Chapter 417 of “The Tang Clan Chronicles”
By Jang Il-nam
For some reason, his cheek itched. Jang Il-nam scratched it with his blood-stained left hand, feeling a faint tremor through his fingertips.
He looked at the young man standing before him, a guardian whose name he did not know. Despite his youth, the man was clearly a formidable martial artist, even to Jang Il-nam’s discerning eyes.
The young man introduced himself first.
“I am Jo Eul-hyeon of the Sangsan Jo family, also a protector of the Demonic Sect. It’s an honor to meet the renowned Blood Rain Swordsman.”
“Jang Il-nam,” he replied simply.
Jo Eul-hyeon’s words of pleasure at their meeting were not mere flattery. In his eyes, Jang Il-nam could see a clear admiration mixed with a hint of competitive spirit.
It was a look he had seen countless times before, one he particularly disliked.
Five people who had pursued him relentlessly to their deaths had all looked at him with those same eyes.
Such individuals always found a way to force Jang Il-nam to draw his sword.
He preferred those who feared him, those who raged based on rumors, or those who were indifferent.
“May I call you Master Jang?”
“That’s a bit much.”
Jo Eul-hyeon chuckled lightly, tapping the ground with the shaft of his spear.
Jang Il-nam glanced at the weapon. It wasn’t just a spear; it was a halberd. The long spearhead extended from the shaft, with a smaller blade attached to the side.
Though he had never fought against someone wielding a halberd, it wasn’t hard to guess the purpose of that smaller blade.
The long, flowing red tassel beneath the spearhead made Jo Eul-hyeon’s weapon appear even more striking, even when held still.
Pointing the spear forward, Jo Eul-hyeon announced, “Here I come.”
He lunged with the spear, swift and direct.
It was a technique reminiscent of a military officer’s spearplay—strong and straightforward, yet somewhat rigid.
But its power was undeniable.
Instead of blocking the force, Jang Il-nam twisted his upper body slightly, dodging the spear and closing the distance.
It was a response anyone facing a spearman might consider, and indeed, it was the most effective.
Yet, it was not a maneuver just anyone could execute. No one understood better than a spearman the disadvantage of allowing an opponent to get too close.
Jo Eul-hyeon swung his spear again, trying to fend off Jang Il-nam.
But Jang Il-nam moved so naturally, reaching a distance where Jo Eul-hyeon’s spear couldn’t touch him. It wasn’t just about dodging; he had drawn the spear towards him with his sword, stepping in with precision.
The movement was so fluid that even Jo Eul-hyeon, who had anticipated Jang Il-nam’s response, was taken aback.
“Hup!”
Jang Il-nam swung his sword with a calm precision.
Yet, his blade missed Jo Eul-hyeon by a hair’s breadth.
Jo Eul-hyeon skillfully evaded the sword, spreading his arms wide to push Jang Il-nam back with the spear shaft.
Several exchanges followed. Jang Il-nam’s sword still couldn’t reach Jo Eul-hyeon, while Jo Eul-hyeon struggled to keep Jang Il-nam at bay with his spear.
The spear shaft gradually reduced the space Jang Il-nam could maneuver in, finally targeting his legs.
With no better option, Jang Il-nam had to retreat. In this tense standoff, it was Jo Eul-hyeon who achieved his aim.
Though he tried to drive Jang Il-nam away, Jo Eul-hyeon had no intention of letting him go easily.
As Jang Il-nam moved back, Jo Eul-hyeon also stepped back, maintaining the distance.
In an instant, a three-step gap opened between them, and Jo Eul-hyeon seized the opportunity.
“Hup!”
He swung the spear from inside out, a common technique known as “Lan.”
Yet, a master can infuse even a simple attack with insight and skill.
The spear shaft, instead of moving stiffly like an iron rod, bent smoothly like a loosely strung bow.
The bending shaft made it difficult to predict the spearhead’s trajectory.
Moreover, the lush red tassel beneath the spearhead obscured Jang Il-nam’s vision.
