A Single Stroke of the Sword
It was a tumultuous time in Anhui, stirred by the death of Namgung Jaeyeong and the sudden emergence of the Blood Sect.
The Sword Emperor, Namgung Seon, stood before the door of the guest quarters in the inner manor.
He was here to repay Yeonhwa, the benefactor who had saved both his life and the life of his youngest son.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Lady Yeon, are you inside?"
"..."
"Lady Yeon?"
"..."
There was no response, even after he called out again.
Creeeak.
Growing worried, Namgung Seon gently pushed the door open. What greeted him was—
"Zzz..."
Yeonhwa, fast asleep in her bed.
She was sleeping peacefully, treating it as a well-deserved reward to herself.
"Ahem..."
It was an awkward situation—too awkward to just leave, yet too rude to wake her.
As he hesitated,
"Mmm..."
"Hello..."
Still half-asleep, Yeonhwa offered a drowsy greeting.
He froze.
My word...
The Sword Emperor recalled a conversation he had with his youngest son, Namgung Hyeok.
When he had subtly suggested taking their benefactor as a wife, the boy had replied:
"How could a mere wild goose stand beside a phoenix?"
I thought he was just complaining that she was plain-looking.
To think such an exquisite face lay hidden behind that veil.
He shook his head.
"Hyeok was right. Standing next to Lady Yeon, even the Blue Dragon would look like a common earthworm."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Ahem, it was nothing. More importantly, I must apologize for barging in so suddenly. I heard no sound from within and feared something might have happened..."
"Don't worry about it. You're the master of this place, after all."
While that was technically true, it didn't really apply to Yeonhwa.
After all, she was his savior, and the savior of the entire family.
She scratched her head.
"But what brings you here? It's still so early."
"I came precisely because it is early. It would be best if there were no onlookers."
"Pardon?"
"Would it not be better to have no distractions when you examine the Namgung plaque?"
"The plaque...? Ah!"
At the Sword Emperor's words, Yeonhwa bounced out of bed.
She had felt something strange about that plaque and resolved to look into it later, but she had completely forgotten about it until now.
He smiled warmly.
"If I can help you gain enlightenment from it... would that not serve as a fitting reward for our benefactor?"
"R-really?"
I scurried along.
"Haha, are you truly that excited?"
"Of course!"
Normally, the host should lead and the guest should follow, but right now, I was practically glued to the Sword Emperor's side, trotting along eagerly.
How could I not be excited when a master of the Grandmaster realm was offering to help me gain enlightenment?
Hehehe!
Now this is what you call a true fortuitous encounter!
Compared to the Blood Sect's method of force-feeding power, this felt like a genuine, classic martial arts miracle.
I let out a soft breath.
I've been feeling a bit uneasy lately, so this is a relief.
When I killed Namgung Jaeyeong, I had been startled while channeling the third stage of the Myeolcheon Sura-gong.
The sheer violence of the blood qi was on a completely different level compared to the first or second stages.
I had been worrying that I was relying too heavily on demonic blood arts lately, so the chance to gain orthodox enlightenment was a godsend.
See? It pays to be a good person.
Step, step.
"We have arrived."
"Oh, there really isn't anyone here."
"I dismissed even the guards. No one will come near this place until the gates open at dawn."
It was so early that even the roosters hadn't crowed yet.
With only the two of us standing before the vast main gate, the atmosphere felt almost eerie.
I looked up.
"Mmm..."
It had been a while since I last looked at the Namgung Family plaque.
Objectively speaking, it was just characters carved into a sheet of iron, but staring at it filled me with a strange sensation.
"Do you feel something?"
"It feels... distant, somehow. I'm not entirely sure."
He nodded.
"As expected, you share a connection with it. Truly remarkable."
"A connection?"
"One feels that way when they sense the truth but cannot yet comprehend it. How could that be anything other than a connection?"
"Does that mean you feel the same thing right now, Sword Emperor?"
He shook his head.
"No. I understand it to some degree, but I no longer feel it. It is likely because my own mental image has already matured."
