424 - The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

EP.424 Tanghui - 7 Martial Enthusiast. The master of Changbongjeon. A woman who dominates the most crucial market in Yodong Fortress. The lord who will raise the long-dormant Moyong family once more. An unprecedented prodigy within the Moyong clan, adored by countless martial artists of her family. Mo Yong Sang Ah was known by many titles, yet just two years ago, she was simply a woman who adored martial arts. 'The Sword of the Wudang Sect.' The sword of Wudang pointed towards Mo Yong Sang Ah. Cheong Un of the Wudang Sect. She had heard he was the same age. A martial artist capable of facing off the assassins of the Demonic Cult in an instant. Coming all the way from the perilous Hubei Province to Yodong Fortress with just a sword—it must have required exceptional skill. A fervor as a martial enthusiast momentarily surged through Mo Yong Sang Ah’s weary and heavy body. "I, too, wish to learn a thing or two." It was a rare opportunity. She wanted to compare it to her own sword. Mo Yong Sang Ah did not decline. "Very well. Let us each assess the other's sword." After exchanging respectful bows, the two of them aimed their swords at each other. --- Meteor Sword Technique. The Moyong family's sword technique originated from the royal family of the Yan Kingdom. In times of turmoil, rather than wasting time on technique, the priority was to behead the enemy commander. The term "chaotic times" always accompanied the Moyong family, and the martial arts most needed in chaos were speed and strength. Even as a millennium passed, and the opponents changed from enemy generals to foreign tribes, the Meteor Sword Technique safeguarded the Moyong family for a thousand years. Swift Sword and Overbearing Sword. Faster. More powerful. Even if they lost the legendary martial arts books of the Moyong family, the martial principles remained unchanged. "Let us begin." The might of the Meteor Sword Technique unfolded in Mo Yong Sang Ah's hands. The Moyong family and the Wudang Sect. A sword that has beheaded many foes and a sword that protects. Under the moonlit night, the two blades entangled confusingly. "Hah!" In the end, the first to step back was Cheong Un of the Wudang Sect. Even he couldn't help but be taken aback by the relentless onslaught of the Meteor Sword Technique. "As expected of the Moyong family!" Cheong Un looked at Mo Yong Sang Ah with genuine admiration. "It’s called the Meteor Sword Technique." Her blade had connected against a martial artist of the Wudang Sect. With a subtle pride in her voice, Mo Yong Sang Ah introduced her sword. "Indeed. A fitting name for a dominant swordplay that's difficult to follow with the eye." "It would be wonderful to observe your sword, Cheong Un." Acknowledging Cheong Un's compliment with a slight nod, she prompted if it wasn't time to move beyond the probing stage. "Is my Tai Chi Sword Technique not to your taste?" "What I saw was the sword of Wudang, not the sword of Cheong Un." At Mo Yong Sang Ah's casual remark, Cheong Un jolted his shoulders slightly. 'Did she really see it all in that brief moment in the dim inn?' The sword he had used against Mo Yong Sang Ah was the Tai Chi Sword Technique. Though it was a sword technique he had learned since childhood, it felt increasingly ill-fitting whenever he wielded it. There was another sword technique that felt like a true extension of himself. "I seem to have been rude. The sword technique I will now show you is called the Bagua Sword Technique." "This is the Meteor Sword Technique of the Moyong family." The two adjusted their sword grips once more. Moonlight filtered through. A cool wind blew. In a fleeting moment, the aura around Cheong Un shifted. Their blades shimmered in the moonlight. 'A snake? No, it doesn't feel treacherous.' Upon exchanging strikes, Mo Yong Sang Ah was taken aback. Her previous sword paths no longer connected. The sword changed constantly. Like a snake sinuously climbing a tree, its target locked on in an instant. Was this truly the sword of the Wudang Sect? The sensation was not sinister, yet it was perplexing. "If you remain idle, I shall come to you instead." For the first time today, Cheong Un moved first. The tip of his sword wavered. Mo Yong Sang Ah’s sword tried to parry the curious blade. Cheong Un's blade flowed. The tip pointed toward its target. 'It's not a snake. It's water. A rapidly flowing stream.' As water freely changes its form, so did Cheong Un's sword. Ultimately, this time it was Mo Yong Sang Ah who retreated. --- "Truly, the sword of Wudang." Swept away by the rapid current, it felt like plunging a blade into a waterway. Mo Yong Sang Ah murmured bitterly at her first defeat to someone of her age. "It was merely luck. Your sword's edge appeared weightier than the last I saw, making it easier for me to wield mine." Cheong Un sheathed his sword, offering solace to Mo Yong Sang Ah. "Now I understand why they call it the Nine Great Sects and Factions." Its techniques seemed to lead to unforeseen paths. Regardless of the strength of any martial family, in martial arts, the Nine Great Sects held supreme. Mo Yong Sang Ah realized anew why the world referred to the Wudang Sect as the North Star of the martial world. "I, too, see why the jianghu is said to be vast." Cheong Un was equally astonished. The confidence he gained from mastering the Bagua Sword Technique was significant. During his chivalrous travels, having vanquished numerous villains, he thought he had no peers among his age group. 