A Lesson in a Single Blow
Uncheon fixed his gaze on So Ji-dong’s eyes and asked,
“You still want a spar, then?”
Their purpose was simple enough: to parade the power of the Yuk-an So Family before Hefei’s distinguished guests, and to look impressive for one particular young woman.
So he wants to preen in front of everyone that badly.
Having taken the measure of Uncheon’s inner energy, So Ji-dong remained sure of himself. The boy’s qi was so faint it barely registered at all.
A sneer filled both his face and his voice.
“If you’re afraid of making a fool of yourself, there’s no need to spar. A clean forfeit would be the more manly choice, wouldn’t it?”
“You’ve misunderstood. It isn’t fear. I simply hate the thought of disappointing guests who came with gifts to celebrate my maternal grandfather’s birthday. Wouldn’t that be terribly unkind?”
“Hah! Spare me that worry. Looking at the Namgung heirs standing right in front of me, it seems not every son of that house is exceptional. And our Yuk-an So Family’s martial arts are hardly inferior to the Namgung’s.”
“It’s a pity you don’t truly know the Namgung sword.”
“I’d like to see just how strong that famous blade of yours really is.”
Watching the confidence on Uncheon’s face, So Ji-dong’s tone turned cold. Murderous intent flashed through his eyes for an instant and vanished.
“If you wish to see it, I’ll show you.”
Srrrng—
Uncheon closed his hand around the hilt of the Blue Silver Sword hanging at his waist.
The inner energy of the Heavenly Vault Great Flame Divine Art surged up from his dantian like magma boiling all at once. He had never received transmission from a master of vast power, never swallowed the inner core of a spiritual beast, never taken any rare medicinal treasure. Yet the Heavenly Vault Great Flame Divine Art, which in ordinary times could draw only six stars of force, could unleash as much as ten stars the moment true battle began.
Inner energy that had been circulating in his dantian poured through his hand into the Blue Silver Sword.
Wuuuuung—
A deep, weighty sword-qi rang out in a resonant hum. As the qi of the Heavy Sword flowed, the blade of the Blue Silver Sword poured forth the jade-emerald light unique to the Namgung Family. The stronger the inner energy, the deeper that jade-green glow became.
“Nephew Uncheon…”
Jin U-myeong muttered in astonished disbelief. The boy had not even reached the age of twenty.
“Remarkable, isn’t it? It looks like sixth-star strength, yet he’s already past the Zhou Tian Fire Seal.”
“Don’t be so shocked. Uncheon is a son of the Namgung Family. Of course he is different from ordinary martial artists.”
Namgung Go-hui said it as if it were only natural, but inwardly she was stunned.
We knew nothing about this child!
In the family, Uncheon had never been regarded as a prodigy of any kind.
So Ji-dong stared at the sword-qi streaming from the Blue Silver Sword in Uncheon’s hand and went pale. His pupils trembled; cold sweat ran down his back. The figure before him was so utterly unlike the one he had been looking at moments earlier that it was as if he were facing a different man entirely.
He’s been concealing his qi?
Anyone capable of masking their energy that thoroughly was no ordinary martial artist—and So Ji-dong knew it.
Uncheon read a flood of thoughts in those panicked eyes.
Even if he wants to stop now, he can’t. He needs to learn firsthand what happens when you treat someone carelessly.
Uncheon gave him no chance to withdraw. He called out,
“This junior will strike first—Senior, please try to stop it!”
To deliver a true psychological blow, finishing it in a single form was the best way.
Taaaaaah!!
The Blue Silver Sword unleashed the third form of the Great Flame Sword Art—Shallow Burst Descent—and came crashing down from a full jang in front of So Ji-dong. The force of it looked ready to swallow him whole in an instant.
Kuaaaaaang—
The aftershock of the sword-qi rolled outward like a breaking wave.
Here Uncheon miscalculated. He had drawn roughly the same amount of energy he had used against the Murderous Light Venomous Snake, Ak Do-gon, thinking it would be enough to break the man’s momentum without going further. That judgment was a mistake—though not entirely his fault.
Paaaaaang—!!!
Uncheon’s sword-qi wrapped around So Ji-dong’s body in a single surge and hurled him violently backward. The man lost consciousness the moment he left the ground and crashed to the earth. He never even managed to launch an attack.
Silence and stillness filled the courtyard of the banquet hall.
Whisk.
Jin U-myeong dropped swiftly to So Ji-dong’s side and examined him. So Hwan-gyeong rushed over as well and asked in a worried voice,
“How is he?”
“…Fortunately, he isn’t dead. If the boy hadn’t pulled his strength at the last moment, it would have killed him outright.”
“…”
Jin U-myeong rose with a crooked grin. Kill-Smile Sword Dragon, Jin U-myeong. So Hwan-gyeong remembered the epithet of the Namgung Family’s Hefei branch chief, and dread of the Namgung Family flooded through his whole body.
“Deputy Family Head So, our nephew has a kind heart. I’m not known for showing mercy with my sword to anyone who dares challenge me to a spar.”
