Chapter 51
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Azure Sky Unhindered Sword Art
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Complaints from the common folk.
And to turn a blind eye after hearing the pained groans of the people.
Is that the weight carried by the name of the Hwangbo family?
I didn't want to consider things like political standing. I didn't want the path I walked to be one of calculating self-interest.
So you're the Namgung family's little thunder-wrecker I've heard is in Shandong.
I bore no emblem of the Namgung family. Moreover, I had never even met anyone from the Hwangbo family. For him to recognize me at a glance and speak meant the Hwangbo bastards had already identified me long ago.
How absurd. You've been keeping a close watch on me, haven't you?
Shandong is in the palm of our hand. It would be strange if we didn't know.
It seems you didn't know about the bandits running rampant, though.
At my words, the man who seemed to be from the Hwangbo family shrugged.
Spout whatever nonsense you want. From the moment you saw this, I had no intention of letting you live.
At his words, I couldn't help but curse.
You damn bastard. A man of the righteous factions speaks of silencing someone with murder just because his shame was exposed.
The righteous factions? Since when did that name mean we had to forsake our gains and losses? If you want to debate such a hollow shell, go home and throw a tantrum.
This man was the real deal. The moment he finished speaking, a thunderous explosion erupted. He seemed to have no intention of hiding the name of Hwangbo.
Kwaddeudeudeuk!
I raised my sword, blocking his fist with the flat of the blade. More accurately, I tried to deflect it.
But then.
Tadadadang!
An explosive flurry of punches slammed into the flat of my blade in an instant. As they struck it repeatedly, the blade, infused with the energy of the Heavenly Thunder Imperial Divine Art, shuddered violently.
A tingling numbness spread from my fingertips. If I allowed the assault to continue, I had the dreadful feeling my sword would break, so I drew upon the Heavenly Thunder Imperial Divine Art.
I couldn't accept it.
With such a level of martial skill, why would he be backing mere bandits?
He was far more skilled than Pyo Gap, the leader of the Green Tiger Stronghold. I gritted my teeth.
Don't push yourself. You're going to die anyway. Your abilities are weaker than my power.
...How arrogant. And conceited.
The Hwangbo man clenched and unclenched his hands, which were as large as cauldron lids.
Survival of the fittest. The logic of the martial world is that the strong take all.
It means that whatever you say will be useless.
His massive frame moved with the fluid speed of a swift tiger. He closed the distance in an instant, creating the illusion that space itself had folded, and I raised my guard to the absolute limit.
Pajijijik!
I unleashed a blue bolt of lightning with the energy of Heavenly Thunder straight ahead.
In that moment.
Too slow.
Just as the blue lightning struck the ground, a massive boulder seemed to block my vision.
Kwang!
Sent flying into the air, I had the momentary illusion of flight. I spun in mid-air to absorb the impact and landed on the ground.
Your improvisation is quite good. Since you couldn't dodge, you took my fist with your forehead.
Looking at the man who had expressed his admiration, I barely managed to clear my dizzy head. I was stunned. No, for a moment, I nearly lost consciousness. I hadn't realized, since he only revealed his true power when aiming to sever an opponent's life.
Power isn't something you use so recklessly. One strike, one kill. The power you display might intimidate an opponent, but it can't take a life in a single blow. That's because the opponent also raises their tension to the extreme.
His power was overwhelming. The 'Thunderbolt' martial art that sustained the Hwangbo family felt like the worst possible matchup for me. It was explosive power against power, and in the face of time, there was a purity of internal energy that could not be surpassed.
However.
...Thank you.
I raised the tip of my sword and took my stance.
Impressive. Your unwavering heart, at least, is worthy of acknowledgment.
The Hwangbo man gave me a look of admiration. Such a gaze didn't bother me.
I simply move forward. Though I was shaken for a moment by his overwhelming power, I quickly composed myself. Whose sword was it that I held?
Azure Sky. Azure Vault. Heavenly Thunder, Boundless. Great Expansion, Heavenly Wind. You may consider this list of words to be the entirety of the Namgung. Only by making the stories of these six your own can you look to what comes next. The path of the Emperor, which you have so fervently yearned for.
It was the First Elder, Namgung Yeoul. Five years had already passed without seeing him, but his was the first face that came to mind in a crisis.
The Six Harmonies refer to the heavens, the earth, and the four cardinal directions, but for the Namgung, the meaning is different. The Six Harmonies that contain the stories of Azure Sky, Azure Vault, Heavenly Thunder, Boundless, Great Expansion, and Heavenly Wind are what can truly be called Namgung. However, entering that path is arduous and difficult. That is why guides are needed.
Having understood the stories of Great Expansion and Heavenly Thunder, it was now time to look to another sky.
Believe in the path you walk.
The blue lightning at the tip of my sword transformed into a blazing flame. The surging energy was gathered and melted into the blade.
It was just as the Hwangbo man had said.
The energy achieved unity, becoming completely void.
Seeing the Great Young Lord of the Namgung family, the little thunder-wrecker who was said to be making quite a name for himself against bandits, was a welcome event.
They said he was the son of the Azure Sky Divine Sword, Namgung Mubaek, and it was certainly true. The lightning he unleashed and a composure excessive for one who had just passed his coming of age.
His understanding of the sword, and the improvisation with which he blocked and deflected my own vastly superior fists countless times.
He was skilled enough to be called a genius without exaggeration. To think he had blocked his fistswhich ranked within the top five of the Hwangbo familyfor over twenty exchanges.
But more than that.
...Hah.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
Did you hear what I said and make it your own?
The Great Young Lord's energy was being gathered.
Power isn't something you use so recklessly. One strike, one kill. The power you display might intimidate an opponent, but it can't take a life in a single blow. That's because the opponent also raises their tension to the extreme.
