The Heaven-Slaying Sword - Chapter 20

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

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◈ The Heaven-Slaying Sword ◈

Chapter 20: Chapter Four - Anhui (1)

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Mok Ri-won did not wake until another day had passed.

He was in a village another half-day's ride beyond the exit of the Valley of Meager Blood.

Unable to delay their journey, Dang Hwa-seo had carried him there on her back.

“Mmm...”

“You're awake.”

At the sharp voice piercing his ear, Mok Ri-won shifted his gaze.

An unfamiliar ceiling. Soft blankets.

And in the room filled with warm comfort, the one glaring at him was...

“Miss Dang?”

It was Dang Hwa-seo, her face full of anger.

Mok Ri-won blinked.

Then Dang Hwa-seo, who had been glaring at him with an icy expression, spoke.

“Must be nice.”

The words came out of nowhere, but her tone was so sharp that Mok Ri-won immediately sensed something was wrong.

His mind cleared at once.

Everything that had happened before he lost consciousness, along with the hazy sensations he had felt, rushed into his mind. He flinched.

‘I'm in trouble!’

The moment he realized he was about to be scolded, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Contrary to his expectations, Dang Hwa-seo let out a deep sigh and placed a hand on his forehead.

“How do you feel?”

Her hand was cold.

Dark circles sat beneath her eyes, as though she had not slept well.

It was easy to piece together what had happened.

Dang Hwa-seo had carried him here after he collapsed. She looked so exhausted because she had stayed awake to care for him.

Mok Ri-won hunched his shoulders.

“I-I'm fine... I'm sorry for causing you trouble...”

“You know you should be sorry?”

A chill ran through him.

Dang Hwa-seo shot him a sidelong glare, and Mok Ri-won pressed his lips tightly together.

“Why did you do that?”

“W-Well...”

“If you had no poison-repelling beads left, you should have told me beforehand. Then I could have found another way.”

“I’m sor...”

“Don't even think of talking your way out of this.”

Was it his imagination, or did Dang Hwa-seo's eyes seem to blaze?

What followed became a lesson Mok Ri-won would never forget.

“Listen carefully. If you feel unwell, telling the person you're traveling with is basic courtesy. Failing to do so goes against the Chivalry you claim to cherish so dearly. I truly cannot understand what you were thinking, but since it has already happened, I will not ask any more about it. But if you ever do something like this again...”

That day, Mok Ri-won learned that whenever he recklessly rushed into something without thinking it through, Dang Hwa-seo would lecture him for several hours.

* * *

His recovery after waking was swift.

His internal injuries had been worse than any damage to his body, and even those had not become too severe because Dang Hwa-seo had tirelessly drawn out the Poisonous Qi.

That was not all.

It would be more accurate to say Heaven had favored him.

Mok Ri-won now possessed the Human-Faced Spider's inner core.

It was a tightly condensed pill containing the natural qi a spirit creature had accumulated throughout its life.

There could be no better aid for driving out the Poisonous Qi and restoring his damaged inner qi.

Swoooosh.

After consuming the inner core Dang Hwa-seo had refined beforehand, Mok Ri-won sat cross-legged and circulated his inner qi.

The inner power of his third-level Star-Linking Divine Technique combined with the inner qi from the core, and his martial power began to grow.

Three stars glimmered faintly within Mok Ri-won's mind.

The translucent path connecting them had changed.

Until now, he had needed intense concentration to observe its flow. Now, the instant he looked at it, he could clearly discern its course.

The path was close to completion.

This was one of the most important stages in the principle of linking stars.

‘One gapja is close.’

One gapja, sixty years' worth of inner power, was nearly within reach.

He only needed about five more years' worth of power.

Mok Seon-o's warning resurfaced in his mind.

“Star-Linking is not a martial art that can be completed through reckless growth. Only the unity of mind, qi, and body, along with balanced growth in every part of the divine technique, can contain its full majesty. Ri-won, you must never rashly choose to increase your inner power.”

Mok Seon-o had added one more thing.

‘At the third star, one gapja.’

At the fifth star, he would reach two gapja. After that, until the eighth level, he would need to link one more star for every additional gapja.

What lay beyond the eighth level was still far away.

