Celestial Realm
I was taken aback by the intense wariness and hostility woven into Miho’s words. It was unlike her to react this way. Moreover, the meaning behind her statement was something I couldn’t simply brush aside, so I questioned her.
“Did you really say ‘Lunar Sovereign’? Did the Queen Mother actually mention that?”
“… Yes, so get out now! I don’t want to be disturbed by a human like you.”
I could see beyond Miho’s hostility her underlying anxiety.
‘She’s under pressure…’
Miho had a remarkable talent for concealing her emotions. Naturally, she would reveal her feelings when she needed something from me or when she was in a good mood, but in every other instance, she manipulated her emotions to her advantage. If I could read her feelings, it was evident that she was in such a state of distress that she couldn’t control herself due to her obsession with obtaining the Lunar Sovereign.
She must have mentioned her mission to gain the Lunar Sovereign to send me away, as I was somewhat related to the Celestial Realm. After a moment’s thought, I responded to her.
“… Understood. My name is Baek-ung. If there’s good news, I’ll let you know.”
“……”
Leaving the quiet Miho behind, I exited the Heavenly Emperor Palace. I didn’t immediately feel like using Ascending Tide, so I climbed up onto the roofs of Kyoto’s streets and stared blankly at the sunlight. I had come out thinking it was a bad idea to provoke Miho again, but the aftertaste was still unpleasant.
‘Who would’ve thought that strong negotiations with the immortals of the Celestial Realm would lead to this outcome?’
To become closer to Miho, the Queen Mother’s favor was an absolute prerequisite. Miho’s liking for me would hinge entirely on how the Queen Mother spoke to her. Obviously, with my actions having drawn the Queen Mother’s ire, in this reincarnation, there was no way Miho could look kindly upon me.
As a hint of resentment crept into my heart towards Mangnyang, I quickly shook it off.
‘Mangnyang wouldn’t have provoked the Queen Mother without a reason. For now, I must endure even if I can’t become allies with Miho…’
I could have given her the Obsidian on the spot to revive her memories. I could have dropped some high-level information that I alone knew to pique Miho’s interest.
However, the current state of Miho was mentally unstable, and she was in no position to trust me. Not to mention the negative impression left by the Queen Mother, which meant she could very well see me as an enemy and attack me.
I swallowed hard and thought about what I needed to do in Dongyoung. Since I didn’t expect to visit Dongyoung often, I wanted to leave something behind for efficiency’s sake.
‘Hmm. Now that I think about it, there’s one thing.’
The hunt for the real Miyamoto Musashi!
I was determined to track down that figure, who was undoubtedly Dongyoung’s strongest master. Every person I found would expand my options from my previous life. I resolved to stay in Dongyoung for about a month to search for Miyamoto Musashi.
First, I headed toward the Hosokawa Clan, where the fake Miyamoto Musashi was said to reside. According to the rumors I had heard last time, Musashi was supposedly living quietly in Kumamoto, under the clan’s patronage.
Kumamoto was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with vast plains extending in between, predominantly engaging in agriculture and livestock farming. As I wandered around, I spotted scenes of cattle grazing here and there. The area where Musashi was said to be staying was quite remote, so I had no choice but to ask around for three days to find him.
When I grabbed a nearby farmer and inquired about Musashi, he replied,
“Are you talking about that master? They say he wanders around a house near the castle from time to time…”
“Is there anything special about him?”
“He’s so quiet that I hardly ever see him, and I’ve never heard any stories about him.”
I decided to head straight to where Musashi supposedly resided.
Ding-dong
The sound echoed as I approached. In the sweltering heat, I saw the traditional house with its door wide open. I hesitated to go in for a while even with the door ajar, then eventually knocked.
“Is anyone there?”
Hearing no reply, I stepped inside. As I entered the inner room, a voice finally reached me.
“A formidable master. Who are you?”
In the center of the room, Miyamoto Musashi sat with his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. At first glance, he appeared to be at ease, but in reality, he was poised for an instantaneous strike, ready to cut down anyone who entered his range—a deadly stance wielded with the Sword Drawing Technique.
I gazed at Musashi, assessing his level.
‘He’s not unbeatable. No… This is definitely worth a shot.’
Having spent a long time training in the style of the Sword Demon, my insight into gauging an opponent had escalated to an extraordinary level. To my eyes, Miyamoto Musashi standing before me was not quite at Dongyoung’s top level. He would likely struggle even against Nobutsuna or Bokuten, who were of the same caliber.
