A Near-Death Miracle - 2
The beginning of the nightmare always involved countless people, with two figures, indistinguishable as male or female, stabbing a dark blade into his body. While he was talking with them, the content of the conversation was unknown, but a multitude of mysterious emotions—fear, regret, the will to live—swelled within him. At the end, he was always gently enveloped by chrysanthemum flowers, only to see them torn apart by the villains, waking in a cold sweat from terror.
As he hid in a corner, he felt a sense of relief and recalled the word that had instilled fear in him: "The energy of nature? Draw in the energy of nature… draw in the energy of nature…" Once that phrase began to swirl in his mind, it incessantly roamed within him, and he found himself slipping into a state of trance. In that moment, a tremendous change started to occur within him. A terrifying energy began to gather in his body, and at a certain moment, it surged into his dantian, swiftly restoring the broken dantian. This overwhelming energy coursed through his body, breaking through the blocked or destroyed meridians one by one. Each time brought immense pain, but he had already entered a deep state where he could not feel that pain.
As all the meridians opened up, his entire body started to heat up. In an instant, his clothing turned to ash and scattered, and his skin became charred black. The physician, sensing the terrifying vortex of energy he was emitting, approached in shock, only to see him releasing an immense force, leaving him stunned. "This person is truly a master beyond imagination. What I'm witnessing must be the legendary transformation of bones and flesh… To achieve such transformation, one must be at the level of transcendence. Could it be that he is indeed a master of transcendence?"
Before long, the energy from him gradually subsided, and the force he had been releasing disappeared. Even after that, he remained with his eyes closed for a long time. Seeing this, the youngest son wondered if he might be dead and reached out to check, but the physician stopped him. "We can't disturb him. If anything goes wrong, he could fall into a state of madness from the energy surge, and right now, he wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Is falling into madness really that frightening?"
"Of course. If something goes wrong, he could lose his life or become a fool. Masters know methods to contain the energy they release to save themselves, but he has forgotten all of that, so if something goes wrong, he would die immediately."
At last, the man who had been referred to as a fool opened his eyes. Realizing that the two people in the corner were staring at him intently, he felt embarrassed and tried to sneak away. As he did, his clothes turned to dust and fell away, revealing skin as smooth as jade beneath the charred remains. The grotesque wound that had marred one side of his face had completely vanished.
The one most shocked by this was the youngest son. Upon realizing he was completely naked, he bolted to his room in a panic. However, he was no longer the same fool.
Days passed since that incident, and the man once known as a fool found all his teeth had fallen out. Soon after, beautiful, white teeth began to grow back. As he walked around without teeth for a while, people teased him, calling him "Old Man." But as time went on and his teeth fully grew in, they were astonished to find that he was quite handsome, and they were even more surprised to realize he looked younger than before.
When it reached this point, Ok Cheong-young reported this to his father, General Ok Yeong-jin. Upon hearing this, Ok Yeong-jin dropped everything and rushed over.
"Welcome, Father."
Seeing his son after a long time, Ok Yeong-jin ignored the pleasantries and immediately asked about 'him.'
"Where is the person you mentioned? I want to meet him, so bring him here."
"Before that, there's something you should see. Cheong-ah!"
"Yes, Father."
"Bring me the Mookhon Sword."
"Yes."
Then, his second daughter reluctantly handed the Mookhon Sword to her father. The mischievous girl had become enamored with the sword when she saw it in her father's room and had begged for days to finally get it. As he handed the sword to Ok Yeong-jin, he said,
"When I first discovered him, the sword was embedded in his dantian, and it fits perfectly in the scabbard he wore at his waist, so it must be his sword."
Ok Yeong-jin drew the sword and exclaimed,
"This is an excellent sword. The only flaw, if it can be called that, is that it's a bit short. It has an inscription engraved here: '墨魂 (Mookhon).' This is completely made of dark iron. And this delicate craftsmanship is truly the work of a rare master."
He continued examining the scabbard of the Mookhon Sword and remarked,
"Although it seems crude, it also possesses a noble aura, suggesting that the person who made this scabbard is the same as the one who forged the sword."
"Father, can you guess who made this? It was embedded in his heart."
Saying that, he took a dagger from the table and showed it to Ok Yeong-jin.
"I had the scabbard for the dagger made by a local craftsman. The scabbard was not found on his body."
"Hmm, this is engraved with '墨影 (Mokyeong).' The meticulousness and delicacy of the person who crafted this Mokyeong Dagger are indeed similar to the skill of the one who made the Mookhon Sword. Furthermore, the name that includes 'Mook' and the shape of the handle show many similarities. I believe these were made as a set."
"Although he has lost his memory, it seems he still retains the martial arts of a high level within his body. Considering that he was able to transform his body and heal himself, I believe he is at least a master of transcendence. The only other things I know about him are that he despises plum blossoms but loves chrysanthemums and strong liquor, and once he decides he dislikes something, he never changes his mind."
"Plum blossoms? Don't you see anything that comes to mind when you hear that?"
"Well…."
As Ok Cheong-young smiled awkwardly, Ok Yeong-jin scolded his son,
"You fool! Don't you know who the current leader of the martial arts world is?"
