Chapter 33 – See It Exists

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 33 – See, It Exists

The single-story pavilion in the north of White Peak Sword Sect.

Mountain Patriarch Hall.

A place that had been used as the exclusive Sect Master's office since ancient times.

Cheol Ryu-heun opened the middle gate leading to the Mountain Patriarch Hall and stepped into a small garden where several massive old trees stood.

The stone path in the center extended straight to the stepping stones connected to the pavilion entrance, and in one corner of the yard, a fairly large stone tablet was visible.

A short sentence inscribed on its front in powerful brushstrokes.

-Enlightened to the true meaning of White Peak, the roots of sword studies were established.

The identity of the elegantly charming stone monument was in fact a relic personally made and erected by the first Sect Master of White Peak Sword Sect, White Peak Sword Patriarch Do Dae-dam, to commemorate the founding.

Cheol Ryu-heun walked along the stone path and glanced at the inscription before passing by.

"I figured it out."

Having made that cryptic monologue, he stepped up the stone stairs and threw open the lattice door of the Mountain Patriarch Hall.

The interior that he stepped into past the threshold was very neat and tidy.

There was also a somewhat empty feeling.

Since there were only a few minimally necessary pieces of furniture and no particular decorative items in sight.

This was proof that the previous owner of the office, Sagong Woon, had lived frugally until his death.

Of course, the financial situation hadn't been comfortable enough to afford buying and decorating things anyway.

But now, thanks to the various treasures brought from the Three Immortals Mountain cave, the impoverished situation had completely reversed.

Cheol Ryu-heun opened the top compartment of a three-tier cabinet on the left wall of the inner room and found a bundle of keys.

Just then.

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap…

The sound of two people running was heard from beyond the middle gate.

It was Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk.

The two raced through the garden and entered the Mountain Patriarch Hall.

Cheol Ryu-heun turned his head.

"Did you bring them?"

"Yes."

Answering in unison, the two each held out hands clutching antique-looking keys.

Cheol Ryu-heun soon gently pushed aside a folding screen near the window.

Slide-

There was nothing visible in the space where the screen had been drawn back.

Soon, Cheol Ryu-heun bent his knees and sat, then lifted one of the square, flat stones laid on the floor.

It was a practiced movement.

Seeing that, Hyeop Mu-geuk casually remarked.

"Mmm, indeed… You already knew the location as well."

It meant that, as befitting the talent Sagong Woon had early on designated as the next Sect Master, they had shared many secrets.

Cheol Ryu-heun didn't bother to answer and smirked inwardly.

'Of course I know it well. Though not for the reason you're thinking.'

After all, how much time had he spent here with Sagong Woon?

Having been with him day and night, it was natural that he was intimately familiar with all matters of daily life.

Even secretive aspects like this.

When the floor stone was removed, a pitch-black object could be seen placed in the space below.

It was an iron chest.

Three locks of considerable weight were attached to it.

Cheol Ryu-heun pulled it out and then sent a look.

Reading the signal, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk used the keys in their hands to unlock the locks on either side of the iron chest.

Click, click.

Following that, Cheol Ryu-heun also selected one from the key bundle and unlocked the final lock.

When the lid was finally opened.

Creeeak…

Accompanied by a grating hinge sound, what was contained inside was revealed.

It was an old wooden box.

The sect's greatest legacy left by White Peak Sword Patriarch Do Dae-dam.

Indeed.

It was the wooden box where the original White Peak Sword Manual was kept.

Originally, the Sect Master could possess all three keys, but Sagong Woon in his lifetime had not done so.

He had deliberately entrusted one each to the Elder and Chief Supervisor to prevent them from being opened at any time.

It was a measure to prevent arbitrary decisions and malpractice by the executives in case of emergency.

As it turned out, he was right.

It was a wise judgment.

The traitor Eul Sa-jeok had nearly risen to the Sect Master position, obtained all three keys, and disposed of the sect's secret manuals as he pleased.

