novelraw Chapter 19 : Chapter 19
Chapter 19 : Chapter 19
Chapter 19 - I Will Become the Greatest Swordsman in the History of the Diancang Sect
“Then I’ll be going. Please stay healthy.”
He didn’t really have any luggage.
Biyoung, in simple attire, bowed to the two people in front of the wooden hut.
“Wait.”
Hyeokri Chong stopped Biyoung, who was about to take a step.
Then he gestured to his granddaughter with his chin.
“Bring that.”
“Yes. Grandfather.”
As if they had discussed it beforehand, Hyeokri Hong rushed into the wooden hut.
“?”
A clattering sound came from the storage, and then her figure appeared again.
A long object that was too big to hold in one hand, so she had wrapped her arms around it and held it to her body.
Although it was wrapped in cloth, Biyoung could tell what the object was at a glance.
A sword.
Biyoung’s gaze turned to Hyeokri Chong.
“Cluck cluck. Why are you staring with such rabbit eyes? Do you intend to swing a wooden sword like before, even after opening the Governor and Conception Vessels?”
His words were right.
A swordsman of a wooden sword using the ultimate martial art of the Diancang Sect.
There would be no combination as mismatched as that.
“Untie it.”
The face of Hyeokri Chong, who was handing over the sword, was quite meaningful.
Biyoung tilted his head and untied the cloth.
And he took the sword out of its scabbard.
Sreuk.
“!”
Biyoung’s eyes widened like lanterns.
“This is…!!”
“Cluck cluck cluck.”
A sharp blade glinted above the sword guard, which showed signs of age.
For an old sword, it was very well-maintained, but that wasn’t why Biyoung was surprised.
The hilt of the sword, which was serrated for an easy grip.
It clearly resembled something.
A hawk’s wing.
The sword that Hyeokri Chong handed over was none other than a sword of the Diancang Sect.
“How… did you?”
“What do you mean, how, you punk. I was about to lose everything from my storehouse to my underwear to the unorthodox path members, so I grabbed whatever I could see and came down.”
“Did you bring Young Lady Hong’s martial arts secret manuals at that time too?”
“Yes. It would have been better if I had brought more advanced martial arts secret manuals, but unfortunately, I couldn't. But seeing your martial arts, it seems that fortunately, not all the secret manuals were burned.”
It was impossible for there to be a master in a destroyed sect.
Hyeokri Chong seemed to think that Biyoung had learned the Sun-Shooting Sword Art through the secret manuals of the Diancang Sect.
In fact, that was also close to impossible, but at least it was a much more realistic inference than guessing that Biyoung had been reincarnated into a new body.
“………….”
Biyoung’s gaze turned to the sword again.
It wasn’t the precious sword he had used in his previous life, but seeing the completeness of the sword, it seemed to be a sword used by at least a first-generation disciple.
“Is it comfortable to hold?”
“Yes. No problem. The swords of the Diancang Sect are a little smaller and thinner than those of other sects.”
“But they are strong.”
“That’s right. Because they are forged with a special iron used in Tibet.”
The more he looked, the more strange the kid was.
Hyeokri Chong thought so as he looked at Biyoung.
In terms of age, it was as if he was born when the sect disappeared.
He recognized the unique emblem of the Diancang Sect at a glance, and he also knew all the characteristics of the swords used by the sect.
‘What kind of kid is this.’
But Hyeokri Chong no longer tried to figure out the man in front of him.
Because sometimes, incomprehensible things happen in the world.
Only one thing was important.
This man was trying to light a faint spark in the Diancang Sect, which had been burned down and even its ashes scattered.
“What are you going to do from now on?”
“I’m thinking of restoring the main mountain.”
“……Can you do it alone?”
“Retaking it isn’t difficult. But…”
“But?”
“The aftermath is the problem. As long as the identity of the unorthodox path members who brought the Diancang Sect to that state is not revealed, the same thing could happen again. They might appear suddenly like before and attack the main mountain again.”
“Eum.”
Hyeokri Chong let out a low groan.