'With just my Tai Chi Sword Technique, I wouldn’t have been victorious.' Despite trying to uphold his pride as a martial artist of the Wudang Sect, Cheong Un had difficulty maintaining his composure. "…If you don’t mind, may I seek your guidance?" "From me?" Cheong Un replied, slightly surprised. "Anything at all." Mo Yong Sang Ah’s voice sounded unexpectedly earnest. Offering guidance to the master of Changbongjeon and the leader of a distinguished family seemed overreaching. After a brief consideration, Cheong Un decided to point out something that had been bothering him. "It seemed you attempted to counter all streams coming from various directions." "What do you mean by that?" Mo Yong Sang Ah asked the martial artist who had given her an unfamiliar defeat. "While the Swift Sword may have multiple facets, there seemed to be an attempt to handle everything all at once." "Handling every situation at once…" "At times, it's best to leave minor streams undisturbed and block them all at once. Whether searching for an opening or seeking victory, that is." "At times, patiently wait…" Mo Yong Sang Ah murmured to herself, pondering the obvious yet unfamiliar advice. She knew it well. In some ways, it was clear. Reacting to each situation individually would mean that, despite her swift sword, she couldn't fully utilize her speed. She would lose her power. Why had she done that today? Mo Yong Sang Ah quickly identified the reason. 'Martial arts ultimately stem from mental strength.' As the master of Changbongjeon and the head of her household, she found herself in a position where she had to make all the decisions, which naturally affected her swordsmanship. She lost her way in addressing issues she couldn't resolve immediately. Her sword's tip grew heavy, and in attempting to address everything at once, she lost her strength. Sometimes, it's necessary to wait patiently. Mo Yong Sang Ah's eyebrows trembled with realization. "Has this answered your question somewhat?" "May I try again?" Waiting patiently. Extracting the answer when the time is right. Mo Yong Sang Ah picked up her sword once more. "I would be grateful." In the third sparring session, Mo Yong Sang Ah found her answer. --- "How about relocating the burial?" The following day, Mo Yong Sang Ah shared the solution she discovered the previous night with her deputy leader. "Relocate the burial, you say?" "There's land we've previously acquired in Joseon. Let's reinter my mother-in-law's grave to a place with good terrain." "My lady, while I understand the sentiment, it's a risky matter. The incident with relocating the women from the Kang family was hush-hush only because they were distant relatives of Master Kang. But regarding Master Kang's mother's grave, it's different. If her grave disappeared overnight, they would definitely search for it extensively in Joseon." "I'm not suggesting we secretly relocate my mother-in-law's grave using hired men." Mo Yong Sang Ah calmly shook her head in response to her deputy leader's hasty reaction. "What do you propose then?" "I understand that Joseon is a country that reveres Confucianism. Even if they decide to excavate the grave, they will proceed according to custom." "Yes, that's likely." Even the grave of a traitorous family wouldn’t simply be abandoned or left unburied. It wasn't within the bounds of human decency in a country that revered Confucian values. "Once the grave is excavated, few will be concerned with the corpse's fate. We could bribe those managing the excavation to proceed with the reburial." Typically, after excavating, cremation often follows as per custom. Yet, as cremation is not a standard funeral practice in a Confucian country, special individuals, like temple monks, usually manage it. Mo Yong Sang Ah meant to silence such individuals with money in order to orchestrate the reburial. "That... seems feasible." "Good. As soon as the news of the excavation reaches, make sure to act immediately. Irrespective of the cost, the procedure must be carried out without any shortcomings." Sometimes, one must wait and then block. This approach applies equally to swordplay as it does to problem-solving. Preventing the excavation is impossible. The solution lies in relocating the mother-in-law's grave to a more auspicious site. It was a strategy Mo Yong Sang Ah realized during the sparring the previous day. Though it required her to succumb to one more defeat. "Leave it to me. I will make sure it is executed." "Continue to report on progress regularly." "Understood!" With this carefully devised solution, Mo Yong Sang Ah was able to ease some of her heavy worries. --- "Your sword feels lighter than it did a few days ago." A few days later, as Cheong Un sheathed his sword, he expressed his surprise. "Thanks to you, Cheong Un, I was able to lift a significant burden from my mind." Mo Yong Sang Ah offered her gratitude to her benefactor with a gentle smile. "Ah... was that it?" Cheong Un scratched his head awkwardly at her thanks. "...?" "If it was because of me, I wish to offer my apologies." With genuine remorse, Cheong Un bowed to Mo Yong Sang Ah. "What do you mean because of you, Cheong Un?" Why was he apologizing? Mo Yong Sang Ah asked, bewildered. "It seems the letter from Mount Changbai troubled your mind." "..." Kang Mo. The name that once disturbed Mo Yong Sang Ah's heart flashed through her mind. "I've heard some things, but I couldn't quite comprehend why the person next to you that day seemed displeased. I didn't realize I had made such a grave error." A painful misstep. Cheong Un couldn’t lift his head. "No, my worries weren’t due to that." It wasn’t Cheong Un’s fault. Though people whispered that she was a mantis spouse who devoured her husband, they were oblivious to the real story. All they cared about were the sensational rumors of a woman who allegedly killed her husband to seize her family’s wealth. What did the family name of her husband mean to the world? To them, it was just a exotic tale of barbarians’ demise. People simply wanted something to chew over drinks, so it was only natural they didn’t truly understand. Mo Yong Sang Ah reassured Cheong Un with an ostensibly serene expression. 'This is difficult.' Cheong Un became even more troubled by Mo Yong Sang Ah’s composed mask. 'I once asked the guards if they knew a Taoist named Kang Mo at that time, and they reacted so severely that I wondered why.' He had accidentally pressed the landlord's sorest spot. What should he do? Even as a mistake, there are things one shouldn't do. Is there no way to remedy this misstep? Cheong Un desperately racked his brain and came up with a plan. "Actually, I have a friend in Joseon who bears the Kang surname." A plausible reason he could offer for bringing up the name Kang so casually. [Finally! They are going to meet again! ]