Master Baek Wei opens his eyes and slowly looks around the study.
“….”
It was as if he was looking back on his life. Right. Whether he did it because he wanted to or not, he would have sat at his desk for a long time moving the papers.
As I spoke my final thoughts, I ended up pushing him into a corner but, regardless, the final decision was still his to make. And this was not an easy decision. If there is someone above him, they would come to the conclusion that Master Baek Wei is a risk to their lives.
Master Baek Wei who looks around for a while says,
“I feel so odd.”
“What?”
It was only then that Master Baek Wei looks at me and says,
“I don’t think this is my fate. I am feeling this odd sensation.”
I remained silent.
The original fate of his?
I don’t know either.
Despite gaining his notoriety as the Evil Emperor, it is unknown what would have happened after he hid in the Alliance and worked under them. The time when I was chased by the Demonic Cult was when everyone was defeated by the Cult Leader and lived holding their breaths. Had it not been for Im So-Baek who had been running around with his hair, which quickly turned white for his age, flying around the world.
Did Master Baek Wei’s group block the Demonic Cult? Or was it obvious?
Somehow, I get the feeling that this guy belonged to the Murim Alliance and incited a counterattack. And it wouldn’t have been because his views aligned with the cause. Wouldn’t it be more fun to fight with the Cult Leader… is what I think.
I ask him,
“Guess what your fate is.”
And he says,
“Looks like we live the way we live.”
Actually, everyone will do so. It was because he gave an answer that even a madman of his age would live as such.
“So, are you accepting my offer?”
“Now, Sect Leader. Why are you without fear? There is a chance that I can kill you before you even do anything. I am not worried about your threats either. You are caught up in the way I reacted towards the books. Maybe it is because I feel like you are the opposite to those people I hate.”
He raises his hand and points to the books.
“That tyrant burned them. You are wanting to use this against me. It is just my wavering heart. Why wouldn’t I have the same thoughts? Why do you think so? Why do you have a narrow view of me and my vision?”
This guy is convinced he’s a genius and out of the blue compares himself to me?
I am in a bad mood, but I try to calm down and roughly answer.
“I don’t know. What do I know? There are many things I don’t know about.”
It wasn’t a huge deal, but he laughs. And he laughs for a long time.
“Even if I give you all the books here, it wouldn’t make me a traitor. But the caretakers of the other libraries will be on an equal footing with me. I have no say in how they use the books.”
I feel my mind clear up.
“Hmm… I think the one you have is better than the other places. Is my guess right?”
Master Baek Wei looks at me.
“This place is my pride. If you raise a righteous swordsman, will they be able to stop another disaster?”
“Master, how can we know the future? Making a plan doesn’t mean it would go according to the plan.”
“Then why are you making plans?”
“It is okay if things don’t go according to plan. To make a plan is nothing more than to make a firm will. It doesn’t matter if the plans go wrong. The guest house burned and the books burned and were buried. This happened in the past and it will happen now and in the future too. I just hope that there will come a world where we can create righteous swordsmen everywhere to reduce people like me and respect the diverse opinions of the men around us. I am not suggesting a perfect plan. I am just conveying the meaning that I don’t want others to suffer what I have been through. That is all.”
Master Baek Wei nods and points to the study.
“Kangho people are greedy. If someone occupied this library by force and then touched this and that, they would have fallen into poison. Most of the places have traps I made. I expected that if a person, a warrior whom I couldn’t control, appeared, I would be able to kill them with the books in the library. Even that was a plan.”
I look at the study again.
Come to think of it, even if I killed him and took over the place, the situation wouldn’t be resolved. Because he was skillfully editing out the contents in the book of martial arts and then the parts he added were turning us into madness.
Unexpectedly, he was a thorough person till the end. But I was in no hurry to convince him to turn my way.
“They must have stolen and then returned them.”
Master Baek Wei stands up as he thinks.
“For now…”
He moves with his hands behind his back and looks around before pulling out a book.
“I guess this would be appropriate.”
When Master Baek Wei throws the book, it flies horizontally. After grabbing hold of the book, I look at the title and he tells me,
“You have your own thoughts, but I have my own preferences. Deliver that to Moyong Baek.”
I am a little surprised by his unexpected words.
“You’re saying that after trying to kill me just a second ago? I am going to kill this bastard. If you touch Moyong, you will have to block my attack with everything you got. I will see if you can stop the Light Sky of Sun and Moon right under your ass. I warn you not to touch people who heal others. Is this even normal martial arts?”
Master smiles.
“… now, Sect Leader. Moyong Baek is a lot more intelligent than you think.”
“I know, but why are you acting like this?”
“Once you are good in psychological warfare and trained in medicine, you will have extensive knowledge about the blood and body.”
This guy had a habit of saying whatever he wanted to say.
“…”
“This is a martial arts that is useful for those good in psychological warfare. You said you were raising a righteous swordsman, but Moyong Baek is a man worthy of strong notice too. Even though he was intimidated in front of me, he said everything he had to. Even though he figured out who I was, he kept going till the end, and this is a gift for that.”
The following words were printed in the book.
Flower and Tree Grafting Divine Technique.
I roughly understand that it is about taking flowers and grafting them into trees. And my suspicion flares up so I check his face.
“What is this? Isn’t this about poisons that can be made through grafting?”
Master Baek Wei nods.
“If a bad-tempered guy like you learns, they fall into self-destruction. Moyong Baek is different though. He has a better understanding of the other people’s psyche, so he will use it appropriately. With that level of skill, there is no possibility of losing yourself.”
There are times when I felt dirty when receiving a present, and this is how I feel right now.
And he says,
“If you are so worried, tell them that it is a book from me, who visited last time. And he will handle the rest.”
