Chapter 4
Master and Disciple (3)
Namgung Jun had expected relentless pursuit from the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult, but surprisingly, the journey back to the Azure Heaven Society was peaceful.
Whenever they stopped to rest, Lee Seha told him stories about the current state of the martial world and the Azure Heaven Society.
The Three Sects and One Alliance and the Five Great Sword Sects were each resisting the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult within their own territories.
The Azure Heaven Society had recently fought a massive battle against the cult.
There were many interesting stories, but the ones that captured Namgung Jun's attention most were those concerning the Azure Heaven Society itself.
"So the Azure Heaven Society is not an ordinary sect?"
"Alliance is a more accurate term than sect. The Azure Heaven Society was founded by survivors of clans and sects destroyed by the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult."
"And yet I find it remarkable that righteousness and chivalrous action are among its core principles."
Considering the Society's origins, it was only natural that it sought the destruction of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult.
But even while dedicating itself to revenge and eradication, why pursue chivalry as well?
Lee Seha immediately answered his question.
"The people who helped those survivors escape the cult's grasp were the wandering heroes of the martial world."
"I see."
"Many of those heroes died in the process. And the survivors who barely lived through it came to realize something."
"What did they realize?"
Lee Seha cleared her throat and lowered her voice, as though imitating someone else's words.
"To throw away the life purchased by the sacrifice of heroes and cast it back into the flames of vengeance would be contrary to reason."
"Those were the words of one of the survivors. He later became the first leader of the Azure Heaven Society."
Adjusting the bamboo hat on her head, she continued.
"Using the new life granted by heroes to help others suffering as they once did. For the survivors who had lost everything, it was the only way to honor the heroes' sacrifice and repay the debt of having their lives saved."
Her eyes softened.
"The Azure Heaven Society began with a desire to embrace righteousness rather than be consumed by revenge."
The survivors had stepped forward to fill the void left behind by the fallen heroes.
Remarkable.
From what he heard, the heroes' righteousness and sacrifice had transformed people who once desired nothing but survival and vengeance.
He had not witnessed it himself and could not judge fully.
Yet it was obvious those heroes had succeeded in turning the survivors' eyes—and their blades.
Away from the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult itself.
Toward the countless people suffering because of it.
"I understand now why the Azure Heaven Society pursues righteousness."
The smile that usually filled Lee Seha's face twisted slightly.
She had noticed the thoughtful look in his eyes.
"My family was destroyed by the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult as well."
"Then some of the martial arts you practice must originate from the Azure Heaven Society."
Lee Seha nodded.
"The Society gathers martial arts from destroyed sects, recovers lost manuals, and collects techniques scattered throughout the martial world."
"People willingly contribute their martial arts?"
Namgung Jun could not help being surprised.
The leakage of martial arts was one of the most sensitive issues among martial artists.
Once a martial art spread, it could be analyzed, countered, and ultimately broken.
"Some fear their martial arts will disappear with them. Others want their techniques to help someone fight against the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult."
"Then the other martial arts you've learned are also..."
"That's right. I chose the techniques that suited me best from the Azure Heaven Society's library. You'll do the same."
Namgung Jun slowly nodded.
I expected as much.
From everything Lee Seha had told him, roughly two centuries appeared to have passed since the destruction of the Southern Heavenly Palace.
Learning that the Palace's martial arts had eventually found their way into the Azure Heaven Society left him feeling strangely conflicted.
It felt like receiving final confirmation of the sect's destruction.
Even so, his clenched fist showed no sign of loosening.
That's right. The martial arts themselves aren't what matter. What matters is that the spirit of the Southern Heavenly Palace survives.
He would need to see the Society with his own eyes before reaching a final conclusion.
But based on what he had heard so far, he liked it.
The current martial world was dominated by the growing influence of the Sun and Moon Demonic Cult.
The orthodox sects merely contained its expansion in certain regions.
The unorthodox factions either kept their distance or submitted outright to preserve themselves.
In such a world, the existence of people who fought against the cult's demonic domination while upholding righteousness was genuinely encouraging.
***
Lee Seha suddenly slapped her own cheeks.
Smack!
Her dark eyes shone with renewed determination.
"I am a master now."
After organizing his thoughts about the Azure Heaven Society, Namgung Jun turned his gaze toward her.
