Chapter 2 – Brush with Death(2)
Realm.
It is a concept that comprehensively expresses the skills honed by martial artists throughout their lifetime. At the same time, it is also a goal that martial artists aspire to reach someday, to touch a higher place.
Usually, those who cannot even properly handle internal energy are called third-rate, a level that is barely worthy of being called a realm. The realm where one begins to understand techniques and starts handling internal energy is called the second-class realm.
From second-class onward, one is treated as a proper warrior. Even at this level, ordinary civilians wouldn’t dare think of confronting them, but the gap between first-class and second-class is even more extreme.
It’s not just a level where one simply handles internal energy. The realm where one clearly comprehends the meaning contained in the martial arts they’ve learned and can execute the special techniques embedded within to some extent.
That is called first-class.
Even if it’s the same technique, the techniques of a first-class warrior are on a different level thanks to deep insight and skilled use of internal energy that a mere second-class cannot even dare to present.
And first-class recognizes first-class. Although Murong Hyun had just barely set one foot in the realm of first-class, he could therefore vaguely guess the opponent’s realm.
Especially the one the assassins called their leader was someone who had entered at least the realm of first-class. Otherwise, he couldn’t have executed the special techniques of the Murong Family so perfectly.
Even in the Murong Family, one of the Five Great Families, first-class warriors were not common. The number of warriors within the Murong Family who had reached the realm of first-class was roughly about forty.
Even that number would be reduced to thirty if one excluded the ambiguous level of those like Murong Hyun who had just set foot in the first-class realm. Still, thanks to that, he was somehow able to withstand the leader’s special techniques.
Not only in the use of internal energy, but even in understanding and mastery of techniques, the opponent was overwhelmingly superior. So he couldn’t hold out for long and, after being dragged along to the end, he was ultimately defeated.
Of course, considering that Murong Hyun was just barely in his early twenties, it was quite a remarkable achievement, but if the passing old man hadn’t intervened, it would have meant nothing.
After all, that great talent would have fallen before it had even bloomed. At first, he thought, “Oh no.” Would an innocent person die because of his rash actions?
‘I, Murong Hyun, the young master of the Murong Family, one of the Five Great Families that support the Orthodox Sect Martial Arts Alliance, has involved an innocent person who has nothing to do with this… How utterly shameful.’
Though trembling with shame, Murong Hyun did not lose his focus until the end. Taking advantage of the moment when the leader was concentrating on the old master, he was about to use his final special technique with the determination to die together with his enemy.
‘At the very least, I will prevent an innocent person’s blood from being spilled.’
With such desperate resolve in his heart, he placed his hand on his sword. However, what followed was something that even Murong Hyun couldn’t help but be surprised by. Of course, he knew that the old master was no ordinary person.
An old man walking alone on a mountain path so late at night in such a deserted place? If he hadn’t been visible to others as well, he might have thought it was a ghost.
But since he couldn’t believe that a first-class warrior who could turn this unfavourable situation around happened to be passing by nearby, he had been planning to attempt a mutual death strategy somehow.
But at that moment, Murong Hyun clearly saw with his own eyes. The unbelievable sight of the old man’s sword drawn like lightning from his waist, lightly cutting off the leader’s head as if it were nothing.
One might say what’s the problem with a sword cutting flesh? But cutting a person in half with a sword is absolutely not an easy task. Especially if the opponent is a first-class warrior.
Thanks to the external energy they’ve built up, a first-class warrior’s body is even stronger than steel. On top of that, they have mastered the use of internal energy and can surround their surface with energy like armor to block enemy attacks.
This is called protective energy.
That was one of the reasons why even fights between first-class warriors don’t end easily. Yet the old man with just one sword strike—and with a drawing technique at that—had decapitated the leader.
‘I thought he was extraordinary, but to behead a first-class warrior with a mere drawing technique, without even proper stance let alone techniques. Although he didn’t show the sword energy that symbolizes the peak, he must be a master who has at least reached the peak realm…!!’
This is no exaggeration. According to Murong Hyun’s common sense, only a master who had reached the peak realm could easily behead a first-class master without even using techniques.
And unless heaven had bestowed good fortune, even among the Five Great Families, there would be at most two or three masters who had reached the peak realm. To receive help from such a peak master?
