Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

I met Sa Gong-hwan, the master of Sa Gong Escort Agency and patriarch of the Sa Gong family. It had been a truly long time since I'd last seen him, but his face was instantly familiar. He fiddled with his thick beard and spoke.

"You are the rejuvenated elder master? What brings you to us?"

Sa Gong-hwan didn't doubt for a second that I, a teenage boy standing before him, had returned to youth. That meant he trusted Sa Gong-rin's judgment implicitly and saw me as no ordinary figure.

I stared at him steadily before replying.

"I've come to propose a deal."

"A deal?"

I gestured subtly for privacy. Sa Gong-hwan waved off his attendants standing nearby, and only then did I continue.

"Ha!"

Sa Gong-hwan scoffed in disbelief.

"You'll fend off Yellow Mountain Sect? Do you know they are one of the Nine Great Righteous Sects, with several peak experts, and the overlords of this region?"

"Of course I do. Probably better than you, Agency Master."

I replied softly, then fixed him with a piercing gaze.

"I can protect your family so Yellow Mountain Sect won't dare harm you. I can even halt their expansion. I believe that's what you desire most as patriarch."

Sa Gong-hwan fell silent. My words had struck at the heart of his concerns. I knew the tangled affairs between Yellow Mountain Sect and the Sa Gong family better than anyone, so reading his mind was easy. After a moment, he groaned.

"I can't believe that. Even if you're a rejuvenated master, Nine Great Righteous Sects aren't something one man can handle."

"Keep what I'm about to say to yourself and take it to your grave."

"What?"

I sent him a direct transmission of voice.

[You know there's a suspicious force backing Yellow Mountain Sect. It's called Wind God Style, one of the four Dharma Protector martial lineages of White Lotus Church. Their sect leader, Earth Dragon Sword God Yong-Jung-Il of Yellow Mountain Sect, is the son of Wind God Style's patriarch.]

"...!!"

His eyes widened, and he clenched his fists. He'd just heard a staggering secret out of nowhere. Ignoring his reaction, I continued.

[And I am an emissary dispatched from another Dharma Protector lineage to check them. My mission is to aid your Sa Gong family in blocking Yellow Mountain Sect's expansion.]

"You..."

[Just answer me. Will you help me, or carry on as is?]

I sent the transmission with a cold sneer.

[From my perspective, it could be another family instead of yours.]

"Urgh."

Sa Gong-hwan bit his lip, flustered by my pressure.

That was right.

My plan was to impersonate an emissary of Fire God Style, bring the Sa Gong family under my influence, and protect them! Han Baek-ryeong and Han Jin-seong had agreed to help me, so it wasn't entirely false, and it was enough to shake Sa Gong-hwan. The prestige of White Lotus Church's Dharma Protector lineages made it hard for him to judge coldly.

After agonizing briefly, Sa Gong-hwan spoke.

"I'll help you..."

"Good choice. A wise decision."

"Then what must we do?"

When Sa Gong-hwan asked weakly, I answered calmly.

"I need to learn about Sa Gong-rin's master. If she provides that information, it'll suffice as payment for your protection."

"My daughter's master? Why are you curious about that?"

Sa Gong-hwan looked baffled. I replied innocently.

"Is there any reason I should explain that?"

"......"

I held the knife. Besides, he already saw me as a rejuvenated peak expert, so he wouldn't dare attack recklessly. If I went on a rampage here, it would burn his house to the ground. In the end, Sa Gong-hwan turned away helplessly and said:

"...Mount Tai Old Man."

"I know that. What I want is his whereabouts, the martial arts he uses, his appearance-any distinguishing details."

"I don't know that."

"Your daughter does."

"......"

Sa Gong-hwan bit his lip until it bled. Flames flickered in his eyes.

"I don't know how great a master you are, but stop pushing us. The Sa Gong family hasn't survived this brutal martial world by blindly submitting. We can stake our lives on honor."

Shing!

Sa Gong-hwan drew his sword. He'd yielded as much as realistically possible, but selling information on his daughter's master, Mount Tai Old Man, was unthinkable for a warrior's honor. I looked at him calmly and said:

"As I said, I don't want bloodshed. You're taking the hard road, Agency Master Sa Gong-hwan."

"Mount Tai Old Man greatly helped our family settle and survive on Yellow Mountain. I'd rather die upholding honor than betray such a man!"

"Foolish..."

I couldn't understand Sa Gong-hwan.

"What's so difficult?"