For now, Mok Ri-won stood before the true completion of Star-Linking's third level.

‘The completion of the third level means the completion of the Peak Realm.’

He would soon become a complete Peak Realm master, rather than one who had only just stepped into it.

It would mark the end of the introductory phase of the Star-Linking Divine Technique.

Mok Ri-won settled his inner qi and opened his eyes.

Dang Hwa-seo sat on the bed with her legs crossed.

“Are you done?”

“Thank you for standing guard!”

“Standing guard? I was only sitting in the room.”

An incredulous laugh escaped Dang Hwa-seo at Mok Ri-won, who had already regained so much energy.

He could drive a person mad, yet one smile from him could soften their mood. How could someone be so charmingly troublesome?

“We will stay here for the rest of today. The sun is setting, so we will eat and return to sleep.”

“Understood!”

Mok Ri-won rose, then abruptly froze.

“...Wait, sleep here?”

A fact flashed through his mind.

Dang Hwa-seo had been sharing this room to care for him.

Now, he had expelled all the Poisonous Qi and was fully awake.

Which meant he would be spending the night with Dang Hwa-seo while fully conscious.

Fwoosh!

Mok Ri-won's face turned red.

Improper thoughts filled his mind, making his eyes spin.

‘H-How improper!’

They said that boys and girls over seven should not share a seat. How could a grown man and woman spend the night in one room?

No, perhaps this was Miss Dang's carefully laid plan...

Smack!

Dang Hwa-seo flicked his forehead, cutting off his thoughts.

“Urgh!”

“Put those improper thoughts away. You're still so young, yet you're already thinking like that.”

“W-What are you talking about?!”

“Your eyes look lecherous.”

Mok Ri-won immediately shrank back.

Dang Hwa-seo could not help letting out a hollow laugh.

‘How could I possibly leave him alone?’

His thoughts showed plainly on his face, and he could not even lie properly. Worse, the things he imagined never went beyond the level of a child.

To Dang Hwa-seo, he seemed less like a man and more like a younger brother who needed looking after.

Just imagine it.

If he went around smiling so freely with that pretty face, only to be lured away by some shameless seductress, what could be more infuriating?

If that truly happened, she might die of pent-up rage.

“Get yourself together and come downstairs. I'll buy you the thin noodles and Bamboo Leaf Green you like so much.”

“Huh? Oh!”

Mok Ri-won immediately perked up and eagerly followed Dang Hwa-seo.

“Don't make a fuss for no reason.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Because people would stare.

“You could disturb the other diners.”

“Ah, you're right!”

How could he be so innocent?

Dang Hwa-seo unconsciously smiled at Mok Ri-won, who was humming happily.

“Let's go.”

As she headed downstairs, Dang Hwa-seo did not realize she was already guarding against the attention Mok Ri-won would draw.

* * *

The inn was busy.

They had reached a proper town now, and it was filled with people. Here and there, martial artists with swords at their waists could be seen among them.

As always, Mok Ri-won slurped down thin noodles as though he were drinking them.

“Miss Dang! There are so many peo...”

“Swallow before you speak.”

Gulp.

“There are so many people!”

“Anhui is close. Of course there are.”

“There are lots of martial artists too!”

“Yes. Since the Dragon Phoenix Gathering is being held, many people will be gathering there.”

Mok Ri-won tilted his head.

“Can only invited guests enter the Dragon Phoenix Gathering?”

“The venue itself is restricted, but the surrounding area is not. When the Dragon Phoenix Gathering is held, people who want to see the heirs of the great clans who will lead the next generation gather there. So do those who want to test themselves against the attendees.”

“Ooh...!”

Anticipation lit up Mok Ri-won's face.

“That does sound tempting! I want to spar with them too...”

“You must attend the gathering with me, Young Hero Mok.”

“Ah, right.”

Mok Ri-won scratched the back of his head.

Dang Hwa-seo chuckled.

“It should be quite entertaining. People will argue that their clan is better than another's, or that their sect will win this year's Azure Dragon Martial Arts Tournament. Watching them fight among themselves can be quite enjoyable.”

Her grin looked somewhat dangerous.

Mok Ri-won swallowed dryly and looked away from Dang Hwa-seo's cold smile.

