Chapter 322: Sword Emperor's Heart Words

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The capital city, Luoyang.

A white-haired old man stepped into an official residence there.

It was large in scale but not luxurious.

Wherever one looked, there was no extravagant building decoration.

As if representing the residence owner’s frugal lifestyle and incorrupt convictions.

If anything, the spacious garden’s old pine tree was the only sight worth seeing.

But.

Nearby stood a stone stele like a pillar.

Characters engraved in dragon-rising-and-phoenix-dancing calligraphy on that gray stone surface.

The name inscribed at the very end of the epitaph was Emperor Sima Jinlong.

The meaning of those words was singular.

Namely that the old pine tree was a gift written in the current imperial house’s Emperor’s own hand.

In other words, it was writing where Emperor Sima Jinlong praised the residence owner’s merits while simultaneously expressing respect and trust.

The white-haired old man, having paused his steps, briefly gazed at the stone stele near the old pine.

And then.

SEUK.

He bent his waist deeply and raised his clasped hands.

An extremely respectful form of greeting.

It was as if he was paying loyal respects toward the old pine and stele as though having an audience with a nation’s emperor.

That was in fact a long-held habit.

As if reaffirming the determination to live with the same heart even when no one was watching.

The white-haired old man paying respects was this residence’s owner, Gongsun Hwa.

The Grand Marshal of the Imperial Guard – the Embroidered Guard – the imperial special task organization and the Emperor’s personal guard.

He soon passed through the garden and arrived at the inner room.

As he was removing his plain clothes and taking out his official attire.

CLICK-

Along with the door sound, a man in his thirties appeared.

Gongsun Hwa, who was changing clothes, softly asked.

“Did it go well?”

The man who quickly approached slightly bowed.

“Yes. Something came up.”

Gongsun Hwa, having suddenly paused, only then turned his gaze.

“Something…?”

The man’s appearance fixed in his eyes.

It was Ja-woo, a senior military official of the Embroidered Guard who had previously visited Heavenly Demon’s secret domain as a secret courier.

He stepped one pace closer and lowered his voice.

“This is a report summarizing and organizing a series of events.”

Gongsun Hwa immediately received it and confirmed the contents.

Before long.

“My.”

A sound similar to a sigh flowed from between his lips.

Following that, while gazing at Ja-u’s face, he spoke.

“Cheol Ryu-heun is truly a noble person. If he hadn’t appeared there, everyone would have nearly lost thes…”

“Yes. It was truly astounding martial prowess. Power that far surpassed the two elders.”

The two elders Ja-woo had just mentioned referred to Song San and Bo Hwoe.

“Yes, just reading the text tells me. To have even cut off the head of White Heaven Sword King Jil-ryang, one of the Thirteen Seats of the World…”

“Moreover, he was perfectly unscathed without a single injury.”

“Ho ho, even I couldn’t guarantee victory against Cheol Ryu-heun.”

“Pardon? That can’t be. No matter what, that’s a bit…”

“One never knows. Also, isn’t he still young? Yet to already possess that level of power… by the way, Sect Master Cheol also seems to be separately investigating the secret force trying to realize the ancient strange tale in this era.”

“Yes, that’s correct. But what should we do going forward? If that mysterious organization attacks again, that secret domain will be endangered. Even though the method of entry is said to be difficult…”

At that moment, a new presence cut off his trailing words.

“Master, there is a letter.”

At the servant’s voice outside the door, Gongsun Hwa replied.

“Enter.”

The door swung open by intangible energy emanating from a light gesture.

The servant in his forties immediately delivered two letters and then disappeared again.

Gongsun Hwa hurriedly read the letters, then let out a gentle smile.

“Oh ho ho…”

Ja-woo, curious about the inside story, quietly asked.

“What makes you smile so contentedly?”

“They’re letters from Vice Commander Ju and Sect Master Cheol.”

“Leader”

“Yes, he’s agreed to the task we requested. By now he should have departed for the Shiwan Mountains. What’s more surprising is… he says he knows where Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae’s group are.”

“What?”

As Ja-woo’s eyes rippled like waves.

“And another thing… Ink Zither Aged Grandmother’s group completed their mission and moved to another secret location. With Sect Master Cheol’s assistance. Though where exactly isn’t written.”

“Heavens…!”

Transparent ripples arose in Ja-woo’s pupils.

It was truly a succession of surprises.

The fact that Song San, Bo Hwoe and others had completed their mission meant they had found a method to complete the Transcendent Revival Pills using Heavenly Demon power.

What exactly is Sect Master Cheol’s ability… how is everything he does without obstruction… “wondrous” is insufficient to describe it. He’s a thrilling, wondrous existence.’

Having put away the letters, Gongsun Hwa spoke.

“You should visit soon.”

“Pardon?”

“White Peak Sword Sect.”

“Ah… yes, I understand. It’s a visit in response to Sect Master CLeader letter.”

“It was written here. If he separately sends someone, through White Peak Sword Sect’s leadership they’ll, hear the detailed story… I’ll write a letter here.”

“The truth about this organization… it’s not yet time to reveal it, is it?”

Gongsun Hwa, having picked up the brush on the desk, nodded.

“Indeed, that will be discussed later depending on the situation. There are many watching eyes and listening ears in the imperial palace, so we must be careful. Especially this organization… is the highest priority target of those ugly power-holders’ vigilance.”

“Yes.”

Soon.

SEUK, SEUSEUK, SEUK-

Black characters began multiplying one by one on the pure white paper.

‘Heh, that fellow… he’s made a very good friend.’

