The First Match
As Wang Jimak stood there stunned, the spectators began murmuring among themselves.
“What on earth is going on?”
“Did he submit a blank entry or something?”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“If it’s not that, then maybe he wrote the name wrong.”
When the commotion grew louder, Wang Jimak gave a meaningful glance. It was a silent signal asking whether there was any error in the roster.
Once Hyeon-gok nodded, Wang Jimak spoke up.
“Hyeon-gok, Chief of the Blue Dragon Squad, step forward.”
In that instant, everyone’s eyes widened.
No one could understand why a squad leader would be the first to enter the arena. Normally, the squad members would shine first while the leader wrapped things up at the end. Yet against all expectations, Hyeon-gok’s name had come up first.
Despite the uproar, Hyeon-gok calmly picked up his scabbard.
This had all been part of Hyeon-gok’s plan.
Flattening the nose of Jang Muhwi from the Black Tortoise Squad was only secondary. What he truly wanted was to show off his martial prowess to his maternal grandfather, the Thunder Lightning Sword.
And that wasn’t all.
The distinguished guests who had come along were equally formidable. To them, Jang Muhwi was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb.
In truth, the reason Hyeon-gok was burning with such ambition was because he hated being looked down upon in the murim. Though he came from an insignificant martial family, having the Namgung Clan as his maternal family was a tremendous advantage in his activities across the Jianghu.
But that was as far as it went.
It was true that even his position as leader of the Murim Alliance’s Blue Dragon Squad had been obtained by riding on the coattails of his maternal family’s reputation. A seat gained without proper martial skill felt utterly hollow.
That was why he had sought out his maternal grandfather.
And then, an unexpected giyan had come his way.
Right at the entrance of the Namgung Clan residence, Hyeon-gok had suffered a serious injury. He had been attacked by a gang of rogue warriors. It might sound strange to call that a lucky encounter, but for Hyeon-gok, that was exactly where his giyan had begun.
The Thunder Lightning Sword had taught him martial arts after he stumbled in beaten and bloodied. Even though he was only a grandson by marriage, the old man had passed on the Namgung Clan’s techniques?
Others might find it strange, but it was the truth.
According to his grandfather, those techniques did not align with the Namgung Clan’s standard mental cultivation method. So he had also taught him a compatible one. Footwork, mental cultivation, and sword techniques—all of them.
There had been only one condition: he must not reveal them to the outside world until he had perfectly mastered every form.
Hyeon-gok had only recently completed his mastery of the arts his grandfather had passed down. He had been pondering when to reveal them.
That was when a perfect prey had caught his eye.
The current match order was the same. Hyeon-gok intended to step out first, defeat Ma Uiryong and Galmu-ryang in succession, and finally crush Jang Muhwi with overwhelming force.
That was why he had placed his own name first.
Hyeon-gok slowly took his position on the arena stage and revealed the aura he had been hiding.
Ma Uiryong, watching him from the opposite side, unconsciously swallowed dryly. He hadn’t noticed it before, but the momentum Hyeon-gok was giving off now was no joke.
The man who had seemed like a sandcastle from below the stage now felt like a towering mountain.
Ma Uiryong instinctively gripped his iron staff tighter.
Galmu-ryang did the same. Though he had shown a slight flicker of agitation, he quickly returned to his emotionless expression as he stared at the stage.
Wang Jimak, standing above the arena, tilted his head once more. After briefly examining the Black Tortoise Squad’s entry list, he gave up and shouted.
“Jang Muhwi, Chief of the Black Tortoise Squad, step forward.”
The noisy venue fell deathly silent in an instant.
The shock that hit them now was several times greater than when Hyeon-gok had been called first. No one had imagined that the two squad leaders would face each other right from the start.
The most startled of all wasn’t the spectators or Wang Jimak.
It was Hyeon-gok, who had already taken the stage first. He looked utterly shocked.
But only for a moment. Hyeon-gok bit his lip hard.
His right hand, gripping the scabbard, trembled uncontrollably. He felt as if his rightful place had been stolen from him.
Then a grating voice reached his ears.
