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#655
Taejonbirok Volume 27, Episode 5
Chapter 143: The Lazy Man Moves Forward (5)
“He is the best in the world…….”
Saga said with a slightly reminiscent expression on his face.
The best in the world.
Anyone who is involved in the martial arts world will not be able to escape the resonance of these words.
Even Saga, who had no particular interest in martial arts, felt his heart pounding when he heard that he was the best in the world.
“So, the Gwanghwimujon was recognized as the best in the world in that battle.”
"yes."
The Gwanggu Shingae chuckled.
“Actually, Wei Yanho’s reputation had a bit of a strange side.”
“What if it’s strange?”
"Wei Yanho's accomplishments were undoubtedly remarkable. Even those living during his time acknowledged this fact. At that point, his accomplishments alone were enough to surpass even the mighty Kwon Geuk."
“That’s definitely true.”
"But that was too short. The Central Plains are so vast. It would have taken a long time for the rumors about Wi Yeon-ho to spread. The elder Shin Gi-su knew about this problem and actively tried to spread the word about Wi Yeon-ho's achievements, but that alone proved to be too limited."
“I guess so.”
How wide is the Central Plains?
They say a horse without legs can travel a thousand miles, but the Central Plains are a place where even a thousand miles can't reach anywhere. No matter how actively you spread the word, it will take a long time for it to reach the far reaches of the Central Plains.
“The position of the best in the world is not a position you can win through fighting.”
"yes?"
"What good is it if I'm the strongest? If others don't acknowledge me, that's fine. In fact, the title of "Best in the World" is a title that can only be achieved if the martial arts world recognizes it. Anyone who wants to rise above the "Best in the World" must prove themselves to be the strongest in the martial arts world."
I thought I knew what you meant.
The strongest person in the world is called the best in the world.
From a logical standpoint, there always exists a world-class individual in any given era. However, the position of the world-class individual isn't always filled.
It was like that before Wei Yanhu appeared.
There were those who were called strong in the martial arts world, those who were said to be close to being the best in the world, but not a single one of them was able to prove that they were the best in the world.
No matter what anyone said, the closest person to the title of the best in the world was Baekgeomseongju, but unless he personally stepped forward and defeated the world's strongest with his own hands, no one would have easily acknowledged that fact.
When someone rises to the position of the best in the world, doesn't that mean that the world's strongest people acknowledge that there are people stronger than them in the world?
There's no one who would admit it without even trying. The strong are those whose pride is as high as their strength.
"Proving yourself the best in the world is no easy task. It takes two hands to clap, doesn't it? Those who aspire to be the best in the world have already built their reputation and status. A single defeat could destroy everything they've built. Would you readily agree to a fight?"
“It will be difficult.”
"That's right. So there are two ways to become the best in the world. Either objectively demonstrate the gap that everyone must acknowledge, or, like Wei Yanhu, defeat them one by one in an era where no one can hide themselves."
Gwanggu Shingae shrugged.
“I think the latter method is easier to get recognized.”
Saga nodded.
“No one could deny that Wei Yanhu was the best in the world.”
It was a given.
Who can deny it?
Wi Yeon-ho proved his strength in a way that was more certain than anyone else's.
“The timing wasn’t that good, though.”
The Gwanggu Shingae chuckled.
“But there’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“Speak up.”
“Did Baekgeomseong simply follow the orders of Gwanghwimujeon? Wasn’t Baekgeomseong’s first opponent before the match was decided by Gwanghwimujeon?”
"yes."
“But even though it is the lord’s order…….”
“If it were a different sect, things might be a little different.”
The Gwanggu Shingae spoke bluntly.
"If it were any other sect besides Baekgeomseong, there would have been those who wouldn't obey even if the chief commanded it. But Baekgeomseong is different. While Baekgeomseong may take the form of a sect, it's actually a single family. Aren't the authority of the chief and the authority of the head of the family different?"
“Yes, that’s right.”
"Besides, Dancheongeom Baekgongdo isn't just any ordinary lord. He's a legendary hero who revived the fading Ten Thousand Swords and created the Baekgeomseong. It's impossible to refuse the words of someone like that."
Saga nodded.
But a look of displeasure crossed his face. It was a look that suggested he was having trouble understanding the words alone.
"furthermore……."
As if he had noticed the saga's mood, Gwanggu Shingae's expression widened.
“Didn’t they find out too?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that Wi Yeon-ho also inherited the Man-geom.”
"ah!"
Saga looked at the Gwanggu Shingae with a look of surprise.
"They too have eyes, so they must have seen Wei Yanhu's sword. They also have ears, so they must have heard the conversation between Wei Yanhu and the Dancheon Sword. Therefore, it was inevitable that Wei Yanhu's sword came from the Ten Thousand Swords. Furthermore, the Ten Thousand Swords Family, taking the form of the Baekgeomseong, distinguished between those inside and outside the clan based on whether they had mastered the Ten Thousand Swords, not on blood ties."
“Yes.”
"So, Wei Yanho became a member of the Baekgeomseong clan. He mastered the Ten Thousand Swords and received the family head's approval. From their perspective, Wei Yanho was no longer an outsider."
I think I know.
