Chapter 196

Chapter 196
Chapter 196
The Sword Immortal’s Arrangements

“You said its name is Won-u? If you’ve gone so far as to give it a name, you must have been companions with this bird for quite some time.”

“We first met at the Sword Pavilion. It must have sensed my energy and began following me. It’s very obedient too.” —Kieeeh.

“If it could sense your energy, then what it felt must be pure immortal qi. Now it makes sense.”

“Do you know why Won-u responds to pure qi so strongly?”

He tossed the question out, though he did not expect a clear answer. He had discussed pure immortal qi with Master Eum-hu before, and even then he had never received a straightforward explanation. He assumed this time would be no different.

“It is a spirit beast nurtured personally by the Sword Immortal. Or perhaps… I should call it an immortal beast.”

“Hm? Could you elaborate on that?”

“Spirit beasts cannot be created by mortal hands, not under any circumstances. Yet the Sword Immortal found a way to do exactly that.”

“How can you be so certain Won-u is the Sword Immortal’s immortal beast?”

“Hey there—were you the one the Sword Immortal raised?”

—Kieeeh.

Won-u let out a short cry and nodded its head, leaving Baek Yang-hui staring in stunned silence. Come to think of it, he had only ever guessed at the truth until now; he had never actually asked the creature directly. No matter how intelligent Won-u appeared, he should have thought to speak with it long before this.

“Both that pure qi and this creature… Young friend, it seems you truly have inherited the Sword Immortal’s arrangements.”

“It appears so, yes.”

“If the Supreme Ultimate Sword Elder of Wudang were to learn of this, he would be absolutely livid. Ahaha—just picturing it lifts a weight from my chest.”

Wudang was founded a century ago by the Supreme Ultimate Sword Elder, who revered Taiji Sword Immortal Jang Sam-bong as their founding patriarch. According to legend, Jang Sam-bong was either Yeo Dong-bin’s sworn brother or his direct disciple.

“Are the legends about Yeo Dong-bin and Jang Sam-bong actually true?”

“At the very least, the Sword Elder firmly believes they share that bond.”

Then he really would fly into a rage. What might happen if he were to demonstrate the initial forms of the Hidden Heaven Sword Technique right before Wudang’s eyes?

“In that case, in a manner of speaking, I might be considered Wudang’s elder as well. If you look at it that way, I am also the Sword Immortal’s disciple, am I not?”

“There is truth to that. I would say it is entirely correct.”

A low laugh escaped him. It was the truth, even if saying such a thing within earshot of Wudang’s disciples would almost certainly earn him a beating.

As the thought crossed his mind, Master Eum-hu suddenly let out a heavy sigh.

“The Sword Immortal’s legacy has been passed down, and the Sword Elder reveres his master above all else in this world. How could Wudang possibly…”

Now that he considered it, Wudang had refused to cooperate just as their trail regarding the Blood Cult was growing cold. It seemed his master did not understand the reason. To Baek Yang-hui, Wudang’s true intentions were as plain as day—not because he was exceptionally sharp or cunning, but because anyone with eyes ought to have seen it clearly.

“As your master, I lay this charge upon you: should you face Hyun-geom, you must return victorious.”

“I will. I will make Wudang reflect upon its errors and guide it toward a new path.”

“Young friend, you always speak with such reason. That is what I admire most about you.”

“I have spent much of my life surviving on nothing but cold glances. With that in mind, Master… may I speak one more word?”

“Go ahead.”

“Does it trouble you that Wudang and the Sword Elder cannot see the dust gathering right before their eyes?”

Master Eum-hu breathed a deep, weary sigh. “Was it so obvious? My self-cultivation still leaves much to be desired.”

Hmm. Sometimes his master was simply too noble and distant for her own good. She possessed wisdom forged through many long years, but a Daoist remained a Daoist—her perspective was far removed from the ways of the mortal world. This worked perfectly to his advantage.

“Master… if you were to declare to all the realms that you would not stand idly by while dust clouds gather beneath the heavens… might this disciple make use of your name to bring that about?”

The words were blunt, almost disrespectful, yet Master Eum-hu looked intrigued. “The little schemer is hatching another plan. Speak on.”

“It is simple enough. Lend your renown as Stormcleaving Yin Gale to the Seol-ha Clan, and Wudang will begin to move.”

Wudang and the Jeon-gak Clan both held territory in Hubei Province. Wudang governed their sect with rigid, unyielding absolutes, so conflict between them was inevitable. In truth, the Jeon-gak Clan was already in dire straits, and open strife would soon break through the surface.

“So you would have me build up a faction when I have always hated entangling alliances, simply to advance your designs.”

True to her lineage of sole transmission, Master Eum-hu had always disliked becoming caught up in struggles for power and territory. Frowning with distaste, she fixed him with a shrewd look. “And how exactly do you intend to use me in this scheme?”

“Quite simply. I intend to play the fisherman.”

Hubei bordered the Yangtze River and encompassed Wu-han—a vital hub where grain from all the lands south of the great river was gathered.

“You plan to stand aside and reap the fisherman’s reward?”

“Precisely. But the clams and crayfish whose quarrel I would exploit are not Wudang and the Jeon-gak Clan.”

“Then who?”

“You, Master.”

At that, Master Eum-hu exhaled a sigh heavy with resignation. She understood that she had already been drawn into worldly affairs.

“You ask for permission, yet you speak as though the matter is already decided.”

“It is also an apology.”

“From the moment I took Seol-ha and yourself as disciples, the course was set. There is no one else to blame. How far do you intend to go? It seems your true target is the Supreme Ultimate Sword Elder himself.”

