Book 6 Chapter 30

Past, Present Appears

"Well, now that I've eaten, shall we do some post-meal exercise! Hey there, young man?"

"Yes? What is it?"

"Nodao recently had a meditation session and

realized a certain truth.

Would you like to take a look?"

"Is it free?"

It was so typical of Bilyeon to check about the payment first.

"Alright! I'll be generous!"

The old swordsman nodded readily. He could have charged money if he wanted to, but he decided to do it for free this time as a special favor.

"Then, great!"

Bilyeon agreed. The old swordsman stood up with a strong feeling that he was somehow losing out.

"Young man, what do you think of a swordsman?"

As they walked to a wide open space, the old swordsman asked.

"Well?"

The old swordsman's sudden question was not something that could be answered on the spur of the moment. He didn't expect an answer from Bilyeon and continued speaking with an attitude that implied he shouldn't rack his brain.

"A swordsman, you see, is someone who stakes their life on the sword. In short, one cannot be called a swordsman if they are not obsessed with the sword. I have spent my entire life trying to decipher a single sword technique. Even stopping the spread of Cheonggeoryeong is a small matter compared to this!"

The old swordsman's eyes grew deeper and deeper. Bilyeon could clearly feel a formidable aura spreading from him like a net.

"Shwing!"

His sword slowly emerged from its scabbard and rested in his hand. The difference between his appearance before drawing his sword and after was like night and day.

Before drawing his sword, he had a simple appearance like a neighbor's grandfather, but now, with the sword in his hand, his qi path was filled with majesty, reminiscent of a towering mountain peak.

The old swordsman had already reached the realm of embodying nature within his sword.

"Swish!"

His sword, which had been as grand as a mountain, moved as naturally as flowing water, soon transforming into a shimmering light that adorned the sky.

Samjeong Taegeuk Geomhye (Wisdom of the Three Emotions' Tai Chi Sword) Ultimate Technique (Gyueui) Cheonmang (Heaven's Net).

"Ziiing!"

A dense, golden net elegantly adorned the heavens. It was an undeniably dazzling spectacle. It was a net of sword qi that was incredibly fine and dense.

The change appeared in an instant and vanished like a phantom.

The old swordsman, who had covered the sky with a net of light-like sword energy, soon sheathed his sword and sat down again.

"Clap clap clap, Woooooh!!"

Bilyeon greeted him with applause. However, his face did not show the awe of someone who had witnessed a high level of martial arts. He showed no particular surprise.

"It's been a while since I've stretched like this! It feels refreshingly good to stretch occasionally."

"That's a very un-immortal-like remark, Grandpa."

"Ho ho ho ho! Who says an immortal's words are fixed? If you can speak the truth held within your heart, that is what an immortal is. The Dao is not far away; it is always by our side."

"The way you twist your words, you must be an immortal."

Only then did Bilyeon accept that the strange old man before him was indeed an immortal.

"So, how was it?"

The old swordsman asked for his impression.

"Well… Because it was so dense, it seemed like the power and speed in each strand of sword qi were lost. You seemed too fixated on change. While change is important, power is just as important. Wouldn't even a coarse net break easily if its material is weak?"

*Blank stare*

At Bilyeon's critique, delivered with a gentle smile, the old swordsman's jaw dropped. He looked stunned, as if he had been hit on the back of the head with a blunt object.

'W-what is this kid's true identity?'

He had never imagined that this child would pinpoint the flaws in his sword qi so accurately.

'Could it be that this child has reached a level similar to mine?'

It was unbelievable.

'Damn it! Who the hell is that old monster?'

Deep within the mountains, the saying 'mountains beyond mountains' seemed to apply here. Heuksaldo Heuksang, the captain of Group 3 of the Anhonbiyongdae (Dark Soul Flying Shadow Unit), scowled fiercely without hesitation. Curses escaped his lips even though he hadn't been ordered to do so.

The failure of the Amryongdae! Moreover, the failure in the water was a stain on the Anhonbiyongdae.

This time, they had to eliminate their target and restore the Anhonbiyongdae's prestige. Hadn't they waited until they could separate from the others to handle the job more perfectly? Mistakes were not an option.

But who was this old man who suddenly appeared? His clothes were worn, but he was definitely in Taoist attire, so he was undoubtedly from the Wudang sect.

Furthermore, what was this terrifyingly powerful sword qi that seemed like a lie, which he had just shown?

'Am I seeing things?'

It was highly likely that he was a former grandmaster of the Wudang sect. However, he couldn't just turn back like this.

'I must succeed this time…!'

Heuksang gritted his teeth. Failure meant death. But the probability of failure was too high as it was.

'Should I just go back? No!'

He seriously considered it, but reality was not so forgiving.

'Should I just give it a try?'

If he returned now, only punishment awaited him. He absolutely refused that.

Not grasping his own abilities and proceeding recklessly was Heuksang's once-in-a-lifetime mistake, and his last. Due to this misjudgment, he had become unable to afford any further mistakes.

"By the way, have you offended anyone recently?"

The old swordsman suddenly asked, his expression turning grim.

