My Own Righteousness
Uncheon returned to his guest room and sat down with a grave expression.
Reading Yu Gong-gae’s thoughts had revealed why the Beggar Sect’s beggars had appeared at the Aksu Inn.
If they found someone resembling Wolyeonggwangheun…
It seemed that not long after leaving the inn, Dokjeonhwa had been caught, unable to slip through the Beggar Sect’s encirclement.
Truly impressive. So not even he can escape the eyes of the Beggar Sect?
He must have moved with the utmost caution to avoid detection. Yet Uncheon had no choice but to acknowledge their intelligence network, tracking skill, and talent for shadowing.
According to Yu Gong-gae’s thoughts, Dokjeonhwa had entered Huangzhou in Hubei Province and was now heading toward Mount Yeong.
This is troublesome…
Uncheon sank deep into thought. Had he never read Yu Gong-gae’s mind, he would never have spared the man another glance.
It has nothing to do with me now…
He had planned to travel to the Beggar Sect together with Yeo Ju-gae. But when Yeo Ju-gae was murdered by the Divine Blood Assassin, Uncheon himself had been branded the killer instead. Even if he told the Beggar Sect the truth, would they believe him while Dokjeonhwa was still on the run? Doubtful.
Besides, if Yu Gong-gae had simply intended to bring the man in properly, Uncheon would not have worried. There was a reason he had to deliberate carefully.
Why is he trying to kill him? Wasn’t he escorting him to the Beggar Sect because of the Cheonhwangdo Map?
He had not read every thought, so the full picture remained unclear. Yu Gong-gae was not trying to locate Dokjeonhwa and deliver him safely; he meant to kill him in secret, without a soul knowing.
The Beggar Sect is complicated as well.
No one stood at Dokjeonhwa’s side who could help him. The only figure he seemed to trust was the man in the golden mask—the one who had promised to appear if things went wrong. Yet no one knew when that man might show himself.
Should I help him?
Aiding those in hardship. Was that not the righteousness every martial artist was meant to uphold? Uncheon had learned of such chivalry within his own family. Yet the fact that those hunting him belonged to the Beggar Sect gave him pause. He could not tell whether the order had come from the sect itself or from some other hand. Acting recklessly without knowing the full situation could drag the Namgung Family into needless trouble.
Righteousness, is it…
In the murim of today, how many martial artists truly moved according to righteousness? What did an act of righteousness even mean in this world?
Yet Uncheon already knew there existed something of higher priority. Even in the family that prized and proclaimed righteousness, the true first concern had always been the family’s own interests. If he placed the family first, the correct choice was to walk away. He owed the man nothing.
But Uncheon’s heart refused that answer.
Was turning a blind eye and withdrawing truly right?
Suddenly, words of his father’s that he had long forgotten rose in his mind.
“Our family values righteousness. Yet righteousness has no clear definition.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means that one cannot precisely define what is right or wrong in this world. Righteousness is relative. No one can cleanly separate right from wrong.”
“…I don’t quite understand.”
“Later, when more time has passed and you step out into the murim, you will come to know. The only way to recognize what is right for you is to study a great deal.”
“I am learning diligently from Mother.”
“Hmm. Yes. Study hard. There is no one in the family who has studied more than your mother.”
“Yes, Father.”
At the time the meaning had eluded him. In this moment, he understood.
People’s thoughts differed so greatly. Because their interests clashed, even a single event could be received in utterly different ways. Uncheon knew well that one had to be cautious when interfering in another’s affairs. Therefore he decided to think not according to others’ standards, but according to his own.
Not a righteousness dictated by someone else—but a righteousness of which he himself was the subject.
Helping him is my righteousness.
The decision settled his heart at once.
I should move early tomorrow.
Click.
He affixed the prosthetic to his shoulder. Salgwang Doksa Ak Dogon examined the newly attached artificial hand. It was less a hand than an iron spike, its tip honed to a piercing point like an awl.
That damn bastard…
Crimson killing intent seemed ready to erupt from his eyes.
Creak.
The door opened and a middle-aged man stepped inside. Jin Heung, commander of the First Shadow Kill Army. A murderous aura rolled off his massive frame like crackling thunderbolts. He looked down at Ak Dogon’s right arm.
“Unit Leader Ak, the new hand looks splendid.”
“It is thanks to the commander’s grace.”
“Not mine—the grace of our sect and our sect master. You understand that, yes?”
“Yes. I will devote my full loyalty to the sect master.”
“Then never forget to repay that grace.”
“I will repay it with everything I have.”
Jin Heung approached and took a seat.
“Unit Leader Ak, sit as well.”
“No. I will remain standing.”
Tap-tap-tap.
Jin Heung lightly rapped the armrest of his chair with his fingers, as though he had something to say. Ak Dogon caught the meaning at once.
“Commander, do you have orders for me?”
“The murim has suddenly grown complicated. The Beggar Sect has declared Wolyeonggwangheun a public enemy of the martial world.”
“...!”
Ak Dogon was hearing this for the first time. While he had been receiving treatment, much had happened in the murim. He waited for the man to continue.