But Jang Il-nam, with his lower body firmly planted, extended his sword on instinct. As if prearranged, Jo Eul-hyeon’s spear shaft met Jang Il-nam’s sword without a fraction of error.
However, Jo Eul-hyeon’s attack didn’t end there.
He infused his right arm and the spear shaft with internal energy, pulling the spear back forcefully. The small blade on the side of the spearhead lightly grazed Jang Il-nam’s neck.
Had he not tilted his head, his neck might have been half-severed.
The first exchange, flowing like water, came to an end.
Jo Eul-hyeon couldn’t hide his disappointment, sighing.
“To think you’d evade my final strike like that… You must have faced many spearmen.”
In truth, Jang Il-nam had never fought a spearman before.
Spearmen were rare among martial artists, even rarer in the unorthodox sects. More often, people chose unconventional weapons like the trident or sickle.
Thus, all of Jang Il-nam’s responses were purely instinctive and improvised.
Yet, he nodded out of habit. Denying it might embarrass Jo Eul-hyeon.
”…Yes. I’ve fought at least twenty.”
Jo Eul-hyeon didn’t doubt Jang Il-nam’s words at all.
“As expected of a seasoned warrior.”
The spearman, desperate to maintain distance, kept a considerable gap between them. Jo Eul-hyeon replayed the recent clash in his mind, preparing for the next exchange.
“This won’t be a long fight. Next time, I’ll end it.”
But Jang Il-nam was lost in different thoughts.
In the first clash, he had a clear opportunity to strike Jo Eul-hyeon’s neck as soon as he closed in.
It wasn’t enough to decapitate him in one blow, but the blade could have reached beyond the esophagus.
Yet, his sword hadn’t even grazed Jo Eul-hyeon’s skin.
“Was my sense off?”
No. Even upon reflection, his instincts were accurate, and with full force, he could have struck Jo Eul-hyeon’s neck.
The fact that he hadn’t meant he hadn’t moved with full force.
It meant he hesitated.
“Hesitation.”
Jang Il-nam lightly massaged his right arm with his left. His arm felt stiff.
Letting go of hesitation wasn’t easy for him. How could he easily discard the hesitation he’d harbored for decades?
Jang Il-nam had easily dealt with four other masters of the Demonic Sect because the gap in skill was significant.
Their abilities couldn’t evade even a hesitant strike from Jang Il-nam.
But Jo Eul-hyeon wasn’t an opponent who could be cut down with a hesitant sword.
In fact, Jo Eul-hyeon’s achievements might even surpass Jang Il-nam’s. Jang Il-nam had not progressed steadily on the path of martial arts, having halted at the threshold of the supreme level.
“Master Jang.”
Seeing that Jang Il-nam wasn’t approaching, Jo Eul-hyeon spoke up.
His voice even carried a subtle confidence.
A conversation from a step above the martial artist he once admired. That’s the conversation Jo Eul-hyeon desired.
When Jang Il-nam looked at him, Jo Eul-hyeon asked, “I surpassed the pinnacle at twenty-four and reached the supreme path at twenty-nine. When did you reach the supreme path, sir?”
“Around thirty-five or thirty-six, I think.”
Jo Eul-hyeon smiled faintly.
He took great pride in having reached an unimaginable level at such a young age.
It was an achievement he could never have reached without the sect leader’s help, but that didn’t matter.
Knowing that the famed Blood Rain Swordsman had reached the supreme level later than him thrilled Jo Eul-hyeon.
“Not as fast as I thought.”
Jang Il-nam nodded lightly at Jo Eul-hyeon’s remark.
“That’s fortunate.”
“Fortunate?”
“It means I didn’t need such skill before thirty-five or thirty-six.”
Jang Il-nam’s words felt peculiar.
It was as if he was saying he hadn’t reached the supreme level because he hadn’t needed to.
“There’s no need to boast unnecessarily. Reaching the supreme level at that age is a dream and a testament to talent for most martial artists.”
“Is that so…”
Talent.
