Sword God Reborn

Chapter 138 : Back to how it was.

Chuhonsak's posture. His broad shoulders. The position of his sword. The heavy energy wriggling in his dantian.

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes, which had grasped all of that, flickered with a faint nostalgia.

It was a familiar aura, posture, and internal energy.

It was then.

The gathered crowd split to the sides.

"That's enough. How can sword fighting continue in the sacred Wudang?"

The middle-aged man who appeared after hearing this commotion was the Wudang Sect Leader.

It was the Great Purity True Man.

When the Wudang Sect Leader stepped in, the atmosphere was instantly settled.

No matter how much the Red Scarf Society wielded its power, and even if the Martial Faction was divided from the sect leader, the absolute authority of a sect leader of a sect seemed to be maintained.

The Great Purity True Man, who had entered the room, stared at Chuhonsak.

"Vice-leader Chu, please convey to the leader that this matter is regrettable."

"...I am sorry."

Chuhonsak couldn't move and bowed his head.

Cheon Mubaeck, looking at the Great Purity True Man, guessed where that absolute authority came from.

'Is it Taiji?'

He had thought that since he was of the Taoist Faction, his martial prowess would be weak.

But it wasn't.

The huge Taiji wriggling in his lower dantian.

'He's the best in Wudang.'

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes shone particularly brightly.

And the Great Purity True Man, who was staring at those eyes, put his hands together and bowed his head.

"I have heard much of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero's fame. The news that you saved Shaolin and resolved the tragedy of Chongqing. Currently, Wudang is also in a crisis. We desperately need the great hero's help, and thank you for visiting us here. I would like to share some tea and talk about the past, would that be alright?"

* * *

Red Scarf Society

Warriors of Wudang, but not of Wudang.

That was the phrase that best described the Red Scarf Society.

They ate, slept, and learned martial arts in Wudang, and they fought for Wudang.

That was the purpose of the Red Scarf Society's creation.

A society of heroes to prevent the destruction or sealing of Wudang.

Without wanting any gain, they had climbed Mount Wudang solely to protect Wudang.

They fought and died for Wudang.

With their sacrifice, Wudang had managed to survive.

No one denied that the Red Scarf Society was the sword that protected Wudang.

At least 40 years ago.

To the current Wudang, which had almost recovered its past glory, the Red Scarf Society was now an ambiguous organization.

What sect in the world had a completely different and heterogeneous armed group within the sect?

The problem was that for 40 years, while protecting Wudang and living with Wudang.

The Red Scarf Society had come to think of themselves as Wudang.

If they could truly assimilate into the Wudang Sect, there would be no problem at all.

Since the Red Scarf Society was the biggest reason for Wudang's recovery of its glory, if they were absorbed, Wudang would be able to protect the name of Southern Respected Wudang forever.

The problem was the foundation.

Although they were heroes full of chivalry, they were on a completely different track from Wudang, which was based on Taoism.

It was the same now.

Thus, the conflict between the Red Scarf Society and the so-called Taoist Faction, the center of Wudang, had become sharp.

"The Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero is a person who comes at the call of the Taoist Faction. If he colludes with the Taoist Faction and frames us for the tragedy that happened to the former sect leader, what will become of us?"

At the Red Scarf Society Leader's words, the members of the Red Scarf Society nodded their heads with grave faces.

The Taoist Faction suspected that the Red Scarf Society was behind the tragedy of the former sect leader.

It was inevitable, since the former sect leader had passed on the position of sect leader early on and had been the biggest supporter of the Taoist Faction, which wanted to find the roots of Wudang by organizing and rewriting the Taoist scriptures from behind.

Since then, the Taoist Faction had gained strength, and the influence of the Red Scarf Society in the Martial Faction had decreased.

The death of the former sect leader was a world-shaking event, and he had been revived as a Bidara.

At this fact, the Taoist Faction suspected the Red Scarf Society.

The Red Scarf Society felt a huge sense of crisis.

"What if the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero colludes with the Taoist Faction and frames us for all of this?"

"Although he is a hero, you never know."

"Can he truly be seen as a hero? How can you believe all the rumors of the martial world?"

"But if he truly treats the Bidara and reveals who the culprit is, wouldn't we be able to clear our name?"

Although Chuhonsak retorted so, in the Red Scarf Society, the leader's word was absolute.

The leader, Mucheonak, said in a slow tone.

"For the past three years, the current sect leader has been planning to expel the Red Scarf Society from Wudang. Hasn't he excluded the elders who learned from us and took up a large part of Wudang, and subtly distanced them?"

