Chapter 307: Namgung Hyun
Namgung Hyun had only three days.
Namgung Myung poured all his skills into teaching Namgung Hyun. To an outsider, it might have seemed like they were just sparring endlessly, but there was a subtlety to it that went beyond mere practice.
“Come at me.”
At Namgung Myung’s words, Namgung Hyun steadied his breath and assumed the preparatory stance of the Daeyeon Sword Technique.
His sword tip was not aligned with the center of his body but tilted towards his left shoulder. Such a stance was rare, as it was unstable and limited the directions in which the sword could be thrust. However, if mastered, it allowed for more daring and explosive strikes.
In contrast, Namgung Myung held Namgung Hyun’s scabbard as if it were a sword, lightly flicking it.
Namgung Hyun cautiously closed the distance, then suddenly swung his sword with full force. It was a risky move to execute with a real sword in a sparring match.
Yet, as with the dozens of clashes before, Namgung Hyun was confident that Namgung Myung could parry the strike.
And indeed, his confidence was not misplaced. Namgung Myung extended the scabbard, naturally catching Namgung Hyun’s sword as if it were drawn to it.
Namgung Myung offered advice.
“Your sword tip is too rigid. It’s one thing to lose focus midway, but you can’t start off like that.”
“Understood.”
Namgung Hyun’s sword softened slightly, searching for its path once more. Namgung Myung’s scabbard repeatedly intercepted it, though there was a slight improvement from before.
Still, Namgung Myung saw plenty to critique.
“You’ve used the ‘Swooping Swallow’ form twenty times in front of me, and each time you’ve followed it with the ‘Ascending Dragon’ form. While the transition between the two is smooth, don’t let that natural flow limit your options. You’ll become predictable.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Namgung Hyun’s sword darted forward like a swallow, aiming for Namgung Myung’s weak spot.
Namgung Myung stood firm, adopting a defensive stance, but no single stance could offer perfect defense.
Namgung Hyun soon found an opening and thrust his sword.
His sword seemed to target Namgung Myung’s right side, but then smoothly shifted its aim to his right shoulder.
Defending the shoulder of the sword-wielding arm is no easy task. Even for Namgung Myung, it was a challenging position to counter.
Yet, as if anticipating it, Namgung Myung moved his left arm to intercept Namgung Hyun’s sword path.
Namgung Hyun thought Namgung Myung’s left hand moved with the fluidity of a whip. It was a curious thing, considering Namgung Myung’s left arm was a prosthetic made of solid wood, incapable of bending. It must have been just a perception, not reality.
But if it felt that way, whether it actually bent or not might not matter.
‘How does he move that prosthetic so naturally?’
Namgung Hyun’s sword, swung with near-full force, was caught by Namgung Myung’s left hand.
It was a move not found in the martial arts of the Namgung family. Namgung Hyun was certain it wasn’t part of any known martial art. No technique would teach catching a blade with bare hands; fingers would surely be lost.
Namgung Hyun tried to twist his sword free from Namgung Myung’s grip, but once caught, it was difficult to escape.
And it wasn’t just Namgung Myung’s left hand he had to contend with. Namgung Myung’s right hand had already discarded the scabbard into the air and was reaching for Namgung Hyun’s wrist, clearly intending to use a joint-locking technique.
Namgung Hyun attempted to counter with his own joint-lock, but before he could mount a proper defense, his wrist was twisted.
In a brief moment, Namgung Hyun found his sword taken by Namgung Myung.
‘How did he train to have such fluid and subtle movements? Was he always this dexterous?’
Namgung Myung raised the captured sword vertically, and the scabbard, which had been tossed into the air, fell perfectly over it. It was a scene almost too incredible to believe.
Namgung Myung grinned and handed the sheathed sword back to Namgung Hyun.
“Still, you’ve improved a lot since the beginning. Your progress is clear.”
Namgung Hyun accepted the sword, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Thank you for the compliment. But watching your skills, my progress feels insignificant. You were impressive even before you left the family, but now you’ve surpassed that level.”
Namgung Hyun expressed his admiration, to which Namgung Myung replied simply.
“I worked hard.”
Hard work.
To Namgung Hyun, Namgung Myung’s martial arts seemed extraordinary.
The foundation and structure were undoubtedly from the Namgung family. Yet, Namgung Hyun couldn’t quite grasp the essence of the martial arts that enveloped that foundation.
’…Did our Namgung family have such martial arts?’
In truth, it was natural for Namgung Hyun to be unable to discern Namgung Myung’s martial arts. It was a blend of techniques from various families and sects, with even some original forms created by Namgung Myung himself. In a way, it was the furthest from the pure Namgung style, almost chaotic.
Yet, Namgung Myung’s sword had a clear consistency. Or perhaps it was more accurate to call it a direction.
Namgung Hyun didn’t know what that direction was, but it was the path Namgung Myung had chosen to follow.
Martial artists often speak of the concept of “all paths leading to the same destination.” But no one understood that concept as profoundly as Namgung Myung.
Each martial art begins its journey in its own way, moving in its own direction.
But as time passes and countless efforts are added, all martial arts inevitably progress towards the ultimate completion of martial prowess.
In that process, many impurities are introduced. Some call these impurities trial and error, while others see them as the unique characteristics and individuality of each sword technique.
However, those who practice martial arts have no way of knowing which parts of their art point towards the ultimate completion and which parts are superfluous. There’s no point of comparison.
But Namgung Myung was different. He had seen an extraordinary number of martial arts and mastered more than anyone else.
The myriad martial arts he learned became beacons, illuminating Namgung Myung’s path.
Countless beacons gestured that this was the right way. At first glance, they seemed to shine only on their surroundings, appearing chaotic. An ordinary martial artist can only follow the direction their beacon points. Most martial artists have only one beacon in their lives.
