The Heaven-Slaying Sword - Chapter 29

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Heaven-Slaying Sword ◈

Chapter 29: Chapter Five - Dragon-Phoenix Assembly (2)

──────

Hey guys, quick announcement before the chapter! We're hosting an original webnovel contest with a $1000 prize pool, a chance to publish your novel on WeTried, and lifetime free reading access for the top two winners!

There's also a participation prize of 500 coins for everyone participating.

If you've got a story sitting in a folder somewhere, or have been wanting to try writing one, we'd love to read it. You only need your first 10 chapters, and you have until 1st January 2027 to submit. New writers are welcome too!

Full details, rules, and how to enter here! https://wetriedtls.com/announcements/webnovel-contest

Feel free to send this to anyone you know who writes. Enjoy the chapter!

If you have any questions, please join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried

──────

Shaolin Temple’s twenty-first-generation grand disciple, Il-un.

He was in an exceptionally good mood.

Naturally.

He spent every day within Shaolin, training without end. Now, he was out on one of the few excursions he took each year. How could he not be pleased?

New people. New encounters.

And flavorful food found only beyond Shaolin’s walls.

A Buddhist monk who valued freedom from desire should not welcome such things, but it could not be helped.

Why not?

To a hot-blooded man of twenty, the secular world was a place that made his eyes shine.

‘The Abbot will understand a little indulgence.’

That was why he entered an inn as soon as he arrived at Mount Huang.

Il-un had just seated himself with his fellow disciples to enjoy this rare bit of freedom.

“Waiter, bring us a plate of Dongpo pork.”

Of course, he was still trying to keep a clear conscience.

“…Ah, leave out the pork.”

“Bwahahahahaha! Dongpo po-huh-huh-huh! Leave out the pork! Hoh hoh hoh!”

A frivolous laugh rang through the entire inn.

Il-un flinched and turned his head.

Then his pupils trembled as though an earthquake had struck.

“…J-Jegal Young Master?”

“Ehehehehehek!”

The man pounding the table as he howled with laughter was unmistakably Jegal San, the direct heir of the Jegal Noble Clan, whom Il-un had met several times before.

The woman beside him was the successor of the Sichuan Tang Clan, who had vanished after the Dragon Phoenix Gathering six years ago.

There was another man among them who immediately drew the eye, but Il-un had no time to concern himself with him.

‘I-I’ve been caught...!’

He had gone out of his way to choose a secluded alley to avoid people he knew, only to run into someone familiar anyway.

And of all people, Jegal San.

A frivolous man who would spread today’s events across the entire Martial World.

“Oh, Monk Il-un! It has been far too long!”

Jegal San greeted him while catching his breath, tears hanging from the corners of his eyes.

Il-un closed his eyes and forced a hollow smile.

‘Amitabha...’

Why did it have to be that man?

Was this the Buddha’s punishment for his excessive desire?

“Senior Brother...!”

“This could be a problem...”

“…Compose yourselves.”

His insides burned, but Il-un steadied himself.

The unwavering mind he had cultivated through Buddhist prayers was proving quite helpful at this moment.

‘Fix this. I need to fix this.’

Il-un rose sharply and headed toward the table occupied by Jegal San, Dang Hwa-seo, and the unfamiliar man.

He pressed his palms together and bowed.

“Amitabha. It has been a long time, Benefactor. Have you been well?”

“Oh...”

“What do you mean, ‘Oh’? Didn’t Brother Mok hear what happened just now? Dongpo po-huhh... leave out the pork, heh heh...”

“Enough laughing. Can’t you see you’re troubling the monk?”

“Benefactor Dang, it has been a long time for you as well. Nearly six years, is it not?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

Il-un greeted them one by one, feeling as though sweat would soon pour from the top of his head.

Then he took an empty chair and added, “Threefold Pure Meat.”

At the moment, his mind was filled with only one thought. He had to shut Jegal San’s mouth.

No, more than that, he wanted to justify his own actions.

“Do you know of Threefold Pure Meat? It refers to the three most fundamental conditions under which Buddhism permits the eating of meat. When eating meat, it must not have been prepared for one’s sake. One must not have heard that it was prepared for one’s sake. Nor can there be any circumstance suggesting that it was prepared for one’s sake. Meat that meets those conditions was left behind according to the natural order, and we consume it.”

“...”