Jang Il-nam had known since childhood that he had exceptional sword talent. His master praised him every other day, so he couldn’t be unaware.
But it wasn’t until much later that he realized his talent was not just exceptional but extraordinary.
Long ago, Jang Il-nam had sat in a corner of an inn, eavesdropping on the conversations of other top martial artists.
They, flushed with drink, boasted about many things. Among their tales, the one they spoke of most proudly was the moment they reached the pinnacle.
I experienced this when I surpassed the pinnacle.
I gained this insight to overcome the pinnacle.
I almost didn’t make it, but I surpassed the pinnacle at such-and-such age.
People were buzzing with excitement, sharing stories that didn’t even sound like jokes anymore.
That day, Jang Il-nam learned something new: to become a true master, one must overcome the wall.
There were two problems.
First, Jang Il-nam had never encountered anything resembling a wall.
Second, he had been known as a master for over a decade.
Perhaps he wasn’t a true master after all, he mused, and moved on.
Years later, as Jang Il-nam reached the pinnacle of his abilities, he realized something profound.
Most people struggle to climb over the wall, but some might not need to.
To put it simply, Jang Il-nam was someone who was born beyond the wall.
For him, martial arts were as natural as breathing.
He had no ambition to improve, no desire to reach the next level.
In fact, he even felt a certain aversion to martial arts.
Hadn’t his life become tangled because of them? What good was being skilled at taking lives when all it brought was disaster?
Jang Il-nam shook off his thoughts and picked up his sword. Jo Eul-hyeon also readied his spear.
Jo Eul-hyeon thought they were facing each other, but Jang Il-nam’s gaze was fixed beyond him.
The door Jo Eul-hyeon had opened was ajar.
Through the crack, a small face peeked out. It was Dang Hae-won. Faintly, he could hear Mok Wan-ah’s voice calling him back.
Jang Il-nam wondered, “Have they only tied up the adults?”
Jo Eul-hyeon noticed Jang Il-nam’s distraction when he didn’t react to a slight movement of his spear.
It was infuriating, but also a chance to end the fight quickly.
“Where are you looking?”
Jo Eul-hyeon thrust his spear at Jang Il-nam’s head like a flash of light.
Jang Il-nam turned his head too late. The small blade attached to the spear sliced deeply into his ear.
It wasn’t a fatal wound, but a searing pain spread through his body.
With a low cry, Dang Hae-won’s figure disappeared.
Jang Il-nam clearly saw Dang Hae-won being pulled away by Dang I-ryeong, who was barely older than him by a couple of weeks.
Despite the blood streaming from his ear, Jang Il-nam smiled.
His heart swelled with love, so much that he barely felt the pain.
He realized anew.
Dang Yeong, Dang Hae-won, Dang I-ryeong, the many members of the Dang family, the somewhat mundane scenery, and now, his beloved Wi Jin-an-hyang. How much he loved them all.
And so, Jang Il-nam thought.
“No hesitation. I’ll end this with all my strength.”
Jang Il-nam leaped forward, almost flying, into Jo Eul-hyeon’s space.
Jo Eul-hyeon, as if expecting it, braced himself, gripping his spear with both arms. Even the best staff techniques couldn’t match the solidity of Jo Eul-hyeon’s spear.
Yet, Jang Il-nam found an opening in his stance.
“I can pierce his lung.”
But contrary to his thoughts, Jang Il-nam’s sword was easily blocked by Jo Eul-hyeon’s spear.
“Why?”
Jang Il-nam was momentarily taken aback but quickly found another weak spot.
“The thigh. A diagonal stab could cause him to bleed out.”
He swung his sword at Jo Eul-hyeon’s thigh, but again, Jo Eul-hyeon’s spear blocked it.
Jo Eul-hyeon shouted triumphantly, “Is that all you’ve got?”
Jang Il-nam didn’t respond.
This time, he understood what was wrong.
There was a slight hesitation left.
“It’s not a hesitation of the mind. My body isn’t following my mind.”
It wasn’t that he was old or weak.
It was his body, not his mind, that hesitated, holding back his sword.
