Chapter 273
After entering Zhejiang Province, Sun Woo-jin and his group pressed steadily northward without rest.
Their destination was the massive Mount Antang, located in the central region of Zhejiang.
However, their pace wasn’t particularly fast.
Since they were traveling separately from the Six Harmonies Sword Masters, they had to stay within a distance that allowed for mental communication with them.
So, moving at a moderately brisk pace, the group kept encountering wandering martial artists throughout Zhejiang.
And even now was no different.
From the opposite direction, a martial artist carrying a greatsword was walking along the path toward them.
What moment is the tensest for a martial artist?
Though it varies in degree, most would say it’s the instant they meet an unfamiliar martial artist on the road.
An opponent whose allegiance is unknown—friend or foe—and whose strength is yet to be gauged, whether superior or inferior.
In that moment, a martial artist’s nerves sharpen to their peak.
Yet strangely, the martial artists of Zhejiang didn’t seem to behave that way.
The man approaching them smiled warmly upon seeing Sun Woo-jin’s group and greeted them with a respectful salute.
“May fortune be with your martial path.”
In response, Sun Woo-jin’s group awkwardly returned the salute.
“May fortune be with your martial path.”
With the greeting exchanged, the man continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
He had no particular business—he simply greeted them warmly because they were martial artists.
Jin So-eun watched his retreating figure with curious eyes and whispered softly.
“How fascinating. The atmosphere here in Xinji Zhejiang is definitely something else.”
At her words, even Jeung Chil and Yeon Tae-jin, who had initially kept their guard up, nodded as they watched the man disappear into the distance.
This wasn’t the first time they’d encountered a passing martial artist who greeted them like this.
In fact, ever since entering Zhejiang, every time they met a martial artist on the road, this kind of scene kept repeating.
Strangers offering inexplicably warm smiles and greetings.
Martial artists meeting without suspicion, even going so far as to show friendly smiles without reason—something none of them had ever experienced in other regions.
Sun Woo-jin agreed with Jin So-eun and added, “And it’s not just kindness. Each one carries a sense of pride and certainty. They seem to take great pride simply in being martial artists of Xinji Zhejiang.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
They all felt it.
The sacred land of the righteous sects, Xinji Zhejiang, was delivering a refreshing shock to the group.
Their journey went smoothly.
Though they didn’t move quickly, no accidents occurred, and everyone they met was kind. Before long, they arrived at the foot of Mount Antang without incident.
Sun Woo-jin stared blankly at the massive mountain, its peak shrouded in clouds, and murmured, “We’ve finally arrived.”
From within his mind, Muk-rang answered.
His voice carried a deep sense of emotion.
Sun Woo-jin suddenly asked him, “Why did you leave the true martial legacy here at Mount Antang, rather than at your family’s home in Onju?”
Muk-rang replied,
According to Muk-rang, when he was young, his family had lost their secret martial legacy and had fallen into a third-rate sect.
It was then that his elder brother, Noe-shin, the Sword God, resurrected the family from the bottom up.
He also recovered the family’s secret martial legacy hidden here at Mount Antang.
That event was nothing less than the signal flare announcing the family’s revival.
Muk-rang spoke of his brother with a wistful voice.
“Lately, people often argue over who is the greater martial artist between my brother and me. But honestly, it’s not even worth comparing. If my brother revived a dying tree, then I merely ate the fruit it bore. I myself am one of the achievements my brother accomplished. So there’s no need to debate who’s the superior martial artist.”
Sun Woo-jin listened quietly.
Muk-rang always humbly downplayed himself when speaking of his brother, Noe-shin.
It made Sun Woo-jin wonder every time.
What kind of man was Noe-shin, the Sword God, who commanded such absolute respect from the greatest martial artist of all time?
Suddenly, the face he had seen in the illusion of the Martial Emperor’s Tomb came to mind.
A manly face, full of mischief—that expression still lingered deeply in Sun Woo-jin’s memory.
A short while later, the group had a simple meal at a nearby inn before beginning their ascent of Mount Antang.
The path was wide and comfortable.
Countless people—mostly martial artists, it seemed—were coming and going along the mountain trail as if it were a bustling street.
Not only that.
They passed each other at close range without any sign of caution or defense.
Inns were open for business here and there, and the wide mountain path was filled with martial artists.
