Chapter 89. The Meaning of a Wandering Swordsman (6)

Under the village chief's instructions, the village festival began to be prepared. I thought that all the people who were still awake had gathered, but there were far more people than expected, to the point where I was completely overwhelmed.

We were guided to the upper seats of two tables and waited there. As I watched the food being laid out, Baecheonbaek said,

"How about it? Being a wandering swordsman is pretty good, right?"

"Well, it seems to be something like that."

The feeling of being recognized and praised by nearly a hundred people was truly quite strange. It felt a bit like a craving for fame.

'It’s like the feeling when I won an award in a glider competition when I was a kid.'

I thought that this is what drives people to become wandering swordsmen.

Many people gathered and the inn was bustling with the festival. The main characters of the event were me and Baecheonbaek. As Baecheonbaek had a few drinks, he began to exaggerate his own heroic tales.

"At that time, that Hakryejung's blood-red sword was emitting a sword aura and flying towards me... Oh, do you guys know what a sword aura is? A sword aura, I tell you. If you get hit by this, it’s a one-shot deal."

"Sword, sword aura... I’ve heard of it!"

When a man clapped and pretended to know, Baecheonbaek, pleased and excited, continued his explanation.

"Right. This energy, when it hits, literally tears the flesh apart... You can’t deal with it unless you have a similar energy technique."

By the way, in the battle between Baecheonbaek and Hakryejung, no such energy techniques were used. Both used sword and fist techniques. If an energy technique had been used, it would have made a sound like a 60mm mortar and been immediately noticeable.

Baecheonbaek, seeing that people were looking at him with anxious eyes, continued with a sense of superiority.

"But who is this Baecheonbaek? I can use energy techniques!"

"Oh... As expected of you!"

"Indeed, you are remarkable! The reason Bae Dae-hyeong's fame has spread throughout the Central Plains is clear!"

Originally a skilled martial artist from Hubei, Baecheonbaek had transformed into a national-level martial artist. As everyone praised him, Baecheonbaek, his shoulders trembling, laughed loudly.

"I’m just a bit boastful. Ugh, ugh, hahaha! Haha!"

"..."

I stood there with my mouth agape, amazed at how he could tell such blatant lies without even a hint of hesitation.

'He must have reached the pinnacle of lying.'

Baecheonbaek can indeed use energy techniques, but at his current level, which is at the peak of intermediate, it’s impossible to use them continuously. He can only use them for a brief moment, like a finishing move, as he did in the previous battle.

To use energy techniques freely, one must reach the peak of the highest level or the rare state of Enlightenment in the martial world, which is far beyond Baecheonbaek’s current level.

Can one really not objectively describe their own battles? The exaggeration of martial artists is truly difficult to understand from my modern perspective.

"Aren’t you going to say something, Scholar? You personally beheaded that murderer, didn’t you?"

At that moment, a woman approached me, poured me a drink, and asked. I felt somewhat embarrassed. With a shy expression, I raised my cup and tried to describe my battle as calmly as possible.

"Ahem, yes. It wasn’t really that impressive. I just extended a sword aura about 10 feet (3 meters) and sliced through Hakrye-myeong’s stomach..."

"Oh my! That’s really impressive..."

"I’m just a bit boastful."

As the night of the festival deepened, it became even more lively.

***

The next morning, I felt someone shaking me awake. I opened my eyes with a groan, feeling a headache from the hangover. It was Baecheonbaek.

"If you’re awake, let’s go."

"What? Why do we have to go so early in the morning?"

It couldn’t be that we were going to the bathroom together, so I couldn’t understand why he was waking me up so early.

As I grumbled, Baecheonbaek shrugged and said,

"Let’s just leave. It’s better to stay for a short while and then leave. If you stick around, you become a nuisance. It’s cool to leave like the wind when no one is around."

Can’t he just be less cool?

This seemed to be Baecheonbaek’s philosophy of being a wandering swordsman.

I was tired and suggested staying one more day, but Baecheonbaek insisted on leaving before the people could hold us back. I suppressed the hangover with my inner strength and, following Baecheonbaek’s advice, we set off in the early morning when everyone was still asleep.

