Sword God Reborn

Chapter 2 : Cheon Mubaeck

"Young Master, Young Master, are you alright?"

"..."

Jeombak shed tears as he looked at the pale face of Cheon Mubaeck, the young master he served.

His heart sank at the sight of those empty pupils.

"You've been unconscious for a whole month! Do you remember, Young Master? You suddenly fainted while playing the flute a month ago!"

Is that so.

Cheon Mubaeck couldn't easily part his lips.

The words wouldn't come out because his mind was in such a jumble.

The compressed memories of hundreds of years of past lives poured in like a waterfall, mixing with Cheon Mubaeck's original memories, creating a complete mess.

Suddenly, Cheon Mubaeck opened his mouth.

"How long has it been since the Sword God died?"

"Pardon?"

Jeombak wiped his tears at the sudden question.

Wasn't this the youngest young master who was usually uninterested in the affairs of the martial world, let alone his own family's business?

Why would the young master, who spent all his time playing his favorite instruments and painting, suddenly bring up the Sword God?

"The Sword God, you say?"

"Yes. You don't know?"

His way of speaking seemed to have changed slightly too.

Jeombak scratched the back of his head and haltingly recalled his memories.

"You mean the Sword God who defeated the Heavenly Demon forty years ago and ascended to the celestial realm?"

At that moment, the brow of Cheon Mubaeck's pale face furrowed mercilessly.

"Ascended to the celestial realm? Ascended... to the celestial realm?"

"..."

"The Sword God ascended to the celestial realm? Huh? Damn it! Ascended to the celestial realm, my ass!"

Jeombak felt his world collapsing.

The youngest young master of the Azure Star Escort Agency, who had been suffering from a fever for a month... it seemed he had lost his mind, unable to overcome the fever.

The physician had visited.

He had said that although the aftereffects were severe, he had recovered. At those words, everyone in the Azure Star Escort Agency had cheered with joy.

However, Jeombak glanced at Cheon Mubaeck, whose face was scrunched up like a grumpy old man.

"Damn it! This is an escort agency, isn't it? It's the way of the Central Plains for an escort agency to have one foot in the martial world. But this brat has no knowledge of the martial world whatsoever?"

Getting angry by himself, sighing, and suddenly spouting vulgar curses he had never uttered before.

'Has he really lost his mind?'

Jeombak had such a suspicion. But since the physician had only said the aftereffects were severe, he had no choice but to believe it.

"Alright, so it's been forty years since the Sword God died. And I am Cheon Mubaeck, the youngest son of the Azure Star Escort Agency, is that it?"

Cheon Mubaeck gave a hollow smile and surveyed the room.

On one side were a zither, a pipa, a daegeum, and even an erhu from Mongolia.

Instruments that one would expect to see in a gisaeng house were neatly arranged, and on one side were many paintings with an antique atmosphere.

Was that all?

On a desk on one side lay several unfinished paintings.

"...Damn."

Cheon Mubaeck, while organizing his thoughts, let out another blunt curse.

It took him a full half day to sort out his memories and accept the situation.

This was fast.

In his mind, the hardships, tribulations, and numerous stories he had lived through existed as vivid memories.

Was that all?

The sixteen years of memories of 'Cheon Mubaeck', the youngest son of the 'Azure Star Escort Agency' in Henan Province, were also mixed in.

'Can't I just remember my past lives from birth?'

He was used to it now.

How flustered he had been in his first past life.

When he opened his eyes, two egos were clashing in his head.

Whether it was reincarnation or possession, that wasn't important.

After slowly sorting out the situation, he realized it was all Cheon Mubaeck himself.

Until the age of sixteen, he lived a normal life without remembering his past lives. At sixteen, as if by promise, he would suffer from a terrible fever of unknown cause. After that, as if by a lie, he would remember all his past lives.

He conveniently called this process 'awakening'.

It was the same now.

He had been unconscious for a whole month.

It had gotten longer. As he repeated his past lives, the period of awakening to accept his past lives grew longer.

He wondered if he couldn't just remember his past lives from birth, but on second thought, it might be difficult for a newborn's small and fragile brain to withstand the wave of memories spanning hundreds of years.

So maybe it was decided that he would remember his past lives when he turned sixteen.

Wait, decided?

'Ugh. That damn egg bastard.'

The egg face that always blocked his path to the underworld.

If he couldn't defeat him, Cheon Mubaeck would be reincarnated like this again.

Damn bastard. Did he decide this too?