The area around Mount Antang, which should have been a remote mountain region, greeted the group with a scene completely different from what they had expected.
Ha Won-dal-gi, Yeon Tae-jin, looked around in amazement.
“This mountain corner looks like it has more martial artists than Ha Won’s downtown. Is this all because of the Sword Emperor?”
Sun Woo-jin answered, “It seems so. I’ve heard that so many martial artists who follow the Sword Emperor gather around Mount Antang that they’ve built a city here. I thought it was an exaggeration, but this is no exaggeration at all.”
Throughout their walk along the mountain path, they encountered martial artists passing by.
All appeared to be from righteous sects, and all greeted the group with friendly smiles and respectful salutes.
Occasionally, some glanced at Heuk Pyo and Sak Wol or Yeon Tae-jin, but those looks were merely curious, and no one caused trouble.
Jin So-eun suddenly exclaimed in admiration.
“A place like this can really exist. When I return to my family, I want to make Guangdong Province like this—a place where martial artists don’t fear each other and live with smiles.”
At her words, Jeung Chil and Seol Poong nodded.
Most of the group, to varying degrees, were impressed by the atmosphere here.
Of course, this scene was a continuation of the feeling they’d sensed since entering Zhejiang.
But for so many martial artists to come and go like this, and for this atmosphere to remain intact—that was truly astonishing.
Martial artists are naturally the kind of people who, the moment they see another, immediately consider how to defeat them.
They instinctively see other martial artists as current rivals or potential future threats.
For such people to show no suspicion and live peacefully together?
If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you’d never believe it.
Seol Poong sighed.
“This can only mean that everyone here truly believes none of the others are enemies.”
Sun Woo-jin nodded in agreement.
“It’s a belief that no one here would act dishonorably, especially within the Sword Emperor’s domain in Xinji Zhejiang. The influence of the world’s greatest martial artist is truly remarkable.”
At that, Yeon Tae-jin interrupted with a sour expression.
“But isn’t it reckless to drop your guard just because of blind faith? Martial artists trusting others instead of themselves? What if even one person here harbors ill intent? What if they take advantage of the defenseless and launch an attack? Any rule is broken the moment one person breaks it. I think it’s too fragile, and that worries me.”
As a member of the demonic sect, Yeon Tae-jin clearly didn’t view this atmosphere favorably.
But beyond emotions, her point was valid.
Trusting others is beautiful precisely because it’s difficult.
Others think differently from us, so trusting them means accepting the risk that they might betray us or act against our expectations.
Ignoring that risk entirely by placing blind faith in the Sword Emperor is undeniably dangerous and foolish.
Muk-rang suddenly spoke.
Hearing this, Sun Woo-jin asked,
“Isn’t it gratifying? The culture you two created has developed into a tradition over a hundred years.”
Muk-rang answered with a bitter tone.
Animals that could sustain themselves like plants…
Sun Woo-jin suddenly imagined what such creatures might look like.
Muk-rang continued speaking.
“If such a creature existed, it wouldn’t need to move anywhere else. It could survive perfectly well just by staying still. It might not even need eyes, nose, or mouth. Without predators or the need to hunt, why would it require those? Perhaps it would simply float on the water’s surface.”
Sun Woo-jin let out an involuntary sigh.
When he thought about it, all human actions ultimately stemmed from the need to survive.
If that need vanished, then as Mukrang said, there might be no reason for senses, movement, or communication at all.
Mukrang continued.
“But tell me this—what do you think would happen if such creatures, living that way, suddenly encountered other carnivores?”
“Ah!”
The moment he heard those words, only one thought flashed through Sun Woo-jin’s mind: extinction.
“My brother and I were always wary that the world we created might become a place for such beings. Even if it’s a world where benevolence and righteousness are common sense, a world you build yourself is entirely different from one handed to you by others. That’s why we always emphasized not only benevolence but also the strength to uphold it. But…”
Mukrang’s words trailed off there.
Still, Sun Woo-jin felt he already knew what came next.
Among the warriors passing by without a hint of caution, there wasn’t a single one who could be considered first-rate or above.
If a few of the Blood Sect’s demon generals were to raid this place, it would be utterly devastated in an instant.
Even if the Sword Sovereign’s followers came to help, everyone here would be dead before they arrived.