Walking like a dead zombie was not an easy task.

'I’ll be a dog if I drink again. Really...'

I thought, as I always do after drinking, while walking. My body ached from the battle yesterday, making it even harder to walk.

My lightness was in such a bad condition that I couldn’t use it, but fortunately, Baecheonbaek, who seemed a bit tired, didn’t use it either and just followed me.

'I’ll think about yesterday’s battle.'

To distract myself from the fatigue, I decided to review yesterday’s battle.

'It was a really strange feeling.'

It felt like all the things I had learned came together to create a significant achievement. It was a unique sensation I had never experienced before.

How can I describe it? It felt like suddenly playing a difficult piece of music that I couldn’t even touch before, in one go?

A strange sense of excitement filled my body, making it hard to express.

As I walked silently, Baecheonbaek asked,

"Hey, what are you thinking about while walking?"

"Ah. Bae Dae-hyeong, it’s like this."

When I told him about the experience I had yesterday, Baecheonbaek said nonchalantly,

"It’s just enlightenment. Is this your first time?"

"Is this enlightenment?"

Is this the enlightenment that martial artists suddenly achieve?

Surprised, I asked, and Baecheonbaek nodded.

"Yes. Hmm... How should I explain this? There are two types of enlightenment. One is achieved during intense battles, like you, and the other is achieved during practice."

I nodded, showing that I understood, and Baecheonbaek continued,

"Usually, one gradually achieves enlightenment through practice, but it’s also common to achieve it during intense battles, like you."

"Is that so?"

I nodded quietly, listening to Baecheonbaek.

'Is this the day I’ve been waiting for?'

I knew this day would come. Ever since I fell into this martial world, I’ve always wondered why I didn’t bring a cheat key with me. Now, I understand the will of heaven. All the hardships I’ve endured so far were just a prologue.

'My martial life is just beginning.'

From tomorrow, I will become a martial artist of the Enlightenment realm.

Feeling that I had achieved the ultimate martial enlightenment, I suddenly felt that everything in the world was trivial and felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

'This is the feeling of an absolute being.'

Living among ordinary people as a superhuman... How lonely it must be!

With a melancholic heart, I asked Baecheonbaek,

"Bae Hyung, when will I undergo the transformation?"

When I asked with a scrutinizing eye, Baecheonbaek, looking puzzled, replied,

"…? Why do you suddenly sound so formal… Anyway, why do you need to undergo the transformation?"

"Bae Hyung, it’s a bit difficult."

I sighed deeply because of Baecheonbaek’s lack of understanding.

'Indeed, it’s hard to communicate with a commoner like Baecheonbaek.'

How could a commoner understand the heart of a superhuman like me? At least, someone of a similar level, like the Heavenly Demon or the Martial Alliance Leader, would understand.

I felt the loneliness of an absolute being once again and decided to explain calmly and generously.

"Since I’ve achieved enlightenment, I will undergo the transformation and soon reach the Enlightenment realm. I’m asking when it will happen so I can prepare the bath in advance."

When you undergo the transformation, all the toxins in your body are expelled through your pores. I was asking for the timing to prepare in advance.

Upon hearing my detailed explanation, Baecheonbaek suddenly rolled on the ground, laughing like a madman.

"What? Enlightenment... Haha, hahaha!"

It was a laugh that made me want to punch him in the head when I undergo the transformation.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Well, if achieving a little enlightenment means reaching the Enlightenment realm, I would have already transcended life and death and be playing mahjong with the Primordial Celestial Venerable."

Ding.

"Enlightenment isn’t something you can achieve easily, like finding a small hill or a tiny insight. Haha, hahaha!"

"..."

According to Baecheonbaek’s explanation, enlightenment is an event that happens more often than you might think. It doesn’t suddenly elevate you several levels in one go.

"Let’s see... Hmm, in your case, you were at a middle to lower level of the second tier. If you cultivate and solidify your enlightenment, you might become a first-tier martial artist soon."

"Is that all?"

