The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 6

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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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6
Woo Geom-janpae
Three days after leaving the Guan Di Temple, Woo Geom-san and Baek Ho-yang were able to arrive at a reasonably large Village.
Vigor was felt in the Village where as many as five hundred households lived.
On the terraced rice paddies created by reclaiming the mountainside, farmers were working while sweating profusely, and in the village below the mountain, people were gathered in an open space working together.
Turning millstones to make grain flour and preparing meat, it seemed like they were all making food together.
“Oh, outsiders.”
“Really?”
The expressions of the village people who discovered the two entering the entrance of the Village hardened.
This was a remote Village located a long distance away from the Official Road.
Interaction with the outside was extremely little, so not many people knew about it.
Because it was too remote a place to happen to drift into, they started with vigilance at the appearance of outsiders.
Woo Geom-san and Baek Ho-yang also noticed the exclusive atmosphere of those people.
“It seems they don’t welcome us very much.”
“Indeed. Vigilance is lingering in their eyes.”
Baek Ho-yang formed a pitiful expression.
He was used to this kind of reaction from people.
It was because he had experienced many times that the public sentiment became grim as the war between the Cheonmyeong Association and the Nine Great Sects continued.
War inevitably produced victims, and people’s lives were bound to be impoverished.
Since both the Cheonmyeong Association and the Nine Great Sects were organizations with great power, the war between them could not help but have a bad influence on many people.
For that reason, many people started with vigilance first if it was an outsider.
At that time, an old man who looked the oldest among the village people approached the two, accompanied by sturdy young men.
The old man spoke as he looked around.
“I am the Village Chief of this Village. Who are you and where did you come from?”
“My name is Baek Ho-yang. This child is my grandson.”
“How did you find your way to our Village?”
“We ended up coming all the way here while fleeing after encountering water bandits.”
“Is that word the truth?”
Even at Baek Ho-yang’s words, the Village Chief did not ease his suspicion.
At that time, Woo Geom-san lifted his upper garment and showed the wounded area.
“It is a wound suffered because of water bandits.”
The Village Chief, who saw the wound on Woo Geom-san’s chest, eased his suspicion only then.
“You were lucky. To be alive even after suffering such a large wound.”
“If heavenly luck had not followed, I would never have lived. That is why I am asking, could you let us stay for just one day? We will rest for just today, and leave right away tomorrow.”
Baek Ho-yang spoke as humbly as possible.
At his polite request, the Village Chief formed a momentarily conflicted expression.
A Village in a remote area like this does not let outsiders in recklessly. It was because they didn’t know when they might turn into robbers or Bandits.
However, the opponents were a white-haired old man and a wounded boy.
It didn’t seem like they would be harmful to the village at all.
The Village Chief looked at the young men who came along.
The young men, who exchanged intentions with each other’s eyes, nodded their heads.
It was because in their view as well, it didn’t seem like the two would be harmful.
The Village Chief, who synthesized everyone’s opinions, permitted it.
“We cannot turn away a guest who came while wounded. Come in.”
“Thank you! I will never forget this kindness.”
“What kindness. Just do not blame us that the hospitality is poor.”
“How could that be. I am more than grateful just for giving us a place to sleep.”
“I will give you one room, so be resting. I will send a person to call you at mealtime.”
The Village Chief called one of the young men with a hand gesture.
“You guide them to the end room of our house.”
“Understood.”
The young man replied while bowing his head deeply.
Just by looking at his attitude, one could know how much the young men respected the Village Chief.
The young man guided Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san to the Village Chief’s house.
The Village Chief’s house was the largest in the Village, to the extent that there was a separate stable.
Baek Ho-yang asked the young man who was guiding them.
“Do you also raise horses? The cost to maintain them must not be small.”
“It is a joint asset of the village. It is mainly used when reclaiming rice paddies or when we have to take the harvest to another village to sell.”
“Ah!”
“It is just raised here because the Village Chief’s house is the widest, and it is never used for private purposes.”
“I see.”
“We have arrived. You may sleep in this room. There is also a well in front, so you may draw water and wash.”
“Thank you!”
“Thank you.”
Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san bowed their heads to the young man to express their gratitude.
The young man also bowed his head in return and then left the spot.
When only the two were left, Baek Ho-yang spoke to Woo Geom-san.
“It’s a relief that the village people accepted us. Let’s rest here today and leave tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
Woo Geom-san replied feebly.
A tired light was distinct on his face.
It was because he had overexerted himself walking after Baek Ho-yang for three days.