Of course, the Divine Martial Sword's revival by borrowing Cheol Ryu-heun's body at the appropriate time also played a big role in preventing that.

Anyway, both factors had an influence.

Having taken out the wooden box, Cheol Ryu-heun looked at the two people beside him.

"I now intend to completely reorganize our sect's course of study. The qualitative improvement of members includes not just internal energy levels but also the level of sword martial studies."

Something suddenly clicked in Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk's minds.

'Could it be…'

The next words heard from Cheol Ryu-heun confirmed that 'could it be' was correct.

"From now on, everyone will practice the ultimate techniques of the final chapter."

They were left speechless.

Both Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk.

That was understandable, for the three ultimate techniques in the final chapter of the White Peak Sword Manual – the three so-called ultimate techniques – were sword studies that were difficult to master even for someone who had risen to the Sect Master position.

And yet.

He planned to publicly release all related formulas and have the members learn them?

If it were as easy as he made it sound, they wouldn't be called ultimate techniques.

Moreover, setting aside the possibility of achievement, leaking core content like this would typically cause the value of the secret manual and the sect's prestige to fall.

The possibility of other forces somehow finding out and exploiting it was also a major concern.

Just look at Gul Ma-hun's example.

The moment some future enemy researched the ultimate technique formulas and uncovered their weaknesses, White Peak Sword Sect's very existence would be in danger.

Though it wouldn't happen immediately, it was certainly something that would happen someday.

Hyeop Mu-geuk spoke with a heavy expression.

"Sect Master, with all due respect… I find it difficult to readily agree."

Not to be outdone, Yeop Hwon also nodded and added.

"Mmm, my thoughts are the same. Setting aside that the three ultimate techniques are difficult studies, teaching the formulas unconditionally could potentially…"

"The three techniques of the final chapter are no longer ultimate techniques."

Cheol Ryu-heun's bland voice cut off the other's words.

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were bewildered.

What was that supposed to mean?

Cheol Ryu-heun paid no mind and continued speaking while placing the wooden box on a nearby desk.

"I mean the existing three ultimate techniques have finished their role as our sect's highest sword studies."

It was a shocking statement.

What he had just said completely denied the authenticity and specialness of the original containing the ultimate technique formulas.

"The original White Peak Sword Manual will be converted into a universal martial arts text that anyone can learn from this time forward. Understood?"

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk repeatedly expressed their concerns.

"S-Sect Master, do you truly mean it?"

"Even so, this is a tradition continued since the founding ancestor's time – to change it so suddenly…"

"I have a backup plan in place."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's casually tossed words, the two's eyes went round.

"Pardon?"

"New ultimate techniques that surpass the three sword forms of the final chapter – I'm thinking of creating them."

"…!"

"I already have incomplete formulas, so I should be able to complete them quickly. So there's no need to worry about the secret manual's value dropping. It's actually rising several levels higher."

The two's pupils rippled like waves.

Truly, it was shock after shock.

"Such a thing…!"

"I-Is that true?"

Cheol Ryu-heun nodded and pointed with his finger in one direction.

It was toward a bookshelf.

Hyeop Mu-geuk suddenly recalled a book stored there.

The diary of the first Sect Master Do Dae-dam.

Sagong Woon in his lifetime had often enjoyed reading it.

"Could this perhaps be related to the founding ancestor's diary?"

At Hyeop Mu-geuk's question, Elder Yeop Hwon beside him added with an 'Ah!'

"Looking at that diary, there is indeed a brief mention of incomplete formulas…"

Here, another question arose.

At the time, Do Dae-dam had recorded thus:

-The several techniques I sought to newly create have no solution for completing their formulas, so I permanently dispose of them.

Though he hadn't pored over the diary as often as Sagong Woon had, he had still read it more than ten times and remembered the contents accurately.

Permanent disposal.

In other words, it meant those formulas didn't remain in any form.

