Chapter 353 : Leaving the Sky Ocean Merchant Union
Chapter 353: Leaving the Sky Ocean Merchant Union
Bukri Sehee brightened into a wide smile and stood when Yong Hwarin entered.
“How was it? This is a piece I played while thinking of you, Gaga.”
“I can assure you, soon the martial world will witness the birth of an unprecedented master of sound arts.”
“Really?”
“I never imagined my Mae would possess such outstanding talent in sound arts. If only you had learned it earlier.”
“But until then, I had no interest in martial arts. I’m learning sound arts only because I wanted to do something for you, Gaga. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have studied sound arts at all.”
After sharing a moment of warm conversation, Bukri Sehee set down her pipa and straightened her posture.
“I realized a few things while learning and playing tunes from Musician Urak.”
“Is that so?”
“When I tried infusing internal energy into my playing, I felt the notes stimulating the meridians inside my body. In other words, it seems he made me learn the song to help me grasp Sword Control with Qi. It’s as if Master Gwi Ryeongja set it up so that unless one could play the piece, they could never attain the enlightenment for Sword Control with Qi.”
“Ah, so that’s why he left that insight as a musical composition.”
An exclamation slipped from Yong Hwarin’s lips.
“Now I understand why the Royal Consort Record was passed down without ever being practiced. Normally, a martial artist would expect the essence of martial arts to be preserved as a mnemonic verse. So they must have dismissed the Royal Consort Record as just a trivial book by Gwi Ryeongja. Master Gwi Ryeongja must have thought, ‘If someone who can play my piece discovers this, they may have the right to attain this insight.’”
Leaving such enlightenment as a musical composition was an ingenious choice.
And had Musician Urak not obtained the Royal Consort Record, it might have remained classified as a miscellaneous book even now.
Even if Soyonghwa had acquired the Royal Consort Record, without the genius of Urak, who saw its resemblance to music, transformed it into a composition, and played it, she would not have been able to perceive its insight.
No one would have thought that the essence of martial arts could be hidden in music.
“We need to treat Musician Urak well.”
“Indeed, without him, the secret of the Royal Consort Record might have remained forever hidden.”
Yong Hwarin truly felt grateful to Musician Urak.
Although he had nothing to do with the martial world, if he hadn’t interpreted the Royal Consort Record as music, Yong Hwarin might never have reached the realm of Sword Control with Qi.
‘I must play the Royal Consort Song whenever I can to deepen my insight.’
Since he had already learned the piece, Yong Hwarin was extremely relieved that Bukri Sehee had resolved his doubts.
Without this knowledge, who knew how much longer he would have wandered in confusion?
When Yong Hwarin tried to leave the room, Bukri Sehee spoke with a disappointed expression.
“You’re just going to leave?”
Knowing exactly what she was feeling, Yong Hwarin gave her a brief hug.
“There are many things I must handle right now. I’ll come by tonight.”
At that, Bukri Sehee beamed.
Yong Hwarin stopped by the medical room to check on Jo Heon’s condition.
It was now time to send him to Hong Ayul.
“Master Jo, are you feeling alright?”
Jo Heon gripped his cane and barely managed to rise.
“I can at least walk, it seems.”
Though he spoke in a calm tone, Yong Hwarin could see that Jo Heon’s eyes carried a hollow emptiness.
The warrior’s vigor was gone; Jo Heon had become nothing more than an old man.
“Long ago, I wished to retire from the martial world and live out my days in peace. It seems the time has truly come for that.”
With his spine shattered, the fact that Jo Heon could walk at all was a miracle.
At least his dantian was intact, allowing him to move.
“I’ll escort you.”
“No. Even though this Jo Heon is now crippled, I have yet to abandon the soul of a martial man. I wish to walk there myself.”
“As you wish.”
“But how can I repay this kindness?”
“Please don’t think of it that way. Strictly speaking, I obtained the Azure Dragon Three Marbles in exchange for bringing you to Miss Hong.”
Jo Heon shook his head.
“That was a deal between Yulah and you, Young Master Yong. My personal debt to you remains unpaid.”
After limping a few steps, Jo Heon spoke again.
“I no longer need movement arts or footwork. So I wish to give you my ultimate technique.”
