"Master… As long as it's not us, isn't that enough?"
As the Sword Sage looked over, the middle-aged Taoist followed his gaze and also looked at me.
What are they even talking about?
While I was puzzled, the middle-aged Taoist raised one eyebrow and asked,
"Come to think of it, I meant to ask — who is this person? He's not even wearing a daoist robe and looks unfamiliar."
There was a sense of caution in his tone.
It seemed that most of the Taoists here reacted this way when encountering someone who hadn't cultivated the Way like themselves.
The Sword Sage answered him.
"He is a man of the secular world."
"What? A secular person?"
Startled, the middle-aged Taoist quickly pulled something from behind his waist.
I instinctively reached for my Namcheol Sword, thinking it was a weapon, but it turned out to be a bamboo flute.
It had a jade-like luster and looked anything but ordinary.
The Sword Sage extended his hand between the two of us, gently mediating.
"Calm down, fellow disciple."
"What in the world is going on? You brought a secular person into Dohwaseon? If Master Jeongyang finds out, there'll be chaos."
"I was not the one who brought him here."
"You didn't? Then are you saying he came here of his own accord? But without permission, how could he possibly…?"
At that moment, the Sword Sage's throat moved subtly.
He seemed to be explaining something to him via jeoneummirip — a silent voice-transmitting technique.
As the middle-aged Taoist listened and nodded, his eyes widened and he looked at me in surprise.
"Is that true?"
"It is."
"Huh… how could such a thing…"
From his reaction, it was clear that I wasn't someone who should exist in this time or place.
There was no other explanation for such a response.
The Taoist reattached the flute to his waist and said,
"Then he has essentially inherited Senior Brother's path — he is not entirely unrelated to us."
"That's right."
Hearing this, the Taoist gave me a respectful salute and softened his tone.
"I apologize. I was rude without intending to be."
Though I felt slightly offended, I didn't want to make a scene. So I returned the salute and replied,
"It's fine. I'm glad we cleared up the misunderstanding."
"If you've inherited our senior brother's path, you're like a fellow disciple. May I call you..."
"Fellow disciple."
The Sword Sage called out to him and shook his head.
The middle-aged Taoist responded with an "Ah!" and nodded understandingly.
They were speaking in codes only they understood, so I couldn't make sense of it.
I asked the Sword Sage,
"What did he mean earlier when he said, 'As long as it's not us'? Why did he look at me?"
I asked directly.
If it were just a private matter between them, that would be one thing, but I was mentioned — so I was now part of it.
The Sword Sage replied apologetically,
"I'm sorry for saying such a thing without consulting you first."
"That's okay. But please explain what you meant."
He sighed deeply at my request.
Then, pointing to the damaged scriptures, he said,
"As you know, all of this happened because of my lack of virtue — it's the karma of raising a disciple poorly."
"How could that be your fault, Master?"
It was entirely that lunatic's fault.
From my conversations with the Sword Sage, I could tell — few people possessed such character.
If someone committed such acts under this wise man's tutelage, then the problem was with them. Either that, or they were rotten from the start.
"I cannot avoid responsibility for failing to correct his character."
"Then wouldn't it be right for you to go find him and guide him personally?"
The Sword Sage wasn't just a Taoist — he was also a master martial artist.
He had subdued both me and that person with a single shout.
"I don't think it would be difficult for you to capture him yourself."
The Sword Sage sighed again.
"Do you think I wouldn't want to do just that?"
"Then what's stopping you? Is there a reason you can't leave Dohwaseon?"
It was the middle-aged Taoist who answered instead of the Sword Sage.
"We cannot involve ourselves in worldly matters, nor can we leave this place."
"What do you mean?"
"A long time ago, we vowed — before the Three Pure Ones — never to reappear or intervene in the secular world. If we break that oath, we won't be able to ascend to the 36 Heavens, and we will even lose our wonyoungshin."
'Three Pure Ones'? '36 Heavens'?
I had no idea what they were talking about.
It sounded like something out of Daoist scriptures, but in short, it meant they were bound here and couldn't leave.
But if the situation was that serious, shouldn't they be willing to risk it?
Maybe sensing my doubt, the Sword Sage spoke.
"To lose one's wonyoungshin means to fall outside the cycle of karma — to lose both soul and spirit. In the end, it's the complete erasure of one's existence."
!!!
I didn't know the penalty was that grave.
Even if nothing else, the thought of soul and spirit being erased was terrifying.
If even the soul vanished after death, that would truly be annihilation.
"Then how did that person leave?"
The man named Ja Gyeongjeong was part of Dohwaseon.
