Proof of the Blue Stream Sword Fragrance

Thud.

The moment he arrived at the entrance of Changgung Hall, the guard flinched and bowed low in greeting.

So the renown of the Blue Stream Sword Fragrance is no empty boast after all.

The qi that flowed unconsciously from the young man's frame was astonishing.

"I pay my respects to Young Master Uncheon."

"You've been working hard."

Uncheon inclined his head toward the guard in return.

Guard Hu Jogwang allowed himself a faint smile as he looked at the youth.

Among all the rising talents of the Namgung Family who entered Changgung Hall, Uncheon was the only one who ever properly returned a greeting.

Most accepted the salute with a curt word or simply walked past in silence.

Still smiling, Uncheon asked,

"May I go in?"

"Yes, please enter."

"Thank you."

Uncheon bowed once more, briefly, and stepped into Changgung Hall.

Inside, his cousin-brothers had gathered.

It had been called a simple lunch, yet the atmosphere felt more like a small banquet.

Namgung Hyemi still wore her innocent expression as she waved brightly in welcome.

"Brother Uncheon, welcome!"

Unlike the other cousins, she alone beamed at him with open delight, and Uncheon couldn't help a quiet smile.

I've always thought so, but she really is pure.

Her nature had always been bright.

Uncheon walked over to Namgung Gunchun, who stood among the gathered cousins.

"Young Family Head, I hope I haven't kept everyone waiting."

"Little brother Uncheon, you arrived right on time."

Namgung Gunchun gave Uncheon's shoulder a light, familiar clap as if they were close.

The eyes around them shifted at the gesture.

Young Family Head Namgung Gunchun had never shown particular closeness to anyone in front of others.

Yet the moment Uncheon arrived, he had warmly called him "little brother."

Even among themselves, the only cousins he ever addressed that way—aside from his true brothers—was his cousin Namgung Dokchun.

Namgung Gunchun looked around and spoke.

"We've prepared a welcome feast to mark little brother Uncheon's return to the family. First, everyone raise your cups."

A dozen or so cousins lifted their cups.

"Little brother Uncheon, say a few words."

Uncheon took his cup in both hands and bowed to the gathered relatives.

"I am grateful that you have so warmly welcomed one as unworthy as myself. And I offer my thanks as well to Young Family Head for arranging this gathering."

The moment his greeting ended, everyone drained their cups.

A short while passed.

In that time Uncheon exchanged greetings with each of them one by one, accepting cup after cup.

Namgung Jincheon held out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a wine flask toward him.

He was the son of Namgung Mukwu, Hall Master of the Lone Soul Hall among the family's five combat halls.

"They call you Blue Stream Sword Fragrance… Would it be possible to see just how skilled you really are?"

Every gaze in Changgung Hall turned to Uncheon and Namgung Jincheon.

Having grown up in the family, they all knew Uncheon's old martial skill well enough.

Throughout his youth it had never stood out; it had been thoroughly ordinary.

Even Namgung Gunchun, though he had not stepped forward first, watched them with clear interest, curious about Uncheon's true level.

Of course Uncheon had already read Jincheon's thoughts the moment the man approached with the flask.

They're all thinking the same thing.

Uncheon held out his cup and answered.

"Which of you gentlemen would care to spar with me?"

The cousins only eyed one another; none stepped forward readily.

Uncheon looked at the one who had spoken and asked,

"Brother Jincheon brought it up first—shall we spar?"

Namgung Gunchun raised his voice so everyone could hear.

"That sounds good. Both of you have made your intentions clear. Begin."

Uncheon and Namgung Jincheon walked out into the broad courtyard.

Namgung Gunchun faced the two who stood opposite each other and laid out the rules.

"The spar will be three exchanges of offense and defense. That should be enough to gauge each other's skill. How does that sound to both of you?"

"Understood."

"I will follow the Young Family Head's words."

The rules of the spar were set simply at three moves.

Yet who took the first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠strike could decide the advantage in a three-move duel.

"Please take the first move as you prefer."

"You go first."

"Thank you."

Namgung Jincheon knew perfectly well how important the first strike was in a three-move spar.

But as the older cousin, he could not bring himself to claim it.

Uncheon drew the Blue Silver Sword from its scabbard.

"…"

Namgung Gunchun's brows twitched at the sight.

There was no sound of the blade leaving the sheath.

He had never seen such a thing.

He himself could not swear he could draw a sword without a sound.

Unlike Gunchun, however, Namgung Jincheon showed no reaction whether the draw made noise or not.

"I shall attack first."

Gulp.

Namgung Jincheon raised his own High Azure Sword and waited for Uncheon's strike.

Whiiish!

Uncheon's Blue Silver Sword unfurled the Grand Continuum Sword Art.

The Blue Silver Sword traced a great circle above Namgung Jincheon's head and came crashing down.

Until that moment Jincheon had been tense; now a scoff of laughter slipped from his lips.