From the moment I approached, Musashi sensed a deficit in his aura and had to take a defensive stance using his Sword Drawing Technique. This indicated that my pure skill was at least a level above his.
I spoke softly.
“My name is Baek-ung. I’ve come to see what kind of person the world-renowned sword hero, Musashi, is.”
“What’s your impression?”
“I’m disappointed.”
Musashi let out a curt chuckle.
“Ha ha ha… You’ve got nothing to say. So, are you going to kill me?”
I shook my head.
“That’s not why I’m here today. I’m here to uncover your truth.”
“The truth?”
I looked Musashi directly in the eyes and calmly stated,
“The scroll you possess, the ‘Five Rings,’ is not meant for you. You couldn’t possibly have used it, so where did you get it?”
“……!!”
Musashi’s eyes widened in shock, and a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He stared at me intently before subtly shifting one foot forward, fortifying his stance for aggression.
‘So, he’s willing to fight.’
It seemed I had struck a nerve with my words. Or rather, what I just said was likely Musashi’s biggest secret. Now, Musashi felt compelled to kill me by any means necessary.
I laughed coldly.
“Two Heavens One Style, let’s see how you perform.”
I lightly unleashed the Thunder Spirit Seal. The Thunder Spirit Seal, a specialty of the Thunder God School’s lightning technique, was renowned for its overwhelming might and was perfect for countering someone entrenched in a defensive stance. Musashi had no choice but to evade the Thunder Spirit Seal, exploding his residence in the process.
Boom!!
As debris from the house scattered, Musashi soared into the air, executing acrobatics while launching peculiar sword techniques at me. His movements were agile and quick, reminiscent of a snake, while the fierce changes of his sword skills made it slightly challenging for me to defend.
‘Impressive sword techniques.’
Clang-clang
After about twenty exchanges in the air, I finally landed back on solid ground. Musashi and I stood three paces apart, and I hurled a Thunderous Blade enriched with sword mastery towards him. The Thunderous Blade sliced through the air at tremendous speed, expanding into a colossal size that divided the river below.
“……!!”
Musashi wore an expression of horror as he hurriedly dodged the Thunderous Blade.
I manipulated the direction of the Thunderous Blade with a flick of my finger, guiding it toward Musashi. With no way out, he swung both his swords to create a blade screen and attempted to deflect the unstoppable force.
Bang!
Unable to withstand the shock, Musashi was propelled into the air. I dashed toward him. The sword techniques I honed under the Sword Demon emerged effortlessly, piercing directly toward Musashi, who defended himself desperately against my relentless assault.
How much time passed?
Cling!
One of Musashi’s swords shattered in the air. The broken blade plunged deep into the ground, and Musashi stood there with a bewildered expression, holding the broken sword. Despite his utmost effort to weather my attacks, he couldn’t withstand the overwhelming difference in our levels and ultimately lost his weapon.
I aimed the Sword Technique at Musashi’s throat and said,
“I don’t wish to take your life. I merely seek the truth.”
“……”
Musashi gritted his teeth. He showed no signs of divulging any secrets. It was clear that the truth mattered immensely to his honor as a ‘swordsman,’ and it made more sense to die than to reveal it. Realizing that intimidation wouldn’t be enough, I spoke again.
“You must know that your current stagnation is due to training that doesn’t match your caliber; it’s causing harmful side effects. You have an inkling of this, don’t you?”
He flinched visibly!
Musashi opened his mouth.
“How much do you know? Did you see the ‘Five Rings’?”
“I’ll just say I transformed a guess into certainty. Regardless, at this rate, you’ll never escape this stagnation. Haven’t you hit a wall learning from the ‘Five Rings’?”
Musashi’s expression grew anxious. I had struck a nerve.
“… What do you want?”
“If you tell me the truth, I will accept you as my ally. Then you can transmit the supreme martial arts necessary to break free from your current level.”
Musashi scoffed in response.
“I can concede that you’re a level above me, but I can’t believe you possess those supreme martial arts.”
“It’s the truth. At my age, surpassing you is not impossible.”
“……”
“This is your final warning. If you refuse my offer, I’ll resort to any means necessary.”
If he rejected this too, I would have no choice but to cripple him and use the Eight Trigram Seal to torture him. I didn’t want to resort to such measures right away, but I was sure of the effectiveness.
Reluctantly, Musashi relented.
“… Fine. I will agree.”
“Good choice.”
“First, let me put away my sword. Your aura is so overwhelming that it’s intimidating my spirit.”