‘M-Miss Dang likes watching people fight...!’

That was new information.

“Anyway, we may meet him this year.”

“Hm? Who?”

“Namgung Jin-cheon.”

A puzzled look appeared on Mok Ri-won's face.

Only then did Dang Hwa-seo realize how unfamiliar he was with the Martial World's rumors.

“Ah. He is the Namgung Clan's young clan head. His byname is Sword Dragon, and people say that he...”

Mok Ri-won's eyes began to shine.

He even leaned forward, eagerly waiting to hear more.

“Have you heard the rumor? They say a new young master has appeared in Suyang County, Jiangxi.”

Both of them froze at once at the voice from nearby.

After a brief glance at each other, they turned toward the sound.

A martial artist who looked like a wanderer was raising a cup of liquor while speaking to someone across the table.

“Hm? A young master?”

“That’s right! A Peak Realm master, no less! I heard he can't be older than his early twenties. They say he stormed into a Black Path faction alone and destroyed it.”

Dang Hwa-seo's face went blank as the wanderer continued.

‘That...’

It was clearly Mok Ri-won's story.

How the rumor had already spread this far was one matter. But the moment Dang Hwa-seo heard it, her attention fixed on only one thing.

“Young Hero Mok?”

Mok Ri-won's gaze gleamed as though it would pierce the wanderer.

The expression on his face was far too obvious.

Anticipation.

Hearing his own story from another person's mouth filled him with indescribable excitement.

“At that age, a Peak Realm master? What nonsense...”

“Hey! Many people witnessed it! Do you think I would bring back a false rumor?”

“T-Then...!”

“No one knows where he came from. Those who saw him there say he may be the heir of a mysterious sect that has lived in seclusion!”

Twitch.

Mok Ri-won's body trembled.

Dang Hwa-seo narrowed her eyes as she watched him.

‘Could it be true?’

Judging by his reaction, the rumor did not seem entirely wrong.

Then the wanderer said something else.

“They say that martial artist has already gained a byname.”

“Ooh!”

That was impossible to ignore.

This time, even Dang Hwa-seo turned toward the wanderer.

Mok Ri-won stared with his eyes opened so wide they looked ready to split apart.

The wanderer, red-faced with drink, failed to notice either of their stares.

“Ink Sword.”

“Ink Sword?”

“They say his sword qi is the color of ink, which is how the name came about.”

* * *

Back in their room, Dang Hwa-seo looked at Mok Ri-won with a puzzled expression.

There was only one reason.

Mok Ri-won's face was far too sullen.

“Young Hero Mok?”

“...Why are you calling me?”

Mok Ri-won had his arms crossed and his brows pulled tightly together.

The three deep furrows between them looked ready to leap from his forehead.

Funny enough, his looks had not faded in the slightest even then.

‘What is wrong with him now?’

Had he not gained the byname he wanted so badly?

Besides, Ink Sword was neither embarrassing nor awkward. It was a straightforward and impressive byname.

Why did he look so upset now?

Dang Hwa-seo asked, “It’s nothing, but you received a byname and yet you don't look happy. Aren't you pleased?”

His head whipped around.

At last, his expression changed into one that seemed to have much to say.

“Exactly! I got a byname! That’s the problem! It’s Ink Sword!”

“Why is Ink Sword a problem? It’s quite a good...”

Mok Ri-won shot to his feet.

“The byname sounds far too much like one from an unorthodox faction!”

Dang Hwa-seo's expression vanished.

“Ink Sword! My sword qi is pitch-black, so they call me Ink Sword! Doesn't that sound exactly like the byname of an unorthodox master from Tales of Martial Heroes? I'm a chivalrous hero!”

He even clenched both fists as he launched into his impassioned speech.

Dang Hwa-seo's face became as blank as a doll's.

“There are plenty of better bynames! Ink Sword Hero, Heroic Sword, Benevolent Heroic Swordsman!”

I see.

The byname needed to include “heroic.”

That was the problem.

Mok Ri-won's voice rose higher.

A smile devoid of emotion appeared on Dang Hwa-seo's face.

“Young Hero Mok.”

Her tone was icy.

Mok Ri-won flinched.

Only then did he realize something was off about Dang Hwa-seo.