Chapter 59: Sword and Shield
"Then let's at least catch our breath."
"Let's do that."
At Kwak Daebang's suggestion, we all sat down.
Trying to rest relying on torchlight in the dark stone chamber, only each other's breathing was heard.
Since we're martial artists, breathing tended to be deep and long.
"Look here, hero. Your breathing isn't steady."
"That's from deploying martial arts before that Collection Officer fellow earlier."
My breathing particularly wasn't so.
When demonstrating Eight Trigram Unity Technique, I'd drawn beyond what current level could deploy, plus exhausted ntal strength while directly facing Mad Demon.
"I'll stand guard. Do breathing ditation. Not good staying with energy scattered."
"I'll watch outside."
Kwak Daebang and Yang Cheonjo coordinated as if they'd never gotten angry, buying ti for recovery.
"Then I'll ask. Cheonjo, you also work hard."
When confronting Mad Demon, it was so hot.
Now sitting cross-legged, the stone floor felt quite cold.
Not only people's hearts undergo myriad transformations.
People's senses also undergo myriad transformations according to the owner's heart.
My current heart—surprised eting Mad Demon suddenly, scared nearly dying, exhilarated my words worked, ultimately happy to live.
Myriad transformations. How could breathing be peaceful like this?
"Sseup."
Deep and long—completing one circulation.
The jianghu—a gap between life and death.
Dying eting Demonic Cult mbers at a place seeking treasure.
Summarized in one sentence it's absurd, but this absurd thing constantly happens in jianghu.
To live here, hearts inevitably boil.
Just grasp one strand of breath organizing mind.
Accumulating inner power is secondary.
Protecting the heart is primary. Only after this cos becoming strong or not.
If failing to protect heart, strength also loses direction.
Like Demonic Cult.
"Whew."
Finishing one circulation—
"Brother Kwak, finished breathing ditation."
"I'll tell Yang Cheonjo to co in."
Even if I, Kwak Daebang, and Yang Cheonjo combined forces, Mad Demon would have been too much. Even adding Sang Jinhwa would have been the sa.
Though he'd beco stronger as ti passed afterward, to think he couldn't ascend to Heavenly Demon.
The Cult Leader I beheaded also wasn't Heavenly Demon.
What level is the Heavenly Demon realm?
"Hero, are you okay now?"
Yang Cheonjo returned with Kwak Daebang.
"Yes, you worked hard."
"What? I just stood outside blankly."
"Weren't you scared soone else might appear?"
"What? ? Scared? This Silver Hero?"
Kwak Daebang chuckled—pisik.
"I appeared from behind and you jumped. Got quite scared."
"What! I was just keeping watch in all directions!"
Though the kid desperately made excuses, Kwak Daebang and I just laughed.
"Ink Sword Hero, but about that fellow earlier. Have you seen him before?"
"What? I haven't seen him. Why do you ask?"
In this life, it's the first ti.
"Seed like you knew his tendencies and spoke accordingly. It worked perfectly, which was amazing."
Yang Cheonjo also nodded.
"Right. You suddenly showed your martial arts. How did you know he'd feel interest?"
An appropriate question.
Can't properly explain the reason, so let make sothing up.
"It was a kind of gamble. The position called Collection Officer, bizarre words and clothing, the feeling when conversing—considering all that, I gambled. And it worked."
"Really? In that mont?"
Ick, this kid's going to try imitating.
"Not recomndable behavior. It was unavoidable since we clearly couldn't win. Fortunate it worked."
"Yees."
"Demonic Cult has many masters. Not just that fellow is strong—the Demon Heads who are leaders of each vein are all masters beyond human. Be careful and careful again."
World-Destroying Divine Cult.
Commonly called Demonic Cult.
World-Destroying Divine Cult had one difference from old Demonic Cults.
That one thing created nurous differences.
What's the difference?
World-Destroying Divine Cult were those believing this world ultimately ends with the evil god's victory.
That's right. Evil god's victory.
Not sothing like their dominating the world is the good god's victory.
Really those trying to destroy the world.
They wish to destroy the world and ultimately disappear themselves.
So they don't get angry even called 'Demonic Cult.'
Because they really are 'demonic.'
"The world thinks Demonic Cult only has remnants, but just looking at this Hwangbo Gak matter, that's not so. Chaos will co going forward, so must prepare."
As one who experienced that chaos, I hope the Alliance prepares well. The Hwangbo Gak matter will give the Alliance a wake-up call.
Not as the Alliance but as one martial artist—ultimately must sharpen martial arts.
I picked up the Wind God Sword Manual set aside.
