Reincarnation of the Fist King Chapter 92

< The sword will be like a dream >

As soon as he sat down and received greetings from his juniors, he sighed.

"Anyway, Senior. Everything's fine, but please leave out that word 'cute.' I'm halfway through my life now."

The fanatic responded indifferently.

“What should I do? You still look like the youngest to me.”

“I also have more juniors now.”

“Yeah. Congratulations. Our youngest now has more juniors. Hahahahaha······.”

The youngest mentioned by Gwangsin here refers to the youngest of the famous Baekdo masters who participated in the Oreung Grand Battle. Geomje was actually the youngest at the time.

However, the sword masters of the time were among the few masters who were respected by Baekdo.

He was also one of the few undefeated swordsmen in the martial arts world. However, there was a story behind his undefeated status. Because of the presence of great swordsmen like Geomsin and Geomsung, Geomje wasn't the greatest swordsman of his time. His seniors and juniors all acknowledged that they were a level below him.

It is a tracking technique.

This was also the reason why the swordsman always wandered alone.

If the situation were unfavorable, he could easily escape from anywhere, thanks to his superb lightness. If he simply fled and disappeared, the enemy would feel relieved, but he would return like a ghost, launching a surprise attack.

It was a surprise attack by the sword master.

When he returned after assessing the situation, he had studied the enemy's martial arts and the characteristics of their passing ability. He then quickly reduced the area to ashes and disappeared again.

The nickname he earned by repeating this in the martial arts world was Iron Blood Sword Master.

It is said that among the countless men who run away, the strongest man is the sword master.

It was the same in the Twelve Swords and even in the Battle of Orung.

Even though the sword master was approaching half a century old, the title of fanatic remained unchanged.

The swordsman said to the fanatic.

“What brings you to the world of martial arts? I thought I’d never see you again.”

The fanatic replied.

"If I were to return to the world of martial arts, the reason would be obvious. Our cute junior's hair is turning gray now. Aren't you married yet?"

The inspector replied.

“How can a foolish man who carries a sword get married?”

The fanatic asked.

“You still can’t forget the demon?”

“Who would forget the line?”

Yoseon was a master who died in the Battle of Orung and was the disciple of the previous Baekryongmun master. This made her the disciple of Joo Yeon-wol, the Baekryongmun master of her time. A beautiful and strong female master, she possessed a remarkably bright personality, making her the object of envy for many men.

The fanatic casually poked at the sword master's sore spots, and the sword master responded with aplomb. The two men were well aware of each other's sore spots.

The swordsman spoke to Cheol Myeong-ho, Baek Yak, and Dan Woo-seong.

"Tell me your juniors' names and nicknames. I'm just called Geomje. I've abandoned my name."

When Yoseon died, he abandoned his name, along with many aspects of his life he had clung to. In a way, all that remained was kendo.

“My name is Cheolmyeongho.”

“It’s a cure-all.”

The swordsman looked at Danwooseong.

“And you?”

Introduced by Gwangshin.

“I am the disciple of the King of Fist.”

The inspector nodded.

“Ah, Woosung was your disciple. Nice to meet you.”

Danwoo Sung had a hard time controlling his expression when his name was called in a friendly tone from the sword master's mouth.

“I am Lee Jin-eon.”

"Lee Jin-eon? I've heard of it. Oh, so you're the junior from the upper class that the leader mentioned."

The fanatic said with a smirk.

“How does it compare to the King of Fist?”

The inspector responded immediately.

"Woosung was stronger than the world knew. But you're also a great disciple. Did you teach him, too, senior?"

The fanatic shook his head.

“No way. It’s just that we got along well because of our dirty personalities.”

The swordsman smiled.

“As expected. To get along with seniors, you have to have a bad personality like mine.”

Even fanaticism was acknowledged.

“Well, I guess you have to have a nickname like Iron Blood to be considered suitable for me.”

When the inspector held out a glass, Danwoo-seong poured tea for him.

The sword master revealed an old secret that even Danwoo Seong did not know.

“Woosung had been challenging me all along, but I deliberately didn’t accept it.”

Danwoo-seong stared blankly at the sword master. He hadn't understood why the sword master had avoided him all this time, but the reason flowed out so naturally from the man himself.

The swordsman's words continued.

"As you know, your master's martial arts were anything but average. He engaged in a close combat with the Kunlun faction, breaking the limbs of several Taoist priests and defeating them. He also fought a major battle with the Jongnam faction. How could that be considered a close combat? It was a fight. Your master had many enemies even in Baekdo. Above all, his martial arts weren't suited to close combat. Furthermore, neither Woosung nor I were the best in the world, so close combat was somewhat meaningless. I never bothered to tell you all this, but now that you're gone, I miss you and regret it. It was difficult for us to get along."

