Myst, Might, Mayhem

Chapter 383 – Joining (5)

“Let’s take one year of your life as the price for fighting you.”

“One year? Surely you don’t mean……”

“Yes, your loyalty.”

“……”

The Mad Swordsman Ji-oe couldn’t hide his bewilderment at Mok Gyeong-un’s straightforward demand.

This was because he had requested a price completely opposite to the Sword Valley, which was freely open to all those pursuing the way of the sword.

‘Loyalty?’

Ji-oe stared at Mok Gyeong-un’s face, which held a hint of a smile.

To swear loyalty as the price for a duel.

Even if it was a chance that might never come again, it felt like too much of a losing deal.

To him, Mok Gyeong-un shrugged and said,

“Seeing you hesitate, it doesn’t seem that urgent after all.”

“That’s……”

“I said I’d only take a year, is that so difficult?”

“……”

“I don’t understand how someone who wasted twenty years here solely cultivating the sword is hesitating over this.”

“It wasn’t a waste.”

“If it wasn’t a waste, then what was it?”

-Swish!

Mok Gyeong-un lightly extended his sword intent towards him.

-Flinch!

At that moment, all the energy around seemed to rise sharply and aim at him.

It was almost as if everything around had become a sword.

As he marveled at this, Mok Gyeong-un spoke with a mocking voice,

“If your twenty years don’t even match my half year, it’s definitely a waste of time.”

“Half a year? What do you mean?”

“The period I’ve properly learned martial arts.”

‘!!!!!!’

At those words, Ji-oe’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

What did he just say?

That he’s only been properly learning martial arts for half a year?

Ji-oe wasn’t the only one surprised by Mok Gyeong-un’s words.

Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates also looked at each other with surprised eyes.

They all thought Mok Gyeong-un’s rate of progress was monstrous, but none of them knew exactly when he had started learning martial arts.

But hearing it was just half a year, they were all shocked.

‘Half a year?’

‘…… Impossible.’

‘He’s crazy. Is he joking on purpose?’

‘To subjugate one of the Six Heavens after learning martial arts for just half a year……”

Even they found this hard to believe.

Even Cheong-ryeong, who had witnessed this from the beginning, thought Mok Gyeong-un’s talent was monstrous.

‘He must have been born with heavenly luck or might not even be human.’

Has there ever been such a genius in the history of the Central Plains martial arts world?

This should only be possible for figures like Bodhidharma, who could be considered the origin of Shaolin martial arts, the birthplace of the Central Plains orthodox martial arts; Zhang Sanfeng, who founded Wudang; the Sword Immortal who was said to have beheaded the Fire Dragon; or the legendary Nine Swords of Huashan.

No, even they might not have been capable of this.

Then Ji-oe, whose eyes had widened in surprise, opened his mouth.

“…… Are you mocking me now?”

“About what?”

“No matter how talented one is in martial arts, how could it be possible in just half a year……”

“Is something impossible for others just because you can’t do it?”

At this question, Ji-oe was momentarily at a loss for words.

There’s nothing wrong with someone else doing something he can’t do.

However, even starting from childhood, only a tiny fraction ever reached the highest realm, and the majority of martial artists couldn’t even reach the Transcendent Realm, let alone break through the wall in their lifetime.

But to say that one reached a level capable of subjugating one of the Six Heavens after learning martial arts for just half a year was almost unprecedented.

‘This is maddening.’

Looking at Mok Gyeong-un’s unwavering gaze and expression, Ji-oe’s mind became confused.

In fact, he had thought that although Mok Gyeong-un looked young, he might actually be an old master who had undergone rebirth.

But if this was true, wasn’t this beyond the category of genius and into the realm of monsters?

-Shudder!

Goosebumps rose from his spine to his whole body.

To think a monster who reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship in half a year existed in this world.

Ji-oe, who had been trembling as if convulsing from the goosebumps all over his body, finally opened his mouth.

“…… Does asking for one year for a single duel mean victory or defeat?”

“Yes, have you made your decision?”

“Can I add one condition?”

“Condition?”

“Yes. Even if I pledge loyalty, as a branch of the renowned orthodox Sword Sect, I have never deviated from the righteous path in my life.”

“Never deviated from the righteous path…… What are you trying to say?”

“Even if I swear loyalty to you, give me the right to refuse if it’s something that deviates from the righteous path.”

“Huh?”

At his proposal, Mok Gyeong-un’s subordinates all snorted.

Isn’t it laughable for someone swearing loyalty to put forward such a condition?

“Crazy bastard. If you only do what suits you, that’s being a wanderer, not showing loyalty. You don’t know your place.”

Even the fallen monk Ja Geum-jeong clicked his tongue.

However, Ji-oe didn’t care about their reactions at all.

The Mok Gyeong-un he had seen in the Sword Valley was far from being related to the righteous path.

He was clearly closer to the demonic faction.

If he followed such a person’s orders blindly, he would deviate from the righteous path he had kept until now.

He didn’t want that.

“If you accept just this, for one year……”

“Interesting.”

“…… Did you say interesting?”

“Yes. Conditions on loyalty…… Have you ever thought that I might ignore all your proposals and just kill you?”

Despite the brutal words, there was no killing intent in his voice.

So Ji-oe considered this just a simple warning.

Therefore, he carefully said,

“I am not your enemy. You’re a reasonable person, so I think you won’t go that far.”

“I wonder. It’s not because I’m reasonable that I closed off the Tang family for sixty years.”

“Tang family? …… Do you mean the Sichuan Tang family?”

“Yes.”

“Wait, what do you mean……”

Before he could finish his words.

Seop Chun spoke in a triumphant voice.