Is that all? The Returning Heaven Heavy Form of the Grand Continuum Sword Art?

He had long since mastered the Grand Continuum Sword Art completely and knew every method of breaking it.

Taah!

Jincheon waited for the perfect opening and shot forward the instant the descending blade fell.

At the same time he thrust his High Azure Sword straight at Uncheon's chest.

The weak point of Returning Heaven Heavy Form is the chest!

Watching this, Namgung Ungcheon spoke to Gunchun with open disappointment.

"Brother Gunchun, he's weaker than I expected. Opening with Returning Heaven Heavy Form—didn't he underestimate his opponent a little too much?"

It looked as though a single counter would end the spar with ease.

"If he were slow, Uncheon would fall, of course. But will he?"

"…?"

Namgung Gunchun's eyes were fixed on the Blue Silver Sword, which was growing faster by the instant.

Shiiing—!!

In a flash the sound of the air itself changed, and with it the entire situation.

Clang!

Uncheon's Blue Silver Sword smashed down hard upon the blade racing for his chest.

Had the target been Jincheon's neck instead of the sword, the head would have been severed in a single stroke.

Namgung Jincheon stood frozen, having lost his High Azure Sword completely.

Even allowing for carelessness, dropping one's blade from a single blow was unthinkable—and a perfect defeat.

Namgung Gunchun's voice cut through the air.

"How foolish… You fell for the opponent's trap far too easily. No matter how much empty boasting and exaggeration there is in the martial world, the title Blue Stream Sword Fragrance does not arise for nothing."

Namgung Jincheon's face flushed red.

"I was careless. If we spar again—"

"Jincheon, enough."

Gunchun turned his gaze to Uncheon.

"Little brother Uncheon, with what mindset did you wield your sword?"

"I treated it as a real fight, not a spar."

The answer pleased Namgung Gunchun.

"Jincheon, you thought of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it as a spar, didn't you?"

"Of course it was a spar, wasn't it?"

"If it had not been a spar, would you still have been careless?"

"Yes."

"Is that so?"

Gunchun showed a meaningful smile.

"Fine. We'll see whether you would be careless or not if you fought for real."

"…"

"Jincheon, this time you take the first move. Then we'll know."

"…Understood."

Jaw clenched, Namgung Jincheon faced Uncheon once more.

"Can you go again?"

"Yes, Brother."

Uncheon answered and stepped forward.

Ziiing—

A sword cry rang from Jincheon's High Azure Sword.

As he drew up the full force of his inner energy, a blue sword aura surged along the blade.

Lone Soul Single Sword.

The profound principle of the Lone Soul Single Sword was formlessness; among the Namgung sword arts it possessed the freest forms of all.

This time it's my turn.

In ordinary terms the power of the Lone Soul Single Sword surpassed the Grand Continuum Sword Art.

While Uncheon had lived in the family, no one had ever seen him properly master any martial art beyond the Grand Continuum Sword Art.

Woooom—

The sword cry rang as if it would subdue the opponent's very soul, pressing down upon Uncheon's entire body.

The cousins watching were startled by the level of Jincheon's skill.

"I never knew Brother Jincheon's Lone Soul Single Sword had reached that height…"

"It looks hard for Uncheon to stop."

Yet Uncheon felt that the approaching Lone Soul Single Sword was subtly lacking in power.

I recall that the profound principle of the Lone Soul Single Sword is to follow form yet forget form entirely.

The words his uncle Namgung Jangwu, former Master of Changcheon Pavilion, had once spoken in passing came back to him.

But… Brother Jincheon's Lone Soul Single Sword has not fully forgotten form.

Paaah!!

The instant he found the unstable point, Uncheon unleashed the later form of the Grand Continuum Sword Art—Grand Continuum Qi Extinction.

Grand Continuum was a world beyond the world.

Because no existence wider or greater than it could exist, any being that entered the Grand Continuum could be annihilated.

Paaaaang—!!!

Two forces collided.

"Kugh…!!"

Namgung Jincheon, who had believed himself the perfect victor, was driven back by the opposing force.

Uncheon, by contrast, still stood in the exact same spot.

Victory and defeat between the two men was glaringly clear.

It was not merely because Jincheon had retreated.

The front of Jincheon's robes over his chest had been sliced open for nearly half a foot.

With their own eyes everyone confirmed that the skill of Blue Stream Sword Fragrance Namgung Uncheon was the real thing.

The surroundings fell silent in an instant.

"Ahem, why the mood? Did none of you think little brother Uncheon would win?"

When everyone had lost their words, the largest of the cousins, Namgung Ungcheon, strode up beside Uncheon.

Then, just as he used to, he threw a thick arm around Uncheon's neck.

"Hahaha. I've thought it since the old days—this guy's the real deal."

"Ow… Brother Ungcheon. That hurts."

"Heh heh, does it?"