Though old paper, well-maintained with no rotted parts.
Kwak Daebang asked looking at the manual.
"Wind God Sword was a master from fifty years ago, right?"
"In my mory too."
Transmitted as traveling through mountains and forests like wind with Wind God Footwork including Wind God Sword Technique.
Would help who specialized in Xun hand seals.
Mad Demon also seems to have given it for that reason.
"Will you read now?"
"No. Should read after returning."
While saying so, I opened the secret manual.
"Just a bit. Let's just read the front part."
Martial artists are like this. Can't just pass by seeing secret manuals.
Even briefly concentrating on contained profound principles—
"Uh... but."
The profound principles are strange?
"Brother Kwak, ever heard Wind God Sword used a shield?"
"Mm? Haven't heard."
"Really?"
"Why?"
"Must hold a shield for the martial principles to make sense."
The martial arts' level was high.
The principles themselves included a small shield worn on the arm.
"Then used sword with only one hand?"
"That's also not it."
The sword used left and right hands' principle.
"Or did I not understand yet? Should read slowly after returning."
"Must be that."
However, for who encountered countless martial arts before regression to be this confused?
I tilted my head alone putting the manual in my chest.
Can understand by studying after returning.
"Now. Let's go in."
Our three gazes turned toward the stone wall behind the coffin.
The hidden space Dang Yang ntioned.
It's behind that stone wall.
"Thanks to Collection Officer, chanism formations completely broke. The device opening that wall is also useless."
"Then."
Kwak Daebang demolished the stone wall with a loud battle cry.
With in the lead, we entered another stone chamber.
"One cloth?"
Pure white cloth.
Cloth sitting alone on a stone platform.
"..."
We silently approached before the stone platform.
"Looking again, just one cloth. Heard anything?"
"What would I hear? I also don't know."
"Ah! I got it!"
Mm?
Yang Cheonjo's eyes sparkled.
"There was treasure on the cloth! Seems soone took it?"
While saying so, he picked up and shook the cloth.
Ppallanг ppallanг—definitely, the cloth was just a cloth piece no matter how looked.
"Could be? But the manual also didn't disappear, so who entered here?"
"Kwaaaak!"
Yang Cheonjo scread dropping the cloth.
"What's wrong!"
"What? Just now sothing really stung? Uh, a stabbed wound appeared on my palm! Blood's coming."
I looked at the cloth fallen on the floor.
The cloth also had blood on it...
Seureureuk—the bloodstain disappeared.
"Uh? Brother Kwak, did you see?"
"Saw. Could it have absorbed blood?"
"Demonic Treasure?"
Just as there are Demonic Cult mbers among humans,
among treasures also exist demonic treasures causing harm.
"If demonic treasure, should burn it properly."
"It stabbed my hand! Must be demonic treasure!"
Perhaps because just saw a Demonic Cult figure, demonic treasure naturally ca to mind.
Umm.
However, demonic treasure in Wind God Sword's stone tomb?
"Wait."
I grabbed Yang Cheonjo's arm raising torch.
"Hero, why?"
"Mukheun is crying."
Uwoong, uwoong, uwoong—Mukheun was making low sounds.
"Resonance."
The white cloth also trembled—pareurereu.
Mukheun is the school's supre treasure. If such Mukheun and white cloth are resonating—can't be demonic treasure.
I looked at the white cloth again.
Width to wrap around arm two or three tis.
And just now injured Yang Cheonjo.
"Perhaps the shield Wind God Sword used?"
Then the manual's content also makes sense.
A shield wrapped around arm reacting on its own exists. Two hands use sword.
Premising this, the manual content was instantly understood.
"Wind God Sword left a shield, not sword."
The secret of the senior deceased famous for swords was in the shield.
"This is a shield? So that's why I got stabbed?"
Understanding my words, Yang Cheonjo reached for the white cloth again.
"Ah, ow!"
As expected, got stabbed seeing blood.
Kwak Daebang chuckled—pisik.
"Just got stabbed, yet reach again? No learning at all?"
"That's not it. You said not demonic treasure... Ey."
Seems the white cloth has no thought of obediently opening its heart to us.
"Hero, what do we do?"
"Should we wrap it in sothing and kidnap?"
No.
Such thod would ss up the first start with divine weapon.
"Both of you wait. Seems Mukheun has sothing to say."
I have Mukheun.
The friend who's always the answer.
Wuuuuung—the current resonance feels slightly different from usual.
Among divine weapons, there are cases remaining long with one owner or one school resonating with humans.
Though extrely rare cases.
Mukheun is precisely such a case.
"Now then."
I focused Eight Sensations.
