The Sword Demon Regresses

Chapter 5

“Disciple, what do you think a sword is?”

It was not a particularly difficult question. That was, if it had not been a question asked by the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance.

But ordinarily, one would naturally ponder what it meant.

After all, it was a question coming from none other than the Lord of the Unorthodox Alliance.

However, Youngho spoke without a moment’s hesitation.

“It is a tool for killing people.”

At those words, Cheonung unconsciously widened his eyes. It was a surprising reaction unbefitting of Cheonung.

“Yes. You are right. The hypocrites of the orthodox sects prattle on about ‘living swords’ and ‘life-giving swords,’ claiming they are swords that save people, but the reason swords were created was to kill people.”

Youngho genuinely agreed with Cheonung’s words.

A sword was something born to kill people. No matter how much a martial artist claimed to wield a ‘living sword,’ could it be that the one who wielded it had never once cut down a person with that sword?

Most people would say that they had cut someone at least once. For a martial artist, death was as commonplace as daily life.

Something that seemed far away yet always lingered close by—such was death.

A martial artist always lived with death at their side, whether it was another’s death or their own. Knowing this, Youngho could say that a sword was a tool for killing people.

Cheonung spoke as he waved the wooden sword up and down.

“What do you think of the movement I just showed you?”

“You waved the wooden sword roughly.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

With every exchange, Cheonung found Youngho more and more to his liking. People were naturally drawn to those whose thinking resembled their own.

Youngho never spoke in a roundabout way and always spoke bluntly and simply.

That was enough. A weapon was merely a tool. There was no need for grandiose words.

That was why Cheonung’s expression grew even more resolute.

“Did the wooden sword I just swung look threatening to you?”

“No. It did not look threatening in the slightest.”

“Good. Then let us assume that the wooden sword is a real sword.”

Once more, Cheonung waved the sword about in the air just as before.

“Now, how does it look?”

“You waved the sword around in the air.”

At those words, Cheonung nodded.

“Yes. But there is something you must bear in mind.”

Believing that Cheonung’s swordplay would truly unfold from this point on, Youngho began to focus with all his might.

“To a martial artist, a sword is thought itself. And if this wooden sword were a real sword, a person would die from merely swinging it like this.”

Nod.

Youngho nodded once.

“When you hold a real sword, you must always remember this. That someone may be injured or killed because of your sword, and that when you hold a sword, you must pour all of your attention into it.”

Cheonung began to swing the wooden sword with increasing force.

“As you learn the sword, the number of things you must protect will increase.”

Swaeek!

The sound of the sword slicing through the air rang out vividly, and the resulting pressure of wind stirred Youngho’s hair.

“First is your own life. A sword is only a tool. It is never more important than your life, whether it is a famed sword or a divine sword.”

Youngho listened carefully to his master’s words. Every single one of them was right. As expected, compared to the average orthodox sects swarming with hypocrites, the Unorthodox Faction was far more human.

“And the people around you whom you cherish. You are my disciple. Just because this is the Unorthodox Faction does not mean you may abandon your comrades, and you must have the ability to protect those around you.”

At that, Youngho clenched his fist tightly and nodded. The corpse of his disciple from before the Regression still came to mind.

But now was no time for pointless stray thoughts. Immediately clearing his mind, Youngho focused on Cheonung’s words.

Swaeek!

After swinging the wooden sword one more time, Cheonung retrieved it and spoke.

“For now, this much will do. In truth, this may look the easiest, but it is the most difficult. Even now in the martial world, there are many who cannot protect their own lives, and many who cannot protect those dear to them.”

Cheonung sensed that Youngho’s atmosphere had changed slightly, but he did not mind and continued.

“Remember this well. You are Unorthodox. You will live your life accumulating more resentment than gratitude. Therefore, possessing martial power that no one can dare to touch is a basic requirement.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Our idle talk has grown long. From now on, I will properly teach you my sword technique.”

“Yes.”

“My sword technique consists of four basic forms and one ultimate technique.”

It was something he already knew. However, Youngho deliberately put on a puzzled expression. After all, he was supposed to be learning the sword for the first time.

Cheonung, keenly noticing the doubt written on Youngho’s face, let out a small chuckle.

“I hear that it originally had ten forms. But as the martial art was refined, the number of forms gradually decreased.”

“I see.”

“First, I will teach you the four basic forms of the sword technique. I will teach you the ultimate technique later. It is quite difficult to handle, you see.”

“Yes, Master.”

Cheonung’s instruction was still gentle. Whenever there was something his disciple did not know, he answered without hesitation and also gave him time to think.

Since Youngho had to act as though this were his first time experiencing such things, he could not properly manage his expression. All he had to do was force himself to look surprised or slightly awkward, but strangely enough, that was the hardest part.

‘Ggh. I really am not cut out for acting.’

However, thanks to that awkward attempt at managing his expression, Youngho did not realize that his own face ended up looking even more puzzled.

Thus, for a full shijin, Cheonung taught Youngho the sword and instructed him in movement techniques.

After teaching most of the fundamentals, Cheonung turned around and spoke.

“If there is anything you do not know, you may come and ask at any time.”

“Thank you for your benevolence, Master.”