“Is that not so? What is Dongpo pork? It is undeniably a meat dish, made by braising pork in sauce. But if the pork is removed from that dish, and we eat the vegetables and seasonings left after the meat dish was made, then the meat was for others. In other words, since we did not eat meat intended for us, it complies with the precepts of Threefold Pure Meat.”

His smile was gentle, but his meaning was clear.

Tell anyone, and I’ll break the precept against killing.

Naturally, Jegal San was not the sort of man to be frightened by such a threat.

“Yes, of course. Threefold Pu... pfft... Yes! Exactly! How can anyone live without eating meat? I understand completely!”

At Jegal San’s vigorous pats on his shoulder, a vein rose on Il-un’s forehead.

“So, what happened today...”

“Come now, do I look like someone with a loose tongue? Stop worrying!”

It was a statement Il-un could not trust in the slightest.

He felt as though his unwavering mind might shatter.

“I must ask you once more...”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep that bastard in line, even if I have to break his neck.”

Dang Hwa-seo spoke.

Jegal San immediately clamped his lips shut and shrank back.

Il-un brightened at the unexpected help and offered his thanks.

“Ah, Benefactor Dang! Thank you for helping me.”

“Think nothing of it.”

It was not as though she was helping him out of kindness.

Dang Hwa-seo swallowed those words and looked at Il-un.

‘Should I call this good luck?’

It was clearly advantageous that she had been able to establish a connection with him before the gathering had even begun.

She could not yet tell him what business she had with him, but leaving a favorable impression would be important for the future.

As Dang Hwa-seo considered what to say next, Mok Ri-won spoke first.

“N-Nice to meet you! Are you truly the Fist Dragon, Monk?”

“Hmm? Ah, pardon me. Yes, that is I. And what is your name, Benefactor?”

“My name is Mok Ri-won! I don’t know if you’ve heard of me, but my fellow wanderers call me the Ink Sword!”

Mok Ri-won cupped his fist in salute.

Il-un’s eyes widened in surprise before he broke into a warm smile.

“Ah! I have heard of you. They say you have made a name for yourself in Jiangxi.”

“Ahem! It was nothing much.”

Mok Ri-won’s shoulders rose.

His face had turned red, making it obvious at a glance how delighted he was by the praise.

Il-un smiled softly at the sight.

‘They said he was a peak master...’

His aura was certainly sharp beyond measure.

He was definitely at least at the peak level.

‘Perhaps he is my equal.’

Il-un could tell as much simply from the aura he sensed.

‘The Martial World truly is vast.’

The man appeared to be about his age.

To reach the peak at such an age, he must have learned exceptional martial arts and consumed rare spiritual medicines. Il-un even found himself wondering which eminent master had gone to such trouble for him.

Of course, that question could only arise because he did not know that the only spiritual medicine Mok Ri-won had ever consumed was the inner core of the Human-Faced Spider, which he had obtained after entering the Martial World.

“If you do not mind me asking, what is your sect?”

“Ah, that...”

Mok Ri-won looked flustered and turned to Dang Hwa-seo.

His eyes clearly sought her help.

Noticing this, Il-un shook his head.

“Ah, you need not answer if it is difficult. It was only curiosity.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

There was no need to pry into another person’s sect.

That was both the courtesy Il-un showed to others and the pride he carried as a martial artist.

‘A master like him will surely reach the main tournament.’

When that time came, he would naturally learn about Mok Ri-won’s martial arts.

And then he would overcome them.

Shaolin, the supreme authority of the White Path Martial World.

Its pride gave Il-un such confidence.

“By the way, Monk, have you already completed your registration for the gathering?”

“Yes. I took care of it before coming here.”

“Ah...”

“What is it?”

“We need to go register soon. I wished to travel with you and hear stories about Shaolin.”

A crestfallen look appeared on Mok Ri-won’s face.

Dang Hwa-seo answered him.

“There is no need to be disappointed. We will have another chance to speak the day after tomorrow.”

“Hmm?”

“There will be a banquet on the evening registration closes. The rising talents of the Nine Sects and Noble Clans will gather there. As my companion, Young Hero Mok should be able to attend.”

“Benefactor Dang is correct. Let us continue our conversation then.”

At those gentle words, Mok Ri-won brightened.

As always, when his smile bloomed, excited exclamations sounded from somewhere nearby.