This could certainly be considered a stroke of luck.
”Judging from the fact that he didn’t use his sword energy, he must be a second-class warrior. That was just luck.”
Of course, his opponent harboured entirely different thoughts.
◇
The tide of battle was reversed in an instant. After I beheaded the enemy commander, the assassins were greatly confused, and taking advantage of that gap, the group of young men who had asked me for help launched a counterattack and claimed victory.
His voice was full of confidence, and he walked forward boldly, so I thought he must have had something to rely on. But to think he was just a second-class who couldn’t even use sword energy.
But it wasn’t incomprehensible. In martial arts novels, there are realms like the Flower Realm, the Visible Realm, the Life-and-Death Realm, and even if you go to the Lightning Break, there are realms like the Natural Realm. But that’s just a martial arts world story.
I’m not sure exactly where this mountain I’m staying at is, but it was not a stage that could be called the Central Plains martial arts world. Rather, it was more like a rural area than a martial arts world.
‘Even though the first-class realm in recent martial arts novels is a realm that just anyone can reach, first-class is still first-class even if it’s rotten. It would be problematic if first-class masters were rolling around even in this countryside.’
That meant these masked figures were just bandits. At best, they were just at the level of the Green Forest, and I concluded in my head that the people who almost died by their hands were merchants from a small caravan.
“Thank you sincerely for your help, great warrior. Though inadequate, I am Murong Hyun, serving as the young master of the Murong Family.”
“…”
Thanks to that, when the young man who appeared to be the leader introduced himself as from the Murong Family, I was honestly a bit surprised. Depending on the work, the Murong Family is usually portrayed as one of the Five Great Families.
But it’s a bit awkward to say this, but not just any random member of the Murong Family but a person as high as the young master being this weak? Because of that, I couldn’t hide my pitying gaze.
But I didn’t openly mention it to his face. The other person was the young master of the Murong Family, one of the Five Great Families. Even if I didn’t have to please him, there was no need to make things unpleasant.
“Excuse me, but what is your honourable name, great warrior?”
“Call me Mu-myung (武名).”
[I believe in you, and I leave you with the name Mu-myung. Please fulfill our long-cherished wish on our behalf.]
It wasn’t particularly an alias. Mu-myung was the name entrusted to me by the old man. The old man was my lifesaver and essentially played the role of a parent to me.
I had no intention of discarding the name given to me by the old man. However, there is one thing that concerns me. Our long-cherished wish… What exactly is that wish?
“I see, I understand, great warrior.”
“What do you plan to do now?”
“First, I must recover the bodies of the warriors who fought bravely, then return to the Murong Family.”
“Did you not form a caravan for a specific purpose?”
“Yes, that’s right. But with enemies at our back, there’s no way we can succeed in anything.”
It seems this attack was directed by the Murong Family itself. Sending assassins to dispose of the young master of the Murong Family? Indeed, all the Five Great Families are truly messed up.
After expressing his gratitude to me, Murong Hyun immediately recovered the bodies of the warriors. I heard that sadly, as many as twenty young warriors ended their lives in this attack.
After recovering all the bodies, he also collected the bodies of the assassins who had lost their lives in this fight. And he said he would use these bodies to catch the traitors of the Murong Family.
“I thank you once again. Please accept this small token of our appreciation.”
“…Small? You call this small?”
“Great warrior, you have practically saved the future of the Murong Family. I’m only sorry that this is all I can offer you right now.”
The items given as thanks for saving his life were obviously precious ceramics in a box with a considerable amount of silver taels inside. Even this he called far too modest and said:
“When this matter is settled, I will return and properly express my gratitude, great warrior.”
With those words, Murong Hyun led his people back to the Murong Family. At first, I thought he was just saying it. Honestly, this level of gratitude was already sufficient.
But it was by no means empty words. About two months later, Murong Hyun really came to find me again. And this time, he brought along a young girl.
“Who is that child?”
“Say hello, Sua. This is the great warrior Mu-myung who saved your brother’s life.”
She was a girl with impressive brown, short hair that barely touched her shoulders. Her clear eyes, as if carved from sculpture, looked me up and down, and then her lips curled into a sneer.
“Why have you brought me to such a musty place?”
What the hell?