Yong Hwarin was startled at the offer of Jo Heon’s martial art.
“That way, I can leave the martial world with a lighter heart. How could I walk away with debts left unpaid?”
“How could I possibly covet Master Jo’s ultimate technique?”
He tried to refuse, but Jo Heon shook his head.
“I told you, it’s to settle my debt. My footwork is the Floating Toad Steps. You’ve seen it, so you know. In the current martial world, nothing surpasses Floating Toad Steps. If I had mastered it fully, I would not be in this state. But due to my lack of talent, I’ve only reached the Eight Stars Realm with it. I believe you could perfect Floating Toad Steps. If this art were to die out because of me, I’d have no face to meet Hwa Unggae.”
Truthfully, upon hearing it was Floating Toad Steps, Yong Hwarin could no longer refuse.
He had greatly coveted Jo Heon’s footwork after watching him fight Hoi Soyu.
Now, as if reading his mind, Jo Heon offered the secret manual, and Yong Hwarin eagerly accepted it.
Seeing this, Jo Heon gave a faint smile and let go.
“I would pass on the insights I’ve gained as well, but that would be like handing you another wall to climb. I’ll give you only the manual. If you master it fully and show me, this old Jo will be deeply moved. I’ve always longed to see the final step of Floating Toad Steps.”
The final step of Floating Toad Steps was the Alteration of Form and Illusion.
In the present martial world, there were only a few movement arts capable of achieving the Alteration of Form and Illusion.
The Vajra Immovable Body Technique of Shaolin, the Cloud-Drifting Steps of the Wudang Sect, and the Eighth Form of the Soaring Dragon Art of the Kunlun Sect were said to reach the Alteration of Form and Illusion when mastered to perfection.
The Floating Toad Steps was a legendary movement art spoken of on the same level as those techniques.
It would have been a lie to say he felt no greed for it.
“I’ll see you off.”
Though it was surely not easy for him to walk alone, Jo Heon steadfastly walked by himself.
Seeing that, Yong Hwarin suddenly thought to himself,
‘Could that be the true, hidden back view of a martial artist?’
Looking at Jo Heon, Yong Hwarin felt a deep sadness.
Before leaving for Shaolin, Yong Hwarin had been troubled over the matter of Hong Ayul and Deung Hwaun, so he sought out Jeong Minji for advice.
He felt that the wise Jeong Minji might be able to say something close to the answer.
He explained to Jeong Minji about Deung Hwaun’s past and her relationship with Hong Ayul, asking for her counsel on what to do.
Jeong Minji was initially so shocked by the explanation that she could not speak.
“In my opinion, since Madam Deung is close to Elder Demonic Master, it would be best to first consult with Elder Demonic Master. No matter how much we discuss it among ourselves, it’s meaningless. In the end, this is a matter that Madam Deung and Miss Hong must resolve.”
“I agree with you, Min Mae.”
Following Jeong Minji’s advice, Yong Hwarin went to see Demonic Master and told him the whole story.
Demonic Master’s reaction was not much different from Jeong Minji’s.
“The situation is similar to Madam Deung’s circumstances, but the children’s surname she mentioned is different, is it not?”
Yong Hwarin also knew from Deung Hwaun that the children’s surname was Gong.
He had wondered about that as well, but upon seeing Hong Ayul’s younger brother’s face, his doubts faded.
“I think it’s possible that, due to some circumstance, Hong Ayul’s surname may have changed later. Her younger brother resembles Madam Deung too closely, and the fact that the siblings grew up in Ihwa Palace is not something we can overlook.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Since Yong Hwarin spoke with such certainty, Demonic Master could not deny his words.
“I’m telling you this because I know Madam Deung has suffered for a long time over this matter. It doesn’t seem right to just ignore it.”
“If we keep silent, Madam Deung won’t know unless she meets Hong Ayul. But hasn’t her life been so harsh precisely because she was searching for her children? To hide this from Madam Deung, who had to become a demonic practitioner against her will, doesn’t feel like something a human should do.”
“I feel like I’m just troubling you with my worries, Elder.”
When Yong Hwarin apologized, Demonic Master placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Not at all. I’m glad that you trust me this much. I’m truly grateful that you took me and my daughter in, despite me being a demonic practitioner. I’ll handle this matter myself. You already have many things to think about; there’s no need to trouble yourself further over this.”