Trying to walk imitating Baek Ho-yang with an imperfect body, it was hard to find a place that didn’t hurt.
What was making it hard for Woo Geom-san was not physical fatigue, but that despite trying so hard, he had failed to find out the secret contained in Baek Ho-yang’s footsteps.
It didn’t seem like it would be fast, yet it was fast, and even though he didn’t seem to use force, he moved straight forward.
It was a feeling as if the earth were pushing Baek Ho-yang.
It felt like the earth was moving Baek Ho-yang on its own, rather than Baek Ho-yang walking by using force.
It was a phenomenon that could not be understood at all by Woo Geom-san’s common sense.
Woo Geom-san asked several times how he could walk like that, but every time, Baek Ho-yang said he had to find out for himself.
That if he kept following, he would feel it someday.
“Sigh!”
“If you are going to sigh like that, you might as well go wash instead.”
“Yes!”
Woo Geom-san walked toward the well along with his reply.
Not that it wasn’t true, but because he couldn’t wash properly and walked for a long time, his body was itchy.
Woo Geom-san drew water and poured it over his head.
As the cold water touched his skin, his mind flashed awake.
He poured water several times to wash away all the dust of his entire body. As he washed cleanly like that, his mood became good and negative emotions also vanished.
Woo Geom-san, who became a refreshed expression, lay down in the room. And he fell asleep right away.
The fatigue accumulated for three days had exploded all at once.
Thanks to that, he passed out without knowing the world.
Baek Ho-yang looked at Woo Geom-san, who was snoring, with a pitiful expression.
“It’s normal to be tired and anxious.”
He rolled up his sleeves and began to massage Woo Geom-san’s entire body elaborately.
It was the Acupressure Blood Circulation Technique done with the Nine Heavens Soul Returning Method.
Since it could not only correct the messy internal Acupoints and Meridians but also relieve fatigue, it could truly be called the best treatment method.
The Nine Heavens Soul Returning Method deployed with Baek Ho-yang’s pure Internal Energy completely extinguished all the impurities accumulated inside Woo Geom-san’s body.
As the Nine Heavens Soul Returning Method continued, the face of Woo Geom-san, who slept as if passed out, became peaceful.
“This fellow, too…”
A similar smile rose on the face of Baek Ho-yang, who was looking at the smile that rose on the corner of Woo Geom-san’s mouth.
Although it had been only a few days since they stayed together, deep affection had already formed for Woo Geom-san.
To him, who had stayed alone all his life to learn Martial Arts, Woo Geom-san made him feel an affection like a real grandson.
The emotion he felt for the first time in his life was unfamiliar, but even so, he didn’t dislike it.
Rather, he was pleased.
Therefore, he deployed the Nine Heavens Soul Returning Method more elaborately.
What he particularly paid attention to was right inside Woo Geom-san’s Dantian.
Woo Geom-san’s Dantian, which suffered a large wound, was unstable like a cracked glass bowl.
In this state, no matter how much one operated a Mental Law, Internal Strength would not accumulate.
Like pouring water into a bottomless jar, Qi Accumulation would not happen and it would only escape.
As a Martial Artist, it was no different from receiving a death sentence.
Probably, if it were another sect, they would have expelled him as soon as they realized Woo Geom-san’s body condition.
To that extent, Woo Geom-san’s problem was fatal.
Baek Ho-yang knew such a problem of Woo Geom-san better than anyone else. Nevertheless, the reason he accepted him was because there was hope for him.
The Secret Heritage of only the Quanzhen Sect that no one in the world knew.
If it was the Secret Heritage that only Baek Ho-yang knew, even Woo Geom-san’s incomplete Dantian could be fully utilized.
Of course, the process going up to there would never be easy.
An honest disposition and perseverance that never frustrated were needed.
‘Yugong Yishan. An old man who silently digs stones without thinking other thoughts eventually moves a mountain. You must become such a person.’
***
“They say for you to come eat.”
Woo Geom-san’s sweet sleep ended up being broken by the loud voice of the young man.
“Did I sleep long?”
“It seems you slept for about one or two Shijin.”
“Without waking me up?”
“Because you were sleeping so soundly, I just left you.”
“You should have woken me…”
With an embarrassed mind, Woo Geom-san scratched the back of his head.
Originally, there was no way for Woo Geom-san to take a nap.
It was because his physical strength was good, so he didn’t get exhausted even if he ran around or learned Martial Arts all day long.