It was a fact that Do Dae-dam himself had personally written in his diary.

If the incomplete formulas mentioned earlier referred to those that were permanently disposed of in the past, it was logically contradictory.

At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun spoke while walking away.

"Right, that's it. The incomplete sword forms that everyone thinks the founding ancestor destroyed – I just need to use those to create techniques that surpass the existing three ultimate techniques. It's not difficult."

Yeop Hwon immediately responded.

"Sect Master, we cannot confirm the existence of those right now…"

"They exist. Here."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's assertion, the two's gazes shook greatly.

'What! Here…?'

Before they knew it, Cheol Ryu-heun was walking out the door.

"You'll see for yourself."

He threw out a bored voice without even looking back.

In an instant, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk were led by some inexplicable anticipation and moved their legs busily.

Cheol Ryu-heun stepped on the stone stairs outside the door and thought.

'After Sagong Woon had finished learning the existing ultimate techniques, what he focused on was also creating new sword forms. Never knowing the path was right nearby.'

In truth, the reason Sagong Woon had so frequently pored over the diary was because of a vague thought that formulas might be hidden within.

But he couldn't find any clues.

No matter how many times he looked and looked again, the diary's contents were simply ordinary life records.

So ultimately, he had occasionally gone to a nearby valley for seated meditation practice, wanting to achieve some independent enlightenment.

He believed that if he meditated with nature as his companion, like ancestor Do Dae-dam had done, he would gain something.

It had been like that then too.

Even on the day he encountered the mysterious wanderer, he had set out to create new sword forms only to be killed in vain.

'It does make me curious. If you had been strong enough to spiritually communicate with me, could you have avoided that disaster…'

Eventually, Cheol Ryu-heun arrived before the stone tablet in the yard and stopped abruptly.

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk also stood behind him.

Suddenly.

Grab!

Cheol Ryu-heun spread both arms wide and firmly gripped the left and right sides of the stone tablet.

"Sect Master?"

"Why the stone tablet…?"

When Cheol Ryu-heun soon applied force.

Grind, gri-grind…

The stone tablet began to tremble.

Right after.

Whoooosh-

Soil surged up wildly.

Yank!

The stone tablet was pulled out whole by Cheol Ryu-heun's hands.

"Gaaah!"

As Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk exclaimed in shock, Cheol Ryu-heun threw the stone tablet aside with a thunk and spoke in an indifferent voice.

"I knew it."

The two then hurriedly moved to look into the deep hole where the stone tablet had been pulled from.

'Huh!'

'That's…?'

There was something at the bottom.

Hyeop Mu-geuk quickly jumped into the hole and brought it out.

The object was a small, black iron chest.

No lock was attached separately.

When he gently opened the lid, a faded booklet without even a title was inside.

"See, it exists."

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun pointed with his chin, Hyeop Mu-geuk examined the contents of the book.

"My, how can this be…!"

His pupils rippled transparently, expressing his surprised state of mind as he quietly exclaimed in admiration.

Following that, Yeop Hwon also briefly scanned the writing in the book and trembled with both hands.

Indeed.

It really had remained.

The formulas for the incomplete sword forms that Do Dae-dam was said to have researched in the past…

Yeop Hwon soon looked at Cheol Ryu-heun and asked.

"Um, Sect Master… How did you know that book was buried under the stone tablet?"

"Just intuition."

"Pardon?"

"I just had a feeling."

"And… since when…?"

"Well, maybe a few days."

A few days, my foot – he had roughly figured it out when Sagong Woon was still alive.

Meanwhile, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk wore dumbfounded expressions at the half-hearted answer.

Finding a booklet secretly buried deep underground over a hundred years ago with just intuition? Is that possible unless you're a ghost?

Having read the two's expressions, Cheol Ryu-heun laughed inwardly.

Heh, you try living for a thousand years.

You'll develop intuition good enough to rival any famous fortune-teller.