Biyoung’s words were absolutely right.
A swordsman who could use the Sun-Shooting Sword Art could destroy a stronghold in an instant.
But if he couldn’t figure out the identity of the culprit, he could be in danger again at any time.
He didn't even know the ‘reason’ why the Diancang Sect was attacked.
“You’re right. But ten years have passed since the attack. Never mind the traces of that day, it’s not even clear if that force is still maintained.”
“Yes. That could be the case. For now, I’m going to look for the remaining survivors of the Diancang Sect. If there are even a few people left to join me, we’ll have the strength to resist even if we’re attacked again.”
“Can you do it alone?”
Hyeokri Chong asked the same question like a parrot.
“If you’re thinking of gathering information, I can also…”
“There’s no need for that.”
Biyoung shook his head firmly.
He didn’t want to burden someone who had overcome death’s door several times just for being friends with the Diancang Sect again.
“I’ll let you know then if it’s really too much for me. I have some ideas of where to look…”
“Ideas? What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain after I’m done with my work.”
At that, Hyeokri Chong, as if he could no longer hold back, burst out in a roar.
“You brat! You take everything you can from this old man, but you don’t tell me anything properly! You’re as cunning as they come!”
Biyoung gave a bitter smile as if he couldn’t help it.
“Then by any chance, do you know a man named Jinbae?”
“Jinbae? Jinbae… Jinbae…”
The wrinkles on Hyeokri Chong’s forehead deepened.
“I’m sure I’ve heard that name somewhere… but I can’t seem to remember. Jinbae…”
“Let me know if you remember later. Then.”
It was just as Biyoung was about to take a step.
“He-hey!”
A clear voice struck Biyoung’s ear.
It was Hyeokri Hong.
“You said you’d come again, when is that? This young lady is a busy person, so it would be troublesome if you didn’t give me a notice in advance!”
But Hyeokri Chong asked with an astonished face.
“What kind of nonsense is that, Hong-ah. You’ve barely ever left the mountain, so what are you busy with?”
“Grandfather, stay out of this!”
Biyoung smiled gently as he looked at Hyeokri Hong, who was shouting sharply.
“I’m planning not to come here often, if possible.”
“R-really?”
For a moment, a look of disappointment appeared on Hyeokri Hong’s face.
As Hyeokri Chong said, she was a girl who had never left Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, nor had she ever properly interacted with other people.
So it was only natural that her connection with Biyoung felt more precious.
“It would be better for the two of you to live together on Diancang Mountain than for me to come.”
Sunshine shone on Hyeokri Hong’s face, which had been clouded.
Hyeokri Hong raised her voice with slightly flushed cheeks.
“Where this young lady lives is up to this young lady! But that’s not a bad suggestion either!”
“I hope it turns out that way. Then.”
Biyoung bowed his head to the two people once more, then turned his back and headed towards the stone gate.
The farewell was not short, but he couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of emptiness.
The two of them stood still and watched his back until Biyoung’s figure had completely disappeared.
“Grandfather.”
“Yes. Hong-ah.”
“Do you think that person can revive the sect again?”
“I don’t know for sure right now either. But this much seems clear.”
With countless years contained in his pupils, Hyeokri Chong gave a faint smile.
“That kid will become the greatest swordsman in the history of the Diancang Sect.”
***
Pabababak!
There was a shadow running down the snow-covered mountain like a gale.
A ghostly body method that would feel like a sudden mountain wind to someone who didn’t know martial arts.
Biyoung descended Jade Dragon Snow Mountain like a gale, holding the sword he had received from Hyeokri Chong in one hand.
Although he held a sword in one hand, it was not a problem at all.
It was a posture he had taken countless times in his previous life, so it even felt more comfortable than being empty-handed.
In contrast to his youthful face, the sight of Biyoung with a sword suited him so well, as if he had been born that way.
After descending Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Biyoung crossed the next mountain without delay.
Before meeting Hyeokri Chong, he had to occasionally catch his breath or circulate his energy, but now, Biyoung had no need for that.
