Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 178

178. The Secret of the Setting Sun Sword

Even in the harsh wilderness, daily life continued.

As the sun set, the group used the carriage as a windbreak, lit a fire, and chased away the cold.

Of course, they couldn’t expect gourmet meals, so they ate dried grains and jerky, washing it down with a mouthful of water.

The Young Palace Lord, the Twelve Palace Lords, and Bingseol slept in the carriage, while Unhyun and Jegal Giho wrapped themselves in thick furs and slept by the fire.

It was fortunate that the furs were thick and warm.

“Isn’t the Young Palace Lord amazing?”

When the bonfire was glowing red among the ashes, Jegal Giho, lying next to Unhyun, said.

“I’ve seen plenty of pretty people, but the Young Palace Lord is one of a kind. Or is it that she becomes more beautiful the more I see her?”

Unhyun gave a wry smile.

It was true that the Young Palace Lord was beautiful.

Even though she had seriously sharp thorns.

“The Twelve Palace Lords are quite charming too. She seems a bit… slow, but that’s kind of cute, and surprisingly, she has a great figure.”

Unhyun wondered when he had seen that, but Jegal Giho continued cheerfully.

“What’s surprising is that maid. The way she sits silently has a certain… aura, and it feels like she’ll accept anything…”

“Ahem.”

Unhyun cleared his throat.

He was sure that Bingseol was listening to these words, even if no one else was.

“We have to travel tomorrow, so let’s get some rest.”

“Ah, yes. Sleep well, Secretary Un.”

Jegal Giho obediently followed Unhyun’s words.

Perhaps he was quite tired, as he soon fell asleep, snoring softly.

‘Hoo.’

Unhyun took a deep breath and looked up at the night sky.

The sky was full of stars that seemed to pour down, and the night breeze that brushed his cheek was rather refreshing.

“Sweet dreams,” Unhyun murmured softly, not directing it to anyone in particular.

Then, he turned around and tried to sleep.

Only Dokgo Rang, sitting by the bonfire as if guarding it, and Bingseol, probably awake inside the carriage, illuminated the night in the wilderness.

***

At dawn, before the stars had lost their light, Unhyun opened his eyes.

“Did you cough?”

Dokgo Rang, sitting by the fire, greeted him quietly.

Unhyun got up and replied, “Did Dokgo Je [term of respect] get some sleep?”

“Yes.”

Looking around, Unhyun frowned.

There was no sign that Dokgo Rang had slept at all.

“Didn’t you sleep at all, perhaps?”

“No. I rested enough.”

Unhyun couldn’t believe those words.

He decided that he and Jegal Giho would have to take turns standing guard from tonight, and then Unhyun tidied up his sleeping area.

Then, he took out the Setting Sun Sword from the luggage he had used as a pillow last night.

He was going to do some morning training.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Yes.”

Dokgo Rang nodded.

Sabeok, sabeok [sound of walking on soft ground].

Unhyun walked slowly, carrying the Setting Sun Sword.

He didn’t particularly try to hide.

He just didn’t want to wake the others from their sleep.

How long had he walked?

Unhyun stopped after confirming that the carriage was out of sight beyond a low hill.

Then, he let out a gasp without realizing it.

“Ah.”

The vast land and towering sky were spread out before him.

In front of that magnificent sight, he felt like a speck of dust.

“……I am.”

Unhyun murmured without realizing it.

“So small.”

He was so small.

His vessel [capacity], his own capabilities, and even his own swordsmanship.

In front of the vastness of nature, everything about Unhyun seemed meaningless.

“Haha.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

Unhyun raised his hand and looked down at the Setting Sun Sword.

Sreung [sound of a sword being drawn].

The blade of the Setting Sun Sword sparkled under the starlight.

It really was a great sword.

But even the most precious sword in the world was just like a rolling twig at this moment.

It was a tool to draw out the sword techniques that Unhyun unfolded.

Swish.

Unhyun lightly drew his sword a few times in the air.

Then, he took a stance and calmed his breath.

It was the first stance of the White Tiger Training Sword.

“Hoo-oo.”

He abandoned the thought that he already knew it well.

He also let go of the pressure that he had to follow the great flow.

What if it was nothing special?

What if it wasn’t great?

