Chapter 321 |
Chapter 321
Soul
Upon hearing the news that Wudang was attacked, the swordsmen of Wudang, who had gathered in Sichuan, prepared to depart.
The Shaolin disciples, who were with them, also prepared to leave, but the Tang family decided to remain in Sichuan.
"Since Wudang has been attacked, there's a chance the Tang family might also be targeted while we're away. It would be wise to send only one representative to coordinate on behalf of the family."
Following Jegal Muhwan's suggestion, the Tang family sent only one person, Tang So-mi, to join the procession heading to Mount Wudang.
As they passed through Sichuan and approached Hubei Province, people dressed in Wudang sect robes began to join the procession one by one.
These were originally those who had stayed behind to protect Mount Wudang. They were elders who had escaped with the third-class disciples during the attack, and among them was Yun-song Zhenren, the leader of Wudang.
"Do you have any idea who the attackers were?"
"They were all faces I'd never seen before, even among the well-known figures."
"How skilled were they?"
"Each one was at a level where I couldn't guarantee victory. Especially, the martial arts of the man who seemed to be their leader were earth-shattering."
Yun-song Zhenren had not witnessed Yunheo Zhenren's clash with the middle-aged man.
However, while fighting against the men in black and fleeing, he could infer the situation from the continuous explosions heard from the direction of Haegeomji.
Given that Yunheo Zhenren, who had mastered the essence of the Taiji Sword Technique, had to generate such noise while fighting, it was clear that his opponent was undoubtedly a master.
"Thanks to Senior Brother Yunheo holding off that man, we barely managed to escape."
Despite this, Yun-song Zhenren's expression was far from bright.
Although they had successfully 'escaped,' several elders and third-class disciples had lost their lives in the process.
"Were there many attackers?"
At Mu-jin's question, Yun-song Zhenren shook his head again.
"About a dozen or so."
A dozen or so experts at the same level as the leader of Wudang.
It was quite threatening, but considering the number of elders who had stayed behind, it was a force they could have fought against to some extent.
Yet, they had fled like defeated soldiers and suffered losses, which was unusual.
While Mu-jin was pondering this anomaly, Jegal Muhwan voiced a possibility.
"It seems they were targeting the third-class disciples."
"Indeed. During our fight, they attacked the third-class disciples nearby and even took some as hostages."
At Yun-song Zhenren's answer, the old monks from Shaolin, including the Abbot Hyun-cheon, let out deep sighs.
About forty years ago, when Hyun-gwang had been crippled, the attackers had fought in a similar manner.
As the atmosphere grew somber, Jegal Muhwan asked the most crucial question.
"What happened to the Taiji Sword Saint, who fought the top master among the attackers?"
"Senior Brother Yunheo bought us time to escape. After that... we still don't know."
"We need to head to Mount Wudang quickly."
With the elders and third-class disciples of Wudang who had joined them, they continued towards Mount Wudang.
When they arrived at Haegeomji, after climbing the mountain path to Mount Wudang, they were struck dumb.
Haegeomji looked like it had been hit by a severe storm.
The surrounding trees and the ground had been cut down or blown apart, and there were dried bloodstains everywhere.
However, what left them speechless wasn't just the destruction of Haegeomji.
There was a corpse of an old master at one side of Haegeomji.
Everyone who had arrived there could recognize whose body it was.
Just as the Wudang leader, with bloodshot eyes, was about to issue orders, a young Taoist in Wudang robes walked towards Haegeomji with a stagger.
As they all watched in silence, the Taoist, Cheong-su, stopped in the middle of the battleground, surveying the surroundings with a dazed expression.
Everyone watching thought the same thing.
Cheong-su hadn't accepted Yunheo's death.
Just as someone was about to comfort Cheong-su, he suddenly drew his Songmun Antique Sword from his side.
"??"
As everyone wondered at Cheong-su's sudden action, he walked towards the entrance of Haegeomji and assumed the starting stance of the Taiji Sword Technique.
'This is where the battle began.'
Merely observing the remnants of the battlefield, Cheong-su could visualize the flow of the battle in his mind.
He began to mimic the Taiji Sword Technique as he saw it in his mind.
However, he soon stopped.
After a moment of deep contemplation, he approached the corpse of the Taiji Sword Saint and picked up the Songmun Antique Sword lying beside him with his left hand.
As Cheong-su returned to his previous spot, the Wudang disciples watched him with complex expressions.
They believed Cheong-su was making his final farewell to Yunheo Zhenren.
Cheong-su, standing at the spot where he had stopped, frowned in deep thought.
'One hand performs the Taiji Sword Technique directly, while the other uses the dual-wielding sword technique.'
At this spot, Yunheo had wielded two swords to perform the Taiji Sword Technique.
However, Cheong-su had not yet reached the level to use the dual-wielding sword technique.