Is he not just a grim reaper, but one of the Ten Kings of Hell?

'I have to defeat him to go to the underworld. And to defeat him... Sword Kiuk!'

His eyes flashed open.

There was no doubt. For some reason, the egg was testing Cheon Mubaeck.

For dozens, hundreds of repeated past lives.

For the first time, the egg had spoken. That he could defeat him if he reached Sword Kiuk.

Was the title of Sword God an empty name?

'I was the Sword God, but I couldn't reach the end of the sword. What I thought was the end was not yet the end.'

That meant there was still a path to go further.

For a moment, his heart pounded.

He had held a sword through countless past lives.

There was still a path to go further.

It was probably a virgin peak that no one had ever reached.

Alright. Let's grab a sword.

With these hands.

Let's grab the sword again, swing it, and reach the end.

With these hands... huh?

The pure white hands he lifted as he threw off the blanket.

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes, which had been burning with determination, wavered noticeably.

"Young Master, are you alright now?"

Jeombak, sensing that the atmosphere was unusual, hurriedly approached.

"...Young Master?"

A gaze full of worry poured down on him, but Cheon Mubaeck ignored it and threw off the rest of the blanket.

The slender wrists, thighs, calves, and small feet revealed beneath the comfortable clothes. The pure white hands like jade...

"This... damn it!"

***

'It's a relief that I'm not a girl.'

Cheon Mubaeck let out a sigh of relief.

He had been mistaken for a moment.

Even though he knew well that he was Cheon Mubaeck, the youngest son, his slender hands and feet, which looked like they had never experienced hardship, brought confusion to his mind.

"So weak. So weak. How is this a man's body in any way?"

"Oh my, Young Master. Why are you suddenly being so self deprecating? Of course, you're not very manly, Young Master, but you're so beautiful, just like the Vice Chief... ahem."

When Cheon Mubaeck glared at him, Jeombak, with the large mole on his face, tucked his tail.

In fact, Cheon Mubaeck's identity had weakened considerably. It couldn't be helped. His memories as Cheon Mubaeck were only sixteen years. In contrast, all the memories of the Sword God were over hundreds of years.

Moreover, they were the overwhelming mental strength of a Sword Saint, a Sword Immortal, and a Sword God.

It was inevitable that the identity of Cheon Mubaeck, who was just a young boy, would weaken. But the fact that he was originally Cheon Mubaeck did not change.

So he was angry.

"What the hell does this brat know?"

Cheon Mubaeck's sixteen years of memories were surprisingly biased to one side.

He hadn't expected there to be any memories of the martial world in the first place.

But at the very least, shouldn't there be memories of the current situation of the Azure Star Escort Agency here?

"How can my head be filled with nothing but painting, playing instruments, and stuff like that?"

"That's because you've always been interested only in arts and music, Young Master."

"Always?"

"Oh my, Young Master. It's because the Chief dotes on you so much. What are you going to do if you just stay cooped up in your room playing instruments and painting? Huh? You should go out and make friends..."

"Right. I was always cooped up in my room."

He got goosebumps.

The memories in his head were surprisingly biased.

At most, the memory of going to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, was the biggest world he had seen.

And even then, he just went to look at paintings and came back.

...Ha.

"How did he live doing only what he wanted?"

"Young Master, why the sudden self reflection? It's because the Chief just coos and fawns over you, and gives you everything you ask for!"

"..."

"So the Vice Chief said to bring you over as soon as you feel a little better."

"The Vice Chief? My sister?"

"Yes. Just thinking about her makes you scared, right? The Vice Chief is strict, unlike the Chief."

The Vice Chief was none other than Cheon Mubaeck's older sister, Cheon Yuhwa.

After their mother passed away early, she helped their father, the Chief, and was currently the Vice Chief.

His body trembled at the thought of her.

The original Cheon Mubaeck was afraid of Cheon Yuhwa. Unlike his father, who was a fool for his youngest child and gave him everything he wanted, she was like a strict mother.

Hmm.

"Should I tell her that you're not quite in your right mind yet, Young Master? Well, that seems to be the truth anyway..."

"That's enough. Let's go."

"Pardon?"

"Let's go to my sister."

"...You'll get a huge scolding if you go now, won't you?"

His body flinched for a moment.

...Hmph. That little girl.

What's there to be afraid of?

***

'She's scary!'

Cheon Mubaeck was small, but Cheon Yuhwa was even smaller.

Neatly combed hair and a straight back.

A sidelong glance.

