Ten Paths of the Master - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 55. I must know exactly whose dream is whose
The moment Dan Yeop’s words—”What will you do about that crime?”—left his lips, Gang Rim the patrol officer pressed his head flat against the stone floor of the great hall.
“Sect Master Dan! Chief Sect Master! Spare my life, I beg you! My nature may be savage, but I’m not a man so wicked as to deserve death! I have done good deeds! I swear I will never again set foot in the shadows of the three of you!”
Dan Yeop turned his gaze toward Baek Chogong, the Sect Leader.
Since it was the Sect Leader who had been struck by Gang Rim the patrol officer, Dan Yeop intended to defer to his wishes.
“Sect Leader, what should we do?”
“He repents so deeply—I would ask that you forgive him.”
Though his heart yearned for vengeance, Baek Chogong could not pursue it.
The Martial Masters of Heukyou might one day come looking for him.
Unlike Dan Yeop or Dan Bulwi, he had no way to stop a Martial Master of Heukyou.
‘If only I could master the True Three-Path Sword Method…then, crack!’
Sect Leader Baek Chogong made a silent vow: ‘When that day comes, I will not simply endure as I do now.’
Shortly after, the three men left Heukyou and turned their steps toward Jipdan-hyang.
The matter at Heukyou had ended early, and parting ways felt too abrupt.
***
Shim-hyang-gak in Jipdan-hyang.
Since morning, the three men had been seated facing one another with tea and refreshments before them.
Sect Leader Baek Chogong spoke first.
“I offer my thanks once again to Chief Sect Master Dan Bulwi and Sect Master Dan Yeop. Had it not been for you both, I would have bitten through my own tongue and died from shame.”
Of course, that was merely a courtesy.
Being beaten like a dog in the service of Haowen was hardly something new to him.
Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop simply listened in silence.
“I’ve invited you both, though I know you are busy, because there is something I must tell you.”
Sect Leader Baek Chogong paused and took a sip of tea.
He needed time to gather his thoughts.
Once his words were ordered, he spoke.
“At present, Haowen is divided into three factions.”
In that instant, Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop could not hide their astonishment.
It was difficult to believe that a sect of so little consequence could be so fractured.
“There is the faction following Ha Soran, the Gimun Sect Leader, and the Amun Sect Leader, and then those who align with neither. In truth, until not long ago, I myself stood with the neutral faction.”
Dan Bulwi asked carefully.
“It seems you have taken a side now?”
“Indeed. When I appointed you brothers as Sect Master, I inadvertently came to share cause with Amun.”
Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop nodded slowly.
Sect Leader Ha Soran was the sort to fly into a rage at the mere mention of the word “Sect Master.”
Now that Dan Yeop had been appointed to that post, he had naturally found himself in the same boat as Amun.
“Chamun and Gakmun unconditionally side with Gimun. Seonmun stands with neither. The Sect Leader of Seonmun, Go Wonbang, is a man of deep schemes—he will likely shift his allegiance to whichever side profits him.”
Dan Yeop spoke with a puzzled expression.
“Sect Leader, why do Chamun and Gakmun so firmly support Gimun? Is there some reason?”
“Ha Soran’s daughter, Ha Yongwol, is soon to marry Ma Yeongdal, the Sect Leader of Chamun. Ha Soran’s adopted daughter, Ryu Seolri, is to be betrothed to Yi Jangwon, the Sect Leader of Gakmun’s son. They’re sealing blood oaths through marriage.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes. And she’s been providing free wine and women to Jeommun and Seonmun. Of course, thanks to you, I’ve since escaped that ant trap…”
Sect Leader Baek Chogong, finding himself ashamed even in his own mind, spoke of it as an ant trap.
Dan Bulwi shook his head as if bewildered.
“I never thought Sect Leader Ha would exploit even her own children.”
“At the New Year assembly, Sect Leader Ha will press the issue of your appointments as Chief Sect Master and Sect Master. Though it will merely waste time, I’m sure.”
“Still, it will be quite noisy.”
“Today I have seen the martial prowess of the Chief Sect Master and Sect Master, and my mind is at ease.”
In truth, Sect Leader Baek Chogong had suffered considerable worry after appointing Dan Yeop as Sect Master.
If Dan Yeop were to be outmatched by the senior disciples, he himself would be branded a trouble-maker.
But the Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop he had witnessed today were no less formidable than masters of the Five-Peak Sword Technique.
The Branch Leader of Heukyou had yielded without even drawing a blade.
