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00467 Dark Heaven Village ————————————————————————

It was ten days later when a reply from the Fire Spirit Techniques arrived. The Sword Demon summoned me and told me what the Fire Spirit’s Lion had said.

“They want to meet at the Han Clan in Luoyang in four days.”

“That’s dangerous. That’s Han Baek-ryeong’s base.”

“Seems she wants to test my guts…”

After a moment of thought, the Sword Demon spoke.

“I’ve decided not to bring the Master with me. I’ll go alone.”

“Huh?”

I didn’t understand, so I responded.

“If she attacks in case of emergency, the three of us should work together. Taking the Master out of the equation is risky. Plus, what if I don’t go and something happens…”

If Han Baek-ryeong attacked with intent, there’s a chance the Sword Demon could be captured and tortured. As I trailed off, the Sword Demon asked.

“Speaking of which, hasn’t your Fire Dragon Sword awakened yet?”

“……”

I pulled the Fire Dragon Sword and Fire Spirit Techniques from my wooden armor and held them.

Woo…

I showed him my hands and shoulders stained red between the Fire Dragon Sword and Fire Spirit Techniques. The fiery spirit energy was visible to the naked eye, and the Sword Demon said.

“Seems not yet. It’s still transferring fire energy through your body.”

I sighed.

“It’s been almost double the duration of the thirty-seven days, and it’s still like this. Did Cheon Woo-jin misread it?”

“Perhaps. After all, it’s unheard of for a treasure as powerful as the Fire Dragon Sword to be sealed with a barrier for hundreds of years, right? The damage to the Fire Dragon Sword might be more serious than we thought.”

“Anyway, because of this, I can’t fully utilize the Fire Dragon Sword or Fire Spirit Techniques.”

“Hmmm. You might just have to use them as twin swords.”

“Yeah.”

“I wish your divine power had awakened.”

The Sword Demon said.

“Even if Han Baek-ryeong is a master of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, with you, the Master, and I working together, we could somehow defeat her. But if Han Baek-ryeong set a trap and waited, she wouldn’t attack alone. There would definitely be dozens or hundreds of Fire Spirit masters deploying an ambush. Overcoming it by brute force would be utterly illogical.”

“… But.”

“Let’s borrow the Golden Lamp.”

The Sword Demon spoke firmly.

“It’s best if I take the Golden Lamp with me alone.”

I told the Sword Demon.

“I’m going along.”

“No. Normally that would be fine, but you’ve already exposed your appearance and prowess to the Blood Sabre Leader, haven’t you? The moment Han Baek-ryeong sees you, she’ll suspect your identity.”

“Ah!”

“She’s probably already suspicious now, but if you don’t show yourself, the probability of her bringing it up will decrease. To let Han Baek-ryeong focus only on me and the Shadowless Alliance, it’s best for me to go alone.”

The Sword Demon’s reasoning was sound. I inwardly regretted it.

‘If only I had stopped the Blood Sabre Leader back then…’

Seeing my self-reproachful expression, the Sword Demon smiled and patted my back.

“It’s okay. If you hadn’t stopped the Blood Sabre Leader back then, it would have been hard to stop his escape. His martial arts were stronger than expected, so my plan might have been flawed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Then you’ll temporarily take up the leadership of the Shadowless Alliance and the position of Sect Leader while I’m gone.”

“Huh?”

“There’s no one else fit for that.”

I knew the Sword Demon entrusted me with the responsibility because he believed in me, so I didn’t feign unnecessary modesty and accepted.

“I’ll do my best.”

Three days later, the Sword Demon used the Golden Lamp I handed him to head to Luoyang.

“Please take care of Hyea and the Shadowless Alliance.”

“Have a safe trip.”

Pa-at!

‘Three days should be just right.’

There was no need to walk or ride to Luoyang. Instead of anxiously worrying about ambushes or camping, I could simply bide my time and arrive in an instant using the Golden Lamp a few days later. I left the place where I bid farewell to the Sword Demon and headed toward Seo Mun-hye.

