Chapter 251: Eastern Emperor (2)
“Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Usually, having the character ‘Emperor’ in a title signifies a realm above the Eight Exalts.”
“Is that so?”
“It is an unwritten law of the martial world.”
I hadn’t been aware of such a detail. Though I had decades of experience as a merchant, my career in the martial world spanned less than five years, making me a mere novice in such matters.
“Of course, the title ‘Eastern Emperor’ is an exception to that unwritten law. After all, it was bestowed upon you like a posthumous name for the deceased.”
“Indeed. I do not consider it my true title either.”
“Whether you think so or not, the ‘Eastern Emperor’ is already your title. The people of the jianghu are not so interested in others that they would go around giving someone two or three different titles.”
“I suppose that is true.”
“Naturally, it is obvious that you will become even stronger in the future. However, since you have received such a heavy name beforehand, you must continue to prove yourself to the martial world as befits that name. Whenever the martial world demands it, that is.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
We were standing in the middle of the training grounds as we conversed.
A brief moment to ease the tension before clashing swords, so to speak. It was quite a pleasant time.
“Still, I quite like your humility. One would expect the leader of a power like the New Justice Association to carry themselves with a bit more arrogance.”
“Why would I do that? We are all simply doing what needs to be done in our respective positions.”
“That is precisely what I like. It is a clean, unburdened temperament that is difficult for a martial artist to possess.”
In truth, even though I was the leader of the New Justice Association, I was still the youngest in generation within Wudang. I could not afford to speak down to someone who was at least an elder of the Nine Great Sects, even if I wasn’t someone who cared deeply about generational ranks.
Nevertheless, seeing how a master of the Gentleman Sword’s caliber used polite honorifics with me, it was clear that Yeom So-cheon also respected my position as the Association Leader.
“Shall we begin, then?”
“Very well.”
“I did not come to test you. I came simply because I wished to clash as fellow martial artists. Therefore, I will not offer you the first move.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Respect was woven into the Gentleman Sword’s words. I wondered if one had to carry themselves in this manner to earn the name ‘Gentleman Sword’ in a martial world so filled with madmen.
“Here I come.”
Yeom So-cheon drew his sword and fell into his starting stance.
His declaration that he would not yield the first move was sincere.
Someone once said that if the sword of Mount Hua resembled a brilliant flower, then the sword of Zhongnan resembled an unshakeable, towering mountain.
“Where should I strike?”
That was the thought that immediately crossed my mind the moment I looked at the Gentleman Sword.
I could not see any opening for my sword intent to pierce.
Normally, the stance, intent, and gaze of an opponent would naturally reveal a path for my sword to enter. Yet before the Gentleman Sword, not a single path presented itself.
“I am moving.”
Yeom So-cheon took a light step forward. A heavy shock step vibrated through the earth. The Gentleman Sword’s blade was neither fast nor slow.
It simply traversed the classic, textbook paths of the orthodox sects. Yet that was precisely what made it so incredibly troublesome. There was not a single opening to be found.
The Gentleman Sword’s blade honestly and steadily chipped away at my space. It was truly the epitome of orthodox martial arts, with offense and defense perfectly balanced in harmony.
A heavy pressure, like a towering mountain. It felt as though my entire body was growing heavier. While using a textbook sword himself, the Gentleman Sword forced his opponent to play by the book as well. I realized that this was the true essence of Zhongnan’s sword.
As blade clashed against blade, I found myself gradually pushed backward. As expected of an elder of the Nine Great Sects, he was powerful. It was a gap that was difficult to bridge, even though I had spent five years dedicated to training with the talents from the Martial Talent Shop.
“…However.”
To a martial artist, strength and speed are absolute. And I had recently bolstered my speed with the Grade 3 talent, Mangryang.
Although I had never pushed it to its maximum speed before and thus didn’t know its full limits, escaping this cage required a bold move—one capable of disrupting the board the Gentleman Sword had laid out.
I struck the descending blade of the Gentleman Sword outward with great force, and in that instant, I slipped behind him. The moment swords clashed was a moment when internal energies collided and erupted. This meant that during that brief instant, one could not sensitively track the opponent’s sensory perception.
“…!”
Yeom So-cheon turned around, his eyes wide with surprise. I was equally astonished. Having moved so rapidly, I had nearly twisted my ankle in that split second.
It felt as though wings had been attached to my feet. It was that ethereal. To the point where, as I stepped on the ground, I could barely feel its solidity.
BOOM!
“…Oh?”
An exclamation escaped the Gentleman Sword’s lips. Although he raised his heel to withstand the blow, his feet were pushed back, carving a furrow into the dirt like a ditch. For the first time since the duel began, I had pushed back the Gentleman Sword, who had done nothing but press me.
“Astonishing!”
For the first time, Yeom So-cheon showed genuine emotion. It meant my speed had completely exceeded his expectations.
However, I had no leisure to reply. Having suddenly unleashed such extreme speed, I was too out of breath to speak.
Yet even if I was short of breath, I could not afford to slow down. I had to move faster, even faster.
I swung Myeong-a with increasing speed, beginning to seize the initiative of the duel. Although the Gentleman Sword had initially responded at a steady pace, he was eventually forced to accelerate. It meant the composure of his sword was beginning to waver.
“…I see it.”
As I continued to rain down strikes in a flurry, a brief path for my sword materialized before my eyes.
Although the Gentleman Sword immediately erased that possibility, I had caught a glimpse of it, however fleeting. It was a sign that a crack had appeared in his fortress-like sword defense.
We utilized the entire training grounds, pushing and pulling as our feet touched almost every inch of the dirt.
“Quite a remarkable sword art,” the Gentleman Sword remarked, seemingly catching his breath as well, yet he did not skimp on his praise for my sword.
