Translator: thursdays PR: LightBrin
So Baek-hyang stumbled over that stage after winter passed again and again, when she could no longer feel the cold of that winter.
The sword of the heart.
So Baek-hyang began to understand that stage when she was no longer referred to as ‘the fragrance of snow,’ but instead as the ‘Heavenly Demon.’
So Baek-hyang, the woman who became the Heavenly Demon, muttered.
“……There is a stage ahead that no man has ever overcome……It looks as far away as Nirvana, but……Is there any place that you can’t go if you can see it……?”
The Heavenly Demon’s heart pounded.
The heart’s sword was a legendary stage that was only talked about. Killing someone with your mind. If you have the intent to kill, you hold these murderous intentions in your heart, and the person will soon die. There was no need for a sword. There was no need for words, either. And that stage finally presented itself in front of her.
……Heavenly Demon-nim……
……The greatest of us all……
If she was given time.
If she had 60 years to focus solely on training.
Really, if she had it.
……Release us from this pain……
The people prostrated themselves before her.
……The government told us to pay our tax with sable leather. My father went hunting for martens but didn’t come back, so we couldn’t pay the tax, and taxes are paid by the number of heads in our family. My grandmother told me that her days were short anyway, and to reduce the tax……
……Heavenly Demon-nim……
In front of her, there were many backs stooped over in bows.
……There was a drought last year so we had nothing to eat, I had nothing to eat, but I was ordered to build a reservoir and a dam to prevent next year’s drought, but how can one build with a starving body……
……They dragged my daughter away and she hasn’t come back……
……Heavenly Demon-nim……
There were very many.
The Heavenly Demon quietly looked up at the snowy mountain.
Years to devote herself to training. If she only had 60 years, she would be able to rise to a stage that nobody in history had ever done. That was a clear, indisputable fact. However. Despite this.
The Heavenly Demon stood up, holding her sword. The dark robe fluttered.
……There are many things that I must cut down……
Would she abandon the world? Or would she abandon herself?
In the end, the Heavenly Demon simply abandoned her own desires.
She stifled her desire for strength until she desired for nothing.
Because that was how she had always lived.
That day, too, she cut down those who froze the world.
But she couldn’t cut down winter.
Bae Hu-ryeong kneeled down.
-It’d be unspeakable for a martial artist to borrow someone else’s mouth for a match. It’s discourteous, and in terms of rudeness, it would go down in history and be ridiculed.
It was my first time seeing Bae Hu-ryeong in such a posture. He was sitting politely on the snowfield. I realized that it was a courtesy that he was showing to an opponent he recognized as a [worthy rival].
-But even though I know it’s ridiculous, I have no choice but to ask for a match.
The Sword Emperor looked straight at Master.
-I am called the Sword Emperor. In the world of a thousand blades, I was officially recognized as its number one. It may be discourteous of me, but I request a verbal match between us.
Then, he lowered his head.
“Come on, describe your first move. The match has already begun.”
Of course, Master’s eyes couldn’t see Bae Hu-ryeong. She couldn’t hear his words, nor could she see his bow.
“You know that I can use some strange techniques.”
“Are you referring to the technique that brought the Jiangshi of my children and the Righteous Path back to life?”
Her laughter was quiet, as if it would soon disappear.
“I decided not to ask you anything. Silence is a virtue. Perhaps it’s that you’re an emissary sent by the Jade Emperor, who pitied me.”
Master was smiling as her head rested on my thighs. When she laughed, her head shook a little. From that movement, I could tell that she was becoming lighter.
“…There is another technique I can use.”
Master’s time was running out. I had to say things as concisely as possible.
“The technique involves summoning ghosts.”
“The ghost next to me right now is a skilled martial artist. In another world, he was called the greatest.”
“A-ha. The greatest martial artist in another world! How magnificent.”
Master snickered. It seemed that she thought it was a funny joke.
“All right. Since it’s a ghost of the greatest fighter in another world that my student summoned, I’ll pay attention. I’ll happily accept you as my opponent for a battle of wits.”
I looked at Bae Hu-ryeong.
Bae Hu-ryeong continued to sit in silence.
“Well. What kind of move does the number one ghost have to offer?”
“…He said he would yield the move to Master.”
“He said that he would yield the first three moves to you, Master.”
A bit of the smile disappeared from Master’s expression.
“What a maniac. My disciple would never say such a thing. It must be the ghost that does not know his place. Then, with the fifth blade of the Twelve Cloud Dragon Swords, the Outward Dragon Quick Sword, I pierce the water blood point.”
-I shall use the sixth form of the Earth Dragon Style, Western River Cave Dragon, feinting and then retreating with the Floating Cloud Step.
Bae Hu-ryeong responded without hesitation.