Gongsun Hwa’s faint smile.

One man’s face suddenly came to mind – it was Ju Yu-gang.

Along with it, the letter’s phrases came to mind.

-Do you perhaps need a trustworthy collaborator in the Jianghu? If so, I recommend White Peak Sword Sect’s Sect Master Cheol believe it would be fine to share any secret with him. Then, I’ll await the day we meet again. By then, I’ll be stronger. Thanks to Heavenly Clear Sword God’s supreme art Sword-Controlling Technique that Sect Master Cheol gifted me…

Immediately after, Gongsun Hwa’s smile became clearer.

‘Yes, I’ll wait expectantly. I’ve always thought about it. If I ever step down, I would give you the next Grand Marshal position…’

Following that, another man’s face flashed through his mind.

Namgung Heon-rin.

A young talent responsible for the Embroidered Guard’s future and a trustworthy subordinate.

‘Please return safely. Along with Cheol Ryu-heun who has headed there… and then assist Yu-gang and lead this organization in the future.’

* * *

“Heon-rin! Behind you!”

Simultaneously with Jeon Kwae’s sharp shout.

JJEOJEONG-!

The sword of Namgung Heon-rin, who had quickly turned around, sparked.

He had deflected the lightning-fast attack of the Nuwa Yin Serpent.

‘Keuk!’

Pushed back by the force, Namgung Heon-rin was flung backward.

However.

Nuwa Yin Serpent’s massive body also retreated slightly.

Due to the recoil from the collision of attack and defense.

Right at that moment.

-Kkihaaak…!

The Nuwa Yin Serpent, having let out a sharp sound, its entire body rapidly turned to stone.

Petrification occurring in an instant.

Thus the cave interior was enveloped in silence.

“Heok, heok… that was dangerous.”

When Namgung Heon-rin caught his ragged breath and wiped his sweat, Jeon Kwae staggered closer.

“Wow… Heon-rin, your… energy has improved tremendously? To push back that fearsome Nuwa Yin Serpent with strength…”

“It’s thanks to the power imbued in the sword. Though it’s not yet at a complete level…”

“Did the Sword Emperor of old know such a thing would happen? Anyway, thank goodness for the unstable revival.”

As he said, the state of the Nuwa Yin Serpent that had revived across hundreds of years was not whole.

Because like this, after a certain time passed, it would transform like a stone statue.

Who knows how many times this had been repeated.

Of course, being trapped, it was also difficult to calculate the days.

Either way, from Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae’s position, the Nuwa Yin Serpent’s repeated petrification was fortunate.

Otherwise, they might have already died.

Namgung Heon-rin soon gazed at the sword in his hand.

‘The Sword Emperor’s arrangement… did Sect Master Cheol anticipate even this part?’

That sword that had been stored in the iron chest was the Sword Emperor’s arrangement.

So that a future practitioner who set foot here could obtain the energy of his living self…

When the Nuwa Yin Serpent first revived, Namgung Heon-rin had grabbed the sword stored in the iron chest as a desperate measure to overcome the crisis.

The moment he injected peak energy, he heard a mystical kind of Sound Transmission.

-O practitioner of future generations. Have you finally reached this power? From now on, I shall teach you a new mental technique. Receive the energy dwelling in this sword.

That was no different from Heart Words that Sword Emperor Buk Ga-shin of the past had arranged using the Divine Martial Sword’s unfathomable divine power.

Also.

The power contained in the sword was the Sword Emperor’s internal energy cultivation.

Simply explained, it was a sort of Energy Transfer Through Bodies that transmitted true energy of internal power transcending the gap of ages.

Namgung Heon-rin had awakened it and made it his own.

Though it was only a portion.

At that moment, he had realized.

That this was the path toward completely annihilating the revived Nuwa Yin Serpent and toward the true completion of Heaven Emperor Sword Path.

“Hmm… we’ve bought time, so shall we begin?”

No sooner had Namgung Heon-rin spoken those words than he gripped the sword in his hand with force.

KWAK!

Simultaneously, peak energy was operated.

WOONG-

The blade trembled powerfully.

FLASH!

A strange auspicious light exploded forth.

-At last you have reached the threshold of the final essence of the mental technique I created. There will be pain burning in your heart and a phenomenon of thunder ringing in your head, so practitioner, do not be greatly disconcerted. At the end of suffering comes light…

Some time after that.

Namgung Heon-rin, who had been circulating energy following the formula transmitted through Heart Words, burst into a scream.

“Kkeuhaaak!”

It felt as if a tremendous fire was blazing in his heart.

His swelling tendons represented his pain.

In the meantime.

FLASH, FLASH, FLASH…

Brilliant five-colored radiance was emitted from Namgung Heon-rin’s entire body.

As if shining flowers and rings were mixed together.

In an instant.

Heart Words rang in his mind again.

-The wondrous essence of Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and Five Energies Returning to Origin is sublimated into harmony as one, becoming Reaching the Peak. O practitioner, at last you are ready to climb the mountain and stand at the summit. The new realm of Supreme Sword Spirit Fetal Peak that I have prepared is yours.

Right at that moment, Namgung Heon-rin felt not only the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and Twelve Regular Meridians in his body but even the subtle and hidden meridians expanding.

Jeon Kwae watched that sight with surprised eyes and intuited.

That before his eyes, a rising warrior at the transcendent tier was being born…

* * *

At a riverside on the route to the Shiwan Mountains.

At this location designated by Cheol Ryu-heun as the final assembly point, the party including White Peak Sword Sect’s guests began to gather.