Swish
As I sheathed my sword, Musashi seemed to collapse from exhaustion. He stared at his broken sword, lamenting,
“Eventually, this day has come!”
Musashi fell silent, seemingly wanting to gather his thoughts amidst the ruins. Finally, he spoke.
“It seems this will take a while, so let’s change locations. The guard soldiers will be here soon.”
“Agreed.”
Whoosh!
Musashi and I left the city and made our way into a nearby forest. When we reached a small pond, Musashi finally spoke.
“First, I am not Miyamoto Musashi.”
“What do you mean?”
With a somber expression, he continued,
“I am Sasaki Kojiro of the Ganryū style.”
“……!!”
I was taken aback.
Sasaki Kojiro!
He was known as the greatest rival to Miyamoto Musashi, and their duel on Ganryūjima was legendary throughout Dongyoung’s martial arts community. Miyamoto Musashi emerged victorious, which elevated him to the rank of one of Dongyoung’s premier swordsmen. So, to find that the person before me was not Miyamoto Musashi but Sasaki Kojiro left me flabbergasted.
“What do you mean? If you are Sasaki Kojiro, then where is Miyamoto Musashi?”
Sasaki Kojiro pulled out the ‘Five Rings’ from his robe. Then he calmly recounted the past.
“While it was reported that I and Musashi engaged in a life-and-death duel on Ganryūjima, in reality, I never even landed a strike. I had prepared for death that day, but… Musashi, seeing my talent as a waste, gave me this ‘Five Rings.’”
“No way…”
“Yes… Miyamoto Musashi had grown disappointed in the martial arts world after battling me, so he commanded me to live on as him, claiming I should cultivate my own skills from now on.”
I gawked in disbelief.
“How is that possible? With such different looks and appearances known to others?”
“Musashi made it possible. He executed a technique to alter my appearance right there on the spot, disguising me.”
“……!”
“He seemed quite skilled in aura and human physiology…”
After collecting my thoughts, I replied,
“Alright. Then where did the real Miyamoto Musashi go?”
“He said he was heading to the continent in search of worthy opponents. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
“To the continent…?”
I felt a mix of shock and surprise. The continent surely meant the Central Plains, but I had yet to hear any reports of someone resembling Miyamoto Musashi. This left me without any leads on Musashi’s whereabouts.
‘This should be considered a half-success.’
I had now understood that I must search for the real Miyamoto Musashi in the Central Plains. After taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I said to Sasaki Kojiro,
“Kojiro. Come with me.”
“Are you truly willing to teach me martial arts?”
“If you follow me well as my ally!”
“Understood.”
With Kojiro’s agreement, I tucked him away into my pocket dimension and then used Ascending Tide to return to the Central Plains. Either way, being a master of the Ganryū style, Kojiro would surely prove useful in the future.
The next place I headed was the Black Night Gate. Upon my return, the Sword Demon greeted me warmly.
“Baek Ho-bok! How’s everything going?”
“Very well.”
I detailed all that had occurred since meeting Mangnyang. The Sword Demon listened calmly, then spoke.
“It seems that Mangnyang has a plan in place. I don’t know the details, but first, let’s see that Kojiro.”
Following the Sword Demon’s words, I pulled Sasaki Kojiro out from my pocket dimension. The Sword Demon then addressed the confused Kojiro.
“Show me the ‘Five Rings.’”
When I translated this for Kojiro, he hesitated before revealing the ‘Five Rings’ before us. The Sword Demon examined the scroll closely and remarked.
“Upon closer inspection, I can agree that a real Miyamoto Musashi exists.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“Hand Kojiro over to me. I was just lamenting my lack of hands for taking down the Tomb Master.”
“If that’s the case…”
I readily handed over Kojiro’s custody to the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon would surely manage Kojiro without issue, plus for Kojiro, learning martial arts from the Black Night Gate wouldn’t be a bad fate either.
“How do you intend to handle interpretation?”
“Not long ago, I stormed the slave market in Gyeongju and gathered some intel. I also rescued an astute interpreter there. Don’t worry about that.”
“A slave market?”
“It was a secretive underground deal, even the Lord of Hanyang pretended not to see.”
The Sword Demon spoke bitterly,
“Baek Ho-bok, do come for another visit soon. I must learn the Undead School techniques from you again.”
“Understood.”
From the Sword Demon’s words, I keenly sensed that the darkness he had uncovered in Gyeongju ran deeper than expected. If the current Sword Demon was on par with or even exceeding Lee Gwang in prowess, it indicated a keen awareness of his own shortcomings.
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