Chapter 5 – Brush with Death(5)
Usually, one can use sword energy starting from the First-class realm.
Depending on the work, it is described that one can use sword force from first-class realm or peak realm. At least that’s how it was in all the martial arts novels I’ve read so far. This one shouldn’t be much different.
That’s why I was a bit nervous at first. Since she was called a once-in-a-lifetime genius of the Murong family, I thought she would be at least a master who had reached the First-class realm. Fortunately, it seems she wasn’t at that realm.
If she were a master of similar realm, her movements wouldn’t be so slow and transparent. The wooden sword caught between my fingers looked like a butterfly with its fragile wings trapped.
She was struggling to break free, but no matter how long I waited, it showed no sign of escaping on her own. In the end, I had to be the one to release its wings first.
“I think that’s enough, great warrior.”
“N-no, it’s not over yet! Brother!”
“Sua, you already know it yourself.”
“…..”
As Murong hyun approached while clapping, Murong Sua shouted as if she couldn’t accept it. But at his reproachful response, the girl finally remained silent like someone who had swallowed honey.
After easily avoiding all attacks, and finally when she used a sword technique, I effortlessly broke it apart. So it’s only natural that I would be declared the winner.
However, there was something puzzling. She was supposedly the once-in-a-lifetime genius of the Murong family. Yet she’s only at the Second-class realm? But I soon understood.
‘She could enter the first-class realm within the next 4 years. It wouldn’t be wise to underestimate her.’
Whether I like it or not, I ultimately need to maintain connections with the Murong family. Of course, in the later parts of martial arts novels, everyone and their dog becomes a Peak master, but even that was something I desperately wanted.
Having been transmigrated into a martial arts novel and being a martial artist who learned martial arts, I had the desire to at least reach the first-class realm. With thirty years of effort, I managed to reach the First-class realm, but…
Unfortunately, the first-class realm seemed nowhere in sight. That’s why I’m trying to establish connections with the Murong family. For martial arts techniques, cultivation methods, or even medicinal pills that could help build internal energy.
‘Even if I don’t receive any of those, just sparring with the masters of the Murong family would greatly broaden my knowledge.’
Even a rotten bream is still a bream.The Murong family was a prestigious family that occupied one of the five great families supporting the Martial Alliance. So there must be masters who have reached the first-class realm or beyond.
Moreover, I could receive help from the Murong family when I make my debut in the martial world later. It was a relationship that was beneficial in many ways. It certainly wasn’t a relationship that could be called disadvantageous.
After finishing the calculations in my head, I approached Murong hyun and Murong Sua who was being lectured by him. She must have been thoroughly scolded, as Murong Sua’s face was filled with gloom.
“That’s enough.”
“Nameless great warrior, you’ve arrived.”
“She’s still just a child who doesn’t know anything. Everyone has a time when they are inexperienced.”
“Indeed, your heart is as wide as the ocean. Thank you very much.”
It seemed he was lecturing her for using overly powerful techniques in the sparring. Honestly, from my perspective, it wasn’t very threatening. Because it was really, excruciatingly slow.
To be honest, at first I didn’t even know it was a technique. It was only because Murong hyun mentioned it during the sparring that I realized it was a technique of the Murong family. If he hadn’t said anything, I probably would never have known.
So I intervened, saying it was fine, and stopped Murong hyun. In response, Murong hyun bowed his head to me in gratitude. Just as I was thinking ‘Why are you being so formal?’ at that moment.
“Now I can entrust Sua to you without any worries. I’m really relieved.”
Ah.
Only then could I understand why Murong hyun had been expressing such excessive gratitude to me. Is that how it works? No, but I couldn’t just silently accept taking on this troublemaker.
“I don’t mind. But I’m worried if Miss Murong Sua will be alright.”
“What do you mean?”
“She seems to have received a great shock from this sparring. If you show her a sky that’s too high, her spirit might break. It might be better for the family to take care of her directly.”
“That’s certainly…”
“No, I’m fine.”