I became disheartened and changed my tone. Baecheonbaek, still smiling, replied,

"That’s enough. Did you think you’d suddenly become a transcendent being just by achieving enlightenment once?"

"I thought so."

As I grumbled, Baecheonbaek shook his head.

"The important thing isn’t enlightenment. It’s the cultivation after enlightenment. Only by solidifying your enlightenment through cultivation can you truly elevate your realm. If you don’t cultivate after enlightenment, it’s all for nothing."

In other words, both enlightenment and cultivation are criteria for advancement, but achieving one alone won’t suddenly elevate your realm.

No matter how much you understand intellectually, if your body hasn’t cultivated, it won’t integrate. And even if your body has cultivated sufficiently, if your mind hasn’t achieved enlightenment, your realm won’t elevate.

To put it simply, in my case, the software was updated yesterday, but the hardware is lagging, so the benchmark score hasn’t improved much.

Feeling disheartened, I nodded, and Baecheonbaek patted my back and said,

"Don’t be too disheartened. Enlightenment doesn’t come often, and achieving it in a single battle at your level is quite remarkable."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. When I was your age, I was already a skilled martial artist..."

I pretended to listen as the story dragged on.

"...And one day, I suddenly achieved enlightenment and was fighting..."

It seemed the story wasn’t over yet.

I walked for about 10 minutes, nodding along, when Baecheonbaek suddenly called me.

"By the way, um... You."

"Yes?"

I wondered if he had noticed that I wasn’t really listening, but he didn’t. Baecheonbaek spoke in a slightly softer tone.

"We’re heading to Mount Ami, right?"

"Yes."

We were going to meet the Sword Maiden of West Heaven. I nodded, and Baecheonbaek spoke cautiously.

"And we did a good thing yesterday."

"…? Yes, we did."

What was he trying to say?

As I listened with a puzzled expression, Baecheonbaek, making awkward interjections, said hesitantly,

"Um... When we meet the Sword Maiden of West Heaven, can you... you know, give me a bit of a boost from the side?"

"Boost?"

I tilted my head, not understanding what he meant, and Baecheonbaek explained further.

"Yes. You know, I... Baecheonbaek, I helped her a lot, defeated the challenger, and caught some bad guys along the way... I did a lot of good things. So, can you make me look good in front of the Sword Maiden of West Heaven?"

"..."

I thought, 'Here it comes.' Baerunghwa had said he would probably ask me to do something like this. Baecheonbaek, looking at me, said, "Is it okay? Is it okay? Can you help me?"

But I’m not a service center employee. I wasn’t going to do emotional labor for free.

'Free happiness doesn’t exist.'

From the beginning, I had decided to take whatever I could get from such an opportunity.

Instead of nodding, I asked Baecheonbaek,

"Then, Bae Dae-hyeong."

"Hmm? Why?"

Baecheonbaek, looking a bit better, asked.

"I can help, but Bae Dae-hyeong has to help me too, right?"

"Help? How? I don’t have much money."

I already knew that. He was going on a 14-15 day trip to Mount Ami with only three silver taels. Three silver taels. What a fool.

'He has no economic sense at all.'

Three silver taels would be about 450,000 won in modern terms. When I went on a 5-day trip to Busan with a friend, I brought more than that. Of course, I didn’t expect to get money from such a person.

"Well, there are many good things besides money. How about teaching me a good way to survive in this martial world?"

"Hmm... Then, I once searched for the Taiyi Secret Record, which is said to contain the final insights of the Taiyi Sword Venerable. It’s a really interesting story. It was a long time ago..."

"No, not that."

What am I supposed to do by listening to a treasure hunt story from his prime?

I stopped him, saying, "That’s enough," and Baecheonbaek, looking disappointed, suggested again,

"Then, do you want to learn a martial technique? I don’t plan to take on disciples..."

"No, not that."

I didn’t want to learn a martial technique to that extent. I negated Baecheonbaek’s suggestion and said,

"Can you teach me a way to deal with sword auras? I found them really scary when I faced them."

The battle with Hakrye-myeong was just a matter of luck. If I hadn’t achieved enlightenment at the right moment,