“What… do you mean by that?”
“Just that.”
Thud!
Jin U-myeong drove a hard kick into the unconscious So Ji-dong’s thigh.
“Ugh…”
So Ji-dong groaned and came to. So Hwan-gyeong carefully took hold of him and helped him up.
“Are you all right?”
“M-my body… there’s no strength left in me at all…”
So Ji-dong’s inner energy seemed completely drained.
“It must be the shock. We should take you home and let you rest.”
“Y-yes…”
Only with support could So Ji-dong manage to stand.
Meanwhile Uncheon turned over the strange sensation he had felt at the moment of impact. The opponent’s qi had not simply been shattered by his sword-qi and dispersed—it had felt as if it were being drawn into his own body. Exactly like the Absolute Divine Art of Northern Darkness, or the Sima family’s Star-Absorbing Great Method. He had never seen either technique, yet he could find no other way to describe the feeling.
“Ugh…”
At last the sound of So Ji-dong’s pained groans and the steps of those supporting him leaving the banquet grounds reached him. Uncheon lifted his head toward the man. He wanted a clean finish.
“Was that a satisfying spar?”
The moment their eyes met, So Ji-dong’s thoughts rang clear as day.
“You seem badly hurt. Not that I’m especially sorry.”
“…”
“I didn’t mean to injure you on purpose—my control simply slipped. In any case, I gave you the spar you wanted, so let’s have no hard feelings. If you still wish to face me later, say the word anytime.”
So Ji-dong glared at Uncheon with burning eyes.
Is this bastard mocking me?
Uncheon’s voice continued,
“I’m not joking—I mean it. Ah, though I suspect this kind of spar will be the last.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“When the other party gets hurt, doesn’t one feel rather bad about it?”
“So what… you’re saying you won’t fight again?”
“I’m saying that next time it won’t be a spar. Next time, we fight properly—with our lives on the line.”
So Ji-dong was no fool. He understood perfectly.
If I challenge him again, he won’t spare me—is that the threat?
The faces of both So Ji-dong and So Hwan-gyeong hardened. The boy could draw his inner energy back inside so that none of it leaked out—proof of a true high master. The claim that he had defeated the Murderous Light Venomous Snake, Ak Do-gon, had not been a lie.
The people of the Yuk-an So Family once more confirmed the terror of the Namgung Family and left the Chungui Sun Family with heavy steps.
“Aigoo, you precious boy!”
Once the matter was settled, Namgung Go-hui rushed over and crushed Uncheon in a fierce embrace. Contrary to every rumor that had circulated through the family, Uncheon was not lacking in martial talent at all.
“You little rascal—why did you deceive even us?”
“Pardon? Aunt, deceive you about what?”
“That Great Flame Sword Art you just used. There’s no way you could perform it at that level with only sixth-star Heavenly Vault Great Flame Divine Art. Am I wrong?”
If it had been anyone else, he might have glossed over it—but not when his own aunt, Namgung Go-hui, had seen it with her own eyes.
“Hahaha! Nephew Uncheon, that was a magnificent stroke.”
Jin U-myeong burst into laughter as well and acknowledged him. Though brief, the sparring match had left a fierce impression, and word of it would spread from the mouths of the servants who had accompanied their masters.
As expected, by the next day the rumor that had left Hefei had already raced across the whole of Anhui Province.
The day after the banquet was quiet. The Chungui Sun Family looked as it always did, yet compared to the previous evening it felt almost as still as a mountain temple.
“Hohoho. What a remarkable young master you are.”
Uncheon had risen at dawn and spent a full shichen circulating his energy without moving. Hwa-jong waited in silence until he finished, sitting quietly before the entrance to Myeonghwa Pavilion so that no one would disturb him while the warm morning sun climbed higher.
Then a presence approached from a distance, heading toward Myeonghwa Pavilion.
She’s come a third time already.
Hwa-jong rose and bowed his head toward her.
“Young Miss, you’ve come again?”
“Why are you outside?”
“The young master is still circulating his energy.”
“Still?”
Jang So-hwa’s face clouded with difficulty. She needed to go out with Uncheon.
“What should I do…?”
She hesitated, then peeked her head inside—just as the door opened and Uncheon stepped out.
“Oppa!”
Jang So-hwa darted forward as if diving into the room, stopping right in front of him.
“What’s the matter so early?”
Uncheon looked at the girl who had appeared so suddenly.
“It’s already well past the hour of the Dragon. The sun will be at its zenith soon.”
“Already?”
He had thought only a single gak or so had passed. These days, circulating his energy took far longer than he expected.
Uncheon glanced at Hwa-jong standing beside her.
“Uncle, I’m hungry—is there food?”
“Yes. I prepared something so you could eat the moment you woke. I’ll bring it at once.”
“Wait—!”
Jang So-hwa stopped Hwa-jong mid-step.
“Oppa, could we eat outside instead?”
“Outside?”