I had a brief moment of hope when I saw Murong hyun nodding in understanding at my words. That is, until a resolute voice flew from behind. When I turned my gaze, I saw Murong Sua’s blazing eyes.
“I am a martial artist after all. I cannot just tuck my tail and retreat.”
Eyes burning like firewood doused with oil. The emotion within them was none other than competitive spirit. In other words, looking at those eyes that conveyed the determination to somehow land a hit on me.
I instinctively felt it.
That the days ahead would become very troublesome.
◇
What could have been a celebration turned into a cold funeral, as that day was the day Murong Sua was born to the family. Murong Sua has never seen her mother’s face.
Because her mother lost her life giving birth to Sua. Do you know what it feels like to receive unconditional love from birth? At least Murong Sua doesn’t know such warmth.
The girl who devoured her own mother. The evil spirit that will destroy the family.
The anger of the family, having lost their beloved mistress, was directed at a child who knew nothing. Her maternal family treated Murong Sua like an evil spirit, and the family head didn’t particularly try to stop such behavior.
Of course, there were people in the family who sympathized with Murong Sua’s situation. But their number was clearly much smaller compared to those who were against her, and even they couldn’t stand up for her because they were wary of the family head.
In that process, what Murong Sua chose was none other than picking up the sword. Actually, if you think about it, she was probably trying to get attention. I like swords too, I’ll work hard if you teach me.
So. Just once would be enough. Please look at me.
Thanks to the few people who sympathized with Murong Sua’s situation, she was able to learn martial arts to some extent. However, at first, no one looked at Sua.
At least not until Sua proved her talent directly. When she perfectly reproduced the techniques performed by the martial artists of the Murong family, the family head looked at Sua for the first time.
Some might call her materialistic. But for Sua, that was the warm attention and love she had wanted so much. Thus, Sua began to learn martial arts from the family head.
[Martial arts is about fighting with one’s life at stake, and the loser must give up their life while the winner must take it. That is what true martial arts can be called. I have finally realized this after meeting a good friend and teacher this time.]
She didn’t want to disappoint the family head. She didn’t want to go back to being alone. So Sua did her best to satisfy the family head.
The Flash Cloud-Splitting Swordwas a sword technique that the family head personally taught her. This was evidence that she was finally recognized as a member of the Murong family. Furthermore, it was a kindness and love bestowed as blood kin.
Thanks to this, Sua couldn’t waste a single day. If she somehow disappointed her father, no, the family head, she felt like she would go back to the old days when there was no one around.
The reason she followed Murong hyun this time was actually because she didn’t want to disappoint her brother. Since he was one of the few people who had cared for her from the past.
But an unbelievable change occurred. The Flash Cloud-Splitting Sword technique personally taught by the family head was all too easily broken. By such an old man from a backroom, no less.
It wasn’t just that the technique was broken. The opponent didn’t even attack and avoided all attacks. Unable to cut no matter how much she tried, it was like trying to cut flowing water with a blade.
In the end, until the sparring was over, Sua’s wooden sword never touched the old man. Approaching Sua, who had collapsed at the unbelievable result, Murong hyun sighed and said.
“The nameless great warrior is a master who has reached the first-class realm.”
“That’s impossible. How could a Peak master, of whom even the five great families have only one or two, be in such mountains…?”
“I don’t know either. Masters who have reached the first-class realm rarely bend their will, so there must be some story.”
If the First-class realm is where one can understand the profound principles of martial arts and fully embody them in the sword, then the first-class realm was the realm where one could leave behind those principles and pioneer a new path.
For a martial artist, it literally means a height that can no longer be climbed further. In other words, it was also called the realm of immovability. Not submitting to any external pressure.
There is absolutely no wavering in displaying one’s own principles and techniques. That’s why even the five great families had only one or two masters who had reached the first-class realm, making their number few and precious.
But what does that matter?
‘If the family head finds out that I survived after having my technique broken… I might really go back to the old days.’
The most important thing for Sua is not to disappoint the family head. For that, she is prepared to fight to the death. Rather than going back to being alone.
Better to die.