Yet he had left. That meant he, too, had accepted that cost?
The Sword Sage shook his head.
"Only us eight Taoists made that oath."
Eight Taoists?
He must mean the highest-ranking masters of Dohwaseon, including himself.
Then theoretically, disciples who didn't make that vow could work together to capture him.
But was that difficult?
The Sword Sage clarified,
"But even all the disciples of Dohwaseon swore not to interfere in worldly affairs. Even if their souls weren't on the line, how can a Taoist break their own vow?"
"...So that man broke his oath."
"He essentially abandoned his path to the 36 Heavens."
The middle-aged Taoist clicked his tongue.
In other words, none of the Dohwaseon Taoists could go after him.
When the Sword Sage had earlier said he would go himself, he meant he was ready to sacrifice his very existence to take responsibility.
— Looks like they're about to ask for your help.
Of course I knew that.
It was obvious.
But I wasn't in a position to help the Sword Sage either.
— Why not?
Think about it.
I have to wait here until the scriptures are restored, and then return to where I came from.
But what if I leave Dohwaseon to go after that man and something happens? Or I can't return?
Then everything would fall apart.
I don't even know what time period the outside world is in right now.
— Then just say no.
That's also hard.
In a way, I'm living a second life because of the Sword Sage's precious relic.
It doesn't feel right to refuse flatly when I owe him so much.
— Yeah… you really are in a bind.
While I was struggling with this dilemma, the Sword Sage said,
"You must have guessed already, so I'll be frank. I want to ask you for this favor."
It wasn't that I vaguely noticed it — he had probably heard my conversation with Sodom Sword.
But this request… was just too much.
I couldn't immediately answer.
Then the Sword Sage raised the sword he had been holding high into the sky.
I wondered what he was doing — and then the blade began to shimmer and shine before a radiant light shot into the sky.
That was when it happened.
— RUMBLE! BOOM BOOM!
Suddenly, thunder roared throughout the cave.
Through a hole in the ceiling, I saw dark clouds swirling in.
Then, with a blinding flash, a streak of blue lightning passed through the opening and struck the cavern floor.
— BOOM!
It was lightning.
Blue flames sparked as the strike scorched the ground black.
I stared blankly at the Sword Sage's weapon.
What kind of magic was this?
The Sword Sage said to me,
"This is Cheondun, one of the eight sacred weapons of Dohwaseon."
"Ah…"
"It's a divine item capable of repelling demons and summoning thunder. I received it from a sage in Mt. Lushan during my training."
"This is… a sacred weapon?"
It was truly terrifying.
Thunder and lightning belonged to the domain of heaven and earth.
To wield such power through a sword — it was no ordinary item.
No wonder it was called a sacred weapon.
"That wretched one stole half of these sacred weapons and ran away."
"…That's extremely serious."
Now I understood why the middle-aged Taoist had reacted so strongly earlier.
If he escaped with such an item, there was no telling what havoc he could wreak in the outside world.
The Taoist clicked his tongue and said,
"At least it wasn't Cheondun or Master Jeongyang's Yeongbo Pilbeop. If it had been…"
He shook his head in horror at the mere thought.
The Sword Sage nodded in agreement.
Then the Taoist tried to persuade me.
"Think about it. Imagine what that man could do in the world with sacred weapons like this. Isn't it horrifying?"
"Fellow disciple. No matter what, if he's truly cultivated the Way, would he really abuse such sacred items? I'm just worried it might fall into mortal hands…"
"He killed three Taoists just to steal the weapons — what wouldn't he do with them?"
"…"
At that, the Sword Sage fell silent.
He let out a long, troubled breath.
If what they said was true — if that man was using sacred weapons to cause chaos — who in this world could stop him?
Moreover,
"...Even setting everything else aside, if that person possesses multiple such divine artifacts, how am I supposed to capture him?"
That was the biggest problem.
Even when we actually fought, his martial arts were in no way inferior to mine.
Even after undergoing the Blood Demon Transformation and using my full strength, I couldn't be sure I could win—so how could I possibly catch him?
"Were you perhaps planning to lend me that divine artifact, sir?"
I pointed to the Celestial Thunder Sword that the Sword Immortal was holding.
It had struck me as unusual.
Unlike the other swords, which had voices and will of their own, the one called Cheondun was utterly silent.
The Sword Immortal shook his head.
"That's not possible."
"Pardon?"
"Even with just the four artifacts that have left the sect, who knows what chaos they might cause. If you were to lose, Cheondun would be taken as well."
"...Then how am I supposed to capture him?"