“I’ll leave it to you, Elder.”
“No matter how it turns out, leave it to me.”
Having passed the burden of this worry to Demonic Master, Yong Hwarin felt lighter.
The truth was, after learning this, it had been difficult for him to face Deung Hwaun.
Yong Hwarin then sought out Mu Iso.
“You’re about to leave for Shaolin, and I’m sorry I can’t accompany you.”
“Not at all. I know how busy Leader Mu is.”
Yong Hwarin took out the handwritten copy of the Floating Toad Steps from his robe.
He explained the origins and history of the martial art and added,
“Use this movement art to supplement the shortcomings of our sect’s Bamboo Forest Flying Dragon Steps.”
In truth, the Floating Toad Steps looked ugly, like a crawling dog.
Still, it was too valuable to discard just because of its appearance.
For a martial artist, throwing away one of the top five movement arts in the martial world solely because it looked unsightly was unacceptable.
So Yong Hwarin chose to re-establish the art, taking only the necessary parts.
“Ah, and I already have so much to do…”
“I already know that the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect have established our sect’s basic martial arts. Work a little harder.”
Mu Iso made a pained face.
“Even Elder Demonic Master avoids us these days. Lord Hae does as well.”
“Do whatever it takes to satisfy them and complete it. When I return from Shaolin, I’ll be expecting it to be finished.”
“Understood.”
Yong Hwarin gave a faint smile.
“Remember that the future of the Heavenly Central Sect depends on the Ten Prodigies. And grant them whatever they want. The escort agency will provide the funding.”
As he watched Yong Hwarin turn to leave, Mu Iso belatedly realized that this wasn’t what he had wanted to say.
After that, Yong Hwarin entrusted Hoi Jongbaek and Hoi Unkyung with looking after the rest.
When it came time to leave for Shaolin, more matters kept arising, so Yong Hwarin passed all the minor tasks on to Mu Iso and Jeong Minji.
After Yong Hwarin’s departure, Jeong Minji kept Gunwi and Gunyeom siblings close for longer.
This time, the siblings accepted her request without refusal and remained in the Sky Ocean Merchant Union.
Since their path to Shaolin lay along the way, Jo Gyeongmae, Jeong Suji, and Jeong Daji decided to travel together with Yong Hwarin’s group.
Jo Gyeongmae delegated her acting authority as head of the Geum Clan to Geum Yujin before leaving.
For Geum Yujin, with no father now, going to Shaolin had no meaning. Staying in the Sky Ocean Merchant Union to teach martial arts to Seok Unjeong felt far more worthwhile.
Yong Hwarin departed the Sky Ocean Merchant Union with Jong Seok, Mo Biyoung, and Pang Giyok, along with the others who had accompanied them.
Near Mount Song, Yong Hwarin parted ways with Jo Gyeongmae’s group.
Shaolin was located along the slopes of Mount Soshil, a different path from the one to Mount Taesil.
“I’ll see you again at Shaolin.”
When Yong Hwarin bid farewell, Jo Gyeongmae answered with a gentle smile.
“Indeed.”
Jo Gyeongmae then said to her two daughters,
“If you wish to attend the sparring of the Three Swords Beyond the Heavens, you may go with Young Master Yong.”
At first, Jeong Suji and Jeong Minji had thought to watch the duel of the Three Swords Beyond the Heavens.
But realizing that their current skill was not enough to pass through the formation set up at Jungeuk Peak, they changed their minds.
For them, assisting their mother was more important.
“We will stay with Mother.”
Though Jo Gyeongmae didn’t show it outwardly, she was inwardly pleased when her daughters said they would stay with her.
She felt that her daughters had finally opened their hearts to her.
Before, they would make any excuse to get away from her.
It had been because being together had felt uncomfortable.
“Yes, I want to be with you too. And if I want to boast about my beautiful daughters at Shaolin, I’ll need you there.”
Seeing how much Jo Gyeongmae had brightened, Yong Hwarin felt a rush of emotion.
“Take care on your way.”
Parting from Jo Gyeongmae, Yong Hwarin and his group headed toward Jungeuk Peak on Mount Taesil.