Chapter 120 Departure (1)

Chapter 120 Departure (1)

“You must have been quite hungry.”

At Yu Zhangming’s words, which seemed to gaze pityingly at a starving beast, Gu Yangjie choked on his food.

“…Gulp.”

“Eat slowly. Don’t choke.”

At the gentle words, which somehow reminded him of a parent, Gu Yangjie slowly turned his head to look at Yu Zhangming.

Beside him, he noticed Xin Maquan smiling.

-You’re dead later.

-No, Master! You, you can’t even laugh…!

-Shut up.

Putting down his chopsticks, Gu Yangjie glanced at Xin Maquan and rose from his seat.

Yu Zhangming asked.

“Are you done eating?”

“Yes. I’m skipping training today.”

“Even so, this banquet was held for you. How can the guest of honor casually leave his seat?”

Yu Zhangming held back Gu Yangji with a soft voice.

“If you can’t give a toast, at least stay seated. No one will scold you for skipping training today.” ”

Thud.

As Gu Yangji sat back down, Yu Zhangming gazed at the gradually fading sunset.

“Sometimes I find myself thinking…”

“What is it?”

“That you might be overworking yourself.”

At those words, Gu Yangji stared at Yu Zhangming for a moment, wondering if he was drunk, then continued.

“What else is a martial artist’s job but to constantly push oneself to the limit?”

“Lately, my dreams have been troubling.”

Yu Zhangming’s voice wavered.

“I dreamt of you, with a fierce expression, sweeping across the battlefield with swords in both hands. The killing intent was overwhelming.”

Gu Yangji briefly recalled his own days as a blood-thirsty warrior and shuddered.

“…It’s just a dream, isn’t it?”

“It was too vivid to be merely a dream, and the image of you wielding the Huashan Sword Style was too clear… It didn’t feel fake.”

Having said that, Yu Zhangming took a sip of wine and laughed absently.

“It must look bad, my senior brother, me talking about dreams like this, right?”

“No.”

Yu Zhangming suddenly seemed to overlap with his past life. Gu Yangji rubbed his eyes and continued.

“Sometimes, talking about dreams and spouting nonsense is just what a senior brother should do.”

“Right, nonsense…”

Yu Zhangming stared blankly at his wine cup, then let out a cheerful laugh and drank another sip of Seobongju.

To Gu Yangjeok, he seemed thoroughly drunk.

‘A master like Senior Brother should easily be able to dispel drunkenness…’

Could the dream talk really not be a simple joke?

For a moment, goosebumps spread across his entire body.

He didn’t want anyone else to know about his past life, but especially not Senior Brother Yu Jangmyeong.

But the thought that he might know even before he spoke sent another chill through him.

‘From the moment he reached his peak until now… there’s something special about Senior Brother!’

Gu Yangji quietly clasped his slightly trembling hands.

“How has your training been lately?”

“I’ve been sparring with the Dharma Protector occasionally, and teaching Hoon and the new disciple we took in. I barely have enough time. I really should start thinking of names for the disciples, but that’s proving quite a headache.”

Yu Zhangming chuckled wryly, lamenting that he seemed to have no talent for naming things.

Even his own name, Zhang Ming (張明), wasn’t given by Baidanxian—he had chosen it himself.

Bestowing brightness.

To others, it sounded like a name fit for a fool.

It was a name devoid of any deep meaning or alliteration; had he not been part of the Huashan Sect, he might have been called ignorant.

But somehow.

Yu Zhangming believed his very essence was captured in that name.

He loved to give without reason, striving to follow goodness even in situations that would frustrate anyone watching.

Even if there was no reward.

Thus, his life was always one of living in debt.

Because of this, he had received more than a few disapproving looks from his master, Gu Yangjeok, who stood beside him.

Seeing Gu Yangjeok’s serious gaze fixed on him, Yu Jangmyeong recalled the final part of the dream he’d had last night.

‘If, by some chance, the moment comes when my master charges at me to kill me, could I ever hate him?’

Yu Zhangming poured Seobongju into a cup, a bitter smile on his lips.

