Dropped into Murim with an Instant-Kill Skill - Chapter 63

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

Chapter 63: When Water Is Too Clear, There Are No Fish (11)

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In truth, Yeon Sowol meant every word.

“How could I call it dull? Once something reaches its ultimate form, it often appears ordinary instead. Great Hero Noh Huideok’s single stroke looked plain at first glance, but its result was anything but. If my qi sense had been even a little duller, I wouldn't have noticed the sword qi leaving the tip of your blade.”

Was he trying to earn Noh Huideok's favor by praising him? Of course, there had been some calculation behind it.

Still, though he might have mixed in a little exaggeration and flattery, the words themselves were sincere.

‘It’s training that gathers your energy completely, without letting even a thread of it spill out. Like trying to cut water without leaving behind a single ripple.’

The purpose of swinging a sword was to cut.

From that perspective, everything that accompanied the stroke, the sound of it tearing through the air, the disturbance in the natural qi, billowing sleeves, shimmering heat haze, was nothing but waste.

Seen that way, Noh Huideok's sword strike had been a pinnacle of martial arts, wielding every scrap of his energy and skill without wasting so much as a grain.

‘How terrifying would someone like that be if he unleashed martial force?’

Yeon Sowol was sincere. He felt something beyond respect, something close to awe.

‘I've never even tried anything like that in my drunken dreams. I never even thought of training that way. In those dreams, I forgot everything and just swung however I pleased, again and again. …When I get back, I should try it too.’

Noh Huideok spoke to Yeon Sowol.

“Would you care to try it yourself, Young Hero? If it is Young Hero Yeon Seonhong, whose name as a genius is known far and wide, I'm sure you would do far better than I did.”

Yeon Sowol immediately waved both hands.

“Me? I couldn't possibly. I began studying martial arts late, and I haven't even been learning the sword for a year. It would be far too embarrassing to display my poor swordsmanship before seniors as lofty as the heavens.”

“Ah… As expected.”

Noh Huideok let out a deep sigh. His shoulders trembled as he raised his voice slightly.

“You must think it a waste to show your swordsmanship to someone as dull as me.”

“How could that be?”

“For someone like me to steal the precious time of a genius like Young Hero Yeon would be a dreadful imposition.”

“No. It isn't!”

“Even so, I desire it that desperately. If you would please offer even one lesson to this dull fool, I will never forget the favor.”

“But I…”

“A single sword strike from a genius like Young Hero Yeon could become the dream of a lifetime for someone as dull as me. Please…”

Yeon Sowol was appalled.

This man simply would not listen.

The relentless assault of humblebragging left him gasping for air.

‘Hah… I have no choice.’

Yeon Sowol decided to play along.

‘I'll just embarrass myself a little. The Undeserving One, Noh Huideok, is a name everyone knows. At my age, it won't even be much of an embarrassment.’

When he thought it over, it was not such a bad thing.

He needed to win Noh Huideok's favor anyway, and because he genuinely stood in awe of the man's skill, he did not feel as bad about it as expected.

“Very well. Then this junior will dare to display his inadequate swordsmanship before you, Senior. I ask for your generous guidance.”

Shing!

Yeon Sowol's Demon-Severing Sword slid from its sheath.

It was the treasured sword he had received from the Governor-General of Liangguang. Its pure white blade gleamed beneath the sunlight.

“Oh…”

“Hah. That sword…”

Listening to the murmurs of admiration, Yeon Sowol slowly raised the sword over his forehead.

‘Don't let even a strand of energy leak out. Gather it as completely as possible.’

He was careful even of the rustling of his sleeves.

Slowly. Slowly.

He gathered every trace of his energy.

His target was the tree ten paces away. A leaf on one of its branches.

‘Focus your heart completely…’

He did as Yi Yubaek had taught him.

With his right hand, he gripped the sword with all his heart.

With his left, he held on to himself.

He gave his heart completely, without losing himself in the process.

Standing at that boundary, he brought both his energy and himself under perfect control.

“…”

“That…”

“Huh. That presence comes from a young man not even twenty?”

One by one, people fell silent, and stillness spread in every direction.

His presence was sharp and clear, like a blade honed without rest.

This was not a matter of whether he had reached Brave Flame Soars or Fierce Flame Pierces the Heavens.

