Chapter 65
The Heavenly Passage Secret Grounds (3)
Within the Alliance, the reconciliation between Baek So-cheon and Ak So-gun had become the hottest topic of conversation.
Everyone he met was talking about it. Previously, a gag order concerning Baek So-cheon had been in place, so only the martial artists belonging to a few major divisions knew about him. Now, however, every martial artist at the Alliance’s headquarters was discussing him.
“I heard the Alliance Leader and Unit Leader Baek reconciled.”
“They say he even returned the sword he had confiscated. Someone also saw the two of them walking side by side.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Why were they on such bad terms in the first place?”
“According to the rumors, there was a serious misunderstanding between them, but they managed to resolve it.”
“Whatever the reason, isn’t this wonderful news for the Alliance?”
Everyone reacted positively. Even Chungyang did not fly into a rage, so the entire Alliance was pleased by the news.
Naturally, the happiest of all were those closest to Baek So-cheon—especially Beon Saeng and Im Chung.
“The entire Alliance is buzzing because our elder brother reconciled with the Alliance Leader.”
Seeing Beon Saeng looking as though he might take flight from sheer joy, Im Chung smiled along with him.
“It truly is a relief.”
“Do you remember that day? Our eldest brother walked stiffly into the Wensheng Branch, and you introduced him by saying, ‘This is Baek So-cheon, our newest member.’”
“How could I forget? You went to teach the newcomer a lesson and came back as his younger brother instead.”
“Hahaha! And that ridiculous incident ended up bringing us all the way here.”
“That it did.”
The two laughed warmly as they remembered those days.
“You really never know what the future holds. Just a few months ago, could I ever have dreamed that I would exchange morning greetings with the Alliance Leader?”
“The same goes for me. Martial artists from the Secret Pavilion now eat and sleep according to decisions I make. Can you even imagine that?”
Im Chung was responsible for all administrative affairs within the Hyeoncheon Unit. From uniforms to every kind of equipment and daily necessity, everything was distributed according to his decisions.
However, both men were perceptive.
“Brother, perhaps the martial world has become even more dangerous.”
Was that not why such drastic changes were taking place?
Im Chung nodded thoughtfully.
There was likely only one way to face a world in which no one could see even an inch into the future: live the present moment well.
After all, happiness was probably not something to be achieved, but something to be discovered.
“Come by my house today. Let’s have dinner together.”
“Haha, thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for? I’m also going to ask you to give our Chan some martial-arts guidance.”
“Haha, of course I’ll look after him. Whose son is he? I’ll make sure I earn my meal properly.”
As their circumstances changed, the relationship between the two men continued to evolve as well.
***
At the same time that Im Chung and Beon Saeng were having dinner, Ak So-gun and Zhuge Hyeon were drinking together in the Alliance Leader’s Hall.
Ak So-gun’s conflict had not been limited to Baek So-cheon. Its repercussions had also caused his relationship with Zhuge Hyeon to grow distant.
“You must have felt terribly disappointed because of me.”
“Not at all. If anything, I am the one who should apologize.”
“What could you possibly have to apologize for?”
“Was it not my duty to prevent such a conspiracy before it happened?”
“We were at war when we fell victim to that scheme. It was the final stage of the war, no less. Do you remember what those days were like? Did we spend even a single day in our right minds? How could you possibly have stopped an enemy who exploited that chaos to infiltrate us?”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“After So-cheon, the person who deserves the greatest credit is you. Here, let us drink.”
The two emptied their cups.
Zhuge Hyeon was deeply moved. How long had it been since he had spoken this openly and honestly with Ak So-gun?
After they exchanged various stories, Zhuge Hyeon brought up Baek So-cheon.
“Unit Leader Baek has suffered greatly over the past three years.”
The past three years had been difficult not only for the Alliance Leader, but for Baek So-cheon as well.
“I am sure they were.”
“If the people caught in that scheme had been anyone other than you and Unit Leader Baek, I doubt matters would have ended this way.”
Those were not empty words meant merely to please him.
Had either man possessed even slightly less affection for the other, the situation would have ended in catastrophe.
At that moment, On Byeok-hwa entered the room.
“What are the two of you discussing so enjoyably?”
“Come in. Have a drink with us.”
Ak So-gun then said to Zhuge Hyeon,
“I asked her to come. You do not mind, do you?”
“Of course not.”
Zhuge Hyeon smiled at her.
“Please, join us.”
“I hope you don’t mind me intruding on your private gathering.”
On Byeok-hwa took a seat with them.
After they had shared a round of drinks, Ak So-gun addressed Zhuge Hyeon.
“There is something I must tell you.”