The school's supre treasure.
A sword with supre resonance ability for Eight Trigram Unity Technique.
Even before regression, whenever I achieved one mastery of Eight Trigram Unity Technique, resonance with Mukheun also rose.
Now seems using true qi demonstrating martial arts before Mad Demon enabled resonance.
When resonance rises, what happens?
"What are you trying to say?"
Reaches a realm worthy of calling communication.
"Keuuh. Knew it wasn't an ordinary sword."
"Just looking at how it's made, not ordinary. I thought it could talk."
"It? Even if not the Ink Sword Hero, shouldn't you call it Elder Mukheun?"
"Ek? Should I?"
Expected Kwak Daebang and Yang Cheonjo to be surprised, but they weren't. Even suddenly holding sword starting conversation, they were like 'of course.'
Well, because it's Mukheun.
"..."
The sword doesn't actually speak.
The sword's intention, or will—more accurate to express as receiving it through emotion.
Understanding received feelings in human language is entirely my share.
And I'd been doing this from before regression.
[The Cotton Armor is angry that courtesy toward previous owner isn't observed.]
Can very naturally verbalize.
Cotton Armor's will transmitted through Mukheun.
Courtesy toward senior deceased.
'Is that so? Swept up in Demonic Cult figure's atmosphere, we also lost courtesy. It was a sudden situation.'
[I'll convey it.]
Umm.
Actually breaking the stone wall was our arbitrary action.
How will it co out?
[...]
'No words?'
[Says that's your circumstances, but courtesy should still be observed.]
'...'
Mm.
This treasure—cheeky.
[It's cheeky.]
My and Mukheun's intentions matched as resonance rose slightly.
'Then what if we observe courtesy toward Wind God Sword even now?'
[Says to do so.]
Observing courtesy for a senior from fifty years ago. Not reluctant at all.
"Now, let's go out. Should pay respects before the coffin."
We stood in a row before Wind God Sword's tomb.
"Wind God Sword senior. Leaving a treasure map ans you had heart to pass to successors. Through connection, this Jin ca before senior. I know senior also lived as White Path martial artist in life. As one of the Five Eccentrics—"
"Huh?"
Yang Cheonjo made a surprised sound.
"Mm."
I also suddenly recalled Sang Jinhwa's words.
Not familiar, so didn't think of the connection.
"Today I brought the great-grandson of Ten Thousand Leaves Hand of Taehang senior who was one of the Five Eccentrics. Worried about being too young to bring, but ultimately brought him. Perhaps it was because of this connection."
At that ti, the Five Eccentrics reportedly joined forces fighting jianghu enemies. The fight with the Five Evils is still talked about even now.
"Not only but people beside are all White Path martial artists. Yes, even this young kid. I hope my taking senior's sword manual and cotton armor doesn't go against your intended arrangents."
Finishing words, I bowed. The two also bowed together.
"Cheonjo, it's a fact suddenly learned, so even I wasn't familiar. You're the Five Eccentrics' great-grandson."
Since Senior Sang didn't tell Yang Cheonjo much, he doesn't even know who the other Eccentrics are.
"First let's go in. After everything ends, let's talk."
"Yes."
We stood before the cotton armor again.
'Mukheun, does it say satisfied now?'
[...]
'No?'
[Says has no mind to cooperate.]
'Why? Is courtesy insufficient?'
[Says should have observed from the beginning.]
'What?'
Then why tell us to observe courtesy again?
Conveying through Mukheun—
[Says just made you do it.]
"Eot."
[Very much...]
"Mm?"
[Is provoking.]
"Keuk."
Isn't it a cheeky treasure?
When demanding courtesy for previous owner, my head nodded involuntarily.
If it had said to observe courtesy and return, would have done so.
Had no mind to cooperate from the beginning, yet did so just wanting to see observing courtesy?
And provoking?
"Mukheun!"
[Sa thought.]
"Ah, ah, right. Good idea, right?"
While Kwak Daebang and Yang Cheonjo stared—
"Will take so ti. You two rest sowhere."
"What is it though?"
"Did sothing not work out well?"
Because simple conversation won't work.
I stood before the cotton armor.
While holding Mukheun.
"You?"
"Holding Mukheun up, what are you doing? Surely you're not hitting?"
Surely doesn't only catch people.
Catches treasures too.
I raised Mukheun upward then vigorously struck down toward the cotton armor.
Ppaaaak!
The cotton armor trembled—bureurereu.
"Right. You Mukheun were the solution to many problems from the start."
The first eting with divine weapons—can sotis start intensely.
Let's do this.
Will my Mukheun win, or you Cotton Armor?
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