2 - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

〈 Chapter 2 〉 Episode - Childhood (1) * * * Mok Liwon was a seven-year-old boy this year. He lived in a thatched cottage deep in a mountain somewhere in Jiangxi, and his family consisted only of the old man who raised him, making him a true child oblivious to the world. At the same time, he was a boy taken in by a man who staked his name on him in the past. The boy loved the chirping of small animals that arrived when he wandered through the mountain valleys. He also loved the old man who took him in and raised him. Therefore, when the old man uttered a certain phrase one day, he couldn't help but show deep confusion. "Liwon, you were born under the star of the Killing Tribulation(殺劫)." In the main room of the cottage, Mok Liwon knelt, blinking at the old man. "What is a Killing Tribulation?" "It refers to the act of taking a life." "Then, am I to become one who takes lives?" "No, that's something for you to decide." Mok Liwon tilted his head. The old man, Mok Seon-oh, who was once called the Sword Saint, chuckled heartily and shook his head. "You have a face that says you don't quite understand." "Yes..." Mok Seon-oh looked at the child. With an innocent face and blinking eyes, the boy could easily pass as a young master from a grand city rather than a child from such a remote mountain valley. Beneath his jet-black hair were eyes growing increasingly darker, resembling charcoal. His skin was exceptionally pale, and his eyelashes extended long. His tender appearance could easily be mistaken for a girl's, and he indeed possessed a gentle nature befitting his delicate looks. The child, taken in on the day of a bloody incident seven years ago, had grown so charmingly. "It's okay not to understand. Take your time, and you'll learn." Mok Seon-oh stroked Mok Liwon's head. To this, Mok Liwon blushed and lowered his head. Mok Seon-oh spoke. "Do you know why I'm telling you this?" "No..." "It's because I wish for you not to grow up to take lives." The eyes of the old man and the boy met. "This teacher hopes for you to grow into someone who saves others." "I also like saving!" "Yes, you are a kind child who saves rabbits caught in traps." For seven long years, Mok Seon-oh had raised the child solely with love, and now, the truth he had to convey to the child felt all the more brutally harsh. Despite the child being so pure and lovely, it was frustrating to see how the heavens could give him such a harsh fate. But he couldn't hide the facts either. The Heavenly Slaughter Star(天殺星) is a star that causes one to commit acts of Killing Tribulation regardless of one's will, and it is a star that continuously drags the person bearing it into an abyss. Thus, rather than hiding the truth, it was wiser to let the child know so he can gain the strength to resist it. "The star bestowed upon you, we call it the Heavenly Slaughter Star." Mok Liwon's eyes widened at those words. With exceptional talent(天賦), the child deciphered the meaning of the term from the context of the conversation alone. "It's based on the characters for Heaven(天), Kill(殺), and Star(星), right?" "Yes, you've already grasped the meaning of the term. How impressive." "Hehe..." "Then, you also understand what this star signifies." "It's a star the heavens sent to take lives!" Right after confidently exclaiming, Mok Liwon gasped with surprise. "Then, am I to become a killer demon?!" "As I said, it's up to you." "Up to me?" "Yes, up to you. You can either build up karmic debts suitable to this fate or resist with all your might to accumulate good karma." Mok Liwon furrowed his brows. After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and answered. "I don't like karmic debts. It's too sad to see animals die." "Then you should accumulate good karma." "Yes!" Mok Liwon's eyes sparkled. He already knew what the old man would say at the end of such a conversation. 'Learning!' The old man would offer him learning. Just like when he taught the names of flowers while teaching Chinese characters, or when he handed him bird feed to teach farming. He would teach him something wondrous and amazing. Mok Seon-oh understood the boy's expectations. Thus, without unnecessary words, he met those expectations. "I will teach you martial arts." "Martial arts?" "Yes, martial arts. If you learn it well, you can become someone who can even fight a tiger." Mok Liwon's mouth gaped open. Tiger. It was the largest and scariest animal Mok Liwon knew, and simultaneously the strongest creature in the world, in his view. "I'm going to become the best under heaven!" "The best under heaven... Yes, with the talent bestowed upon you, it's not an impossible feat." Mok Seon-oh laughed. He thought that the child's idea of "the best under heaven" and what he meant might differ slightly. 'The Heavenly Slaughter Star is a remarkable martial talent.' The killer demon blessed by the heavens. The Heavenly Slaughter Star indeed bestowed upon its bearer an astonishing talent for martial arts, befitting its name. In other words, if the child trains properly, reaching the pinnacle as the best under heaven is not an impossibility. Mok Liwon blushed and smiled. Mok Seon-oh, looking at the child, said. "Then, can you promise me just one thing?" "What?" "Promise to use the martial art I teach you for justice(俠)." "Justice?" "Yes, justice. It means doing righteous and fair deeds." "What are righteous and fair deeds?" "They are the paths your convictions tell you are right." For the child, it was a challenging concept. Mok Liwon furrowed his brow deeply in confusion. Mok Seon-oh chuckled heartily and toned down his words. "Justice is a study you'll ponder all your life. You might never find an answer." "Then