A complicated feeling settled over him.
The place he had recently thought of as a paradise suddenly seemed like a fragile illusion.
Sun Woo-jin asked Mukrang a question that had just occurred to him.
“Does the Sword Sovereign not know this? We only just arrived here, yet we’ve already figured it out.”
“Well…”
The group silently began climbing the mountain path toward where the Sword Sovereign was staying.
The Sword Sovereign’s residence was a manor halfway up the mountain.
It wasn’t large for someone of his stature, but the manor filled every inch of the narrow mountainside space, boasting a scale comparable to a mid-level sect.
Mukrang’s voice held a hint of surprise as he spoke.
“So this is what they’ve built here. Originally, there was only a small hermitage.”
According to Mukrang, there had once been a small hermitage here, with a secret cave hidden behind it.
He said he had left his true sword technique inside that cave.
So, now that such a manor had been built in front of it, anyone seeking the Sword Spirit’s true technique would have to venture deep into this manor.
Sun Woo-jin’s group approached the gate guards to request a visit.
“We’ve come to see the Sword Sovereign.”
The chief gate guard asked politely,
“Is there an appointment?”
Sun Woo-jin showed Mukrang’s sword and replied,
“No, but if you tell him the owner of the Mukrang Sword is here, I doubt the Sword Sovereign would refuse to meet.”
The guards, including the chief, were visibly startled upon seeing the sword.
It was identical to the Sword Sovereign’s Blood Wolf Sword, so their reaction was natural.
The chief guard respectfully took the sword and said,
“I will inform him immediately. Please wait a moment.”
With that, he swiftly disappeared inside, moving with impeccable professionalism.
Mukrang suddenly asked,
“Don’t you think it was too easy to reveal the Mukrang Sword? What if the Sword Sovereign harbors ill intentions?”
“…As I said before, I don’t trust the Sword Sovereign, but I do trust the elder who is with him. If he’s the one who unsealed the Blood Wolf Sword, I believe he wouldn’t harm me out of selfishness.”
Still, even as Sun Woo-jin answered, he lacked the certainty he had felt with Mayu-gyeom.
Perhaps it was because of the careless warriors around Mount Antang who seemed to have let their guard down, relying on the Sword Sovereign’s reputation.
He wasn’t sure if he could trust someone he hadn’t met personally, just because they had unsealed the Blood Wolf Sword in the past.
The wait wasn’t long.
Sun Woo-jin’s group was soon escorted inside by the chief steward.
“Welcome. I apologize for the wait.”
“Not at all. We didn’t wait long. Are we going to see the Sword Sovereign right now?”
Everything was moving so smoothly it was almost unbelievable that they could meet the current greatest swordsman so easily.
But Sun Woo-jin’s hopes were quickly tempered by the steward’s reply.
“No, the Sword Sovereign is currently in seclusion for training. So your esteemed guests will be received by his second son, Lord Bandaeha of the Scarlet Wolf Sword.”
“Seclusion… training?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Sun Woo-jin found himself in a difficult spot.
Whether true or not, if the Sword Sovereign was in seclusion, they couldn’t force a meeting.
Mukrang said,
“If the Sword Sovereign is in seclusion, it must be there.”
“That would make sense.”
Moreover, the place where the Sword Sovereign was training in seclusion was surely where the Sword Spirit’s true technique was hidden.
So sneaking in secretly was out of the question.
Sun Woo-jin asked the steward again.
“Do you know when the Sword Sovereign will come out of seclusion?”
The steward bowed politely and answered,
“I’m afraid I can’t say. You should speak with Lord Bandaeha for more details.”
Though courteous, his tone was like a stone wall—he clearly had no intention of sharing anything further.
Caught off guard, Sun Woo-jin felt awkward as they were led to the reception room.
There, a young nobleman in his early thirties awaited them.
He greeted them with a gentle smile and a formal bow.
“Welcome. I am Bandaeha. It is an honor to meet the bearer of the brother sword to the Blood Wolf Sword.”
He was confident, though not arrogant.
His eyes and words radiated pride in himself.
From the moment he greeted them, he stared intently at the Mukrang Sword with a meaningful look.
“Truly, it’s identical to the Blood Wolf Sword except for the color. The shape and material are exactly the same. Fascinating.”