Shortly after, Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop took their leave of Sect Leader Baek Chogong and rose to their feet.
As Dan Yeop crossed the courtyard, he suddenly called out to Dan Bulwi.
“Father.”
“Yes?”
“You said you found me in Nagan-hyeon, didn’t you?”
“That’s right. Why?”
“I think I need to be certain about it.”
“About what?”
“There are such things.”
Dan Yeop did not answer.
The closer the Dull Genius Dan Yeop grew to understanding him, the more the changes came upon him as well.
Recently, he had begun to hear a woman’s voice with vivid clarity.
—Ugh! Don’t look at me like that! It’s revolting—don’t even breathe! You’re the spawn of a demon! I’ll kill you whenever I can, and I’ll kill him too!
At the thought of that woman’s voice, twisted with malice, his mood soured at once.
Dan Bulwi glanced back at Dan Yeop.
Of late, the atmosphere between the Dull Genius Dan Yeop and the Prodigy Dan Yeop had shifted in peculiar ways.
The Dull Genius Dan Yeop, who had been burrowing into darkness, was gradually brightening.
The Prodigy Dan Yeop, by contrast—always radiant before—had become like this.
‘Were they influencing each other?’
If not, there was no explaining the shadow that had settled across the Prodigy’s face.
His memory was flawless—he forgot nothing he had seen once. His features were beautiful enough to make women swoon. And his martial skill already matched that of the Five-Peak Sword Technique’s elders.
Since meeting the Prodigy Dan Yeop, Dan Bulwi had never seen him troubled.
Yet recently, shadow had begun to cross his face.
And now, today, he asks about his homeland.
They say even a genius beyond age must long for his parents, as is the way of longing for one’s roots.
‘Tsk. Looking at the marks on his neck, it might be better not to search…….’
Sometimes ignorance is a kindness.
Dan Bulwi believed Dan Yeop’s parents were a case in point.
“Yeop.”
“Yes?”
“……Never mind.”
Dan Bulwi could not bring himself to say: Do not search for them.
A child’s yearning for his parents was the natural order of things.
After a moment, Dan Bulwi left through the rear gate toward Jipdan-hyang.
Dan Yeop wandered through the garden for a time.
When he judged enough time had passed, he was walking toward the rear gate.
The gate opened, and a young woman stepped into the garden.
Upon seeing her, Dan Yeop spoke in a dispassionate tone.
“Baek Yuhwa? Still breathing?”
It was a light affront—the Dull Genius Dan Yeop had deliberately concealed Baek Yuhwa.
Baek Yuhwa, who had been staring in shock, shot back with some heat.
“That’s my line, isn’t it? What happened in Heukyou? Haven’t you heard anything yet?”
“Heukyou? I was there this morning. That’s all.”
Dan Yeop turned and walked into Jipdan-hyang as though he had nothing more to say, leaving Baek Yuhwa staring at his back in bewilderment.
“What?”
She had thought herself and Dan Yeop had grown quite close at last night’s gathering, but this coldness!
She felt a spark of anger, but as he was the Sect Master of Iron Sect, she could only swallow it.
“Playing with people like that…….”
She muttered to herself, yanking open the door to Shim-hyang-gak roughly.
The Sect Leader Baek Chogong inside looked up at his niece in alarm.
Baek Yuhwa hastily lowered her head and spoke as if in excuse.
“A sudden gust of wind.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I just saw Dan—the senior. Did he return from Heukyou?”
Sect Leader Baek Chogong pointed a finger at his own bruised face.
“As you can see, I went and came back.”
“Goodness! But Dan—the senior looked fine. Uncle, why does your face look like that?”
“Ahem! Didn’t I tell you to call me Sect Leader outside? And it’s not Dan the senior—it’s Dan the Sect Master.”
“Oh, yes. But did only the Sect Leader get beaten a few times in Heukyou and that was it? That’s strange. Those aren’t the kind of people to stop there…….”
At that, Sect Leader Baek Chogong let out a bitter laugh.
“Ha! There’s no way it ended there.”
“I thought so. What did they demand? Money? Or a shop?”
“Chief Sect Master Dan Bulwi cut off the head of Jang Mok, who wielded the Shadowless Killing Technique.”
“Really?”
“Sect Master Dan Yeop severed both hands of Noh Jingeon, who mastered the Heart-Breaking Technique.”
“That’s impossible…….”
Baek Yuhwa’s mouth fell open.
Jang Mok, who wielded the Shadowless Killing Technique, was a Hall Master, and Noh Jingeon, who mastered the Heart-Breaking Technique, was a Dharma Protector.
