<Chapter 33>
It was shortly after Woonyeong joined the Murim Alliance.
— Hey, you devil.
The one who had been circling around Woonyeong like a dog needing to pee finally spoke up. Sensitive to energy flow, Woonyeong already knew it was Namgung Hwi, but she didn’t bother acknowledging him first.
Since stepping into the martial world, Woonyeong had always been alone—and yet, never truly alone.
Around her were not only enemies but also countless spies.
— What?
Even when she replied, Namgung Hwi just moved his lips silently. He said nothing. Without hesitation, Woonyeong turned away.
Namgung Hwi quickly opened his mouth again.
— I have something to say.
Woonyeong simply tilted her chin up slightly, signaling for him to go on. Namgung Hwi narrowed his eyes at her gesture and said,
— Let’s duel.
— A fight?
— Yeah.
— To the death?
Startled by her curt question, Namgung Hwi flinched.
— No, not to the death. I just want to test swords with you.
— So… fight, but not kill?
— Right.
Dueling (비무) was unfamiliar to Woonyeong.
Of course, she knew the concept—it was a martial arts match where both sides promised not to take each other’s lives.
But Woonyeong had never fought such battles before. How could a promise not to kill possibly be kept?
— A true martial artist wants to cross swords with strong opponents.
— Is that so?
Well, maybe it was.
Woonyeong didn’t know much about martial artists who were raised in orthodox clans or families.
— So?
— Let’s do it.
She agreed easily.
There was no particular reason. She just knew Namgung Hwi wasn’t a match for her.
No matter what tricks Namgung Hwi tried, Woonyeong could evade them.
Because she was stronger.
She had the instinctive ability to gauge someone’s martial power. It was a skill Woonyeong possessed.
Raising her sword, she rushed at Namgung Hwi. She skipped any formal opening stances. Namgung Hwi, flustered, quickly drew his sword and deflected her strike.
And after several hours passed—
— Stop, stop! Hey, you sword demon! Stop already!
Panting, Namgung Hwi shouted for mercy. The fact that he held out for several hours with full effort was actually impressive.
— Alright.
Woonyeong, looking refreshed, sheathed her sword.
A sword wielded not to kill wasn’t so bad. She had actually enjoyed crossing swords with him.
In Elder No-ya’s study, Woonyeong had read the Namgung family’s secret martial arts manuals.
After analyzing the essence of their swordsmanship, she concluded:
Changcheon (蒼天).
Heaven-mad lunatics.
It was such a uniquely distinct martial style that she had never actually tried it herself. But after facing Namgung Hwi’s sword, she realized it was far more refined than she had imagined.
Namgung Hwi had mastered various techniques from the Changcheon lineage and demonstrated the Namgung style’s core traits—dominance and weight—flawlessly.
A powerful and heavy sword.
Woonyeong thought that such a sword suited him well.
— By the way, are you ambidextrous?
Though it was her first time seeing Namgung family swordplay, she had never heard they used both hands.
Yet Namgung Hwi used both hands. When he dropped the sword, he grabbed it with his left hand and continued the fight. His left-handed swordsmanship was quite accomplished.
That was the most dangerous moment Woonyeong had experienced while facing him.
— Ah.
Namgung Hwi let out a short sigh.
— I’m originally left-handed.
He seemed to have more to say, but that was all he revealed.
Woonyeong wasn’t good at conversation, but she wasn’t oblivious.
She sensed he was hiding something. She simply nodded in response.
— I see.
In that moment, Woonyeong discovered a new path.
The Art of Harmony (조화결) was martial arts aimed at aligning with the balance of the world. Though she was born with a body known as the Celestial Martial Body (천무지체), it had also been born with poison. She had sought a way to reconcile the two.
Mother.
A word she had never spoken.
Her strong will not to abandon the poison her mother had left behind was what drove her.
Recognizing poison as internal energy and converting it into ki was a painful process. But through that, Woonyeong laid the foundation of a martial art that emphasized bodily harmony and began developing it.
Creation (造化).
— Yeah. There was no rule that said you had to wield a sword only with one hand. Left and right—balance. The right exists because the left does, and the left because of the right. That’s the law of nature.
Wielding her sword with her left hand, Woonyeong slowly performed a downward slash. A simple, clean cut.
It didn’t match the power of her right-handed strike, but it was still a perfect slash. And Woonyeong fell into a state of no-self (무아).
— What the hell. She reached no-self? Just from that?
Namgung Hwi felt bitter.
He was the one who requested the duel. He was the one who got completely defeated. And now, just from a single sentence, she had entered no-self. It was maddening.
