CLS-Chapter 611

Chapter 611:

Who could deny the greatness of the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families?

They were the only ones in Jianghu who could proudly claim to have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Even the renowned Wudang and Huashan of the world, and even the Namgung Family, could not dare to discuss swords before them.

It wasn’t simply because Baek Mu-han had emerged from the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families. Of course, with just the Sword Emperor Baek Mu-han alone, Ten Thousand Swords could proudly claim to be the founder of swordsmanship. No one would dare to challenge their pride.

But it would be the same even without Baek Mu-han.

What the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families had produced wasn’t just the Sword Emperor Baek Mu-han. Rather, compared to the brilliant achievements they had left behind, even the Sword Emperor’s name might seem shabby.

What they had accomplished was no ordinary feat.

They gathered and studied hundreds, even thousands, of sword techniques scattered throughout the world, then unified them to create new styles.

It sounds easy when spoken, but how difficult would it actually be to implement?

The Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families were those who had accomplished this.

All the sword schools under Heaven owed them a debt.

The gathered, combined, and re-established techniques spread back out to the world and developed their martial learning. That’s why the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families received everyone’s respect, and everyone’s…

“Except for Baek Mu-han.”

“…That’s right.”

Baek Mu-han was a somewhat different case.

Even among the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families, who generally didn’t oppress other sects, Baek Mu-han was like a mutant. He had tried to place other sects beneath his feet.

“Actually, I find it hard to believe.”

“What?”

“Well, that… the Sword Emperor.”

“What about the Sword Emperor?”

“That he oppressed others so much, I find it difficult to…”

The Historian’s words made sense.

Basically, most of the strong individuals known throughout the world were also known to have excellent character.

Dharma and Zhang Sanfeng didn’t even need explanation. They were those who had awakened to the Way. Even the Heavenly Demon was said to have had exceptional magnanimity.

But Baek Mu-han…

“Did he really have such a personality?”

“How would I know?”

Guwangqushen shrugged his shoulders.

“I didn’t actually see Baek Mu-han myself, so how could I know? I just believed it because Wei Yan-ho said so.”

“To believe that completely…”

“I have no choice but to believe it.”

“What? Why?”

Guwangqushen answered matter-of-factly.

“Because Wei Yan-ho said so.”

“…”

When the Historian seemed at a loss for words, Guwangqushen elaborated.

“Of course it might sound absurd, but that’s sufficient grounds. Because while Wei Yan-ho constantly spouts nonsense, he doesn’t lie.”

“Hmm…”

It was both unconvincing and convincing at the same time.

“And it would be impossible for Wei Yan-ho to have made up all those detailed anecdotes one by one. It might be possible for someone else, but it would be even more impossible for Wei Yan-ho.”

“Why is that?”

“Would that guy do such a thing? He’d rather sleep one more hour with that time.”

It became much more convincing.

Certainly, Wei Yan-ho wasn’t someone who would deliberately fabricate Baek Mu-han’s personality. Whether it was the historically fair and just Wei Yan-ho he knew, or the human scum Wei Yan-ho that Guwangqushen spoke of, it was the same either way.

Neither version of Wei Yan-ho would do such a thing. One side wouldn’t because of righteousness, the other because it would be bothersome.

“And there’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

“What? Me?”

“Well, who else is here besides you?”

Guwangqushen clicked his tongue.

“It’s not just you. People are often caught up in such strange prejudices. The prejudice that those with tremendous skills must also have very noble character.”

“I…”

The Historian closed his mouth.

He wanted to say no, but couldn’t deny it.

But wasn’t that the truth?

Most people who had accomplished great things were also evaluated as having excellent character.

And even without stating such obvious things, one could reasonably infer.

“Is the assumption that those who know much and delve deep might be better people wrong?”

“Wisdom and knowledge are different things.”

Guwangqushen said with a slight smile.

“The idea that learning much and knowing much makes one a better person is just a lie told by teachers.”

“But…”

“Don’t you know it too? That historically, among those who committed truly terrible acts, those who caused the greatest harm to the world, and those who are still committing such acts at this very moment, there are no stupid ones.”

“That may be so, but…”

It was undeniable.

Those who had caused great harm to the world were mostly educated people and those in power. By the world’s average standards, they belonged to the category of those who had learned more and delved deeper, as the Historian had mentioned.

And it was also true that such people had caused more harm to the world. If those who knew more had nobler character as the Historian suggested, such things wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

“When you remove such prejudices, the world becomes simple. Why do you think Baek Mu-han should have good character?”

“Well…”

“Actually, that’s impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“Of course.”

Guwangqushen smiled slightly.

“Humans are fundamentally faithful to their desires. Isn’t it the same for you? Can you live showing all your inner thoughts to others?”

