Chapter 111: The Root of the Reason
Read more at Nineheavens.org
Bu Do-nam, who had been passionately speaking with hand gestures, must have been parched as he gulped down several mouthfuls of wine straight from the bottle, then let out another sigh.
“Haahh…”
He didn’t know how many times it had been just today alone.
Well, it wouldn’t just be his throat that was parched.
His heart was probably burning even more fiercely inside.
“Ah, at this rate I’m going to drink it all.”
Bu Do-nam suddenly noticed Namgung Sang-rin’s stiff face across from him and smiled.
“Ha. Somehow your expression has gone so rigid it’s turned pale as a blank sheet of paper.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Namgung Sang-rin quickly correct his complexion.
Bu Do-nam poured wine alternately into the two empty cups and nodded as if understanding completely.
“Right, right. Now that I’ve explained in such detail, you can’t not believe it. Of course, being surprised is the natural reaction.”
“Ah, yes. Q-quite surprising indeed.”
Having vaguely answered like that, Namgung Sang-rin also felt like drinking and quickly emptied his cup.
‘To think I would hear of his deeds in this manner…’
He couldn’t possibly pretend to know.
That the crazy horse Bu Do-nam mentioned was named Divine Wind, and the crazy bastard was Cheol Ryu-heun, the young master of the current White Peak Sword Sect…
‘This is troublesome.’
True to his thoughts.
His current destination was White Peak Sword Sect, yet he never expected that Cheol Ryu-heun, the Sect Master there, would be the very culprit who had overturned the stronghold where his sworn brother was.
Namgung Sang-rin asked as if subtly probing.
“Um, Hyungnim, is there nothing else you can guess at?”
Intending to check whether he might have caught any clues about Cheol Ryu-heun’s identity.
“Sigh… If there were, I wouldn’t be stuck here like this.”
Bu Do-nam, having grumbled as if talking to himself, continued telling the rest of the story.
“After smashing the stronghold to pieces, that bastard demanded money with that indifferent mug of his. At that point, I was certain again. That the protagonist of the rumor about a crazy bastard appearing who goes around extorting bandit groups together with a crazy horse… was precisely that bastard…”
Namgung Sang-rin inwardly let out a wry laugh without realizing it.
‘Ha, even such rumors… What a peculiar person. Though my first impression of him was like that too.’
Meanwhile, Bu Do-nam continued speaking.
“When I first heard that rumor, I didn’t think he would be a master. Everyone else must have been the same. But… Actually facing him made my hair stand on end. How to put it, being left alone among the members sprawled out like corpses felt like being in the afterlife. Anyway, I was in a helpless state and couldn’t defy his words.”
At that, Namgung Sang-rin asked in a somewhat puzzled tone.
“Pardon? So you just handed over everything?”
Though Cheol Ryu-heun’s martial power was at a level transcending his age, Bu Do-nam was also a first-rate swordsman who had made quite a name for himself.
Having received the alias Cold Plum Sword for wielding sword strokes as fierce and cold as plum blossoms blooming in winter, as expected of an elite Mount Hua Sect swordsman…
So he had thought Bu Do-nam would have at least put up some kind of desperate struggle.
But the way he just spoke made it sound like he had done everything as Cheol Ryu-heun wanted.
“Urk! I’ll be honest since you’re my brother… I was quite scared at the time. No, severely scared. So… When he asked for money, I personally brought out the chest containing the valuables. As if possessed by a ghost, I couldn’t think of anything else, only that I wanted to get out of there.”
“Hmm… That’s understandable.”
Namgung Sang-rin unconsciously blurted out those words and immediately felt “Oops!” as his expression changed.
“Hm? What was that just now…? Do you have some idea?”
When Bu Do-nam tilted his head, Namgung Sang-rin quickly waved both hands.
“Huh? N-no, what I mean is… When you encounter something completely unexpected and become extremely tense, that can happen. Please don’t think of yourself too shamefully.”