"Mmm..."
Is it like becoming an adult and having your values set in stone?
"Interpretations of this plaque have differed from generation to generation. But while I was confined to my sickbed, I managed to meld those theories into one."
"Your sickbed? Don't tell me, when you were poisoned by the corrupted energy..."
He smiled.
"If one wishes to keep their sanity, they must occupy their mind with other thoughts. I suppose you could call it a blessing in disguise."
"Ugh..."
Is it like trying to think of something else while getting a root canal?
Either way, it wasn't something I wanted to imagine.
"Keep your eyes on the plaque and feel it. I will recite the mnemonic I have formulated."
"Yes."
I focused.
I opened my ears and focused my eyes on the plaque, staring at the words Namgung Family carved into the thousand-year cold iron.
"The sky has a path; even with closed eyes, it is clearly seen."
The mnemonic drifted into my ears.
"..."
"The sword also has a path; even without swinging, it finds its way."
Mmm...
It felt like it should be helpful, but it only made the truth feel more distant.
"Therefore, what is seen is not the sky, and what is swung is not the sword."
"To see the unseen and cut the uncuttable; such is the truth."
"..."
"..."
"Is that all?"
"It is... Did it not go well?"
"I'm even more confused now. It feels like something crucial is missing."
To use an analogy, it was like cooking ramen without the seasoning packet. Honestly, I would have been better off not hearing it at all.
He scratched his head.
"Mmm... I suppose it is not that simple. Is it feeling that you lack, or understanding...?"
The Sword Emperor seemed disappointed as well, looking regretful.
What is missing?
It really felt like a piece of the mnemonic was missing. Something felt just on the tip of my tongue.
I scratched my head.
"Mmm..."
"Do not be too disappointed, Lady Yeon. I can compensate you in other ways..."
"Mmm..."
"That is simply how life goes—"
Suddenly, it hit me.
"Ah! A person!"
"Huh?!"
I hopped up and down.
"That's it! There is the sky, and there is the sword, but there must also be a person!"
This was it! Both the sky and the sword required a person to exist.
They spoke of seeing without looking and swinging without wielding, but without a person, none of it had any meaning.
I can see it...
It felt as if clouds were billowing in my mind.
Then, those clouds condensed, completing the final line of the mnemonic.
"Life is also thus; why must the present be now?"
Vroooom.
"Ah..."
It was here. That feeling again.
Whoosh.
Though I had been staring at the plaque, a man was suddenly standing before me, swinging a sword.
His blade was aimed at the incredibly solid thousand-year cold iron.
Slide.
Thud.
The sword met the iron, but there were no sparks, no resistance. And I knew the reason why.
The sword also has a path.
It was because he was following the path of the sword.
Shring.
Before I knew it, my own sword was drawn.
I, too, had something to do.
To swing the sword—no, to follow the path.
Swish.
Slash!
The hard marble floor was carved as easily as clay. Since I was also following the path of the sword, it was only natural.
Unopposed and unstoppable, this was the essence of a single stroke of the sword.
I see...
As I followed the path, the emotions felt by the Namgung ancestor flowed into me.
He was sad... angry... frustrated.
Yet, despite all that, there was something he believed in: the future that lay ahead of him.
Slice.
Countless straight lines were carved into the floor.
Adding a single curve to them formed the character Yeon.
Grouping another set of straight lines formed Hwa.
Yeonhwa. My name, carved into the marble floor.
Drip, drip.
"Pant, pant..."
Thud.
The moment I finished carving my name, reality crashed back in.
Every single cell in my body screamed in exhaustion, and my hair and clothes were completely soaked in sweat.
Though I lay sprawled on the floor, barely able to breathe,
"Hahaha."
My mind felt incredibly refreshed. I had finally solved a problem that had been plaguing me.
He smiled.
"It seems we have gained another family heirloom to preserve."
Namgung Seon chuckled as he looked down at the floor.
"A family heirloom? Don't be ridiculous..."
"A riddle passed down through generations has finally been solved. Of course it must be treated as an heirloom."
"Hehe."