At some point, she had fallen silent.
"Hm."
She was trying to appear cheerful, but a faint shadow lingered across her face.
The memories of her family's destruction had likely resurfaced.
Watching her for a moment, Namgung Jun abruptly rose to his feet.
"We should begin preparing camp. Please get some rest, Master."
"Huh? No, let's do it together."
Lee Seha hurriedly called after him.
But Namgung Jun acted as though he had not heard and disappeared into the forest.
Watching his retreating back, she let out a sigh.
"I showed him a side of myself I shouldn't have."
Then she struck her cheeks again.
Smack!
Her eyes sharpened.
"I am a master now."
Lee Seha steadied her heart.
Teaching martial arts alone was not enough.
A master should become a pillar.
A roof that sheltered her disciple from the storm.
That, she believed, was the true duty of a teacher.
***
Namgung Jun looked around.
Where is this?
He clearly remembered eating dinner and falling asleep.
Yet now he stood alone upon a crimson plain.
Everything around him was black and red, forming a horrifying landscape.
"Ah..."
The blood-soaked wilderness was littered with the corpses of his disciples.
Namgung Jun immediately understood.
This was a dream.
A terrible nightmare.
Yet he could not turn away from the sight before him.
The guilt of failing to protect his disciples still weighed upon his heart like eternal ice—cold, heavy, and unyielding.
Splash!
As he walked across the blood-red plain, his entire body became stained crimson.
At the same time, he began slowly sinking into the ground.
As though he had stepped into a swamp.
Even so, Namgung Jun paid it no mind.
He widened his eyes and continued moving forward.
As though it was the only thing he was meant to do.
"I'm sorry... my disciples."
The corpses of his disciples twisted grotesquely and gathered around him.
Though surrounded by countless bodies, he never stopped walking.
He intended to face this nightmare head-on.
Blood-soaked hands covered in wounds grabbed at his legs.
Half-rotted limbs pressed against his knees.
The corpses of his disciples surrounded his entire body.
The crushing pressure.
The thick scent of blood.
All of it was born from the regrets within his heart.
And so Namgung Jun straightened his back and continued looking forward.
Then he cried out.
"If only I had been stronger... if only I had gone a little farther!"
His regret echoed throughout the dream.
Namgung Jun walked.
And walked.
And walked.
Across the endless crimson wilderness.
Because he felt he had to.
***
Lee Seha's eyes suddenly opened.
From across the campfire, she could hear her disciple groaning in his sleep.
Carefully, she moved closer.
Namgung Jun's face was tightly twisted.
"My disciples..."
The words were slurred, making them difficult to understand.
Yet the cold sweat and pained expression clearly showed he was having a nightmare.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... it was because I wasn't enough..."
This time the words were clear.
Lee Seha's eyes softened.
Who is he apologizing to?
She fidgeted for a moment before finally making up her mind.
Then she gently placed a hand on his forehead.
"It's alright."
Leaning closer, she whispered into his ear.
"You did your best."
Perhaps it was her clear voice.
Perhaps it was the warmth of her hand.
The signs of distress gradually faded.
His breathing steadied.
His expression relaxed.
"That's a relief."
A faint smile appeared on Lee Seha's lips.
She was happy to feel she had fulfilled her role as a master.
Supporting a disciple when they faltered was part of a master's duty as well.
Once Namgung Jun had fallen into peaceful sleep, she quietly rose.
Looking up through the trees, she saw the full moon hanging high above.
Its light brushed softly across her robes.
Her disciple clearly carried a past he had not revealed.
But she did not wish to pry.
She believed that one day he would tell her himself.
A master isn't someone who merely teaches martial arts.
A disciple should be able to rely upon and trust their master.
Namgung Jun's talent was so extraordinary that he might surpass her within a short time.
If that happened, it would be another joy for a master.
Yet Lee Seha made a silent vow.
There would surely be things she could teach him beyond martial arts.
And she wanted to become someone whose very presence could support him.
"I can't sleep."
His sleep-muttered apologies still lingered in her ears.
In the end, she never returned to the campfire.
When sleep would not come, training was the best remedy.
Moonlight filtered through drifting clouds and scattered beautifully across her blade.
***
Mount Huang
Mount Huang stretched across southern Anhui Province for hundreds of li.
Its numerous peaks numbered over seventy.