Even though his mind had decided, his body, which had always feared killing, couldn’t strike without hesitation. It was only natural after sixty years of hesitation.
But Jang Il-nam immediately rejected his own judgment.
“No, it’s the mind that moves the body. How could the body itself hesitate?”
He reached a new conclusion.
“What I need is a stronger mind. One that doesn’t fear wounds, that erases hesitation in the face of death.”
Jo Eul-hyeon’s spear aimed for Jang Il-nam’s heart.
It wasn’t an attack he could easily dodge or block with a simple step or twist.
Jang Il-nam gripped his sword with both hands and swung it with all his might, deflecting the spear.
Clang—
A loud noise, and a powerful shock reverberated through his arms.
Sparks flew between the clashing spear and sword.
In that fleeting moment, Jang Il-nam entered a world of his own mind.
No, “for the first time in a long while” wasn’t quite right.
It was only the second time Jang Il-nam had delved into this mental realm.
Just as he had twenty years ago, he found himself trapped among the thorny bushes by the roadside. It wasn’t much different from Hong Geol-gae.
But there was a difference. Observing himself from a step above, it was more akin to complacency.
Thinking he had enough strength, Jang Il-nam had been too satisfied with his achievements too early.
It wasn’t entirely wrong. For over twenty years since he stopped, he hadn’t needed more strength. In fact, he often lamented having too much.
While he stood still for over twenty years, the thorny bushes, the obstacles blocking him, had grown thicker.
Jang Il-nam reached out to the thorny bushes.
Even a light touch made blood flow. A small wound felt like a nail driven through his palm, causing intense pain.
He took a deep breath.
“What I need is this pain.”
Jang Il-nam took a bold step forward, as if the thorny bushes were invisible.
The sharp thorns pierced, stabbed, and cut his flesh. As if questioning where he was going after being complacent for so long.
The thorny bushes urged him to return and sit down, but Jang Il-nam had no intention of stopping like before.
“Though they say the universe resides in the human heart, how can the pain of the heart stop me?”
With just one step, a thousand thorns pierced his skin deeply. But Jang Il-nam took a deep breath and stepped forward again.
The thousand thorns clung to his flesh, tearing and ripping it apart. Indescribable pain enveloped him. But Jang Il-nam knew this path was not wrong.
His raw flesh was exposed, revealing white bone.
Yet, he felt this moment was necessary.
He allowed the thorny bushes to take everything from him.
His body, which had been too satisfied too early, which had grown lazy over twenty years, was better off gone.
The thorny bushes, soaked in blood, craved more flesh and blood, but Jang Il-nam had nothing left to give. Still, the bushes clung, demanding even his bones.
And so, he let them. Jang Il-nam allowed the thorny bushes to scrape his bones.
Thus, an eternity of pain passed. Finally, the thorny bushes, having taken everything, returned to their place.
Jang Il-nam found himself standing on the path.
As he stood on the path, the path accepted him.
The man who had been too satisfied, complacent, and evasive finally returned to the pinnacle of martial arts. He had finally reached the path he could have arrived at long ago.
And he moved forward as if nothing had happened.
Though his body was still drenched in blood, his heart felt as light as a feather.
He knew he would gain a new body even outside this mental realm.
It didn’t mean regaining youth like Hwa Yeon-shin-ni or Wi Jin-an-hyang.
A body that could follow a strong mind, that could strike without hesitation. Jang Il-nam found that sufficient.
Jang Il-nam opened his eyes.
The sparks that had flown between the spear and sword.
Those sparks, which should have appeared and vanished in an instant, still lingered, waiting for Jang Il-nam to grasp his realization.
Jang Il-nam straightened his back, pulled back the shoulder that had swung the sword, and firmly planted his feet on the ground.
He connected heaven and earth with his body.
He bent his knees slightly, leaned forward, and took a step.
There were no distractions, no fear, no hesitation. Surely, there would be no regrets.
At fifty-seven years of age.
The man who became a warrior late in life extended his sword.