Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Although the Orthodox Murim’s Mount Tai and North Star are said to be the Nine Sects One Gang and the Five Great Families, they didn’t occupy that position from the very beginning.

In fact, this is only natural. Just as there are no birds that can fly from the moment they’re born, there are no forces that stood at the pinnacle from the moment they emerged.

Whether it was the Nine Sects One Gang or the Five Great Families, to become part of that lineup, one had to accomplish many feats and accumulate merit. And the way to accomplish such feats was quite simple.

To step forward ahead of everyone else to fight, and to cut down more enemies than anyone else.

In other words, the Nine Sects One Gang and the Five Great Families can be said to be the very ‘martial force’ of the Orthodox Path itself.

“Mujeong Hall, victory!”

At the referee’s verdict echoing through the air, Oh Ryeong, who had been knocked out, turned his dazed gaze to stare directly at Namgung Hyeon. Despite having clearly been far away in the distance, Namgung Hyeon had somehow already approached right before his eyes.

‘What was that?’

He remembered hearing the signal to begin the match and raising his nine-section whip to probe. He had certainly calculated to drag out the match as long as possible to drain his opponent’s stamina.

However, in the blink of an eye, Namgung Hyeon had closed in, slipped through the gaps in the whip, and swung his sword. And then.

‘I lost?’

His vision had filled with something blue, and then defeat.

Having gradually grasped the situation, Oh Ryeong bit his lip at the rising indignation. And watching such Oh Ryeong, Namgung Hyeon spoke in a low voice.

“I couldn’t afford to hold back. Are you injured anywhere?”

“……No. Don’t patronize me.”

“I have no intention of patronizing you. You’re not weak enough to deserve pity.”

“……Your words are slick.”

At Namgung Hyeon’s cold yet cool tone as he extended his hand, Oh Ryeong involuntarily let out a hollow laugh. To completely conclude the match, he rose to his feet on his own and descended from the training ground. And watching that figure, Unjin burst into hearty laughter.

“Haha! Donor Oh Ryeong. Don’t be too disheartened. Your opponent is Namgung Hyeon, the genius of the Namgung Family, and you, donor, haven’t even received your alias yet. Since you took down Paeng Jin, you’ve done enough……”

“Read the room. Before I carve a whip mark on your forehead.”

At Oh Ryeong’s threat, Unjin closed his mouth, and Oh Ryeong, who had sighed at the sight, looked around and continued speaking.

“The situation seems to have gotten a bit serious, don’t you think?”

“Serious……?”

“Yeah. Namgung Hyeon seems stronger than I thought.”

He had anticipated defeat. Of course he had, since his opponent was that Namgung Hyeon.

Even among the academy trainees, Namgung Hyeon and Baek Risan were in a different league of skill. Weren’t those two the kind of experts who could take on two, or even three if things went well, of the top-ranked rising stars among their peers of the same age?

He hadn’t thought he could last long in a situation where he was exhausted from facing Paeng Jin. His mindset had been to do what he could, that’s all.

But this was a different story.

“I couldn’t even see his attack properly. I don’t know how it looked from below the stage.”

The tsunami of sword energy that had filled his vision.

Being knocked out in one strike didn’t matter. But not being able to properly see the identity of the attack was a problem, wasn’t it?

Oh Ryeong let out a light sigh and frowned at the realm of swordsmanship he had never seen before. And just as he was closing his mouth.

“The Namgung Family is a sword clan that pursues the Hegemon Sword.”

Baek Riyun, who had been watching from the side, slowly opened his mouth.

“Although there are countless techniques in swordsmanship, the Hegemon Sword is a very unique and unparalleled technique. Do you know what the Hegemon Sword is?”

“Well…….”

Seonwoo Gang, who had been about to answer, couldn’t easily respond and closed his mouth. A term that didn’t clearly come to mind.

“I don’t…… know.”

“It’s understandable. The Hegemon Sword isn’t something you can easily see.”

With a faint smile, Baek Riyun immediately continued.

“Simply put, the Hegemon Sword is a sword for suppressing one’s opponent and proving one’s superiority. If the Flowing Sword is about deflecting and the Strong Sword is about breaking the opponent, then the Hegemon Sword can be seen as a sword for reigning above anyone else.”

“A sword for reigning……?”

“That’s right.”

Baek Riyun, who had nodded, continued his explanation.

“The Namgung Family has many martial arts with characters symbolizing heaven in their names. Right away, the Changgung in Changgungmuaegeom also means heaven, and the Cheonpung Sword Technique also has the character Cheon, and there’s even an opinion that the Daeyeon in Daeyeon Sword Technique also symbolizes the endlessly vast sky. Do you know what this means?”