“The Sect Leader has gone to Luoyang.”

“I heard from my father.”

“I’ll do my very best to protect the Shadowless Alliance while he’s away.”

“With Baek Woong, I can trust that.”

Seo Mun-hye, while strolling in the courtyard, plucked a flower and replied.

“Baek Woong, there’s something I would like to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

She looked straight at me with a determined gaze and said.

“Please teach me the Seven Great Techniques as well.”

“……!!”

I stared at her in surprise. Did she know about the existence of the Seven Great Techniques?

As I fixed my gaze on her, Seo Mun-hye continued.

“I always knew that you practiced new Divine Arts Techniques with Baek Woong. Though my father kept it a secret, I enhanced my hearing and overheard him mention the Seven Great Techniques from afar. I learned that it was a peerless divine technique developed late in the life of Jang Sam-bong.”

“……”

“So I asked my father to teach me that technique, but he said he couldn’t teach it without your permission and commanded me to keep this secret for life.”

Realizing that the Sword Demon hadn’t divulged the techniques to anyone else without my permission, I felt a renewed sense of trust in him. Knowing how much he cherished his only daughter, Seo Mun-hye, only strengthened that feeling.

“Indeed.”

Seo Mun-hye gently grasped my hand with her delicate fingers.

“Please. I want to protect my clan and my precious people too. With my current strength, I feel inadequate, so I need Baek Woong’s teachings.”

“Hmm.”

I felt awkward about this unexpected situation.

‘Of course, teaching her the Seven Great Techniques wouldn’t be hard…’

It wasn’t a difficult task. I merely had to slice off a part of the massive obsidian and impart the knowledge of the Seven Great Techniques. However, the real issue lay in how the Law of Cause and Effect might unfold as a result. It was impossible to predict what kind of significant repercussions might arise from imparting the techniques to Seo Mun-hye right now.

Even if I passed on the Seven Great Techniques to her, it wouldn’t greatly enhance our power against the overwhelming foes we’d face in the future. Considering the monstrous enemies ahead, it felt almost meaningless. But before thinking about that, I reflected on what Seo Mun-hye meant to me.

‘… I owe her a debt.’

At the very least, the debt of gratitude I felt towards the Sword Demon was enormous in this life. Unlike me, a reborn person, the Sword Demon only lived once, and crushing his pride as a martial artist held significant weight. Besides, Seo Mun-hye had consistently shown me affection and respect over my past lives, so I felt a strong desire to repay her.

After pondering for a while, I nodded.

“I understand. But first, I need to let you know a bit about my current situation.”

“I also wanted to learn more about you, Baek Woong.”

“It may take a bit longer to explain, and you might not believe it, but… you have to believe that all of this is true.”

After a short while, I entered the separated room of the Lord of Shadowless Gate. This was a personal space so securely guarded that even mere disciples couldn’t casually enter. Even Seo Mun-hye, as his daughter, could not step foot inside without permission, but now, as the temporary sect leader, I could enter. That made it certain that there were no eavesdroppers present.

I spent nearly half a moment detailing my life since acquiring the Heavenly Secret, the events that had transpired, and the world’s secrets. Since it was impossible to share everything in just half a moment, I had to simplify some aspects, but I provided a sufficient framework to explain it all.

“……”

Seo Mun-hye stared blankly, her mouth slightly agape.

“If I just hand over my memories through the obsidian, regular people might get confused due to overwhelming information,” Zhuge Sa said. “So I’ve explained it in advance for easier comprehension.”

As for my main companions closely tied to the Law of Cause and Effect, their experiences were largely included, making it easier to understand. Additionally, they each had strong mental fortitude. However, since Seo Mun-hye had been less directly involved in my matters until now, I needed to ensure her mental flexibility by explaining beforehand. If she were to absorb everything at once via the obsidian, it could cause issues with her mental state.

Sure enough, Seo Mun-hye could not hide her astonishment. Then she spoke.

“Is it true that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors or the Ancient Sovereigns actually exist…? Are you truly going to fight against such divine beings?”