We lost anyway.
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If Gaju had defeated Wei Yanhu, things would have been a little better, but unfortunately, Baek Gong-do was defeated by Wei Yanhu. If they had no choice but to accept this situation, it would be more beneficial for Baek Geom-seong to accept Wei Yanhu as another descendant of the Man-geom clan rather than as an outsider.
Both emotionally and practically.
“The Baekgeomseongju also used his brain there.”
"yes?"
"If command had been handed over to the Jeongmu Alliance, there would have been a backlash. Because without Wi Yeon-ho, the Jeongmu Alliance couldn't stop Baekgeomseong. No one wants to bow down to those weaker than themselves."
“Yes.”
"But Baekgeomseongju handed over command to Wi Yeonho, not Jeongmu-maeng. That alone gave him justification."
Saga tilted his head as if he didn't quite understand.
“Is it better to bow to Wei Yanho than to Jeongmu Alliance?”
“It must be hard for you to understand.”
It is difficult for someone who is not a human to empathize.
From an ordinary person's perspective, it would seem more fitting for Baekgeomseong to bow to the massive organization called Jeongmu Alliance rather than bowing to just one person called Wi Yeonho.
But that doesn't apply to the strong.
"Respecting the strong is the nature of a warrior. Even if they're your enemy, the strong are respected. For martial artists, bowing to and handing over command to someone who has unwaveringly proven themselves to be the best in the world is not particularly shameful."
“Hmm…….”
"For example, even the leader of the Kwon Geuk clan wouldn't have been able to wield that much influence if there had been another unwavering leader. It may sound ridiculous, but martial artists tend to trust a leader who's not smart but strong in battle more than a second-in-command with perfect leadership."
“What a strange world.”
“And it’s an intuitive world.”
The Gwanggu Shingae chuckled.
"That's the way things are in the world of martial arts. Isn't that why everyone resorts to evil to become stronger, and even swallows dirt to gain fame?"
“Hmm.”
Saga nodded.
It's not easy to understand, but it's understandable. Because that's how things actually worked out.
“But it seems like Gwanghwimujon isn’t the type of person to lead…….”
“What kind of command does Wi Yeon-ho give? Commanding is done by the old man, Shin Gi-su.”
“It’s just a pretext.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve heard something so nonsensical from you. That’s right.”
Saga nodded as if he understood.
“Now it’s the Demonic Cult.”
"……yes."
It was quite long.
In the end, this entire process was nothing more than a process of conserving strength to deal with the Demonic Cult.
“How was the power of the Demonic Cult?”
“What should I say about that…….”
The Gwanggu Shingae frowned.
“The Demonic Cult is truly incredibly strong.”
“I guess so.”
“But if you ask me if it’s as strong as I thought, the answer is no.”
“What are you talking about?”
Gwanggu Shingae answered Saga's questions.
"In the past, the Demonic Cult single-handedly cornered the martial world. For a single sect to gain an advantage over the Central Plains is truly remarkable. No other sect could possibly be as powerful as the Demonic Cult."
“Yes.”
"But there was no guarantee it would happen again this time. At least, that's what I thought at the time. My master's opinion was similar."
“……Why is that?”
“It’s simple.”
Gwanggu Shingae drank the wine from the bottle and continued speaking.
"The Central Plains' forces at the time were twice as strong as those of the past. While the Central Plains of the past did their best, they were merely the Jeongwu Alliance's lone ally. But this time, it's different. Not only is the Cheon Eui-ryeon conserving its forces, but thanks to Wi Yeon-ho, the Jeongwu Alliance and the Cheon Eui-ryeon were able to unite."
"hmm……."
"Wasn't it a situation where even the Baekgeomseong and Hwanggung, who hadn't participated in the past, were supporting the Jeongmu Alliance? Objectively speaking, we've secured more than twice the strength of the previous alliance. Of course, the beginning was several times more difficult than before, but after resolving all those issues, our strength has increased significantly."
"I understand what you mean. On the other hand, the Demonic Cult doesn't have any more power than it did in the past."
"That's right. That's why I thought. Even if the Demonic Cult, through sheer effort, secured twice the strength of its former strength, we wouldn't lose. Our strength was far greater than that."
A look of regret appeared on Gwanggu Shingae's face.
“That was the beginning of all the delusions.”
It was widely known that in the early days of the war, the Demonic Cult had driven the Central Plains into a massacre.
But listening to Gwanggu Shingae's words, they didn't add up. If Jeongmu Alliance and the Central Plains had secured power greater than that of the Demonic Cult, how could they have been so helpless?
The question and the answer came at the same time.
“……Is it a heavenly horse?”
Gwanggu Shingae did not answer.
I just took a sip of alcohol.
After a long time, Gwanggu Shingae opened his mouth.
“We didn’t know.”
The tone was a bit bitter.
"Even when I saw Wei Yanhu and Baekgongdo, I had no idea how powerful a single person could be. Because… no matter how strong Wei Yanhu and Baekgongdo were, if everyone there attacked, they would never survive. I thought that in the end, every fight was decided by how powerful each side was. But…"
The light bulb shivered slightly.
“There have been superhumans, no, monsters, who surpassed them in the world.”