“Ah, no, that’s…”

The Historian stammered.

He wanted to answer yes, but absolutely couldn’t. Isn’t that what humans are like? There’s no one whose outward appearance and hidden inner self completely match.

Even someone who appears supremely noble on the outside inevitably has baseness within that cannot be shown to others. People who have such baseness, or who have it but hide it well and never reveal it outwardly until the end, are called ‘saints’ by the world and revered.

But the Historian was not a saint.

“You can’t, right?”

“…”

“See, that’s what I’m saying.”

Guwangqushen chuckled.

“Hey, you fool. That’s what all humans are like. They pretend to be clean but strain in the toilet, and even the noble Confucius had children.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“Everyone has such desires. But they all live while suppressing those desires.”

Guwangqushen lowered his voice slightly and asked.

“Why? Why is that?”

“…Because it’s wrong.”

Guwangqushen smiled as if pleased with that answer.

“Right, it’s wrong. Because the moment I reveal my desires, it causes harm to others. Those who are harmed will try to retaliate. Then a situation comes where I suffer because of those desires. In other words, if we reveal our desires as they are, it brings harm to me. That’s why we endure… but…”

Guwangqushen frowned.

“The problem is that Baek Mu-han was someone who didn’t need to do that.”

“How…”

As always, the Historian who was about to ask closed his mouth.

Because he seemed to understand why.

“To punish, to get angry, and to teach what’s proper, one must be stronger than that person. Whether through violence or power, only those who surpass others can teach others.”

“There are things to learn from children too.”

“There are people who learn from children, but no one who gets scolded by children. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“And one must be able to judge the wrongs that person has committed. But… who would dare to judge Baek Mu-han? Who could dare to punish Baek Mu-han?”

“No one could.”

It was absurd.

Baek Mu-han was a genius.

Not just any genius, but the greatest genius Jianghu had ever produced. His martial learning defied the understanding of anyone of his time. All of the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families threw themselves at his martial learning, but no one could understand it.

Baek Mu-han had told Wei Yan-ho that he was shunned even within his family, but those words were half right and half wrong. Whether the human Baek Mu-han was shunned by the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families was unknown, but at least his martial learning had never been shunned even once.

The greatest genius Jianghu had ever produced.

That was Baek Mu-han.

Who could blame and teach such a person? Baek Mu-han had already surpassed his parents’ abilities before even reaching adulthood.

At least regarding martial learning, there was no one who could teach him, and in martial families, nothing was more important than martial learning. So it wasn’t strange that Baek Mu-han became arrogant.

“Someone who never gets scolded, someone who never gets criticized no matter what they do, couldn’t possibly have a normal personality. Even in the Beggar’s Sect, they severely harass those who first become beggars. Because begging is truly dangerous. People think it’s okay to treat those worse off than themselves roughly. So beggars often become targets of venting frustration. To avoid being beaten to death there, there’s a lot to learn.”

“Why are you suddenly talking about beggars?”

“Even beggars, who seem to need to learn nothing, must learn to survive. And they must get scolded. But Baek Mu-han was too remarkable. And too great. As a result…”

Guwangqushen shook his head.

“He became a monster.”

Guwangqushen let out a quiet sigh.

“That was the beginning of all tragedy.”

“…”

The weight in Guwangqushen’s voice made the Historian tremble.

“He didn’t know. Because he had never once been oppressed by others, because he had never once been suppressed by anyone, he didn’t know how much pain what he was doing caused others.”

“But that’s no excuse, is it?”

“That’s right. I’m not trying to defend Baek Mu-han. The reason I’m saying this is just because I want to tell you about the situation at that time. The orthodox sects, who had endured and endured, finally took action. But…”

Guwangqushen closed his eyes.

“The method was too base and petty.”

“…”

“Then they became terrified. They realized what they had done only after it was all over. Those who ride a tiger’s back cannot dismount. Because they’ll be devoured the moment they get off.”

“So they swept away even the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families?”

“Because the Ten Thousand Swords Hundred Families were strong enough that without dealing with them by surprise attack, they would have to accept terrible sacrifices.”

“But that was equally base and petty.”

It was like the original sin of Jianghu.

It was the reason why all those who faced the Hundred Swords Castle couldn’t lift their heads before them.

“Only Wei Yan-ho was free from that original sin. He was qualified to point out the wrongs of the Hundred Swords Castle.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“But…”

Guwangqushen’s voice faded.

“That was a tragedy in its own way.”

“…What?”

“Fate is truly frightening. No matter how much you try to avoid it, you end up facing it in the end. Humans are truly weak and insignificant beings before fate.”

“…”

“Wei Yan-ho came to know that too, that thing…”

The wind blew and the lamp flickered.

Precariously, then precariously again.