Dan Bulwi and Dan Yeop defeated martial masters of that caliber?
“Sect Leader, you’re not just showing off in front of your nephew, are you?”
“Blast it, boy—do I look like someone who’d tell a lie that’d be exposed in a heartbeat? Gang Rim and Noh Jingeon threw themselves at the Hall Master and got pulverized. Yu Gwanghyeon saw it happen and immediately cowered.”
“The Branch Leader really backed down?”
“Ha ha ha, that one couldn’t praise the Hall Master’s martial prowess enough. My own men—people I valued—got crushed right before my eyes. Watching it unfold, my face was burning the whole time. I never knew Yu Gwanghyeon had such thick skin.”
“That sounds like a dream.”
“It’s reality. So you’d better master the True Three-Path Sword Method properly. You should have seen the Heaven-Thunder Descending Strike rain down on Noh Jingeon and Gang Rim’s heads. Ah, that was no martial art of this world.”
“Did Dan use the True Heaven-Earth Sword Method?”
“He did. With a single stroke, Gang Rim’s blade shattered and both of Noh Jingeon’s arms came clean off.”
“Ah…….”
Baek Yuhwa could only gasp.
Haowen’s martial arts repelling heterodox masters!
The thought alone made her chest swell with pride.
“So stop daydreaming and hold tight to the Hall Master. You said yesterday’s mood was good, didn’t you?”
“Well, I’m not really sure.”
“What do you mean you’re not sure? I asked Im Song and he said the two of you seem to be getting along well.”
“No, that’s not it. I knew for certain today. Dan doesn’t have any interest in me.”
“And you have interest in him?”
“……I’m not even sure myself. Whether I’m interested or not.”
“What kind of answer is that? Young people these days never do anything straight. Don’t regret it later—just do your best. There’s no one like the Hall Master. Talented, kind-hearted, good-looking. We could pick a day and get him thoroughly drunk, and then…….”
“Uncle! That’s enough. You’re taking the joke too far.”
“Well, all right. I was just saying it because the Hall Master would be a shame to let slip away.”
“There were plenty of other people interested in me too, you know.”
“Who?”
“Sigh, look at the time already. I should get back to work.”
Baek Yuhwa rose from her seat and left without so much as a backward glance.
***
Dan Yeop set out from Jipdan-hyang toward Gosan-jang.
Before departing for Nagan-hyeon, he needed to borrow a horse from the proprietor, Seol Gyeongmun.
It was time to learn the identity of the woman who had cursed him and sought his death.
There was a sense that this mattered deeply to him, yet on the other hand, he didn’t want to be swayed by ups and downs of emotion as he guessed at who she might be.
The only way the dull Dan Yeop was better than him was this: he knew the past.
If he could learn the past that dull Dan Yeop was hiding, could he seize control of the body?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. But it hardly seemed to matter anymore.
‘You may be content as things are now, but I must know—who is the dreamer and who is the dream?’
One in the afternoon.
The great gate of Gosan-jang swung open and a man on horseback emerged.
It was Dan Yeop.
The horse’s hooves clicked steadily, then gradually quickened their pace.
Once they cleared Chang-an-seong, the animal bolted eastward like an arrow.
After riding for four hours, Dan Yeop at last arrived in Nagan-hyeon.
Nagan-hyeon at dusk was desolate and melancholy.
Dan Yeop drove his horse toward a nearby inn.
Soon after, he sat by the window of the inn’s restaurant and took an early supper.
‘It might be my homeland,’ he thought, and the feeling was strange.
After eating, as he drank tea and gazed out the window, an old woman caught his eye.
Bundled in clothes haphazardly, her movements had something deranged about them.
Just then, Jeom Soi, clearing away empty bowls, spoke as if explaining.
“She’s been like that ever since she lost her mind a few years back.”
“Dear me, what a shame!”
Dan Yeop clicked his tongue in sympathy, and the young Jeom Soi replied.
“I’m only planning to live until I’m fifty. What kind of life is that? Just a walking corpse.”
“What happens after fifty?”
“I should just die, of course.”
Dan Yeop laughed at Jeom Soi’s nonsense and stepped outside.
He placed several coins in the old woman’s hand and turned to go.
“Oh my, what’s this for…….”
The old woman slowly tucked the money into her bosom, as if she could only just remember to do so.
Returning to the inn, Dan Yeop spent the whole night reading the Book of Poetry that he’d brought from Gosan-jang.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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