Chapter 493
In that sense, Hyun Gong Jin, who became the direct disciple of Wudang Sect’s leader at the mere age of ten, was someone who had received more opportunities than others.
A smooth path lay before him.
Not only was he born with one of the greatest martial talents of his era, but his character was also upright, earning him unwavering support.
In other words, he had never once in his life felt a sense of lacking.
However…
‘I want it.’
Hyun Gong Jin’s eyes trembled slightly. It was a material desire he had not felt in a very long time.
‘This has never happened before.’
Gold and riches? He had no need for such things.
He wore a robe until it was worn out and ate simple, clean meals.
The same applied to elixirs and secret manuals. Having reached the pinnacle of martial arts, he had devoted himself to spiritual cultivation.
Even when his senior brother offered him elixirs, he would yield them to the promising young disciples. And as for martial arts techniques, the ones he had already mastered from the Wudang Sect were more than sufficient.
But this… this was different.
“Hoo… Amitabha, Amitabha.”
Hyun Gong Jin roughly stroked his beard, reciting a Buddhist scripture.
Yet, despite his attempts to suppress his emotions, his gaze kept drifting toward the corpse of the Imoogi.
‘I heard it was incredibly tough.’
Through the cracked scales and deep wounds, he could see a massive bone emitting a faint glow.
As expected of a five-hundred-year-old Imoogi, even its bones had an extraordinary quality. It was said to be so strong that even a formidable sword aura would struggle to cut through it.
‘If a sword were made from that bone, it would be incredible… No, no! What am I thinking? Hyun Gong, get a hold of yourself!’
Hyun Gong Jin tightly shut his eyes.
Perhaps it was because he had just witnessed Zhuge Pung being beaten to a pulp by the Tae Won Jin Clan’s two brothers.
At least Zhuge Pung had been present during the battle. Hyun Gong Jin, on the other hand, had been hundreds of miles away at the Wudang Sect’s main stronghold.
He had neither the justification to ask for anything nor the shamelessness to request it.
‘Amitabha, Amitabha… To think a Daoist would be consumed by such corrupt desires. Snap out of it, Hyun Gong!’
Just as he was struggling internally…
“Daoist Master, are you busy?”
“Hmm?”
Hyun Gong Jin opened his eyes wide.
Standing before him was a young man he recognized well, looking at him with a subtle smile.
‘Jin Taekyung.’
This was the young man who, along with the Sword Saint’s disciple, the Mount Hua Divine Dragon, Cheongpung, was shaking the entire Murim.
The gossipy martial artists were already spreading rumors that beneath the Ten Kings of Murim, there were now the Two Dragons.
‘An extraordinary young man. Almost unbelievable.’
But at this moment, Hyun Gong Jin’s thoughts were not focused on evaluating Jin Taekyung.
‘Could it be…?’
With a small glimmer of hope, the Daoist elder looked at Jin Taekyung with a pounding heart.
“What is it, Jin Do-wu?”
Jin Taekyung responded with a gentle smile.
“If you’re not too busy, would you mind having a conversation?”
“A conversation? About what?”
“Well, we need to dispose of the corpse now, but… it turns out there’s more material than we expected.”
“S-So?”
“Since you came all the way here yourself, shouldn’t you take something with you?”
“Huh!”
Hyun Gong Jin’s eyes sparkled instantly.
Seeing this, Jin Taekyung chuckled before continuing.
“Our Tae Won Jin Clan has always respected the Daoists of the Wudang Sect. As fellow Murim practitioners, we would be more than happy to share a small portion of this bounty.”
“I-Is that true?”
“Oh, of course. I swear on Hyeok Mu-jin’s balls. And besides, my eldest brother fully supports this decision.”
“Good heavens, Amitabha!”
Hyun Gong Jin, who had been too ashamed to even ask, suddenly found his long-held yearning fulfilled. He was overjoyed.
He had no idea who Hyeok Mu-jin was or why his balls were being sworn upon, but what mattered was that he was receiving a share.
‘How can one be so generous!’
Unlike the hypocrites who only spoke eloquently, Jin Taekyung was different.
In this ruthless Murim world filled with heartless opportunists, he was like a radiant beam of light.
At this point, Hyun Gong Jin could almost see a halo forming around Jin Taekyung’s head.
“Truly, I am grateful! May the Primeval Celestial Venerable watch over you and the Tae Won Jin Clan! Amitabha!”
“Amen.”
Something felt off, but Hyun Gong Jin didn’t care in the slightest.
With a wide grin still plastered on his face, Jin Taekyung’s gentle voice followed.
“However, there is a small problem.”
“Hmm? A small problem?”
“The corpse is quite large, and I’m finding it difficult to handle on my own. It’s not something I can move in one piece either.”
“That is true, indeed.”
From head to tail, the colossal corpse stretched over a hundred jang long.
Transporting it whole was not only impractical but also meant involving a large workforce, making secrecy impossible.
“So, I have a small request for you, Daoist Master.”
Hyun Gong Jin momentarily stiffened, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
“Wait a moment, Jin Do-wu. That request… could it be…?”
“Yes. I need you to lend me some strength. At this rate, it will take days to process.”
So that was it! That was the reason behind his generosity!
Hyun Gong Jin shot a betrayed look at Jin Taekyung.
“So, you’re asking me to use Wudang’s revered swordsmanship to dismember this Imoogi’s corpse?”
“Think of it simply. It’s just a task.”
“Think simply? A task?! I did not spend decades honing my martial arts for this!”
To reach the absolute peak of martial arts meant dedicating most—no, all—of one’s life to it.
