Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 391

391. Hermit

Un-hyun, the Sword Saint, and Gaek-ong relocated.

The backyard was already a mess, making it unsuitable for drinking tea or having a conversation.

Feeling sorry for the head butler managing the mansion, they entrusted the cleanup to him, and the three sat quietly in the study.

There, Un-hyun calmly recounted the events that had occurred since he parted ways with the Sword Saint, mainly those related to the sword.

“Hmm.”

The Sword Saint’s eyes gleamed as he listened to Un-hyun’s story.

“You cut down everything without internal energy or sword energy?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Un-hyun replied, holding his teacup.

“At the time, I was in a state where I couldn’t use internal energy.”

Un-hyun continued in a low voice.

“But even so, I was confident that there was nothing in the world I couldn’t cut down.”

There was no reason or basis.

But it was a conviction that could not be shaken by anything.

“Interesting.”

The Sword Saint said.

“Enough to make me want to spar with you.”

Un-hyun gave a wry smile.

He knew the Sword Saint would say something like that.

“Tsk.”

Gaek-ong, who was next to him, frowned.

“Didn’t you say that Hyun fell into a demonic state because of that?”

“So?”

The Sword Saint said as if it were obvious.

“Even scholars say they would be happy to die in the evening if they realized the Tao [the Way, the fundamental nature of the universe] in the morning. How can a martial artist holding a sword not have that level of resolve?”

Turning to Un-hyun, the Sword Saint said.

“Don’t be afraid. Originally, one cannot reach the ultimate state without abandoning everything.”

The Sword Saint’s words were correct.

But if one had to abandon even their own heart, would that truly be the right path?

“What I want to say is not about abandoning.”

The Sword Saint looked at Un-hyun with fiery eyes.

“Don’t be afraid to face the demonic state. If it’s you, I’m sure you’ll find the answer.”

His eyes were like the stars in the night sky.

Gaek-ong, who was holding his teacup, nodded silently.

“Yes.”

Un-hyun replied in a slightly trembling voice.

“I will keep that in mind.”

The Sword Saint, who had been nodding, asked.

“Have you ever heard of the Hwanwoo Five Greats?”

It was a sudden question.

Un-hyun replied with a puzzled expression.

“I know of them, but…”

During the Great Orthodox-Demonic War, people called the five strongest masters in the world the Hwanwoo Five Greats.

Ilsung, Ilseung, Ilwang, Ilseon, and Ileun were the ones.

“Originally, discussing the superiority of the ultimate masters, whether it’s the Five Greats or the Four Great Masters, is a futile endeavor. Predicting victory or defeat is not easy, and the outcome can vary greatly depending on the situation.”

Un-hyun nodded.

It is indeed meaningless to argue about the superiority of masters who have never fought each other.

Nevertheless, such talk never ceases in the Jianghu [martial world] because it is a topic that attracts people’s interest.

“However, there are those who can guarantee absolute victory in any situation. They are the Hwanwoo Five Greats.”

Un-hyun’s heart raced.

Real masters who can guarantee absolute victory regardless of numerical superiority or situational advantages, or rather, can turn the situation itself around.

They are the Hwanwoo Five Greats.

“…Though it doesn’t seem to be the case now.”

The Sword Saint’s voice was calm.

Iron-Blooded Monarch, Yeom Jung-bu, and the Poison Immortal could not defeat the Three Supremes.

The Sword Saint himself could not conclude a match with Un-hyun, and there is even the First Supreme Merchant, who is presumed to be stronger than him.

In effect, the era of the Hwanwoo Five Greats has passed.

“But among the Hwanwoo Five Greats, Ileun (一隱) is special. I can’t express it exactly, but he is a person who has reached a completely different realm from us.”

Un-hyun couldn’t hide his surprise.

Who on earth was Ileun that the Sword Saint would say such a thing?

“You said a completely different realm?”

“That’s right.”

The Sword Saint continued.

“He was standing in a different place from us, looking at a different sky. I cannot speak about his realm, but one thing is clear. He is the strongest among us.”

Without the slightest hesitation, the Sword Saint asserted.

Gaek-ong also remained silent, merely holding his teacup.

The Sword Saint said to the surprised Un-hyun.

“So, if there is someone who can show you the right path, it would be Ileun.”

‘Ileun…’

After thinking for a moment, Un-hyun raised his head.

