Chapter 43 A Brief Rest (1)

Chapter 43 A Brief Rest (1)

“Hey, ‘Plum Blossom Sword Hero’. Did you sleep well?”

“Haa, Senior Brother Song…”

Had it already been a week?

Ever since he started teasing Gu Yangjie under the pretext that he needed to get used to his nickname, Song Mu showed no sign of stopping.

As time dragged on, Gu Yangjie naturally found it harder to suppress his irritation.

“Let’s cut it out.”

“Ooh, scary, huh?”

“Want to see what truly terrifying looks like?”

When Gu Yangjie asked sternly, Song Muk flinched and took a step back.

“No, this senior brother was wrong.”

Yet he didn’t stop his smirking.

“The master who defeated the one-armed demon, the Plum Blossom Sword Hero!”

“Master of the Discipline Hall!”

When Gu Yangji lit a pair of fiery torches in his eyes, a long frown appeared on Song Mu’s face.

“Everyone envies you and feels you’re extraordinary. Before you even reached the age of majority, didn’t you destroy a branch of a major heretical sect like the Black Dragon Sect? And above all else…”

Song Mu spoke discreetly.

“A sword master before even reaching the age of majority? If word spreads across the martial world, countless warriors will be rolling on the ground laughing.”

“……”

Gyu Yangjeok said nothing in response.

Sword Qi refers to concentrating internal energy into a weapon to emit an intangible force.

Naturally, only the chosen few among the elite could wield it freely.

The Black Shadow Assassins weren’t the Black Dragon Sect’s elite for nothing.

Then what about Sword Mastery?

Sword Mastery doesn’t end with concentrating energy into a weapon.

Above all, it required the realization to compress it even denser—to the point of materializing the intangible energy.

Purity, concentration, and understanding of internal energy.

Only when these three elements aligned perfectly could one reach the realm of Sword Qi.

Thus, achieving it by one’s thirties was common, let alone one’s twenties.

Song Mu’s eyes darted toward Gu Yangji’s hand.

“Seems you’ve gained something unheard of. You must have traveled quite diligently, eh?”

“Isn’t that precisely what makes the martial world so fascinating?”

Gu Yangji shrugged off the question with a casual shrug, and Song Muk said no more.

Only his expression grew heavier with worry.

“Young man, you may be fine now, but…”

“I know.”

A confident smile spread across Gu Yangji’s face.

“At least I won’t be swayed by someone else’s will.”

Song Muk looked at him with a deep, pensive gaze before clicking his tongue.

“If you say so, then so be it.”

“Are you worried?”

“Of course I’m worried.”

Song Mok’s gaze instantly turned cold.

If he had seemed like an older brother fond of playful banter just moments ago, now he seemed to be reminding him why he was the head of the Disciplinary Office.

“The artifacts you possess now, even the Zhenxian alone, would be coveted by any swordsman. And the armored gauntlets you acquired this time—don’t they carry an extraordinary aura?”

Gu Yang-jeok nodded lightly.

The aura of the demonic energy dormant within the Diamond Fist Armor was something that could neither be concealed nor eradicated.

He had already noticed the unsettling glances from several senior brothers.

What about the demonic beings that would react to the Diamond Fist Armor?

Song Mu’s concern might seem excessive at first glance, but it was certainly not unfounded.

“Anyone skilled enough to wield sword energy would recognize it, I suppose.”

“It’s fortunate this is Huashan. But what if, in the future, the old martial world covets what you have?”

“……That.”

Gu Yangjie chuckled softly.

Even if it were Luo Kanghuo, once he regained his own martial prowess, it was as clear as day that he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Moreover, having reached the peak, he was already somewhat on that trajectory. All that remained was to strengthen his internal energy and physical fortitude from here on out.

“With my talent, I’ll manage somehow.”

“Talent, huh.”

Song Mu briefly reflected on the events so far, leaving behind a deep sneer.

“Do you really think others would believe this was something achievable by talent alone?”

“…….”

“I trust you understand why I said that.”

At those words, Gu Yangjeok’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

The past month.