Was he expecting me to risk my life and try to recover a divine artifact with my bare hands?
If that's the case, then I have no choice but to refuse.
Repaying kindness and throwing away your life are entirely different matters.
"Now, now. Let's not jump to conclusions. Do you think we'd ask something so reckless of you without any plan in place? Am I wrong?"
The middle-aged Daoist questioned the Sword Immortal.
The Sword Immortal fell silent.
The Daoist frowned, giving him a look that said, Don't tell me you really didn't think this through?
The Sword Immortal shook his head.
"That's not it. It's simply not something I alone can decide. This is…"
At that moment, the Sword Immortal trembled slightly and looked somewhere.
And he wasn't the only one.
The middle-aged Daoist also looked in the same direction.
Then, both of them knelt on one knee and performed a respectful Daoist salute.
I had no idea what was happening.
Soon after, both of them rose.
The middle-aged Daoist said to the Sword Immortal,
"So Master Jeongyang is watching after all."
"With how serious things have become, how could he not?"
Watching? What's being watched?
As I looked on in confusion, the Sword Immortal turned to me.
"Let's head to Jeongyang Hall."
…Jeongyang Hall?
---
I followed the Sword Immortal and the Daoist out of the cave to the largest sanctuary near the lake.
It was the only one with eight stories.
As we entered the first floor, I saw far more Daoists reciting scriptures than in the Sunyang Hall.
In this grand hall stood statues of the three highest deities of Taoism: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Taishang Laojun.
—That old Sword Immortal doesn't seem to be the top figure here.
"Heh heh."
At Sodam Sword's comment, the Sword Immortal chuckled heartily as if he heard it.
Though he didn't respond, I had similar thoughts.
Given the attitude of the Sword Immortal and the Daoist, it seemed someone of greater authority was here.
We ascended to the top floor, where there was a smaller hall.
Ah!
There were eight seats, and six were occupied by rather extraordinary individuals.
Each one stood out in some unique way.
—Who are those women?
Sodam Sword's comment made me look more closely. A woman wearing a white veil and holding a lotus flower sat next to another woman wearing only one shoe and a basket of flowers beside her.
On either side of them were Daoists—one in ragged robes holding a wine gourd, and another with a calm white mule behind him.
How bizarre.
The middle-aged Daoist greeted the seated elders and took one of the empty seats.
Across from the other empty seat sat a person wearing not Daoist robes, but what seemed like a bureaucrat's uniform.
"I, Yeo Mo, have come in response to Master Jeongyang's summons."
The Sword Immortal bowed deeply to the one sitting at the highest seat.
It was an old man whose belly was as swollen as that of a pregnant woman—and he made no effort to hide it beneath his clothes, holding a large fan in his hand.
—Just look at that belly. It's so hairy...
Enough.
You're making it hard not to stare.
I tried to avert my eyes from the old man's stomach, but his gaze was locked directly onto mine.
It was a profound gaze, as if it saw through everything.
Then, the old man known as Master Jeongyang spoke.
"I have already explained the gist of the situation to the elders here."
He already knew what had happened, even though he hadn't seen or heard it?
The Sword Immortal bowed his head apologetically.
"I deeply apologize to you, Master, and to everyone here for the chaos caused by my disciple's lack of discipline."
The old man shook his head.
"When I taught you long ago, didn't I tell you? All things unfold according to the natural order."
"Yes, Master."
"I too failed in training my disciple properly, so I hold no intention to blame you."
"..."
"But this is not something we can simply ignore. Sunyang, do you have any solutions to propose?"
With that, the old man looked at me.
Every gaze in the hall turned toward me.
The Sword Immortal drew a deep breath and spoke.
"My foolish disciple has fled with a divine artifact. He cannot be handled by ordinary means."
At that, the Daoist seated before the white mule spoke.
"Surely, you're not proposing to release more divine artifacts into the world?"
"Of course not, Senior Brother Jang," the Sword Immortal said, shaking his head.
Then the woman holding the lotus spoke.
"Then, Senior Brother, how do you plan to retrieve the artifact and capture Ja Gyeongjeong?"
Hardly had she finished speaking when the woman wearing only one shoe added,
"Senior Sister, surely you're not suggesting we ask that young man? He shouldn't even be here. His mere presence is already disrupting the natural flow."
...It's not like I wanted to be here.
If that bastard hadn't stolen Sodam Sword, none of this would've happened.
As I began to grow irritated, the middle-aged Daoist with the flute spoke.
"Sister, he did not come here of his own will. Even if we wanted to send him away, until the damaged scripture is restored, it's not possible."