It was a story that sounded like nothing but a curse to anyone who heard it.

And to say it to Gu Yangjeok, the very person at the center of it, was beyond trivial—it was practically an insult.

Yu Zhangming’s lips parted slightly.

“I understand your concern.”

“……?”

“It must be burdensome for me to wield martial arts whose origins I barely know, to practice techniques that don’t match my qi and body. But I’ve improved greatly now.”

Yu Zhangming voiced a hopeful prediction, suggesting he might even catch up within three years.

“By then, I might even be able to compete with the Elders or the Sect Leader. Isn’t that funny, Master? A mere twenty-two-year-old defeating a martial artist who’s devoted decades more to training than I have.”

‘Talent is inherently unreasonable.’

Gu Yangjie swallowed these words. At least now was not the time to bring up cold, hard facts.

After all, the saying “blue surpasses green” signifies the moment one leaves the warm embrace of the sect to venture into the vast ocean of the martial world.

For Yoo Jang-myeong, who had only recently glimpsed the darker side of the martial world, this felt like a burden.

He felt this even more keenly because he had surely understood his own worth from the atmosphere and emotions he felt when his senior brother, Ha Jin-ak, was carried in.

On the other hand, he was also amazed.

‘Reaching the realm of a peerless swordsman at twenty-two is remarkable enough, but the realm of Plum Blossom Sword Fragrance?’

His words were modest, but the level of his bloody battle with Cheolgeum-san and his sparring match with himself were anything but ordinary.

Perhaps before even reaching thirty, he might approach the level once held by Yoo Jang-myeong, the man called the Plum Blossom Sword God.

Thinking this sent a chill down his spine.

‘Growing stronger at a pace faster than even I, who lived a past life…’

It was indeed the talent befitting Yu Zhangming, who had reached the pinnacle of the martial world even in his previous life.

And yet, he had only occasionally thrown him hints during sparring sessions.

That he had reached such heights felt like something beyond mere talent, a kind of special quality.

To borrow the words of the Sage of Ten Thousand Things, perhaps he was born with the temperament of a constellation.

Gu Yangjie tilted his wine cup halfway and smiled.

“I suppose I can’t just sit idly by either.”

“…Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean I’ll grow stronger faster than you, Senior Brother, and stand guard beside you.”

At those words, Yu Zhangming responded with an unusually loud laugh.

“Haha, hahahaha! That’s a most reassuring thing to say. But wouldn’t Hoon or Ma-kwon, the disciple I took in, be better than me?“

”Hoon aside, that fellow will survive just fine on his own. He had talent even before he entered the door.“

Yu Jang-myeong didn’t even glance this way, instead casting a brief, dismissive look at the gluttonous Shin Ma-kwon devouring his meat.

”…… Then again, Ma-kwon’s innate fighting skills are truly formidable. Once he properly masters martial arts, the martial world will surely welcome a new boxing star.”

Even if he just removes the talisman pinned to his chest, he could easily defeat most peak masters.

Gu Yang-jeok gave a small nod. Yet, his unseen face was filled with deep concern.

“Still, the martial world is darkening rapidly. I worry whether Hoon can truly withstand these turbulent times.”

“That’s unlike you.”

“……?”

Yu Jang-myeong chuckled lightly.

“I thought you’d boldly declare that Hoon would quickly adapt and become an outstanding martial artist.”

At those words, Gu Yangjeok scratched his head.

“Even I can’t be certain about everything, can I?”

“You were different in the past.”

Yu Jangmyeong popped a sweet, sticky confection into his mouth, intending to freshen his breath.

“Everything seemed to unfold exactly as you expected. Your actions were unhesitating, your eyes always clear. Do you know how envious that made me?”

“There’s nothing to envy. It was just youthful recklessness.”

“Recklessness.”

Yu Zhangming’s voice darkened and dropped sharply.

“If I’d had that kind of recklessness, I wouldn’t have just trained within the Huashan Sect. Even now, I’m still unsure whether I should follow righteousness or goodness.”

“That is precisely the conundrum one may never resolve, even over a lifetime.”

Gu Yangjie recalled the righteous sages he had met in his past life.