“Please speak.”
Zhuge Hyeon had expected something of the sort. Ak So-gun would not have summoned the Master of the Secret Pavilion to a private gathering meant to mend their friendship without a reason.
“The truth is, the two of us have feelings for each other.”
Zhuge Hyeon was startled.
He had anticipated that it might concern Ak So-gun’s relationship with On Byeok-hwa, but he had never imagined it would be something like this.
He soon clasped his hands respectfully and congratulated them.
“My sincerest congratulations.”
“I am not certain it is something worthy of congratulations.”
“Of course it is. Neither of you is married. This is joyous news for the Alliance.”
“I appreciate you seeing it that way. However, I do not know whether others will think the same.”
“I believe I understand what concerns you. I trust that you are someone who maintains a strict distinction between public and private matters. Forgive me for asking so directly, but did your personal feelings for one another have anything to do with her appointment as Master of the Secret Pavilion?”
“Not in the slightest. I only began to develop feelings for her after she had already become the Pavilion Master.”
“I trust you. If you say that is what happened, the people of the world will believe it as well. Anyone who refuses to believe you and spreads malicious rumors would speak ill of you no matter how much good you did.”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“Thank you for telling me honestly.”
“For the time being, let us keep this between ourselves. Ah, I will tell So-cheon personally.”
“Yes.”
The three continued drinking in high spirits.
Ak So-gun felt as though a great burden had been lifted from his heart. Even if no one else knew, he believed Zhuge Hyeon needed to understand the truth about their relationship.
Had it not been for the matter with Baek So-cheon, he would have told him long ago.
After they talked about various matters, Zhuge Hyeon asked,
“By the way, where is Unit Leader Baek now?”
“I gave him leave.”
“Pardon?”
Ak So-gun added with a smile,
“He should be resting comfortably in a very pleasant place.”
***
Baek So-cheon was circulating his energy while immersed in the Dragon Spring.
Several days had passed since he entered this place.
He simply relaxed in the Dragon Spring, circulated his energy, and practiced the Thousand-Handed Tathagata Asura Divine Sword.
He had decided to forget about the outside world. Now that Ak So-gun had regained his senses, there was nothing for him to worry about. Should anything truly urgent happen, someone would surely come to summon him.
He divided his training into three portions.
The ratio was one, three, and six.
One-tenth of his time was devoted to practicing the Heaven-Overturning Nine Fists.
He intended to continue learning it until he reached the final technique. However, since it would only serve a supplementary role, he allocated the minimum amount of time to it.
Three-tenths of his time was spent cultivating the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method.
The Dragon Spring enabled him to accumulate a tremendous amount of internal energy, but the quantity of his internal energy was not his only concern. He also wished to raise his mastery of the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method.
The art had currently reached the third level.
He had not achieved the breakthrough through any particular enlightenment. As he continued circulating his energy, he had naturally advanced to the next stage.
The higher his mastery rose, the more smoothly his energy circulated. The amount of internal energy he accumulated increased, and its quality became even purer.
Moreover, progress in any martial art was rapid during its early stages and increasingly difficult at the higher levels.
Baek So-cheon’s goal was to reach the fourth level before leaving this place.
The remaining six-tenths of his time was devoted to the Thousand-Handed Tathagata Asura Divine Sword.
He had decided to make this sword art his personal signature technique.
It was unquestionably superior to the sword arts he had previously learned. This supreme martial art, which awakened in him the desire to challenge the impossible, perfectly matched both his personality and his tastes.
After completing his energy circulation, Baek So-cheon emerged from the Dragon Spring.
Whenever he circulated his energy in the spring, his body felt so light that he could have flown.
He took food from one of the jars and ate his meal.
Although he was alone, he did not feel lonely in the slightest. He felt as though he could remain here for one or even two years, doing nothing but training.
No matter how difficult the training was, he felt most at peace while practicing martial arts.
That alone proved that he was a born martial artist.
He had completed that day’s Heaven-Overturning Nine Fists training before circulating his energy. It was now time to practice the Thousand-Handed Tathagata Asura Divine Sword.
Baek So-cheon poured an extreme amount of internal energy into the Ghost Shadow Sword.
As more than a century’s worth of internal energy entered the blade, a sword cry resembling the wail of a ghost rang out.
True to its name, it was the unique cry of the Ghost Shadow Sword. Whenever that ghostly wail echoed across a battlefield, the enemy would tremble in fear.
Baek So-cheon withdrew the energy he had infused into the sword.
He had to practice here using only the bare minimum of internal energy.
“Haaap!”
Baek So-cheon unleashed the Celestial Pivot Form, drawing more than a dozen sword lines through the air.
