Chapter 1957 - Return of The Mount Hua Sect

Chapter 1957. If There Is Something to Be Gained, There Must Also Be Something to Be Lost. (2)

[!! This chapter has quite a LOT of TL notes because it gets pretty heavy with taoist/m, philosophical, and martial arts terminology. I’ve added them along the way to help clarify the original Korean, Hanja, and the concepts behind them, ehe!]

There had been no plan to stake his life.

He hadn’t intended to, nor should he have. The task given to him now was to buy time. Not to cut off Heavenly Executioner’s head.

But at this moment, Cheong Myeong changed his mind.

‘I have to kill him!’

If not now, he might never get another chance.

To be precise, what Heavenly Executioner lacked wasn’t practical combat experience.

More precisely, it was the gap between mind and body. He hadn’t overcome that disparity.

But that gap was narrowing with every passing moment as he fought in actual combat. There was no telling whether that weakness would still remain the next time Cheong Myeong met Heavenly Executioner.

Then there will be absolutely no way to deal with him.

Even if there were a way, the sacrifices that would have to be poured out to erase the existence known as Heavenly Executioner would increase to an extent incomparable to now. That much was obvious even without seeing it.

So it had to be now. He had to kill him now, even if it meant staking his own life.

A silence came, very brief, yet at the same time like an eternity.

Even for Cheong Myeong, whose body had been trained to its utmost limit, it was impossible to see Heavenly Executioner’s attacks with his eyes and block them. The moment he perceived them, he died. Heavenly Executioner had reached that level now.

Then what was he supposed to do?

‘Nothing in particular.’

He didn’t need to do anything.

It didn’t matter if the enemy’s attack was faster than perception.

Because Cheong Myeong’s body was faster than perception as well.

Everything begins to break down its boundaries the moment it reaches an extreme. Not perceiving is faster than perceiving, and leaving something alone is more sensitive than guarding against it.

It might sound like utter nonsense when merely put into words.

But the utmost irrationality is, rather, something perfectly rational. The world called it immortal [仙], and those who pursued immortality called it Tao [道].

[Seon. 선(仙). Literally an immortal or transcendent being. In Taoist thought, 仙 denotes a state of transcendence beyond ordinary human limitations. Here, it refers to the culmination of Taoist martial attainment, where the boundary between the practitioner and the natural world begins to disappear.]

[Do. 도(道). Literally “the Way.” In Taoist philosophy, 道 refers to the fundamental principle or way underlying existence and the natural order of the universe. Here, it is the path pursued by those seeking seon.]

Cheong Myeong’s foot moved of its own accord.

One step to the left. There was no justification here, no reason. His body simply moved on its own, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

KWAAAAAA!

And Heavenly Executioner tore through the spot Cheong Myeong had just left like a bolt of lightning.

Udeudeudeug.

It wasn’t perfect.

Instinct, experience, and enlightenment, all melted down to create that very realm (自然之境). The supreme pinnacle of Taoist martial arts, something some regarded as the dream of their entire lives, while others wouldn’t even dare dream of attaining.

Even Cheong Myeong, who had reached this Realm of Nature, could barely scrape by with his life while sustaining injuries against the current Heavenly Executioner.

[Realm of Nature. Jayeon-jigyeong. 자연지경(自然之境). In Taoist martial arts and philosophical contexts, it denotes a realm in which a practitioner’s state of being merges seamlessly with nature, allowing movement to arise naturally rather than through conscious calculation.]

His muscles twisted and his bones seemed to crack from merely being grazed by the residual force.

Cheong Myeong spun his body around and brought his sword down with all his might.

His body knew before his consciousness did that he couldn’t evade it. In that instant, it instinctively carried out the most appropriate response.

KWAAAAAAAAAAANG!

With excruciating pain, Cheong Myeong was hurled backward.

He gritted his teeth. He wasn’t simply entrusting everything to his body without a plan. It was difficult to explain.

If he had to put it into words: mind, qi, and body [心氣體].

[Sim-gi-che. 심기체(心氣體). Literally “mind, qi, and body,” refers to the three aspects of a practitioner: the mind or will, internal energy, and physical body. Here, their integration is presented as the formation of a more advanced self.]

The ‘I’ that had achieved union [合一] by bringing together will, qi, and body was an existence more advanced than before. But that didn’t mean his mind had leapt into another dimension. The ‘I’ that had achieved union was lofty, but the mind governing that lofty ‘I’ was still the same mind as before.

[Union. Hap-il. 합일(合一). Literally “becoming one.” Here, it refers to the integration of mind, qi, and body into a unified whole.]

That was why Taoism sought to unite the mind with nature. To affirm nature, the existence that was not ‘I’, and to identify oneself with nature, that is, the universe [宇宙].

[Universe. Uju. 우주(宇宙). 宇 literally refers to the spatial expanse or the heavens; 宙 refers to the temporal expanse or the ages. Together, 宇宙 denotes the universe or the totality of space and time.]

KWAAAAAANG!

And so, it wasn’t his will that blocked this sword.

It was simply the will of the world, being naturally so [自然]. But if I was ultimately the world, and the world was me [物我一體], then why should this not be me?

