An Unbroken Bond
Namgung Ung's uneasy loitering near the escort barracks was entirely because of Namgung I-hyeon.
I have never seen my usually placid uncle so visibly shaken.
Though he had impulsively pointed out where the alliance escorts were billeted, gnawing anxiety had plagued him ever since. Could there be some bitter grudge between his uncle and that terrifying monster Dokgo Jin? He trusted his uncle's skill, of course, but Namgung I-hyeon was a one-armed swordsman; if he crossed blades with someone as monstrous as Dokgo Jin, catastrophe seemed all but inevitable.
Yet when dawn broke, Namgung I-hyeon was sitting peacefully in the Cheongsim Pavilion, completely unscathed.
His relief, however, was fleeting. His uncle was lost in such deep contemplation that he failed to even register his nephew's arrival.
What on earth happened between them...?
Unable to contain his burning curiosity, Namgung Ung had crept over to see how Dokgo Jin was faring.
Dokgo Jin stepped smoothly into his path, cutting off his approach.
"Judging by your features, you must be Namgung I-hyeon's nephew. Am I correct?"
"T-that is true, but..."
Convenient timing.
Dokgo Jin spoke in an even, detached tone. "Would you deliver a message to him? Tell him I wish to meet at the same place tonight."
"...!"
That night, the two men stood face-to-face once more under the canopy of bamboo.
"Why did you summon me?"
At Namgung I-hyeon's inquiry, Dokgo Jin broke his silence slowly. "There is something I must ask. Your arm... how did it come to this?"
Namgung I-hyeon let out a dry, self-deprecating chuckle. "Did you call me out into the dead of night merely to satisfy such curiosity?"
"Tell me."
"I cannot fathom why it matters to you... but given my discourtesy yesterday, I suppose I owe you an answer." His expression settled into quiet calm as he continued. "It was the price of useless stubbornness."
"Stubbornness?"
"Knowing full well it was reckless, youthful blood got the better of me. The odds of rescuing anyone were vanishingly thin from the start..."
"..."
"There was a gifted young talent belonging to a clan plunged into mortal crisis. I overreached in my attempt to save him."
Dokgo Jin knew intuitively who he meant.
You foolish man...!
Unable to hold his tongue, Dokgo Jin let the words slip out. "You sacrificed your arm merely to save a child you spoke with for a brief moment? How utterly foolish."
"...!" Namgung I-hyeon's pupils trembled violently.
"It was nothing more than a fleeting acquaintance... Was it truly worth throwing away your right arm—the one thing more precious to a swordsman than his very life?"
"..."
Gazing silently into Dokgo Jin's eyes, Namgung I-hyeon gave a slow, deliberate nod.
"I believe... it was. Even to this day, I do not regret that choice, Dokgo Jin." A faint, wistful smile curved his lips. "It truly was you, after all."
"It has been a long time, Brother Namgung."
Their gazes locked, thick with the weight of years and unspoken sorrow.
The two men sat side by side on the bench of the pavilion.
"How did you survive?"
"...I was fortunate. But what of you, Brother Namgung? Why did your own arm end up like that?"
"When I tried to ride out to the Dokgo Clan, the family barred my path. I refused to accept their decree... and when I stubbornly pressed on to the very end, Grandfather cut it down."
"...!"
Though he recounted it with detached composure, the confrontation back then had been fraught with lethal tension. The Namgung Clan had mobilized martial force to restrain him, but Namgung I-hyeon had refused to back down, drawing his blade against his own elders without hesitation.
And the one who had ruthlessly severed the arm of the defiant young swordsman was none other than the Firmament Sword Saint, Namgung Wi.
I assumed he lost it to the culprits who destroyed my clan...
To think his own grandfather had lopped it off.
"A ruthless grandfather, indeed."
A bitter grimace flitted across Namgung I-hyeon's face. "He is an uncompromising man. Yet until that incident, he was also the one who doted on me and invested in my future more than anyone else."
"..."
"In a way, I understand him. His expectations for me were towering, so his sense of betrayal must have been equally profound." Namgung I-hyeon spoke softly, without rancor. "I made peace with it long ago."
Dokgo Jin found himself at a loss for words.
"More importantly, what happened to your martial arts? Why is it that instead of the Dokgo Clan's sword arts..."
