Chapter 166 : Settlement
Settlement
Jeong-un steadily gazed at Yeom Baek for a moment. It was because he had just heard something utterly unexpected.
'A word of thanks?'
It was something he hadn't thought of at all.
Strictly speaking, as Yeom Baek said, he had helped other warriors, but Jeong-un himself was still a martial artist belonging to the Heavenly Martial Hall.
In the end, he had only done what was expected of him.
And yet he was being thanked—by his superior, the corps leader at that.
The feeling was somewhat odd.
All the more so because Yeom Baek was a person who usually appeared indifferent to others, to the point where expressing emotions felt awkward.
Perhaps he had read Jeong-un's thoughts, as Yeom Baek smirked and spoke.
"You look as if you never expected to hear such words from me."
"To be honest, I was surprised. I thought you'd ask about that Blood Lord first."
"That's also something I should ask, indeed. However, I hadn't said what needed to be said, so I'm only doing it now."
Jeong-un recalled the moment right after he had appeared holding the head of the Blood Lord.
As soon as news of the man's death spread, the tide of battle shifted dramatically.
Soon after, they had pursued the remnants fleeing after throwing away their weapons, and immediately conducted a thorough search of the enemy stronghold.
There hadn't really been an opportunity for conversation.
"You said you dealt with their leader alone. Tell me the details."
Jeong-un briefly explained what had happened.
How he had first pushed ahead and broken through the enemy line so his comrades could follow, then climbed the mountain, defeated two High Priests together with Yong So-myeong, and, at last, how he beheaded the Blood Lord.
"......."
Yeom Baek wore a very grave expression.
Especially upon hearing that the Ming Cult leader had intervened in Jeong-un's fight with the Blood Lord, his brow narrowed deeply.
At last, he slowly spoke.
"According to the Black Snake Corps leader, it seems the Blood Cult installed a massive gate array across the entire mountain. Apparently, traces of it were discovered in several places on the slopes."
"A gate array?"
Jeong-un widened his eyes in surprise.
He already knew of gate arrays, having heard about them several times—and even experienced one, during their time at the Divine Physician's tomb.
'But I didn't sense a thing.'
This time was different.
There had been no sense of distortion clouding his senses, nor anything hampering movement.
In reality, he had beheaded his enemy without any restrictions at all.
Yeom Baek continued.
"It seems it was used to expand the enemy's ki sense. That's why, for me and the other corps leaders, a High Priest appeared—those who seemed to have activated the formation—while for you, the Blood Lord emerged. They knew everyone's location."
"I see."
He had found it strange too.
The man who ought to have been deep within the stronghold came running out of his own fortress directly at him.
'He was after me.'
The Blood Lord had tried to steal Jeong-un's essence using blood arts.
When Jeong-un deliberately drew attention by moving against the corps leaders' plans, the Blood Lord saw it as an opportunity.
Yeom Baek quietly murmured.
"And yet, the man ended up dying at your hands..."
"I gained an unexpected insight during the fight. It felt as if I suddenly leapt forward. Even the way I breathed while handling true ki changed."
Jeong-un spoke the words while recalling the sensation of the moment.
It was clear. He was split into before and after that point—fundamentally changed.
'Especially my mind methods.'
The circulation of meridians throughout his entire body was now completely different from One Illumination Movement Technique.
In fact, it could practically be considered an entirely new cultivation method.
True ki now pierced straight through his central channel, circulating throughout even the finest veins, scattering like a mist in his entire body.
'I'll need to refine it further later.'
It was a mind method reborn through real world combat.
He needed to observe his body more closely and solidify that flow.
Yeom Baek, who had been watching Jeong-un silently, nodded.
"It's common enough to hear of martial artists gaining enlightenment during battle and advancing to a new state. But not everyone is like you. At best, most just get better at controlling the trajectory or angle of their sword swings."
"I'm not much different. I simply organized the trajectories and mysteries of the sword strikes and moves I'd practiced so far, uniting them."
"... That's not what I meant."
Yeom Baek shook his head, his gaze peculiar, as if still harboring some doubt about what he'd just heard.
Then, as though unable to believe it, he muttered softly.
"You unified every path and secret of the sword into one? That's just..."
"...?"
"... In any case, not everyone achieves such rapid breakthroughs as you. You've now reached a realm comparable to the heads of great clans. Perhaps you're even on par with the legendary Immortals of the Old Sects. My judgment isn't keen enough to tell exactly, but..."
"I understand what you mean."
Jeong-un nodded, answering.
He could roughly gather what Yeom Baek meant.
He now stood apart, in a place on a different level from martial artists of his own age—not out of arrogance, but simply a fact his body could feel.
It wasn't about surpassing an age group; age itself had become meaningless.
"You are now a matter of great importance to the martial world itself. Many people will approach you from now on. You should prepare yourself."
"Yes."
He answered briefly.
He had already been approached by no small number of people for various reasons, though to Jeong-un, most felt much the same.
'I just need to stand tall.'
When meeting people, he tried to judge them by his own standards.
Like just earlier, when he dealt with Zhang Hak from the General Affairs Department.
"And, about that Demonic Cult leader. He's appeared before you again?"
"Yes. When we met before at Mount Song, he said he'd track my movements—it wasn't an empty threat. If he's intervening in a war like this, I suspect he's watching the movements of the Heavenly Martial Hall."