“Ah, I thought… Hmm, right? It wasn’t just because I’m a pathetic guy?”
“What are you saying? I would have been the same. If some unknown master suddenly barges in and creates chaos, how could anyone not lose their soul?”
“Ha, you really know how to comfort people. I’m grateful just hearing those words. But I’m sure I’ll be plagued by nightmares for a while. What can I do? It’s already happened…”
Bu Do-nam downed another cup of wine and continued.
“Though I was terrified at the time, it’s not like I offered no resistance until the end. As you know, the nature of the Plum Blossom Secret Shadow Sword I learned is quick sword technique, so depending on the situation, it’s quite useful for surprise attacks. Well, Mount Hua Sect considered using Plum Blossom Secret Shadow Sword that way as despicable and taboo, though.”
“Oh, so you were watching for an opportunity to subdue him at the end?”
When Namgung Sang-rin immediately caught on, Bu Do-nam nodded slightly.
“To be blunt, I was planning to cut off at least one of his limbs. Using the fastest secret technique the moment he turned around holding the chest. But that damned crazy bastard…”
His face crumpled unpleasantly as his words trailed off.
“…Ah, I mean, the instant I was secretly about to move my hands, I was foolishly taken in by his shallow trick. Wow, Brother. I’d really never seen anyone lie like that before.”
“What kind of…?”
“A dung dog flying through the sky?”
“…?”
“That bastard suddenly looked at the sky and said that. Because of that, I also reflexively looked up. A dung dog flying through the sky my ass…!”
“……”
“The moment I was hit hard on the chin by surprise and was floating, he released sword wind and… That was the end. I ended up losing consciousness, face-planted in the ground.”
“Ah…”
Namgung Sang-rin had nothing to say.
He only felt pity.
Meanwhile, Bu Do-nam recalled that moment again in his mind and let out a heavy groan.
“Hmm…! I clearly heard what he said right before I passed out. ‘You fall for that,’ he said. That bastard humiliated me to the very end.”
Namgung Sang-rin drank his wine and muttered inwardly.
‘Ugh… At least it’s fortunate, if one can call it that, that Sect Master Cheol didn’t reveal his identity.’
But he was worried about the aftermath.
Of course, since the Green Forest Alliance members had provoked first while showing off their newly expanded territory, from Cheol Ryu-heun’s perspective, it was a situation where he could act while claiming rightful justification.
But the method was extreme.
It wasn’t just teaching them a moderate lesson – he had completely obliterated the stronghold.
Cheol Ryu-heun surely couldn’t be unaware of the fame of the Green Forest Alliance, the ruling force of Apo Mountain in southern Hubei adjacent to this region, so he had no idea why he had made such a big mess.
Did he perhaps think he was confident his identity wouldn’t be discovered?
No, for that, his traces were too distinct.
Above all, how common was a horse that displayed power like Divine Wind?
When Bu Do-nam arrived at the Green Forest Alliance later and made his report, the Alliance Master who held the title Six Extremes of Hubei would certainly not stay silent.
The moment they figured out that the new Sect Master of White Peak Sword Sect was Cheol Ryu-heun, they would definitely try to settle accounts for that matter in some form.
Being discovered later seemed to be just a matter of time.
In truth, even if the Green Forest Alliance Master wasn’t the type to recklessly start an all-out war, since the power gap between the two forces was so great, there was a good chance they would make some kind of unreasonable demand…
‘Could Sect Master Cheol have some clever plan in mind?’
Yes, just like last time when he showed that remarkable technique reminiscent of Ice Demon Arts during the Mantis Martial Academy raid, perhaps he had prepared a solution that could adequately overcome this matter too.
Anyway, he was a person whose depths could not be fathomed at all.
At that point, Bu Do-nam finished his cup and ordered one more bottle of Huaguo Wine, then spoke in a meaningful tone.
“But, Brother… What puzzles me most is how that damned bastard knew and used a secret technique of a Mount Hua Sect patriarch.”