“Good! Then I will see you again the day after tomorrow!”

“Monk, we’ll be going now.”

“Yes. As for Young Master Jegal...”

Il-un and Jegal San locked eyes.

Jegal San grinned and raised a thumb.

“Don’t worry.”

His expression clearly said he would make sure everyone heard about it.

The vein rising on Il-un’s forehead was another matter entirely.

* * *

She County, Anhui Province, the city directly below Mount Huang.

After leaving the inn, the three finally arrived at the estate where the Dragon Phoenix Gathering would be held.

“There are so many martial artists...!”

Mok Ri-won turned his head eagerly from side to side as he looked around.

Martial artists with sharp auras stood guard before the estate walls, while groups of martial artists waited before the main gate to register for the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.

“Brother Mok, do you see that man over there?”

“Hmm? Where?”

“The martial artist guarding the gate. The one with the blue hero’s headband.”

Mok Ri-won followed Jegal San’s finger toward the gate.

Just as he said, a middle-aged man wearing a blue hero’s headband stood there.

“Who is he?”

“Namgung Un, the Azure-Forming Sword. He is the Sword King’s nephew.”

Mok Ri-won’s eyes grew wide.

His lips parted slightly as well.

“The Sword King’s...”

The nephew of the Sword King, one of the Ten Great Masters of the Orthodox Sects.

The instant he heard that, Mok Ri-won spread his Qi Sense and felt it.

Thump.

“…As expected.”

That entire space lay beneath Namgung Un’s dominion.

Sharply refined Qi Waves pressed down over the whole area.

Mok Ri-won’s instincts told him that if he fought that man, he would not even last three moves.

‘...What if I stop holding back my inner energy? What if I adapt to his sword by focusing entirely on defense and deflecting each strike? I can sense Killing Intent, so that is possible. So long as I am careful of his qi arts...’

Perhaps he would not be utterly crushed.

Even so, defeat was certain.

“He is one of the transcendent peak martial artists the Namgung Noble Clan prides itself on.”

“Transcendent peak...”

There was a wall that vast between the peak and transcendent peak levels.

Clench.

Mok Ri-won tightly clenched his fist.

Since entering the Martial World, this was the first martial artist he had encountered who was stronger than he was.

His competitive spirit rose.

‘I want to test myself against him.’

He wanted to exchange sword moves with Namgung Un.

He wanted to steal the essence of that martial artist’s skill through their clash.

Then, using that essence as nourishment, he wanted to climb higher.

Mok Ri-won’s heart began to beat faster.

His Qi Waves flared in response to those emotions.

At that moment.

‘Ah...!’

Namgung Un looked at Mok Ri-won.

The immense power in that gaze made Mok Ri-won feel as if his shoulders had grown heavy.

Tap.

“Young Hero Mok, stop there. Our line is elsewhere.”

The pressure vanished at Dang Hwa-seo’s words as she tapped his shoulder.

Namgung Un had already turned his gaze elsewhere.

“…All right. Let’s go.”

Mok Ri-won stared at Namgung Un a while longer, then withdrew his gaze and followed Dang Hwa-seo.

* * *

Namgung Un turned his head slightly and watched the young man’s retreating back.

Then he asked the deputy beside him, “Do you know who that man is?”

“Ah, the man between the Jegal heir and the Tang Clan heiress?”

“That is the one. I recall memorizing the names of every rising talent expected to come here, yet I do not remember seeing him on the list.”

The deputy smiled faintly and shook their head.

“No, he is on the list. This is his first foray into the Martial World, so you did not recognize him, Commander.”

“Hmm?”

“Ink Sword Mok Ri-won. He is a rising talent these days. I heard he travels with the Tang Clan’s Poison Phoenix, and it seems he has become acquainted with the Strange Dragon as well.”

“Ink Sword...”

Namgung Un repeated the title and recalled the Qi Waves from earlier.

“…I wonder.”

“Yes?”

“No, that is not it.”

Namgung Un shook his head and thought.

‘Hegemonic Sword would suit him better than Ink Sword.’

The Qi Waves that had poured from that unknown young martial artist were not composed like calm ink. They had a domineering quality.

‘An interesting fellow has arrived.’

Namgung Un smiled faintly, anticipation rising within him.

It was not expectation for Mok Ri-won himself.

‘He may prove a fine opponent for Jin-cheon.’