That was not the end.
Before the sword lines of the first form had completely faded, Baek So-cheon’s blade drew an entirely new set of lines.
He had unleashed the second form, the Celestial Jade Form.
The second form contained fewer movements than the first. It consisted of four linked techniques that thrust toward the east, west, south, and north, eliminating enemies charging from all directions in a single sequence.
Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!
The moment he finished the second form, Baek So-cheon shouted,
“I did it!”
He had completed the second form before all the sword lines from the first form disappeared.
It was an achievement he had accomplished after only several days.
Such a feat was possible only because he was Baek So-cheon.
However, his joy lasted only briefly. The thought of the third form made him so frustrated that he could only laugh.
The third form, the Celestial Mechanism Form, required no fewer than fourteen swings of the sword.
“I’m supposed to complete all the way through the seventh form while keeping the sword lines intact? Hahahaha!”
Overwhelmed by the sheer absurdity of it, Baek So-cheon burst into laughter.
No matter how he considered it, it did not seem possible.
Nevertheless, Baek So-cheon did not give up.
Once he had chosen a goal, he would see with his own eyes the image created by the greatest sword art of all time.
“All right, again!”
Baek So-cheon gripped his sword once more and resumed training.
***
Another ten days passed.
Twenty days had now gone by since he entered this place.
Baek So-cheon had become completely absorbed in his training. Never before had he trained so intensely.
Thanks to that, he had achieved his first major result.
The Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method had advanced from the third level to the fourth.
This breakthrough did not appear to be a matter of martial understanding.
A heart method was, above all else, closely connected to the state of mind of the person circulating the energy.
Baek So-cheon could not remember another time when his heart had been as peaceful as it was now.
Reaching the fourth level of the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method felt like a gift bestowed upon him by that peace.
Once the heart method reached the fourth level, the amount of internal energy he accumulated through circulation increased even further, and its quality became purer as well.
He had worried that drawing energy directly from his entire body rather than from his dantian might impede his advancement. However, his progress had been so smooth that it almost felt excessively fast.
As for the Heaven-Overturning Nine Fists, he had thoroughly mastered the fourth fist, Moonlight and Stars Rejoice.
The fourth fist was the first technique that made serious use of internal energy, and its power was astonishing when he unleashed it.
His only regret was that he could not use his internal energy to its absolute limit, for fear that the space around him might collapse.
In any case, he repeatedly practiced the Heaven-Overturning Nine Fists through its fourth fist until every movement was completely ingrained in his body.
Nevertheless, his primary objective in this place remained the Thousand-Handed Tathagata Asura Divine Sword.
Baek So-cheon had become utterly captivated by the sword art’s extreme speed.
The more he practiced it, the more difficult it became.
Had he learned this sword art in the past rather than now, not only would he have failed to master it to the end, but he would never have become so deeply absorbed in it.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
The third form, the Celestial Mechanism Form, embroidered the air.
Fourteen dazzling sword strokes unfolded in succession.
However, the sword lines from the first form had already disappeared. Only the final sword line of the second form remained briefly before fading as well.
Soon afterward, all fourteen sword lines of the third form vanished from the air.
“Whew. This isn’t easy.”
He was not yet fast enough to leave all the sword lines suspended in the air, but even this represented remarkable progress.
He could now perform all three forms smoothly.
Even the ancient master who had created this martial art would probably refuse to believe that someone could freely execute the third form after only twenty days.
Of course, that ancient master could never have anticipated that the person learning it would be someone who had once stood at the pinnacle of the world.
Baek So-cheon practiced the forms until he was exhausted, then quickly entered the Dragon Spring and circulated his energy.
As his worn-out body recovered, he suddenly chuckled to himself.
For the first time since entering this place, he had briefly found himself longing to see someone.
That person was not the Alliance Leader, Zhuge Hyeon, Beon Saeng, or Im Chung.
Unexpectedly, it was Cheon-geuk.
He thought it would be nice if she were beside him.
He found himself wishing that they could joke and fool around together.
‘What am I thinking?’
Splash!
As though trying to rid himself of distracting thoughts, Baek So-cheon submerged himself beneath the surface of the Dragon Spring before emerging again.
His figure immediately began moving busily once more.
Celestial Pivot.
Celestial Jade.
Celestial Mechanism.
The three sword forms unfolded in a magnificent display.
Baek So-cheon himself could not see it while swinging the sword.
However, had someone been observing from afar, they might have glimpsed a faint fragment of some vast image briefly revealing itself before disappearing.
“Haaaaaaaaap!”
A powerful battle cry thundered through the space reserved for a man enjoying time that belonged solely to himself.