“Wolyeonggwangheun had been traveling with Yeo Ju-gae, the branch master of the Beggar Sect’s Jiju Hall, toward the main sect. Then every beggar with them was slaughtered and Wolyeonggwangheun vanished.”
“You mean Wolyeonggwangheun killed Yeo Ju-gae?”
“The one who killed the beggars was himself slain by the New Moon Assassin of the Yaweol Sect. That word came from the Yaweol Sect, so it is reliable.”
The New Moon Assassin?
Ak Dogon’s eyes widened. He knew the New Moon Assassin well. Though the man was an assassin of the Yaweol Sect, Ak Dogon had respected him as a martial artist of rare excellence.
“Then was Wolyeonggwangheun captured by the Yaweol Sect?”
“That is not the case either. The New Moon Assassin is also dead.”
“Wolyeonggwangheun could not have killed him… Who did?”
Ak Dogon grew oddly calm as he asked.
“The one who had commissioned the job from our sect stepped in personally.”
Understanding dawned.
If it was him… he could certainly defeat the New Moon Assassin.
Fear of the Man in the Black Bamboo Hat swelled within him.
“Did he take Wolyeonggwangheun with him?”
“While he was killing the New Moon Assassin, someone else escaped with the target.”
“Who would dare such a thing?”
“Unit Leader Ak, it is someone you know very well.”
At first Ak Dogon could not place the name. Then a single face surfaced.
“Surely… that bastard…?”
“Correct. Blue Stream Sword Fragrance—Namgung Uncheon.”
Ak Dogon forgot even to breathe. That the youth had snatched Wolyeonggwangheun away right under the Black Bamboo Hat man’s nose seemed impossible to believe.
Jin Heung continued.
“I have received word that the Beggar Sect is now moving into Hubei Province.”
“They are together, then?”
“That much is unknown. His Lordship has commissioned us once more to find them.”
“Commander, entrust it to me.”
“Are you confident?”
“I stake my life on it.”
“Good. Secure Wolyeonggwangheun alive.”
“Thank you for entrusting me with this. This time I will surely kill that bastard and complete the commission.”
Ak Dogon bowed at the waist. The eyes that stared at the floor brimmed with pure killing intent.
Thud. Thud.
It was as though a colossal white tiger were approaching. A man draped in a cloak of white tiger hide strode toward the woman seated upon a crimson throne and bowed at the waist.
“Uncle Chae, welcome.”
“Sect Master, you summoned me?”
The young woman in the scarlet palace robes—still in her early twenties—had ascended as master of the Yaweol Sect two years earlier.
“I’m sorry to call you when you must be busy.”
“Not at all. When the sect master summons, how could I refuse to come?”
“Having the Tiger Thunder Assassin here is reassuring.”
The white-tiger-clad man was Chae Eunjang, one of the Twelve Assassins of the Yaweol Sect.
“Did you receive the letter I sent?”
“On the way here I saw the letter reporting that the New Moon Assassin had fallen.”
“Yes. While carrying out a commission, he was killed by a suspicious individual.”
“The culprit has yet to be identified, it seems.”
“Sister Ha investigated his death thoroughly, yet still could not determine who was responsible.”
“If even the Beautiful Radiance Assassin could not uncover it, the opponent must be far beyond ordinary.”
“I share the same thought.”
“Where did the commission to capture Wolyeonggwangheun originate?”
“The client never revealed their identity, but it appears to be someone connected to the Tianxia Merchant Guild.”
“The Tianxia Merchant Guild? So even the merchant world has its eyes on the Cheonhwangdo Map.”
Chae Eunjang was well aware of the rumors circulating through the Central Plains. He had already grasped the full situation surrounding this particular commission.
“The Cheonhwangdo holds the treasures of the ancient Central Plains Empire. Of course a merchant guild would covet it.”
“No matter how great the greed, the entire Central Plains has already risen for it. Even if the Tianxia Merchant Guild is one of the Ten Great Heavenly Merchant Guilds, the act is reckless.”
“Which is precisely why they commissioned us.”
“Hmm… Having accepted the commission, we face one of two choices: return tenfold compensation, or capture Wolyeonggwangheun.”
“Exactly.”
“Sect Master, do you yourself not desire the Cheonhwangdo?”
“My late father once told me: never covet what your vessel cannot hold. Of course, given that it is the Cheonhwangdo, I am curious what it truly is.”
Chae Eunjang sank into thought.
This is dangerous.
Every instinct warned him not to become involved. Had it been any other commission, he would have paid the compensation and withdrawn. Yet this matter was bound to the Cheonhwangdo Map—an object of desire so vast it shook the hearts of all who heard of it.
In the end, curiosity won.
“Sect Master, allow me to bring him in.”
“If Uncle Chae will take it on, I would be grateful.”
He straightened.
“This humble one, the Tiger Thunder Assassin, receives the sect master’s command.”
Then her voice continued.
“And this time I will accompany you, Uncle Chae.”
“...!”
