The Lightning I Harbor Is Too Strong - Chapter 61

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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 61
Ok Jung-hwi’s introduction ended there.
Jung I-sin rose from his seat with an urge to applaud.
Without question, among all the people Jung I-sin had met in Jungwon, Ok Jung-hwi possessed the strongest wariness toward the Demonic Cult.
His sense of relief was immeasurable.
Jung I-sin straightened his posture, spine rigid. He wanted to signal with his whole body that he was attending closely.
And so the proper Gangho History lesson began in earnest.
Ok Jung-hwi carried forward the narrative he’d opened with the Righteous-Demonic Great War, unspooling it steadily.
“The primary enemy. Who do you believe is the Orthodox Martial World’s primary adversary?”
Jung I-sin thrust his hand up and answered without hesitation.
“The Demonic Cult scum.”
Not a moment’s doubt. He felt Bang Si-jung beside him start in surprise.
“Mm.”
Ok Jung-hwi gave a light nod, endorsing Jung I-sin’s answer.
“Correct. The Orthodox Martial World’s primary enemy is the Demonic Cult. Yet occasionally, there are martial artists who fail to grasp even that simple fact.”
“Lamentable indeed.”
“Should any such student official happen to be present here now… do not worry. Cheonmu Academy will make it clear to you in due course.”
Ok Jung-hwi devoted his lecture primarily to the Demonic Cult’s invasions and depredations.
Time flowed backward from present into past.
For Jung I-sin, whose knowledge of Gangho History extended only to the Righteous-Demonic Great War, the material was deeply engaging.
‘So the Heavenly Demon was not the end. They fought for decades after that.’
And through it all, he came to understand how pivotal a role Cheonmu Academy had played.
The true intentions of Je-gal Gi-cheon remained opaque. What was that bastard truly after?
“The Demonic Cult ceased its activities entirely in the Jungwon martial world only some thirty to forty years ago—not nearly as long ago as one might think.”
True, there had been no great war since the Heavenly Demon vanished, yet the devastation was somehow worse because of that. Demon Humans scattered across the vast expanse of Jungwon became nothing short of calamity.
“Demon Humans gain power through the losses of others. Ruefully, the losses inflicted upon outsiders hold equal utility. This is why Geuk-ma is not dismissed as merely half a realm below the Transcendent Stage. Those corrupted by the demonic path climb over boundaries with comparative ease.”
Much of this was new to Jung I-sin.
Though he did not grasp all of it immediately, these were the sorts of things that would prove useful someday.
As he committed each piece to memory, Ok Jung-hwi’s account drew near to that pivotal moment.
“The Samdojeon-ijin. A formation technique that hurls its target into Samdocheon itself. Without that miracle, Jungwon’s martial world would not be as it is today.”
“Cheon Ki-su-sa!”
Someone cried out, and Jung I-sin’s brow tightened. The voice overflowed with such fervent emotion that his mood darkened.
Ok Jung-hwi received the outburst without apparent disturbance.
“Yes. The first head master of Cheonmu Academy. The formation technique was devised by Je-gal Gi-cheon, the greatest formation master of his age—indeed, of all ages.”
Jung I-sin’s face grew even stiffer, and at that very moment, Ok Jung-hwi turned his gaze toward him.
“Five Heavenly Stars, as they were called—the five who saved Jungwon’s martial world—yet in truth, Cheon Ki-su-sa aside, none gained particular renown.”
It seemed as though he were asking Jung I-sin himself.
“Why should that be? Mulsai the Unbreakable, the Sword Tyrant, Yeom-ra’s Choice, Silent Cut—each was a name that shook Jungwon in its day.”
He added an explanation that at the time, Cheon Ki-su-sa’s name had held the lowest value among them.
As Jung I-sin was choosing his words, a cold voice interjected.
“Because they were all worthless before the Heavenly Demon, and it was Cheon Ki-su-sa alone who overcame him—is that not so?”
“Je-gal Jeok.”
“Yes, Professor Ok Jung-hwi.”
A lean frame and eyes sharp as threads.
Thin lips and a prominent jawline.
Every word from the young Je-gal scion cut like a blade.
Ok Jung-hwi regarded Je-gal Jeok quietly for a moment, then nodded.
“A sound argument.”
An enigmatic response.
He seemed to affirm Je-gal Jeok’s words, yet his choice of phrasing held a subtle distance from his own true intent.
For some reason, Jung I-sin sensed it precisely as such.
And because of that, his rising anger subsided somewhat.