However, after suffering a deep wound, his physical strength was remarkably dropped.
“Sigh!”
Woo Geom-san let out a sigh without knowing it himself.
It was because his plight, which had plummeted rapidly in just a few days, was lamentable.
However, he soon gathered his mind and stood up.
“I am hungry, so let’s go eat quickly.”
“Let’s do that. It is also not manners not to go after receiving an invitation.”
Baek Ho-yang nodded his head and went outside.
In fact, he had no need for Cooked Food.
To him, who had eaten only Biyogu Pills all his life, Cooked Food was an unnecessary formal activity. However, if he fell out, Woo Geom-san had to be alone among unfamiliar people, looking at their faces.
Even if he didn’t eat food, going together seemed like it would be better for Woo Geom-san as well.
The place where the young man guided the two was right at the open space of the Village.
In the open space, an amount of food large enough for all the village people to eat was prepared.
Woo Geom-san asked the young man.
“Is today some kind of feast day by any chance?”
“It is a day to commemorate that the Village Chief’s grandson was born safely.”
“The Village Chief’s grandson?”
“That’s right. The grandson the Village Chief has long waited for.”
To the Village Chief, there was a son who had been married for a long time. However, the Village Chief’s son had only given birth to three daughters and had not seen a son.
When ten years passed like that and he gave up on obtaining a grandson, his daughter-in-law became pregnant, and this time, he could see the long-awaited grandson.
The Village Chief, who was so happy to see his grandson, decided to open a village feast, and that day was right today.
Baek Ho-yang, who heard the circumstances, nodded his head.
“We were lucky. They accepted us because it was a good day.”
“I know.”
Woo Geom-san also agreed with Baek Ho-yang’s words.
It was a feast day for the grandson.
It was certain that the Village Chief was concerned that bad luck might strike if he chased away visitors who came on such a auspicious day.
The two were guided to a table in the corner of the open space.
Although it was a corner seat, the food prepared was not different from the food of other tables.
From meat to wheat pancakes, flower cakes, and dumplings, the types were also diverse.
That the shapes were neat showed signs of being prepared elaborately.
Grumble!
Woo Geom-san felt an extreme hunger.
He ate Baek Ho-yang’s Biyogu Pill at every mealtime, but to a boy in his growing period, there was a feeling of insufficiency.
The village people were eating delightfully at the feast after a long time.
Laughter and conversation were heard without ceasing.
Baek Ho-yang spoke as he lifted chopsticks.
“Let’s eat too.”
“Yes!”
Woo Geom-san hastily ate meat first.
There was nothing like meat to supplement insufficient physical strength.
Looking at Woo Geom-san who ate meat first in a hurry, Baek Ho-yang also moved his chopsticks.
The food he could at least eat was only the pancake made of wheat. Even that, he only made a pretense of eating a little and didn’t actually eat.
To him, who had eaten only Biyogu Pills for a long time, this kind of Cooked Food was like poison.
It wasn’t actually poison, but he felt repulsion to that extent. Therefore, he only made a pretense of eating and actually didn’t swallow a single piece.
On the other hand, Woo Geom-san ate in a hurry as if someone would snatch it.
“Eat slowly. You will get indigestion like that.”
“Yes!”
Woo Geom-san replied with his mouth full of food. Because such an appearance of Woo Geom-san was also funny, Baek Ho-yang formed a smile.
“Thank you for gathering like this to congratulate the birth of our grandson. Thanks to you all, our grandson was born safely.”
In the center of the open space, the Village Chief, who held his grandson, gave a greeting of gratitude with a broad smile.
Those who were eating food stood up one after another and offered well-wishes that the grandson’s future would be bright.
The Village Chief went around the tables holding his grandson preciously like a treasure like no other in the world.
The Village Chief’s son and daughter-in-law followed behind him.
The Village Chief’s family, who greeted all the village people, came this time even to the place where Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san were.
The two spoke as they stood up from their seats.
“Congratulations on seeing the grandson you waited for.”
“I sincerely congratulate the birth of your grandson.”
“Haha! Thank you. There isn’t much prepared, but please eat a lot. If it’s insufficient, please tell me. I will bring you as much as you want.”
Unlike when the Village Chief first received the two bluntly, he shared conversation with them with a warm smile.
It was at that time.
“I wondered from where a savory oily smell was coming, and a feast was being held. We found our way well just in time. Master of the house, it would be appreciated if you would give us a feast table as well. Kuhuhu!”
From somewhere, a gruff voice was heard.

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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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