SWNOVELXO Ch. 0
Chapter 0: Prologue — The Hidden Tale of the Martial Sovereign
“So, you said you wanted to know about Wi Yeonho?”
The eyes of the monk Mu San were deep and clear.
Only after meeting Mu San's profound gaze did the man finally understand why people called him the Living Buddha.
There was an inexplicable power in Mu San's transparent eyes—just by looking into them, one was compelled to reflect upon oneself.
A great master.
Even those with little reverence for the Way of Buddha would feel boundless respect upon seeing him, someone who had devoted a lifetime to that path.
A realm where one’s heart flowed outward on its own.
Before the majesty of such lofty Buddhist cultivation, the man could only be awestruck.
“Wi Yeonho…”
As he murmured the name softly, Mu San's eyes were laced with distant sorrow, as though reminiscing about something.
“I believe he was sent by the Buddha himself to save all living beings.”
A faint smile spread across Mu San’s lips.
The smile that bloomed beneath the long white beard brought a calming peace to the man simply by witnessing it.
To be someone who could make such a venerable monk smile just by being remembered—one could already guess what kind of man he must have been.
Sure enough, the words that came from Mu San’s mouth matched exactly what the man had expected.
“He was righteous and compassionate. He knew how to care for the weak, never backed down before the strong, and was more diligent than any…”
But then, something strange happened.
As Mu San listed his praises for Wi Yeonho, his brow faintly quivered. His words began to falter as though they were growing increasingly difficult to speak.
“And he… carried himself with integr…”
Mu San’s face twitched slightly.
“Master?”
The man looked at Mu San with concern.
This towering figure, who had seemed as immovable as a mountain or the heavens themselves, was now struggling to even continue speaking.
The serene energy that had radiated from him at the beginning was nowhere to be found.
“Ahem! Hm-hmm! Amitabha.”
Mu San let out a loud cough and smiled.
“Forgive me. I haven’t been feeling well.”
“Not at all, Master.”
“Yes, now… where was I? No one can deny the achievements of Wi Yeonho. He was a man who saved the world. But the true reason the world should look up to him… is because he was a gentleman, and a mod…el for all…”
Mu San closed his mouth.
His face seemed to flush, just slightly.
His breath grew ragged, and his long beard began to tremble slightly.
“...Master?”
The man called out to Mu San, confused by the strange shift.
Just moments ago, the old monk had so perfectly embodied the title of Living Buddha. But now, at this very moment, he looked like a drunkard who had secretly downed a few bottles, his face flushed red as he trembled all over.
Mu San’s lips parted slightly.
“This... is driving me mad.”
“Pardon?”
Mu San cleared his throat loudly and waved his hand.
“Amitabha! Amitabha!”
“Um...”
After taking several deep breaths, Mu San let out a sigh so heavy it felt as though the earth would cave in.
“Forgive me. This humble monk isn’t feeling well today. P-please come back. Another time.”
“...Yes, of course.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Mu San sprang to his feet and walked away briskly without so much as a backward glance.
The man stared blankly at the old monk's retreating figure.
What in the world had just happened to him?
Only moments ago, he had seemed every bit the Living Buddha—gentle, majestic, and serene. Now he was hunched over, retreating hastily, showing only a feeble, shriveled back.
As if he’d seen a ghost.
Then, a muttered phrase reached the man's ears, spoken in Mu San’s low voice.
“Damn it all!”
The man’s face contorted strangely.
Did that old monk just curse?
‘No, surely not.’
He must’ve misheard. Surely...
Wiping away the sweat that was streaming down his face, the man watched the back of Mu San Daesa—former Head of Shaolin, the Living Buddha, and once a close friend of Wi Yeonho, the man who had saved the world from turmoil.
* * *
“Welcome.”
The man couldn’t help but be amazed.
Paeng Dogeuk—who was he, if not a legend?
In the past, he had been known as the Greatest Blade Under Heaven, a name that resounded throughout the Nine Provinces and Eight Desolations.
To those who wielded the blade, he was a living myth, someone whose sword they longed to glimpse even in dreams.
And now, that very man had come all the way to the front gate of the Paeng Clan in Hubei to greet him in person.
Given his own status, he wouldn’t have had grounds to complain even if he'd been turned away at the door. But to be met like this, personally—who could have imagined it?
He had heard rumors that Paeng Dogeuk treated everyone with warmth and humility, regardless of status or age. Still, he had never expected to be welcomed so openly.
“Thank you for your generous hospitality, Master.”
Paeng Dogeuk let out a hearty laugh.
“Ha ha ha, what’s there to thank? I’m simply greeting a guest who’s come to visit.”
“To think that the famed Master Paeng, renowned across the land as a great hero, would personally meet a nameless nobody like myself—how could I not be grateful?”
“I’ve gained nothing but empty fame. Even if the world says my name is great, I’m just a man—and so are you. Why should there be such a divide between us that I must build a wall?”
There was profound meaning in those words.
The man nodded.
The rumors that circulated about Paeng Dogeuk were, without a doubt, true.
The man before him was truly a great hero and a generous soul.
“Shall we go inside first?”
“How could I dare expect such luxury?”
“If I leave a guest standing out here, the world will curse my name.”
“Then… may I first ask if you are willing to answer my question?”
Paeng Dogeuk smiled.
“Very well. What do you wish to know?”
“I’d like to know about Wi Yeonho.”
A warm smile spread across Paeng Dogeuk’s face.
“Wi Yeonho, you say?”
The man answered with vigor.
“Yes!”
Bang!