The sword master, who spoke with a forlorn expression, didn't rise even after drinking his tea. It seemed his mind had been sank as he thought about the king.

Dan Woo-seong let out a brief sigh as he listened to the story of his past life. In his view, the only way to fight was to die. Even within Baekdo, there were such differences of opinion, so he had no intention of criticizing others' views.

Danwoo Seong said.

“I heard that too.”

The inspector asked.

“Senior, would you like to have a drink? Are you busy?”

The fanatic said with a start.

"You drink? You've gotten old. You used to only drink water."

The inspector said to Cheol Myeong-ho.

“Please order me a drink.”

The inspector closed his eyes for a moment after speaking. He spoke as if the fanatic was absurd.

“Here he goes again.”

The fanatic explained to his juniors why he was closing his eyes while pointing at the sword.

"It's called the Soyoan (逍遙眼). It's a martial art that uses the mind's eye. It's a rare martial art from the Seondo (仙道) lineage. With my eyes closed, I'm discerning your energy. It's said to be the most difficult martial art to learn in the Sword Master's school."

As Gwangsin had instructed, Geomje memorized the qi of Danwooseong, Cheolmyeongho, and Baekyak through his Soyoan. Because each person's qi possessed a unique form and shape, Geomje's method of distinguishing individuals was truly unique. Once he grasped them through his Soyoan, disguises and human masks were completely ineffective against Geomje.

After Cheol Myeong-ho placed the order, he asked.

“You’re saying you can see it with your eyes closed?”

“That’s what it is.”

The fanatic laughed heartily.

“That’s why you suffer when you’re in the presence of the swordsman and the swordsman. They follow you to the end.”

The sword master suddenly opened his eyes with a somewhat surprised expression and looked at Baekyak.

“Hey, Miss Baek.”

Baekyak replied.

"yes."

“Are you the descendant of Baek Mu-jin?”

Baekyak smiled.

“Yes.”

The swordsman looked at the fanatic with a surprised expression.

"It seems something big is about to happen in the martial arts world. The balance between Baekdo and Mado has never been lopsided. Twenty years have passed, so everything should have recovered. The ones I'm chasing are also more immortal than they were during the O-Ryung War. With you, my senior, and Baek Mu-jin's descendants… that's a relief. And you."

The swordsman looked at Danwooseong.

"You surpassed your master at such a young age. Woosung will be very pleased."

It was the moment when the sword master officially acknowledged that Danwoo-seong had surpassed the realm of his previous life.

Danwoo-seong nodded, looking at the swordsman. Far from being happy, his feelings were complicated and filled with sorrow.

"Now I'm getting recognition from my seniors. It took a long time."

When the alcohol came out, everyone fell silent for a moment.

Danwoo Seong was the first to pick up the bottle and fill Gwangsin's glass. Next, Geomje, Cheolmyeongho, and Baekyak followed suit.

Today was Danwoo Sung's first time drinking with a swordsman. He found himself repeating his own name again, as if he'd lost himself.

“This is Lee Jin-eon.”

The inspector tilted his head and looked at him.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you earlier?”

Danwoo Seong replied with a bitter expression.

“Oh, I forgot.”

When I was living in the upper reaches of the galaxy, I didn't really care about names, but when I met someone I knew from my past life, I was truly confused.

The inspector spoke while carefully examining Danwoo Seong.

"You're surprisingly similar to the Kwon Wang's junior in prayer. I've often heard you go around seeking disciples, but your talent for finding disciples is far superior to mine."

The fanatic opened his eyes wide.

“Oh, you still haven’t found a disciple?”

“I’m busy. Senior, there are a lot of guys to kill.”

Gwangsin smirked while stroking Cheolmyeongho's head.

“How about this guy?”

The inspector said while looking at Cheolmyeongho's fierce face.

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-six.”

“Give me your hand.”

When Cheol Myeong-ho reached out his hand, Geomje grabbed his wrist and laughed heartily.

“You just ate a few elixirs and haven’t learned the secret method yet?”

"yes."

“You’re filled with a turbid aura. At least you didn’t drink much.”

“Are you a member of the National Assembly?”

"no."

Cheol Myeong-ho pulled his hand away with a sullen expression and asked Dan Woo-seong.

“Why didn’t you tell me the secret method?”

Instead of Danwoo Seong, Geomje spoke.

“What is your relationship?”

“We are friends.”

"The Oryo-sect, a sect of the Fist King, only accepts one disciple. Since they're the ones who will lead the next era, it's only natural that they can't teach their secret methods to a friend their own age. The age difference would have to be at least twenty years. Since it's a one-person tradition, how could I teach the Oryo-sect's secret methods to you? And the same goes for me."

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

“Oh, I see.”

The fanatic said.

“So, will you accept me as your disciple or not?”

The inspector chuckled.