It was simply the pure presence he had cultivated as a martial artist. His attitude toward the sword, the air around him, all of it overwhelmed those watching.

“Sss…”

A thin breath slipped through Yeon Sowol's lips.

The refined energy of the Five Elements flowed smoothly through his Eight Extraordinary Vessels.

It gently stirred the true qi throughout his body.

His left-hand Sword Fingers lightly supported his right forearm.

Then Yeon Sowol thought he caught the scent of liquor brushing against his nose.

A smile naturally formed on his lips.

Millions, tens of millions of times.

Just as he had swung his sword in his dreams.

He lowered the sword.

From above his forehead toward the ground.

With every stray thought erased, one clean line was drawn through the empty air.

Though the blade descended slowly without making a sound as it cut through the air, everyone watching felt a chill run down their spine.

Tap.

The sound of a single leaf falling rang in everyone's ears like a thunderclap.

Flutter, flutter.

The image of the palm-sized leaf wavering as it fell was burned into every eye.

“Huh.”

“Huhhh…”

Sharp intakes of breath came from all around.

As they followed the leaf still fluttering through the air, people whispered among themselves.

“Did you hear the sound of him swinging his sword just now?”

“Not at all.”

“Did you sense anything with your qi sense?”

“Not at all.”

“And yet the sword qi reached ten paces away…”

“If I'd been standing there, I would've laughed and asked what he was doing, then had my neck cut open and died.”

“…Me too.”

“Isn't that even more incredible than Noh Huideok's skill? At that age?”

“He is the sword's beloved. A man loved by the sword.”

And Noh Huideok…

“…”

At some point, he had caught the severed leaf in his hand and was staring at it intently.

“…”

Like a figure carved from wood, he did not even blink. His head hung low as he looked only at the leaf.

The faces of the Jianghu martial artists watching him broke into broad grins.

“At last, that bastard has met his match!”

“He's met the right match, all right.”

“Look at that face. You'd think he'd seen a ghost.”

Those with sharp eyes did not miss the way Noh Huideok's hand trembled.

It was immensely satisfying.

Then Yeon Sowol spoke up. “Uh… How did that work? Uh. If it works like this…”

Everyone who saw Yeon Sowol behind the motionless Noh Huideok, awkwardly holding his sword and fidgeting in panic, burst out laughing.

“Puhahaha!”

“You can't fail at it even if you want to?”

“Living as a genius must be exhausting, kuhaha!”

“Ahh. It took twenty years just to do something like this?”

“A single sword strike from a genius could become the dream of a lifetime for someone dull? So he showed it to you. What's the problem?”

“Damn. It's so ridiculous I keep spitting. Pffft.”

Seeing everyone laugh, Yeon Sowol grew even more flustered. He watched Noh Huideok nervously, unable to approach him carelessly, and could only stamp his feet. He had unintentionally ended up humiliating his senior.

Yet…

“Young Hero Yeon! I was truly impressed today!”

“I thought you were simply a martial artist of great skill, but you are already a complete martial artist. I will trust in you during this expedition, Young Hero Yeon.”

“Young Hero Yeon! I don't think I will regret traveling all the way to Shinheung County just to see someone like you.”

“A new legend of Guangdong's martial world has appeared! You were magnificent, Young Hero Yeon!”

Fist-and-palm salutes poured in from all directions.

He had received many friendly greetings at the funeral before, but the looks in their eyes and the tone of their voices were different now.

Before, they had treated him as a junior they found likable. Now, they treated him as a true martial artist they acknowledged as an equal, or perhaps one they would even yield a step to.

Watching the vigorous fist-and-palm salutes filled with respect pour in from every direction, Yeon Sowol thought,

‘Hmm.’

He glanced at Noh Huideok, who still stood like a stone statue.

‘Did this actually work out well?’

* * *

The Heavenly Road Mountain Expedition was now close at hand.

Yi Yubaek gathered Yeon Sowol and his disciples, then explained the progress they had made so far. He also thoroughly laid out what still needed to be done.

He always tried to teach them many things beyond martial arts. How to conduct oneself as a person of the martial world, how to live, how to accomplish one's goals.

“Now, we will hold a Shinheung County Martial Assembly. We will gather every Jianghu person who has come to Shinheung County and decide important matters together. Specifically, we will organize the units and appoint their commanders. If we simply rush in without tactics or command, we might be the ones who suffer instead.”

