Absolute Sword Sense

Chapter 255: Strange Thing (3)

“Does the outside world refer to him as the Sword Immortal? Don’t the people of Murim like to use titles when referring to others?”

Ahhh!

Now I understood why they mentioned the Sword Immortal and his name.

So, had they realized that the sword’s power was not mine but that of the fifth star?

Even the Eight Great Warriors failed to recognize this. Now that I thought about it, this woman spoke as if Sword Immortal were her teacher.

Did she show respect for both him and me?

“…who are you?”

“Who, me?”

The woman chuckled, then spoke with confidence.

“I am Yeo Yang-seon, the second-class disciple of Sun Yang-ja.”

“Second disciple?”

I wasn’t sure what that meant.

They spoke as if he was still alive. If this woman, who called herself Yeo Yang-seon, had truly learned the arts of Sword Immortal, she would possess the third and final piece.

But the mention of a second disciple and so on suggests that there were others who had made more progress with the technique.

I was puzzled by her statement.

“By coming this far, you have answered the call even though you left the world behind. Now, reveal your true identity.”

“Identity?”

“Yes. Shouldn’t you speak of your lineage as an alumnus?”

This woman was smarter than I expected. I had never seen a woman change their train of thought so quickly.

-What will you do, Wonhwi?

It was not as if they made no progress against the Sword Immortal.

The reason for this was that I believed that if there was someone as skilled as the best swordsman in Murim by his side, the impact it would have on the world would be tremendous.

But if this woman named Yeo Yang-seon was also studying it, it would be preferable to disclose that I was also learning his martial arts rather than keeping it a secret.

With that in mind, I respectfully bowed to her and stated,

“I am So Wonhwi, who has successfully mastered the teachings of the Elder Sword Immortal.”

I made progress in his martial arts, didn’t I? In two parts, right?

However, it was just a small amount.

Upon hearing my words, the woman sheathed her drawn sword.

Then, she softly mumbled something.

“Look at this. The Master is truly too much. If there are other disciples, he should inform us. It’s understandable for sahyung to get angry if he hides so much.”

What was she referring to?

I was confused, but she politely bowed to me.

“I offer my apologies to the taoist from the other lineage for the inconvenience we have caused.”

Upon hearing this, the warriors grumbled discontentedly.

“It would have been much better if he had said it immediately.”

“No wonder he appeared monstrous…”

“True. Let us depart now. This man must be quite mischievous.”

Yeo Yang-seon lowered her head and smiled warmly.

While the Taoists muttered amongst themselves and departed, she stepped forward and asked,

“How long have you been training?”

Was she asking about the extent of my refinement in the martial arts of Sword Immortal?

Unlike traditional martial arts training, I wasn’t sure if I could even consider it normal training.

And then the woman said,

“I trusted the Master and trained for about 50 years at the bottom. If the Master taught you a skill that even sahyung couldn’t learn, should you have trained for well over 100 years? Will you become another sahyung? Ugh.”

‘…?!’

Fifty years?

Did this woman really claim to have trained for 50 years?

Despite my scrutiny, she appeared no older than 20 to me. It led me to believe that she possessed martial arts skills akin to Baek Hye-hyang.

“50 years? Does that mean you’re 60 or 70 years old?”

“If you received external alchemy from the Master, you would be much older than me. So why the shock?”

“What do you mean? I’m only 22…”

“What?”

Before I could finish speaking, the woman stared at me wide-eyed and asked, clearly confused.

“No. So you mean to say that you haven’t learned it for years, and it was passed on to a talented person? This is truly unbelievable, not just for the sahyung, but even I have my doubts.”

“What are you even talking about?”

She was saying things that I couldn’t comprehend. I needed to explain what I was searching for.

“Miss…”

“You! If you’ve only learned it for a few years, you should call me Sago!”

“Sajo?”

“Oh my, of course, it is Sago. Samae? Even though I look young and pretty, I have learned from my Master for decades longer than you, so it is Sago.”

‘…’

This was what she was trying to figure out?

She smiled and said,

“Now, say it once. Sago.”

Something seemed to be amusing to her. It was the feeling of happiness when you realize you have power over someone.

-Just guess it, Wonhwi.

It wouldn’t be inaccurate to consider her Sago if she had learned martial arts before me. So, taking a deep breath, I said,

“You want to be called that, huh?”

“Sago!”

“Got it…”

“Sago!”

“… Sago. That pure white face…”

Clench!

“Eup!”

Suddenly, Yeo Yang-seon hugged me tightly without warning.

“Kyaaak! I have a sajae beneath me! The life of being the youngest is over.”

It felt as if her chest would crush my face. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the fluttering clothes, but her breasts were larger than I had imagined.