I didn’t know what the [Twelve Cloud Dragon Swords] nor the [Earth Dragon Style] was. The only thing I knew was the Infernal Heavens Demonic Art. I was just calmly communicating their fight with my mouth.
“He used the sixth form of the Earth Dragon Style, Western River Cave Dragon, feinting, and then used the Floating Cloud Step to retreat.”
Master furrowed her brows.
“Then I will blow him away with the seventh form of the Ultimate Mysterious Art, the expected reaction.”
-I shall avoid it and feint with the second move of the Six Boxing Attacks, Double Sheet Attack.
Master’s elegant eyebrows crinkled a little more.
“I will attack with the sixth form of Six Equal Grave Swords, Sword of Disinterment.”
-I use my Perching Duck Kick. I step back with the All Blossom Chaotic Step.
Three turns ended in an instant.
I couldn’t understand what kind of battle was unfolding between the two.
However, Master was silent.
Bae Hu-ryeong calmly opened his mouth.
-I can roughly imagine how you lived. After climbing to the top rank in your sect, you devoted yourself to your group without time for training. You could have entered the stage of life and death, but you didn’t. Why? Because you were busy. 24 hours in a day is not enough to take care of a sect. You must have been busy taking care of your family, the members of your cult. What time would you have had for training?
But, said Bae Hu-ryeong.
-You know what’s the most unfair part of this?
The corner of his mouth twisted.
-Even , you were still the strongest.
You had no reason to aim higher.
-Why? You’re already at the top. It was enough to survive, and everyone acknowledged your strength. There was no need to try. Because you were literally their god.
-Poor thing. Your misfortune is that you were the absolute strongest in this world.
Bae Hu-ryeong crossed his arms.
-Let me show you what a god among gods is like.
I didn’t repeat these words to her.
I didn’t feel like there was a need to.
Master slowly raised her head.
Her light body leaned on mine a little.
With that, she sat up in the snow.
“You’re not just for show.”
From the Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon.
The strongest of all time.
-Of course. Who do you think I am?
From the World of a Thousand Blades.
The strongest being under the heavens.
“Fine. I shall take you seriously.”
A martial arts match.
“I use the first form of the Flaming Blood Dragon, Ascending Explosion to strike your chin.”
-You’re suddenly acting like the Righteous Sect, for some reason. With the upward momentum, I’ll continuously use the Eight Great Cloud Dragon Techniques for one second. While one hand was being gathered into a fist, the other hand struck.
“I’ll use the third form of the Assassination Sword, the Scholar’s Strike, to attack your fortune spring point and kill the momentum of your Ascending Explosion.”
-Oh, interesting. What should I do? Should I receive it, or… All right. I’ll use the Precept of Life and Death along with Cove Surge Thread.
As the battle of wits continued, Master started to run out of breath.
The white breath of winter turned even whiter.
Master closed her left hand and squeezed my knee tightly. With her right hand, she clenched my hand. She was trembling. Master’s trembling passed on to me through her hands.
“…How long are you going to keep your dirty foot over my fingers? I’ll tear it off with Burning Leech Boss Plate, the second form of the Three Seeds Demonic Scriptures.”
-I was only matching your aura. What a ferocious temper you have! I’ll immediately take my feet off and onto the air with Running Wave, simultaneously using the fourth form of Great Godly Chariot Rotation, Living Death, to hit the right giant bone, sun valley, and spirit home pressure points at the same time.
“I will take three steps back with Heavenly Demon Step!”
Master was delighted.
-Since you pretended to be the Righteous Sect, should I try to imitate the Demonic Cult’s techniques, too? They responded with the other sect’s moves.
The Murim Lord, the Ax Saint, was never really Master’s [rival].
It was true that the Murim Lord was the strongest member of the Righteous Sect in this world. He was the only one who was able to stand against Master. But wasn’t it proven in the final battle? When the two fought each other with all their power, it was Master who eventually won.
The game had a fixed ending.
Maybe that was why Master delayed the conclusion of the Battle of Good and Evil 990 times.
She was like a child who cherished and savored a piece of candy as long as possible because she knew it would melt away.
That was why in the bad ending, the Murim Lord said those words to Master.
「I’m sorry I’m weaker than you.」
「I was weaker than you.」
Without realizing it, I tightened my grip.
“A foolish act! I attack your face with the second form of Assassination Sword!”
-You wish. I use the Iron Burning Plate to evade your attack, and this time, I use Ascending Explosion on your other side.
Master finally smiled. It wasn’t a sad smile, nor a smile that looked like it would evaporate away. It was a bright laugh, backed by the pounding of her heart.
“Disciple. The ghost you brought in is the best!”
Now I could fully understand the feelings of the Murim Lord.
“He’s probably the strongest person I know.”
“Where were you hiding these ghosts, and why are you only introducing them to me now?”
