Episode 70. The road is as high as a foot, the devil is as high as a yard.
The speech of the eastern part of Luoyang.
Waryongjang.
About twenty martial artists approached the main gate of Waryongjang. Namgungcheon of Cheongungum, Namgungyeon of Hwayongdoksim, and Changcheondae who were accompanying them to protect them.
Namgung Byeok, the head of the Namgung family, sent his children to Luoyang in his stead. He entrusted them with the management of the martial arts world, just as he had done twenty years ago.
One of the warriors of Changcheon-dae knocked lightly on the door.
After a while, a male servant opened the door slightly and stuck his head out.
“Where are you from?”
The servant looks very nervous at the sight of the martial artists who arrived without notice.
Namgungcheon squinted his eyes at that sight.
It wasn’t like that in the past, so what happened in the meantime to make it like that?
The warrior of Changcheondae spoke briefly.
“We are the people of Namgung Se-ga. We have come to meet Yeonmu Baek.”
Only then did the servant open the door and bow.
“Oh my! It’s Namgung Se-ga. Please wait a moment while I send word to the inner quarters!”
After a while, a group of people came rushing out of the inner quarters.
Waryong Swordsman Yeonmu Baek shouted with a happy face.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! It’s been a while! If I had known sooner, I would have gone to Luoyang. It’s good to see you.”
Namgungcheon responded with a smile.
“It’s okay. I heard you’re busy, so someone less busy should come.”
“Haha! You’re busy. Come inside.”
Yeonseungbaek, who had been observing the situation, intervened slightly.
“Welcome. This is Yeonseungbaek.”
“Yeah, how have you been?”
Namgungcheon nodded and looked around.
I tried to say hello, but unlike before, Madam Baek was nowhere to be seen.
Namgungcheon, who had been tilting his head, soon followed Yeonmu Baek inside.
Yeonmu Baek guided the siblings Namgung Cheon and Namgung Yeon to the guest room.
Sister Namgung and brother Yeon sat across from each other at a table.
Namgungcheon, who had been looking up and down at Yeonmu Baek for a moment, said.
“I heard about Waryongjang in Luoyang. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes, it’s okay.”
“I see. I didn’t see the Waryongjang people at the Luoyang Martial Arts Competition, so I thought they were still receiving treatment.”
“I was just taking a break after finishing some urgent work.”
Yeonmu Baek couldn’t bring himself to tell Gong Hyeon-yo that he was recuperating after the fight.
“I see. How do you plan to subjugate the famous religion this time? I think you’ll be leaving for Yeoju tomorrow or the day after.”
“I suffered a lot of damage last time, so I’m thinking of skipping it this time.”
“It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“You two should be careful. If you think of it as a famous church from twenty years ago, you could get in big trouble.”
“I heard the general story from the great swordsman, the swordsman of the world. The martial arts of the Honse Sword Demon are outstanding, right?”
“It’s not just Honsegeomma. There was no weak one among his subordinates. The disciples of Chilpaimon fell like a sheaf of corn. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
“Are the rookies that good at it?”
“Oh! Don’t be ridiculous. I was lucky enough to come back alive. To be honest, I never want to go back to the Milky Way again.”
“But this time, there will be good results. Since the Master of the Heavenly Sword is coming.”
“Then that’s fortunate. If it weren’t for the Heavenly Sword Master, I would have tried to dissuade him from even the death penalty.”
“Tch! They say that the road is as high as a foot, and the devil is as high as a zhang. That’s exactly what it is now. When did Yumyungyo become so big?”
Yeon Seung-baek said something.
“That’s right. Who would have thought that even the great swordsman would be treated like that?”
Namgungcheon asked while continuing the story of the famous school.
“Oh, by the way, I heard on the way here that the relationship between Nokrim and Waryongjang is bad. Did something happen?”
“Honestly, we don’t know either. The situation is that Obongsanchae is hostile to Waryongjang.”
“wherefore?”
“It’s just frustrating not knowing that.”
“If the thieves are that annoying, shouldn’t we punish them?”
Namgungcheon was a bit suspicious that a warrior as powerful as Waryongjang was being attacked.
“Actually, I was planning to go to Yeoju and then go on a punitive expedition, but the damage to the famous religion was so severe that I just left it alone.”
“Many famous religions have been ruined.”
“I hope the expedition goes well this time. The Sword Master Yicheon and over 500 swordsmen are going.”
“If nothing special comes up, that’s how it will be.”
As the conversation came to a close, Namgungcheon stood up from his seat.
“I guess I should go back to Luoyang.”
“Sir, you can just stay here until we get to Yeoju.”
“No. If you want to hear new news, it’s better to be in Luoyang. At times like these, you have to keep your ears open.”
There was some truth to what Namgungcheon said, so Yeonmu Baek was unable to catch him any further.
Namgung Cheon and Namgung Yeon just drank tea and left Waryongjang.
On the way back to Luoyang, Namgungcheon muttered.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even said hello to my aunt. I thought she was home… … .”
A faint smile appeared on Namgung Yeon’s lips.
Namgungcheon sighed deeply, knowing that it was a joke.
“Yes, yes. I knew it was my aunt’s work because she said that Waryongjang had become aggressive. But I didn’t know that she had become so arrogant that she couldn’t even show her face.”
Unlike Namgung Cheon who looks upset, Namgung Yeon looks indifferent.
***
Bobonghyun.
Mt. Obong.
Today, I climbed to the highest peak of Mt. Obongsan.
Changing from a sword to a sword wasn’t as easy as it seemed. I can’t count the number of times I swung my sword like a sword and then said, ‘Oops!’
The sword and the sword were very different.
Not only was there a difference between double-edged and single-edged swords, but even the center of gravity was different.