“You sound like an orthodox sect bastard.”

With those words, Cheonung’s figure vanished. Soon after, Cheonung arrived at the place where Cheongsol was.

“Have you arrived, Lord?”

“Did you wait long?”

“No.”

“He’s quite an interesting fellow.”

Cheongsol had not expected Cheonung to praise someone so highly, so he looked at him with a surprised expression without realizing it.

“Why are you making that face?”

“My lord, you are smiling right now.”

At those words, Cheonung unconsciously touched the corner of his mouth. Then, frowning, he spoke.

“I’m not smiling.”

“No, you were definitely smiling just a moment ago. The corners of your mouth suddenly dropped.”

At Cheongsol’s shamelessness in turning falsehood into truth, Cheonung looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, but soon opened his mouth as if it did not matter.

“He was very different from the rumors.”

“I was also quite surprised when I saw him.”

“And his talent in martial arts is exceptional as well.”

“Is he worthy of becoming the future number one under heaven?”

“The number one under heaven isn’t the old man next door, you know. And no matter how outstanding one’s achievements are when young, if the results are poor in old age, that brat will end up being nothing more than mediocre.”

“But isn’t your martial art different in nature from that of the Unorthodox Faction, Lord?”

“Even so, you never know. If that brat is the late-blooming type, that would be good for me too. The achievements of the disciples I’ve taken so far have been bad—far too bad.”

“Still, that means you have expectations, doesn’t it?”

At those words, Cheonung’s hand twitched unconsciously.

“That’s true.”

“That’s enough, then. What shall we do? Should we provide a bit more protection?”

“No, there’s no need for that right now.”

“He has only been learning your martial art for a single day.”

“That’s true. But my intuition is telling me so.”

Cheongsol’s expression stiffened for a moment. Cheonung’s intuition had been correct with a probability of ten out of ten until now.

Because it was Cheonung’s intuition, Cheongsol decided to simply trust it. Since ancient times, it had been said that the intuition of an absolute master was akin to foresight of the future.

“If that is how you see it, then it must be so.”

“So, what’s for lunch today?”

“Grandmother’s dongpo pork.”

“I’ll need some good liquor.”

“Please do some work before you eat, at least.”

The two chatted idly as they went to have lunch.

---

As Youngho entered his house, he spoke.

“Sopyung, are you there?”

“Yes, Fifth Young Master!”

When Youngho’s voice was heard, Sopyung greeted him as if she had been waiting.

“What’s for lunch today?”

“We recently slaughtered a cow, so I think we can grill that and eat it.”

“Really? Then let’s have meat dumplings as well.”

“Yes.”

With that, Sopyung hurried off to prepare Youngho’s lunch.

The moment Youngho entered the house, he sprawled out.

“It’s damn exhausting.”

Cheonung’s training was something he might have endured before the Regression, but with his current physical condition, it was absolutely impossible.

Unless he took some elixir, repeating Cheonung’s training day after day would leave him exhausted and collapsing.

Even so, Youngho had to do it. No, rather, he had to undergo training far harsher than Cheonung’s.

Feeling how important each day was, Youngho was already drawing up a training plan in his head.

For now, simply eating a lot and moving a lot would be enough to make him stronger, but once his realm advanced to a certain point, that alone would no longer suffice.

Of course, even training as he was now would make him twice as strong as before the Regression, but that was not enough.

‘At least four times stronger.’

Only then would he be able to endure even a little when fighting the Heavenly Demon alone.

The Evil Cult was a terrifying group. Not only the Heavenly Demon, but the cultists themselves were also extremely powerful.

The Guardians, in particular, were fearsome, with each one possessing martial power on par with Youngho during his days as the Sword Demon.

Youngho began organizing in his mind the events that would occur in the future and the things he had to do from now on.

He had to prevent the bloodshed that would occur from time to time and gather talent. The Evil Cult was not an opponent he could handle alone.

First, the thing he had to stop was…….

‘No.’

Right now, taking care of his own life came first. Having decided in an instant, Youngho’s gaze changed frighteningly.

Surviving within the Unorthodox Alliance was the top priority. There was no telling when Baekcheong and Hong Gakjeong, those bastards, might do something.

To do that, he needed time. After thinking for a moment, Youngho relaxed his expression when he saw Sopyung bringing the meat and helped her grill it.

“But Sopyung, why is the portion so small?”

“What? Is this not enough for you?”

“No, I’m fine, but aren’t you eating?”

At those words, Sopyung said in visible panic.

“What? I, I…….”

When Sopyung hesitated, Youngho placed a piece of meat into her mouth and spoke.

“Sopyung, stop talking and bring something for yourself to eat too. The meat is good, right?”

At that, Sopyung nodded unconsciously and chewed the meat.

Perhaps the taste of the meat was extraordinary, because Sopyung spoke with tears welling in her eyes.

“I’ll bring it!”

“Alright.”

For Sopyung, this was her first such experience. She was of humble origin. Seeing Youngho take such care of her despite her being nothing more than a maidservant made tears fall from her eyes without her realizing it.

Thinking of how Youngho did not look down on her for being a maidservant and treated her comfortably, Sopyung felt glad that he had such an approachable face.