“The upper levels of Manmu Pavilion contain many accounts worthy of the name Jianghu legends, including those concerning the Demonic Cult. Should the opportunity arise, I encourage you to visit them.”
* * *
“Just because someone wants to ascend the upper levels doesn’t mean anyone can go there.”
“Young!”
“What? Aren’t I right?”
“W-well, I suppose that’s true, but…”
Eon So-ran fumbled for words as Gong-son Young lifted his sharp nose haughtily.
After Ok Jung-hwi’s Gangho History lesson ended, the two women were heading toward Manmu Pavilion with him.
Eon So-ran’s temperament had seemed a touch bold, but standing beside Gong-son Young, she showed none of that now.
Jung I-sin smiled faintly and affirmed Gong-son Young’s words.
“From the third floor onward, they say you can’t even earn the credentials within the Academy itself.”
“Exactly. They say you have to complete independent missions, and they tell newcomers this?”
“Occasionally they distribute rare artifacts to those who can reach the upper levels, or so I’ve heard…….”
“That’s something maybe one person receives in an entire year, if that.”
Gong-son Young’s voice rang clear as she countered. Looking at her carefully, her speech could be cutting, but she rarely said anything untrue.
Yet as always, just because something was true didn’t mean it should be spoken aloud.
Soon Eon So-ran’s shoulders slumped.
“……You’re right. I was just thinking on the off chance…….”
“Oh, no! That’s not what I meant.”
“If by some fortune such an opportunity came to me, I could do anything…… I was just imagining. Sorry, Young.”
“No! I’m the one who’s sorry!”
Gong-son Young shook her head so violently her hairpin nearly flew free. The way her fierce expression crumpled into tears in an instant was startling.
‘Help me!’
Yet with those eyes still blazing fiercely, Jung I-sin found himself speaking without thinking.
“If such an opportunity truly presented itself, there is nothing you would not attempt?”
“……Pardon?”
Eon So-ran, who had been blinking, wore a faint smile as if to ask what he meant.
“Of course. I’m struggling this hard to grow stronger. Why should that concern only me? If opportunity came, there are countless Jianghu masters who would stake their very lives on it.”
The conversation had started light, but her answer carried weight.
They had arrived before Manmu Pavilion without realizing it. The inscriptions carved on the pillars flanking the door remained unchanged.
The Way is in Going Forward.
‘Since the path lies in pressing onward, she who always strives forward will surely achieve her aims.’
With nothing else to offer, Jung I-sin could only wish for her success. He opened his mouth merely to lighten the mood.
“How disappointing. My sparring with you was not the opportunity you sought.”
At this playful remark, Eon So-ran’s eyes widened.
“Is the Byeokcheon-ryu Sparring insufficient?”
As he shrugged and continued, her expression softened into a gentle smile.
“If you’ll spar with me until graduation, perhaps not.”
“I can practice with you too……!”
As the mood lightened, Gong-son Young quietly inserted herself, and Jung I-sin took brief leave and stepped into Manmu Pavilion.
The scent of books welcomed him, rich in the air.
Jung I-sin had two matters to attend to in Manmu Pavilion.
One was to retrieve the method for manufacturing spirit pills, as Yeon Baek-ha had requested.
This posed no difficulty. He had not been asked for any technique of classified rank. It could easily be obtained on the first floor.
The problem was the second matter.
“Hmph!!!”
An elderly man turned his head away with a harsh motion as if wrenching his neck.
Seated at an antique desk, Baek the Elder was expressing displeasure with his entire being—and with him, Jung I-sin had unfinished business.
* * *
“It has been long since we last met, Elder. I hope you have been well.”
“Well I have not been, though it has indeed been long. A year, perhaps?”
“…….”
At the sight of Baek the Elder expressing his displeasure with every fiber of his being, Jung I-sin knelt to the floor.
“You, you fool! There was no need for that!”
“Aaaagh!”
Jung I-sin clutched his right arm and groaned in distress.
Baek the Elder rose hurriedly, his expression one of utter exasperation.
It was obviously feigned, but with guilt weighing on him, he had nothing to say.
As eyes began gathering, Baek the Elder dragged Jung I-sin along.
It was a study set aside on the first floor of Manmu Pavilion.
“You wretched creature!”
Baek the Elder dropped heavily into a chair and scolded Jung I-sin.
Refined desk and chairs, elegant ink paintings hanging on the walls, and along one side a Landscape Screen depicting a vast mountain range with meticulous brushwork.
It was no place for an ordinary person to dwell.
Jung I-sin rubbed his arm and laughed pleasantly.