“Doesn’t it mean the Namgung Family’s sword seeks to resemble heaven?”

“That’s right. The Namgung Family’s sword aims for heaven. More precisely, it’s safe to say they aim to stand above all people.”

As it’s often said, the perception spread throughout society follows the form of a family’s martial arts rather than the actions of its members. Don’t they say the Paeng Family is brutish, the Jegal Family is cunning, the Tang Family is vicious, and the Namgung Family is arrogant?

If the Paeng Family receives the evaluation of being brutish for wielding overwhelming heavy and strong swords, and the Jegal Family receives the evaluation of being cunning for their martial arts that use numerical superiority and restrict opponents’ movements, then the Tang Family receives the evaluation of being vicious for primarily using poison and hidden weapons. These evaluations come from the impression their martial arts give.

And when that evaluation reaches the Namgung Family, it changes to arrogance.

Arrogant martial arts.

That is the essence of the Namgung Family’s martial arts.

“From ancient times, the Namgung Family has had good foundation, so their internal energy was abundant and grand. With the existence of the exceptional mental cultivation method called the Azure Vast Divine Art, they often had superiority in internal energy compared to others.”

Abundance of internal energy means superiority in conditions. However, having abundant internal energy doesn’t mean you can win in combat, does it?

Therefore, throughout the Namgung Family’s deep history, they evolved in a direction that utilized their strengths. The essence of that is the Hegemon Sword.

A sword that reigns above the opponent.

“If it’s such a sword…… What’s the weakness?”

“It would be easy for me to tell you, but it would be difficult for you all to apply. In the first place, don’t you not even have a proper grasp of what the Hegemon Sword is?”

“That’s…….”

At Baek Riyun’s words, the Muryeon Hall trainees, unable to deny it, closed their mouths. However, Seomun Cheok asked without caring.

“What should we do?”

“If you haven’t experienced it, you just need to experience it.”

Having answered Seomun Cheok’s question lightly, Baek Riyun turned his gaze again to look at the two remaining trainees excluding Seonwoo Gang. The trainees who would have to face Namgung Hyeon going forward.

“Sajinhak. Gyeonghu. I’ll leave the choice to you two.”

“Someone has to step forward and face Namgung Hyeon.”

Eight or nine out of ten. No, ninety-nine out of a hundred would be defeated. Against Namgung Hyeon giving his all, even lasting dozens of exchanges wouldn’t be easy.

They might not gain the glory other trainees obtain. They might be remembered by the audience in such a helpless, fallen state.

Even so, someone has to go out.

At the sight of his peers maintaining silence, Seonwoo Gang bit his lip and opened his mouth to express his intention to participate. And then.

“I’d rather go first…….”

The moment Seonwoo Gang took one step forward.

“You step back. Seonwoo Gang.”

The Muryeon Hall trainee who grabbed Seonwoo Gang’s shoulder, Gyeonghu, pushed Seonwoo Gang back slightly.

“It’s our turn this time.”

There’s a saying. Everyone is the protagonist of their own life. Since no one else lives your life for you, always live confidently.

Philosophically, it’s the right thing to say. If you think and act as if you’re just an insignificant ordinary citizen, your confidence drops, and you often become progressively passive.

However, whether that statement that everyone is the protagonist because I live my own life is realistically correct.

Gyeonghu could shake his head without hesitation.

“You’re late.”

At the sight of Namgung Hyeon casually tossing out a remark as soon as he climbed onto the training ground, Gyeonghu curtly nodded and clenched his fist. Sweat forming at his clenched fingertips.

“I had something to discuss.”

“I see.”

Watching Namgung Hyeon, who hadn’t shed a single drop of sweat despite defeating Oh Ryeong, Gyeonghu inwardly sighed. Because Namgung Hyeon felt like an insurmountable wall.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d go easy on me. Namgung Hyeon. I’m weak, you know.”

“Are you joking?”

“I wish I were joking too.”

“……Ha.”

-Assume stance!

At the sight of Gyeonghu making frivolous remarks, Namgung Hyeon let out a short hollow laugh, then hardened his face again and drew his sword, taking his position.

“Even if I wanted to go easy, I can’t. I have reasons I can’t lose either.”

“Is that so……. Then there’s no choice.”

Having finished speaking, Gyeonghu gave a bitter smile and slowly assumed his starting position. Soon after, Baek Riyun’s advice came to mind.

-Go all out from the very beginning.

