On the Island, We (3)
“How are you feeling?”
The old man asked, and the child—no, now revealed to be Cheonma Baek Cheongwang—replied.
“Not bad.”
“Just a little longer, and we’ll proceed with the final great technique.”
The initial reincarnation technique had been a complete success.
But when the child turned three, complications arose. The child’s body couldn’t withstand it.
The reincarnation itself was successful, but they hadn’t accounted for the fact that the soul being transferred wasn’t an ordinary one.
Since then, they had to repeatedly perform the soul separation technique. Fortunately, they found a body that wouldn’t require further separations.
“We’ll see.”
The old man asked, noting the unusually skeptical response.
“Is he bothering you?”
“That man… he wasn’t ordinary.”
“I felt the same. In great matters, there are always great obstacles and adversaries. Didn’t you experience that in your past life, Master?”
Baek Cheongwang gave a wry smile.
“Indeed.”
Cheonhajin.
He had appeared like a comet in the martial world, breaking all records and sweeping away his own life. To the dark sects and demonic cults, he was a disaster and a natural calamity.
Recalling the final battle with him still sent shivers down his spine.
Yet, when he heard of Cheonhajin’s death, he felt a twinge of regret and sadness. He had wanted to become stronger and defeat him.
“I wanted to kill him with my own hands.”
“If he were alive, perhaps you would have.”
Could he really have done it?
Baek Cheongwang couldn’t be sure. Cheonhajin was that formidable. Even the thought of a vague victory was hard to entertain.
“Once I have his body, my martial arts will be restored.”
“I’ll spare no support.”
Baek Cheongwang threw out a probing remark.
“Then you won’t be able to handle me.”
“Martial arts can’t be restored in an instant.”
“I’m different.”
“Thanks to you, this old man’s eyes will be opened.”
Baek Cheongwang narrowed his eyes at the still-calm old man.
“You have a plan to bind me.”
“Nothing of the sort. A new expert in the great techniques will arrive soon. Please be patient until then.”
The old man changed the subject, never revealing his true intentions.
When asked why he had reincarnated him, the old man had said it was to create an absolute power to dominate the martial world.
At first, Baek Cheongwang believed him. Why else would he have been brought back to life?
But after several soul separations, he realized that might not be the case.
The old man didn’t need his power. He had enough strength to take over the martial world on his own.
‘Then why did he reincarnate me?’
Even after the sixth soul separation, he still hadn’t figured it out.
Everyone except Baekpyo enjoyed a rare moment of peace.
The comfort of the island was unparalleled.
Im Yeonjeong was completely absorbed in spending time with her son. They were inseparable all day.
Janggeun was overjoyed to be with his mother after so long.
I could sense that their constant closeness stemmed from a certain anxiety.
What if they had to part again?
Even a child could feel such unease.
But there was no need to worry.
They wouldn’t be separated, and even if they had to be, Janggeun would be safely protected.
From afar, Im Yeonjeong waved at me.
I waved back.
Then, a voice came from behind.
“They look happy.”
I turned to see Song Hwarin walking over.
“Indeed.”
Standing beside me, Song Hwarin watched Im Yeonjeong and Janggeun laughing and running around.
“I wonder what it’s like to have a child.”
“I don’t know.”
It was a question I couldn’t answer.
“It must be an incredible experience.”
“Probably.”
I turned to her with a playful expression.
“Are you thinking about it?”
I expected her to be flustered, as she was unmarried.
“I’m not confident.”
She answered seriously.
“If I went through what Miss Im did, I’d be too worried to handle it.”
I understood her feelings. I would feel the same. But worry is just worry.
“Reality is different from what we worry about.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course. If you went through the same thing, you’d handle it as well as Miss Im.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because then you’d be a mother, not just Song Hwarin.”
“Oh!”
She let out a short exclamation.
“You’re really… strange.”
“What?”
“How can you think like this? We’re the same age.”
“Because I’m more mature than you.”
I replied with a grin, and she gave me an incredulous look. I understood her feelings. There was no one quite like this old soul.
Then, over her shoulder, I saw an unexpected sight.
“There are people who should worry about children before us.”
“What do you mean?”
Song Hwarin turned around.
In the distance, Gwangdu and Suran were walking side by side, talking like a couple.
It was an unexpected pairing, but they didn’t look bad together.
“I have a good feeling. I hope it works out.”
I hoped so too, but I wasn’t as optimistic.
Gwangdu was still wounded from a past relationship.
Could Suran heal that wound? She seemed a bit too strong-willed.
As if reading my mind, Song Hwarin said,
“You never know with matters of the heart.”
Galsaryang brought the awaited news.
“We’ve received word from the leader of Cheonmang. They’ve tracked Yangjeong’s movements.”
“When will they arrive in Wuhan?”
“In six days.”
“They’ve already lost one expert. They’ll be well-prepared to protect him this time.”
“Indeed.”
Even without emphasizing caution, Galsaryang would coordinate well with the leader of Cheonmang.
“Their leader has seen you in person. He’s likely more on edge than he anticipated.”
The same was true for us. Cheonma was a concern, but the old man was the bigger problem.