On a small scale, the conflict would involve Wudang and the Jeon-gak Clan. On a grander stage, it would draw in the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans. The entire martial world would be shaken when the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly convened. Baek Yang-hui smiled broadly and answered her question.

“I do not know the full extent myself.”

Yet one thing he knew with absolute certainty.

“Master… what if one among the Nine Great Sects has already been infiltrated by a dark, unseen force?”

“Then I would lend my aid. If they refused it, I would respect their choice—but if the rot had spread beyond remedy, I would gather my strength and purge the sect entirely.”

“I thought you would say as much. The problem is… Wudang will never intervene.”

Master Eum-hui regarded him with doubt.

“The reason is simple: where they see no dust, they see no need to sweep clean. Why call upon a servant when there is nothing to tidy?”

“Yet there is one who sees the corruption and seeks to purify it from within. He bids us: Stand watch over us. We will cleanse our own house, with our own hands. How would you answer such a plea, Master?”

“The master I know would not interfere. You would honor his resolve.”

When it came to confronting evil, Master Eum-hu showed no mercy—but it was precisely because of this that she would not step in immediately to tear everything up by the roots. She wished to witness the goodness within that person shine forth of its own accord. That was the Master Eum-hu he knew.

“I believe the orthodox sects earn the people’s respect by standing guard against the lawless hordes and turning back unrighteous paths.”

If there were no evil… if they could no longer cloak slaughter in virtue by defeating foes… the martial sects would lose their very reason for being.

“The martial world as it stands is a tangled web of light and shadow, held together by a fragile balance of power. In truth, the orthodox hold the advantage in strength, yet they maintain the appearance of equality.”

Wudang would never root out corruption at its source—not even if blood flowed. Great turmoil brings opportunity for great renown; to let such a chance slip would be foolish indeed. A sect comprised of fools could never have risen to lead the Nine Great Sects in the space of a single century.

Which raised the question: was Wudang truly evil?

“If a truly supreme power were to arise and bring the entire martial world under a single, just order… perhaps the realm would finally know peace.”

The world was called chaotic precisely because good and evil were never so clearly defined. What one person called good might be another’s evil—or neither at all.

“I have spoken my piece. This disciple awaits your decision, Master.”

Master Eum-hu pondered in silence for a long time. Then she spoke.

“Young friend.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Steel yourself. You may not survive what lies ahead.”

“Excuse me?!”

It was all too clear she meant to work him until he broke. How had it come to this?

“I have made my choice. Young friend—you shall bear all burdensome matters in my stead. That is your master’s command.”

Master Eum-hu beamed. For the first time in his life, he felt genuine fear looking at her. Even so…

“Thank you, Master.”

It was gratitude layered threefold. Baek Yang-hui steeled his heart.

* * *

“These days, the world teems with prodigies. Each of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans counts one or two geniuses among their ranks, and five or six late bloomers have emerged who, in another age, would have stood supreme beneath heaven.”

Baek Yang-hui nodded in agreement. Between his past life and this one, with fate itself reshaped, talents who had never revealed themselves before had stepped into the light—A-du of Shaolin and Neung-o of Jin-cheong were perfect examples.

“And you are one of them, young friend.”

He could not deny it. In his former life, had he joined a renowned house with ample resources to foster his growth, he might have approached the peak of cultivation by his fortieth year.

“I had intended to train you only until you could defeat Hyun-geom. But my aims have shifted.”

Overcoming Hyun-geom and shattering the Supreme Ultimate Sword Elder’s illusions was now merely the first step. Master Eum-hu had seen within him the potential to bear the world’s impurities in her place.

“Endure it, young friend. The road will be agonizing, and you may well perish along it.”

“…Ugh. Yet the rewards… will be worth it…”

“Exactly so.”

Baek Yang-hui’s greatest gift was his natural aptitude for martial arts—and at its core lay a genuine, unquenchable joy in refining his skills. For him, training was a pleasure, a source of light even in the darkest trials. Yet what lay ahead would push even him to the brink.

I will endure. The reason was simple.

“As the current leader of the Sacred Sound Jade Command Sect, I have read the heavens’ portents. They speak of rising darkness. Turbulent times are drawing near.”

Master… you too can read the will of heaven? And with such clarity?

Yes, chaos was coming. The orthodox sects would twist and turn upon themselves, while the unorthodox would sharpen their claws in anticipation. Worse still—with dark forces stirring, the realm faced the greatest bloodbath in its history. The Dragon-Phoenix Assembly was only the beginning. Everything would change.

He had already altered so much… yet still more would change. Even having turned back the flow of time, he remained but one man. Aware of his own limits, he had prioritized the Baek Clan’s growth above his own advancement. But the Baek Clan was only one family. Could a single grain of sand redirect the course of a river? No. He would have to become a boulder—great enough to stem the tide and turn the waters aside.

“Young friend… is it difficult?”

“Yes. It feels as though I am dying.”

“Your tongue still works, then. Endure. Shedding one’s shell is never without pain.”

Most creatures perish when they molt—eaten before they can escape, or crippled by the effort. To remake oneself is that arduous. Yet it is also the surest way to reshape the world. All beings see heaven and earth from their own vantage point; once you climb higher than the mountain before you, its height no longer seems so great.

I will climb higher than anyone. In this life, I will not fail. I will claim the title of supreme beneath heaven.

“Well spoken, young friend. Let every moment feel as three long years.”

One moment stretching into three autumns—a prodigy’s single year often surpasses a mortal’s decade. And so Baek Yang-hui endured three long years of transformation.

At last, the year of the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly arrived.