Free Web NovelAfter exchanging the Namcheon Sword and the First Sword.
“......”
Kim Muhyuk had his eyes closed with the face of a well-fed cat. He looked extremely satisfied.
Na Ilcheon watched him with complicated feelings.
‘Recognition from the Namcheon Sword was originally permitted only to the successor of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE.’
The reason he was still holding on to the position of sect leader of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE even at the age of ninety.
He knew people whispered behind his back, calling him a greedy, scheming old man, but the truth was there were real circumstances he couldn’t speak of.
‘That finicky sword barely acknowledges a successor, and people don’t even know this old man is still suffering because of it.......’
Na Ilcheon stared resentfully at his beloved sword that was still in Kim Muhyuk’s hand.
Originally, he’d planned to hand over the position of sect leader to the next generation before he turned seventy.
But the Namcheon Sword hadn’t acknowledged a single martial artist he’d marked as successor.
At best, it only allowed them to hold it. Not one of them had properly seen the Namcheon Sword’s spirit.
Even though every single one of them had outstanding talent in martial arts.
In the end, until Bu Yeonha entered AZURE SKY SWORD GATE a few years ago, no one received the Namcheon Sword’s recognition, and Na Ilcheon couldn’t choose a successor.
‘Do they even know how wronged I was because of that!’
How many people had gossiped that Na Ilcheon was being greedy so he could hand the sect leadership to his bloodline?
But the reason Bu Yeonha was all but confirmed as the next sect leader wasn’t because she was Na Ilcheon’s granddaughter.
It was because, along with her outstanding talent, she had Heart Eye opened enough to see the Namcheon Sword’s spirit.
‘But that kid.......’
Kim Muhyuk not only saw the Namcheon Sword’s spirit as clearly as Na Ilcheon did, he even made the Namcheon Sword show him the founder’s swordsmanship.
Should he somehow bring Kim Muhyuk into AZURE SKY SWORD GATE and make him the successor, even now?
With a grave expression, Na Ilcheon muttered to himself.
“I’m sorry to Yeonha, but.......” ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
For the future and glory of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, changing the successor was something he could more than endure.
At that moment, Kim Muhyuk opened his eyes, grinned, and looked down at the Namcheon Sword.
“The Namcheon Sword is telling me to prove it once.”
“P-Prove...?”
Could it be telling him to prove he was qualified to become the sword’s owner?
It was the moment he’d been desperately waiting for, for decades—but for it to come so suddenly......
Na Ilcheon’s eyes shook violently, but Kim Muhyuk, oblivious, scratched the back of his head and continued.
“It says that with any other sword art, I’ll never become stronger than the first owner, so it’s recommending I learn AZURE SKY SWORD GATE swordsmanship.”
“Ahem! Our founder truly was an incredible person. ......So what did you answer?”
Na Ilcheon asked, unable to hide his anticipation.
Only then did Kim Muhyuk lift his head and meet Na Ilcheon’s gaze. With a meaningful smile, he said,
“When I told it I’d surpass him someday, it told me to prove it.”
“What? Surpass who?”
Na Ilcheon narrowed his eyes and glared at the bold young swordsman.
*****
While I kept my eyes closed for a moment to gather the realization I’d gained from seeing Azure Sky Demon-Subduing Sword, I spoke with the Namcheon Sword in my mind.
......Brat, learn AZURE SKY SWORD GATE swordsmanship. Then I’ll make you the next owner.
The sacred object of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE—prideful to the bone—made the offer to me first.
A tone that sounded like it secretly wanted me to say yes.
But I had no intention of learning AZURE SKY SWORD GATE swordsmanship, and no intention of being tied down to a single sect.
‘Sorry, but I can’t.’
If I said it didn’t sting to lose the chance to become the Namcheon Sword’s owner, that would be a lie.
But from the beginning, my plan was to go to Jeju Island and obtain Phantom Dream.
The Namcheon Sword was an incredible sacred weapon, but for me, I needed Phantom Dream even more—a sword that would let me freely unfold my own swordsmanship.
......You said we should go together?
Words I’d blurted out after I understood the Namcheon Sword’s loneliness and boredom.
But both the Namcheon Sword and I knew it was impossible.
A great sect’s sacred object couldn’t be swung around brutally on a battlefield.
Even if I entered AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, it would be difficult.
‘Next time I’ll come see you again. Stronger than I am now. And someday, I’ll surpass your first owner, too.’
At my roundabout refusal, the Namcheon Sword answered in a curt voice.
Tsk....... You’ll regret it later.
A tone that made me picture a sulky face.
The Namcheon Sword didn’t urge me to enter the sect anymore.
A martial artist who didn’t learn AZURE SKY SWORD GATE swordsmanship couldn’t become its owner.
That was the Namcheon Sword’s pride, and the will of Namcheon, the founder.
Still, as repayment for entertaining it after so long, it could at least give me a reward.
......You idiot brat who resembles Namcheon. Then prove it. I’ll watch and see how high you can climb.
WOOOONG—
Demon-subduing force—the power that once cut down countless anomalies long ago—seeped into my body through the hilt.
‘This is......?’
You’ll have a use for it someday. Keep it, and take it out when you need it.
The Namcheon Sword added that I should keep it secret from Na Ilcheon.
‘Thank you. I won’t forget.’
I carefully stored away the faint demon-subduing force seeping through my palm, and swore to keep the secret tight.
Even I thought I’d taken too much of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE’s foundation.
And now.
With a face dripping with regret, I returned the Namcheon Sword to its owner.
“Sect Leader. I’ll return the sword.”
“If anyone saw this, they’d think I’m stealing your sword. Hand it over.”
“......”
“This punk? Are you not letting go?”
