Chapter 24
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Even more shocking was how close the old man had come without Lee Seon noticing his presence.
“You don’t need to be so wary.”
The old man let out a hearty laugh.
“That’s going to be a little difficult, I’m afraid.”
The human body is honest.
Even if someone promises they won’t harm you, your body reacts instinctively when someone points a blade at you.
And it was the same now.
Just standing in front of this old man was enough to make Lee Seon’s body issue a warning.
He was like a blade in human form, radiating sharpness.
“If I had intended to kill you, I would have drawn my sword instead of a cup.”
While the old man didn’t seem hostile for the moment, there was no telling what he might do.
Hidden within his playful smile was a blade, ready to strike the moment Lee Seon let his guard down.
“Does this make you feel more at ease?”
The old man untied the sword strapped to his waist.
“People don’t fear the king of the mountains solely because of its sharp fangs, do they?”
“The king of the mountains, you say? To think you’d hold this old body in such high regard. I’m flattered.”
The old man chuckled softly.
“Well then, what else do you want? My fangs are gone; should I remove my claws as well?”
“That would be appreciated. After all, even without fangs or claws, a mountain king can still kill a man.”
Lee Seon added fuel to the fire.
“Haha! What an amusing fellow you are!”
It wasn’t a joke.
Even if the old man were unarmed or missing a limb, Lee Seon wouldn’t dare underestimate him.
Even the most fearsome tiger, hailed as the king of the mountains, would seem like a mere cat before this man.
“Then how about this?”
The old man lifted his cup and, in full view, drank from it.
“…How does it taste?”
“It could’ve been stored better, but it’s satisfactory.”
“Unbelievable.”
This left Lee Seon in a bind.
“What on earth is he thinking?”
What if the drink had been poisoned?
Lee Seon knew how the martial world operated.
Even among the prestigious sects, the martial world adhered to the principle of survival of the fittest.
It wouldn’t have been surprising if the old man had tried to kill him on the spot, given that he had uncovered their secrets.
Why was he treating Lee Seon so amicably despite the situation?
Was it sheer confidence, knowing he could kill Lee Seon at any time if things went south?
“I can hear your mind racing from here.”
The old man smiled faintly.
“Then how should I take this situation?”
“Why overthink it? Just take it as it is.”
The old man extended his cup toward Lee Seon.
“Think of it as indulging the ramblings of an old man late at night.”
“That’s my specialty.”
Resigned, Lee Seon filled the old man’s cup to the brim.
Then he filled his own and downed it in one go.
“Who do you think I am?”
Here it comes.
It wasn’t hard to deduce the old man’s identity.
The problem was that his presence here wasn’t likely an official matter.
After a moment of contemplation, Lee Seon tousled his hair.
Fine. Let’s go all in.
Having already crossed the point of no return by uncovering the contents of the box, he had nothing to lose.
“A Mount Hua Elder.”
“And what led you to that conclusion?”
Lee Seon began counting off his reasoning on his fingers.
“You reprimanded a disciple of Mount Hua, so you must be affiliated with the sect.
Your appearance and martial skill suggest a high-ranking position, which makes you an elder.
And with martial prowess like yours, it would be stranger if you weren’t an elder.”
If a man of his caliber wasn’t an elder, Mount Hua, not Wudang, would be hailed as the foremost sword sect in the martial world.
“Indeed, you are correct.”
The old man didn’t deny it.
“My name is Hyeonjo.”
Though unfamiliar, it was clear that his rank was exceptionally high even within the martial world.
“And your name is?”
Whatever his intentions, Hyeonjo had introduced himself first, leaving Lee Seon no choice but to respond.
“Lee Seon.”
“Lee Seon. A fine name.”
Hyeonjo took another sip of his drink.
His gaze shifted to the needle embedded in Ga-jin’s wrist and then to Lee Seon’s hands.
“For someone with such a fine name, don’t you think your methods are rather harsh?”
Lee Seon knew what he was referring to.
Subduing her and coercing her into talking had been rather forceful.
“It was necessary.”
He had needed to determine whether transporting the goods was the right thing to do or if he should intervene.
Although Hyeonjo’s arrival had interrupted him before he could get an answer.
“Necessary, you say?”
Hyeonjo’s gaze turned icy, sharp enough to cut through steel.
“What reason could justify subduing a disciple of Mount Hua and forcing her to ingest poison to compel her actions?”
Hearing his actions recounted like this made Lee Seon feel a twinge of guilt.
If taken out of context, it sounded indefensible.
“But I have my questions, too. Why is Mount Hua embroiled in this absurd charade?”
Lee Seon raised his voice.
“What is that demonic sword?”
“That is an internal matter of Mount Hua. Outsiders should not meddle.”
Lee Seon pressed on.
“Your silence suggests you aren’t exactly proud of it. The problem seems to lie with you, not me.”