I had no intention of killing him or making enemies of the Sa Gong family. I'd merely pretended to threaten while crafting a backstory that wouldn't prick his conscience.

If he handed over the info while thinking it unavoidable, he'd gain immensely. He'd fend off Yellow Mountain Sect's invasion and gain a powerful backer.

But that's why he raised a daughter like Sa Gong-rin. He compromised with reality to some degree but upheld his unbreakable principles as a spirited warrior. Force wouldn't work against someone willing to stake his entire clan's lives on honor.

I sighed and said:

"Is Mount Tai Old Man worth your clan staking everything to protect?"

"What do you mean?"

It might be better to probe subtly.

"I've already learned he has made several contacts with Yellow Mountain Sect and is clearly allied with them-that's why I came here. He might just see you as disposable underlings. He's a mysterious figure barely known in the Jianghu, but no one knows what he's plotting behind the scenes."

"......!!"

"I'm not giving more chances. Think carefully, Agency Master Sa Gong-hwan."

My casual shake rattled him deeply. He must have suspected something himself. If not, he'd deny it outright; his silence confirmed it.

That was when it happened.

"You're truly despicable!!"

A sharp voice cried from behind as Sa Gong-rin approached. I glanced at her, and she glared at me.

"How dare you slander and insult my master without proof? I swear on his honor, I will never yield to the likes of you!"

"Do you really think there's no basis?"

I shot back sharply, glaring at her.

"If it weren't my mission, if he weren't suspicious, I wouldn't come to this backwater. I'm not so idle as to tangle with minor powers like yours. He's suspicious enough that I'm negotiating to get the info clearly... Is that so wrong?"

Sa Gong-rin declared firmly:

"Of course! I don't know your circumstances, but you're just trying to coerce the information through force and threats, aren't you? How can we trust your so-called backer? Nothing's certain, so I can't betray my master!"

I thought for a moment, then countered.

"Then, if I meet Mount Tai Old Man and confirm he means no harm, will you arrange it?"

"Why does it have to go that way?"

"......"

Suddenly, I got irritated. Realizing why I was bothering with this made my tone curt.

"You and Agency Master Sa Gong-hwan are so brave. Incredibly brave. Willing to face your agency's and clan's annihilation for honor-few have such courage."

After a pause, I glared at them darkly and continued.

"But once I act, it's not just you who die. Since I'm involved, I'll erase all traces: your clan, the agency's accountants and escorts, even your in-laws' eighth cousins and merchants you trade with-everyone to eliminate loose ends. That's the way of the Jianghu, so you're prepared, right?"

"......"

Their faces darkened.

I was angry.

For some reason, my voice rose in fury.

"You may die for sect honor and master loyalty, but what sin did those dozens, hundreds of acquaintances commit? Knowing you? Hiring the wrong boss? Do you have the right to demand they stake their lives??"

Rumble!!

Vast internal energy and formless intent poured from my body.

"Hugh!!"

Sa Gong-hwan rolled his eyes back and fainted. Sa Gong-rin trembled violently, paled, and collapsed. The internal energy I built was immense-no one but a Dharma Protector emissary could underestimate it.

Damn.'

I realized I'd lost my temper. I quickly withdrew my aura, preventing heart attacks. They'd trained in martial arts, or ordinary people would have died on the spot.

But I couldn't help it.

As an escort for decades, I'd seen agencies swept into Jianghu conflicts and massacred. Low-level accountants and escorts always died horribly.

Surviving those, I'd thought:

Why must escorts die?

For picking the wrong boss?

If that's the murim way, why can those decision-makers so casually risk escorts' lives?

Do they have the right?

Sa Gong-hwan and Sa Gong-rin's choices clashed with my views, so I snapped. Fine to die for beliefs, but their choice pawned dozens, hundreds of lives. Sacrificing so many for Jianghu loyalty was incomprehensible.

I sighed and said:

"I got too heated. At least decide carefully."

Getting angry while threatening was absurd. I felt a bit ridiculous, killing my rage.

Sa Gong-rin steadied herself. Unlike Sa Gong-hwan, who'd fainted from one burst of intent, she recovered quickly-her skills neared the peak realm. Clearing her throat, she said:

"Understood. I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Thank you."

Sa Gong-rin replied bitterly.

"Think what you want-that I yielded to your force. But what you said about carrying the lives of accountants and escorts on our backs... that rang truer."

I felt a twinge of guilt. I was the intruder coercing info from Sa Gong Escort Agency; they were victims. So I showed some consideration.

"It doesn't matter. The info you provide is what counts. I won't concern myself with the rest."