"Senior, you shouldn't be arguing about things like this. But still, finding a disciple isn't an easy task. I've just seen it for the first time."

The fanatic said with a laugh.

“Hori, how many times have you swung the Samjae Sword Technique?”

“Thirty-two thousand… I forgot. I’ll just start over at thirty-two thousand.”

The inspector said with a hearty laugh.

“You said you used the Samjae Sword Technique 320,000 times?”

"yes."

“That’s unusual.”

The swordsman looked at the fanatic and said.

“Senior, aren’t you looking for a disciple?”

“My personality?”

I felt that teaching Cheol Myeong-ho the Hori-changsul was something I didn't even consider a disciple. It felt like I was just teaching him martial arts on the spot, in keeping with my free-spirited nature.

The inspector asked.

“Oh, what about me?”

“······.”

The swordsman and the fanatic glared at each other and then burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha······.”

The swordsman looked at Danwooseong.

“Hey, junior.”

"yes."

“From now on, I will call you the King of Power.”

After Danwoo Sung said he understood, the drinks were passed around again. After a while, Geomje asked Baekyak.

“Miss Baek, how many of the Four Great Secrets have you completed?”

“I couldn’t finish the last one.”

The inspector nodded.

“Excellent. Excellent.”

He asked as if Baekyak was a miracle.

“How do you know the Four Great Arts that our family has mastered?”

The inspector chuckled.

"How could I not know? My master's master, that master's master, that master's… Anyway, going back, there was someone who even competed with Baek Mu-jin. Our clan is quite old, too. Just like yours."

It was not that old, but it could be said to be the oldest Buddhist sect in the world.

This time, the inspector took a bottle of wine and poured it into people's glasses, saying:

"Senior, may you live long and prosper. It's a blessing from the world that you've come out to help your juniors. And Myeongho, you've finished your big job."

"yes."

“In a state where I couldn’t save my disciple.”

"yes."

“If you were alive, I would consider it then.”

"yes?"

First of all, Cheol Myeong-ho must survive.

Even though he survived, the sword master couldn't save his disciple.

It was true that there were many difficulties because he meant to accept me as his disciple only after completing a big task.

Cheol Myeong-ho asked back while politely accepting the drink with both hands.

“No, sir. If you don’t want to accept it, just say no.”

"ha ha ha."

This time, everyone burst into laughter at Cheol Myeong-ho's words. The drinking party was filled with people of all ages, with lives and perspectives that shared nothing in common, yet the atmosphere was pleasant.

After the inspector filled his glass with alcohol, he lifted his glass and looked at Danwoo Sung intently as he spoke.

"Your master's enemy is also my enemy. I wanted to have a drink with the King of Fists when I was older, but you took that opportunity away from me. You should drink this drink with me today instead."

Danwoo Seong answered while raising his glass.

"When you've resolved the big issue, saved your disciple, and have no more worries about this world, I will challenge you on your behalf. Please accept me then."

As the people looked at the sword master, he drank his wine in silence. He gazed at Danwoo Seong, then rose from his seat and drew his sword before the people's eyes.

It was such a sudden action that everyone was speechless.

The swordsman pointed his sword at Danwoo Seong and said:

“Do you think I trained my sword to defeat you? No.”

This time, the sword master boldly aimed his sword at the fanatic.

“Did I learn the sword to defeat my senior? No.”

The sword master smiled faintly and said while swinging his sword lightly.

"We are swordsmen who run and run again. We are swordsmen who survive and are reborn. For men who can relieve the loneliness they've endured by simply gazing at the moonlight, it will be a dreamlike experience for us to live as a magician…"

The fanatic burst out laughing and hit his knee.

“Hey junior, are you drunk?”

The inspector said as he took a step back.

"I'm a little drunk, seniors and juniors. I'm going to run away again. Let's meet again alive."

Then, as Geomje unleashed his lightness, he was suddenly swept away by a gust of wind, and before he knew it, he had become a gale, plunging into the wilderness. He was a man possessing a unique charm, unlike any other. While Cheol Myeong-ho, Dan Woo-seong, and even Baek Yak were marveling at Geomje's miraculous demeanor, Gwangsin spoke, as if breaking a labor pain.

“Anyway, I told you, you’re cute. You’re just like when you were little.”

Cheol Myeong-ho seemed to be deeply moved.

“So that’s what a swordsman is like. Where is the Buddhist temple?”

The fanatic muttered.

"Well, I'm not sure. Perhaps they're descendants of the Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin. They're the same, master and disciple. Their nicknames are different, but their actions are always called Sword Immortals. When the going gets tough, they live as immortals, and when the magic is rampant, they emerge as emperors."

Danwoo-seong stared for a long time at the place where the swordsman had disappeared. Only then did his long-held misunderstandings about the swordsman begin to clear up.

< The sword will be like a dream > End

ⓒ Eugene Sung