The Thousand-Slayer Swords Association-Episode 169
EP.169 Interlude - Starry Night)
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-Become a star. It is not the sun that shines with glory alone, but the star that illuminates the darkness and guides the weak..
Mok Seon-oh opened his eyes with a voice..
It was a shabby room with only the sound of birds chirping breaking through the silence..
“Umm….”
Mok Seon-oh woke up from the bed, slightly drooling..
‘It's been a long time since I had a dream.’
There was a faint smile on Mok Seon-oh’s lips..
Is this the reason why I have been so worried lately?.
It has become quite frequent to look back on the past like a dream..
Beyond transcendence to the next level.
Although he reached a level that was nothing short of legendary, it did not seem to lead to perfect steadfastness..
‘This too must be troublesome.’
Even though I should accept it as a human being, for some reason I feel ashamed..
In the distant past, Buddha Wonmyeong said that trying to control suffering was useless, but Mok Seon-oh, a non-Buddhist warrior, could not understand such a concept..
‘Come on, let's wake up..’
Mok Seon-oh made up the bedding and left the room..
What comes into view is a thatched house in the middle of a forest full of trees..
It was a scene I had seen ever since I retired from Gangho..
secluded.
-Master! Did you cough?!
I still remember Mokriwon greeting me with a bright smile every time I opened my eyes like this..
I also remember Mileseok, who had just woken up late, grumbling and saying, ‘You don’t even say hello to me?’.
Humans are such foolish creatures that they only realize the emptiness after all the people who were always by their side leave..
Mokseono closed his eyes and took a deep breath..
“Phew….”
As soon as you exhale, your inner energy becomes clear and purified..
It was a phenomenon that occurred after transcending transcendence..
Now, to Mok Seon-oh, the distinction of realms and the total amount of energy have become of no importance at all..
What he said was indeed correct, as he could now perfectly reproduce as much internal power as he wanted, and any level of power if he wanted..
In fact, it was possible to return the body to its youthful state..
This means that he could have undergone a complete transformation and lived a longer life..
The reason why he didn't do that is because Mok Seon-oh already knows the importance of law and order..
What more meaning can there be in a life that is forced on you?.
Born from the soil and returning to the soil is life, so Mok Seon-oh was willing to surrender to the natural order..
If possible, it would be a good idea to wake up and become a hermit..
For Mok Seon-oh, climbing the mountain was not that difficult..
‘If only the circle were fully grown.’
If you are completely independent and can walk on your own, a light ship would be fine..
Mok Seon-oh smiled and drew his sword..
He was a close friend who had been with me all his life..
“Please take care of me today too.”
Ugh―
the sword cried.
Mok Seon-oh created a ki wave by incorporating a natural flow into the sword without showing off at all..
And then he slowly started dancing the sword dance..
It was the same morning as always.
*
When the sword dance is over, it is time for the sun to fully rise in the sky..
Neither Mokriwon nor Mileseok are available, so you have to take care of your own meals..
Fortunately, the treasury is plentiful..
It was enough to simply cook the food provided and cook it properly..
Finish the meal by putting just enough vegetables and rice on the table to keep you from feeling full..
As animals from the nearby forest approach, they are given a meal as well..
“Guys. At least pretend to be scared.”
Mok Seon-o laughed, but they climbed on top of Mok Seon-o and even began to take a nap..
Mok Seon-oh let out a small breath and shifted into the lotus position..
It was meditation.
It is the process of becoming one with nature and breathing as a part of the world, something that Mok Seon-oh recently did to relieve boredom..
-Seonohya.
Then what is reflected is the scenery of the past..
Mok Seon-oh added a little more focus to the scenery..
*
A vacant lot in the mountains.
There was an old man who behaved as if he were a hermit, despite his appearance fitting the description of a bandit..
“Seonohya.”
Seongnyeonmun (Star Gate) 9th Munju Urim.
He was Mok Seon-oh's teacher..
“That guy is really talented..”
Woorim grinned and raised his club..
And just right on the top of Mok Seon Oh’s head! and hit it.
“Ahh!”
“The trick is not to smoke, you bastard..”
This happened when Mok Seon-oh was twenty years old..
“Didn't I tell you? Substantiality is more important than technical growth. Only when the roots are deep can it not fall. This guy is already thinking about showing off, which makes this teacher really sigh..”
On that day, Mok Seon-oh was a passionate late Ji-soo who had just reached his peak..
A young warrior with many dreams and even more desires..
It was obvious.
Peak at twenty.
Even though Mok Seon-oh never left the mountain valley, didn't he instinctively know how high his level was and how brilliant his talent was?.
I've achieved such great things, but I can't brag about it to anyone..
I feel a sense of resistance for no reason..
“Master, when can I appear in Gangho??”
“It's been a while, you bastard.”
“If it's the peak at my age…!”
“Transcendent? The fact that hundreds of them are spread across the world of rivers and lakes is the peak. What a great thing.”
Woorim always said.
The peak is nothing in the powerhouse..
However, it is a state somewhere in the valley of pride..
So, don't tarnish Seongryun's name by leaving the river in that state..
“I can become stronger. If it were me, I could make Seongryun the greatest sect in the land! Aren't I talented?!”
Mok Seon-oh was indeed confident of that..
Was it just confidence? Looking back, what I said back then was true..
Now, Mok Seon-oh has become a true giant who has reached a post-transcendent level..