“It seems our hearts are truly in sync. We’ve never properly greeted each other, yet it appears there’s something between us after all. Haha.”
“…What are you scheming?”
When Hyeon-gok narrowed his eyes, Jang Muhwi answered casually.
“Weren’t you the one who came up first, Chief Hyeon? Yet you ask me what I’m scheming? I’m not sure how I’m supposed to answer that.”
Jang Muhwi replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Just as he had expected.
A man who would use any means necessary to reveal his own strength. That was exactly who Hyeon-gok was.
At that moment, Wang Jimak stepped back and spoke in a low voice.
“Show proper respect to one another.”
Jang Muhwi quickly raised his fist in a formal salute while still holding his scabbard.
“I am Jang Muhwi, Chief of the Black Tortoise Squad. My sword has no name yet, so you may simply call it Mumyeong.”
“…I am Hyeon-gok, Chief of the Blue Dragon Squad. My sword is the Blue Dragon Sword. And the martial art I will display is the Heavenly Thunder Sword. I suggest you watch your step.”
He lowered his voice at the end so that only Jang Muhwi could hear. It was clearly a threat.
Wang Jimak, having retreated, shouted.
“Begin!”
At the same time, Hyeon-gok drew his sword.
Srrrng.
Hyeon-gok’s blade gleamed with a silvery light. The chill it gave off was so intense that it almost seemed to carry a hint of madness.
Then Jang Muhwi raised his palm.
“Hold on a moment.”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
When Hyeon-gok’s icy voice rang out, Jang Muhwi lifted his own sword.
He untied the knot that had been binding the scabbard to the hilt. After loosening it completely, he tied the scabbard and hilt together once more.
Only then did he look back at Hyeon-gok.
“I tied it because I didn’t want you to get hurt. It’s done now, so come at me.”
“W-what the hell are you doing?”
“I will fight with the scabbard still on.”
“You….”
Hyeon-gok stared at Jang Muhwi in utter disbelief.
This was a situation no one could have predicted. It wasn’t consideration—it was pure arrogance.
With the sudden twist, the match fell into a brief lull.
The Thunder Lightning Sword, seated in the place of honor, shook his head. His expression wasn’t one of displeasure, but of deep concern as he watched the stage.
It was only natural. The Heavenly Thunder Sword he had taught his grandson contained overwhelming, tyrannical power.
It had been a coincidence. After witnessing lightning spreading across the ground, he had created the Heavenly Thunder Sword. While the lightning energy itself followed a similar path to the Namgung Clan’s techniques, everything else was completely different.
The only regret was that there had been no one suitable to pass it on to. After all, it didn’t match the Namgung Clan’s mental cultivation method.
In terms of raw power, it surpassed the Namgung Clan’s sword arts, but in stability, it fell far behind.
That was why he had warned his grandson never to reveal this sword technique to the world until he had mastered it perfectly.
The Thunder Lightning Sword secretly gathered energy at his Yongcheon acupoint. He feared his grandson might actually kill his opponent.
Important figures including the City Lord were gathered here. If any accident occurred, not only his grandson but the entire Namgung Clan would be in trouble.
The Thunder Lightning Sword found the opponent provoking his grandson extremely displeasing.
“Why is he digging his own grave… Heh heh.”
At that moment, a woman’s voice reached the old man’s ear.
“There’s no need to worry so much, sir.”
“You are….”
“I am Dang Jihwa of the Sichuan Tang Family. We greeted each other before, didn’t we, sir?”
“Heh heh. You’ve grown quite a bit.”
The Thunder Lightning Sword looked at Dang Jihwa and hid his expression. The Sichuan Tang Family was one that maintained close ties with the Namgung Clan.
Dang Jihwa, studying him, spoke softly.
“Would you like to make a bet with me?”
“Heh heh. What kind of bet?”
“On who will win.”
“Betting on an outcome that’s as clear as day…”
“I don’t think the Black Tortoise Chief will lose.”
“What would you wager?”
“Money, trading rights—anything is fine. I’ll accept whatever falls within the scope of my authority.”
Dang Jihwa made the suggestion with an innocent expression.
In truth, she was desperate right now.
