Chapter 50 – The Student Surpasses the Master

Chapter 50 – The Student Surpasses the Master

He was on his way back to the guest room after finishing his meal.

'The Alliance is looking for a flower?'

Tilting his head, San-ho sorted through his complicated thoughts.

No matter how many times he thought about it, there was only one flower they would be looking for.

Borrowing a Flower to Present to Buddha . A bizarre flower that absorbed the internal energy of the host it parasitized.

His next thought was this.

Could they be trusted?

The Martial Alliance was the central focus of the orthodox martial world, a symbol of trust and righteousness. To San-ho, a martial artist of a prestigious family, it should have naturally been a trustworthy faction.

However, there was also a clear reason why he could not trust them so easily.

After all, were not the villains of Ghost Sword Valley and Murong Tak all orthodox martial artists? In the end, everything else had simply become useless in the face of human greed and twisted beliefs.

'What if…'

What would happen if there was someone among them who held the same beliefs as Murong Tak? What if there were those who, like the villains of Ghost Sword Valley, thought nothing of harming others for their own achievements?

Humans with twisted beliefs were dangerous.

San-ho knew that fact better than anyone.

'The secret manuals written by Tang San-ho are three in total. He has found one of them, and the book with similar content is Tae Ju-ha's. If all of these are secret manuals that originated from the same root…'

"Isn't this a bit dangerous?" San-ho muttered softly.

He had not expected there to be a time limit on the journey he had embarked on. As the Martial Alliance's search unexpectedly closed in, his heart grew anxious.

"Since I can't remember, nothing is certain."

The past was merely a sequence of events that had already occurred. That fact did not change.

Yet, that did not mean the past, which was nothing more than a memory, did not affect the future. The past revealed its presence at every moment, threatening the future.

Ultimately, life was a continuous collection of events happening under the law of cause and effect. But what if one could not recall the past that affected both the present and the future?

"Ugh… What sin did I commit in my past life?"

San-ho rubbed his dry face with a tired expression.

Out of the hundreds of millions of people living in this vast Central Plains martial world, why did he have to enter Tang San-ho's body and go through such hardship?

How nice would it be if he were someone who could live in the future without trouble, even if he didn't know his past? In this harsh Jianghu, there was not a single person he could trust, and yet his biggest obstacle was himself! He could not believe this mind-boggling situation.

'First… I have to find Tae Ju-ha faster than them. I need to restore my memories to do anything.'

Before that, there was no point in worrying any further. Nodding as if he had made up his mind, San-ho opened the door to the guest room.

Clack.

The lid of a bowl, kicked by his foot, rolled away.

San-ho slightly furrowed his brows as he looked at the small tray placed in front of the door. It seemed the rolled-away lid had come from here. The neatly arranged dishes caught his eye.

"Ah… again?"

Life was mostly hardship and adversity. Such problems did not always happen one at a time, either.

In San-ho's already complicated mind, there was another problem occupying a corner.

It was none other than the Snail Bride.

'What should I do about this…'

Lately, the Snail Bride's visits had become frequent. There would be food left in front of his door at the time his early morning training ended, or when he returned from his work at the Drunken Lotus Pavilion, his washed martial robes and a cleaned room would be waiting for him.

It was something to be grateful for.

If there was just one problem, however.

'…The Snail Bride is way too bad at housework…'

It was that the Snail Bride's handiwork was like a disaster.

The first day, he had suspected poisoning after eating the food left in front of the door.

On the next day, seeing the dishes neatly arranged on the small tray, San-ho had been shocked. Was this a finishing blow because he hadn't died? How thorough. The taste was so mind-blowing that it made him shake his head in disbelief.

As that event repeated every time, he even realized that there was a certain pattern to it.

The chicken dishes tasted like burnt candles, and the pork dishes tasted like stepped-on grass. The seafood dishes tasted of military boot foot odor, which briefly triggered his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Was that all?

The washed martial robes had frayed fabric, and after being washed three or four times like that, the edges would snap off, leaving loose threads dangling. He could not understand how one could wash clothes to make sturdy martial robes turn out like this.

Cleaning… He did not even want to talk about that.