Nor had he mastered the Liangyi Divine Technique like Yunheo Zhenren.
Should he stop here and wait until he mastered those techniques to follow Yunheo's legacy?
Could he remember and replicate the sword marks until then?
Amidst endless complicated thoughts, Cheong-su decided.
'Yunheo Zhenren wouldn't give me such an impossible task.'
Clearing his mind, Cheong-su began to move with a more relaxed expression.
Those who couldn't understand what Cheong-su was doing were soon astonished by his movements.
"Incredible..."
Cheong-su began to perform two different Taiji Sword Techniques simultaneously with the two Songmun Antique Swords in his hands.
Unable to perform the dual-wielding sword technique? He simply wielded the left sword directly.
Hadn't mastered the Liangyi Divine Technique? He wielded both swords like a dual-wielding swordsman.
That was Cheong-su's solution.
But this seemingly simple solution amazed some onlookers.
The Taiji Sword Technique was the most complex martial art in the Wudang sect.
Most couldn't even master it with one hand, let alone with both.
Yet Cheong-su was performing it with both hands, simultaneously creating two different Taiji forms.
The different forms combined to create a smoother flow.
"Has Cheong-su had a great awakening due to Yunheo's death?"
As the leader of Wudang murmured, other elders and disciples nodded in agreement.
But Mu-jin, who was also watching Cheong-su in a daze, noticed something odd.
"Look closely. He hasn't realized it himself."
Mu-jin pointed to the path of Cheong-su's sword.
"Cheong-su's sword is moving exactly along the sword marks on the ground."
"!!!"
At Mu-jin's words, the Wudang disciples finally understood why Cheong-su had suddenly stepped forward to dance the sword dance alone.
Simultaneously, Yun-song Zhenren recalled a conversation he had before the attack on Wudang.
A conversation he had with Yunheo Zhenren.
'...The soul of a sect resides in its people, Senior Brother.'
At that moment, the Wudang leader realized.
The soul of Wudang was now passing from Yunheo to Cheong-su.
Perhaps it was this realization that made him feel as if Yunheo Zhenren was beside Cheong-su, guiding him.
Thus, Cheong-su's sword dance was both a dance of learning and a dance of consolation.
The sword dance, slow and deliberate, wasn't meant for combat.
Even a genius of the sword could not immediately reach the high level of Yunheo Zhenren.
Cheong-su painstakingly mimicked the sword path he visualized, adjusting each muscle, each movement of internal energy slowly and precisely.
How long had Cheong-su been dancing the sword dance, observed by everyone?
Sweat poured down his face, and his clothes were soaked.
Even though the sword dance was slow, performing such profound martial arts was no easy feat.
Yet, even as his limbs trembled and his danjeon dried up, Cheong-su continued to trace the sword marks to the end.
His face showed no pain or struggle.
As always, he was immersed in the sword.
Finally, the sword dance came to an end.
Completely immersed in the dance, Cheong-su realized the essence of the sword marks he had imitated.
'This is... a sword technique meant for me.'
Within the defensive Taiji Sword Technique, there was a lethal strike concealed.
Ironically, the lethal intent was imbued with the will to save.
Just like his own reason for wielding a lethal sword.
'Master Yunheo, even in the end, you were thinking of me...'
Cheong-su, his body feeling heavy, gripped the swords tightly in both hands.
"Hu."
Breathing deeply, Cheong-su turned to look at the Wudang leader.
Having successfully traced the sword marks to the end, he realized there was one more legacy Yunheo had left.
"Leader. Master Yunheo did not leave alone."
"What do you mean?"
At Yun-song Zhenren's puzzled question, Cheong-su pointed to the dried blood next to Yun
heo's body.
"This blood is not Master Yunheo's. It belongs to the master he fought."
When Cheong-su performed the final move of the sword marks, he saw it.
The sword thrust into the opponent's side.
To save the Wudang disciples, Yunheo had used a mutual destruction technique.
Yun-song Zhenren, startled by Cheong-su's revelation, asked,
"Does that mean the man is dead too?"
But Cheong-su shook his head.
"...I can't be sure. From these footprints, it seems he twisted his body at the last moment to avoid a fatal blow."
In Cheong-su's vision, Yunheo's final strike aimed for the man's heart.
But at the last moment, the man had twisted his body to avoid instant death.
The hurried footprints showed he had moved abruptly, drawing the scene in Cheong-su's mind.
But it wasn't entirely bad news.
"He avoided instant death, but his side was pierced. Without timely treatment, he might have died, or at least require a long recovery."
Thanks to Yunheo's sacrifice, they had gained time.
'I will not let the time Master Yunheo bought go to waste.'
Cheong-su vowed.
When the man reappeared, he would cut him down with the Taiji Sword Technique Yunheo left behind.