She bounced lightly on her feet as she looked at him.
“Yes. I know the best restaurant in all of Hefei. It’s truly delicious.”
“Is that so?”
It sounded like the sort of outing that would invite trouble, but he was curious about the food said to be the finest in Hefei.
“Oppa… someone else might join us as well. Is that all right?”
“Fine. I’ll need to get ready if we’re going out. Wait a moment.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Jang So-hwa left Myeonghwa Pavilion first, her face bright.
An introduction… She knows I don’t care for that sort of thing, so why is she so determined to have us meet?
Still, for his cousin’s sake, he decided he would go.
Uncheon turned to Hwa-jong.
“Uncle, do you know anything about a young woman named Yang Hui?”
“How does the young master know of that young lady?”
“I heard the name yesterday.”
“Miss Yang Hui is the youngest daughter of Elder Yang Ju-muk, who leads the greatest merchant house in Anhui Province.”
“The greatest merchant house in Anhui… You mean the Anhui Grand Merchant Guild?”
“Yes, young master.”
There was no one in the Central Plains who did not know the Anhui Grand Merchant Guild, one of the Ten Great Merchant Houses of the Heavenly Merchants. Uncheon himself, however, had never had any dealings with them.
A young woman from a house of that stature. I wonder why she’s going so far as to use So-hwa to arrange a meeting.
A gak later, Uncheon stepped out into the crowded thoroughfare with Jang So-hwa.
“Oppa, we’re here. That building over there.”
The three-story structure she pointed to was unmistakably a restaurant of the highest class. Gold and crimson blended across its façade, radiating an air that said ordinary people had no business walking through its doors.
“Impressive.”
“It’s even better inside.”
The whole building was quiet, yet as Jang So-hwa drew near, the sturdy men standing at the entrance recognized her and bowed at the waist.
“Young Miss, you’ve arrived.”
“Is my sister here?”
“She is on the third floor.”
Jang So-hwa turned to Uncheon, who had followed her in.
“Oppa, let’s go up to the third floor.”
“All right.”
Uncheon offered a light nod of greeting as he passed between the men. They bowed quickly in return.
“We greet Young Master Namgung, the Blue Stream Sword Fragrance.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
They already knew who the young man accompanying Jang So-hwa was. Being martial artists themselves, they held a natural respect for a true master regardless of age.
Uncheon and Jang So-hwa went straight up to the third floor. Unlike the dining hall below, the third floor was not large. A single table stood there—its four sides carved with the forms of dragons in marble.
Uncheon saw a young woman seated alone at the table, and the bodyguards standing behind her.
Jang So-hwa called out brightly to the woman already seated,
“Unnie, have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all… I only just arrived myself.”
The young woman rose and walked forward. Soft white court robes set with ornaments of pale crimson made a striking impression.
I thought no woman could be more beautiful than Sister Sang-ryeon…
“Oppa, this is Yang Hui Unnie.”
As Jang So-hwa introduced her, Yang Hui inclined her head.
“This humble girl is called Yang Hui. Looking upon Young Master is like gazing at a blue dragon drifting freely through the heavens.”
“I am Namgung Uncheon. Looking upon Lady Yang is like beholding a beauty beneath the moon.”
“You flatter me.”
Uncheon took his seat and studied the martial artists guarding her. From the swords at their waists and the qi flowing through their frames he felt something familiar.
Heavy Sword qi?
He cupped his fist toward them in greeting.
“If it is not impertinent, may I ask—both of you seem to have trained in the Heavy Sword.”
“Yes, that is correct. We belong to the Sangmu Hall and learned our martial arts from Hall Master Namgung Jin-u.”
Namgung Jin-u? Using the character ‘u’ of the rain generation… that would place him a generation above me?
It was a name he had never heard. But anyone who had taught them the Great Flame Divine Art could only be of the Namgung Family.
One of the two continued,
“Our Hall Master has sometimes said that his late father was a cousin eight times removed to the previous Family Head of the Namgung—the Fire Heaven Sword King.”
“Ah… I see. To be honest, I know little of family affairs, so I did not recognize it at once.”
In truth, his ignorance was only natural.
“Then the two of you are senior disciples of the same school. I am glad to meet you.”
At Uncheon’s words the bodyguards started in alarm and waved their hands.
“Ah—no, not at all. We merely learned martial arts from him.”
“I do not believe he is the sort of man who would teach the Namgung Heavy Sword to just anyone.”
“…”
“If he taught you the Great Flame Divine Art, it was because he judged that doing so would not harm the Namgung Family’s renown. Therefore, to have trained in the Heavy Sword of the main family is to be counted among the disciples of the Great Namgung Family.”
Deep emotion rose in the chests of both guards. Disciples of the same school as the Namgung Family itself—the pride of it was almost beyond words.
A martial artist dies for the one who knows him.
Was it not said that a martial man would not spare even his life for the person who truly recognized him?
Listening from the side, Yang Hui looked at Uncheon and felt a quiet admiration.
He has a power that draws people to him.