Because the internal energy accumulated in his Dantian flowed out endlessly like a perpetual motion machine.
After crossing several mountains, Biyoung came to the following conclusion.
‘The Flying Eagle Steps are meaningless now.’
Even masters who were decent with body methods would have a hard time keeping up with the current Flying Eagle Steps.
But Biyoung, whose internal energy had grown by leaps and bounds, was not satisfied with that.
There was only one day left until he met Jinbae.
Biyoung instinctively felt that the time had come to bring out the next step after the Flying Eagle Steps.
Tatatat!
The sound of his feet hitting the ground noticeably decreased, and his steps began to become a dimension lighter.
Biyoung’s body, which was already deserving of the expression ‘swift,’ accelerated by another dimension.
The source of all these changes was his heel.
Unlike the existing footwork where the entire sole of the foot was used, Biyoung moved his body without his heel touching the ground.
An advanced body method that not even ten people had learned even within the Diancang Sect, which was operated by a small number of people.
A martial art that had even earned the title ‘Ghostly Shadowless’ for its mysterious and fast movements.
Biyoung was now performing the ‘Vast Sky Eagle Body Method’.
Tatatatatat!
Biyoung, who moved like a flash of lightning while dodging the rough bushes, was literally no different from a ghost.
‘It’s not perfect yet, but it’s usable.’
Biyoung evaluated himself that way.
However, if a surviving master of the Diancang Sect had heard this, they might have foamed at the mouth, saying, “Th-th-th-that!”
It was just disappointing compared to the Biyoung of his previous life; there was no Diancang Sect swordsman who could use the Vast Sky Eagle Body Method at a better level than now.
Shwaaaaaak!
As he cut through the mountain path like a wildcat, Biyoung could hear various stories.
The voices of passersby from a distance came clearly into his ears.
“So, at that time, I…”
“Is this the right way? I don’t think so…”
“Phew. There’s not a single easy mountain in Yunnan…”
“I think I picked the tea leaves somewhere around here…”
“Who are you to dare block the path of the Zhongnan Sect?”
After opening the Governor and Conception Vessels, it wasn’t just his internal energy that had changed.
He hadn’t undergone a complete transformation or anything because he was still young, but his senses throughout his body had improved by leaps and bounds.
It was no coincidence that he had spoken to Hyeokri Chong and his granddaughter, who had been watching with bated breath from outside after he finished circulating his energy.
Even though he couldn’t see them, he could clearly feel their anxious presence as if he could touch it.
“You. You kept making eye contact with Suhyang from the cloth store, tell me the truth!”
“Ahem. This person is accusing an innocent man…!!”
As with everyday conversations, most of them were just silly jokes or meaningless content.
‘It seems it will take some time to get used to it.’
Biyoung listened with one ear and let it out the other as he quickly crossed the mountain.
Right now, the most important thing was to return home before Jinbae returned.
But.
Biyoung’s form, which seemed like nothing could stop it, suddenly stood still.
“You… you people. Do you think you’ll be safe after attacking the Lee family’s merchant group?”
“Kehehehe! Does the Lee family have two necks or something? I heard you guys walk around with your chins up in the rat-sized Yiliang County, and the rumors are spot on.”
Yiliang County.
And the Lee family.
The face of a simple boy the size of a mouse came to Biyoung’s mind.
‘It’s Sedong’s merchant group.’
Biyoung slightly changed his direction and headed towards the source of the sound.
Although it would be a slight delay, for the current Biyoung, dealing with a bunch of bandits was no big deal.
But Biyoung’s complexion hardened as he headed towards the merchant group.
Because a special word was mixed in the voice that came with the wind.
“You guys will have to compensate for the time we wasted at the Tiger-Bear Stronghold!”
‘!’
Sedong had told him the name of a stronghold a while ago, and Biyoung had engraved that word in his head as if it were tattooed there.
The name of the bandits who occupied Diancang Mountain instead of the annihilated Diancang Sect.
Their name was the Tiger-Bear Stronghold.