13 - The Heaven-Slaying Sword

〈 Chapter 13 〉 Farewell - Emerging into the Martial World, and the Bewitched Woman (7） * * * The top floor of the Gyeonghwa Pavilion, where Mok Liwon had departed. Tang Hwaseo was still lost in thought, staring out the window. The view revealed the largest street in Suyang County and at its end, the estate of the One Wheel Society. "I'm leaving." A voice lingered in her ears as if it had just been spoken. An arrogant face with a smile. Clench­. Still dazed by these memories, Tang Hwaseo clenched her fist tightly. "Foolish…." She wondered how such a foolish person could exist in this world. There was a certainty that he wouldn't live long. She tried to push the thoughts of him away but to no avail. Eventually, because his words were rational. "Heroes do not kneel. In truth, it is the opposite. It is the villains who must beg for their lives on bended knee." His words had the power to make anyone who heard them want to rely on him. "The righteous do not lose to evil. This is the first lesson among the dialogues of the Phantom Sword in the Chronicles of The Jianghu Heroes." The pure and unyielding nature of unquestioning goodwill was so clear and beautiful that Tang Hwaseo’s face contorted in several expressions. “Hyang-ah.” “Yes.” “What was Pyosan’s level like?” “When we escaped, he was at the center of the Peak Realm.” “It’s been five years. What do you think he’s like now?” “...Pyosan was particularly cherished by the family head. He reached the Peak Realm at twenty-seven and took three more years to master it, so now he might even be at the very end of the Peak Realm in the worst-case scenario.” Sohyang's head bowed even deeper. Tang Hwaseo muttered as she exhaled. “…He has no chance of winning.” She spoke, thinking of Mok Liwon. Tang Hwaseo knew. He undoubtedly had talent. Whoever taught him, he must have received extraordinary instructions and medicines and gone through training processes unimaginable to others from a famous martial artist of the previous generation. That must be the reason such prowess emerged at his age. ‘Yet….’ That was also the problem. He was too young. To have reached the cusp of a First rate martial artist at that age was to be revered, but how many had reached that realm in the vast martial world? The one he wanted to confront was already a martial artist at the very edge of the Peak Realm. “…Foolish.” Inconceivably foolish. Rushing into a certain doom out of romanticism, and those who insist on staying by his side, even now. As well as herself. Tang Hwaseo rose from her seat. “Miss…?” “Let’s go. Yes, even that foolish man was right about one thing.” Sohyang looked up at Tang Hwaseo. Outside the window, in the direction of the One Wheel Society’s pavilion, her weary yet bright expression reflected back. “To begin with, we have no reason to run away if we committed no crimes.” It was a smile filled with relief. Tang Hwaseo turned her gaze to Sohyang and the other servants. “If our lives are to ultimately rot away, let us at least resist once before it does.” She stretched out her hand. Sohyang, with a smile, took her hand. * Pyosan looked at Mok Liwon. ‘Sword Qi.’ The proud representative of the orthodox martial world might become the new star, a man emitting such black sword qi while glaring at him. No, to be able to unleash Sword Qi at such a youthful age, he surely will become so. ‘Pity.’ If only he hadn’t met him, it would have been so. Clink­. Pyosan drew out his daggers that hung from his waist. Three between each finger, a total of six daggers. “Please, don’t hold it against me.” The young man’s words were indeed correct. What he was doing was tarnishing the name the predecessors elevated in the orthodox martial world. But it was an act that had to be done nonetheless. Because he was a man who prioritized loyalty over righteousness. “I shall remember you.” Pyosan’s arm moved. Like a mirage, the thrown daggers scattered into fragments. They all flew toward Mok Liwon. Ching­! Mok Liwon swung his sword, deflecting them. He prepared to rush toward Pyosan. At that moment. Saaaah­. Mok Liwon felt a chilling sensation across his skin. ‘Murderous intent!’ Sensing the anomaly, Mok Liwon twisted his body and looked behind him. Six daggers with dark green energy veered in the air, changing paths mid-air before shooting towards him. Puuuuk­. The daggers embedded into Mok Liwon’s body. Silence descended. Mok Liwon paused, staring at the daggers in his body. Then he gritted his teeth and grabbed them with his hand. “Hmph­!” He extracted the six daggers from his body with a yell. Then, with a frown etched deeply into his face, he glared at Pyosan. Pyosan was impressed by that spirit. "A hero indeed!" Even when facing an unbeatable enemy, the sight of standing with a battered body was undoubtedly the essence of what a hero should be. Thus, Pyosan found this encounter to be mockingly ironic. ‘If it wasn’t under such circumstances, I could have imparted a lesson to him.’ This twist of fate felt so unfortunate. That he encountered him at such a moment when he had to pretend he was not present, in such an unjustified scenario, felt regrettably tragic. Yet he couldn't let him leave alive. ‘No one must know of today's events.’ Except for taking Tang Hwaseo back, everyone had to prove their silence with their deaths. Pyosan snapped his fingers. Thus the daggers scattered on the ground floated into his grip. Saaaah­. Dark green energy enveloped Pyosan’s entire body. “Let us go again.” Upon saying so, Mok Liwon exhaled, tightening his grip on his sword. His expression twisted into something fearsome, the heaving of his chest harsh along with his breathing. Pyosan knew. What the common problem was among such young masters. ‘Lack of experience.' Highly advanced martial arts and profound inner strength. And the best teachers. Nine out of ten descendants of prestigious orthodox factions grew up in such environments, hence the flaw. Like a flower blossoming in a greenhouse, unaware of how turbulent the worldly storms were. --- **New Terms Translated:** 1. **Pyosan (표산)** - Translated as "Pyosan." This term is left in its original form as it appears to be a proper noun, a name. Alternative translations could be omitted, as it is a name. 2. **문화관 (경화루)** - Translated as "Gyeonghwa Pavilion." Although "문화를" is not explicitly mentioned, the location is described as a pavilion, hence the appropriate use. 3. **정파 (정파 무림)** - Translated as "orthodox martial world." This term refers to a faction or group within the martial arts world, conveying adherence to traditional or orthodox values, as opposed to "Unorthodox Faction." Alternative translations include "orthodox school" or "orthodox faction." **Explanation:** - "Pyosan" refers to a name and hence remains untranslated. Proper nouns often carry cultural and identity significance, thus are preserved unless specified otherwise. - "Gyeonghwa Pavilion" reflects both a cultural and architectural entity. Retaining "Gyeonghwa" maintains the cultural aspect, while "Pavilion" describes the structure. - "Orthodox martial world" communicates the setting's traditional and contrasting nature effectively in the world of martial arts, setting it apart from other factions, hence maintaining the narrative style and tone. Pyosan launched his daggers once more. He jumped high, increasing the distance from Mok Liwon, who was rushing towards him. Thunk! This time, three daggers. One pierced Mok Liwon's right shoulder, another his arm, and the third his left thigh. But that wasn’t the end. Pyosan’s martial arts, reaching the peak realm, truly shone when he was able to release his qi. Shadowed Daggers(暗影飛刀). A dagger technique that, imbued with inner strength, allowed it to veer off course in the air and strike the opponent like a shadow. The daggers that seemed to have missed their mark emitted a dark green glow. Then, they shot toward Mok Liwon once more. Thunk! It was one-sided. This time, three were lodged firmly in his back. Once again, Mok Liwon extracted them, as Pyosan dodged the charging Mok Liwon and grasped his daggers again. Perhaps it would end with the next move or the move after that. That’s what Pyosan thought as he steadied his breathing and launched his daggers again. And then— Chaeng! His prediction was amusingly off the mark. * Mok Liwon, at fifteen, had a query. “Master, when will I learn how to utilize?” “Hmm?” “Isn’t it so? All the heroes in the Chronicles of The Jianghu Heroes utilize their martial arts skills to the fullest, but I’ve only learned the basic forms and physical training methods from you.” He felt his learning was too slow. Or rather, that Mok Seon-oh wasn’t teaching him enough. At that age, Mok Liwon was eager to learn. He grew restless repeating what he already knew during his youthful, fervent phase. Why was he only being taught the basics? To this question posed by fifteen-year-old Mok Liwon, Mok Seon-oh’s response was a gentle smile. “Because you don’t need to learn.” “Pardon?” That day, Mok Seon-oh placed his hand gently on Mok Liwon’s head, patting it softly, and added: “You’ll come to know without having to learn, so you needn’t worry about it.” His words were inscrutable. And they only stirred frustration within him. To be factual, even at eighteen, venturing into the martial world, those words remained a mystery. Mok Liwon only now realized the meaning in this very moment. * Mok Liwon deflected the six shooting daggers with three precise sword techniques. Then he expanded his senses. ‘They’re returning.’ He could sense it. The eerily twisted flow of qi, and the murderous intent aimed at him. The body parts targeted by that killing intent pricked and ached. ‘Three on the back. One each behind the knees, and then the back of the neck.’ Heart, lungs, stomach, joints, and spine. Each one, if it struck, would result in instant death or a fatal injury. Mok Liwon steadied his breathing and twisted his body. Chaeng! Once again, he deflected them. ‘This is the end.’ Judging by the previous two encounters, redirecting the daggers’ path ended after one attempt. Quite naturally, that was the case. To freely manipulate a dagger in the air, it required the level of Sword Dance(御劍術), achievable only at a transcendental realm. His opponent was certainly in the peak realm. And the principle of that martial art was channeling inner strength into the daggers, calculated to launch them at specific positions. Mok Liwon's eyes glowed intensely. ‘Now!’ He released his inner strength from his dantian, spreading it throughout his entire body. The power of his Black Flame Sword Skill(黑炎劍功), reaching three stars, deeply stained the black sword qi. Mok Liwon, known for his ferocity, finally found a place for his pent-up fight and let out a gleeful howl. Bang! Even stomping on the ground generated a tremendous sound. Seeing Mok Liwon shoot forward at a different speed than before, Pyosan gasped. At this moment, he drew the short knife strapped to his waist for the first time. Chaeng! Sword met sword. Inner strength clashed. The dark green and black qi waves swelled, trying to consume each other, and Pyosan felt a deep consternation. ‘How?’ How did he predict the path of the Shadowed Daggers? How did he discern the weakness of the Shadowed Daggers in just two exchanges? Shadowed Daggers relied on stealth for its martial principle. With only simple qi waves, one couldn’t discern the exact target of the daggers. Click clack! Sparks flew as the swords clashed. Grinding his teeth, Pyosan glared at Mok Liwon. There was something Pyosan didn’t know. “Don’t resist!” The blunt words from the young master. What constellation he was born under. Chaeng! Heavenly Slaughter Star(天殺星). It is a star bestowed by the heavens for slaughter. Just bearing it specializes one in the act of killing. This revealed a peculiar trait. A trait known to Mok Seon-oh and Ma Ilsuk but unknown to Pyosan. Mok Liwon could read murderous intent. He could discern the direction from which it was launched, its purpose, the concentration and emotion of the malice within. Those born under the star of slaughter would always be able to see the malice aimed at them. But that wasn’t all. Could that alone have made the star of slaughter renowned enough to strike fear into the land? No. Chaeng! Chaeng! Swords clashed and parted. Avoided and crushed, then flowed off again. Within it, Pyosan realized an unbelievable fact. ‘Growth…!’ Every move, the opponent’s sword grew. No, it was adapting to his sword. Pyosan couldn’t fathom this causality, but it was an obvious happening nonetheless. Chaeng! To put it again, all that Mok Liwon had learned were the basic forms and physical training methods. This was meticulously planned by Mok Seon-oh and Ma Ilsuk. The two mentors of Mok Liwon worried about only one thing as they sent him into the martial world. - Control the murderous mind. To suppress his frenzy upon seeing blood, to control his curious flaw. The reason was singular. No matter how prettily dressed, the essence of martial arts lies in harming the opponent. In killing. And the Heavenly Slaughter Star is a star of slaughter. Just as the third Heavenly Demon, Lee Mu-baek, did, Phantom Sword, Seo Woo-jin, and Demonic Sword, Oh Chun. Mok Liwon was no different. --- **New Terms Translated:** 1. **Shadowed Daggers(암영비도)** - Translated as "Shadowed Daggers." The original term implies daggers with shadowy or stealth attributes, hence retaining "shadowed" to represent that aspect, with "daggers" indicating the weapon type. 2. **Sword Dance(御劍術)** - Translated as "Sword Dance." The original term implies mastery and control over the sword, akin to a dance. Alternative translations could include "Sword Mastery" or "Sovereign Sword Art." 3. **Black Flame Sword Skill(黑炎劍功)** - Translated as "Black Flame Sword Skill." This captures the essence of an aggressive, dangerous power, incorporating elements of fire and darkness within the swordsmanship technique. **Explanation:** - "Shadowed Daggers" retains the sense of stealth and lethality from a concealed position, combining the aspects of being a shadow and a dagger. - "Sword Dance" highlights both elegance and martial prowess in controlling a sword in combat as if it were an art form or dance, capturing the refined skill implied in the original term. - "Black Flame Sword Skill" emphasizes both the power and intensity of the technique, with "black" and "flame" underscoring the dangerous, explosive nature of the martial art, which plays into the narrative tone and magnificence expected of a supreme skill. As long as martial arts are skills designed for killing, he is a peerless prodigy in the martial arts world. As long as martial arts are skills designed for killing, he can apply techniques indefinitely within the realm of instinct. In essence, the fact that he only learned the basics of martial arts is no hindrance to him at all. Swish— Pyosan’s right wrist was severed.