[Naturally so. Jayeon. 자연(自然). Literally “being so of itself” or “self-so.” In Taoist thought, 自然 denotes the spontaneous, unforced manner in which things exist according to their own nature.]

[Unity of thing and self. Mul-a-il-che. 물아일체(物我一體). Literally “things and self are one.” A philosophical concept in which the distinction between the self and the external world disappears, allowing the practitioner to perceive the self and the world as a single whole.]

‘Chattering on and on. So complicated. You’re noisy.’

Where he was standing right now wasn’t something he cared about.

Whether this was the process of Refining the Spirit and Returning to the Void [煉神還虛], in other words, the process of moving beyond the spirit (神) within him toward the Void (虛), the source of the world, was none of Cheong Myeong’s concern.

[Yeon-sin-hwan-heo. 연신환허(煉神還虛). Literally “refine the spirit and return to the void.” A Taoist cultivation concept describing the refinement or transcendence of 神, the spirit or consciousness, toward 虛, the primordial emptiness or fundamental source of existence.]

What mattered was that he was fighting right now.

Enlightenment, realm, advancement.... None of those could be the goal. They were nothing more than means to fight.

KWAAAAAAANG!

The fist flying toward his temple and the blade of his sword collided violently. The qi and blood throughout his entire body boiled all at once, followed by the sensation of his blood running backward. It was a terrible pain, closer to annihilation than being crushed.

And because of that, he could feel it all the more sharply.

“Haha.”

The fact that he was still alive.

KWANG! KWAANG! KWAAAAANG!

Heavenly Executioner’s flying fists and Cheong Myeong’s sword collided one after another.

Udeudeug.

His wrist broke.

FWOOSH.

Unable to withstand the impact, his forearm burst apart, his muscles tore, and blood spurted out.

The body couldn’t withstand this impact. But his mind alone was being honed to a frightening sharpness.

“You bastaaaaaard!”

Heavenly Executioner’s attacks grew increasingly rough. Faster, more violent.

No matter how strong one became, there was a fundamental limit that couldn’t be escaped. No matter how much they guarded themselves, and no matter how much they restrained themselves, eventually their blood would boil over. That was the inescapable fetter of those who had mastered demonic arts.

And Cheong Myeong, who knew this better than anyone, now stood before Heavenly Executioner.

KWAAAAAAANG!

Cheong Myeong’s shoulder was crushed. Even in this slowed-down world, the speed was so tremendous that his eyes couldn’t follow it.

‘Not yet.’

But Cheong Myeong didn’t swing his sword.

He had only one chance.

A clumsy attack wouldn’t be enough to kill Heavenly Executioner. Just once. He had to stake everything in a single instant.

Yes, everything.

Because it would probably be here. The way for a human to reach a god, that Way [道].

[Do. 도(道). Literally “the Way.” Here, it (Tao) refers not merely to a philosophical principle, but to the path or means by which a human being might transcend the boundary separating humanity from the divine.]

“Bastaaaaaard!”

Heavenly Executioner’s punch shattered the earth and made the heavens tremble.

If it were described solely in terms of destructive power, it was undoubtedly enough to bring the Heavenly Demon to mind.

But, put another way....

‘Even so, it’s only this much.’

The memories and experiences of fighting the Heavenly Demon were engraved into Cheong Myeong’s soul. They were what allowed him to remain standing before this overwhelming might.

KWAAAAAAANG!

Cheong Myeong was driven far backward.

At the same time, he swept his sword across the air. Countless petals bloomed along the trajectory traced by the blade. It was a realm that transcended reason. Scattering countless sword qi had become faster than drawing a single sword stroke. Within this realm, the wall of sword qi that Cheong Myeong had caused to bloom covered Heavenly Executioner.

When something stood in his way, there was only one method a demonic practitioner would choose.

KWAAAAAA!

The wall of plum blossoms created by Cheong Myeong was torn apart in an instant.

Through the opening, Heavenly Executioner, who had almost lost his reason, shot forward. Solely to drive a single punch into Cheong Myeong’s heart.

This violent movement forcibly dragged Heavenly Executioner into a realm of speed he had never reached before.

“Kkuuaaaaaaah!”

It was closer to a howl than a roar. Amid a thunderous sound that seemed not merely to shake the ears but to damage the soul itself, Heavenly Executioner’s fist came surging in.

Demonic qi wrapped around his fist churned violently, and a massive vortex like a black dragon rose up. This ominous black dragon swallowed everything around it as it surged toward Cheong Myeong with terrifying momentum.

At that moment, Cheong Myeong’s slowly moving sword came to a complete stop.

It wasn’t only his sword. Everything stopped. His sword, Heavenly Executioner’s fist, even Heavenly Executioner himself.

Cheong Myeong gazed upon the world that had stopped, his eyes half-open.

The desolation brought by the halted world quickly seeped into Cheong Myeong.

Everything exists. Yet nothing exists.

He finally understood. That ‘to exist’ was another expression of ‘to move’ [動]. A world in which even thought and action had stopped was ultimately no different from a vast and perfect ‘void’ [虛].