Yeon Sowol thought,

‘So it’s a general assembly of sorts. Voting and elections. Something like that.’

Yi Yubaek continued.

“As I said before, the unit organization already has a broad framework. We have finished coordinating with many chivalrous martial artists behind the scenes, so unless something unusual happens, the overall structure will remain in place.”

He looked at his disciples and Yeon Sowol.

“Now then, what should you learn from this?”

Yi Yubaek's eldest disciple, Kang Muhyeok, answered immediately.

“That the outcome of a meeting must be decided before the actual meeting takes place.”

A smile appeared on Yi Yubaek's lips.

“Correct.”

Yeon Sowol, on the other hand, was a little bewildered.

‘Decide the outcome beforehand? So they agree in advance on what they will do?’

Then why hold a meeting at all? That fundamental question rose in his mind.

‘Wouldn't the people who attend without knowing anything be made into fools?’

Yi Yubaek looked at Yeon Sowol.

“Sowol. Is it difficult for you to accept?”

“A little… Yes. A meeting is supposed to mean gathering together and deciding something, but if only some people coordinate everything beforehand and the meeting is held just for form's sake… Doesn't that mean it isn't really a meeting at all, but simply a play?”

Yi Yubaek's smile deepened.

“Sowol. Do you think putting on a play is easy?”

“I suppose not, but…”

“The script. The stage. The acting. A play only becomes a play when all of it is properly prepared. If even one thing goes wrong, do you think the audience, who paid a high admission price to enter, will sit quietly?”

His words were hard to fully grasp, but they made Yeon Sowol's heart itch.

“The martial artists who came to Shinheung County are our audience. They are valued guests who came prepared to pay the high price of blades and blood. What do you think would happen if we showed them confusion, disunity, and a complete mess?”

“Ah.”

“Exactly. We invited them, so we bear responsibility. The responsibility to handle everything cleanly and vividly, and give them motivation. So how could putting on a play be easy? If we fail to do it properly, stones will come flying at us immediately.”

“I see…”

“Now then. Let us put on a proper play.”

Several days later, a Martial Assembly was held in Shinheung County.

Hundreds of Jianghu martial artists gathered in one place.

Normally, government soldiers would never have allowed so many armed martial artists to gather within the city, but Yi Yubaek possessed the commander tally of the Governor-General of Liangguang.

Instead, the authorities actively supported the Martial Assembly. A platform, tents, food, and drink were arranged in Shinheung County's largest square.

After the Martial Assembly began, it took quite a long time before they reached the main subject.

With so many different people gathered, there were many formalities to observe.

They introduced important figures, exchanged greetings, and declared their respective intentions and aspirations for coming here.

Two hours passed in an instant.

Had the authorities not provided tents, food, chairs, and tables, complaints might have risen from all over. Fortunately, the preparations had been excellent, and everyone was able to spend the time comfortably.

At last, Yi Yubaek returned to the platform.

After exchanging looks with those who shared his purpose, he finally brought up the main issue.

“The bandits of Heavenly Road Mountain are not only numerous, but they have fought for many years and are well organized. Though our strength far surpasses theirs, we will certainly suffer heavy losses if we do not establish an organizational structure of our own.”

Flap!

At his signal, Kang Muhyeok, Seon Jehun, and Mo Cheong hurriedly moved about, hanging large sheets of paper here and there.

The papers listed people's aliases and names, along with brief introductions and the regions where they operated.

“Therefore, we too must form units. Each unit needs a unit commander to lead it. We have formed thirty units in total and selected unit commanders for each one.”

Flap!

All thirty large sheets were hung up.

At that moment, hearty voices rang out.

“Ha! Excellent! Every single unit commander is a renowned chivalrous martial artist!”

The first to shout was the Woman-Dressing Official, Chu Jinhyeok, who had arrived yesterday.

His lips, painted bright crimson, sprayed spittle as he spoke.

Others immediately echoed him. Every one of them had a loud, fiery voice.

“They are all people we can trust!”

“Great Hero Yi Yubaek has a fine eye!”

“You can see how much thought went into this!”

They openly shaped the atmosphere. Every one of them had coordinated with Yi Yubaek beforehand.

Many people followed that mood and quietly nodded.