Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Nine Deaths One Life (5)
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Usually, one could wield sword qi starting from the first-rate realm.
Though it varies by story, peak or transcendent peak masters are depicted as able to unleash sword gangs. At least, that's how it was in every wuxia novel I'd read so far. This world probably wasn't much different.
That's why I'd been a bit tense at first. They called her the Moyong Clan's once-in-a-generation genius, so I'd assumed she was at least a first-rate expert who'd achieved great success. Fortunately, she wasn't quite there yet.
If she were a master of similar caliber, her moves wouldn't be this slow—practically transparent. The wooden sword caught between my fingers resembled a butterfly with its delicate wings pinned.
It thrashed desperately to break free, but no matter how long I waited, it showed no sign of escaping on its own. In the end, I released its wings first.
"That should be enough, Great Hero."
"Ah, it's not over yet! Brother!"
"Sua, you already know this."
"……."
Moyong Sua shouted at the approaching Moyong Hyeon as if she couldn't accept it, clapping his hands. But his gently scolding response left the girl speechless, like a mute stung by honey.
She'd thrown everything at me, even resorting to techniques in the end, but I'd dismantled them all effortlessly. A clear victory on my side was only natural.
Still, there was something puzzling. She was hailed as the Moyong Clan's irreplaceable genius, yet she was barely second-rate? But I quickly made sense of it.
'She could reach peak realm within the next four years. It's not wise to underestimate her recklessly.'
Like it or not, I was in a position where I had to maintain ties with the Moyong Clan. Sure, in the late stages of wuxia novels, peak experts popped up everywhere like weeds. But for me, even that was desperately needed.
I'd transmigrated into a wuxia world, trained in martial arts as a warrior. At the very least, I wanted to climb to the peak realm. I'd reached first-rate after thirty years of effort, but peak felt impossibly distant.
That's why I needed to latch onto the Moyong Clan—for martial arts manuals, cultivation methods, even spirit pills to build up my inner energy.
'Even if they don't give me those, sparring with the clan's experts alone would broaden my horizons immensely.'
A rotten herring is still a herring. The Moyong Clan was one of the Five Great Clans propping up the Murim Alliance, a prestigious house. They surely had peak experts, or even beyond.
And when I eventually stepped into the jianghu, I'd have their backing. It was a relationship full of benefits, far from a loss.
Having finished my calculations, I approached Moyong Hyeon and Moyong Sua, who was receiving his lecture. She looked utterly dejected, as if she'd been properly chewed out.
"That's enough."
"Has the Great Hero Nameless arrived?"
"She's just a child who knows nothing yet. Everyone starts out green."
"As expected, Great Hero, your heart is as vast as the sea. We are truly grateful."
He seemed to be scolding her for using overly aggressive techniques during our bout. Honestly, from my perspective, they hadn't been threatening at all. They were just painfully slow.
At first, I hadn't even realized they were techniques. Midway through, Moyong Hyeon had pointed it out, or I might never have known they were Moyong Clan moves.
That's why I'd intervened, saying they were fine. Moyong Hyeon bowed his head in thanks, which made me think, Why are you making this awkward? Right then—
"Now I can entrust Sua to you without worry, Great Hero. What a relief."
Ah.
Only then did I realize why Moyong Hyeon had been so excessively grateful. Was it turning out like this? No, I couldn't just accept this headache without a fight.
"I don't mind either way. But I'm worried about whether Lady Moyong Sua will be alright."
"What do you mean?"
"This bout seems to have given her a huge shock. Show someone too high a sky, and their spirit might break. It might be better if the clan looks after her directly."
"Certainly……."
"No, I'm fine."
I felt a flicker of hope as Moyong Hyeon nodded in agreement. Until a resolute voice cut in from behind. Turning, I saw Moyong Sua's blazing eyes.
"A girl like me is still a martial artist at heart. I can't tuck tail and retreat now."
Her eyes burned like oil poured on firewood. The emotion dwelling there was pure competitive spirit. In other words, a fierce determination to land at least one hit.
I sensed it instinctively.
My future was about to get very annoying.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
What might have been a joyous occasion turned into a cold funeral instead. That day marked Moyong Sua's birth into the clan. She had never seen her mother's face.
Her mother had died giving birth to her. Do you know the feeling of unconditional love from the moment you're born? Moyong Sua had never known such warmth.
The child-eater.
The calamity demon that would doom the clan.
The clan's fury over losing their beloved matriarch turned on the innocent child. Her maternal family treated her like a plague demon outright, and even the Patriarch didn't stop their words.
Of course, not everyone in the clan pitied her plight. But they were far outnumbered by her detractors, and even those few hesitated under the Patriarch's watchful eye.
In that process, what Moyong Sua chose was to take up the sword. In a way, it seemed like a bid for attention. I like swords too. Teach me, and I'll work hard.
So please...
Just look at me once.
Thanks to the few who pitied her, she managed to learn some martial arts. But at first, no one spared her a glance.
Not until she proved her talent herself. The day she perfectly replicated the techniques demonstrated by the clan's warriors—that was when the Patriarch first looked her way.
Some might call it worldly. But to Sua, it was the warm attention and love she'd craved so desperately. And so, she began learning martial arts from the Patriarch.
"[Martial arts means staking your lives in combat. The loser yields their life, and the winner claims it. That is true martial arts. I only realized it recently, after meeting a good friend and teacher.]"
She didn't want to disappoint the Patriarch. She never wanted to return to those lonely days. To satisfy him, Sua gave her absolute best.
The Lightning Cloud Parting Sword was the sword art he'd taught her personally. It was proof she'd finally been accepted as a true member of the Moyong Clan. More than that, it was the affection and love extended to her as blood kin.
Because of it, she couldn't afford to waste a single day. If she disappointed her father—no, the Patriarch—even slightly, it felt like she'd slide back to those empty days surrounded by no one.
That's why she'd followed Moyong Hyeon this time too. She didn't want to let her brother down, one of the few who'd looked after her since childhood.
But then, an unbelievable upset occurred. The technique from the Lightning Cloud Parting Sword, taught by the Patriarch himself, was dismantled far too easily. And by some backroom old fogey, no less.
It wasn't just the technique broken. He hadn't even attacked, dodging every strike. It was impossible to land a hit—like trying to slice flowing water with a blade.
Until the bout ended, Sua's wooden sword never touched the old man. As disbelief crushed her, Moyong Hyeon approached with a sigh.
"Great Hero Nameless has reached the peak realm."
"Impossible. Even the Five Great Clans have but one or two such experts at most. How could one hide in these mountains...?"
"Who knows? Peak masters rarely bend to others' will, so he must have some story."
If first-rate is grasping the subtleties of martial arts and fully embodying them in the sword, then peak is forging a new path beyond those subtleties.
To a warrior, it means a height impossible to climb further—what they call the immovable realm. Unyielding to any external pressure.
Their personal subtleties and techniques remain unshaken. Thus, even the Five Great Clans had but one or two such rare experts.
But so what?
'If the Patriarch learns I survived with my technique broken... I might really go back to those old days.'
To Sua, the most important thing was not disappointing the Patriarch. For that, she was prepared to stake her life in battle. Better death than returning to utter isolation.