[Dong. 동(動). Literally “movement” or “to move.” Here, 動 is presented as the defining opposite of 虛, suggesting that existence itself is expressed through movement.]

[虛. Literally “emptiness,” “void,” or “vacancy.” Here, it refers to an absolute state in which nothing moves or manifests, rather than merely an absence of physical objects.]

The beginning must not have been any different.

Some called it the Primordial Source [本源]. Others called it the Limitless [無極]. In other words, the beginning of time itself must have been no different from this. Everything existed, yet nothing existed.

[Bonwon. 본원(本源). Literally “original source” or “root source.” Here, it refers to the primordial source from which all existence originates.]

[Mugeuk. 무극(無極). Literally “Boundless”, or “the Limitless”. In Taoist and cosmological philosophy, it represents the primordial, undifferentiated state of absolute nothingness that exists before the emergence of the universe and duality (before the Taegeuk / Taiji). It is the infinite potential from which all existence springs.]

Therefore, the Limitless was what existed before everything began.

But if that was so... What was the beginning?

Someone says that the Limitless split into yin and yang, and the world began. Another says that karma [業] flowed, that emptiness [空] became existence [成], and that everything circulates.

[Karma. Eop. 업(業). In Buddhist thought, 業 refers to action and its accumulated causal consequences. Here, it is presented as a force through which existence undergoes transformation and enters the cycle of things.]

[Emptiness. Gong. 공(空). In Buddhist philosophy, 空 refers to the lack of inherent, independent existence.]

[Existence. Seong. 성(成). Literally “to become,” “to be formed,” or “to come into being.” Here, 成 is contrasted with 空 as the emergence of manifested existence.]

But in the end, no one tells him what the beginning is.

‘There is no need to say.’

A beginning is simply a beginning. There’s no point in asking why.

What matters is that everything has a beginning. That whatever form that beginning takes, it is simply a “blooming”.

Cheong Myeong’s sword moved.

Alone, within the moment when everything had stopped.

And thus, upon the empty void, he drew a single, tiny plum blossom.

It was as delicate as it was small. Yet it couldn’t be called insignificant. It was the first flower to bloom in an empty world. It was a flower, and blooming [開花], and change [改變], and at the same time... A transition.

[Gaehwa. 개화(開花). Literally “the opening of a flower.” Here, it denotes not merely a flower blooming, but the first manifestation or emergence of something into existence.]

[Gaebyeon. 개변. 개변(改變). Literally “alteration” or “change.” Here, it signifies a fundamental transformation from one state into another.]

Before long, the fragrance flowing from that tiny flower quickly filled the entire world.

As though it existed, yet didn’t exist. Simply deep and lingering [暗香浮動].

[Amhyangbudong. 암향부동(暗香浮動). Literally “a dark fragrance floating and drifting.” An image of a subtle fragrance that spreads quietly without being directly perceived.]

 

Cheong Myeong silently looked down at his sword for a moment.

A hint of emptiness briefly crossed his vacant face. After staring at his sword for a long while, Cheong Myeong let out a hollow laugh.

“The clue...”

Cheong Myeong’s body slowly collapsed.

“...I’ve grasped it.”

Thud.

Having exhausted every last drop of his remaining strength, Cheong Myeong lost consciousness and collapsed. His entire limp body looked almost as though he had died.

“.......”

Heavenly Executioner stared blankly at the sight.

As though he had witnessed something impossible, his face went pale. Then, suddenly, his gaze dropped toward his chest.

At that very moment, as though it had been waiting.

Thud.

The front of Heavenly Executioner’s clothes split apart.

Crack.

At the same time, his chest slowly began to open. A long slash ran from his left shoulder all the way to his right side. A deeper wound had appeared over the scar once left by the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, and in an instant, an enormous amount of blood poured forth.

“Guh!”

Heavenly Executioner slumped to the ground.

“Uweeeeeeeeeeegh!”

Then he began vomiting blood without end. Pouring out so much blood that it was hard to believe that the human body could contain that much, Heavenly Executioner clutched his wound. His hand was trembling violently.

‘Kill...’

He must kill him.

Even if his injuries were far more serious than they appeared. Even if the demonic essence [魔情], something no different from the very root of a demonic practitioner, had been damaged.

He must kill him now, without fail.

“Uwek!”

After vomiting another great mouthful of blood, he clenched his teeth and clawed at the ground as though trying to seize it. Then he drew up every last bit of demonic qi remaining within him and forced himself to his feet.

But at that moment, Heavenly Executioner’s eyes widened.

He was gone.

Cheong Myeong, who had unquestionably been lying there, had disappeared. No matter how he looked around, there wasn’t a trace of him left.

Only after realizing this did he sense the lingering aura of someone else, like an afterimage.

“Who are you!”

In a single instant. In an incredibly brief moment, someone had seized Cheong Myeong and fled, without missing the opening Heavenly Executioner had revealed.

“Ugh....... Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!”

As though a beast were howling, Heavenly Executioner threw his head back and let out a scream. The immense hatred contained within it spread outward, covering the world like a typhoon.

❀ ❀ ❀

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