Even after returning to the past and carefully choosing only the most practical actions, an overwhelming number of incidents had unfolded.

The Golden Ring Society, the Nine Dragons War, the various affairs entangled with the Black Dragon Sect.

Of course, some matters had been swept under the rug with the help of Cheolpunggae or others, but one mustn’t think that meant everything was over.

‘Because this is the martial world.’

Whether it was to protect their own interests or due to power struggles, countless individuals were on high alert for various reasons.

Even if they didn’t know the full story, it meant they’d at least heard the name Gu Yang-jeok.

Gu Yang-jeok looked at Song Mok.

‘Is this telling me to keep my head down and wait for things to calm down?’

To avoid being judged as more than just a late-stage cultivator, but as a key figure of Huashan.

Those prone to suspicion would likely assume Bai Danxian or the elders were behind Gu Yangji.

That would not only limit Gu Yangji’s room to maneuver but also draw the attention of the heretical sects.

It was a reasonable point.

Drawing unnecessary attention and leading to bloodshed was not good from a Taoist perspective.

But…

Gu Yangji’s head shook stubbornly.

“Master, no, I cannot follow the words of the Disciplinary Master.”

“Why?”

A flash of anger crossed Song Mu’s eyes.

“Have you fallen into the arrogance of thinking you alone can resolve everything and eliminate every enemy!”

Gu Yangjeok looked up at Songmuk with a silent gaze.

“Are you worried I might become like our senior brother?”

At those words, Songmuk clenched his fist tightly.

The words that followed were somehow laden with heavy weariness.

“Yes, your senior brother too, driven by the single-minded desire to set everything right alone, kept the agreement only to be exposed piece by piece, and met his untimely end in the explosion!”

“That’s right.”

Gu Yangjie admitted plainly.

Song Mu was right.

Ha Jin-ak had acted alone for the sake of the pact and the safety of the Huashan disciples.

Thus, he inevitably had to reveal all the sword techniques he had mastered to the enemies.

The reason the Black Dragon Sect prepared gunpowder was likely due to the unique fire-based nature of the Heavenly Flow Flower Cloud Sword.

Had Gu Yangji not been there, he would surely have died in silence, as splendidly as in his previous life.

There was little objection to this.

But Gu Yangji repeated the words his mouth had spoken.

“…That’s right.”

Reflecting on the past, Gu Yangji took a decisive step forward.

“But that wasn’t wrong. At least, as the senior brother of Huashan, it wasn’t something to be ashamed of, was it?”

Song Muk fell silent for a moment at these words, tinged with emotion uncharacteristic of Gu Yangji.

After some deliberation, he asked.

“Do you too wish to walk the same path as him?”

“If it is not wrong, then I must go.”

“You know it will be difficult?”

At those words, Gu Yangji closed his eyes briefly.

A hollow laugh escaped him unconsciously.

The easy path.

He had already walked that road once.

Had he not come this far to wash away the regrets left behind in that journey?

To turn back now would be meaningless.

Gu Yangjeok briefly recalled Ha Jinak.

His image, bearing the full shock of the explosion while forcing a smile toward him.

Gu Yangjeok’s lips parted slightly.

“The right path is always the difficult one.”

Song Mu exhaled a deep sigh.

“I heard from the Sect Leader. He said the situation was so urgent there was no other choice.”

Simultaneously, a telepathic message shot out.

-He said there were other circumstances behind your actions.

Even at the sudden telepathic transmission, Gu Yangjeok answered naturally, without any surprise.

“Yes, I deeply regret not informing you before descending the mountain.”

“But rules are rules, even with extenuating circumstances.”

-The Grand Master and I are thoroughly investigating this now. Wait for our decision.

At those words, Gu Yangjeok’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“But Senior Brother, if I hadn’t intervened, wouldn’t we have nearly missed the Great Elder’s assassin?”

Song Mu warned with a stern expression.

“You may be his disciple, but he is a senior elder of the Huashan Sect and the head of the Discipline Committee. Can you not clearly distinguish between duty and personal feelings?”