“A problem, you say. In the martial world, the strong have the right to determine what’s right and wrong.”
Lee Seon smiled brightly.
“And who decides who the strong are?”
When Lee Seon retorted without backing down, the old man smirked dismissively.
“Can you handle it?”
Now unrestrained, the old man unleashed his full aura.
In a way, this was preferable.
Whether friend or foe, once lines were drawn, Lee Seon could act accordingly.
Yet even under the overwhelming pressure, Lee Seon’s gaze remained steady, unwavering.
“See for yourself.”
Their gazes collided fiercely.
The atmosphere was so tense it wouldn’t have been surprising if a fight broke out.
Sword energy and poisonous energy clashed, pressing down on the surrounding air.
The insects, which had been noisily chirping, had long fallen silent.
“Tsk.”
The standoff didn’t last long.
The old man closed his eyes first.
“Hah. For someone to charge at an old man like me as if it’s life or death—how could I even dare to joke around?”
Who had initiated the pressure with their aura in the first place?
Lee Seon muttered under his breath.
Then, Hyeonjo casually said a single phrase.
“It’s the Taehwa Divine Sword.”
“Pardon?”
“Weren’t you curious?”
After glaring as if he were ready to kill him, he revealed it so easily?
It was unexpected.
Judging by its appearance, it seemed like something an infamous demonic practitioner might have used. Who would’ve thought it belonged to Mount Hua?
“Are you sure it’s okay to reveal something like that so easily?”
Lee Seon glanced at Ga-jin, who was lying on the ground.
It seemed like something even members of the same sect shouldn’t hear.
“This story is heavy for her. But for you, it’s different. You have the strength to bear its weight, don’t you?”
“I’m not a fan of heavy burdens.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to listen?”
When Lee Seon fell silent, Hyeonjo continued.
“The Taehwa Divine Sword symbolizes Mount Hua’s martial might.
It represents the time when Mount Hua was at its strongest.”
“But for a divine sword, its aura reeks of blood and killing intent.”
Its current state was closer to that of a demonic sword.
“Indeed.”
The regret in Hyeonjo’s eyes was evident as he glanced at the artifact.
So, it was from the time when Mount Hua was strongest?
That must have been before Lee Seon was even born.
The sword, once called the Taehwa Divine Sword, must have a long and complicated history to have ended up like this.
Hyeonjo’s eyes sparkled.
“There was a man.”
The weight of time in his voice made Lee Seon’s face pale.
It seemed this wasn’t a story that could be casually brushed aside.
“I understand.”
“…The story hasn’t even started, so what are you understanding?”
Hyeonjo looked baffled as Lee Seon suddenly began speaking fluently.
“Since Mount Hua’s founding, countless years have passed.
The fact that Mount Hua still stands strong and is renowned is proof of the challenges it has overcome.
Even a household beam suffers damage after decades, unable to withstand the passage of time.
How much more would a sect like Mount Hua, the pillar of the orthodox sects, endure?
Countless scars must exist, accumulated over the ages.
Reflecting on that past is undoubtedly meaningful.”
Hyeonjo blinked blankly.
“…And then?”
Lee Seon lowered his head regretfully.
“But I’m not from Mount Hua.
Even if an elder of Mount Hua were to explain it to me, it would be difficult to grasp the full scope of their words.”
Despite his regretful tone, there wasn’t a trace of actual disappointment on his face.
Ultimately, after a long preamble, Lee Seon’s request was clear.
“Please keep it brief.”
Reluctantly, Hyeonjo clicked his tongue.
According to Hyeonjo,
The artifact they were transporting was the famous sword once wielded by Taehwa Geomseon, a former leader of Mount Hua.
During the Great War of Righteousness and Demonic Paths, the sword and its owner had disappeared.
Recently, however, it had resurfaced in the martial world, and Mount Hua had secretly retrieved it.
“Then why does it look like that?”
“It must’ve been corrupted while in the hands of the demonic practitioners.”
Hyeonjo’s expression turned somber.
“So, why are you telling me this?”
Even if it happened long ago, the fact that a sacred artifact was stolen and turned into a demonic sword was a humiliation for a prestigious sect like Mount Hua.
Simply knowing this fact was enough to justify Mount Hua’s desire to kill him.
But if they were going to kill him, they could have done so earlier—there was no need for such roundabout methods.
“Now that you’ve learned what you wanted, release the girl.”
Lee Seon approached Ga-jin and skilfully twisted and removed the needle embedded in her wrist.
“Is that sufficient?”
Hyeonjo frowned in displeasure.
“You should also neutralize the poison.”
Poison?
Lee Seon tilted his head in confusion before remembering something.
Oh, that. I’d completely forgotten.
“Oh, that’s not poison. It’s just some crushed herbs I found lying around.”
“…What?”
Hearing this, Ga-jin shot up from the ground.
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