Chapter 320: Each to Their Own (1)
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From then on, we did not say a word until entering Yicheng. In any case, persuading was an agreed-upon matter to be conducted in Yicheng.
Upon arriving in Yicheng, people from the New Justice Association and the Palace of Heavenly Worship were already gathered.
“Hui-yeong-ah!”
“What do you mean Hui-yeong? It is Association Leader.”
From afar, Master shouted upon seeing me, but the Sect Leader beside him scolded him. It was meant to preserve the dignity of the New Justice Association Leader since others were watching.
“Is that person the New Justice Association Leader?”
“I only heard he was young, young, but I never knew he would be that young.”
“Wow, are we seeing two of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven right now?”
The people of Yicheng had come out and were watching us.
Originally, Yicheng was not a neighborhood to become this noisy. A place comprised only of peasants without notable sects or clans. That was Yicheng.
With prominent martial artists all gathered there now, it was more than enough for the people of Yicheng to come out and watch.
“In any case, thank you.”
I said to Su Je-heon. As if not expecting to hear such words, Su Je-heon slightly widened his eyes and then smiled.
I had merely said what I ought to say. Whatever happened, it was certain that my life had been saved thanks to Su Je-heon.
“Your calculations are certainly precise.”
“Of course.”
I performed a martial salute to Su Je-heon and turned toward the people of the New Justice Association. Those who did not know what had transpired between Su Je-heon and me were puzzled, but they did not deliberately ask.
“Welcome. No, welcome, Association Leader.”
As I returned, Cheong-hwa spoke awkwardly. I gave a wry smile.
“Please speak comfortably, Master. Who would say anything about a master speaking comfortably to his disciple?”
“Senior Brother Sect Leader scolded me.”
Cheong-hwa pouted his lips. Cheong-ui looked at Cheong-hwa with a pathetic expression as if asking if he really had to take that so literally.
“By the way, who is this person?”
Cheong-hwa asked upon seeing the person behind me. I answered nonchalantly.
“Ah. He is my father.”
“Eh?”
The people of the New Justice Association were all startled as if they had not expected that. People of the Cheong generation, including Cheong-ui, all gathered around my father.
“You were Hui-yeong’s father. Pleased to meet you.”
“Ah, yes……”
“You have given birth to a great blessing for the martial world. We are truly grateful that you sent him to the Wudang Sect as well.”
Once hearing he was my father, they immediately treated him with utmost hospitality. I looked at that uncomfortably, but there was no reason to tell them to mistreat him either.
“You have suffered. We heard you encountered cultists of the Demonic Cult.”
“Ah, yes.”
“We should have grasped your movements better, so receiving the help of the Palace of Heavenly Worship is shameful.”
“Not at all. Part of it was that I let my guard down.”
For someone of my level now, assigning guards was also meaningless. Rather, dedicating myself more to martial arts cultivation was proper.
“Also, those who had been quiet until now suddenly made a move.”
“Befitting demonic scoundrels, they are truly despicable without compare.”
Cheong-hwa fumed with rage. I felt a slight prick of conscience.
I felt the time to tell those around me that I was the Heavenly Demon was drawing near. Fortunately, Myeong-gyeong and Peng Chae-hyang understood, but would the elders of Wudang, including Cheong-hwa, understand as well? I thought that was a problem of a different dimension.
Had not Su Je-heon possessed immense hatred and prejudice against the Demonic Cult as well? Hatred accumulated over a long time was not something that changed easily. A situation where the trust I had built up thus far could turn directly into resentment. It was precarious beyond compare.
“Um, Master.”
“What is it?”
“I have something urgent to tell you later.”
“What an infuriating way of speaking. Just say it now. Or say it then.”
Cheong-hwa tapped my forehead with the side of his hand. Even such trivial teasing made my throat feel choked. When I showed no reaction, Cheong-hwa smacked his lips as if awkward.
“Ever since becoming the Association Leader, you’ve lost your cute side.”
“Ah. Apologies. I have a lot on my mind.”
“I suppose so. It is a position with many things to think about. I understand. If I do not understand, who would?”
Cheong-hwa patted my shoulder.
“Still, do not push yourself too hard. Senior Brother Sect Leader seemed to regret it slightly as well. Wondering if we placed too heavy a responsibility on you.”
“No. It is fine. Being Association Leader is not much different. Doing what one must do in one’s respective position.”
I genuinely thought that way. Though the responsibilities to bear differed, wasn’t the authority correspondingly great? That was an obligation that naturally followed. Furthermore, such a position was not unfamiliar to me.
I rested for a day. I kept some distance from my father. In any case, the New Justice Association would have properly arranged lodgings for my father on their own.
Although it was revealed that the core reason I had hated my father was my misunderstanding, I lacked the confidence to face my father again. If so, I too was someone trapped in prejudice for a long time.
While I still harbored reluctance toward my father, was it even plausible to persuade Su Je-heon, who harbored similar reluctance?
The meeting between Su Je-heon and me took place at the government office of Yicheng. Because Su Je-heon was the Deputy Palace Master belonging to the Palace of Heavenly Worship directly under the imperial palace, the government office had readily yielded the space, bowing low.
All personnel of the government office, including the county magistrate, stepped out, leaving only Su Je-heon and me. Martial artists of the New Justice Association and the Palace of Heavenly Worship decided to remain outside the building in preparation for potential emergencies.
This was my request. Because I wished to have a true private meeting with Su Je-heon.