Hyun Gong Jin was no exception.
How many years had he spent with nothing but his sword as his companion?
He had endured years of solitary training, even engaging in myeonbiksuryun—wall-gazing meditation—to perfect his skills.
For Jin Taekyung to ask this of him now was nothing short of an insult.
‘How utterly disgraceful.’
With a hardened expression, Hyun Gong Jin spoke.
“Amitabha, Jin Do-wu. You are not only mocking me but the entire swordsmanship of Wudang.”
“Mocking? Of course not. I am merely asking for your assistance.”
“But to use my sword for such a—”
Just as Hyun Gong Jin’s voice began to rise, Jin Taekyung casually threw out a remark.
“By the way, your sword looks quite old.”
“What?!”
“It seems like it’s about time for a replacement. What do you think?”
Hyun Gong Jin’s pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Without realizing it, his gaze drifted to the aged Songmun Gogeom hanging at his waist. A thought briefly crossed his mind.
‘It is quite old… No! What am I thinking?!’
This sword had been with him since he was ten. It was a treasured gift from his late master.
Hurriedly shaking his head, Hyun Gong Jin snapped out of his thoughts.
“It is not old!”
“It is. Look for yourself. The handle is completely worn out.”
It did look… no, no! He must be mistaken!
“And besides, the guard has cracks all over it. Has it dried out?”
“Wha—When did that happen…?”
“Oh, and the blade seems to be in quite a serious state as well. Could you unsheathe it for a moment?”
“Why would I—?!”
Schwing!
Hyun Gong Jin, who had raised his voice in protest, suddenly realized that he had already drawn his sword.
‘When did I even—?!’
Regardless, the devil’s whisper continued.
“The blade isn’t in the best condition either.”
“This is a gift from my late master!”
Jin Taekyung casually responded.
“My body was also a gift from my parents, but after years of use, it’s not in the best condition either. If I could replace it, I would.”
“Well, I have been feeling aches and pains lately. A complete rejuvenation would be—Wait! What nonsense are you making me say?!”
“I’m just helping you see the reality of the situation. Oh, the edge is still sharp, though.”
Hyun Gong Jin took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure.
“Of course! The blade was forged with four nyang of Millennium Cold Iron!”
“Four nyang of that rare metal?!”
“Now do you see? My sword may look worn, but it is still a treasured blade beyond compare!”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Of course! When one already possesses a sword that anyone would envy, why would I ever need another—”
Clang!
“Oh, my bad. I accidentally dropped my spear.”
Hyun Gong Jin didn’t even see Jin Taekyung’s sheepish smile.
His eyes were glued to the weapon that had fallen to the ground.
A spear that emitted a soft, radiant glow.
Hyun Gong Jin’s eyelids trembled.
“J-Jin Do-wu… That spear… Don’t tell me…”
“It’s nothing special. Just another weapon forged from Millennium Cold Iron. Nothing compared to your sword, of course.”
It absolutely did not look like ‘nothing.’
Swallowing dryly, Hyun Gong Jin hesitantly asked.
“How much… nyang?”
“The whole thing. Shaft and blade, entirely.”
“…This is madness. Amitabha.”
“Sorry, what was that?”
“N-Nothing!”
This was demonic temptation. It had to be.
And yet, as he recited his sutras in a daze, Hyun Gong Jin’s gaze remained fixed on Jin Taekyung’s spear, Baekyeom.
“It’s light as a feather, unbelievably durable, and incredibly sharp. But more importantly…”
Jin Taekyung’s voice took on a silky, enticing tone.
“I personally prefer weapons made from the bones of a five-hundred-year-old Imoogi.”
“Amitabha. I do not.”
“Think about it. A weapon imbued with the divine essence of such a creature… doesn’t that sound incredible?”
Of course, it does. I really want one.
Barely managing to suppress the words, Hyun Gong Jin shook his head furiously.
“Impossible! I cannot abandon my master’s sword—”
“Who said anything about abandoning it? Just keep both.”
“You damn—!! Agh, Primeval Celestial Venerable, have mercy!”
“…Excuse me?”
“Enough! That is enough! Amitabha!”
“If you help out, I’ll make sure the Wudang Sect is handsomely compensated. Do you think I’d only offer you a single sword?”
“I already have a sword made of Millennium Cold Iron!”
“Yes. And this would be made from an Imoogi’s bone.”
“How can I wield another sword when I already have the one my master left me?!”
“More is better.”
“This is not what I trained my martial arts for!”
Holding onto the last shreds of his dignity, Hyun Gong Jin let out a deep sigh.
And then, Jin Taekyung turned toward someone in the distance.
“Hey, Cheong Sohyeop! How’s it going?”
From behind the massive corpse, a cheerful voice rang out.
“Yes, benefactor! I’m working on the midsection now!”
“That part should be especially thick. Are you managing okay?”
“It’s fine! I’m slicing through it easily with the Limitless Tai’eul Sword!”
“Great. I’ll be over soon, so keep going.”
“Yes, benefactor!”
Smiling in satisfaction, Jin Taekyung turned back to Hyun Gong Jin.
“Ah, my apologies. I got distracted. Now, what were we talking about? My memory has been a bit spotty lately.”
Hyun Gong Jin glanced back and forth between Cheongpung and Jin Taekyung.
And half a shijin later…
Srrrt!
The Great Wisdom Sword, the pride of Wudang’s swordsmanship, was now meticulously separating scales and bones.
“This Murim has gone insane.”
That was Moon Kyung’s brief impression as he silently watched the scene unfold.