Chapter 7
After finishing his conversation with Do Unjang, Jaseong sat in the upstairs inner chamber of the Moon Castle Pavilion, catching his breath for a moment.
Moonlight streaming through the window faintly illuminated the room.
Jaseong opened his palm and gazed at the third-rank badge of the Hao Sect.
The red "三" character engraved on the black wood glimmered subtly under the moonlight.
'With this, I've taken my first step in establishing a power...'
It was a feeling too complex for words. He, who had once drifted along the bottom of the Red Light District, was now the branch leader of an organization.
Shaking himself free from his emotions, Jaseong slowly rose from his seat.
As he descended the dark corridor and the stairs, the courtesans—who had been holding their breath—peeked out one by one upon hearing his footsteps.
It seemed they were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Jaseong!"
Hyang-I was the first to run up to him. The traces of tears were still vivid on her face, but now it was filled with relief.
"Really... thank you. Thanks to you, we're all safe!"
The other courtesans soon gathered around Jaseong as well. Their eyes, now looking at him as if he was their savior.
"Sniff... thank you, Jaseong. If it weren't for you, today this Moon Castle Pavilion would've become a playground for those bandits..."
"Because of you, not a single one of us was harmed. If you hadn't been here, who knows what would have happened..."
The courtesans all vied to express their gratitude.
Looking at them, Jaseong did not mention that he had become an official of the Hao Sect.
'It will be better to reveal things little by little when I start bringing the courtesans into the Hao Sect as members later.'
But as Jaseong was murmuring inwardly—
"What, what is that...?"
"Those are the bandits from Iron Ring Fortress...!"
"Are they all... all dead? Are they really dead?!"
Noisy shouts rang out from the entrance of Moon Castle Pavilion.
At the uproar, Hyang-I moved to the window and peered outside.
"Merchants from the Red Light District are gathering. I guess they heard the commotion."
Soon after, several people entered the pavilion: the owner of the cloth shop, the butcher, the innkeeper, and so on.
All their eyes were wide with shock.
"Just who in the world dealt with these fiends...?"
At the merchant's question, one of the courtesans stepped forward to recount the incident.
The moment she finished speaking, all eyes of the merchants simultaneously turned toward Jaseong.
"You're saying Jaseong did all of this...?"
The hardware store owner asked in disbelief.
"That brat who always brawled with the thugs in the back alley...?"
Next, the cloth shop owner asked in a trembling voice.
"Ja, Jaseong... have you become some high master of the Righteous Faction? What on earth happened to you in just half a year...?"
One after another, the merchants—after the courtesans—began to surround Jaseong, expressing their astonishment.
Some merchants even expressed their gratitude fervently.
"For those fiends who stole our goods and harassed our daughters when bored to be gone... We're truly grateful, truly...!"
"If you ever come to our brothel, you'll never be charged for drinks again!"
"We'll serve you free meals anytime at our Chang'an Inn!"
"Jaseong, you are the savior of our Red Light District...!"
The merchants, some even in tears, shook Jaseong's hand.
It was only natural, given how much they had suffered at the hands of the Iron Ring Fortress bandits.
They had had to pay "protection fees," their stores were smashed if they resisted, and sometimes even their families targeted by these fiends.
Now, for those bandits to have been utterly destroyed by Jaseong—it was enough to make anyone feel a rush of liberation.
Surrounded by so many people, showered in praise, Jaseong felt slightly strange inside.
Just half a year ago, he had been living at the very bottom of the Red Light District.
Now, he was receiving the treatment of a hero.
A beggar boy who had survived by picking at leftovers was now someone people looked up to.
Naturally, this was advantageous for Jaseong, the new official of the Hao Sect.
If he was going to build his own power, he needed a 'reputation'.
In the back alleys and Red Light District where the law could not reach, a reputation was as good as power—and that was the nature of the underworld.
That was why making his presence known like this was highly beneficial for expanding his influence in the future.
Suaa—
Just then. A white mist abruptly arose before Jaseong's eyes, and a majestic voice echoed in his mind.
〈The first Heaven's Mandate has been fulfilled... A layer of the Celestial Realm's restrictions has been lifted.〉
The instant he heard that, a chill ran down Jaseong's spine.
Just as he expected—after accepting the offer to become an official of the Hao Sect, he had fulfilled the Heaven's Mandate of 'forming a power.'
Chwararak!