At the unexpected words, Namgung Sang-rin’s eyes widened greatly.
“Pardon?”
“Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword.”
“…!”
“The way the sword wind was executed following the rapid movement of the blade was exactly the same.”
At that, Namgung Sang-rin asked with a surprised face.
“Hyungnim, could you perhaps have been mistaken…?”
“No. I saw Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword many times when I was part of Mount Hua Sect, so… The internal energy attribute was different, but the sword form’s profound use itself was definitely identical.”
When Bu Do-nam asserted with a face full of conviction, Namgung Sang-rin felt his mind go somewhat blank.
‘Good heavens! That’s an upper-level sword art within Mount Hua Sect, so I understand only swordsmen who’ve earned the Six Plum qualification or higher can finally learn it…! Hmm, right. There’s no way Hyungnim would be mistaken about that.’
In truth, Bu Do-nam had remained in Mount Hua Sect throughout his growth into a mature swordsman.
Moreover, as a mid-level swordsman who had earned the Four Plum qualification, he would know the essentials and profound uses of that place’s sword studies better than anyone.
Suddenly, Namgung Sang-rin felt a strange thrill running down his spine along with a hard-to-understand question.
‘Sect Master Cheol, who isn’t even a Mount Hua Sect disciple, knows how to use Plum Blossom Seven Forms Sword? Then what he said back then was…!’
Cheol Ryu-heun had spoken nonchalantly without batting an eye.
That not only the rebuilding of the Namgung Family, but even restoration of the remaining major sword studies that had been lost was possible.
At this point, he had a premonition that it might not be entirely impossible.
If he could, he wanted to immediately push through the rainy streets and go to White Peak Sword Sect to verify that sincerity and ability.
Bu Do-nam trickled more wine into his cup while voicing his complaints.
“I don’t know if the path I’ve chosen is really right. I’m not dissatisfied with life in the Alliance, but… Sigh.”
At that, Namgung Sang-rin carefully responded.
“Hyungnim, this may be presumptuous, but… Wouldn’t it be worth someday going to Mount Hua Sect and requesting readmission? I honestly know well that you still have affection for that place.”
He meant that since it wasn’t like he had been expelled for committing a serious crime, if he waited for an appropriate time and expressed his intent to return, they might show some leniency considering those circumstances.
Bu Do-nam was lost in thought for a moment, then wore a bitter smile and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Affection… Love-hate would be a more accurate expression. When I was a disciple of Mount Hua Sect, the only person on my side was my one Master… And even he has lost his influence now.”
Having moistened his throat with wine, he sank deep into his chair and cast a dark gaze.
“Mount Hua has had all those noble plum blossoms of old wither away. They call it Taoist, but everyone is steeped in worldly habits and only fighting for position. Come now, let’s not talk about Mount Hua anymore. Just the matter of our Alliance alone makes my head throb.”
“Yes, I understand. You must have a headache indeed. Since the stronghold you worked hard to build has crumbled so futilely…”
“Ah, that’s not what I meant – I was talking about the Alliance’s fundamental headache.”
“Pardon?”
“The root of the reason why the Alliance tried to expand its power somewhat forcefully.”
“It seems there’s a story I don’t know.”
Bu Do-nam nodded and spoke while handling his cup.
“Hmm, it’s because of Sword Seal Sect.”
“…!”
Namgung Sang-rin’s gaze wavered slightly.
Sword Seal Sect – the name of a very famous unorthodox martial sect.
Moreover.
The alias and name of that sect’s master was known to almost everyone who had a place in the martial world.
Severing Finger Sword Venerable So Cheon-ak.
A supreme-class powerful figure who possessed domineering, destructive swordsmanship, and one of the illustrious Six Extremes of Hubei.
‘Severing Finger Sword Venerable is a person you gain nothing good from getting involved with. What happened between the Green Forest Alliance and Sword Seal Sect…?’