Chapter 344

At Uncheon Zhenren’s question, the old man in black replied in a cold voice.

“Zhenren, what an outrageous thing to say. Do you truly believe the supreme and unsurpassable Martial Sage—a man who stands at a height beyond which there is nowhere further to ascend—would give such an order to two old servants like us?”

“......?”

When Uncheon Zhenren looked at him in puzzlement, the old man in white spoke.

“We mean that the order came not from the Martial Sage, but from the Lord of the Martial Sage House.”

Uncheon Zhenren flinched.

“Are you saying the master of the Martial Sage House has changed?”

The old man in white nodded.

“Our Martial Sage House forbids communication with the outside world, so it is only natural that you would not have heard. The Martial Sage stepped down as Lord of the Martial Sage House long ago.”

“Then I understand even less. As far as this poor Taoist knows, I have done nothing in particular to offend the new Lord of the Martial Sage House.”

A bitter smile touched the old man in black’s lips.

“Zhenren, I am sure you have many questions, but you should stop asking them. We are merely old servants carrying out our master’s orders. What could we possibly know?”

No matter how Uncheon tried to sound them out through conversation, they simply had nothing to tell him.

“I see.”

Uncheon Zhenren readily nodded, then continued.

“In any case, if this poor Taoist must face the two honored elders in black and white of the Martial Sage House, then even in death I will have no regrets.”

The old man in white regarded him bitterly.

“We are grateful that the Sword of Wudang holds two old servants like us in such high regard.”

The old man in black spoke quietly as well.

“Zhenren, it truly is regrettable. But we have no choice. We must obey our master’s command.”

Uncheon Zhenren raised the Songmun Sword, which he had lowered for a moment.

“Honored Elders in Black and White, in consideration of our past connection, I would ask one favor of you.”

“Speak,” said the old man in white.

“I ask that you deliver this sword to Wudang.”

“.......”

“To the people of the world, it may look like nothing more than an old sword, but it has been passed down from one Sword of Wudang to the next for generations. The thought of letting it be buried among the mountains and rivers with me weighs on my heart.”

The old man in white glanced toward the old man in black.

“......?”

The old man in black silently nodded. The old man in white then turned back to Uncheon Zhenren.

“We shall do so. After all, the only thing our master ordered us to bring back was the head of the Sword of Wudang.”

Uncheon Zhenren bowed his head to the two old men.

“You have my thanks.”

Knowing that the Songmun Sword would be returned to Wudang even if he died here lifted a weight from Uncheon Zhenren’s heart.

He would have preferred to bestow it upon Kwak Yeon himself, but there was no telling whether that opportunity would ever come.

As long as the sword made it back to Wudang, however, it would eventually find its way into the boy’s hands.

Uncheon Zhenren brought the Songmun Sword behind his back and held it upright.

Then he extended his left hand, pressing his index and middle fingers together.

It was Immortal Points the Way, the opening stance of Wudang swordsmanship.

It was an ordinary opening stance, yet when performed by Uncheon Zhenren, the Sword of Wudang, a vast and majestic presence surged forth and overwhelmed the entire area.

HUMMMMM!

As white radiance enveloped Uncheon Zhenren from head to toe, the two old men in black and white exclaimed in admiration.

“Truly, you are the Sword of Wudang.”

“We two old servants will prepare ourselves accordingly.”

The old men drew their sabers at the same time.

SHING!

SHING!

The weapons were unusual curved sabers, each bent like a half-moon. One was black as though it had been submerged in ink, while the other was white as if carved from snow.

WHOOOOSH!

WHOOOOSH!

A deathly pale energy wrapped around the old man in white, while the old man in black was engulfed in an inky darkness so dense it made the surrounding night itself seem bright.

Uncheon Zhenren slowly raised his sword seal.

“Since this poor Taoist must face both honored elders at once, I cannot afford to be careless. I will therefore take the initiative with the Wisdom Sword of Taiji. Be on your guard.”