Flushed with embarrassment from having my face buried there, I pushed her away.

“Please stop. Men and women are so different…”

“Oh my. Feeling shy now? My Sajae is so cute.”

She smiled while saying this. I felt as if I were being treated like a child, which felt incredibly strange.

I wiped my face clean and spoke to her.

“Enough, now tell me, where is the man who took the dagger precious to me?”

Short Sword was like a family member to me, a keepsake of my mother. I couldn’t let someone else take her away.

At my words, she smiled and said,

“It seems like this dagger holds great value. But, Sajae, are you saying that the white-faced man you mentioned is your Sahyung?”

“Sahyung?”

“Right. He is Sahyung. No, maybe it’s Great Sahyung now. Anyway, are you afraid that Sahyung might break the precious dagger of the Sajae? I wonder too.”

Yeo Yang-seon referred to herself as a second-class disciple. That would mean this Sahyung was a first-class disciple.

Well, I didn’t think the man could be ordinary, considering he managed to catch Short Sword.

It was truly a shocking thing.

I stumbled upon the mist by chance and encountered people who possessed the third treasure.

However, everything here felt strange, from the Taoists and the people to the weird harmony of day and night.

I was curious, but I needed to get Short Sword first.

“Let me meet him first.”

“You seem to be in a hurry. Well, I was about to head to the Master.”

“Master? Is it the shrine of the Sword Immortal?”

Yeo Yang-seon’s lips twitched at my words, and then she burst into laughter.

“Hehehe. A shrine? What are you even talking about? Anyone who sees it will know that Master is still the same as in the past.”

“… What does this mean?”

There was something strange about her conversation.

The Sword Immortal was known to have been famous 600 years ago, and didn’t I speak to his Will, which could only exist in the soul?

But now her words made it seem like he was alive.

“What do you mean? Master is right there, and calling it a shrine is rather disrespectful.”

She burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as I stood there in dumbfounded surprise.

Following her gaze, I noticed a grand inscription on the side of the building that resembled a Taoist Temple.

‘The Sword immortal… is alive?’

I followed her inside the Taoist temple.

We were greeted by a magnificent throne room as we entered the first floor. Standing before a massive statue of Buddha, about 20 young Taoists were engaged in chanting sutras.

The atmosphere was engulfed in solemnity.

Yeo Yang-seon placed her index finger on her lips, signaling me to be silent. I followed her as we made our way up the stairs.

Climbing the stairs, we continued straight past the floor to reach the top of the third floor.

Once we reached the 3rd floor, I noticed an entire wall covered in sheets. In front of it stood an old man with a hunched back, engrossed in writing.

Yeo Yang-seon respectfully bowed, her waist bending in greeting.

“Sasuk.”

“Yang-seon, you came. Come and have this.”

This hunched-back man offered her a bowl with a multi-colored sweet. In response, she shook her head and said,

“No. I came to see the Master, but is Sahyung inside too?”

“Yes. However, it seems like getting in will be challenging.”

“Ahh… it seems like things are becoming difficult.”

The old man shook his head and said,

“Looking at those two, the old days when Sahyung was under the Master continue to feel fresh to me. But who is this young friend who came in without a proper uniform?”

The old man seemed intrigued by me. As I attempted to bow and greet him, Yeo Yang-seon interjected,

“Ah. He is a disciple that the Master had taken in secret.”

“Secretly?”

“Yes. Considering his mastery of the Master’s arts, he must be an official disciple.”

“Oh? Is that right?”

The old man appeared somewhat curious and nodded slightly.

In return, I gave a gentle bow.

“I suppose there was a reason for your excitement.”

Yeo Yang-seon grinned widely and remarked,

“This is the end of my being the youngest. Well.”

She was treating me as her sajae now.

Well, all the questions that were held would be clarified once we entered. As Yeo Yang-seon said, it would be truly amazing if Sword Immortal was alive.

At that moment, a shout came from outside.

-You bastard. Is this what it meant to come here?

‘…!?’

I truly doubted my ears at this.

This voice, it clearly had to be the Sword Immortal.

It was a familiar voice that I would always hear whenever a new star appeared in the sky. And there was something more, an unmistakable anger in that voice.

Amidst his angry shouting, Yeo Yang-seon giggled.

“Did you see that? Sajae. Why are you so determined to venerate a master who is still alive and well?”

Instead of paying attention to her words, I focused on the voice coming from beyond the windmill.

The voice had grown so loud that its words were crystal clear to me.

- The oppression of the imperial family is leading to the collapse of the poor, pitiful people. How can you simply continue watching this?

This voice…

It must be his.

The one who took Short Sword.

“You say that every day is distant, but sahyung is incredible.”