"That's..."

And then, the news that Yusu, who had gone to get Cheon Mubaeck, had died in an assassin's attack was delivered.

The Taoist Faction burst into anger and sadness at the same time, and the Red Scarf Society was also astonished.

"We didn't do it!"

No matter how sharp the conflict between the Red Scarf Society and Wudang was, they had been the sword that had protected Wudang for 40 years.

How could they harm a disciple of Wudang?

But since the Red Scarf Society had openly opposed asking Cheon Mubaeck for help, suspicious gazes poured in.

At that point, the Red Scarf Society also became angry.

"Surely this isn't all the Taoist Faction's doing, is it?"

"Perhaps the fact that the former sect leader became a Bidara is also a lie. They say they can suppress it with just their Taoist power, and they are strictly forbidding us from approaching, aren't they? Is there anyone here who has seen the former sect leader who has become a Bidara in person?"

"Are you saying the Taoist Faction killed Yusu and framed us?"

"What a perfect justification. They can get rid of the Red Scarf Society right away!"

Chuhonsak narrowed his brows at the atmosphere lingering within the Red Scarf Society.

Something was strange. In particular, Chuhonsak had doubts about Mucheonak's attitude, which seemed to be inciting conflict with the Taoist Faction.

"But to clear the suspicion placed on us, the former sect leader must recover and reveal the reason."

When Chuhonsak asserted so, those by Mucheonak's side openly mocked him.

"Heo. The vice-leader has been reading Taoist scriptures since he was young, and he has become a complete Taoist. How about living as a Taoist instead of a warrior?"

At those words, Chuhonsak's face turned bright red. Because among the Red Scarf Society, it was Chuhonsak who had a relatively friendly relationship with the Wudang Sect Leader and the Taoist Faction elders.

"I heard that even though Lord Jeok was defeated, you tucked your tail and retreated in front of the Heavenly Dragon Sword Hero?"

"Well..."

The Red Scarf Society was strictly a society.

It was a gathering created for the common purpose of protecting Wudang.

Although there was a leader and a vice-leader, it did not have the authority of a sect leader.

But the leader was different.

Ten years ago, the current leader, Mucheonak, who had risen to the position of Red Scarf Society Leader by vote.

As soon as he became the leader, the Red Scarf Society changed rapidly.

In fact, at that time, the Red Scarf Society was in the process of disbanding.

Because they felt that Wudang was almost recovering its past glory.

But...

'Is he trying to become Wudang?'

Chuhonsak looked at the stiff face of Mucheonak. The faint desire hidden in that expressionless face.

He knew what it was. Because he also sympathized with it.

A craving for powerful martial arts.

But its direction was wrong.

'Does he want to become Wudang himself and desire the sword of Wudang?'

A gloom appeared in his pupils.

An existence born in Wudang, but unable to become a person of Wudang.

Mucheonak wanted to escape the inherent limitations of the Red Scarf Society.

The sword that Wudang possessed.

'He once lamented that if he ever got the Taiji Wisdom Sword, he could become the number one in the world...'

Chuhonsak's chest felt tight and stuffy.

* * *

The Great Purity True Man was relatively young.

If the Mount Hua Sect Leader and the Great Master Hyeryang of Shaolin were of an old age, the Great Purity True Man was of an age that had just passed forty, when he would be in his prime.

Was it because of that? From him, he could feel the calm Tao of Wudang, and on the other hand, a fighting spirit was transmitted.

'Wudang has also changed.'

Seeing him, he could understand at a glance why the Martial Faction and the Taoist Faction were divided.

Because even the sect leader, who was considered the number one of the Taoist Faction, had such a fighting spirit.

It had changed significantly from the Wudang of the past.

'The Righteous-Demonic War must have changed it like this.'

Those who had watched the tragic downfall of Wudang had now become the new protagonists of Wudang.

The generation that had watched the seniors who had fallen because they were not strong, and the Wudang that was dying for the common people who had come to Wudang for refuge.

The generation that had come to hate weakness more than any other generation.

They would have no choice but to pursue powerful strength.

It was rather surprising that the Taoist Faction was continuing its lineage in this generation.

Someone must have felt a crisis in this atmosphere.

Perhaps the former sect leader, Venerable Hyeonyeop, was like that.

The Taoist Faction, which wanted to find the roots of Wudang, must have been created that way.

Cheon Mubaeck, who had guessed the situation, walked for a long time with the Great Purity True Man without a word.