Words spoken lightly, but their meaning was anything but.
He hadn't just let them pass; he had transformed them into enlightenment and was melting it into his sword.
Witnessing this unbelievable sight, Hwangbo Gyeom felt a chill in his heart for the first time. The boy's genius, and furthermore, his potential, would surely become a threat.
He would become a shining star in the righteous martial world and cast the Hwangbo family into the shadow of the Namgung.
As that thought naturally occurred to him, Hwangbo Gyeom's fists clenched.
I must kill him.
I will kill him and erase every trace.
I will not let the name of Namgung overshadow the Hwangbo.
The Hwangbo family was already dimmed because of the Azure Sky Divine Sword, Namgung Mubaek; he couldn't let the next generation suffer the same fate.
Boy. I will bear all the sins. I am sorry.
Hwangbo Gyeom made up his mind.
He would kill this boy, even if it meant abandoning his own name and honor.
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!
Thunderbolts.
Explosions erupted from the heavens and the earth.
Yangsanpa could only peek out and watch the unfolding scene. If he didn't, he felt he would be swept away by the bursting waves of energy and shockwaves, turned to dust without a trace.
The figures of the two were no longer visible. He could only guess where they were clashing each time a halo of light burst forth and an explosion struck his eardrums.
...Crazy.
The spirit and divine presence displayed by the young man, who seemed to have just passed his coming of age, filled Yangsanpa's eyes. He was fighting without giving an inch against the monster from the Hwangbo family, who was clearly demonstrating superior martial power.
Hey, Brother Yang. L-let's run away.
Y-yeah! If we keep watching, we'll die too!
The trembling bandits all chattered at once, saying they could survive if they fled now. They even spouted nonsense about how the ten nyang of gold in their pockets would let them live lavishly for the rest of their lives anywhere they went.
Foolish bastards.
Even if they ran, where would they run to?
Do they not know what kind of people the Asura Corps are?
Yangsanpa clicked his tongue, shook his head, and flatly refused, telling them to stop talking nonsense.
...You fools. Pray. Pray and pray again. Pray for that young man to win. Pray and pray again that he does not lose this fight.
Only then can we live.
Only then will we not die.
Yangsanpa prayed and prayed inwardly. Otherwise, the monster from the Hwangbo family would kill them all. That was the attitude the man was showing.
Azure Vault.
It means the sky.
Boundless.
It speaks of a place so vast and distant that its end cannot be known.
The sky is vast, and its end is unknown.
My insignificant sword emulates that vastness.
Contemplate and contemplate again, melting the might of the endless sky.
I combine the two stories, melting them into my sword. That is the Azure Sky Unhindered Sword Art.
Melting infinite power into the sword, the surging energy becomes one.
One Strike, One Kill.
A swift blade to sever a tangled mess.
The Azure Sky Unhindered Sword Art, infused with my enlightenment, countered the Thunderbolt, meeting the opponent's fists. I forced down the metallic taste of blood that surged up my throat.
You are too outstanding. Your talent is absurd. But because of it, you will live a short life.
The man relentlessly threw his Thunderbolt fists at me. Had I not been able to unfold the Azure Sky Unhindered Sword Art, my body would have been shattered long ago. The energy of Heavenly Thunder was raging like a furious wave from my dantian, but...
I continued to block his fists, which were filled with killing intent, but the more I blocked, the faster they became.
Your body is not yet fully mature. It cannot handle your genius.
Kwang!
The impact that slammed into my side forced my mouth open. Blood trickled down from the corner of my lips.
...I'm truly glad it was I who came, and not someone else. I can eliminate a future threat.
Kwang!
A punch from the Hwangbo man slammed into my right shoulder, and my sword fell from my grasp. At the same time, the distance between us widened.
Was my body flying through the air from the impact? My consciousness gradually faded. Like sinking deep into water, the strength that had sustained my body slowly seeped away.
In my fading memories, two faces appeared.
I pictured Namgung Byeok, with his fair and pale face, raising his hand and waving. Behind him, my mother, Lady Baek, appeared, sharing his beautiful smile.
Die. I will pay for my sins in the afterlife.
I don't want to die.
I can't die.
As the man's form approached, I squeezed my eyes shut.
And then.
...Move.
A shadow fell over me.
...A bandit?
Yangsanpa, was it?
The bandit stood before me with his hands raised, blocking my path. To be precise, he stood between me and the Hwangbo man.
S-stop! The gold is here! Wasn't this your goal from the beginning? You said he's the scion of a prestigious family! Then he can give you that paltry sum of gold many times over! Keep him alive and get more money instead! How many times must you aim that monstrous fist at someone who has lost the will to fight! Aren't you a man of the righteous factions!
...Run.
I swallowed a groan and stared at the back of Yangsanpa, who stood before me. Despite my words, the bandit paid no heed, standing firm on his trembling legs.
The Hwangbo man let out a hollow laugh at the sight and uttered a single phrase.
You've wasted a few seconds. You were all fated to die anyway. Thanks for saving me the trouble of finding you.
Huuuung!
The Hwangbo man's cauldron-lid fist descended upon the bandit. The cowering bandit squeezed his eyes shut as if to accept his fate, and then, a streak of light shot in from somewhere and met the fist.
Kwang!
...I owe you one. Bandit. What was your name?
The streak of light that had flown in from nowhere materialized, transforming into a person. It had looked like a streak of light because its speed was simply too fast to perceive.
I-it's Yangsanpa.
I'll remember it.
Hearing the familiar voice, I smiled faintly. Finally, my heart was at ease. I couldn't understand why a voice that would normally earn a sharp retort now felt so comforting.
Sleep for a while. It will be over when you wake up.
...Looks like you haven't been drinking today.
It was the Iron-Blood Sword Saint, An Baek.