Sun Woo-jin glanced at the sword at Bandaeha’s waist.
It was a red blade, similar in appearance to the Mukrang Sword.
He guessed it was deliberately crafted to resemble the Blood Wolf Sword.
Suddenly, the reason behind Bandaeha’s nickname—the Scarlet Wolf Sword—became clear.
He likely wanted to follow in his father, the Sword Sovereign’s footsteps.
Sun Woo-jin smiled faintly and replied,
“They were made by the same person. Have you ever heard the Sword Sovereign speak of the Mukrang Sword?”
He wanted to see if Bandaeha knew the secret behind the Mukrang Sword.
But Bandaeha shook his head immediately.
“The Mukrang Sword… I’ve heard there might be a brother sword, but I don’t know the details.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Sun Woo-jin felt awkward again.
If Bandaeha didn’t know the Mukrang Sword’s secret, it was hard to explain why they had come to see the Sword Sovereign.
“We came to see the Sword Sovereign. Do you know when he will end his seclusion?”
Bandaeha smiled faintly and answered,
“Well, my father doesn’t set a fixed period for his seclusion, so it’s hard to say. And even if he does come out, I can’t guarantee he’ll want to meet you.”
His words were strange.
They implied that regardless of seclusion, meeting the Sword Sovereign might be impossible.
It was a stark contrast to his previously polite demeanor.
Sun Woo-jin frowned slightly and asked,
“What do you mean by that?”
Bandaeha chuckled softly.
“My father is the greatest swordsman in the world. Even if you hold the brother sword to the Blood Wolf Sword, do you think you can easily meet the greatest swordsman? Ah, are you perhaps planning to gift that sword to him?”
His tone suggested that presenting the Mukrang Sword as a gift might be the only way to meet the Sword Sovereign.
The group’s expressions hardened.
A gift? That was a polite way of saying they’d have to hand over their sword—the very lifeblood of a warrior.
Sun Woo-jin carefully controlled his expression and replied,
“No, that’s not the case. Just as the Blood Wolf Sword is precious to the Sword Sovereign, the Mukrang Sword is precious to me. And… I believe that if the Sword Sovereign hears about the Mukrang Sword, he would want to see me even now.”
Bandaeha smiled again and said,
“Is that so? Well, I’ll mention it once he ends his seclusion. But for now, it’s impossible.”
He looked at Sun Woo-jin with a smile that seemed to say, “Anything else?”
Sun Woo-jin had no choice but to accept the situation.
For now, they had to withdraw.
They couldn’t cause a scene unless they wanted to pick a fight with the Sword Sovereign’s son and his faction.
And if they did, they might become enemies of all the warriors in Zhejiang Province.
He sighed and said,
“Very well. We will come again another time.”
Bandaeha bowed and said,
“Then we look forward to your next visit. Please take care on your way.”
Leaving the reception room empty-handed, Sun Woo-jin realized that finding the True Spirit Festival of the Sword Saint wouldn’t be as easy as he had initially thought.
Until now, he had only considered the difficulty of mastering it, but this unexpected obstacle was something else entirely.
Just as he was stepping out of the reception room, Mukrang spoke to him.
“Author, you lied earlier.”
“Huh? You mean the claim that the Sword Master is in seclusion was a lie?”
“No, that part was true. But your statement that you’d never heard of the Mukrang Sword was false. It seems you actually know the secret behind the Mukrang Sword.”
Mukrang’s words tangled Sun Woo-jin’s thoughts even further.
If what Mukrang said was true, then the person opposing him had been pretending ignorance about the Mukrang Sword’s secret all along.
And that meant their intentions were far from good.
Perhaps, knowing the secret was exactly why they tried so hard to keep him from meeting the Sword Master.
Sun Woo-jin sighed and said, “Revealing the Mukrang Sword was definitely premature. Even if the Sword Master is in seclusion, I had no idea what kind of people surrounded him.”
“That’s right. It’s a tricky situation.”
As Sun Woo-jin and his group left the reception room, Ban Dae wiped the smile off his face completely.
He then summoned the chief officer.
“Conduct a thorough investigation on that Sun Woo-jin.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the chief officer left the reception room, Ban Dae’s gaze fixed on the door through which Sun Woo-jin and his group had exited.
His eyes burned with nothing but hostility and greed.