"Isn't that the Limitless Sword Sovereign, Ok Cheong-hak?"
"Exactly. What is his sword technique?"
"White Flow Plum Blossom Sword Technique… Oh! I was foolish."
"From this, you can understand that information about him must not leak into the martial arts world, at least not to the Murim Alliance. Where do you think his sect is?"
"You should see that for yourself. I can't even begin to guess. There is a physician named Lee Su-ryang, who is from the martial world. I asked him to investigate various matters, but it was utterly impossible to speculate. Hey, you there."
"Yes."
"Go bring Gukgwang."
"Yes."
"What do you mean by Gukgwang?"
"I didn't know either, but it seems everyone called him a fool because he couldn't even remember his name. Then, recently, as all his wounds disappeared, they attached the name because he is said to have a crazy fondness for chrysanthemums."
"Gukgwang… That's not bad."
At that moment, a soft voice could be heard from outside.
"Did you call for me?"
"Come in."
For General Ok Yeong-jin, meeting Gukgwang was shocking. First, he felt overwhelmed by the pure energy flowing from Gukgwang's body and eyes, which he didn't try to hide.
"Truly an extraordinary master! However, at this level, he should be hiding his energy, yet he does not attempt to do so. But since it flows subtly, it would be difficult for those who haven't mastered high-level martial arts to notice."
"Are you Gukgwang?"
"Yes, everyone calls me that."
"Can you help me with my work?"
"Is that a request from you, sir? Or is it a request from the lord?"
"It's a request from me."
"In that case, I refuse."
"Why?"
"I like this house, and I like the horses."
When Gukgwang blurted that out, Ok Cheong-young was taken aback and broke into a cold sweat trying to change Gukgwang's mind.
"Follow my father."
"Why should I follow that lord?"
"That's because… because… your father needs you more than I do. Can you not serve your father well?"
"If it's a request from the lord, then I'll do it. But…"
"But?"
"That request will only be honored while the lord is alive."
"What if I die?"
"My life's benefactor is only the lord, and no one else. After that, I will do as I please. I hope you understand that."
"If that's how you think, then there's nothing I can do. But if I live for a long time, wouldn't that be a loss for you?"
"Well, that's just how it is."
Ok Cheong-young finally let out a sigh and said to Ok Yeong-jin, "Father, when will you leave?"
"I will leave tomorrow morning. It's been a while since we met, so let's catch up."
"You should go out. Ah! This is yours, so take it."
Gukgwang seemed a bit hesitant as he looked at the black sword and dagger, then asked, "Is this definitely mine?"
"Yes. I'll say it now, but that sword was embedded in your lower abdomen."
Upon hearing those words, Gukgwang shuddered. However, unfazed, Ok Cheong-young continued, "And the sheath was tied to your waist's sword belt. Since the two match perfectly, this Ink Soul Sword is definitely yours. And this Ink Shadow Dagger was embedded in your heart, and even though you didn't have a house, it was undoubtedly made by the same person who created the Ink Soul Sword, so it belongs to you as well. Take them. These two are extraordinary treasured swords, and it would be hard to find something like them again."
Gukgwang, feeling hopeful, carefully pulled out the Ink Soul Sword a bit. As the black blade emerged, he screamed inwardly. This was the very sword he had seen in his dreams for so long, and the name Ink Soul felt completely familiar, confirming it must be his. He fastened the sword belt to his waist and tucked the dagger into his bosom.
Seeing Gukgwang packing up, Ok Cheong-young suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh! This is also yours."
He took out a piece of cloth and a small jade tablet intricately carved from a drawer and handed it to Gukgwang. "In addition to other pieces of paper that were in your possession, they've been in water for so long that I can't tell what they are. The strange thing is that you didn't have a single penny in your possession. Perhaps you only had silver or gold certificates, but since the paper has completely dissolved in water, it's impossible to confirm. The only thing left is this."
"This piece of cloth has some strange characters written on it. You may not be able to read it now, but it might help you regain your memory later, so keep it safe. And this tablet is likely a representation of your identity. It's intricately carved with a dragon alive and vivid on red jade, a remarkable piece. If you keep this well, it might be the key to discovering your past. Given that the things embedded in your body were your sword and dagger, there's a high chance you were ambushed by someone who knows you very well. So, it's best not to reveal yourself as much as possible."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"And this is a reward for all your hard work."
However, Gukgwang refused the silver offered by Ok Cheong-young. "I'm grateful for saving my life, but I can't accept that. And I'm not just leaving my house; I'm following the great lord, so I won't have any trouble with food and lodging. I don't need any money. Then I'll take my leave."
After hastily bowing and leaving, Ok Cheong-young smiled bitterly.
"Father, one thing is certain: that person is a true martial artist. It seems he looks down on money itself. Please take care of Gukgwang. From what I've learned while spending time together, the best way to deal with him is to be gentle from the start. If he says he will refuse something, it will be impossible to overturn that. So it's better to leave him be as he wishes. No matter how much he has lost his memory, his inherent nature seems to persist. It's clear he must have been stubborn and inflexible in the past as well. Otherwise, such a master wouldn't have gone unnoticed, nor would he have drifted down while still stabbed by his own sword."