He didn't think the man was simply using others to observe him.
The Demonic Cult leader must have been carefully keeping an eye on the Heavenly Martial Hall's movements and, upon seeing them gather in one region, sensed something was amiss and followed.
As clever as that man was, it would still be impossible to place a spy within the Hall.
'He has excellent instincts.'
He realized that the Demonic Cult leader was tracking them, knowing they were aiming to destroy the Blood Cult.
And he must have guessed the Blood Lord would covet Jeong-un's energy, too, so he intervened—retreating only after confirming Jeong-un wasn't dead.
'He called me a "vessel".'
As to his true intentions, Jeong-un couldn't guess. Why did the man keep avoiding a real fight?
Not knowing his aim cast a strange shadow on Jeong-un's mind.
'... Enough.'
Jeong-un forcibly pushed away such idle thoughts.
After all, at the end of the day, the man was just another fiend of samawae to be cut down.
For Jeong-un, all of this was just part of the process—part of reaching the end of the sword.
If he let himself feel fear in that process, it would be impossible to reach the end.
"This next mission has to do with him."
"Pardon?"
A mission involving the Demonic Cult leader?
Yeom Baek nodded.
"It's best if you hear the details directly from the chief strategist. It's not my place to explain it."
"Understood."
"I'll organize what we discussed today and file a separate report. The chief strategist will likely summon you soon. Go rest for now."
"Thank you."
Thus, Jeong-un saluted and left the office.
Just as expected, as he left Yeom Baek's pavilion, many eyes were on him.
As Yeom Baek had said, there were eyes brimming with all sorts of emotions.
After meeting their gazes, Jeong-un raised his fists in a martial salute first.
"...!"
Those watching startled, hurried to return the salute. Jeong-un passed through them nonchalantly.
He had experienced all the martial world could throw at him. He knew that while he wouldn't bother with empty niceties, there was also no need to go out of his way to be hated.
He thus felt the step he had taken at the end of this mission was also a decisive step forward in his life.
* * *
Before he realized it, the fierce, biting wind that had once tore through his clothes had quietened, replaced by a soft breeze carrying the fresh scent of earth.
It was the breath of thawing land exhaling as it melted.
It was his second spring at the Heavenly Martial Hall.
'Time moves so fast. Or is it slow?'
Judging by how many times the seasons had changed, not much time had supposedly passed.
Yet the transformation he'd undergone in that time made everything before seem distant and unfamiliar.
Maybe it was because the 'density' he'd packed into recent months had been so different.
Ironically, the short time spent outside his room felt far longer than the ten years he'd wasted shut in.
Returning to his residence, Jeong-un finished a quick bath and immediately began several days of mental cultivation.
He planned to remain on his bedding training until Zhuge Cheon-woo summoned him.
He needed to refine his new internal cultivation method.
He cultivated the flow of energy he had discovered through several battles.
He could feel the clarity of the breathing he had learned through real-time exchanges, repeated in just a fleeting instant.
With each short breath in and out, an immense density of energy spread through his veins and flowed into his dantian.
This was not a martial art one could teach to others. It was something that belonged solely to him.
'I guess I'll never have a disciple.'
This wasn't something teachable.
This internal cultivation method would die with him. He simply felt that, instinctively.
Thus, he streamlined the movement of internal energy through his meridians.
It was as delicate as a master carving a sculpture.
'Time to forget One Illumination Movement Technique.'
Though it was the internal cultivation method that had made him what he was, now it was time to let it go.
To cling to it when he knew there was something better would be foolish.
Several days passed like that.
"Sir!"
Suddenly, a servant's voice called from outside his room.
Still seated in meditation posture, Jeong-un responded, and the servant continued.
"Scholar Jo Yoo-hyeon from General Affairs Department is here to see you."
Jo Yoo-hyeon? Somewhat surprised by the name, Jeong-un rose to his feet and replied.
"Please tell him I'll be right out."
"Yes."
When he stepped outside, he saw Jo Yoo-hyeon waiting in front of the pavilion's main gate.
Catching sight of Jeong-un, Jo Yoo-hyeon smiled and approached.
"How is your health? You went through a major battle, didn't you? I heard you haven't visited the medicine hall, either."
"I'm well. With all the other injured warriors, I couldn't take a bed away from those who needed it more."
Jo Yoo-hyeon watched Jeong-un with a soft laugh. For some reason, his gaze felt heavy.
Under that obvious stare, Jeong-un felt a bit awkward and was the first to speak.
"What brings you here? I assume you had business with me."
"Do you remember, on your first day here, I was the one who guided you? Do you recall?"
It was a rather out-of-the-blue remark, but Jeong-un nodded in reply.
"You explained a lot to me when I had no idea what was going on. I'm still grateful for that."
"Then you must also remember what I said back then—I was curious to see how many lines it would take before you graduated."
"Yes."
He answered a bit sheepishly, then finally asked.
"Are you here to settle the mission rewards?"
"Yes. The General Affairs Department is currently processing the merits of all the other warriors as well. It's a very busy time, but I specifically requested to handle yours personally."
"I see."
Jo Yoo-hyeon beamed.
"Well then, let's go. There's quite a bit prepared for you."