But Namgung Myung could see dozens, even hundreds of beacons.
By setting up hundreds of beacons and stepping back to observe, a different view emerged.
Each sect and family had set up their beacons, illuminating where they believed the pinnacle of martial arts lay.
Amidst the solutions proposed by countless sects, Namgung Myung found a faint direction.
That was the path Namgung Myung discovered towards the ultimate convergence of all paths, the path he began to pursue.
Of course, he couldn’t convey this insight to Namgung Hyun. He couldn’t explain the origins of the many martial arts he had learned, nor was it a concept Namgung Hyun could easily grasp and accept.
Namgung Hyun closed his eyes, reflecting on the earlier sparring session, and murmured softly.
“Forgive my boldness, but when I heard you lost your arm, I thought you wouldn’t be able to rise again.”
“That’s usually the case.”
Losing an arm isn’t just about not being able to use the left arm.
Losing a limb throws off the body’s balance. That imbalance distorts all the techniques one has learned. It means having to refine all the techniques honed over time. Most martial artists who lose a limb give up their martial path for that reason.
Namgung Myung might have abandoned the martial path too, if not for the prosthetic arm gifted to him, perfectly matching the weight of his original left arm.
Namgung Hyun dared to bring up such a sensitive topic because he sensed that Namgung Myung had almost completely overcome that challenge.
Namgung Myung had grown stronger, surpassing the crisis. He had become a sword sharpened to an unparalleled edge.
Namgung Hyun recalled Namgung Myung’s past.
At twenty-one, standing at the edge of the first-rate, gazing at the wall of the pinnacle.
When Namgung Hyun heard that Namgung Myung hadn’t given up the martial path despite losing an arm, he thought simply. With that talent, he could surpass the pinnacle even with one arm lost.
But Namgung Myung wasn’t someone who would be satisfied with merely reaching the pinnacle.
The question filling Namgung Hyun’s mind now was whether Namgung Myung had reached the realm beyond the pinnacle or was merely approaching it.
Unfortunately, Namgung Hyun’s insight wasn’t sharp enough to determine if Namgung Myung had entered the realm of the transcendent.
Namgung Hyun considered asking Namgung Myung directly but shook his head.
As exceptional as Namgung Myung was, surely not yet.
Instead, Namgung Hyun asked a different question.
“Brother, after leaving the Namgung family, how did you train?”
“A lot. I learned to face danger without avoiding it, worked tirelessly, found rivals to compete with, and had opportunities to reflect on what I lacked or had in excess—”
Namgung Myung was speaking at length when he suddenly stopped.
Namgung Hyun turned to look at him. Namgung Myung was smiling faintly.
“No, it was just a fortunate encounter. That’s all there is to it. Everything else followed naturally.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“You won’t get it now. But I hope one day you’ll have such an encounter too.”
Namgoong Myung paused briefly before changing the subject.
“Hyun, don’t get too caught up in winning or losing.”
It was a simple piece of advice, but Namgoong Hyun shook his head.
“I will win.”
“There’s much to learn from victory, but even more from defeat. Hong Gyeon might be more formidable than you think.”
“It’s too early to predict defeat.”
“The world is vast, and there are many extraordinary people. Hong Gyeon might be one of them. He might be walking a path beyond your expectations and common sense. No, I’m sure he is.”
“Still, I must win, and I will.”
Namgoong Hyun’s voice brimmed with confidence. Some of it was built over time, but most had been gained in the past few days.
The time spent learning from Namgoong Myung was short, yet he seemed to know exactly where Hyun was stuck and helped him break through with precision.
Thanks to the resolution of countless doubts, Namgoong Hyun made significant progress in a short period.
He felt confident that if he faced himself from three days ago, he would win eight out of ten times.
On the brink of mastery, it felt as if he had shed the awkwardness that had held him back.
Such rapid and assured progress filled Namgoong Hyun with confidence.
Yet, Namgoong Myung looked at him with a hint of regret.
There was only one thing left to say to Namgoong Hyun.
“Alright. I hope for a good outcome.”
Namgoong Myung’s voice carried a faint trace of sadness.
On the day of the martial arts tournament finals, it seemed as if the entire city of Muchang had gathered. Even those who usually had no interest in martial arts or warriors were present.
The world lacks spectacles and entertainment. The finals of the tournament were too good a spectacle to pass up.
“Please, everyone, quiet down.”
Before the announcer could signal the start of the match, Namgoong Hyun looked at his opponent, Hong Gyeon.
‘Defeat him, and the victory is mine.’
As in almost every match, Hong Gyeon stood unarmed, relying solely on his bare hands.
Namgoong Hyun assessed Hong Gyeon’s skills through his subtle movements and gaze. He was certain.
‘I’m stronger.’
The gap between them was too small to describe as two steps, but he was at least one step ahead. Confidence surged within him.
But unlike others, Namgoong Hyun didn’t let his guard down. There was too much at stake in this match.
The tournament announcer drew the crowd’s attention with a loud voice, and soon the sound of drums filled the air. The noise quickly subsided, and all eyes focused on the announcer.
He shouted, “There’s no need for lengthy introductions! You all know them by name alone. Namgoong Hyun and Hong Gyeon!”
“Wowwwww!”
Not to be outdone by the announcer’s booming voice, the crowd erupted in cheers. The applause and shouts seemed endless.
Namgoong Hyun’s heart raced. It felt as if the crowd was already celebrating his victory. Excitement coursed through him.
The cheers showed no sign of stopping, so the announcer finally struck a large drum to signal the start of the finals.
Hong Gyeon and Namgoong Hyun.
The two warriors exchanged a light salute and took their stances.