There was something he had always felt when staying in the annex with Sawol. It was that cleaning did not show, no matter how much one did it. If you didn't do it, the dirtiness showed, but no matter how clean you swept and wiped, it hardly showed.

Therefore, if it was noticeable that cleaning had been done, it meant something was terribly wrong.

On the days the Snail Bride cleaned, something was always broken here and there, wet, or moved to a bizarre location. He really wanted to ask why the vase that was by the window had been placed inside the drawer…

Sighing, San-ho stared at the food placed on the small tray.

"Just looking at it makes me feel bloated."

The appearance was spectacular, so how did it taste like this?

At this point, he became curious.

Was it perhaps hazing? How could they torment him in such diverse ways…

"…Huh?"

Diverse ways?

An idea suddenly flashed through his mind, causing San-ho to let out a short gasp.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Gaining a new realization from the Snail Bride's torment, San-ho's eyes widened. The past was already a collection of events that had occurred. And that was fair to everyone.

***

Late at night, Do Yi-gyeom's quarters.

San-ho knocked on the door of the room, inside of which a light flickered.

"Manager, it's San-ho. Are you inside?"

"Come in."

Do Yi-gyeom closed the book he was reading and welcomed San-ho.

"What is it?"

"I came to request a spar."

"It's not as if you achieved a major breakthrough in a single day… Is it indeed related to the matter of Sogu Village?"

"…"

"I did not know Hyeon-ryang's sister lived in Sogu Village, but I have heard rumors of that place. Judging by your reaction, it seems you caught the Tiger Ghost that was said to live on that mountain."

As San-ho averted his eyes and stealthily checked his reaction, Do Yi-gyeom asked.

"By any chance, do you have the thing the Martial Alliance is looking for?"

"…"

Should he say he had it, or should he say he didn't? Did having it already absorbed inside his body count as having it? After a brief moment of deliberation, San-ho kept his mouth shut.

Although there was no answer to his question, Do Yi-gyeom, who had finished his thoughts first, spoke.

"I accept your request for a spar. Tomorrow at the Hour of the Pig (Haesi) at the training ground…"

"No, right now."

San-ho interrupted Do Yi-gyeom and said firmly.

"You must be confident?"

"Of course I'm not confident. But there's something I've realized. That you, Manager, are extremely strong."

"…"

It was an answer that did not fit the question. However, Do Yi-gyeom quickly realized the hidden meaning behind those words.

'He means he won't hold back.'

The expression of San-ho reflected in the flickering light felt somewhat eerie, causing Do Yi-gyeom to unconsciously tighten his fists.

"Let us go out."

***

The training ground illuminated by the coldly shining moon.

Just like when they had first come here, a sharp tension flowed between the two standing opposite each other.

"If your complacent mindset is the same as before, you will never be able to defeat me."

"Manager, I'm telling you, there's something I felt while being run into the ground to the point of near death. Humans do not die easily! And you, Manager, are strong!"

At the somewhat determined voice, Do Yi-gyeom let out a chuckle.

'It was just yesterday that he suffered his seventh defeat. Does this spar carry much meaning?'

Even though San-ho had grown at a monstrous pace, it was naturally not enough to defeat Do Yi-gyeom's sword. San-ho would not be unaware of that fact. Nevertheless, requesting a spar again must mean that the moment to do so had simply arrived.

Do Yi-gyeom took a deep breath and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Are you ready?"

San-ho nodded.

Upon the training ground, the manager and the waiter of Drunken Lotus Pavilion were no more.

Standing in this place were only two swordsmen.

Shring—

The two of them simultaneously took the opening stance of the Green Cloud Meteor Sword.

Then, as if by magic, the surrounding sounds gradually faded away, and a quiet silence filled the space.

Do Yi-gyeom's gaze was as cold as ice. Unconsciously, San-ho felt the hairs all over his body stand on end.

Tightening his grip,

San-ho put more strength into the hand holding the hilt and took his first step.

Swish!

In an instant, San-ho's figure kicked off the ground and appeared before Do Yi-gyeom's eyes. The moment San-ho's sword thrust out sharply in a diagonal line, Do Yi-gyeom retreated with a light movement, avoiding the blade.

San-ho quickly pursued Do Yi-gyeom's movements.

Clang!

The first collision. The air resonated with the impact of sword clashing against sword.