Although he had come to see my martial arts, this was ultimately a spar between orthodox martial artists. The purpose was to foster each other’s growth.
“Just now was Zhongnan’s Taiyi Six Harmonies Sword Art. It is one of Zhongnan’s ultimate arts, yet your unpredictable sword art did not yield to it in the slightest.”
The Gentleman Sword smiled.
“May I know the name of your sword art?”
“It is called the Hunyuan Wuhui Sword Art.”
“The Hunyuan Wuhui Sword. A fine name.”
Our gazes met as we leaped backward, creating distance. It was a silent exchange of understanding.
“How was my sword?”
“The Taiyi Six Harmonies Sword Art. True to its name, it was a sword without any openings.”
“The sword of Zhongnan is indeed flawless.”
“However, I thought that in pursuing flawlessness, one must not fear the appearance of cracks.”
“…My word.”
As if he had never expected to hear such words, the Gentleman Sword let out an exclamation. Realizing the words had slipped out of my mouth, I quickly tried to smooth things over.
“If I have overstepped, I apologize.”
“No. I wish to hear more of those words.”
I hesitated slightly. The words I had just spoken were simply drawn from my experience as a merchant.
In running a merchant company, I had also tried to pursue absolute perfection. Yet the moment one became obsessed with flawlessness, that very perfection shattered. Rather, true perfection was achieved when I actively allowed cracks to form, only to fill and mend them again. I had shared this experience thinking it might apply, but it seemed to have struck a deep chord with the Gentleman Sword.
“When I increased my speed and lunged forward earlier, a brief opening appeared.”
“Indeed it did.”
As expected of a master, he understood immediately. I felt relieved that my words had not been misunderstood.
“In that case, the flawlessness the Gentleman Sword currently pursues is one that is completely closed. If a crack forms from the outside, it will be breached.”
The Gentleman Sword’s brow furrowed. It wasn’t out of anger, but rather because he was lost in deep contemplation.
I continued to speak.
“The flawlessness I believe in is not one that is completely closed, but one that is completely open. If you break down the boundary between the Taiyi Six Harmonies Sword Art and other sword styles, would that not lead to an even greater perfection?”
“…”
The Gentleman Sword stared blankly for a moment. Though his face was directed toward me, his eyes were looking far beyond.
I held my breath as much as possible, ensuring that I did not disrupt his train of thought in the slightest.
How much time passed in that silence?
“…Ah.”
As if waking from a trance, Yeom So-cheon blinked.
“How much time has passed?”
“About fifteen minutes.”
“Only that much?”
The Gentleman Sword looked up at the sky in disbelief, seemingly trying to gauge the time by the movement of the sun.
“It is true.”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“Indeed. Yet it felt as though I had been standing here for a very long time.”
The Gentleman Sword quietly sheathed his blade and clasped his hands in a martial salute.
“Thank you for the guidance.”
“Please, it was nothing.”
I, too, had learned a great deal. As I had realized time and again, my insights as a merchant often aligned with the insights of a martial artist.
It wasn’t just a connection between merchants and warriors. It would have been the same whether I had been a blacksmith, an apothecary, or a physician. Enlightenment in any field ultimately shared a common path.
“Shall we conclude our spar here?”
“It is more than enough. I, too, have learned a valuable lesson.”
I smiled faintly and continued, “Were you somewhat satisfied with the person I am?”
“More than satisfied.”
The Gentleman Sword laughed along with me.
“Unless one is a younger generation talent, praising someone as strong for their age is merely empty flattery. At your age, you are already a complete martial artist. It is obvious you will become even more formidable in the future, so I believe you are more than qualified to be the leader of the New Justice Association. And, of course, to bear the name of the Eastern Emperor.”
“Haha. I didn’t say that to fish for compliments. It feels as though I’ve forced a bow out of you.”
“Receiving a bow from me is no easy feat.”
We laughed and exchanged a final martial salute.
Just as the Gentleman Sword said, there was no need to continue the spar.
We had verified each other’s martial strength, and both of us had gained something valuable.
I had intended to offer the Gentleman Sword another cup of tea after the duel, but he departed in a hurry, eager to return to Zhongnan and organize the insights he had just gained.
Though he was a middle-aged man, his eyes had sparkled like a child’s when speaking of enlightenment. Seeing him preserve the purity of an orthodox martial artist was a pleasant sight.
I, too, intended to bid him farewell and reflect on my own insights. I thought there might be more connections to be drawn between the wisdom of commerce and the way of the sword.
However, as was always the case in life, nothing ever went quite as planned.
“Association Leader. Another guest has arrived.”
“…Another one?”
“Actually, there is quite a long line of guests waiting.”
With that, Yu Cha-ryeon handed me a thick stack of letters.
It was true. While there were those like the Gentleman Sword who showed up unannounced, it was far more common for guests to send word ahead before visiting.
Not only were there martial artists from the New Justice Association’s member factions—Zhongnan, Dian Cang, Emei, Qingcheng, and the Namgung Clan—but also other renowned masters, and even warriors of the unorthodox sects, all wishing to meet me.
I had thought I had paid my dues to fame during my time as the Divine Physician of Hubei, but that was a mere trifle compared to this. Regardless of where my actual martial strength lay, the place where I stood now was the very center of the martial world.
“You may refuse them. I have already informed them that you are busy,” Yu Cha-ryeon said.
I shook my head.
The Gentleman Sword had said that whenever the martial world demanded it, I had to prove the name of the New Justice Association’s leader, the Eastern Emperor.
If I had to face them eventually, it was better to get it over with all at once. Moreover, if these meetings served to elevate the reputation of the New Justice Association, it was not something I should avoid.
“Let us see them one by one.”
And so, one by one, they began to enter the room of the Association Leader.