Since life was just like a speck of dust anyway, he would just silently walk the path given to him as a small, tiny person.

Huoong [sound of a sword vibrating].

The blade of the Setting Sun Sword began to move.

In that time when the dark night sky slowly brightened, the Setting Sun Sword was constantly moving, as if the sky and earth were changing.

Before he knew it, Unhyun had forgotten everything and was immersed in the White Tiger Training Sword.

However, the strange energy that always surrounded Unhyun’s wooden sword was not present at all in the Setting Sun Sword at this moment.

***

Dried rations and jerky quickly became tiresome.

Now that they didn’t have to worry about being tracked, everyone wanted warm food.

But the real problem was that no one knew how to cook.

Neither the Young Palace Lord nor the Twelve Palace Lords, nor Bingseol, Jegal Giho, or Dokgo Rang knew how to cook.

In the end, Unhyun decided to cook.

At least he had experience cooking for himself back in his academy days.

“It won’t be anything proper.”

Unhyun opened the pot with an awkward smile.

A smell that stimulated the appetite spread everywhere.

“Wow.”

The Twelve Palace Lords’ eyes sparkled.

It was a nameless soup with various things thrown in, but that alone was enough.

Just having warm soup on a barren journey was a blessing.

“It’s delicious! It’s delicious!”

The Twelve Palace Lords exclaimed repeatedly after putting the food in her mouth.

Most of the flavor came from the spices that the Bukhae group and Jegal Giho had, though.

Bingseol and the Young Palace Lord also ate the food silently, although they hesitated a little at first.

“It’s not bad, but to evaluate it coldly, the composition is a bit lacking.”

The one who commented was Jegal Giho.

“Originally, cooking has main, secondary, and supplementary ingredients, and it’s important to create a harmonious balance while preserving the original flavors. If you just throw everything in and boil it like this, it’s hard to avoid……”

Jegal Giho, who had been talking at length, suddenly realized the cold gazes of the Twelve Palace Lords and Dokgo Rang.

“Ahem, a deep flavor is bound to emerge. Hahaha.”

Slurp.

Jegal Giho emptied the soup, even making a noise.

After that, Unhyun became responsible for making food, and in return, Jegal Giho took turns standing guard with Dokgo Rang.

***

A few days later, Unhyun, having finished his morning training as usual, slowly calmed his breathing.

The eastern sky was already turning red.

Dawn had passed and morning had arrived.

“Hoo.”

Unhyun caught his breath and stood there, looking at the sunrise.

The sunrise in the wilderness was magnificent.

Nothing could hide its appearance before the sun.

The chilly dawn breeze disappeared as if it were a dream of the night, and the same day as yesterday was beginning on the desolate and vast land.

Suddenly, Unhyun looked down at the Setting Sun Sword he was holding.

Seuk [sound of drawing a sword slightly].

Unhyun raised the Setting Sun Sword to eye level.

The blade, sparkling in the morning sunlight, shone coldly.

‘Hmm.’

Unhyun turned the blade of the Setting Sun Sword this way and that in the sunlight.

But he couldn’t see anything.

‘There’s no way anything will be revealed by doing this, is there?’

Unhyun lowered the sword.

Over the past few days, Unhyun had carefully examined the Setting Sun Sword.

He examined not only the blade but also the scabbard.

He carefully examined the antique patterns and touched them one by one.

He even pressed the hilt meticulously, wondering if there was some kind of treasure map hidden inside, like in old stories.

But all he discovered was that the Setting Sun Sword was a great treasure sword.

No, the Setting Sun Sword was more than that.

Looking at the straight blade and the chillingly blue edge, he would forget even the time, captivated by its beauty.

The thought of finding a secret had naturally flown far away.

‘It’s a really beautiful sword.’

Unhyun admired inwardly and lightly struck the blade with his finger.

Taang [sound of metal ringing].

The Setting Sun Sword let out a light cry.

Unhyun put his ear to it and listened to the sound of its cry.

“It’s definitely not steel, but it’s not bronze either……”

At first, he thought it was made of steel like any other sword.

But from the beginning of his training, Unhyun began to notice something unusual.

The feeling of cutting through the wind was somehow different from other swords.

He thought that since it was a very old sword, maybe it was a bronze sword.