At least someone was defending me.
I gave him a grateful look.
Then the Daoist in rags holding a wine gourd said,
"For now, let's hear what Senior Brother Yeo has to say. We can decide after that."
"Thank you, Brother Lee."
From their interactions, it seemed they were all senior and junior disciples under the same sect.
Even among those who pursued enlightenment, their thoughts were all vastly different.
I didn't know what I was doing stuck in the middle of them.
The Sword Immortal continued.
"As you all know, we Daoists of Dohwaseon cannot interfere directly in worldly affairs. However, that doesn't mean we can allow divine artifacts to cause suffering in the world. So I propose this."
He pointed to me and said,
"Allow this young man to act as our representative and pursue my rogue disciple."
Representative?
I couldn't stay silent at that.
"Master, with all due respect, I…"
"Please, let me finish before you decide."
"..."
I took a long breath and fell silent.
Fine. I'll hear him out first. I can still refuse afterward.
"This young man obtained a treasure I left behind and was guided here by fate. Do you really think that was a coincidence?"
His words stirred murmurs among the Daoists.
The Daoist with the gourd spoke directly.
"So you're saying all of this is the natural course of events?"
"Yes."
"How can you say that so confidently?"
"Out of all the people in the world, this young man got the treasure—and just happens to arrive here at the exact moment my disciple caused this chaos? Do you think that's coincidence?"
"Well…"
"Does it really seem like pure chance that he appeared precisely when no one from Dohwaseon could act?"
!?
The gourd-wielding Daoist scowled and fell silent.
The others seemed equally unsettled.
...Not a coincidence?
Even I started to feel confused by the Sword Immortal's words.
Come to think of it, the timing did feel strangely aligned.
Then, Master Jeongyang, sitting at the highest seat, spoke.
"You claim all this was destined to happen?"
"Didn't you once say it yourself, Master? That all things follow the flow of natural order."
"Hm."
He groaned as if lost in thought.
Then he spoke again.
"Even if that's true, how do you expect that young man to confront Ja Gyeongjeong, who has a divine artifact, when he himself possesses nothing?"
The woman with one shoe nodded.
"I agree with Master. Even if his martial skills are impressive, sending him into this is no different than throwing him into fire with his bare hands."
"That is why I must ask a favor of you all, Masters and Elders."
"A favor?"
"While this young man stays here in Dohwaseon for the next four years, I ask that each of you teach him one of your arts."
!!!
At those words, everyone inside the hall wore expressions of shock.
The Taoist in front of the mule spoke in disbelief.
"Hey, Priestess. You're not seriously suggesting we take this man as a disciple, are you? If we do that, he'll become part of the Fuse Line…"
"As I said, I'm requesting that he be taught under the status of a proxy, Senior Brother Jang."
"Sigh…"
The Taoist in front of the mule snorted as if completely dumbfounded.
The reactions of the other Taoists were no different.
They looked at me as if the idea was utterly ridiculous.
'What on earth is going on?'
I, too, was dumbfounded by her sudden proposal.
Who would've thought she'd ask these extraordinary Taoists to share their skills?
As everyone was reacting like this, the head of the group, True Man Jeongyang, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahahahahahahaha!"
The Taoists looked at him curiously at his hearty laugh.
After laughing for a while, True Man Jeongyang shook his head and spoke to the Sword Priestess.
"You still rely on luck, just as you always have."
"...I am sorry."
"If, as you say, this is the natural course, then it may be an answer too."
At his words, the woman holding the lotus flower was startled and raised her voice.
"True Man! Are you seriously considering accepting Senior Sister's request?"
"Do you have a better solution?"
"It would be better to let the disciples…"
"Are you saying we should abandon the Path of the 36 Heavens and send them away?"
At that, the woman Taoist with the lotus fell silent.
True Man Jeongyang chuckled heartily, then turned to the Sword Priestess and said:
"You've already taught this young man some of your skills, so you only need to teach the rest."
The Sword Priestess shook her head and replied.
"This all started because of me. How could I simply take responsibility with just one skill?"
"Then you mean to teach him as well?"
"Yes. If you allow it, I intend to pass on the Great Dao Celestial Concealment Sword Technique to him."
"The Great Dao Celestial Concealment Sword Technique? Ha!"
"Yes."
True Man Jeongyang clicked his tongue, then looked at the other Taoists and said:
"If Sunyangja is passing on a skill of that level, the rest of you must offer something of equal worth, or your pride will suffer."
The expressions on the Taoists' faces were quite a sight.