Well, I really was amazing this time!
Step, step.
"Stay lying down and listen. Consolidating your enlightenment is also crucial."
"Yes."
"The first half of the mnemonic likely speaks of the Mind's Eye and the Mind's Sword."
"..."
The Mind's Eye, which sees without looking, and the Mind's Sword, which cuts down targets with mere intent.
These were concepts that one could only catch a glimpse of at the absolute pinnacle of martial arts.
He shook his head.
"However, the Namgung ancestor did not reach that realm."
"Yes, that's true."
If he had reached the realm of the Mind's Sword, he wouldn't have needed to physically carve the thousand-year cold iron.
Even a mere brush of his finger would have sliced right through it.
The anger, sadness, and frustration I felt while following his path must have stemmed from this.
He nodded.
"Then why does a realm he could not reach appear in the mnemonic?"
"That... I still don't know."
"Look at these."
He gestured.
Namgung Seon pointed to both sides with his hands.
One was the Namgung Family plaque, and the other was the name I had just carved into the floor.
"These are actually not well-written characters."
"Huh? Really?"
I carved them in a state of selflessness while following the path... Shouldn't they be masterpieces of calligraphy or something?
He tapped the floor.
"Look at the final stroke of these characters."
"The final stroke?"
I stared intently at the end of the character Ga on the plaque and Hwa on the floor.
Then,
"Oh?"
"Did you notice? The final stroke of these characters is slightly different."
Just as Namgung Seon said, the final stroke was different from the ones before it.
It was deeper and sharper.
He grinned.
"You likely did not realize it, Lady Yeon... but when you carved that final stroke, Sword Force had formed at the tip of your blade. That is why the final stroke is different."
"S-Sword Force?!!!"
That was something unimaginable at my current level. Weren't you supposed to be at least a Master to use Sword Force?
Wait.
"Then, could it be?"
He nodded.
"Our ancestor likely carved the final stroke with the Mind's Sword as well."
"But how is that..."
"Did you not realize it yourself? 'Why must the present be now?'"
He walked forward.
Namgung Seon looked up at the sky. Smiling with satisfaction, he said,
"Even if it is impossible right now, your future self will be capable of it. What is the harm in borrowing a fraction of that future potential?"
"What?!"
Borrowing future potential? Is that even possible?
"Is that not a power truly worthy of the name Blue Sky Divine Sword?"
"The Blue Sky Divine Sword..."
"That is simply how the elders of the past did things. They decided beforehand: if it is a sword technique, call it this; if it is a cultivation method, call it that."
He leaned down.
Namgung Seon bent down, his eyes shining.
His gaze locked directly with mine as I lay sprawled on the floor. It was a literal face-to-face.
"Lady Yeon."
"???"
Staring at me like this is making me really uncomfortable...
"Perhaps they are right. Perhaps blood is merely blood, and the body is nothing more than a lump of flesh."
"Pardon???"
Blood is blood? That's exactly what the mental image of the Myeolcheon Sura-gong said... Did he notice?
He smiled gently.
"Yet, despite that, I believe there are things that make us more than just lumps of flesh—things that grant us dignity. That is likely why Confucius spoke of benevolence and righteousness, and Mencius spoke of the Four Beginnings."
"Sword Emperor... that..."
He grinned.
"Do not mind this old man's rambling. Back then, I was so out of it that I cannot even remember if what entered my body was blood qi, pure qi, or demonic qi."
"..."
Is this what it means to be a pillar of the orthodox faction? This man is a true elder.
"I only hope that when you eventually realize your own mental image and ascend to a higher realm, you will look back on today at least once."
"...Of course."
There was no way I could forget a day like today.
It was the monumental day of my very first enlightenment.
"By the way..."
"What is it now?"
He scratched his cheek.
"Is... is Hyeok's sexual function truly alright?"
"Pardon?"
"How do you think a parent feels when they hear their youngest son wept over erectile dysfunction...? So please, give me a straight answer."
I chuckled.
"What in the world is that about?"
"Ahem! Don't just laugh!"