But the Setting Sun Sword was neither steel nor bronze.

In the first place, the strength itself was different.

The strangest thing was something else.

“Is there a material that doesn’t gather sword energy [internal energy used in martial arts]?”

Unhyun muttered, putting his finger on the blade.

Sword energy did not gather on the Setting Sun Sword.

Looking at that fierce blade, it seemed like sword energy would arise even if it didn’t exist, but in reality, no sword energy appeared at all.

Even though Unhyun was the one who Master Wabul had admired, saying, ‘How many guys in the world would manifest sword energy with a wooden sword?’

At first, he even wondered if he had regressed in the meantime.

But that wasn’t the case.

Sword energy gathered on the wooden sword he had brought separately, as always.

So the problem wasn’t Unhyun, but this Setting Sun Sword.

“Hoo.”

Unhyun sighed without realizing it.

“What on earth is the identity of this sword?”

With a frown, Unhyun looked down at the Setting Sun Sword.

The blade, bathed in the morning sunlight, shone with iridescent colors.

Looking at the Setting Sun Sword, Unhyun murmured.

“Could it be made of glass?”

Glass (琉璃) [pronounced “yuri” in Korean] is a legendary jewel known as one of the seven treasures of ancient times.

It is said to have various colors, but of course, since it is a legendary jewel, there is no way Unhyun has ever seen it.

So even if the Setting Sun Sword is made of glass, there is no way to confirm it.

But there was a reason why Unhyun specifically thought of glass.

“Sometimes it looks blue like deep water……”

When training with the Setting Sun Sword, there were times when it felt like the blade was dyed blue.

Sometimes it felt like the sword was becoming transparent.

During today’s training, he thought he heard a sound, like the faint sound of a wind chime (風磬) [a small bell hung from the eaves of a building or temple] in a deep mountain.

But when he examined it after finishing his training, the Setting Sun Sword was always the same.

He seemed to have heard the sound of a wind chime, but even that, when he thought about it, was not something he heard with his ears, but rather a vague feeling.

So everything was ambiguous.

“Enough.”

Unhyun said with a sigh.

Even he himself thought it was pathetic.

To see hallucinations and hear auditory hallucinations because there was no progress in his training.

Sreung [sound of sheathing a sword].

Unhyun sheathed the Setting Sun Sword and turned around.

It was already bright all around.

Unhyun quickened his pace for the sake of his companions, who were probably looking forward to a warm breakfast.

***

The Bukhae’s fine horses kicked off the barren ground and ran powerfully.

It is said that even a thousand-mile horse sweats blood-red sweat if it runs all day, but the strong horses of Bukhae were only breathing roughly.

Thadak, thadak [sound of hooves].

After dinner, the group sat around the bonfire.

But stories didn’t bloom, and cheerful songs didn’t flow.

Rather, the group unconsciously lowered their voices.

As if afraid that the silence of nature would be broken.

Seuk seuk [sound of scratching].

Jegal Giho wrote something on the ground and erased it.

But no one asked about it.

The group refrained from interfering in each other’s affairs, as if they had made a promise.

Then, when the night deepened, people returned to their places and fell asleep.

In the wilderness where there was nothing, everyone was alone.

Seureuk [sound of movement].

“Aren’t you sleeping?”

Dokgo Rang asked as Unhyun, who had been lying down, got up.

“I can’t sleep.”

Unhyun pushed aside the fur and sat by the bonfire.

After throwing a few branches into the fire, Unhyun raised his head.

The night sky in the wilderness was surprisingly bright.

Of course, when the sun really rose, it wouldn’t be comparable to now.

‘Being like this makes everything feel like a dream.’

The Murim Alliance [martial arts alliance], the Imperial Palace, and even his own swordsmanship all felt like dreams.

Like the light of a bonfire that would disappear after one night and be extinguished when the sun rose.

It was then.

Sabeok [sound of footsteps].

Unhyun turned his head at the sudden sound of footsteps.

‘Ah.’

The person who appeared was the Young Palace Lord.

She was walking towards the bonfire, wearing a light coat.

“I’ll go check the surroundings.”

Dokgo Rang got up from his seat.

He glanced at the Young Palace Lord once and then slowly walked away.