"I did not give you any separate training to increase your strength, yet you are much better than before."

"Manager, have you ever carried thirty porcelain bowls at once?"

San-ho grimaced and shook his head.

'Let's catch up, one step at a time.'

Pursuing the movements with his eyes, San-ho pictured the path of the Green Cloud Meteor Sword in his mind. Adding movement to the visualized path, he imagined the next step. Vividly, as if it were reality.

'Right, then three steps back. Next, twist.'

Clang, clang! Clang!

However, as if Do Yi-gyeom also knew the path of the sword in his head, he anticipated and blocked where San-ho's sword was heading.

"…!"

Without a single discrepancy, their swords clashed against each other.

Clang! Clang-clang-clang!

The succeeding sword techniques, flowing as if they had rehearsed them, looked almost like a well-choreographed sword dance.

San-ho's next attack shot out sharply toward Do Yi-gyeom's neck.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Do Yi-gyeom took a step back to dodge.

"Are you sufficiently warmed up?"

"…"

Seeing San-ho gasping for breath without answering, Do Yi-gyeom raised the corners of his lips.

"Then, let us begin now."

"…!!!"

Sssss—

The moment Do Yi-gyeom's expression changed, an overwhelming momentum erupted from his entire body.

'Ugh, just from his momentum alone…!'

While San-ho hesitated for a moment at the momentum strong enough to kick up a dust storm, Do Yi-gyeom's figure rushed forward at a speed incomparable to before.

Bang!

Narrowly dodging from that spot, San-ho adjusted his grip on the sword.

Do Yi-gyeom began to furiously drive San-ho back, without giving him any time to counterattack.

Clang!!!

Blocking the heavy strike, San-ho's body was pushed back, and the palms holding the hilt began to split open.

"You must keep your wits about you, because this is just the beginning."

Claaaang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!

The essence of the Green Cloud Meteor Sword unfolded from Do Yi-gyeom's fingertips. A sword that flowed from softness to swiftness , and ultimately made one lose their way within it, reaching the state of illusion .

The moment one took their eyes off it even for an instant, they would lose their mind inside the typhoon and have their breath cut short by the final blow.

The path of the sword, flowing and swirling like clouds, pulled San-ho into the typhoon without giving him even a moment to breathe.

Amid the surging waves of sword techniques.

Instead, San-ho's figure moved faster than before, beginning to react to his sword strikes one by one.

'To think he could achieve such success with only a few months of training.'

With calm eyes, he composedly read Do Yi-gyeom's sword path.

'If a few years pass like this… wouldn't there be few who could defeat this child, even with a sword?'

Claaang—!!

Seeing San-ho block all of his sword strikes, Do Yi-gyeom's sword attacks gradually grew faster and rougher.

'There is no need to hold back any longer.'

Clang! Clang! Clang, clang!

More, more, more!

At the unbelievably lethal path of the sword, San-ho grimaced as if it were too much to handle.

Slice!

Sword techniques that were utterly impossible to block completely.

Before he knew it, wounds were carved onto San-ho's body one by one. His martial robes gradually became stained with blood, losing their original color.

Grit.

Gritting his teeth, San-ho took a step forward into Do Yi-gyeom's pouring sword path.

"…!!!"

Seeing San-ho step closer, one foot at a time, into the complex path of the sword rather than avoiding it, Do Yi-gyeom felt a moment of bewilderment. It was a different aspect from the spars they had had so far.

'Why isn't he dodging?'

The distance between the two swordsmen gradually narrowed.

'I do not know what he is thinking, but this is the end!'

Whoosh!!

The figures of the two simultaneously kicked off the ground and rose into the air.

The path of the sword extending from Do Yi-gyeom's sword tip as if drawn filled the space like clouds. From softness to swiftness and roughness, and finally reaching illusion , preventing any way forward from being found.

The profound truth of the Green Cloud Meteor Sword was displayed at the fingertips of its last successor.

Finally, the last sword pierced through the clouds and struck down sharply like a meteor.

One strike.

A moment of desperate crisis.

Clang!!

A perfect finish that could neither be blocked with force nor deflected.

Crack, clang!

Under that final attack, San-ho's sword ultimately broke into two pieces.