“Who is he?”

The Hwanwoo Five Greats are Ilsung, Ilseung, Ilwang, Ilseon, and Ileun.

Ilsung (一聖) is the Sword Saint, Ilseung (一僧) refers to the Divine Monk, who was also called the Eccentric Monk.

Ilwang (一王) is the Iron-Blooded Monarch, and Ilseon (一仙) is Gaek-ong, who was both the Medicine Immortal and the Poison Immortal.

But he had never heard of Ileun (一隱).

Even though there is no one in the Jianghu martial world who has not heard of the title Hwanwoo Five Greats.

“I don’t know.”

The Sword Saint shook his head.

“All I can say about him is that he is strong.”

“Yes. That’s for sure.”

Gaek-ong frowned slightly and said.

“But other than that, he is thoroughly veiled. His origins, as well as his sect, name, title, and even his face are unclear. None of us could see through that flimsy black veil covering his face.”

Gaek-ong’s expression was full of displeasure as he spoke.

How could it not be?

To those who each prided themselves on being the best in the world, the appearance of Ileun was a shock in itself.

“He did not appear in the Jianghu martial world before or after the Mount Hua Agreement. He was called Ileun only after the term Hwanwoo Five Greats became known to the world. It was probably Bulyeong who did it.”

Gaek-ong, who was speaking, looked at the Sword Saint.

“Didn’t he say anything to you? Wasn’t Bulyeong the one who brought him to Mount Hua?”

The Sword Saint shook his head.

“I don’t know. Only that he didn’t find Bulyeong, but that he came to Bulyeong first.”

Silence flowed for a moment.

Un-hyun suddenly said.

“Could it have been Abbot Wabul?”

Wabul is the master of the Divine Monk, Bulyeong.

Could he have been Ileun before he lost his internal energy?

But the Sword Saint shook his head.

“That’s not it. Abbot Wabul lost his internal energy before the Mount Hua Agreement.”

Wabul, who doesn’t even have a shred of internal energy, would not be able to deceive the Sword Saint, the Poison Immortal, or the suspicious Yeom Jung-bu.

“And Abbot Wabul can’t play the so (簫) [a type of Chinese vertical end-blown flute], can he?”

“Pardon?”

That was another unexpected remark.

“By so, do you mean an instrument like a tungso [洞簫 – a Korean large bamboo flute]?”

The Sword Saint nodded.

“Yes. Ileun’s so was truly the best in the world. Though I only heard it once.”

“And he seemed quite wealthy.”

Gaek-ong added.

“His clothes and attire were by no means those of a hermit (隱者) who had turned his back on the world.”

Un-hyun was confused.

The more he heard about Ileun, the less he could grasp him.

The Sword Saint said regretfully.

“He wasn’t holding a sword. If he had, I would have asked for a duel…”

“Ileun mastered the Poison Qi Art.”

“What?”

The Sword Saint turned to Gaek-ong and asked.

It was the first time the Sword Saint had heard that.

“It was so natural that I almost missed it. But I clearly felt the unique energy of the Poison Qi Art. Even that was only for a moment.”

Gaek-ong said in a calm voice.

However, the Sword Saint’s eyes were shining intensely.

“Then you know who Ileun is.”

The only place that has reached the realm of Poison Qi Art, beyond poison techniques and poison arts, is the Tang Clan.

The only sect in the world that has produced a master of Poison Qi Art is the Tang Clan.

So, if Ileun has mastered the Poison Qi Art, the conclusion is that he is a member of the Tang Clan.

But Gaek-ong gave a bitter smile.

“There’s a master of Poison Qi Art in the Tang Clan that I don’t know about? And someone who has reached a level that I could barely notice? I’d rather believe I have a child I don’t know about.”

Gaek-ong said in a hollow voice.

“I thought maybe a branch family of the Tang Clan that had split off in the past had achieved great success, but even that wasn’t the case. I was able to know for sure only after thoroughly searching the genealogy of the Tang Clan scattered throughout the world for ten years.”

Although he didn’t say it, it was also during this time that Gaek-ong obtained the Supreme Command Tablet.

“Hmm. No wonder I wasn’t drawn to it, there would have been nothing to gain even if I had fought.”

Gaek-ong chuckled at the Sword Saint’s words.

“Yeomga also said something similar. He said he didn’t want to deal with it because the smell was awful.”