“It seemed unnecessary to reincarnate Cheonma. He was that strong.”
“There might be another purpose.”
I had a feeling that purpose would greatly impact future events.
“Have you thought about what to do next?”
“Yes. Since their forces are stronger than ours, it’s not time to confront them directly.”
“Wise words.”
“I have two suggestions. First, we return to Shandong. They don’t know your true identity. You can live as the heir of the Byeok family and build strength from Shandong.”
“What about you, Galsaryang?”
“I can live as someone else. With a haircut and some makeup, no one will recognize me.”
Galsaryang addressed my concern.
“As harsh as it sounds, don’t worry about the child with Cheonma’s soul. If you cling to the child, they’ll use him against you, putting him in more danger.”
He hit the nail on the head.
“You’re right.”
“Leave the child’s fate to destiny.”
I had asked the old man to spare the child, even if they performed the great technique. It would be too cruel not to save him if they could.
“But there’s another issue besides the child.”
I knew exactly what it was.
“Cheonma!”
“Yes, exactly. If left unchecked, he’ll become incredibly powerful. If they use the technique on Macheolgun, Cheonma will become the leader of the martial world.”
Moreover, Macheolgun would die. The moment the technique succeeded, Macheolgun’s soul would vanish. In other words, the success of the technique meant Macheolgun’s death.
“What is the second option?”
“We extract the child before the technique. Then, we use the Soul Extraction Technique to forcibly remove Cheonma’s soul from the child’s body.”
“Is there someone who can do that?”
“I know someone who can. If I ask, they’ll help.”
“How do you plan to find the child?”
“We know Yangjeong is their expert. By tracking him, we can find the child. But this method has its challenges.”
“What are they?”
“First, extracting the child will be nearly impossible.”
It would be. The old man might be there himself.
“Even if we successfully extract the child, the preparation and cost of the Soul Extraction Technique won’t be trivial.”
“If you ask whether it’s worth spending a fortune to save one child, my answer is yes.”
“I expected as much. The final issue is that the Soul Extraction Technique is extremely dangerous. There are many variables in the process and outcome.”
Galsaryang looked at me, signaling that it was time for me to decide.
I pondered for a moment.
Both options carried significant risks. It was a testament to how dangerous and challenging the enemy was.
Finally, I made my decision.
“I’ll choose the second option.”
Leaving Cheonma unchecked was not an option.
“After dealing with Cheonma, we’ll choose the first option. Then we’ll return to Shandong and build our strength.”
Galsaryang bowed his head.
“I’ll follow your orders.”
I sparred with Baekpyo again.
I didn’t ask what he had learned from our last match. We simply started sparring as soon as we met.
Today, Baekpyo gave it his all from the start.
I didn’t say a word and pushed Baekpyo as hard as I had on the first day. Despite the previous day’s sparring, Baekpyo fought even harder today.
The sparring continued the next day, and the day after that.
On the fifth day, after the sparring session ended, I finally spoke to Baekpyo.
“How do you feel?”
It was the first time I had addressed him since we began this training five days ago.
Baekpyo, lost in thought for a moment, lifted his head.
“I think I’m starting to understand.”
“That’s good.”
Realizing his intuition was correct, Baekpyo’s face lit up with a bright smile. He had sensed an improvement in his skills but hadn’t been sure of it until now.
Through our brief exchange, he recognized the change in his abilities.
I could see today that Baekpyo’s skills had indeed improved, thanks to the relentless sparring that pushed him to his limits.
Of course, he wasn’t ready to demonstrate the next level of skill just yet. It was merely the opening of a small path toward that next stage.
Whether he could navigate it successfully was up to Baekpyo. But I had no doubt he would manage it well.
“Thank you sincerely, my lord.”
Baekpyo bowed deeply, and I let him. It was a lesson worthy of such gratitude.
If he could internalize this learning, he would soon be able to face and defeat the elders of the martial alliance.
As Baekpyo stepped back, Galsaryang appeared.
“It seems there was progress.”
“He’s an exceptional martial artist, isn’t he?”
“Which makes it all the more impressive. To elevate such skill in just a few days?”
“Actually, the progress was mine.”
“What? Yours, my lord?”
I smiled broadly. My mastery of the Crane Technique had reached its peak. In truth, it was on the third day of sparring that I achieved this mastery.
It wasn’t due to any new fighting style or sudden enlightenment. It was simply a challenging battle for me as well. I had to push someone of Baekpyo’s caliber to his limits without either of us getting hurt.
By the end of the third day, it became clear. My Crane Technique had reached its pinnacle.
Now, it was more refined and powerful.
But there was a more significant meaning.
With the completion of both the Soul-Reaping Demon Sword Technique and the Crane Technique, I now had the opportunity to explore the harmony between these two seemingly incompatible martial arts.
I hoped to find the path to the Sword of the Heart through this journey. If not, at least discover a small milestone along the way.
“Congratulations, my lord.”
“Thank you.”
After offering his heartfelt congratulations, Galsaryang looked at me with determined eyes.
“Yangjeonghoe will arrive in Wuhuan tomorrow.”