When I held on to the Namcheon Sword like I’d smeared glue on my palm, Na Ilcheon yanked at it with an incredulous expression.
“Fine. I’ll bring the contract documents right now. This clearly means you want to enter AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, doesn’t it?”
“......I’ll let go. I’m letting go.”
The moment I finally released the Namcheon Sword after wrestling with it—
[With you...... it might be possible.]
A faint voice, different from the Namcheon Sword’s spirit, rang in my head.
‘Who?’
I stared at the Namcheon Sword in the sect leader’s hand for a long time, but the voice never came again.
*****
After speaking with Na Ilcheon for a bit, I stood up.
“Thank you, Sect Leader. Thanks to you giving me your precious time these past few days, I was able to learn a lot.”
When I offered my sincere thanks and clasped my fist, Na Ilcheon waved his hand as if he was sick of it.
“Enough. There’s nothing left for you to take, so don’t ever come back.”
Of course, it was a joke. A pleased smile hung on Na Ilcheon’s lips.
Conversation with a promising junior filled with passion was a joy even for an old master like him.
‘If this child had entered the main sect...... he could’ve made AZURE SKY SWORD GATE the greatest among the Eight Great Sects together with Yeonha.’
He still felt regret, but Na Ilcheon decided it simply wasn’t fate anymore, and resolved to give it up cleanly.
Then I said with a mischievous grin,
“I’ll drop by often, too.”
“Heh-heh. You really never listen. You’re later than usual, so get going.”
“......Can I touch the Namcheon Sword just once more, as a last time?”
“Why? Planning to grab it and run?”
Even after I got permission and held the Namcheon Sword, I didn’t hear any voice anymore, and the spirit didn’t appear.
‘Next time I’ll come again.’
After leaving my greeting to the sword in my heart, I left the sect leader’s residence.
Bu Yeonha was waiting outside, as if she’d heard the news that my training in handling a cursed sword was over.
“I heard everything.”
“Heard what?”
The moment she saw me, she exaggeratedly furrowed her brow and pressed me.
“I heard you tried to run off with the Namcheon Sword?”
“My god. That rumor already spread that far?”
“I already laid out a net, wall to wall, so don’t even dream about it.”
When I joked with an “aw, what a shame” face, she played along and giggled.
She personally saw me off all the way to the front gate of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE.
Knowing we wouldn’t see each other for a while, Bu Yeonha brought up what she’d wanted to tell me.
“I was busy with something else today so I couldn’t watch, but...... these past few days, you really stimulated me, too.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. In a good way.”
Bu Yeonha had been quietly confident that the next sect leader seat was naturally hers.
But watching me—whose Heart Eye had been more open than hers from the start—pour my whole being into trying to hold the Namcheon Sword, she ended up thinking about a lot of things.
She even imagined, what if I changed my mind and entered AZURE SKY SWORD GATE......
“Thanks to you, my head snapped awake. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to work to receive the Namcheon Sword’s formal recognition. Next time you see me, it might be in my hand, you know?”
At Bu Yeonha’s confident words, her eyes changed, I smiled and nodded.
“I think the Namcheon Sword would suit you well, Senior.”
Even that finicky Namcheon Sword would have no choice but to acknowledge Bu Yeonha in the end.
As I left AZURE SKY SWORD GATE—where I’d gone in and out every day these past few days—I thought,
‘Now I remember for sure.’
When the Heavenly Demon Cult rose up and overturned the world more than twenty years later, the martial artists of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE took up their swords to protect civilians.
And to make them an example, the Heavenly Demon Cult wiped out the entire sect without sparing a single one.
Na Ilcheon and Bu Yeonha must have been there, too.
‘This time, I stop it.’
It was only a short time—just a few days—but I learned a lot at AZURE SKY SWORD GATE.
Practice handling a cursed sword would be a huge help in obtaining Phantom Dream, and witnessing the swordsmanship of a peerless master was no different from a fortuitous encounter.
But even aside from that, AZURE SKY SWORD GATE was a sect worth helping.
“Senior Bu Yeonha.”
I stopped for a moment in front of the main gate and looked up at the statue of Namcheon, the founder of AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, and spoke.
“Hm?”
“I’m not planning to enter AZURE SKY SWORD GATE. Instead... how about an alliance?”
“......An alliance? Wh-What alliance?”
Bu Yeonha blinked a few times, then understood what I meant and parted her lips.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of making a sect?”
Still looking at Namcheon’s statue, I scratched my cheek.
“Not something as grand as a sect, but I made something similar.”
Blue Wolves was still too rough to call a proper martial-world organization.
But I could guarantee the abilities of its members.
I held out my hand to Bu Yeonha.
“An alliance with us wouldn’t be a loss for AZURE SKY SWORD GATE, either.” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
“What? Seriously.......”
Bu Yeonha made a dumbfounded expression.
Even if the Eight Great Sects had recently been lumped together and cursed at, AZURE SKY SWORD GATE was one of the greatest sword sects in Korea.
And I was saying an alliance with us wouldn’t be a loss?
It was absurd, but strangely, it didn’t feel bad.
‘It really might not be a loss.’
With my talent and speed of growth, it wasn’t impossible that in ten years, I could become The Strongest in Korea.
But it wasn’t about calculations like that.
From that confident face, she could feel goodwill toward AZURE SKY SWORD GATE—not some other ulterior motive.
“What kind of stiff ‘alliance’ is that.”
Bu Yeonha grabbed my offered hand and said,
“Let’s just be friends. An alliance is something you do because your goals match and you need each other. But friends just help each other.”
“Friends....... That’s definitely better.”
I grinned and shook her hand up and down.
And a few days later, Kim Muhyuk arrived on Jeju Island together with the Blue Wolves crew members.