Un-hyun gave a wry smile.

Who in the world would like Yeom Jung-bu?

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Ileun was a mysterious person.

He was a strongman that even the Sword Saint and the Poison Immortal had to acknowledge, and he was also a person who boasted the most beautiful music in the world.

The image of a mysterious man holding a long tungso diagonally and playing music seemed to be drawn in front of his eyes.

“Was the First Supreme Merchant Ileun?”

At the Sword Saint’s question, Gaek-ong frowned.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize him. He is not Ileun.”

Gaek-ong asserted without hesitation.

Un-hyun felt a sense of relief.

“By the way, you’re surprisingly talkative.”

Gaek-ong frowned and said to the Sword Saint.

“Were you always like this?”

“Sometimes.”

The Sword Saint said in an indifferent voice.

“It wasn’t that rare when I was with Bulyeong. I was the one who got an earful, though.”

Once the Sword Saint spoke, the Divine Monk Bulyeong would chatter about ten times as much.

Gaek-ong chuckled as if he expected it.

And then silence flowed for a moment.

Clink.

Putting down his teacup, Gaek-ong asked Un-hyun.

“What are you going to do?”

Un-hyun was also 고민하고 있었다 [agonizing/contemplating].

The Heroic Alliance has collapsed, but the true mastermind, the First Supreme Merchant, is still alive and well.

He even seems to not care about the collapse of the Heroic Alliance.

In this situation, is it really right to go looking for Ileun, whose clues are vague?

“Do whatever your heart tells you to do.”

Gaek-ong said.

“How can things in the world only go according to people’s thoughts? It is also useless to argue about right and wrong, and it is also meaningless to discuss possibilities without even trying, so you just do whatever your heart tells you to do, whatever your will leads you to do.”

Those words reminded him of the words of the Taoist, Jeokpung Jin-in, whom he met in Wudang.

He also told him to act according to where Un-hyun’s heart was directed, saying, ‘The saint abides in inaction [聖人處無爲 – a quote from the Tao Te Ching].’

“I understand.”

Un-hyun nodded.

Perhaps Un-hyun’s mind had already been made up since the Sword Saint first brought it up.

“I will try to find the person named Ileun.”

Un-hyun’s eyes were firm.

The Sword Saint and Gaek-ong were both accepting Un-hyun’s words as a matter of course.

‘Ileun.’

Un-hyun thought about the mysterious man named Ileun again and picked up his teacup.

The tea was already cold, but Un-hyun didn’t realize it.

***

The Sword Saint said he would leave a few days later, while drinking tea in the study.

It was so sudden, but the Sword Saint was just calm.

Un-hyun, knowing his eccentric behavior, had to promise to meet again with a regretful heart.

Heeheehing.

The fine horse that the head butler brought out at Un-hyun’s command looked very strong.

The Sword Saint stroked the horse’s neck with a satisfied expression.

“Where are you going this time?”

Un-hyun asked.

The Sword Saint replied in a calm voice.

“I’m going west.”

“Why? Does the heavenly energy tell you to go there?”

The Sword Saint chuckled at Gaek-ong’s words.

“It seems noisy in Seojang these days.”

“Seojang?”

Gaek-ong frowned and asked.

Seojang is the land of the Jang people (藏族) [Tibetans], famous for 밀교 [Esoteric Buddhism].

The Seojang 밀교, which claims to be orthodox, often caused great strife in the Jianghu martial world.

It is a distant place that can be said to be the opposite of Hangzhou, here at the eastern end of the continent.

“There will be a bloodbath in Seojang.”

Gaek-ong muttered, but the Sword Saint did not answer.

Whoosh.

The Sword Saint lightly leaped and mounted the horse.

From the beginning, he had nothing to carry except his sword, Hanwool.

“I’ll come again.”

The Sword Saint said.

Un-hyun smiled and replied.

“Yes. Anytime.”

A faint smile hung on the Sword Saint’s lips, but it soon disappeared.

“Haa!”

With a cry, the fine horse immediately kicked off the ground.

Clatter, clatter.

The Sword Saint and the horse quickly disappeared into the distance.

Un-hyun couldn’t take his eyes off his back, but the Sword Saint never looked back.

That’s how the Sword Saint left.

Leaving Un-hyun with the task of finding Ileun.