One might fathom that the eldest young master had studied outside disciplines, yet within Namgung I-hyeon's worldview, it made little sense. The Dokgo Clan's swordsmanship was the supreme art that had produced the greatest swordsman under heaven. Furthermore, martial artists of the Eight Great Clans were fiercely proud, loath to even glance at the arts of other factions. It was that chilling, unfamiliar sword qi that had initially led Namgung I-hyeon to doubt whether the man before him was truly Dokgo Jin.
"I mastered a different martial art for the sake of vengeance."
"Even so..."
"The culprits lurk in deep shadows. Before I can draw them out, should I not conceal my identity at all costs?"
"Is that why you pretended not to recognize me?"
"Naturally. Even if you did not personally partake, you are still a member of the Namgung Clan that turned a blind eye to my family's ruin."
"I have no defense against that. However, allow me to say one thing."
"...?"
"My attempt to save you back then was not born merely of our brief acquaintance."
"What do you mean?"
"Your father, the Peerless Sword Dokgo Gang, entrusted you to my care."
Dokgo Jin's eyes widened. This was something he had never heard.
"When Master Dokgo stayed at our manor, he took the time to review and critique my swordsmanship. Thanks to his guidance, I achieved a tremendous breakthrough."
"..."
"As I stood bewildered, wondering how I could ever repay such profound grace, Master Dokgo asked me to look after you. It may have been a casual, polite remark on his part, but I could not bring myself to forsake that debt."
Indeed, defying the clan elders and throwing away his future over a fleeting encounter had seemed irrational, but now the pieces fell into place.
Father...
Dokgo Jin forcibly suppressed the ache rising in his chest.
"My father likely said that simply because he was fond of you, Brother Namgung. To bear such a crushing sense of debt over a passing comment... you are far too naive. You could have simply looked away just once."
"Perhaps. Yet I believe turning away would have strayed from the righteous path."
Dokgo Jin couldn't help a dry chuckle.
What an incorrigibly upright man. That is your greatest flaw, yet also your greatest virtue.
"Enough of that. In any case, you are resolved to seek your revenge?"
"Do not involve yourself, Brother Namgung. This is my personal retribution."
"What should we do, then? I have already been searching for those who annihilated the Dokgo Clan."
"Hmm?"
"Believe it or not, I am an elder of the Namgung Clan. Furthermore, I serve as the Pavilion Master of the Cheonragak."
The Cheonragak was the premier intelligence organ of the Namgung Clan.
"Long before I crossed paths with you again, I was already hunting the bastards who drove the Dokgo Clan to slaughter."
"...!"
"Tracing it to its origin, after all, they are the reason my arm was severed."
Though he phrased it as a personal grievance, Dokgo Jin saw through the facade: this was vengeance on behalf of the revered swordmaster who had fallen.
"So you took charge of the Cheonragak deliberately."
"That is correct."
"Did you uncover anything?"
At Dokgo Jin's question, Namgung I-hyeon's expression darkened.
"Practically nothing worth mentioning. They concealed their tracks so thoroughly that not a single definitive lead emerged. However..." His gaze sharpened with quiet intensity. "There is one place where my suspicions constantly lead."
"Where?"
"The Kunlun Demon Palace."
"...!"
"Think simply. Who else would possess both the motive and the capability to fabricate evidence framing the Dokgo Clan for colluding with the Demonic Cult?"
It was the Dokgo Clan that had shattered the Heavenly Demon Cult's invasion during the Jeong-Ma War, scattering them into broken remnants. The Kunlun Demon Palace, erected from those very survivors, harbored more than enough poisonous hatred to seek annihilation.
"At the very least, they are undeniably entangled. Even without direct proof, circumstantial evidence is boundless."
Dokgo Jin regarded him closely. "So you never believed our clan colluded with the cult?"
"I am not foolish enough to swallow such absurd slander. The Dokgo Clan bled on the vanguard throughout the Great War. The accusation is completely illogical."
"There are whispers that even our valor was a staged performance orchestrated with the cult, done solely to elevate our clan's prestige."
"Hah! No one who survived that charnel house firsthand could ever utter such garbage."
"..."
"Now that you have reappeared, the right to this vengeance naturally belongs to you. So let me assist you."
Dokgo Jin shook his head firmly. "It is far too dangerous."