He goes back to looking at the books with his hands behind his back.
To be honest, even after asking for that, I still had the urge to sweep up all the books and just run along, but actually, I couldn’t because there were a lot of books which encouraged one to become a Demonic Clan worshipper. And if it is Master Baek Wei who wrote them, then even more so.
In any case, I am planning to deliver the technique to Moyong Baek. And he throws another book as he says,
“It is the Single Heavy Sword.”
“Who is this for now?”
He turns around as he says,
“Give that to Sword Demon.”
“Why?”
He sighs a little. After figuring out the meaning of the sigh, it seems like he was a bit frustrated with Sword Demon.
“Sword Demon knows roughly how to train a wooden sword.”
“But?”
“Stupid. Even the Cult Leader would laugh.”
“Why?”
“The level that Sword Demon wants to achieve with a wooden sword is actually not of a common level. What he wants is in fact to step into the Sword God realm. At what age does he plan to get it? The Cult Leader would try to kill or subdue him anyway, but the time for training is realistically not enough. I mean it’s impossible.”
“It is like that? There is no time.”
The Cult Leader wanted the sword back now, and he had many subordinates who were ready to take it. And they were strong subordinates, so Sword Demon had to be busy.
The words of Master Baek Wei continue.
“Heavy Sword is an old form of martial arts. There are times when the longevity of the battlefield ends up making one waste time in defending. Only attack. Regardless of the opponent, block it with a shield or weapon, it is a martial arts that began to be refined while knocking people out. Outstanding generals learned this on their own while stepping onto the battlefields. This was compiled into martial arts by the 100 sects. Sword Demon will be able to maintain the state of his body to some extent with such a sword technique, so it will be easier for him to learn the sword techniques with focus exclusively on attacks. If you add a heavy sword, it will mean that he can be much stronger than he is now without relying on his own sword technique each time.”
It wasn’t until after hearing the explanation that I felt like I was about to fall asleep.
“Right.”
I can’t deny that this guy is a genius when it comes to understanding. There was something I was curious about, but I couldn’t offend the guy who started the lecture, so I kept my mouth shut.
Anyway, talking in class would only hurt me. So, after a while, like choosing something from a shop, the guy pulls out a book and throws it again.
“Learn it by yourself and pass it to the one next to you.”
I read what he gave me.
“White Lightning Ten Dantian Technique. What is the name? Seems like a Yin-based technique.”
He looks at me and says,
“Strolling Golden Turtle technique carries too many openings in its fighting technique. So, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. There are so many points which are odd, and it made me wonder if this is a martial arts made for people to learn. At first glance, to summarize the core of it, this is a martial arts which only those of the skilled level of God stage can learn. In any case, it is for those who claim to have high internal qi, so that they turn untouchable with a sword. Actually, it isn’t enough to be called the best, but it is one who ends without any gaps in their form. The only problem is that no one achieved it.”
“Hmm.”
“Learn this one in the transition stages of the Strolling Golden Turtle technique. If I had dug into it, I would have taken you down. This martial arts converts the internal qi into energies of extreme Yin or Yang. It is similar to Strolling Golden Turtle in terms of unfolding, which is simple, but this, despite being clear, is difficult to achieve. However, the reason why this is a beautiful technique is that it focuses only on deepening the strength of lightning. From the start till the end, only the lightning qi deepens. It is pure white lightning which doesn’t change despite different martial arts being used. Therefore, it is easy to combine with other techniques.”
I answer in a shameless manner.
“What about qi runaway?”
“Sect Leader”
“What?”
“Any martial arts can cause a runaway. Do you not know that saying? The numerous warriors and those wanting to reach the top cannot achieve greatness with such stubbornness. Whether you learn it or just pass it down, it will take some tenacity to learn it.”
“I see.”
First of all, I got one for Moyong Baek and one for Sword Demon. It was unexpected that I got one too. It seems that this is why there are no more people out in the world scamming. No, I don’t mean scamming, but closer to daydreaming cause well, here things come true.
But the funny thing is that I couldn’t help but hold onto them. Trying to hold a stiff expression, I say,
“But, since I am trying to raise a lot of righteous swordsmen, why pass on such things to me?”
To which he looks like he is mocking me and says,
“Lee Zaha, if you want to raise warriors, shouldn’t you survive first?”
“Right.”
“Do you think you have a good chance of surviving in Kangho? You already touched the Cult Leader. Lately, I haven’t seen a person who is on the high-profile most-wanted list like you. How will you handle Cult Leader in the future? Even Im So-Baek will have a hard time trying to protect you.”
“That is also right.”
“In the end, you have to survive with those you travel with, so that your dreams come true.”
I answer back in a serious tone.
“This bastard is pushing people’s sincerity down by saying such nonsense.”
Master Baek Wei sighs as he tilts his head.
“Sect Leader, you have such a loose tongue. My disciples would have been beaten to death a long time back if they said such things. I mean, it is amazing. If this is considered as a skill, then it is a skill. I mean, it is odd. Perhaps that is also a form of martial arts?’
I am speechless as he asks me seriously.
“…”
He points at me.
“You know. Later on, you will not become famous for just martial arts but also for that mouth. Somehow, it seems like it. That won’t work for the strong. The sincere head of the Cult will also make a fuss. I am more curious about how you will survive in the future. There is a high chance that the theory of the righteous swordsman will cease to be nothing but a delusion because of this. Shouldn’t that be sneezed out, so your brain gets cleared?”
I have a lot to say, but I hold back. A man must sometimes lose an argument. Nonetheless, I am attentive to the viewpoint of the smart kid who was swayed by persuasive words, and I committed to acquiring three new techniques. I gulped.
I answer in a calm tone,
“I confirm.”
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