"If we give only that info, will you truly guarantee my clan's safety?"

"Of course. I have no intention of harming your master."

"Then I'll tell you."

I wondered if this was right. Maybe build trust with Sa Gong-rin over time? But I lacked the luxury.

Sa Gong-rin soon spoke of Mount Tai Old Man.

"My master, Mount Tai Old Man, is one of the Three Great Eccentrics of the righteous factions. He wanders the world like it's his home. He saw my superior meridians and talent as a child and took me as a disciple. I've followed him, touring mountains everywhere since young."

"What martial arts did he teach you?"

Sa Gong-rin hesitated, then said.

"Asura Heavenly Light Great Law and Gongsun Sword Arts. The former covers internal heart method and heavy hand techniques; the latter is a sword art passed down from ancient times."

"......"

"They're direct lineage secrets, so I can't share with my family."

I thought I'd misheard and asked again.

"Asura Heavenly Light Great Law? You're sure?"

"Yes."

I pondered deeply. Even rethinking, it was unbelievable... I tilted my head.

After a moment, I muttered.

"That can't be."

"What's wrong?"

Sa Gong-rin eyed me oddly, but I was preoccupied. Memories of clashing with Jegal Bu flashed by.

[Even at his peak, Asura Heavenly Light Great Law makes my hand numb. How did he gain such profound energy?]

Because Asura Heavenly Light Great Law was the supreme art of Jegal Bu-'Central Plains' treasure, Great Heavenly Gatekeeper of Yellow Palace, Inner Yellow Pavilion Master. He'd reached super peak realm young, his power immense enough to casually block my attacks fueled by several Millennium Snow Ginsengs. Having fought him, I'd never forget the name.

Yet Sa Gong-rin, direct disciple of Mount Tai Old Man, used the same ultimate technique as Jegal Bu!

What was going on?

As I reeled, Sa Gong-rin continued.

"Master wanders the world but dwells often on Mount Tai, so the Jianghu calls him that. Actually, he circuits the Five Sacred Mountains frequently."

"Five Sacred Mountains..."

Mount Tai, Mount Hua, Heng Mountain, Heng Mountain, Mount Song. Indeed, if so, passing through Mount Tai made sense-it's the foremost.

I thought deeply, then asked Sa Gong-rin.

"Why circuit the Five Sacred Mountains?"

"He told me to always check the rites of the Five Sacred Mountains."

"Why the rites?"

"Not sure, but Master has long been interested in heavenly sacrifices. He said he gained mystical knowledge from a Daoist secret sect."

"Hmm..."

Sacrifices!

That word again made me groan. I knew sacrifices were symbolic rituals offering to gods, hugely important. Mount Tai Old Man circling the Five Sacred Mountains and mentioning rites was deeply suspicious.

To confirm, I asked.

"Just in case-does your sect have someone named Jegal Bu?"

"Never heard of him... Isn't that the name of Luoyang's supreme prodigy?"

"Hmm."

Sa Gong-rin wasn't feigning ignorance; she truly didn't know. I probed more on Mount Tai Old Man, and she answered sincerely. Thinking things had gotten interesting, I said to her.

"I must meet Mount Tai Old Man no matter what. Any way to find him?"

"Master wanders freely; I have no idea where he is."

"No way?"

"But take this token-he might meet you."

Sa Gong-rin handed me a round silver badge engraved with a vermilion bird. I stared at it, and she explained.

"Master gave it when we parted."

"Is it right to give me something so precious?"

"......"

Sa Gong-rin looked at me with clear eyes and said.

"If you wanted, you could've used brutal methods anytime. But I sense no malice in you. Baek Woong, I just think you're not inherently evil."

"Hah... You say the strangest things. Hand over the badge."

Embarrassed, I snatched it quickly. I checked Sa Gong-hwan's pulse, restored his qi, and stood. Hiding my face long with my bamboo hat, I said:

"As promised, I won't kill your master, so rest easy. And I'll protect your clan."

Flash!

Without waiting for Sa Gong-rin's reply, I hurriedly left the Sa Gong estate. Her gaze seemed to read my heart, making me suffocated. Her seeing through my lack of killing intent left me uneasy.

'Damn, this is maddening.'

Was I too soft?

Should I have been more ruthless?

I agonized briefly but shook my head, recalling my goal.

"I need to tour the Five Sacred Mountains."

Mount Tai, Mount Hua, Heng Mountain, Heng Mountain, Mount Song!

He was surely secluded at one.

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