"However dangerous it may be, what is the worst that can happen? Death?"
"..."
"I have already lost my right arm. Do you think I hold my life dear?"
"Still, the answer is no. As you are now, Brother Namgung, you cannot be of any help to me."
"What?"
"The aid of the weak is nothing more than a hindrance."
Namgung I-hyeon stared, taken aback. "An elder of the Namgung Clan... weak?"
"Without question. The left-handed swordsmanship I saw the other day was certainly impressive, but it is nowhere near enough. Can you honestly declare that you are stronger now than when your right arm was whole?"
"That is...!"
Namgung I-hyeon choked on his words. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back with fierce indignation. "You speak without knowing! I have never neglected my training for a single day! I am growing stronger with every passing dawn!"
"It is insufficient. Above all, when you attempt to practice the Namgung Clan's sword arts with your left hand, your limitations are painfully clear."
"You pass judgment on my blade after witnessing a single form...?"
"A master discerns the whole cloth from a single thread. Have you forgotten my eye for swordsmanship?"
"Dokgo Jin!"
"From what I observed, you dismantled the forms of the Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder to construct a left-handed style suited for a narrow-bladed sword. Am I mistaken?"
The Lightning Thirteen Sword Thunder was one of the three supreme sword arts representing the Namgung Clan, renowned throughout the realm for peerless speed and devastating power.
Namgung I-hyeon's mouth fell slack.
He saw through it... in an instant?
Dokgo Jin rose to his feet, dusting off his robes.
"Do not squander your life on a futile endeavor. So long as you fail to break free from your preconceptions, Brother Namgung, you will never progress past this point."
Turning on his heel, Dokgo Jin walked out of the bamboo grove without looking back.
"..."
Namgung I-hyeon remained seated on the stone bench, paralyzed and unable even to call after him.
Preconceptions...?
Though Dokgo Jin had spoken with cold detachment, Namgung I-hyeon recognized the bitter truth behind the words: it was an invaluable piece of guidance.
Submerged in profound contemplation, he did not stir from the pavilion for hours.
Only when the faint, gray light of dawn seeped through the bamboo did he finally stand.
At long last, the core of Dokgo Jin's counsel clicked into place.
I see. In the end... I must discard it.
The preconception Dokgo Jin spoke of was the sword of the Namgung Clan itself. He was urging him to shatter that rigid mold and step outside its boundaries.
Yes, you are right.
Namgung I-hyeon turned his footsteps not toward his quarters, but toward the inner martial archives of the Namgung Clan.
The following morning, the escort unit packed their gear and departed the estate of the Namgung Clan.
Sagong Wun's diplomatic negotiations had concluded in absolute triumph. Astonishingly, he had secured an agreement whereby representatives of the Northern Heavenly Alliance, alongside the Holy Sword Heaven, would sit as official mediators between the Nine Sects and the Eight Great Clans, wielding authority equal to that of their eastern counterpart.
His venture to Mount Huang had yielded the greatest possible harvest.
Dokgo Jin glanced over his shoulder at the receding peaks of Mount Huang, shrouded in mist.
"..."
Given Namgung I-hyeon's sharp intellect, he would have undoubtedly deciphered the meaning behind his parting words.
It brings me immense comfort, Brother Namgung.
Branded as traitors colluding with the Heavenly Demon Cult, the entire realm had turned its back on his lineage. Driven to the brink, he had plunged into the Death Forest, fully prepared to perish. Though heaven's miraculous grace had transformed that doom into a fateful encounter, allowing him to master the Nine Nether Dark Sky Scripture, the suffocating despair of that isolation still haunted his chest.
Yet for the very first time, he felt as though he had found a true ally among the living.
Brother Namgung... do not regret stepping into my path of vengeance later on.
As he spurred his steed forward into the wind, a faint, subtle smile touched Dokgo Jin's lips.
Dark Sky Martial Emperor
Author | Jeongcheon
Publisher | Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
Managing Editor | Editorial Department
Published by | Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. - Dreambooks
Address | 7th Floor, Gwangseong Building, 28 Bongeunsa-ro 114-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
UCI | G720:N+A063-20260403145
Blog | blog.naver.com/dreambookss
Twitter (X) | @dreambookss
Submissions | [email protected]
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. - Dreambooks.