Then, he suddenly stopped in front of the Zixiao Palace, where the collapsed wall had not been repaired.

"Great Hero."

"I am not yet of an age or rank to be called a great hero. Please call me comfortably, Sect Leader."

The Great Purity True Man smiled faintly.

"It seems this is not your first time in Wudang."

"..."

"You have walked here without any hesitation."

Cheon Mubaeck made an awkward expression.

"I just walked as I pleased."

"As you pleased... that's good. It would be truly good if all the affairs of the world flowed as one pleased."

The Great Purity True Man, who was muttering quietly, asked.

"Have you been to this collapsed Zixiao Palace before?"

"No."

At least in this life.

"The vassal sects of Wudang are returning one by one, and the large merchant groups that support us are also increasing. We have overcome the financial crisis, and there is much talk of rebuilding the Zixiao Palace."

But the reason they didn't.

"It is because of the opinion that we must remember that time."

"..."

"At that time, Shaolin had sealed its gates, and Wudang was in a crisis. If not for the Red Scarf Society, it might have disappeared. It is a grateful thing. To the seniors of the Red Scarf Society, we are truly grateful. We will never be able to repay the favor even if we bow our heads for the rest of our lives to the place where the heroes who died at that time are buried."

The Great Purity True Man's calm voice gradually gained strength.

"But, if you think about it differently, how ridiculous is this story? That Wudang could not have remained without the Red Scarf Society. That the Southern Respected Wudang would have fallen without external power."

Cheon Mubaeck looked at the Great Purity True Man quietly.

Taiji.

The harmony of yin and yang.

The balance of all things in the world.

Cheon Mubaeck felt that the Taiji was disappearing from the Great Purity True Man's face.

"So all the people of Wudang who remember that time came to pursue strength. It's not a bad thing. A martial sect should naturally pursue strength. But they are deviating from the Tao, and my master, the former sect leader, was wary of this."

The Great Purity True Man turned his gaze and stared at Cheon Mubaeck.

"The Red Scarf Society of the past was the sword that protected Wudang, but now it has become the sword that threatens Wudang."

"Do you believe that the Red Scarf Society is behind this matter?"

"Don't you think so too, Young Master Cheon?"

"..."

"The Red Scarf Society is the culprit."

A firm voice.

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes sank low.

"No, it must be the Red Scarf Society."

A faint heat rising from the Great Purity True Man's voice.

"It has to be."

That was, almost madness.

* * *

Cheon Mubaeck walked.

Then, he suddenly disappeared. The place where he reappeared was.

The 72 peaks of Mount Wudang.

Among them, the highest Tianzhu Peak.

A place so high that it seemed as if the clouds could be caught in his hand. Standing there, Cheon Mubae-ck looked down at the whole view of Wudang.

Not the Wudang where countless people were coming and going now, but the Wudang that was burning, with corpses piled up. The Wudang that had completely collapsed.

"I thought 40 years was short, but it has changed a lot."

Cheon Mubaeck saw the old memories in Chuhonsak and the Great Purity True Man.

In the old days. When Wudang had collapsed here.

Cheon Mubaeck had been in this place.

'On the day Wudang dies, my comrades will also die here.'

'Senior, you must go to protect Shaolin, so leave this place to us. I and Lord Chu here, and the comrades of the martial world will protect Wudang.'

'Sect Leader, no. You bastard. Why are you trying to send senior away? Huh? No. At least leave that guy, Yu Baekgi.'

'Don't worry and go, senior. Didn't you say Shaolin is on the verge of disappearing? Hmph, our Wudang is different! Will the Southern Respected Wudang collapse at the feet of a mere demon!'

'Damn. It's all collapsed, and yet you have your pride. Alright, fine! I will still become Wudang and protect Wudang. But I can't wear a Taiji cap on my head, so yes. I will fight until this pure white towel is soaked red with blood. My comrades too.'

"..."

Cheon Mubaeck slowly closed his eyes, which had been looking down at Wudang.

The Red Scarf Society and Wudang, who had once been friends who had held hands, were now completely divided.

The words the Great Purity True Man had said to him.

That it must be the Red Scarf Society.

Cheon Mubaeck had also suspected the Red Scarf Society the most, and before coming here, he had assumed that the Red Scarf Society was the culprit.

But he realized the meaning that the Great Purity True Man's words implied.

It must be the Red Scarf Society...

"The Righteous-Demonic War, and the time that followed, have changed so many things."

Cheon Mubaeck smiled bitterly.

"Then, it might be possible to turn it back to how it was."

It would be.

(End of Chapter)