Even as I swing it around coolly, I can’t help but think, ‘This isn’t it?’ It feels like I’m wearing clothes that don’t fit.
The thought, ‘Should I just go back to Park Do?’ kept running through my head.
A sigh escaped Yeonjeokha’s mouth as he practiced the Nine Heavenly Sword for half a day.
‘Haa! This is not it.’
My body and mind were playing separately.
I went into the shade and blankly stared at the clouds passing by.
When I didn’t know anything, it was actually easier to practice the Nine Heavens and Nine Swords.
I didn’t feel this dissonance when I practiced with just one stick.
No, it wasn’t like this even when I spread it out like this before.
Why does it take so much effort to practice swordsmanship with a sword?
‘Tch! If the merchant of heaven and earth were next to me, I would ask him questions freely.’
Then, it seemed like he would understand why he was wandering like this.
The voice of Gumilbokgyeom Simyanggak was heard by Yeonjeokha, who was sitting blankly.
“Your Majesty, how are you doing?”
“no.”
“Hehe, I knew you would do that.”
Yeonjeokha showed interest in Simyanggak’s words.
“Did you know that?”
“A person who used to use a sword would feel awkward even holding a leaf sword. It would be even worse if he switched to a sword.”
“Is it because you’re not used to it?”
“I heard that the first weapon that Confucius used was a sword. Is that right?”
“uh.”
“Then it won’t be easy. Your body will have become accustomed to the pressure.”
“Is that so? It’s stranger to use a sword than to use a swordsmanship technique.”
“Since Confucius’s Wuwei is high, the gap between the Tao and the sword may be felt even more. The movements with the sword are not satisfactory. In such cases, how about not rushing and going back to the beginning?”
“first?”
“If you practice the Nine Heavenly Laws with a sword again, won’t it become familiar to you? Everyone in Waryongjang uses the Nine Heavenly Laws with a sword.”
“Oh! That’s a good idea. As expected from Old Man Shim. He thinks differently.”
Only then did I feel like I had found the path to love.
Rather than forcibly clinging to the nine-thousand-nine-sword method, it would be better to start over from the nine-thousand-year-old tax law. Since I will have to apply the nine-thousand-year-old tax law with the sword anyway, it would be killing two birds with one stone.
“By the way, how is Mr. Shim? Is he getting better at fortune telling now?”
“Yes, it’s still small, but it’s definitely happening.”
That may be why Sim Yang-gak’s complexion also looked good.
“You came up here to tell me that story?”
“Uh, I came because I thought you didn’t look so good yesterday or today.”
“Oh my! Someone with a three-inch nose is worried about me too. Thank you.”
“If Confucius does well, I will do well too.”
“Okay. It’ll be okay. I don’t know if Old Man Shim will be okay though.”
“Hehehe, it’s easy to talk to Confucius because he speaks exactly what’s on his mind.”
“Is that a compliment? Or an insult?”
“Take it in a good way. Then I’ll take my leave.”
Simyanggak stumbled down the mountain.
He gave up his seat so as not to disturb the performance of Yeonjeokha.
As soon as Simyanggak disappeared from sight, he got up from his seat.
And he began to unfold the nine thousand laws with his sword.
As expected, there was a difference, but it wasn’t as big as when the Nine Heaven and Nine Swords were spread out.
I went back to my original state of mind and moved calmly, one movement at a time.
As I repeated the nine-thousand-year-old law until the sun went down, the awkward feeling was greatly reduced.
***
Namjikryeoseong Soho (Nest Lake).
About 400 meters away from Soho, a large freshwater lake south of Hefei, there is a manor with a sign that says, “Musan Sochook.”
Late at night.
About a hundred warriors gathered in front of the largest pavilion in the palace.
After a while, two women who looked to be in their forties came out.
The gathered warriors did not dare to look directly at the two women as if they were afraid. It was understandable, because both women were Baekdu Horsemen. They looked like they were in their forties, but in reality, they were both old women in their sixties.
One of the women, Wolha Seonja, spoke to Lee Mae-hwa, a famous poet who was standing next to her.
“Your Majesty, please just look around today. I owe Namgung Se-ga and Waryong-jang a debt.”
“Haha, I’ve also heard the story of the Sword King and the True Moon Swordsman. I guess the events during the time of the Sipduma Byeong left a deep scar?”
“It’s all thanks to me that they’re hearing the voices of the Sword King and the True Moon Swordsman. It was a long time ago, so I want to forget it, but the world keeps reminding me of it.”
“If you get rid of Namgung Se-ga today, you’ll feel a little better.”
“I hope so.”
“If Namgung Se-ga disappears, Mugeukmun will not be able to exert power in Nanjing. I am grateful that Honsegeomma attracted my attention at the right time. By the way, you should also rebuild the church, Seonja.”
“Since there is already an oxygen-free farm here, I am thinking of building a church in Waryongjang. Wouldn’t that be a clean revenge? I will also take care of the guy called Chamwolgeomgaek.”
“That seems okay too. If the sage gives a lesson like that, no one will be able to touch the famous religion.”
The two women chatted for a while, wondering if they were not afraid of the sword king, Namgung Byeok.
***
Combined.
Namgung Se-ga.
King Namgung Byeok of the Sword couldn’t sleep until late at night.
The muggy night air was keeping me from sleeping, but more than that, it was my anxious mind.
When your internal and external skills reach the level of a beginner like those of the top ten masters in the world, you will gradually come to understand the flow of heaven.
Namgung Byeok was like that tonight.
He felt some sign of fate, something more certain than his intuition.
He got out of bed, went out onto the veranda, and looked up at the night sky.
Two red stars were meeting.
This is clearly an ominous phenomenon called ‘Xinghuoshen (楚惑守心, Mars threatening the constellation of the Emperor)’, which ‘decides the fate of the country.’
Wuxia,