“Did you rest peacefully last night?”
“Having walked all night, I slept soundly.”
“Me too.”
“Unexpected. I thought someone like you would spur on martial cultivation.”
“If practicing for a single day brought victory, I would have done so. I was very tired as well.”
“Haha. Indeed. No matter how much of a genius you are, with the time I have spent, being overturned like that would make me feel wronged.”
Su Je-heon chuckled. Even looking so frivolous, he was one of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven. No matter what tremendous growth I had achieved, clashing swords still held shortcomings.
“Right, young Heavenly Demon. How will you persuade me?”
Su Je-heon crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Ordinary words would never persuade him.
“Perchance, could you deploy a qi barrier?”
“A qi barrier? People are outside the building, so spoken words won’t be heard. Do not worry.”
“No. Merely so that whatever happens here, people outside will not notice.”
“Whatever happens, you say? What are you thinking?”
Su Je-heon’s eyes narrowed. But as if roughly anticipating it, the corner of his mouth curved into an arc. That was likely why, even while speaking like that, he deployed a qi barrier.
The moment I confirmed the qi barrier was deployed, I drew Bright Elegance. Su Je-heon did not even bat an eye at my sudden action.
“When showing what kind of person I am, is there any method with lower efficiency than chattering with words?”
“Haha. True words. Was this why you dismissed the others?”
Of course, I could have deployed a qi barrier, but I could not exert full power while maintaining a barrier against Su Je-heon. I intended to clash against Su Je-heon with everything I had.
“If one is a martial artist, showing with the sword is naturally faster.”
I rose from my seat, placed my foot on the desk before me, lowered my upper body, and brought my hand to the sword hilt.
“Come at me quickly. Seeing how delighted I feel, perhaps I was hoping for this situation most of all.”
Regardless of whether I personally disliked Su Je-heon or not, he was a senior martial artist worthy of respect.
His martial might, his origin, his actions before becoming the Martial Alliance Leader—none of them were not great. It was simply that his values differed from mine.
Clashing swords with such a person was an affair more than worthy of reverence.
“First, it is an honor.”
“To hear such words from you, I am honored as well.”
The moment greetings were exchanged, I immediately swung Ultimate. Sword shadows floated around my body.
And from each of those sword shadows, a single point of sword qi was shot. None were feints; all were true strikes. Unleashing the second form of the Primordial Boundless Sword Art, Ultimate, as swift swords at the pinnacle.
“Oho.”
Su Je-heon sprang up and crouched on the chair. His eyes were filled with childlike curiosity.
“It seems a swordsmanship I see for the first time.”
“Because it is a swordsmanship I created.”
“Is that so? Did I see it in the past?”
“I don’t remember either.”
“I don’t remember either. That is not important. Merely feeling the present.”
Su Je-heon raised his sword and swept it casually. Though it seemed swung utterly carelessly, all my sword qi was deflected away, destroying the room of the government office.
Still, the government office did not collapse. Because Su Je-heon’s qi barrier supported the building.
Had the building collapsed, the people waiting outside would have rushed in immediately. But seeing the building serene from outside, they could not imagine what was happening within.
I too never harbored the arrogant thought of subduing Su Je-heon with a single stance. Riding the flow of nature’s energy, I immediately took Su Je-heon’s rear and swung New Moon. Crescent-shaped sword qi flew with the momentum to slash Su Je-heon’s back diagonally.
“Splendid lightness skill. I lost you for a moment.”
Even as he spoke, Su Je-heon did not fall to my sword. Turning his sword behind his back, he sliced New Moon apart.
Taking advantage of the opening as he turned his back, I dug inside. Shooting sword qi could not inspire Su Je-heon. For martial artists, clashing blade to blade directly was the way. There, the essence of a martial artist emerged.
Approaching close enough to feel Su Je-heon’s breath, I swung Fullness. Without taking a single step back, Su Je-heon blocked all my sword strikes with his blade. Though it seemed blocked just a hair’s breadth before cutting, I could feel it. That this was not a paper-thin margin.
However, defeating Su Je-heon was not my purpose right now. Showing the person called myself was the objective.
I continuously unleashed the stances I knew. It was a moment pouring out all the martial arts I had learned. Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, Flowing Cloud Sword Art, Nine Nether Asura Sword. The names of the martial arts differed, but all showed who I was.
With a serious gaze, Su Je-heon met and clashed swords with all of them. At times, he guided my sword by pulling it with the absorption principle, as if telling me that thrusting the sword here would be more threatening.
After showing roughly a hundred stances like that, Su Je-heon forcefully parried my sword. I flew far back and landed.
“It seems I have seen it all.”
Su Je-heon nodded his head.
“It was deeply impressive. The person called you, that is.”
I was tense as well. I had truly used all the martial arts I learned. Never had I done so even before Cheong-hwa. Funny as it was, I had revealed all of who I was to Su Je-heon above all others.
Catching my rough breath, I looked at Su Je-heon.
“How was it? Did I seem like someone who would establish demonic dominance over all under heaven?”
“No. That was not the case.”
Su Je-heon nodded obediently. At that moment, I thought I had succeeded in persuading him. In fact, I was already certain. If one was a person with eyes and senses, they would not judge me to be such a person.
“However, you are not someone who will establish the orthodox path I envision.”
Su Je-heon’s eyes sank coldly. An overwhelming wave of qi erupted from his body.
This was the wave of qi of one of the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven.