NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
#649
Taejonbirok Volume 26, Episode 24
Chapter 142: The Lazy Clash (4)
There was no particular change in appearance.
This meant that both limbs were properly attached. To Wi Jeong-han, this fact was of paramount importance.
Two people are facing each other.
While Wei Yanho's expression was extremely complex, Baek Gongdo's expression was relatively gentle.
But a discerning eye will notice that there is a look of surprise on his face that cannot be hidden.
“……I have a question.”
Baek Gong-do nodded quietly, indicating that he would listen to the request.
“Can someone get this far if they just work hard?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
Baek Gong-do shook his head firmly.
"Everyone's innate talent is different. If my children had the potential to become stronger than me, I would have focused on raising them, not myself."
“As expected.”
Baek Gong-do's abilities exceeded even Wei Yan-ho's expectations.
Strong.
Overwhelmingly strong.
“Can I ask you one more question?”
“As much as you want.”
“I heard that the strongest person in history was the Great Demon Emperor.”
“Yes.”
“Have you seen it?”
“I haven’t seen it. I didn’t go to that war.”
“I think that no matter how strong the Great Hemp was, if you had wanted to, you could have killed him, right?”
“Probably so.”
“Then why did you leave me alone?”
“Because there is no reason to do that.”
Baek Gong-do answered calmly.
"We owe a debt to the Central Plains. So why should I defeat their enemies for the sake of the Central Plains?"
“Innocent people died too.”
“We were also without sin.”
“…….”
Baek Gong-do shakes his head.
"I don't know. If it were now, I might have made a different choice. But back then, I was young and full of energy. I didn't see any need to help my enemies. Defeating the Demonic Cult didn't matter even after they and the Central Plains were finally settled."
“What if the Demonic Cult ends up taking revenge on your behalf?”
"What's so important about that? In the end, what matters is revenge. There's no need for me to be the main character. Yes, that's what I thought. Yes…"
Baek Gong-do raised his head and looked at the sky.
A hint of regret is evident in the gesture.
“Yes, I soon found out that all of that was meaningless.”
Baek Gong-do, who lowered his head, fixed his gaze on Wi Yeon-ho.
"I, too, am aware of my own contradictions. No, I was forced to learn them. So there's no need to tell me that. Those who are caught in contradictions don't necessarily strive to break them."
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just curious.”
“……Is that so?”
Baek Gong-do looked at Wi Yeon-ho with a smile.
To the still-young Wi Yeon-ho, such stories might not hold much meaning. Self-contradiction is a trait reserved for the elderly.
Contradictions are built up over a lifetime. Wei Yanho hasn't had enough time to do so. Even if he had accumulated contradictions, considering his age, it wouldn't take much effort to dismantle them and build something new.
Unlike Baekgongdo.
“……I thought the ultimate sword would be a slightly different form.”
“You’re right too.”
Baek Gong-do had a slightly kind face.
"The ten thousand swords refer to all swords. That means they can reach everywhere. Just because your idea of perfection of the ten thousand swords differs from the realm of the ten thousand swords I've achieved, doesn't mean you're wrong. They're simply different."
“That’s right.”
Wi Yeon-ho scratched his head.
I've heard this a lot. It came from Baek Mu-han.
The more I look into it, the more I see Baek Gong-do and Baek Mu-han share many similarities. I don't think it's just blood ties. Even among blood relatives, it's more common than you might think for fathers and sons to have completely opposite personalities.
It was not reasonable to seek similarities simply because they were descendants of several generations later.
What should I say… … .
It's just similar.
“You talked a lot.”
Baek Gong-do stretched out his sword.
“Now you know. I don’t intend to do things half-heartedly.”
Wi Yeon-ho nodded.
The swords themselves reveal this: Baek Gong-do has no intention of sparing Wei Yan-ho. He's not pushing Wei Yan-ho to become stronger. Wei Yan-ho has already experienced such a sword.
From Baek Muhan.
Baek Muhan's sword was several times sharper and more destructive than Baek Gong-do's. To Wei Yan-ho at the time, it was the very essence of despair, with no apparent way to survive.
——————
faqwiki.xyz
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
But now, having experienced Baekgongdo's sword, I understand how much it was meant for Wei Yanhu. It was a sword that provoked Wei Yanhu to the utmost, yet never intended to inflict harm.
That was the master's sword.
But Baekgongdo's sword is different. This sword truly possesses a life force. If Wi Yeon-ho cannot surpass Baekgongdo's sword, he will truly die.
“Next thing, check.”
Baek Gong-do spoke softly.
"I will pour the essence of all my swords into the next one. If you cannot overcome this, you will die."
Wi Yeon-ho sighed deeply.
“People from all walks of life really… only talk about themselves.”
Baek Muhan or Baek Gongdo.
“A person from a hundred schools?”
“Tsk.”
When Wi Yeon-ho shook his head, Baek Gong-do did not ask any more questions.
'That's strange.'
You can tell by mixing the swords.
The Mangeom was certainly passed down to Wi Yeon-ho. While it differs significantly from the Mangeom currently being passed down to his disciples at Baekgeomseong, it is undeniable that the Mangeom is the foundation of all swords.
In that case, it was highly likely that Wei Yanho's teacher was also from a Baekga family.
But then why bother hiding it?
“Didn’t you say your teacher had already passed away?”
“Yes, a long time ago.”
"What a shame. I wanted to meet you just once. If he raised someone like you, he must be no ordinary person."
“I guess that’s fortunate?”
"……huh?"
"If you saw my master right now, he probably wouldn't be able to speak properly. He might be contemplating how to escape."
“Hahaha.”
Baek Gong-do laughed as if he found it ridiculous.
“You must have been quite strong. But I wouldn’t be that far behind, would I?”
“That’s not it…….”
Wi Yeon-ho scratched his head.
It's really hard to explain.
Of course, even in terms of strength, Baek Gong-do can't match Baek Mu-han. Baek Gong-do is the undisputed best swordsman and the best swordsman in the world, but objectively speaking, even if Baek Gong-do were to have a fever, he would be unable to match Baek Mu-han.
The more you deal with strong people, the more you learn.
The more I encounter these powerful beings, the more I realize just how powerful Baek Muhan truly is. Baek Gong, too, possesses a strength unmatched by any living powerhouse, but even that power pales in comparison to Baek Muhan.
How strong is the master?
Just when he thought he'd reached the end, he drifted away again. The world marveled at Wei Yanhu's strength, but the stronger he became, the more distant his master's presence became, and he felt a sense of emptiness.
If Baek Gong-do were to meet Baek Mu-han now, he would feel an immense despair at the sight of his boundless strength.
But this is a separate issue.
Wouldn't anyone feel bewildered if their ancestors, whom they thought were already dead, came back to life and appeared before their eyes?
But I was frustrated because I had no way to explain it.
Besides, considering Baek Muhan's personality, it's a hundred times better not to meet him. Even though he'll never understand.
"anyway."
Wi Yeon-ho raised his sword.
“Are you saying we should end it?”
“Huh?”
Baek Gong-do's eyes widened slightly as he watched Wei Yan-ho, who had come out first.
“So you found a way?”
"no."
Wi Yeon-ho shook his head.
“I knew one thing.”
"something?"
“It is something that Man-geom rejects.”
“…….”
"All the swords in the world. It's a term for all the ten thousand swords. But every time I heard that, I had a fundamental question. Why should I learn every sword in the world? I don't have enough time to learn even one thing I excel at, so how could I possibly memorize all that vast knowledge?"
Baek Gong-do's face became interesting.
Now, Wei Yanhu was accurately pointing out the ten thousand swords.
"Ultimately, every sword has its weaknesses. A quick sword is bound to have an empty back and be light. A broken sword and a heavy sword are bound to be slow. A magic sword creates its own weaknesses. And the power contained within each individual sword is bound to be weak. Right?"
"yes."
"This is a fundamental problem. No matter how powerful the Quick Sword Master becomes, he can't eliminate the fundamental weakness of the Quick Sword. All he can do is become strong enough to win even with that weakness. But Man-geom is different. Man-geom combines different swords to eliminate their weaknesses. And what's the final point?"
Wei Yanho spoke as if declaring.
“A perfect sword.”
“Oh.”
Baek Gong-do gripped his sword tightly.
The sword of ten thousand swords is now revealing its words to the world through Wei Yanhu's mouth.
It's a common saying that anyone can say.
But knowing it in your head and realizing it with your own body are two entirely different things. Wei Yanhu was now realizing it. After countless sword trials and training, he had finally reached this point.
“But.”
Wi Yeon-ho shook his head.
“This is a failed sword.”
"hmm?"
"There's no such thing as perfection. Nothing can be perfect."
“……What does that mean?”
"It's simple. Because perfection. Perfection, after all, is a concept built up backwards through imperfection. The moment you think everything is perfect, problems arise again."
“…….”
“This sword is like that.”
"knife?"
Wi Yeon-ho held out his sword.
"My master said this was the perfect sword. He said it was the most perfect sword. But it seems my grandfather, the Tang family's master, didn't see it that way. So he reforged it. When I received it back, I thought it was truly perfect. I felt like I was twice as strong with just this one sword. But do you know what I'm like now?"
“What do you think?”
“This is too light.”
“…….”
Wi Yeon-ho stuck out his lips.
"It would be nice if it were just five cents heavier, but that's not possible. And there's no need for that. If it were five cents heavier, something else would bother me. Ultimately, perfection is."
“……It depends on who sees it and who feels it.”
"Yes. That's right. It's impossible to become perfect. It's also impossible to become perfect. So, ultimately, the ten thousand swords are like a horse chasing a rainbow. No matter how much you run, you'll never reach it. Even if you change your horse into a thousand-mile horse, a cold-blooded horse, or a red-haul horse, you'll never reach it. Because I'm the one pushing that rainbow away!"
Wi Yeon-ho raised his sword and pointed at Baekgongdo.
"So now I won't give in. There's no reason to give in to a sword that failed in the first place."
Baek Gong-do's face distorted at Wi Yeon-ho's declaration.