Like a Great Wave

Back when Dokgo Jin had visited, the Namgung Clan was an up-and-coming power drawing the martial world's eager attention, having only recently earned its place among the Eight Great Clans. Dokgo Gang, the patriarch and Dokgo Jin's father, had taken a keen interest in them. Accompanied only by his young son, he arrived at their gates and engaged the clan's foremost masters in a series of duels.

Already universally acknowledged as the World's Greatest Swordsman, Dokgo Gang subdued each opponent with effortless grace. The Namgung masters continued challenging him despite one defeat after another, driven not merely by competitive fervor against a peerless swordsman, but by a desire to display the pinnacle of swordcraft to Namgung I-hyeon.

As the late-born son of the Namgung Clan Head, Namgung I-hyeon had already been hailed as a rising star ranked within the top three prodigies across the entire Central Plains. Yet watching the contest brought him nothing but despair.

So this is the sword of the Dokgo Clan.

The brilliant, majestic sword of Namgung crumbled meaninglessly before the unyielding iron wall of Dokgo. Namgung I-hyeon clenched his trembling fists.

I will... I will surpass it, no matter what.

If the Namgung Clan wished to rise beyond Anhui Province and claim the mantle of the World's Greatest Sword Clan, the Dokgo Clan was a mountain they were destined to scale.

It was then that his gaze drifted to a small boy sitting on his haunches nearby, watching the spar.

...Ah. That must be the son of the World's Greatest Swordsman.

Curious, he stepped over. To his surprise, Dokgo Jin watched the exchange with eyes far too clear and focused for a child his age.

Does he actually comprehend what he's seeing?

The clash between Dokgo Gang and the Namgung masters operated at an ethereal height that even seasoned veterans struggled to follow. A child barely three feet tall had no business making sense of it. Yet Dokgo Jin watched in rapt, solemn silence, without the slightest sign of restlessness.

I suppose the blood of the Dokgo Clan runs true.

Namgung I-hyeon eased closer and spoke warmly.

"You have good eyes, little one."

Dokgo Jin tilted his head, glanced up at him for a brief moment, and returned his attention to the courtyard.

"Can you actually see what's happening out there?"

Surprisingly, the boy gave a quiet nod.

"Yes."

"Oh?"

"It looks like many different spears trying to pierce a giant shield."

Namgung I-hyeon recoiled inwardly. Though crude on the surface, the analogy struck right at the marrow of the contest. The 'different spears' were none other than the various masters of his clan.

"Only, the spears are far too weak to pierce that shield," the boy added.

"...Have you already learned martial arts?"

"No. I want to, but Father says it isn't time yet."

"He is right." Commencing internal arts too early could irreparably damage a growing body. Intrigued, Namgung I-hyeon pressed further. "Then what should the spears do to overcome that shield?"

"Hmm..."

Little Dokgo Jin propped his chin upon small hands, falling into solemn contemplation. The sight of a toddler mimicking the brooding pensiveness of a scholar was so endearing that Namgung I-hyeon nearly burst into laughter.

After a moment, Dokgo Jin spoke.

"The simplest way is to grind the spear sharper. If it strikes the exact same spot over and over, even the thickest shield will eventually give way."

"Indeed. That is known as 'focal puncture.'" Namgung I-hyeon nodded approvingly, though the answer was one anyone might have deduced. Precocious for his years, but... It was not the revelation of an unprecedented genius. What was I expecting from a child?

Yet Dokgo Jin's next words shattered all expectation.

"Still, piercing isn't the only way to win, is it?" His eyes shone with the clarity of distant stars. "Rather than remaining a spear, it could simply become a giant wave."

"...A wave?"

"Yes. If piercing is too difficult, you just crash down and wash it away. No matter how thick a shield is, when swept up in a wave, it grows too heavy and sinks to the bottom."

Namgung I-hyeon's expression froze solid.

Does this child... truly understand what he just said?