Even as he released his arm, Ungcheon ruffled Uncheon's hair with obvious good humor.

Swoosh.

Having slipped free, Uncheon stepped up to the still-silent Namgung Jincheon and bowed his head.

"Brother Jincheon, you worked hard."

"Forget it. Worked hard, my foot. Getting beaten twice… What's a talentless fool got to work hard over?"

Swoosh.

At that Uncheon moved right up to him and whispered something.

Namgung Jincheon's eyes went round.

"Is that true?"

Uncheon flashed a grin and nodded.

The gloom left Jincheon's face.

As he turned away, the words Uncheon had murmured into his ear kept circling through his mind.

"Please keep what I say a secret. Brother, your martial skill is second only to Brother Gunchun's. This time I simply got lucky."

After returning from Changgung Hall, he went to see his mother.

"Good. A man should finish what he starts."

He had expected it would be difficult to persuade her, yet contrary to his expectations she calmly gave him permission to leave for the Central Plains.

"Mother, thank you."

"But… you must not go so long without word as you did last time."

"Yes. I'll make sure that never happens again."

Swoosh.

Sun Yuhwa took Uncheon's hand.

The previous evening she had listened as her husband spoke of Uncheon with rare excitement.

"Our son was never a child meant to spend his years inside the family. The place Uncheon belongs is the world itself."

She had nodded and accepted her husband's words.

"Will you leave tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. First I should go to the Night Moon Gate and pay my respects to Master."

"Very well. Wherever you go, always take care of yourself."

"Yes, Mother."

Creak.

Just then the door opened and Namgung Hyeonwu entered and took a seat.

"Father, you've come."

"I heard on the way. You sparred at Changgung Hall?"

"The brothers said they wanted to see my martial skill."

No—they simply wanted to check whether the rumors of your skill were true.

He had more or less expected it from the moment he heard the rising talents would gather at Changgung Hall.

"We parted on good terms, so you need not worry about that matter."

"Did Jincheon accept it properly?"

As Head of the Law Enforcement Hall, he knew Namgung Jincheon's temperament well.

No one was free of desire, yet under the influence of Lone Soul Hall Master Namgung Mukwu the boy was said to be especially greedy for martial achievement and unusually sensitive about losing spars.

"I said one thing and he was fine afterward."

"…What did you say?"

"That he is second only to the Young Family Head."

"Is that true?"

"I don't know. It might well be true, mightn't it?"

Cunning little fox…

Namgung Hyeonwu looked at his son Uncheon with an incredulous expression.

Still, the boy was not rigidly closed-minded; with that much flexibility he would get along well enough wherever he went.

"When you enter the martial world, always remember that the family stands behind you. And if you ever feel you need help, contact us at any time."

"Yes, Father."

Namgung Hyeonwu's own feelings had changed as well.

Watching Uncheon set out for the martial world once more, he felt pride rather than regret.

Though Uncheon had not spoken of the task awaiting him, Hyeonwu sensed it was important.

If it's this boy… he will overcome it well enough.

After the collapse of Maegwang in Tangshan, the martial world had remained unexpectedly quiet for two full years.

In truth, the moment it became known that the Heavenly Death Cult had destroyed Maegwang, war clouds had gathered at once.

No better pretext for striking the Heavenly Death Cult existed; every orthodox sect, including the Wulin Alliance, had been ready to rise.

It was not only the orthodox side.

Even the Ten Great Underworld Bands announced they would neither accept nor handle any business connected with the Heavenly Death Cult.

When the underworld joined the pressure as well, the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Death Cult moved quickly and issued a formal statement.

The Central Plains did not believe the Cult Leader's words.

Surely he would never actually offer up Later Fame King Bochuk's head.

Yet his words proved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠true.

Bochuk's head, sent by the Heavenly Death Cult, arrived at the Wulin Alliance.

Once the Cult Leader's sincerity became known, the pretext for attacking the Heavenly Death Cult weakened.

After that affair was settled, the martial world of the Central Plains grew quiet as if by some lie.

The relationship between the Moyong Family and the Hebei Peng Family, however, was the exception.

Fortunately the Ten Great Families had mediated, so neither side moved—for now.

If someone struck a spark between them, open war would erupt at once.

Uncheon sat in a second-floor inn room and listened to the talk drifting up from below.

The rumor heard most often was the tension between the Moyong Family and the Hebei Peng Family.

What Moyong Jeok smuggled out was the real Cheonhwangdo Map, after all. It's only natural the two families became mortal enemies.

Yet Uncheon understood the nature of the great martial families well enough.

"Well… they still won't go as far as full-scale war that easily. Both sides know one of them would end up fatally crippled."

A martial family never set foot on the road to annihilation unless victory was certain.

Swoosh.

"All right… I can't go empty-handed to see Master, so I'd better find out what wine he likes."

Uncheon rose from his seat and went downstairs.