“The master’s talent for making everyone’s face wrinkle is incredible.”

I truly wished to enter, but must I remain here and wait?

The voice of the man who had Short Sword emanated from behind the door.

- Do you think it will end once the Murim warriors are suppressed? No, those with high ambitions will target even hidden warriors like us.

- Huh, but how will they even find us? In this place…

- Do you intend to ignore the Mount Mo Sect?

What?

Did he just mention the Mount Mo Sect?

It was unclear why this dormant sect was being brought up, but it definitely caught everyone’s attention.

- Why are you talking about them?

- I have to mention it: didn’t many warriors end up doing things because they thought you were dead or playing with the dead?

- Their path is different from ours in the first place. How can we even be together?

- Even if the resentment is directed at Murim and us, what would you do if the Mount Mo sect joined hands with him?

As I listened to the conversation, I became more and more confused. He talked as if the Mount Mo sect, which had gone extinct long ago, still existed.

Or did it still exist?

-Haa. Stop now. Why does it keep getting worse? Take care of the sajae in any way. They need to be disciplined because they still have an attachment to the world like this.

-Didn’t Master Sa Baek do more than you did in the past?

-Huh. So, you don’t know what happened to Sa Baek? Is that what you want as well?

-…

Silence fell for a brief moment.

Like me, she must also be focused on the voice emanating from within, and Yeo Yang-seon and the hunched old man were also listening.

Soon, the voice came again.

-Isn’t that why you’re contemplating? Master has already erased it from your heart?

-How will…

-Otherwise, there’s no way you wouldn’t acknowledge the relationship with Samae.

-How could the Taoist admit that he is fixated on such earthly connections? You truly haven’t come to your senses. Go back and face the wall…

- No, I cannot step down.

- What?

The conversation between the two grew increasingly intense.

It felt like it would be a bit of an extreme to call it normal.

Yeo Yang-seon, who had been smiling until then, darkened.

- If the Master truly considered me a successor to the arts, he wouldn’t have accepted a disciple like this. What do you think this could be?

- What is that dagger?

Dagger?

Could it be that he was talking about Short Sword?

As I flinched and tried to jump forward without realizing it, Yeo Yang-seon suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Wait, sajae.”

Her words made me halt my movement. The voice from inside the room continued to resonate.

-Can’t the Master read it?

-How can I communicate when you’re forcefully suppressing the qi of that sword?

-…was I really that untrustworthy? Is it wrong to worry about the well-being of others?

-Kyung Jong…

-Just why do you refuse to give me a chance?

-I’ve always given you chances.

- No, but why are you passing on your arts to someone other than me? I have served for more than 70 years.

- Who am I passing on my arts to? What are you even talking about? Your thoughts seem to have possessed you. Come over here.

- Would you still say that after seeing this?

Kwang!

At that moment, the door was ripped open. In front of the broken frame, I saw a pale-faced young man with outstretched palms.

Behind the young man stood an old man in a white coat, his hands clasped behind his back, as he turned his head towards our direction, a frown on his face.

‘Sword Immortal!’

I couldn’t help but be taken aback.

There truly was a Sword Immortal present.

He appeared slightly younger and more composed compared to the last time I saw him…

‘Younger?’

If my eyes weren’t deceiving me, he was still an elderly man, yet an aura of youth surrounded him. His hair even possessed a touch of black rather than completely white.

The young man with a pale face pointed at me and said,

“How will the Master even explain this? Isn’t he the hidden disciple of the Master?”

Upon hearing this, the Sword Immortal frowned and replied,

“… I have no idea what you’re talking about. Who is this man, and what is all this fuss?”

Observing the Sword Immortal’s expression, it was clear that he truly didn’t recognize me. I saw him in my head, yet he didn’t know me.

Who even was this man I was looking at?

“Sahyung, enough now. This is so unlike you, Sahyung.”

Yeo Yang-seon stepped forward and spoke to the pale-faced young man.

Even so, the young man didn’t stop.

Instead, he looked at the Sword Immortal with a raging face.

“Huh! To continue acting until the very end. If he isn’t a disciple, why use this dagger…”

Clench!

He didn’t even finish talking. Before I knew it, I had closed the distance to the man and held his wrist.

The man turned to me, his face distorted.

“What is this?”

I responded with a cold voice.

“How can you act so proud after stealing someone else’s thing?”

“Steal? Huh!”

The strength in his hands grew. It seemed like he was trying to create a qi to repulse me, but would it be this easy?

I also increased my qi.

Prrrr!

Both of our hands trembled simultaneously.

‘…!?’

Not only did the hand I had caught not resist, but his eyes narrowed as well.

I cautioned him in a low tone.

“If you want to at least be able to use chopsticks, you should let go of Short Sword.”