For the first time, a flush of excitement rose across the two old men’s faces.

SWISH!

A white flash burst from Uncheon Zhenren’s sword seal.

In the next instant, it shot toward the chest of the old man in white like a bolt of lightning.

Formless Sword!

Naturally, there was no air-tearing noise.

Had the old man not been watching closely, his chest would have been pierced before he even understood what had happened.

He raised his White Moon Curved Saber to block.

KRA-BOOM!

A thunderous roar shook the ravine of Gourd Sky, and the old man in white was driven back half a chi.

SHHHK!

At that moment, another flash sprang from Uncheon Zhenren’s sword seal and streaked toward the chest of the old man in black.

KRA-BOOM!

The old man in black blocked Uncheon Zhenren’s Formless Sword with his pitch-black Dark Moon Curved Saber, and he too was pushed back half a chi.

SHHHK!

“Your reputation does not begin to do you justice! Truly, that is the Wisdom Sword of Taiji.”

“Zhenren, it is regrettable that we old men will never have the chance to witness the Wisdom Sword of Taiji again.”

Uncheon Zhenren was the first person ever to force either of them backward through sheer internal power.

The two old men were genuinely impressed.

They now understood why the Lord of the Martial Sage House had ordered them to attack Uncheon Zhenren together.

Had both of them not come, no one would have been able to do anything to him.

“There is no need for the Honored Elders in Black and White to feel regret.”

HUMMMMM!

The white radiance around Uncheon Zhenren, diminished by the successive Formless Sword strikes, swelled back to its former brilliance.

“Even if this poor Taoist is no longer in this world, you will soon encounter the Wisdom Sword of Taiji again. And when that day comes, I can promise that you will not be nearly so at ease as you are today.”

The old man in white readily nodded.

“It is fortunate that you have already made arrangements, Zhenren. At least we two old men will not bear the sin of extinguishing Wudang’s true art.”

The old man in black looked noticeably more at ease as well.

“Zhenren, then we two old servants can act without reservation. But your internal power is too much for either one of us to withstand alone. We will therefore attack together. I ask your understanding.”

Uncheon Zhenren pointed his sword seal toward the space between the two old men.

“You honored elders allowed this poor Taoist to take the first attack. This time, I shall receive your combined assault.”

Uncheon Zhenren knew they had come intending to fight him together from the beginning, so he accepted without hesitation.

There was no point trying to draw out the battle. Better to settle everything in a single clash and leave nothing to regret.

The old man in white raised his White Moon Curved Saber.

“Then, in accordance with your wishes, we two old servants shall use the finest combined technique we possess.”

The old man in black raised his Dark Moon Curved Saber as well.

“Our supreme combined technique is called Moonlight Heavenfall. I tell you its name now so that curiosity will not leave you with lingering regrets in this mortal world.”

Pale white light and deep black radiance wrapped around the two old men.

WHOOOOSH!

WHOOOOSH!

They shot into the air, met high above, and began to revolve around one another.

BAAANG!

With an explosive tear of air, the figures of the old men in black and white merged into one.

Only then did Uncheon Zhenren understand why their sabers had been forged into those strange half-moon curves.

Weapons of such an unusual shape were necessary to perform the combined art known as Moonlight Heavenfall.

In the space of an instant, a full moon appeared across the sky and descended upon Uncheon Zhenren.

KRAAAANG!

The full moon created by the combined assault of the Honored Elders in Black and White fell from above with such overwhelming force that it seemed as though the actual full moon in the heavens were crashing down.

Uncheon Zhenren gathered every last trace of his inner power and true qi and unleashed the Formless Sword.

WHOOOOSH!

KRA-KRA-KRA-KRA-KRAANG!

As the Formless Sword into which he had poured a lifetime of cultivation was torn apart with a roar that seemed to rend the heavens, Uncheon Zhenren’s mind went blank.

Each of the two old men possessed internal power comparable to his own.