“Yes, this guy?”
Perfect! And Woorim hit the top of his head again..
Woorim even snorted and said.
“There is no need for obscurity in spiritual practice. We are idiots who pursue guile, not fame..”
“Wouldn’t it be nice to gain fame while doing it?.”
“Can not be done.”
“What is the reason??”
“This is because honor is like a parasite that eats away at the cooperative. This is because the shadow becomes darker as the sun rises. It's easy to get buried. So, to avoid being eaten by it, we must model humility..”
“why is that so?”
On that day, Mok Seon-oh asked that question out of repulsion..
What's so bad about being great?.
Why is it wrong to pursue fame?.
He was full of blood and could not understand what his teacher was saying, so he asked a question, and the teacher gave him an answer that he still cannot forget..
“Because we are the stars.”
“star…?”
Urim smiled..
In Mok Seon-oh's opinion, it was the most handsome smile that Woorim could make, and it was a smile that Mok Seon-o still cannot imitate..
“Yes, star. Small particles that light up the night sky.”
The rainforest pointed to the sky.
“Do you know? To pursue fame is to become the sun. It is about shining alone and remaining in a bright world. Is it bad? It's not bad. But that's not our role.”
Woorim smiled and placed his hand on Mok Seon-oh's head..
“We are starry night. It is the star that shines on the coldest night. Even if the light is not more brilliant, wouldn't it be enough to brighten the future of someone who has lost their way even a little? Isn’t that fidelity?.”
Perhaps the reason why Mok Seon-oh is still hung up on that bastard's actions is because of Woorim's words..
“Seonohya.”
“…yes.”
“Become a star. It is not the sun that shines with glory alone, but the star that illuminates the darkness and guides the weak..”
Now, I wanted to ask Mok Seon-oh..
‘Master.’
Although we have reached such a great level, we are still human, and there are so many things left unknown in the world, so we need the insight of a teacher..
‘Did I become a star??’
I asked so out of longing..
*
Mok Seon-oh woke up from meditation..
The sunset was already setting.
“Wow, I've wasted a whole day..”
They say that as you get older, you only dwell on the past, and it seems that what our ancestors said is rarely wrong..
Mokseono even exposed his belly and poked the sleeping Squirrel's stomach..
The squirrel woke up in surprise..
“Go now. You guy. At night, wild beasts will roam around..”
The squirrel hurriedly left..
Mok Seon-oh took another deep breath to purify his inner energy and stood up..
I prepared dinner, ate dinner, and finished cleaning..
I picked up my sword again.
“I wish the stars were bright today.”
It felt good.
Since the weather is cloudless, the night sky will surely be brightly lit..
The prediction was correct.
In a place where the sunset had completely set, stars shining brightly above the dark sky filled Mok Seon-oh's field of vision..
“It's the full moon right now..”
The moon seems willing to share its light.
“ruler….”
Let's dance the sword dance.
*
It's been 20 years since he appeared in a strong team and dominated the midfield..
18 years since I left Kangho.
It has been 13 years since I taught martial arts to Mok Riwon..
And it's been half a year since I left Mokriwon.
The powerful Geomseong (劍星) Mok Seon-oh was clearly at the end of an eventful journey..
Now, he was an old man who had to think about the days he had lived as a part of this world, not as Kang Ho-in..
Mok Seon-oh himself wanted that kind of life..
But after all, Sepa is something that rarely makes what you wish come true..
‘also….’
Mok Seon-oh made a miserable face..
While I was meditating like any other day, I felt a sensation pricking my nerves..
I couldn't turn away.
Because the indescribably evil spirit was clearly looking at me and conveying its intentions..
“Phew….”
Mok Seon Oh exhaled and opened his eyes..
The direction of the hill was towards the west, where Wuhan, Hubei Province, Sichuan, and Qinghai were located, and beyond that was Xinjiang and Hundred Thousand Mountains..
They say he retired from a powerhouse, but I don't know why..
Didn’t Mile-seok explain everything about what happened to Kang-ho while he was away?.
‘Cult of the Heavenly Demon….’
The last time they acted was hundreds of years ago..
But they say they're moving again.
Even though less than 20 years have passed since the Blood Demon's Blood Death ended..
“Why are you giving me such a hard time?.”
Suddenly, the world became angry and asked, but there was no answer..
However, the energy continues to stimulate my nerves..
Distance didn't matter.
Mok Seon-oh, who had already surpassed transcendence, knew that..
just will.
If only that were all, everything physically was nothing more than a thin wall that could be overcome..
Mok Seon-oh couldn't help but match that energy today too..
No, rather than cooperating with him, he struck it down and showed off his energy..
It was an act like a kind of argument..
Since the two sides were intertwined, fighting each other, and constantly discussing whose intentions were more correct, there could be no better word than non-geom..
The standoff lasted for a long time and ended soon..
Around that time, Mok Seon-oh complained of fatigue..
‘It gets more vicious day by day..’
He also began to feel a craving in his energy..
I knew it instinctively.
Who is the owner of this wave and what does he really want?.
Of course, what I'm worried about is Mokriwon..
It was not only Mokriwon, but also countless lives in Jungwon..
Mok Seon-oh looked into the distance with blurred eyes and repeated to himself..
‘Kangho.’
Joongwon Moorim.
Are you really trying to bring me back to that land?.
It was a question that echoed back and bothered me..
See next episode
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