"Hahaha! How could a good kid like me have such a terrifying relationship as an offense with others? Grandpa, you really have a good sense of humor."

It seemed as though he had no intention of acknowledging his past deeds.

This is how the Birae Sect views ambushes!

"What do you think of ambushes?"

It was a sudden question.

"Ambushes?"

After briefly glancing at the remaining meat on the bones with a wistful look, Bilyeon looked up at the old swordsman.

"Yes, ambushes!"

"If the ambush you're asking about, Grandpa, is like hiding stealthily like a rat in the dark to strike someone's back when they're vulnerable, then that's something only weaklings do."

Bilyeon's words were incredibly sharp.

"Ho ho! The young friend is quite radical!"

"Well, I've never paid attention to weaklings who only know how to gang up and ambush. Let them do it if they don't have the ability."

His words were as sharp as a blade. It was natural for Bilyeon to have this attitude. He had been brainwashed since he was young. By his terrible master…

"But there are many flocks of sparrows hiding around here, like rats, disturbing my precious meal. Shall I drive them away as payment for the meal?"

Finally, Bilyeon, who had finished all the food in front of him, asked the old man for his opinion on his suggestion. He had a leisurely attitude like a lion looking for post-meal exercise.

"Ho ho ho ho! That should be enough payment for the meal. If you wish, you won't be remembered as someone who only received things for free and incurred a debt wherever you go."

For a moment, curiosity flickered in the old swordsman's eyes. He looked at the young man anew, who had already noticed the presence of sparrows, which he himself had only just found, without showing any disturbance.

"Damn it! I've been discovered! Kill!"

With his stealth exposed, there was no turning back. Heuksang, like a forced choice, issued the attack command.

"Muryangsu-bul! Who dares to emit killing intent within the sacred domain of Wudang Mountain!"

The old swordsman's voice was low, but it held a power that resonated through the air.

"Pababab!"

Black sparrows took flight. However, even though their position was known, sparrows that don't fly become prey for birds of prey.

No matter how powerfully they fly, there is an insurmountable limit to sparrows.

Since the people of Bilyeon's sect, the Birae Sect, had never been interested in trivial matters like ambushes, Bilyeon's reaction to the sparrows' assault was indifferent.

This unexpected reaction of his was not politeness towards the ambushers who wanted him to be startled and flustered by their sudden attack. It was an insult to the ambushers.

His master had said:

"As a successor of the Birae Sword, if you can't even defend yourself against a petty attack like an unexpected ambush, no matter when, where, or how they strike, you deserve to die! A fool who falls for such a clumsy trick is not qualified to inherit the Birae Sword. Of course, such a person would never be made a successor in the first place."

That was his master's view on ambushers. Bilyeon wholeheartedly agreed.

Defeat is unacceptable in any situation. That was the true teaching of the Birae Sect.

It is natural for ordinary people to panic when faced with an unexpected situation. Then, shouldn't a master have some distinguishing ability from ordinary people!

Whether enemies came or ambushers, who were constantly targeting him, attacked, Bilyeon didn't care at all.

He completely disregarded them, to the point that it would hurt their pride if the ambushers heard it.

Bilyeon's relaxed posture, as he leisurely digested his meal, appeared full of openings to the Anhonbiyongdae. The eccentric old Taoist sitting next to him seemed like a mere decoy. If not for the sword technique the old Taoist had just displayed, they would have attacked without hesitation.

The cost of jumping into the fire with firewood on one's back was dire. These two were truly formidable monsters, beyond their combined strength.

Bilyeon, ignoring the flock of black sparrows flying towards him, looked at the old swordsman and said:

"If you have the power to tear apart the sky, wouldn't it be fine even if the net is coarse? Like this."

With the barrage of poisonous swords flying towards him at close range, Bilyeon swung his arms without even looking back. His movements were light, as if he were just swatting away flies. But the result was devastating.

Birae Sword Qi Secret Art

Chapter of Heaven's Net (Cheonra Jimang)

Cheonre Mumaeng (Dancing Thunder Net)

Broken Sky (Sucheon).

For a moment, the sky seemed to be trapped within a golden net, and the ambushing figures in black robes, who had attacked, fell like sparrows caught in a net. The net Bilyeon cast was not as dense or fine as the one the old swordsman had cast. However, the power and speed contained in each strand were unparalleled.

The flying black sparrows flapped like they were caught in a net and fell weakly to the ground. Not a single one managed to launch a proper attack. The golden net allowed neither the invasion nor the escape of the black sparrows.

Bilyeon's skill surpassed their imagination. The members of Group 3 of the Anhyeongdae realized with their bodies that focusing only on the old swordsman had been a grave mistake.

"Th-that… That… How can this be…? This is absurd!"

The old swordsman's eyes widened with shock. The mental impact was as immense as suffering qi deviation. The shock of being hit on the back of the head with a heavy mace would not have been this great.

It was the same shape as the golden net that had covered the sky a hundred years ago.

The old swordsman froze as if turned to stone. His mind had already flown back to that day, a hundred years ago.

Bilyeon's single strike was like seeing a manifestation of the past.