But he soon got up and stood guard.
After experiencing the effects of the duel, Woonyeong sought out the always-escaping Namgung Hwi every single day.
“…It was better than slicing up scarecrows.”
Recalling the past, Woonyeong muttered.
Honestly, Namgung Hwi had been the perfect sparring partner. He was skilled, had learned various techniques, and his internal energy was high—he didn’t tire easily.
“Still, that ungrateful guy. I helped him get over that wall, and he ran away every day.”
Woonyeong turned her gaze back to Namgung Hwi, who was once again training.
Whoosh. His sword moved with a roar, cutting through the air with precision. It moved as if to paint the sky.
Chang-gung Mu-ae Sword Art (蒼穹無涯劍法).
The child Namgung Hwi was performing the Namgung family’s ascending sword technique she had seen countless times in the past.
The technique used internal energy with great restraint. Considering he was only twelve, it was an impressive achievement.
The Namgung family, one of the most prestigious sword clans in the Central Plains, had countless sword techniques.
The basic technique that painted the high skies—Chang-gung Sword Art (蒼穹劍法).
The grand technique that aimed to resemble the vast heavens—Da-yeon Sword Art (大衍劍法).
Only after mastering those two could one learn the ascending technique, Chang-gung Mu-ae Sword Art—the limitless sky-slaying sword style.
“If he’s already learning that, he’s progressing fast… but why is he swinging the sword like that? Ugh, it’s frustrating. Solved Elder No-ya, now it’s you. Sigh, what a life.”
It was taboo to watch someone else’s training. So Woonyeong made her presence known, intending to speak with Namgung Hwi.
She was still a noble daughter who knew proper etiquette.
But upon seeing the odd twist in Namgung Hwi’s sword, she couldn’t help it.
A tiny deviation that no one could notice unless they had seen the Sword King’s blade in the past.
Whoosh. The sword cut through the air again.
Its power and boldness were thrilling.
“Oh, that’s it. His left hand. The left hand is the issue.”
At that moment, the sword stopped.
‘Crap, was I too loud?’
Woonyeong held her breath and widened her eyes.
Zap. Namgung Hwi’s head turned, and his gaze landed on her.
“…Young Lady.”
His voice was icy.
Though his face still had baby fat, his sharp gaze was oddly fitting.
That cold, annoying demeanor. He looked just like the Sword King from the past. That made Woonyeong even more pleased.
“It’s taboo to observe a martial artist’s training.”
“Yes. That’s what they say.”
Spotting a trace of her old friend in him, Woonyeong smiled sweetly. A grinning Sword King had always been strange.
Crackle. At her reply, a vein popped on Namgung Hwi’s proud forehead.
‘Yikes. If he’d mastered Thunder Qi, he’d be blasting lightning right now. The Sword King was good with Thunder Qi, too.’
“You must be new to martial arts, so I assumed you didn’t know.”
Indirectly pointing out her rudeness—how very fitting for the Namgung heir.
But knowing his true intentions, Woonyeong grumbled inwardly:
‘I’ve swung a sword for thirty years, brat.’
Namgung Hwi thought this was a good chance to scold her. He’d been wondering how to deal with the girl who tried to flirt with Jegal Dam. This was a good start.
“But if you knew and still did it, the offense is serious, Young Lady.”
“Apologies.”
Woonyeong’s apology was as light as a feather.
Namgung Hwi, flustered, was at a loss for words.
No one had ever spoken to him like that before.
“…I’ll forgive your rudeness, Young Lady.”
Clenching his teeth, Namgung Hwi replied. He had been taught that members of the Namgung family must always conduct themselves with dignity.
‘Even as a kid, he’s a typical Namgung elite. That arrogance is definitely inborn.’
He was trying hard, but to Woonyeong, it was just amusing.
“By the way, Young Master… why are you holding the sword in your right hand?”
Why ask something so obvious?
Namgung Hwi drew the character for patience in his mind and took a deep breath before speaking.
“Well, of course—”
“Of course?”
“The Changcheon Sword uses the right hand as its base.”
“Really? But you’re left-handed, aren’t you?”
“How did you—?”
“That’s not the point. What if you used your left hand instead?”
“…That’s ridiculous—”
Raising his voice, Namgung Hwi couldn’t finish his sentence. As if entranced, he moved the sword to his left hand. Then slowly performed a downward slash.
It was clumsy compared to his right-hand slash.
Again. And again.
With each repetition, the slash came closer to perfection.
Namgung Hwi suddenly entered the state of no-self.
‘Debt repaid.’
Woonyeong smiled gently and stood guard.