“Had the Director of Manmu Pavilion not pushed a mere student official like me into the Yeok Tower…….”
“Tch! Watch your words, boy!”
Baek the Elder, the Director of Manmu Pavilion, sprang to his feet.
When Yeon Baek-ha told him the Elder’s true identity, bewilderment took precedence over surprise.
Why would a man of such standing extend him such favor? The fact that he’d been allowed into Yeok Tower in the first place had been considerable kindness.
He’d known the old man was no ordinary figure. After all, he was someone who moved through Manmu Pavilion as if it were his own home.
‘I still don’t understand why he’s been so good to me.’
The Elder, who had been muttering to himself alone, seemed to recall his position and cleared his throat before gesturing to a seat.
“Your injuries—they’ve healed?”
“Yes. You told me to return once I was better, so here I am.”
“Seems like you recovered some time ago.”
“…Argh!”
“All right, all right!”
The Elder, clicking his tongue as if he couldn’t bear it any longer, pressed something into Jung I-sin’s hands.
A thin, dark brown stick—something he’d often seen at Sorim.
“Incense?”
“It’s called Buyong Incense. Have you heard of it?”
Though the name was unfamiliar, he could guess its purpose. He recalled the very object he’d heard about just before entering Manmu Pavilion.
“You seem to know. That’s right—it’s a tool that grants entry to the upper levels of Manmu Pavilion. This one opens the way up to the third floor.”
“For me… this?”
It was truly extraordinary treatment. The third floor was a level where third-year students were the basic requirement.
Upper-year students from Cheonmu Academy were sometimes treated as masters by the Orthodox Martial World.
That was the caliber needed to set foot on the third floor of Manmu Pavilion.
“Yeok Tower’s malfunction caused you serious harm. As the Master of Manmu Pavilion, I alone bear full responsibility. I’m truly sorry.”
The Master of Manmu Pavilion bowed his head to a mere entrance-level student.
Jung I-sin, whose attention had been on the incense, was taken aback.
“I myself personally… ahem. After making inquiries, I found the cause was that Yeok Tower had gone unused for far too long. It’s no excuse, but you, the victim, deserve to know the reason.”
The sight of the white-haired elder bowing made Jung I-sin deeply uncomfortable, but knowing it was his responsibility as Master of the Pavilion, he couldn’t bring himself to stop him.
The Elder remained bowed for a long moment before finally rising from his seat.
“Let’s go.”
“Where are we going, suddenly?”
“The Buyong Incense—you’re going to use it right now, aren’t you?”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
Jung I-sin nodded readily. What he sought hadn’t changed, so there was no reason to waste time.
‘First priority: matters concerning those four elders. Second priority: Je-gal Gi-cheon.’
Cataloging what he needed to find, he crossed the now quieter first floor of Manmu Pavilion.
At an ambiguous distance ahead, the Elder walking before him turned his head slightly.
“It seems the reward doesn’t satisfy you.”
“Pardon?”
“I understand. There must be something you desire from me.”
“No, I’m more than satisfied.”
“Good. You know my words carry weight. Whatever your request might be—just one! I will grant it without fail. Even if it concerns martial arts!”
“…”
He couldn’t comprehend the Elder’s expression of firm resolve.
Grant him a request?
It was certainly gratifying to hear, but… it was too much.
The same went for Elder Yeom Tak-gang of Gaebang…
‘Why are they all so eager to do things for me?’
Even if Jung I-sin’s respect for the elderly was exemplary, the words of masters at the level of Gaebang’s elder and the Master of Manmu Pavilion couldn’t be light.
This wasn’t mere whimsical kindness being tossed his way.
‘The Buyong Incense alone should be enough reward.’
Though this inexplicable goodwill felt somewhat uneasy, Jung I-sin had no reason to refuse either.
“…I’ll ask you when the moment truly calls for it.”
“Ahem! Do so. You’ve faced an unparalleled master, so your hunger for martial arts must burn brightly. I’ll be waiting.”
The Elder smiled with satisfaction and waved his hand.
A small flame appeared at the end of the incense, and faint smoke soon began to rise.
“You can remain on the third floor for exactly one double hour. The shrinking incense will tell you when time’s up. May you find what you seek… go now!”
The moment Jung I-sin heard the time limit, he bolted toward the stairs.
Watching his figure vanish in an instant, the Elder swallowed his laughter.
“Even if you combined everything in there, it still wouldn’t match mine, you brat! Kekeke, I’m already wondering what to teach you first!”
The lightning I hold is far too strong
Author|
Woo San-yu
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Samyang C&C Corporation
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Editorial Department
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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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