shouldn't I never use martial arts all my life?" "No." Mok Seon-oh stared directly at the child. And then, in the most serious tone he had used so far, he continued. "It means to use martial arts while contemplating justice at every moment." Mok Liwon looked at the old man gently. He, who always treated him with a smile, sometimes showed expressions of deep longing like now. In moments like these, Mok Liwon had a singular response. "Yes! I will become someone who always contemplates!" Offering an answer that would make the old man smile. Smiling brightly first so that he might smile in return. "...Truly admirable." Fortunately, the old man smiled along this time as well. * "Martial arts are a study that strengthens the body and nurtures the mind." In the yard of the thatched cottage, Mok Liwon listened intently to the old man's words as he stood there. "It's a study that molds an individual into pure form amidst all creation. Thus, it is a study that brings one step closer to the truth. We call this martial arts." "Who are 'we'?" "The Murim(武林)." Mok Seon-oh said, adding further explanation. "A society of those who have learned martial arts. A small society created by trees of martial artists forming a forest." "Then, are all those in Murim considered righteous warriors?" For Mok Liwon, it was a natural question. Mok Seon-oh had said martial arts should be used for justice. And he had mentioned Murim consisted of those using martial arts. By such logic, wouldn't those in Murim naturally be righteous warriors? Mok Seon-oh shook his head with a bitter smile. "Not everyone is like that. In fact, looking back now, while many may proclaim justice, few actually practice it." "Are they bad people?" "Well, even I cannot say for sure." Once, he had labeled those who turned their backs on justice as villains. He had criticized those living for profits rather than morality. But now, Mok Seon-oh knew. He merely realized that their concept of justice was in a different place than his. The justice harbored in one's heart could take various forms. "This is something you'll have to judge yourself as you experience the world, so let's return to what we were discussing." "Ah, yes!" "Anyway, because martial arts were founded on such principles, the study must focus more on meaning than on force." Mok Seon-oh unfolded the arms that had been resting behind his back. Finally, he revealed an old sword in his hands within Mok Liwon's view. "Let this teacher show you a little." Shine— The sword was drawn. Despite the worn appearance, the blade was so sharp that any martial artist could immediately recognize it had been meticulously cared for. Shaa— The sound of wind rising. The phenomenon behind that sound widened Mok Liwon's eyes. '...A star.' In broad daylight, what dazzled his sight was a star. The blade of the drawn sword was adorned with starry light so dazzling it could pierce the sky. "Seven Shooting Star Swords(流星七劍)." Mok Seon-oh said. "The name of the martial art you will learn in the future." Mok Seon-oh's arm moved. What unfolded was a breathtaking sword dance engraved in Mok Liwon's memories forever. * Late at night. Mok Liwon curled under his blanket trying to fall asleep but struggled to succeed in his attempt. It wasn't for any particular reason. It was because Mok Seon-oh's sword from earlier in the day kept stirring up his thoughts. 'The Seven Shooting Star Swords...!' The swordsmanship he would learn in the future. A beautiful swordsmanship that adorned entire spaces with chilling starlight. 'I want to learn it quickly!' Mok Liwon imagined. Envisioning himself wielding the radiant white sword, performing a beautiful dance. Thus lighting up the entire forest. Thump. Thump. Mok Liwon's young heart beat busily. The corners of his mouth stretched upward and wouldn't come down. Mok Liwon then recalled. —Martial arts are divided into levels: Third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, pinnacle, and transcendent. These five are the basic divisions. —Only the basics? —Yes, meaning there are levels above that. But it's not something to concern yourself with yet. Learning requires focus on the present rather than looking too far ahead and missing what's to be learned now, so just know this for now. It was a day he learned about the most basic structure. Mok Liwon reviewed what he heard in the daytime without erasing the excitement disrupting his sleep. 'I am third-rate!' Not yet having formally entered the world of martial arts, unable to feel the energy, or wield a sword properly. Yet Mok Liwon wasn't worried. —To be the best under heaven... With the talent blessed upon you, it's not an impossible feat. His teacher was confident in his talent, so there was no reason to worry. Surely, he would have an innate talent with the sword. Like what he saw during the day, he would be able to unleash stars shining brightly even under the sun. Mok Liwon recalled the daytime event. Then, his eyes began to shine dimly, enthralled with wonder. '...The realm of star emission.' Among the martial world, it's called the pinnacle realm. —Sword Energy Exuding Human(剣気上人). What you saw is what we call this. Only in reaching this realm do we earn the title of master. Mok Seon-oh used that term for the stars seen during the day. Suddenly a thought arose: 'Can I achieve this?' Yet Mok Liwon immediately shook his head to rid himself of the thought. 'I can do it.' His teacher indeed said so to him. Claiming he would become the best under heaven, leaving no room for doubt. Mok Liwon took a deep breath in to calm himself, then closed his eyes. The thoughts ceased to continue. Being so susceptible to fatigue, the child's body eventually succumbed, and Mok Liwon drifted off into a deep sleep.