What is the Hegemon Sword?

-The Hegemon Sword is ultimately swordsmanship for proving one’s superiority to the enemy. In other words, it means unfolding swordsmanship based on superiority.

The Hegemon Sword is about suppressing the opponent based on abundant internal energy and techniques superior to the opponent. The reason it can be established as a type of swordsmanship is precisely because it uses that ‘abundant internal energy’ most efficiently of all.

-Overturn the premise. That’s the only way to endure even a little.

Having engraved Baek Riyun’s words in his heart, Gyeonghu clenched his fist. And soon after, seeing Namgung Hyeon and Gyeonghu ready, the referee opened his mouth.

“Both parties. Are you ready to begin?”

“I’m ready.”

Watching Namgung Hyeon speak calmly, Gyeonghu took a deep breath. And then.

“I’m also ready.”

“Then…… Begin!”

The moment the referee’s starting signal fell.

Kwaaaaaa!

At the tsunami of sword energy that came crashing down without fail, Gyeonghu gritted his teeth and slammed internal energy into his clenched fist.

Kwaaaaaang-!!

The internal energy that burst in an instant pushed away both Namgung Hyeon’s and Gyeonghu’s bodies. It wasn’t a properly formed technique. Gyeonghu didn’t have much internal energy.

Learning how to handle explosive internal energy is limited only to those who have internal energy as vast as the sea. It’s not as if he had eaten many elixirs or possessed an exceptional mental cultivation method, so Gyeonghu didn’t need such techniques.

It was a crude, improvised fight. You couldn’t find even a hint of efficiency. There was Mu there, but no Hak. It was a method that carved away at one’s own flesh, and if the spectators had even a little cultivation in martial arts, they would probably laugh and point fingers.

But it didn’t matter.

Because that wasn’t what was important to Gyeonghu.

Kwaaang! Kwaaaang!

Explosion. And explosion.

Sword energy and fist force collided. He didn’t think about efficiency. Without any backup, not even to pressure the opponent, just internal energy expenditure to endure.

“How long do you plan to just keep exploding your internal energy? Only your stamina will be depleted.”

“You’re not…… wrong……!”

At Namgung Hyeon’s words, Gyeonghu, gasping for breath, gritted his teeth and squeezed his dantian to gather internal energy at his fingertips. Despite not even half a moment having passed since the match began, his dantian was beginning to show its bottom due to inefficient internal energy consumption.

“If I keep going…… like this, I won’t be able to win. Absolutely not.”

He knew.

This action ultimately erased even the slightest possibility of defeating Namgung Hyeon. A method as inefficient as shooting dozens of arrows to knock down one arrow shot by the opponent.

The probability of winning was already low. If it had been as before, if it had been last year’s Gyeonghu, he certainly wouldn’t have used such an inefficient method and would have tried his best to have the best match possible. Because that would be more beneficial. Because it was an opportunity to make himself known to others.

However,

“Still, there are times when you must do it……!”

What came to mind was.

-I’m sorry. If I had done better.

Despite being talented, so kind-hearted.

-……Yes. Master. It’s not that. I’m thinking I’ll somehow win next time.

And yet, the face of his peer who carried so many burdens.

Kwaaaang-!!!

Even while enduring the shock with his body, swept up in the explosion he himself caused, Gyeonghu gritted his teeth.

“I can never beat you. Namgung Hyeon. Because you’re the protagonist. Because you’re someone who can become the protagonist……!”

If Namgung Hyeon or Seonwoo Gang were the main characters in a drama set against the backdrop of the Murim Alliance and the Two Great Academies, then he himself was merely a supporting role. In such a stage, there would be no third-rate drama where the main character is defeated by a supporting role and exits in vain.

“You’re not the only ones standing on the stage……!”

Does a supporting role truly have no meaning?

No. If there were no meaning, there would be no reason to stand on the stage. Supporting roles have their own roles to play.

Then there’s only one thing to do.

“I will…… fulfill my role.”

Squeezing out every last drop to create an environment where the main character can thrive.

Kwaaaaaang-!!!!

Having gritted his teeth and scraped the very bottom of his dantian to explode his internal energy, Gyeonghu roared and thrust out his fist. And then.

“This is the end. Descend now.”

The moment Namgung Hyeon broke through the explosion and casually brought his blade to the side of his neck.

-Mujeong Hall, victory!

Having received the referee’s signal, Gyeonghu, whose face had turned pale, smiled weakly.

“That’s enough.”

In the distance.

-Analysis complete.

His peers were waving their hands.