Tormented, enraged, utterly weary of the martial world’s affairs.

Their spirits were always noble, yet their lives were filled with suffering.

Yet the opportunist sided with the victors, praising the Huangbo Clan and the Martial Alliance.

Such was the eternal flow of the righteous man’s life.

‘I hope Senior Brother wasn’t born with that disposition…’

Yu Zhangming was Yu Zhangming, and Gu Yangjie was Gu Yangjie.

Just because he had experienced a past life, it was unreasonable to force a single path upon Yu Zhangming.

Gu Yangjie took a deep swig of his wine.

“If Senior Brother grows stronger, then I too must grow stronger. Then Xun will follow silently as well. The more people who ponder virtue and righteousness, the calmer the world’s storms will become.”

As he spoke, he glanced sideways toward where Zhao Xun lay. The sound of Zhao Xun’s snoring reached him—the snoring of one exhausted from eating.

It was a leisurely, peaceful everyday life.

Though a bit bothersome, the everyday life he had always wanted was right beside him.

If Yoo Jang-myeong’s worries could be shared beside him, they might be resolved quickly.

The name of the Divine Martial Authority could be roughly made up like a pig or a dog. The more so, the more the unique characteristics of the Divine Martial Authority would become blurred.

Thinking about it now, he felt pathetic.

Why had he thrown away such a life in his past life, descending the mountain for nothing but a mere inferiority complex?

Was his desire to achieve greatness as a martial artist truly that strong?

Suddenly, the alcohol tasted bitter.

‘Fortunately, entering this new life allowed me to erase the regrets I carried from my past life.’

To prepare for what lay ahead, he had to give up his present life.

Yet he felt no resentment.

This was the path to erase the guilt carried over from his past life.

It was the driving force that allowed him to look at Yoo Jang-myeong with dignity.

Gu Yang-jeok lifted his head and gazed at Yoo Jang-myeong.

“Senior Brother, there’s no need to rush to end your worries.”

“……”

“Sometimes, the way back is the right answer, isn’t it?”

“……Haha.”

Yu Jang-myeong let out a hollow laugh.

“Hearing you say that, it really doesn’t suit you. Isn’t that usually something I say?”

“Even I tend to get sentimental when I’ve had a few drinks.”

“Sentimental.”

Yu Jang-myeong blurted out the thought he’d been harboring all along.

“This feels like the most honest you’ve ever been.”

“……Huh?”

“There’s something I’ve felt consistently while watching you all this time. Probably the Grand Master and the other elders feel it too…….”

As if struggling to find the right words, Yu Jang-myeong ran a hand through his bangs.

“You have some great, unspeakable secret, don’t you? That’s why you volunteered to go out alone and handle everything yourself, isn’t it? Even normally, I sensed there was something you couldn’t reveal.”

“……”

Indeed, no matter how well hidden, living together inevitably leads to a vague sense of it.

Gu Yangjeok pressed his lips tightly together, his face expressionless.

‘The patience of the Sect Leader and the Elders is truly remarkable.’

It made him reflect once more that people are not wooden puppets.

Gu Yangji forced a lighthearted tone.

“Hiding? It’s just that I prefer traveling alone.”

“Is that so?”

At that, Yu Zhangming added nothing more, as if deciding not to press further.

Yu Zhangming knew deep down.

The only secret Gu Yangji held was his wish for the Huashan Sect to remain peaceful.

Believing such a man would never resort to underhanded tactics, he simply waited silently.

Thud.

Yu Zhangming finally set down the wine bottle.

“The night has grown deep. I shall retire first.”

“Please go, Senior Brother.”

As Gu Yangji bowed respectfully, Yu Zhangming gave a slight smile and shot a glance at the Divine Demon Fist.

“You brat! They say ‘military and civilian are one body’—now go eat your fill!”

“No, Master!”

Watching Yu Zhangming grab the Divine Demon Fist’s earlobe and drag him away, Gu Yangji wore a faint smile.

“I must grow stronger.”

Watching the warm light of the banquet hall fill the entire Huashan Sect grounds, Gu Yangji resolved once more.