"A beautiful place, isn't it?"
Namgung Jun's answer was brief.
His attention was not captured by the scenery itself.
So the Azure Heaven Society is located here.
The Southern Heavenly Palace of his previous life had also stood upon Mount Huang.
In that sense, this mountain was his hometown.
"Disciple, Mount Huang is famous for its Four Wonders. Can you guess what they are?"
"The pine trees, the sea of clouds, the strange rocks, and the hot springs."
"...Eh?"
Lee Seha had asked because she wanted to see him think.
She had not expected an immediate answer.
Nevertheless, she smoothly continued.
"The Azure Heaven Society is hidden among those Four Wonders."
Namgung Jun understood immediately.
The clouds and steam from the hot springs obscured vision.
The dense pine forests and rocky terrain confused direction and location.
And formations.
A large formation array clearly covered the area.
The terrain of Mount Huang had been incorporated into it, making it even easier to deceive intruders' senses.
"We're here."
Stepping exactly where Lee Seha stepped, Namgung Jun moved forward.
The oppressive haze suddenly vanished.
What appeared before him was a sprawling complex of walls and buildings nestled between mountain valleys.
"Ah."
An involuntary exclamation escaped him.
"The Southern Heavenly Palace."
Most of its original appearance had disappeared.
Yet the arrangement of certain buildings and walls made it obvious.
The Azure Heaven Society had been built atop the former grounds of the Southern Heavenly Palace.
What a strange coincidence.
Lee Seha tugged lightly on his sleeve.
Still staring at the scenery, Namgung Jun followed behind her.
"Come on. The Society Leader is away right now, so we'll head straight to the Ink Fragrance Hall."
"What kind of place is the Ink Fragrance Hall?"
"It oversees administration, finances, intelligence, personnel, and all sorts of internal affairs. If the Sword Fragrance Hall that I belong to is the Azure Heaven Society's sword, then the Ink Fragrance Hall is its brush."
As they entered the main gates, the guards immediately greeted Lee Seha.
"Hall Master, welcome back."
"Greetings, Heavenly Sword Hall Master."
The guards briefly glanced at Namgung Jun before stepping aside.
Simply accompanying Lee Seha was enough proof of status.
Looking around at the martial artists moving throughout the inner compound, Namgung Jun asked,
"Are all the people here..."
"Wearing bamboo hats?"
Lee Seha tapped the brim of her own bamboo hat.
"The bamboo hat is the symbol of the Azure Heaven Society. Every member wears one."
"What does it symbolize?"
Lee Seha was about to answer.
Then she suddenly stopped and tilted her chin playfully.
"Heh. You'll find out for yourself later."
***
Eventually, Lee Seha stopped before a grand building.
Compared to the others, its scale was noticeably imposing.
"This is the Ink Fragrance Hall?"
"Yes. You'll be taking your entrance examination here."
The moment she finished speaking, the doors opened.
Two men emerged.
One was an extremely thin old man.
The other was a muscular man with a powerful physique.
Both wore the robes of scholars.
The old man looked back and forth between Lee Seha and Namgung Jun.
"Heavenly Sword Hall Master. Is this the child?"
"That's right. The boy with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. And my disciple."
"You accepted him as a disciple? You must truly like him."
The master of the Ink Fragrance Hall, Yun Gyeongjong, slowly folded his arms.
"Since someone as strict as you personally vouches for him, we'll skip every examination except the martial test. When will he be ready?"
Though the question had been directed at Lee Seha, Namgung Jun answered immediately.
"I can take it right now."
"Right now? You only became the Heavenly Sword Hall Master's disciple recently."
"Correct. I've only learned the Heavenly Thunder True Yang Art."
"And you still want to be tested?"
Yun Gyeongjong turned toward Lee Seha.
The look in his eyes clearly demanded an explanation.
Lee Seha merely smiled.
"Hah. Interesting."
Yun Gyeongjong pointed toward the muscular man beside him.
"Then receive a single sword strike from him."
The muscular man silently drew his sword.
"I am Kang Mong of the Ink Fragrance Hall."
When seven steps remained between them, Kang Mong offered a warning.
"Don't let your pride get you killed. Dodge, or you'll die."
The moment he finished speaking—
His sword descended vertically.
A heavy sword strike, carrying tremendous force, came crashing down toward Namgung Jun's head.