“Indeed.”

“Such a colossal story… It makes the martial world I’ve known feel so small…”

Stammering in disbelief, Seo Mun-hye took a while to sort through her thoughts in silence. Eventually, she said with a resolute expression.

“I’m prepared.”

“Good.”

I finally pulled out the massive obsidian from my wooden armor and cut it to pass on my memories and the Seven Great Techniques. Seo Mun-hye trembled for a while while reading the memory from the obsidian and then let out a deep breath.

“Ha, ha, huff…”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes…”

She said to me.

“Baek Woong, I want to be your companion from now on too. I want to repay all the kindness I’ve received over the dozens of times.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

I sighed.

“The path ahead is far too perilous to accept someone just because I like them. As you’ve seen, my enemies are strong enough to tear the Master apart, and it’s common to fail while opposing such individuals. It’s hard enough to safeguard my own life without the luxury of protecting you too.”

“…….”

“That’s why I’ve distanced myself from Miho for some time. It’s painful to see someone I care for get drawn in and die.”

“But you continue to rely on my father, Mangnyang, and Zhuge Sa, don’t you?”

“That’s because they are prepared for such things. I’ve always felt indebted to them.”

“Baek Woong.”

At that moment, Seo Mun-hye hugged me tightly. As I stood still, she spoke with a voice mixed with tears.

“Miho likely feels the same way I do. Such a determination is not something limited to men.”

“But…”

“Do you not understand that I want to accompany you because I know how treacherous your journey will be?”

“……”

“Just as much as you care for us, we care for you as a person.”

In that moment, I understood the sincerity behind Seo Mun-hye’s words. Until now, I had strongly believed I needed to protect Seo Mun-hye and Miho because they were women, and naturally, I had hesitated to involve them in my matters. Yet, she genuinely wanted to become my companion, not out of some naive sentimentality but from a place of sincerity. I might have been judging her based on my own arbitrary standards.

With that realization, I embraced her and said.

“I understand. I will indeed accompany you from now on.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, let’s train hard on the Seven Great Techniques.”

I soon entered the training hall with Seo Mun-hye and began practicing the Seven Great Techniques. Even if I imparted vivid memories and knowledge through the obsidian, it would certainly be much faster to achieve results by directly teaching her from my own experience.

The results were astonishing.

Just two days!

In only two days, Seo Mun-hye memorized all the forms of the Seven Great Techniques and roughly targeted the Eight Great Possibilities. Of course, merely knowing the forms didn’t mean she completely grasped them, but considering she memorized well over dozens of basic techniques, doing it perfectly was no small feat.

‘She truly is talented!’

I couldn’t help but commend Seo Mun-hye.

“Indeed, she ranks among the best talents in the martial world today.”

“Not at all. I’m merely reviewing what I learned; it’s just the beginning.”

Seo Mun-hye, who countered that, looked anxious as she added.

“It’s been two days; I wonder if my father is alright…”

“……”

I genuinely felt worried. Although two days might seem short for a return from Luoyang to Henan, the Sword Demon had taken the Golden Lamp. Even if the discussions with the Fire Spirit Techniques dragged on, taking two days felt uneasy. Considering that the Sword Demon could come back in an instant using the Golden Lamp, two days felt incredibly long.

However, if I left now, I wouldn’t know when the Sword Demon would return, and things could get messy. Just as I was contemplating, Seo Mun-hye spoke.

“Baek Woong. I will take charge of the sect, so why don’t you visit the Namgung Clan and meet Master of Shadowless Sword?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re worried, it would be best to go with him to Luoyang and see the situation for yourself.”

“Hmmm…”

“If my father returns early, I’ll inform you of your whereabouts, so there’s no need to worry.”

Indeed, it would be better to confirm whether the Sword Demon was safe by joining Master of Shadowless Sword heading towards Luoyang rather than remaining in anxious uncertainty. I felt grateful for Seo Mun-hye’s insight and said.

“I will go to Luoyang.”