Yet once they achieved perfect unity, their combined power multiplied severalfold.

Now he understood why this combined art had been named Moonlight Heavenfall.

And he understood why they had told him its name before unleashing it.

No martial artist could witness such a wondrous martial art without wanting to know what it was called.

GRRRRNNNG!

Uncheon Zhenren gazed up at the moonlight of the full moon, which had already descended until it nearly touched the crown of his head.

He thought of Kwak Yeon.

If it were that boy... he would smash a mere full moon like this to pieces.

For the first time in a very long while, Uncheon Zhenren smiled in peace.

*****

WHOOSH!

THUD!

Before the swift boat had even reached the docks of Shangzhou County, Hu Gae leaped ashore.

“Brother Kwak, get something to eat with Taoist Cheongmu at a nearby wine house. I’ll make a quick trip to the Beggar Clan Branch and be right back.”

He needed to contact the Martial Alliance as quickly as possible, so Hu Gae dashed away without even waiting for Kwak Yeon’s answer.

“Wow! Big Beggar is really fast.”

Taoist Cheongmu exclaimed, then tilted his head.

“Does he need to relieve himself that badly?”

“Brother Cheongmu, Brother Hu Gae is the Beggar Clan’s designated successor. He has a great many duties, so he is always busy like that.”

Taoist Cheongmu knew nothing about the dire state of the martial world, so Kwak Yeon chose to put it that way.

“Ah! So that’s why.”

When Taoist Cheongmu accepted the explanation with innocent simplicity, Kwak Yeon turned to the boatmen aboard the swift boat.

“You have all worked very hard. I am sorry for making you row all the way here without so much as a proper rest. I would like to treat you to a hot meal at a wine house, if you would be willing.”

The captain answered on behalf of the crew.

“Young Hero, there is no need. We were paid a generous advance. Besides, sailors are not supposed to leave their vessel even for a moment while on duty. We will gratefully accept the thought behind your offer.”

Perhaps because they belonged to the most reputable shipping guild in Chang’an Prefecture, the captain and crew observed the rules of shipboard conduct rigorously.

They kept a certain distance from their passengers and always took their meals separately.

The fact that Kwak Yeon and his companions were martial artists had likely contributed to their restraint as well.

Whatever the reason, the crew of the swift boat had kept their word, allowing Kwak Yeon’s group to travel peacefully all the way from Baotou City to Shangzhou County.

Watching the captain and boatmen carry out their profession with such discipline, Kwak Yeon suddenly remembered Escort Captain Hong Sucheon, whom he had met during his first journey through the martial world.

“You have a family too, Captain?”

The captain nodded at Kwak Yeon’s sudden question.

“Of course I do. But why do you ask...?”

“No particular reason. I was merely curious.”

Kwak Yeon said there was no particular reason, but his thoughts ran deep.

Escort Captain Hong, the Wang Cheol-go couple from Sangjeon Village, the captain and boatmen here—most people who worked diligently had families of their own.

Come to think of it, people seemed to work even harder when they were doing it for someone other than themselves.

And that someone did not necessarily have to be family.

It’s because people like them exist that the world keeps running as it should.

It occurred to him that trust and honor were not things found only in grand gestures.

In any case, with the captain and crew refusing his offer so firmly, Kwak Yeon had no choice but to disembark with Taoist Cheongmu.

“Young Hero, we will remain ready to depart at any time.”

“Thank you.”

Kwak Yeon gave the captain and crew a sincere clasped-hands bow, then left the docks.

Beyond the waterfront, the streets of Shangzhou County finally had the unmistakable feel of the Central Plains.

They were also completely different from the frontier military encampments that had been crawling with soldiers.

Only now did Kwak Yeon truly feel that he had traveled all the way to the far reaches beyond the frontier and returned.

He entered a wine house directly across from the docks.

“Welcome!”

The moment Kwak Yeon stepped inside to the serving boy’s cheerful greeting, a strange sense of unease came over him.