“But…”

Just as Gu Yangji was about to insist on refusal, Song Mu spoke.

“Enough.”

As he said this, Song Mu’s expression momentarily crumbled.

Gu Yangji caught glimpses of many emotions in that moment.

Remorse for burdening a disciple like himself with such a heavy responsibility.

Anger that was impossible to suppress, seeing Ha Jin’ak—whom he had watched for over twenty years—reduced to that state.

And regret, knowing enemies had infiltrated Huashan’s inner circle.

Therefore, he could not resist the words that followed.

“No matter how thick your nerves are, you must need time to recover.”

Gu Yangjeok nodded at those words.

No matter how many battles he had experienced in his past life, no matter how many horrors he had witnessed, mental exhaustion was not easily resolved.

Especially since he had died at the age of thirty-two.

‘Perhaps it can’t even be considered a long life.’

A bitter smile spread across Gu Yangjeok’s face.

“Then I shall return to my lodgings.”

Thump, thump.

Song Mok, who had been watching his back intently, mentioned some recent news he’d heard.

“I hear a clinic was built on the site that was burned down today. They say it’ll be crowded with people in a few days, so the government is scrambling to get involved belatedly.” ”

Hearing this, Gu Yangjeok instantly pictured the smiling face of some nameless fool.

“Well, that’s fortunate.”

“Good news should come within a month, so rest until then.”

At least this time, Gu Yangjeok wouldn’t have to bear the heavy burden alone.

Songmuk watched Gu Yangjeok walk away, his resolve firm.

* * *

Time flows like a river.

Day and night were merely tools to mark when the sun rose and set.

The occasional hunger pangs were just seasoning that made him feel truly alive.

Of course, he never filled his belly with dried food or vegetables.

Everything begins with a single step, even a thousand-mile journey.

Gu Yangjeok constantly reminded himself of this as he trained relentlessly every day in the practice grounds.

But those who watched him found it puzzling.

“What on earth… what on earth is he doing?”

“It’s neither sword technique nor footwork, just pure physical torture?”

Gu Yangjeok only trained his entire body’s muscles; he scarcely ever swung a sword.

Even when someone asked him directly, Gu Yangjeok never gave a straightforward answer.

He just silently focused on physical training, which only intensified the curiosity. More and more cultivators tried to follow his example.

Among them was Yi Daeje, a disciple of Ha Jinak.

But they couldn’t keep up for long and dropped out.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

“What a brutish training method!”

The strength to lift fifty jin with one hand without the aid of internal energy.

The flexibility to change direction effortlessly in any situation.

These two were the most fundamental and essential aspects of wielding and handling a sword.

But seeing the state of the cultivators now, Gu Yangjeok frowned deeply, finding it unsatisfactory.

‘Even if Huashan Sect follows the Northern Sect’s principle of cultivating innate talent before refining technique, their physical strength is far too weak.’

No matter how powerful their techniques, no matter how profound and unpredictable they might be.

If the power behind them is weak and merely linear, who would dare face them?

Yet the cultivators failed to grasp this crucial point and agonized.

“Has Senior Brother Gu Yang not yet completed his cultivation of the heart?”

“Yet seeing the elders remain silent…”

Some even asked seriously if he refused to take up the sword after the calamity of Ha Jin’eok.

Each time, Gu Yang had to offer a curt explanation.

“Doesn’t the Black Dragon Sect’s headquarters still remain?”

“……!”

Only when the entire Huashan Sect had heard this did the questioning cease.

Instead, a few people near Gu Yangji cleared their throats, and many others followed suit.

But the figures flanking him remained constant.

“Senior Brother, how long must we do this?”

“Exercise a little more patience.”

Yu Zhangming and Zhao Hun.

Those two were also devoted to Gu Yangjie’s peculiar training method, so naturally, young cultivators gathered in the center of the training ground.

Song Mu, passing by nearby, wore an expression of utter bewilderment.

“…What the hell is that?”

Huh!

Over thirty disciples were drenched in sweat, shouting their ki.