I was a little upset.
“I’ve never met such a powerful martial artist before!”
“I twist your arm and stop your force. And I take four steps back with Heavenly Demon Step!”
-Hmm. You’ve already gone back three steps, and now you’re going another four. Are you running back with your tail between your legs? I go forward with the Floating Cloud Step and follow you, then use Sudden Midsummer Rain. I then carry it out with Sword Force.
“Ha! Sword Force with Sudden Midsummer Rain? I guess you’re tired of searching for me. Fine then. I use the Sword of Thirst to strike upward against you, then use the first three forms of Lower Sand to strike the heaven pillar, nape, and life pillar all in a row!”
For me… The match between the two was incomprehensible.
I couldn’t even imagine the fight in my head.
I understood the Sword of Thirst. However, I didn’t know what [Lower Sand Dragon] was. I knew what Running Wave was. However, I didn’t know what sort of form [Living Death of the Great Godly Chariot Rotation] was.
It all kept going over my head, and I wasn’t even allowed to hesitate while trying to picture it.
I could not see the match between the two at all.
-You have to attack like that. Great! I use the Butterfly Sword Style’s Precept of Life and Death to dodge and step back, then use Ultimate Fertile Heaven Sword!
“Not bad. Not bad at all!”
If possible, I wanted to become her rival.
If possible, I wanted to monopolize her hopes and be the one to grant her wishes.
I wanted her to spend the last of her life happy because of me.
But I couldn’t see it.
What I can see and hear, at best, was:
“Good. I’ll use the ■■ technique to get out of the way.”
-I’ll respond with ■■, the third form of ■■■ Sword Style!
I could not see the swords of the two masters.
“All right. I’ll counter with the second form, ■■ of ■■■.”
-I’ll follow up with the ■■■ method of ■■■■!
The words didn’t make sense.
“Fine. I’ll stab your ■■ and ■■ with ■■■■’s ■■■■ Sword Style!”
-You sure are in a hurry. I’ll dodge using ■■■■, then use ■■■■ to aim at your neck.
“I’ll deflect it, then use the tenth form of ■■■, ■■■■■, to attack your ■■■■!”
-With ■■, I’ll ■■■■■ and ■■■■. After counterattacking, I’ll twist the ■■■■■ using ■■ of ■■■■■ to ■■.
“■■■■, using ■■■ to ■■ and ■■■—.”
I was far from reaching their playing field.
“After deflecting it……”
Master, who was breathless, looked back at me.
Suddenly, time seemed to stop.
The silent gaze stayed on my face.
There was a small smile on Master’s lips.
“Disciple. The day is cold.”
“The season repeatedly falls into winter, and so this area is known as a permanent snowfield. The snowfield is a harsh battleground. When you step forward, you often fall into the snow, so you have to continue using movement skills.”
Master touched the snowfield with her finger.
The porous snow was smeared on Master’s fingertips.
“So a battle on the snowfield always focuses on breaking the other person’s posture. Disciple. Do you understand? You don’t have to stubbornly cut off the person’s head or stab their back. It is enough to push them until they can’t hold their movement skill.”
“That’s why your ghost and I are trying to take over each other’s space. If you steal their space, your opponent will have a smaller range of movement.”
“There’s also a reason why we are using kicks. It isn’t just to hit the other person. Kicks scatter the snow and obscured the other’s sight. Mm. It’s quite a frantic fight. Isn’t it?”
Master whispered in my ear.
Master’s left hand slowly covered my eyes.
“Can you picture your master’s opponent?”
“It is a strong and noble master. He’s a large man. He’s nearly twice my size. Right?”
In my head, I pictured Bae Hu-ryeong.
“The giant, bear-like master is breathing unevenly. He’s urging you to attack and smiling confidently. There is a big difference in our physiques. Of course he’s confident…”
The more Master spoke, the clearer Bae Hu-ryeong’s figure became in my mind.
“How can I overcome the difference in our natural physiques? I have to accept it. Accept it, but think of my own strengths. I am able to move faster than him. Most of all, I am more familiar with the snowfield. And I am more adept in using my skills than he is…”
“Play the long game. Do you understand, disciple? I am aiming for a drawn-out battle.”
Master laughed, then said playfully,
“But my opponent sees through my intentions. His movements become impatient. His sword cuts faster. He’s running toward me like a wild boar—.”
“But there is nothing to be scared of. I had already foreseen this. I step back, lightly, retreat back—.”
The landscape was drawn before my eyes.
“I keep walking backwards. My footsteps continue to be light. He acts like a wild boar, rushing in and throwing snow around in all directions—.”
The winter repeated, and the world turned into a permanent snowfield.
Bae Hu-ryeong rushed forward.
“—Snowflakes fly away with each step we take.”
I, too, started to be able to see their swords.