The true essence of the Namgung Clan's swordsmanship did not lie in shallow tricks or finesse. It was the Sovereign's Sword—a blade that crushed an opponent beneath overwhelming weight and majesty, akin to the heavens collapsing in a deluge of thunder. And a child of barely five or six had grasped that fundamental truth through raw instinct alone.

He saw through the heart of our ancestral sword at his age?

A chill crept down Namgung I-hyeon's spine. When he looked at the boy again, those calm, luminous depths held an eerie, staggering profundity.

Perhaps... this child will one day become the next World's Greatest Swordsman.

From that moment on, they spoke at great length. Namgung I-hyeon explained his personal sword philosophies in the simplest language he could muster, and miraculously, Dokgo Jin absorbed it all, occasionally firing back incisive questions that cut straight to the core. Though constrained by a toddler's vocabulary, the conversation was one of the most delightful exchanges Namgung I-hyeon had ever enjoyed.

"When we meet again in the martial world years from now, do not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forget this older brother."

"I won't."

Brief as it had been, the encounter carved an indelible mark into both their hearts.

Did you honestly believe I could ever forget you?

Years had passed, rendering childhood features meaningless. But the name—Dokgo Jin. For the eldest son of the World's Greatest Clan, his name had never been widely known. Aside from his earliest youth, it had always been Dokgo Hyeon, one year his junior, who represented the clan at official gatherings. Many in Jianghu had assumed Dokgo Hyeon was the firstborn.

And those eyes... they belong to the very same boy I met that day.

The flash springing from Namgung I-hyeon's waist belonged to a narrow-bladed sword with an exceptionally slender body.

Swoosh!

The blistering velocity of the narrow blade combined with the erratic angle of left-handed swordplay produced a lethal thrust. Against any ordinary master, it would have pierced the throat before they even registered the draw.

You will have no choice but to reveal the sword of Dokgo!

Facing the strike, Dokgo Jin felt a pang of profound sorrow.

He lost his right arm and was forced to master the left-handed sword?

The martial arts of the Namgung Clan were forged around the right hand—the Sovereign's Sword. Every footwork pattern, body maneuver, and circulation pathway was optimized for the right arm. In truth, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the same was true for nearly every orthodox sect under heaven. One could hardly fathom the bone-grinding torment this peerless talent had endured to remake his art with his off-hand.

Yet...

How tragic.

No matter how tirelessly he drilled the left hand, the majesty of the Namgung sword could never truly harmonize with it. The ceiling was insurmountable. Even so, the sheer lethality of his current technique was nothing to take lightly.

Swish.

Dokgo Jin's figure dissolved like a ghost. Stepping half a pace backward with the Nine Nether Trackless, he finally cleared Extinction from its scabbard, ink-black qi instantly staining the silver blade.

Zzzzzzt!

As Namgung I-hyeon's white lightning ripped through the air, Dokgo Jin drove Extinction directly into the deepest node of that blinding brilliance.

White sword qi collided violently with inky dark energy.

BOOOOOM!

Like a massive bronze bell struck by a battering ram, a deafening resonance erupted. A furious shockwave swept through the grove, cleaving dozens of thick bamboo trunks in two at once. Both men were flung backward by the concussive backlash.

Through the shower of falling green leaves, their eyes locked.

"Formidable," Dokgo Jin remarked calmly. "I had no idea the Namgung Clan harbored a left-handed swordsman of your stature."

Namgung I-hyeon's expression hardened.

Impossible. This makes no sense...

The technique Dokgo Jin had used to neutralize his thrust bore no resemblance whatsoever to the Dokgo Clan's swordcraft. The very texture was fundamentally alien. The aura radiating from Dokgo Jin was unlike anything Namgung I-hyeon had ever encountered.

Unorthodox? No, it borders on the demonic...

It was the antithesis of the Dokgo Clan's dignified, rolling tide of pure, righteous qi.