At that moment, the gate slammed shut with a deafening crash.
Ffft—
The impact was so strong that dust scattered in every direction, and even the roof tiles above the gate shook from the force.
The man stared blankly at the now-closed gate.
From behind the tightly shut doors came Paeng Dogeuk’s voice.
“Anyone out there?”
“Yes! I’m here, Former Clan Head!”
“Salt!”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not hear me? Salt! Bring some salt! A bucket—no, bring a whole sack of it and scatter it in front of the gate!”
“Yes, understood!”
“Starting the day with rotten luck… What kind of damn bum just shows up like this? Ugh, I’ll be cursed for the next three months.”
The man’s mouth slowly opened as he heard Paeng Dogeuk’s cursing.
“Damn it! Call the nearest temple and have them perform a cleansing rite… No, forget it! If even that drunken monk Mu San can’t handle the demon, what can the rest of those monks possibly do? Just dump the salt—dump it all! Bring every sack of salt from the storage and block off the gate with it!”
As Paeng Dogeuk’s grumbling voice rang out irritably, the man wiped the cold sweat from his face with a cloth he had prepared in advance.
Paeng Dogeuk—formerly known as the Greatest Bladesman Under Heaven, head of the Paeng Clan of Hubei, and above all, the famed friend of Wi Yeonho who once helped save the world—never met the man again after that day.
* * *
“A historian?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Divine Mad Dog, the Former Head of the Beggar's Gang, tilted his head crookedly.
“What’s that?”
“Someone who records history.”
“History?”
“Yes.”
Divine Mad Dog yawned as he looked at the man.
“So why would a guy like you come looking for an old beggar like me? What would a beggar know about history?”
“I want to know about Wi Yeonho.”
“Wi Yeonho?”
“Yes!”
“Radiant Martial Sovereign Wi Yeonho?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Divine Mad Dog turned his head indifferently.
“Is there even anyone who doesn’t know about Wi Yeonho?”
The man nodded.
“Everyone knows of him.”
“Right?”
“Yes. Radiant Martial Sovereign Wi Yeonho—the mythical figure who ended the Great Calamity of the world. He is remembered as a gentleman, a noble man, and a great hero. Some call him the greatest under heaven in all of history, others call him the greatest hero of all time.”
“You seem to know him well. So what’s your question?”
The man’s eyes gleamed.
“As I was compiling the history of the murim and searching for records on Wi Yeonho, I found something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes. No matter where I looked in the world, I could find praise and accolades about Wi Yeonho’s character and achievements.”
“And?”
“But when it came to actual records of his movements and actions—there was almost nothing.”
“Hmm...”
A mischievous smile appeared on Divine Mad Dog’s lips.
“It’s strange. He’s the most famous and revered man in the world. And yet, there’s barely anything on what he actually did or how he lived. He lived just a hundred years ago, and still.”
“That’s to be expected.”
“That’s why I’ve come to you, Shingaek. You once roamed the world at Wi Yeonho’s side. I believe you’re the only one who can provide a firsthand account of his life.”
“So that’s why you sought me out?”
“Yes!”
“Looking like that?”
“…”
Sure enough, the man’s appearance was a match even for Divine Mad Dog himself—just as scruffy and disheveled, no better than a beggar.
“I thought you came to join the Beggar’s Gang.”
The man flushed.
“Because you’re as elusive as the wind, Shingaek.”
“I heard you were tailing me for half a year. But surely, you had other people to ask. Why come to me, and go through all this trouble?”
“Master Mu San of Shaolin said he was unwell, and Master Paeng of the Paeng Clan turned me away at the gate.”
“Kiikikik, those guys?”
Divine Mad Dog burst out laughing, as though he had expected exactly that.
“Please, tell me! What exactly happened in the past?!”
Shingaek waved his hand.
“Don’t. Some things are better left unknown.”
“I want to know.”
“I said you’re better off not knowing.”
“I’ve been chasing Wi Yeonho’s trail for five years! I’m a historian. I have a duty to pass on a true account of history to future generations!”
“Some histories are best left untold.”
The man prostrated himself on the ground.
“Please. If you won’t speak, then there’s nowhere left in the world where I can learn the truth about Wi Yeonho.”
“Isn’t it something the whole world already knows?”
“No! My instincts are screaming that there’s something more! Please, tell me! You’re the only one I can turn to now. I beg you! Surely you understand how important it is to pass down true history to future generations!”
Faced with the man’s firm plea, Divine Mad Dog smiled.
But the smile he wore carried a strange glint.
“True history, you say?”
“Yes!”
“You really want to know?”
“Yes!”
The man nodded repeatedly, as if afraid Divine Mad Dog might change his mind at any moment.
“Truly?”
“Yes!”
Divine Mad Dog’s smile deepened.
And with that smile came an unmistakable mischief.
“Alright then, I suppose I’ll tell you a story...”
“Thank you!”
“No need to thank me.”
“Pardon?”
Divine Mad Dog clicked his tongue with an unreadable expression.
“You’d honestly be better off not knowing.”
“…”
Divine Mad Dog finally began to speak.
“Wi Yeonho, Wi Yeonho... Most of what’s known about him is true. Except for one thing.”
The man’s eyes sparkled.
“What part?”
“Oh, you know…”
Divine Mad Dog casually dug in his ear with a finger and blew off the wax.
Then he said flatly, with no particular emotion.
“Well, it’s obvious. His character.”
“His... character?”
Divine Mad Dog grinned slyly as he spoke.
“That man—he was an absolute piece of trash.”