9 - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

## Chapter 9 - Appearance in the Jianghu, and the Enchantress (3) * * * Let’s start with a rather curious statement. Mok Liwon does not understand women. Rather, he does not grasp the concept of 'others.’ This trait stemmed from his abnormal upbringing. He was born and raised in a remote mountain village somewhere in Jiangxi(강서). The only people he ever met were Mok Seon-oh and Ma Ilsuk, who raised him. To Mok Liwon, anyone other than these two were mere fictional characters from stories, leading him to develop a peculiar prejudice regarding the notion of others. In Mok Liwon's world, there were three types of people. The heroes who performed righteous deeds, the common folk grateful for their deeds, and the villains who stood opposed to the heroes. Therefore, to Mok Liwon, seeing that the woman before him neither looked like a hero nor a common folk, she could only be categorized as a villain. In other words, he deemed the fluttering of his heart to be the result of her witchcraft. “She’s a temptress! That must be it!” It was clearly a misunderstanding. Yet, unfortunately, there was no one here who was kind or patient enough to clear up this misunderstanding. The woman before him, Hwahwa, was on the run, hiding her identity. Moreover, the assassins guarding her were all tense, wary of Mok Liwon's strength. To these fugitives, this mysterious swordsman who suddenly unsheathed his sword was nothing but a threat. “Attack!” Hwahwa shouted. With a loud crash, the ceiling collapsed, and seven assassins charged at him. It was a flawless cooperative attack, clearly the work of those well-versed in working together for a long time. However, their opponent was out of their league. *CRAAANG!* A strike imbued with internal energy. When Mok Liwon struck the shoulder of one assassin with the flat of his sword, their coordinated attack crumbled. Given the cooperative attack's nature, which relied on seamless coordination without any gaps, having such a significant flaw naturally left the remaining six assassins momentarily astonished. Mok Liwon’s sword did not falter. *CRAAANG!* After composing themselves, another assassin launched an attack from behind, only to be struck at the waist by Mok Liwon. As the assassin flew, colliding with another who was rushing in, Mok Liwon used the opportunity to deal with enemies in another direction. His movements were completed with just two techniques. With a single critical move, all the assassins were downed. Hwahwa stood there, dumbfounded. “W-What….” It was an unbelievable scene. Though they might have been rookies, these were elites who had reached the First Rate Realm(일류). What’s more, their synchronized attack was not a mere market-place martial art, but a technique considered a coveted secret even in the family from which they had fled. How could it have been so easily dismantled? ‘...This isn't good.’ Hwahwa rolled her eyes. The only possible escape route was the window behind him which he was blocking. While it seemed possible to dash out if there was an opportunity, she couldn’t abandon those who risked their lives and left the family to save her. ‘What do I do…!’ Deep in her dilemma, a loud bang suddenly echoed, and a masked figure burst in through the broken door. It was Sohyang, her close aide. “My lady! Run!” Sohyang shouted as she brandished her dagger and charged at Mok Liwon, but already aware of her presence, Mok Liwon effortlessly brought her down with a single technique, pressing her to the floor. *CRAANG!* “Urk...!” “Soh!” Accompanied by a shrill scream, Hwahwa was overtaken by an irrational decision. Widening her eyes, she amassed her internal energy from the dantian. Clenching her fist, she lunged at Mok Liwon. “W-Wha?!” Mok Liwon was taken aback. Seeing her approach activated a thought as the distance between them closed. ‘C-Perfume…!’ The fear that she might emit a perfume-like scent just like those courtesans below struck him. And if that happened, he might once again find himself embarrassed and writhing. This fleeting hesitation became a glaring gap for Hwahwa, who had honed her skills to the peak of the First Rate Realm. Spotting this, Hwahwa's eyes gleamed as she opened her right hand, readying her nails to strike. It was a good attempt. An attempt that would have succeeded had her opponent not been Mok Liwon. Tap. Tap. Tap. Mok Liwon reflexively used his fingers to tap her body. It wasn’t a simple poke, but one imbued with internal energy. His attack targeted her acupoints to seal both her internal energy and her movements, leveraging the technique of acupoint sealing. “Ugh…!” *THUD!* Hwahwa fell to the ground instantly. Her surging internal energy was abruptly blocked, and she found herself paralyzed, unable to move a muscle. Despair and fury. These emotions flared within Hwahwa, who gazed at Mok Liwon with venomous eyes. Flustered, Mok Liwon hurriedly turned away from her gaze. “What should I do…!” Something felt off. According to his expectations, the temptress should’ve shown her true colors and tried to bewilder him with seductive arts, but at the last moment, she had employed a claw technique instead. And yet, that was a secondary issue; with her internal energy sealed, he was still perplexed by the pounding sensation in his chest that refused to subside. Mok Liwon’s mind whirled with confusion. His mouth stammered slightly, unable to form words. - Go upstairs! There's commotion above! Amidst his bewilderment, a shout reached Mok Liwon’s ears. It came from the lower floor. Confounded and flustered, surrounded by an inexplicable embarrassment, Mok Liwon reacted to the call. Seizing the moment— He hoisted Hwahwa over his shoulder, eyes tightly shut, and leapt out the window. “My lady—!” Indeed. It was an abduction. * After employing a body movement technique of such prowess, Mok Liwon finally came to a halt more than an hour later. ‘Where is this...?’ In his frantic dash, he found himself in the middle of a forest. Mok Liwon stood there, his mouth agape at the realization. ‘I’ve come too far!’ In his thoughtless flight, he found himself unsure how to return to Suyang County(수양현). Realizing the possibility that he might lose his way, Mok Liwon’s expression grew dark and troubled. ### Translation Notes: - Mok Liwon(목리원), Mok Seon-oh(목선오), Ma Ilsuk(마일석), Hwahwa(화서), Sohyang(소향) are retained as their phonetic equivalents in English. - "Jiangxi(강서)" is kept in its Chinese pronunciation to stay true to geographical references. - Martial ranks and terms like "Dantian(단전)," "First Rate Realm(일류)," "acupoint sealing" are contextual translations to best capture martial arts nuances. - Expressions like ‘Witchcraft’ to ‘temptress’ maintain cultural context and tone. - Contextually, "heroes" and "villains" align with more traditional narrative roles within Wuxia genres instead of generic terms. Amidst his confusion, something else happened that startled Mok Liwon. "...Put me down." It was the whispered voice from Hwahwa, whom he was carrying over his shoulder. The warm breath tickling his ear and the newly noticed sweet fragrance made Mok Liwon panic and throw her to the ground. Thud! "Ugh...!" Hwahwa let out a suppressed groan. Mok Liwon, his heart racing, took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Hwahwa grit her teeth fiercely. "Who are you?" Her voice was icy cold. Her gaze, sharp and unyielding, didn't falter in the least, but Mok Liwon, who was not in a normal state, failed to notice this. "I, I came from the mountain valley back there!" He closed his eyes tightly and haphazardly pointed somewhere towards the mountain range with his finger. Hwahwa glared at him with such intensity that the whites of her eyes turned bloodshot. "Don't try to fool me! Are you with a clan? Or are you a master from the dark sects? Don’t think I’ll act according to your whims, you vile creature!" "W-What do you mean...!" "Hah, still playing dumb to the end?" Mok Liwon quivered, stealing glances at Hwahwa’s sharp demeanor. ‘Why is she so angry...?’ Sure, his methods were rough, but wasn’t she in no place to speak, being a vile enchantress exploiting the common folks? He had no doubt about that. If she weren't a temptress, if she was just an ordinary performer, she wouldn’t know martial arts nor would she be able to turn his insides into turmoil like this. With a sense of unjustness bubbling up inside, Mok Liwon pointed a finger at Hwahwa. "O-Oh! The enchantress dares speak so much! I’ve already heard everything from the commoners here! Ever since you arrived, the protection money demanded by the black sects has doubled! And isn’t it true that you're recruiting outside masters to assault the magistrate?” “What?” “I may be a novice martial artist first appearing in the Jianghu(강호), but I know of the importance of chivalry and justice! Don’t think of denying it!” Mok Liwon, convinced he had spoken rather gallantly, huffed and smiled triumphantly. Only then did Hwahwa realize something was amiss. ‘What on earth….’ Then, something flashed through her mind. - …He was being entertained. All curled up in fear. Sohyang’s report flashed in her mind, how he was curled up, being entertained by courtesans. - She must have used seductive arts to bewitch me! But this Mok Liwon won’t crumble just from that! Reveal your true colors, deceitful enchantress! She remembered him previously shouting about seductive arts and claiming she had bewitched him. And just moments ago, he claimed he was from a mountain village. Hwahwa let out a hollow chuckle. A laugh filled with emptiness. ‘Wait, no….’ Could he really just be a simple country bumpkin, not someone sent by another faction? Then what about his martial skills? ‘...Was he taught by a recluse master?’ Stories fit for children’s books. Yet, Hwahwa couldn’t dismiss the possibility. For someone with such formidable martial skills, she could think of no reason why he’d masquerade as a patron at a pleasure house, revealing his skills later to abduct her, within her understanding. In other words. ‘There’s no consistency in his behavior.’ If he intended to infiltrate, he should focus on infiltration. If to cause commotion, he should focus on causing commotion. Instead, this man tangled both tasks needlessly. ‘…He’s not someone who’s been trained.’ Moreover, this proud display of nonsensical statements was typical of a child playing at behavior not fit for their age. “Go on, explain yourself!” He, brimming with confidence, pointed his finger at her. Hwahwa suddenly felt a sense of self-pity. ‘Am I really….’ Not pursued by her own family, nor by black sect groups from Suyang County(수양현), but abducted by an uncouth bumpkin just because he was strong in martial arts. The bitterness of this realization stung within Hwahwa’s heart. * Sighing in exhaustion, Hwahwa resolved to clear the misunderstandings. Not only that, she had another objective. 'Recruitment.' A master with no affiliation. Furthermore, with his clueless speech and apparent interest in her, well-timed manipulation could make him quite useful in solving her pressing issues. Hwahwa added her calculations, continuing to speak. However, the more she spoke, the stranger Mok Liwon’s expression grew. "So, in other words…." Despite his actions being peculiar due to his lack of worldly knowledge, Mok Liwon had been praised by Mok Seon-oh since he was young for his exceptional intelligence. Thus, he could easily grasp the gist of what Hwahwa was saying. "I became the courtesan mistress because I bought this place from the former mistress...” “Exactly.” “The rising protection fees from the dark sects serve the purpose of seizing the pleasure house from you...” “You’ve understood well.” “The unidentified martial artists…” “They’re merely outsiders. Aren’t you, after all, an outsider martial artist too?” Of course, not all were mere outsiders. Among them were likely members of her family following her trail. However, Hwahwa saw no need to elaborate on such details, and her evasion succeeded. “Then as for the seductive arts...?” “From earlier, seductive arts this, seductive arts that. Why are you so fixated on those arts? Did you come seeking me out just to fall for them?” "...." Mok Liwon averted Hwahwa's gaze. In response, Hwahwa scrunched her face in a disdainful glare. With the misunderstanding somewhat cleared, while Hwahwa was busy figuring out how to use the situation to her advantage, Mok Liwon kept fidgeting. ‘If she’s not an enchantress…’ With a late realization, Mok Liwon's eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake. Cold sweat trickled down his back. ‘I-I’ve kidnapped a woman!’ Only now did he realize he had abducted an innocent young woman, recognizing himself as an outlaw. …Of course, it was a realization that had dawned far too late.