“Ah! Senior Ji-oe, you don’t know. Our Lord single-handedly subdued the Sichuan Tang family and made them close their doors for sixty years.”

‘!?’

Ji-oe’s expression hardened.

The Sichuan Tang family closed their doors?

One of the pillars of the Righteous Alliance and one of the Seven Great Families, renowned for poisons, with potential power comparable to major sects like the Nine Schools and One Faction, closed their doors?

Ji-oe was truly dumbfounded.

Whether this was true or not, if it was fact, it would be enough to shake the entire martial arts world that had been quiet for a while.

Moreover,

‘Is he walking the path of evil?’

He made the Sichuan Tang family close their doors and subjugated Spiritual Sword Sanctuary, called the holy land of swords.

Just these two actions alone made it seem like he was walking the path of evil.

Ji-oe, whose lips had gone dry, swallowed hard before finally speaking.

“…… What exactly is your goal?”

“If you want to know that, you’ll have to join my ranks.”

“Your path is one that I……”

“I think I understand why you’ve stagnated.”

“What… do you mean?”

“You set limits by considering this and that about the righteous path. How can someone who starts by drawing lines in their mind ever cross those lines?”

‘!?’

At Mok Gyeong-un’s words, Ji-oe’s pupils shook.

Mok Gyeong-un’s rebuke was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, creating ripples.

‘Drawing lines in my mind?’

He had never thought of it that way before.

While learning the sword, he had also devoted himself to scholarship, deeply engraving Confucius’s words in his heart.

(At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right)

In the “Wei Zheng” chapter of the Analects, Confucius said that only at the age of seventy could he follow his heart’s desires without overstepping the bounds.

He believed that the righteous path was the same.

He had lived believing that if he deeply engraved this in his heart, he would eventually be able to do as he wished without deviating from it.

But was this mindset actually setting limits for himself?

‘Ah…’

He had spent over twenty years in the Sword Valley, taking pride in not deviating from the righteous path while not caring about the world’s gaze or anything else.

But was all of this just a limit blocking himself?

It was truly meaningless.

Momentarily speechless from the shock, he soon opened his mouth with eyes that seemed to have broken free from some restraint.

“…… You’re right. The righteous path, the orthodox sect, in the end, all of it was just drawing limits for myself.”

“I’m glad you’ve realized it, even if it’s now.”

“I’ve realized that to reach a higher place than now, I need to embrace everything, not just stop at the orthodox path.”

“Just saying it doesn’t mean anything.”

“…… Since righteousness and evil have leaned too much to one side, I too, like you, should walk a new path.”

“A new path?”

“The path of evil.”

At his words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.

He told him not to draw limits, and now he says he’ll walk the path of evil.

Should this be called a simple idea?

Well, it wasn’t bad.

He seemed like the type of person who needs to hit a wall and break his nose before realizing what to do.

-Shing!

Then Ji-oe drew his sword again and said,

“I’ll do as you propose. If I lose, I’ll serve you loyally for a year without complaint.”

“Should I take it that you’re prepared to do anything?”

To this question, Ji-oe, having made up his mind, answered readily.

“The year I swear loyalty to you will be a time to embrace evil, so I’ll become a demon of the sword, not a swordsman walking the righteous path.”

“A demon of the sword…… Good. Then I’ll call you Sword Demon from now on.”

“Sword Demon. Not bad.”

-Swish!

With those words, Ji-oe took a sword stance.

Looking at him, Mok Gyeong-un half-drew his demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword from his waist and said,

“Then shall we start by taking that year?”

“No matter how insufficient, one must compare to know long and short……”

-Swish!

‘!?’

Suddenly, Ji-oe was at a loss for words.

The tip of Mok Gyeong-un’s unique weapon, the demonic sword Evil Commandment Sword, was already touching his neck.

He had clearly been watching, but why hadn’t he perceived him approaching until he was right in front?

To the bewildered Ji-oe, Mok Gyeong-un raised the corner of his mouth and said,

“One year. Shall we continue?”

“…… This is just the beginning!”

-Clang!

With a shout, Ji-oe knocked Mok Gyeong-un’s sword upward and immediately launched into a sword technique.

***

Had about half an hour passed?

Seop Chun, leaning against the wall of the guest room, asked Mong Mu-yak beside him in a low voice.

“What number is this now?”

“Twenty-six.”

“Oh my. That’s already twenty-five years.”

“…… He’s so stubborn.”

Seop Chun nodded, seeming to agree with Mong Mu-yak’s sigh-filled words.

If he had realized he was no match after the first exchange, he should have stopped right away.

But when Mok Gyeong-un started receiving his sword for more than a few moves after that, his fighting spirit ignited, and he kept charging in.

It was clearly intentional to anyone watching.

However, right now, Ji-oe’s mind probably had no such calculations.

With an expression that seemed ecstatic just to be crossing swords with Mok Gyeong-un, whom he believed to have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, how could he make any calculations?

Seop Chun shook his head.

“He’ll be with us for a very long time.”

“Indeed.”

-Clang!

Once again, Ji-oe’s sword flew out of his hand and stuck into the floor five zhang away.

With this, the accumulated period reached 26 years.

-Grind!

Ji-oe gritted his teeth and stretched out his hand, calling his sword back from the floor using the Empty Hand Grasping technique.

As he was about to continue the duel again,

-Swish!

Suddenly, Mok Gyeong-un frowned and held out his hand, indicating him to stop.

As Ji-oe wondered why, one of Mok Gyeong-un’s eyebrows raised.

Cheong-ryeong, also puzzled by this reaction, asked.

-Why are you doing that?

-Just now, one of my connections was severed.

-A connection was severed? Surely not……

-…… It seems one of my spirit servants has been destroyed.