There was clearly affection and worry for her flesh and blood, but... an incomprehensible pressure weighed down on him.

Cheon Mubaeck's identity had weakened?

No, that couldn't be.

His body remembered. That Cheon Yuhwa was scary.

But apart from that, he could feel what kind of person Cheon Yuhwa was.

She was only six years older than Cheon Mubaeck, so she was now twenty two.

She had a natural air of authority.

'She's a heroine. If she had learned martial arts, she could have easily become the best among female martial artists.'

After a period of silence, Cheon Yuhwa let out a deep sigh and asked.

"Is your body alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"After you collapsed, every physician in Henan Province came to see you."

"..."

"They all said the same thing. That they couldn't even guess what kind of illness it was. So we were going to bring the Divine Physician of a Thousand Suns from Hubei, but it's a relief that you woke up before that."

"Yes."

"Hoo. Mubaeck."

"Yes, sister."

"Do you know what all the physicians said in common?"

I think I know.

Not just a physician, anyone in the world would know just by looking.

"That my body is pathetically weak, I suppose."

"...You do know."

"It's an obvious fact that anyone can see by looking in a bronze mirror."

His face was not just white but pale from being cooped up in his room and not seeing the sun. There was not a trace of muscle on his arms and legs. They were probably even thinner than Cheon Yuhwa's in front of him.

It wasn't that Cheon Yuhwa was thick. Cheon Mubaeck was absurdly thin.

Cheon Yuhwa's gaze became strange.

"Then do you know what the problem is?"

"Of course. A weak body and no exercise at all..."

"You knew that, and yet you ignored all of my words until now?"

Cheon Yuhwa shot at him with a sharp voice.

"I told you. You resemble mother."

That's right.

The reason his father was a 'fool for his youngest' was largely because he was a devoted husband. He loved his wife immensely, and Cheon Mubaeck was not just similar to his mother, but identical.

"You resemble mother, and unlike me, you've always been sickly. Do you know how worried father was every time?"

Memories of Cheon Mubaeck's immature past came to mind.

He didn't know if it was hereditary, but he too was worried about his family. But even while he was sick, he was just painting or playing the flute.

He didn't know if he didn't know how to deal with it, or if that was just his original personality.

This guy was amazing in a different way.

"You're sixteen now. Your body is so weak that you collapse as if you have a fatal disease. Do you know how worried father was, to the point of not even eating for a month? I will never let you do as you please again. Your favorite instruments, paintings, all of it!"

Each word was not just sharp, but filled with a cold chill. But even though she acted like that on the outside, he could tell by looking at her eyes. Her reddened eyes. She was barely holding back tears.

Cheon Mubaeck felt a strange feeling in a corner of his heart.

The feelings that the original Cheon Mubaeck felt.

He was immature, but the seasoned Sword God who remembered all his past lives was somewhat troubled by the original feelings of family affection.

Family.

It wasn't such a familiar feeling.

'This is a headache.'

It was the original Sword God's mental strength that had suppressed Cheon Mubaeck's identity, but at this moment, it wasn't easy.

Memories of only sixteen years.

At this moment, Cheon Mubaeck's identity threatened the identity of the Sword God who had gone through nine past lives.

Cheon Mubaeck opened his eyes wide and looked straight at Cheon Yuhwa.

'He was an immature brat, but he cherished his family at least.'

Cheon Mubaeck laughed inwardly.

Then what's the problem?

The Sword God is Cheon Mubaeck, and Cheon Mubaeck is the Sword God, is he not?

'Right. I just have to reach the end of my sword and protect this family, right?'

Cheon Mubaeck smiled.

The moment Cheon Mubaeck looked straight at her and smiled, it was Cheon Yuhwa who was flustered. Cheon Yuhwa was about to get angry, thinking that her brother might not have grasped the situation yet.

Before that, Cheon Mubaeck's firm and clear voice cut in.

"I have felt a lot too."

"...?"

"While my mind was hazy this time, I felt that I shouldn't live my life doing only what I want."

"...!"

Cheon Yuhwa's eyebrows twitched.

Cheon Mubaeck knelt down properly and said.

"I will train my body so that I can protect myself."

"What did you say?"

"The strongest person in our escort agency is Chief Instructor Jang, right? I will learn from him."

"Are you saying you'd rather learn martial arts now?"

As if she had never expected Cheon Mubaeck to say such a thing, Cheon Yuhwa's eyes widened.

"Only by becoming strong can I protect you and our escort agency, wouldn't you agree?"

(End of Chapter)