The next moment, a translucent manual opened before his eyes.
The sword immortal's manual—Heaven Evading Way.
With the Celestial Realm's restriction unlocked, a new chapter appeared in a way he had never seen before.
[Chapter Two: Swordsmanship]
Upon seeing this, Jaseong unconsciously clenched his fist.
'At last... I can learn sword techniques.'
It was only natural that he trembled with excitement.
With nothing but the Heaven-Evading Breathing Technique, Jaseong had become strong enough over half a year to cut down twelve bandits at once.
But now, it was the swordsmanship of an immortal.
That too, the sword art of the greatest master of all ages, sword immortal Lü Dongbin...!
'... Just how extraordinary will the martial technique I'll learn this time be?'
His eyes sparkled with anticipation as he trembled in excitement.
* * *
Afterward, Jaseong left the Moon Castle Pavilion. Swiftly crossing the Red Light District, he found a secluded spot nearby.
Halfway up a hill, in a quiet place with a few scattered trees and only the rustling of grass in the wind.
"This spot will do."
Jaseong stood in the center of the clearing.
Then, bringing out the translucent Heaven Evading Way manual only he could see, he opened up the newly unlocked Chapter Two.
At that moment—
Goooo—
A strange wind suddenly swept the clearing. Tree branches shook violently, and fallen leaves whirled into a vortex.
'What...?'
Jaseong's eyes widened in confusion at the bizarre phenomenon.
Even stranger, his crown of the head suddenly heated up, and the Samadhi Eyes activated of their own accord.
Suaa―
Time slowed down, and the world was dyed in colorful auras. At the same time, beams of light rained down as the void split open.
Within the light, a figure gradually emerged.
'... Who is that?'
Jaseong instinctively brought his hand to his sword hilt.
When the light receded, there stood a child. A boy, probably no older than seven, shorter than Jaseong's waist.
The boy wore spotless white robes with not a speck of dust, his long hair carefully tied and hanging down.
What caught Jaseong's attention above all was the boy's clear, deep gaze.
There was an intimidating pressure within that gaze, utterly unchildlike.
"What are you...?"
Jaseong asked warily. At that moment, the boy gave an astonishing answer.
"Show respect. I am a being who's lived for hundreds of years more than you."
"What...?"
"I am Baek Cheon-gwang, who was the seventh performer of the Heaven's Mandate."
"......!"
Jaseong's eyes twitched.
He had not imagined that there were other Executors of Heaven's Mandate appointed by the Celestial Realm before him.
"You are the new executor of Heaven's Mandate, chosen by Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin."
"... Yes, that's right."
"Heh. So much tension in your shoulders. Well, I was the same when I became an executor for the first time. But...."
"?"
"Did Sword Immortal ever tell you what happens if you fail to fulfill the Heaven's Mandate?"
Baek Cheon-gwang asked with a twisted smile on his lips.
Naturally, Jaseong's face showed even more confusion than before at the question.
"I've never heard that?"
"You become like me."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Drifting forever between the Celestial Realm and the world, eternally adrift in the current of time."
"......!"
"You become someone who belongs to neither world, spending eternity alone in darkness. Except for a special moment like this one."
A deep loneliness shone in Baek Cheon-gwang's eyes as he smiled crookedly.
It was chilling to hear. To spend hundreds or thousands of years alone, trapped in darkness.
It was a punishment beyond imagining.
However, Jaseong did not so much as flinch.
"It doesn't matter. If it's for the sake of my goal, I can bear any risk."
Jaseong replied with a blank expression.
It was the unvarnished truth. If he could avenge his eldest brother, his sister-in-law, and his nephew—he would sell even his soul.
"......."
Staring at the chill and venom in Jaseong's eyes, Baek Cheon-gwang fell silent, indecipherable thoughts in his gaze.
Then, after a moment, he spoke again.
"Well, fine. The reason I'm here is to teach you the basic swordsmanship of the Heaven Evading Way."
"You are going to teach me?"
"At your current level, you're incapable of understanding Sword Immortal's teaching. Even the simplest enlightenment is far out of your reach."
"......."
"That's why he sent me. Of course, I can't stick around forever and teach you swordsmanship. I've been given only four days. After that, you have to find enlightenment on your own."
Just four days... It was a terribly short time.
Yet Jaseong nodded, accepting without protest.
"What will be the first sword technique I learn?"