Chae Eunjang’s brow creased ever so slightly. Gong Hwaseon, master of the Yaweol Sect and sole daughter of the previous master Gong Chogang, had never once performed an assassination in real combat.
“Uncle Chae, I want to gain real experience through this opportunity.”
“Sect Master, there is no need to concern yourself with the words of others.”
“I am tired of hearing that I became sect master solely because I am the previous master’s child. I wish to show them.”
Chae Eunjang studied Gong Hwaseon’s stubborn gaze.
The sect master possesses the Killing Transformation Physique. It can only awaken under extreme circumstances, yet once it does, no one will stop her easily.
Moreover, if she moved at his side, he was certain no great danger would befall her.
“Very well. Let us go together.”
“Thank you, Uncle Chae.”
The only remaining irritation was the unknown being who had slain the New Moon Assassin.
“I hear the Beggar Sect’s beggars are moving to find him.”
“Then we shall quietly trail them and wait for our chance.”
Fear, tension, and a fierce excitement surged through his entire body at once. For the first time in a long while, the Tiger Thunder Assassin Chae Eunjang felt a flood of emotions crash over him together.
Before leaving the inn, Uncheon exchanged final farewells with Ja-deung.
“I’ve roughly written down the road to Mount Yeong here.”
“Thanks. Take care of yourself.”
“Always be careful.”
“If I pass nearby next time, I’ll come find you.”
“Yeah… Go well.”
Ja-deung waved until Uncheon’s figure disappeared. An inexplicable pride swelled in his chest. Among all the martial artists of the world, he had become friends with Uncheon of the Namgung Family—the greatest of the prestigious sword houses.
My friend is Blue Stream Sword Fragrance…
He looked forward to how far that renown would spread across the murim.
Uncheon’s mood was light. Following the trail of Dokjeonhwa that he had learned from Yu Gong-gae of the Beggar Sect, he quickened his steps toward Mount Yeong.
While I’m on the road I should find out just how much of the inner force inside me I can draw out.
A strange inner force lay hidden within his body. Ordinarily even he could not sense it, so opponents never realized he possessed any at all. That made it excellent for luring an enemy into carelessness during a fight. The problem was that he still did not know precisely how vast the reservoir was. He could not recklessly stake a battle upon it.
Compared to the New Moon Assassin or the Man in the Black Bamboo Hat, the hidden force was probably not that high—yet even that was uncertain.
Fwaaaaah!!
The moment Uncheon unfolded his movement art, a long trail of blue radiance—the Blue Shadow Body Qi—streamed behind him. The Heavenly Wind Body Technique changed the color of its body qi according to mastery. At six-star the light behind the form was a pale azure; at eight-star it deepened to rich blue; at ten-star a clear indigo qi followed. And when the technique reached perfection, the light turned white and finally became transparent and colorless.
As he raced, Uncheon contemplated the principles of the art. The form of the Heavenly Wind Body Technique was the wind of the heavens. Wind could go anywhere and moved freely through the air. When the qi of one’s inner force permeated that form, it became a true movement art—yet simply pouring energy into it did not create wind.
The essence of the Heavenly Wind Body Technique lies in four forces: attraction and repulsion, rotation and conveyance.
Uncheon’s comprehension of martial principle had never been especially high. Or rather, that had been true until the age of fifteen. By that age a person’s martial aptitude was considered fully determined, and the family had judged Uncheon’s understanding of principle to be neither outstanding nor deficient—merely average. From the family’s perspective, then, it was nothing short of miraculous that a youth only just stepping into the rivers and lakes had earned the title Blue Stream Sword Fragrance.
In truth, without Uncheon himself even noticing, his mind had been growing steadily clearer.
Whirrrr!
His form skimmed across the ground without the slightest hitch. A satisfied smile rose to his lips.
The first time I used it there was still some hesitation, but now there’s no discomfort at all. The inner force hidden in my body must at least be enough to reach the Zenith of the Five Dragons Peak Star.
As Uncheon descended from the air, the Blue Shadow Body Qi trailing behind him gradually turned transparent.
With this, I should be able to avoid unnecessary fights as well.
What Uncheon valued above all else was survival. Nothing mattered more than remaining alive.
He never stopped training the movement art as he traveled.
Haha. I’m training even more than I did back in the family.
Uncheon finally withdrew the technique and walked at a normal pace.
If I followed the path Ja-deung described, I should have crossed the Huang River by now… Where exactly am I?
He pricked his ears for any nearby presence.
That sound…
Faint human auras drifted from far ahead.
Has my hearing always been this good?
Unlike when he had lived within the family, stepping out into the Central Plains was revealing, one by one, how he himself had changed.
Concealing his inner force and resting one hand on his sword, Uncheon moved without a sound toward the voices.
A group advancing ahead.
The Beggar Sect.
Yu Gong-gae and the beggars who had left the inn ahead of him.
I came the right way, at least.
Whoosh!
I need to reach him before they do.
The Blue Shadow Body Qi that once again bloomed behind Uncheon’s form had already turned transparent and invisible.