Everything that had brought her here was because of Jang Muhwi. It had been several months since she first met him at the Dragon Gate Assembly.
She didn’t even want to think about what had happened back then. Jang Muhwi had taken every single one of her priceless elixirs.
The real problem came afterward.
While she had been away, even the Murim Alliance’s Sichuan Branch had been cleaned out. The elder she had trusted had handed over precious medicinal herbs to Jang Muhwi’s group.
To Dang Jihwa, this was completely unacceptable. So she had come looking for this opportunity.
That was when she had spotted the Thunder Lightning Sword. From the look in his eyes, he clearly didn’t think his grandson would lose. Instead, he seemed worried about Jang Muhwi.
It was perfectly natural. After all, she had once thought exactly the same way.
Dang Jihwa was a clever woman. There was no need to repay her suffering directly to the one who had caused it. She knew the smartest way was to recover her losses through someone else who could afford it.
“How about elixirs?”
“Heh heh. Very well.”
And so a deal was struck between the Namgung Clan and the Sichuan Tang Family.
When Jang Muhwi showed no sign of untying the knot on his sword, Wang Jimak simply allowed the match to proceed.
Jang Muhwi quietly observed his opponent. The distance between them was five steps.
The first to move was Hyeon-gok, his face twisted with displeasure. It seemed his mood still hadn’t improved.
Hyeon-gok charged toward Jang Muhwi. The aura he emitted was like a storm.
And behind every storm came lightning.
His steps left faint afterimages in their wake.
Crackle!
It was the Heavenly Thunder Step that Hyeon-gok had honed to perfection.
The foundation of all martial arts was footwork. Only by building superior techniques upon that foundation could one avoid collapse.
What surprised the spectators was that even his footwork carried the energy of lightning.
Hyeon-gok’s sword sliced through the air.
Shing!
As expected, his Blue Dragon Sword was wrapped in blue lightning energy.
The lightning-clad blade flew straight toward Jang Muhwi’s head.
Everyone realized that this bout had already moved far beyond the realm of a simple friendly match.
The spectators gaped.
“That much lightning energy… It doesn’t look like the Namgung Clan’s sword style, but it’s somehow similar.”
“Heh heh. Isn’t it a bit too tyrannical?”
“Still, to wield that much power at his age… There can’t be many in the Central Plains, let alone Qinghai, who could match him.”
“You’re right about that.”
Everyone was busy praising Hyeon-gok. The terrifying power he displayed was impressive no matter who saw it.
The spectators clicked their tongues with pitying expressions.
“The match is already over.”
“Indeed.”
They were all certain of Jang Muhwi’s defeat.
Paying no attention to their gazes, Hyeon-gok continued to unleash a relentless barrage of sword strikes.
This was the first time he was revealing the Heavenly Thunder Sword to the world. Coupled with his opponent’s provocation, he had lost his composure.
But that only lasted for a moment. Hyeon-gok soon noticed something strange.
Under normal circumstances, his opponent should have been split in two within three moves. Yet Jang Muhwi was completely fine.
He was calmly receiving every single one of his lightning strikes.
Clang.
Clang!
Hyeon-gok continued his lightning assault, but Jang Muhwi, standing at the center of the storm, remained astonishingly calm.
To others, he looked like a small boat dancing before a massive wave. But Jang Muhwi’s expression was as steady as a great merchant ship gliding along a tranquil river.
In truth, he had already finished analyzing the technique the moment he saw Hyeon-gok’s footwork.
Footwork and attack were inseparable. Direction, power—everything could be understood by watching the footwork.
This was precisely what the second chapter of the Mumyeonggeomgyeol, Destruction of Form, explained.
The sword path that analyzed an opponent’s martial art and struck at its weakness. That was the true essence of Destruction of Form.
Jang Muhwi was enduring the attacks purely to accumulate experience.
Forms are completed through experience. That was Jang Muhwi’s philosophy.
As the lightning energy within the Blue Dragon Sword grew stronger, Jang Muhwi finally smiled.
He had decided that he had taken all the experience he could from Hyeon-gok.
Now it was time to show him the true terror of the Mumyeonggeomgyeol.