In raw disbelief, Namgung I-hyeon pressed, "Are you truly not the young master of the Dokgo Clan?"

"This is growing tiresome. How many times must I repeat myself before you understand?"

"..."

"Since your misunderstanding appears resolved, I shall take my leave. It was an honor to witness your extraordinary left-handed sword."

Dokgo Jin turned on his heel. As he walked out of the bamboo grove, his brow furrowed in somber contemplation.

How did Namgung I-hyeon end up in such a state?

It was bewildering. While the Dokgo Clan had stood tall, the reputation of the Azure Dragon Sword, Namgung I-hyeon, had blazed like a beacon across the land. Yet ever since stepping out of the Death Forest, Dokgo Jin had not heard a whisper of his name. He had assumed Namgung I-hyeon would have taken his place among the ten greatest swordsmen of the Central Plains by now. Because it had no bearing on his vengeance, Dokgo Jin had never looked into it, but seeing his missing arm explained everything.

Just what happened to him?

A deep curiosity took root in his chest.

The following morning, Sagong ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Wun once again departed early for the inner compounds of the Namgung Clan to resume negotiations, leaving the escort squad to rest. The squad's discipline remained immaculate; despite having no pressing duties, none succumbed to idleness, maintaining their quiet, watchful readiness.

The moment Dokgo Jin stepped outside his quarters, Mok Woo-jeon fell into step beside him, just as expected.

"Haha! Gets stifling cooped up in there, doesn't it?"

Dokgo Jin kept his eyes forward.

"Elder Brother."

Mok Woo-jeon grimaced. "Come now, we've shared a squad for days and you're still calling me 'Elder Brother' so stiffly? If it's too formal, just call me Brother Mok."

"Very well, Brother Mok."

Mok Woo-jeon's eyes bulged. "Well now! I'm genuinely touched. To hear 'Brother' from the Dragon Tiger Plaque Master himself!"

Paying no mind to the banter, Dokgo Jin asked, "Do you know of the Azure Dragon Sword?"

"The Azure Dragon Sword?" Mok Woo-jeon searched his memories before nodding slowly. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in ages. You mean Namgung I-hyeon, who serves as an elder in the Namgung Clan now?"

"So you do know him."

Amid Mok Woo-jeon's endless prattle were countless anecdotes regarding renowned figures of Jianghu. For all his boisterous demeanor, he possessed surprising breadth of knowledge.

"The Azure Dragon Sword... a truly tragic genius," Mok Woo-jeon sighed. "He was hailed as the finest sword of Namgung, pegged as the man who would one day become the World's Greatest Swordsman. But to go and lose his right arm of all things..."

"Do you know how he lost it?"

Mok Woo-jeon's brow furrowed. "It happened quite some time ago, so nothing is certain. The Namgung Clan kept the whole affair tightly under wraps, which only led to every wild rumor under the sun." He glanced around cautiously and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Most of it is empty gossip, but there is one story considered the most credible."

"Which is?"

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Dokgo Clan."

Dokgo Jin's heart skipped a beat.

"You know of them, right? The clan that was wiped out a while back—the World's Greatest Sword Clan before Namgung claimed the title. Word was, the Azure Dragon Sword had an absolute obsession with the Dokgo Clan."

"..."

"They say that upon hearing the Dokgo Clan was in mortal peril, he recklessly rushed off to aid them and suffered a terrible tragedy along the way."

Dokgo Jin's pupils trembled.

"Is that... the truth?"

"Who can say for sure? But among those in the know, it is held to be the closest to the truth."

"..."

Dokgo Jin bit his lower lip until it went pale.

Namgung I-hyeon... just what did you do for us?

His chest weighed down by an agonizing ache, Dokgo Jin turned to head back to his quarters when he felt the prickle of a gaze against his skin.

He turned around. Peeking out from behind a tree, a figure hastily ducked out of sight. It was Namgung Ung.