain this after having fought him in person in the Milky Way. I fought him once a long time ago, and he was one level lower than me. When we fought in the Milky Way two months ago, I didn’t feel any difference in my body. However, the energy transmitted through the sword was different. Would you believe that my mind was shaken by such a destructive and alien power? I even lost an arm in that fight.”
A sigh escaped from the mouths of Murong Huang and the other warlords.
This time, Peng Man-ho, the head of the Peng family, carefully started to use his power.
“General, if among the villains of the famous religion there is someone like Honse Geomma… … . What will happen?”
“Six of the ten greatest masters in the world are in the Chilpai clan. I hope there aren’t more than six people like Honsegeomma.”
“What if it exceeds?”
“Unprecedented chaos will come to the world of martial arts. Humanity and morality will fall to the ground, and evil desires and selfishness will cover the world of martial arts. Hell has arrived on the world.”
A heavy silence flowed among the warlords.
As the mood died down, Zhuge Liang quickly changed the subject.
“Don’t worry too much, that will never happen. Since the Heavenly Sword Master said he will be with us this time, the Honse Sword Demon will be finished. Before the evil spirits gain power, we just have to step on them one by one. Just like we did twenty years ago.”
The faces of the people who had been frozen slowly began to relax.
I feel a little relieved when I think about the fact that this happened over twenty years ago.
Wuxia,
