Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 190

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 190

Yes.
The first memory that surfaced was a sword.
Blood spraying at the edges, a head falling to the ground, a robe embroidered with flowers approaching moments later, not the smile of a middle-aged man.
A sword.
A blade that drank the moonlight and shone pure white even in the darkness—that was the memory etched upon the first page of his life.

* * *

“What did you say?”
“A… sword…”
For a moment, Jin Yeon faltered and cut his words short. The child, however, did not shrink back.
“A sword?”
The child tilted his head.
He repeated the word with a slightly awkward pronunciation, as if uncertain whether he’d gotten it right.
“Master! Why are you upset with my disciple?”
“I’m not upset. I was just startled. Yes, child. Is it true you want to see someone wield a sword?”
Jin Yeon smiled again and approached the boy.
The child nodded.
“Very well, I’ll show you. Or rather, you’ll be able to see plenty at the competition. But before that, there’s something I’d like to ask. Do you remember where your home is?”
The way he spoke so quickly suggested he hadn’t come from a foreign land, which actually raised the likelihood of something else.
But the child tilted his head, pondered for a moment, then shook it slowly.
In truth, he’d been understanding fragments all along the way and had shaken his head each time he was asked.
‘I thought once he began speaking, he might recover his memories too.’
But it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“What about your name? Your age?”
“I don’t know.”
Though his pronunciation was still awkward, he answered properly.
“I see. Very well. You’ll see plenty of swords once the competition begins. And if you come to Hwasan, you’ll be able to touch them to your heart’s content.”
No origin, no name. The child was like a blank slate.
As if someone had wiped his memories clean.
‘Could it be from trauma? He’s certainly learned the language on the way here.’
If so, his intellect must be quite high. Could he be the child of some high-ranking official from another land?
There were too many unknowns.
‘He could have been an orphan from the start.’
“Disciple! Let’s go outside and look around the city instead of talking about swords!”
“Yes.”
“Master! Can we go out?”
“Let’s go together. But let me rest a moment first.”
“That’s a bit…”
…”
In any case.
“It would be good if you recovered your memory, but don’t worry too much if you don’t.”
He stroked the child’s head reassuringly.
“Yes, Master?”

At six years younger than the average age, he was nearly eight years apart from his senior brother—a gap that had made him quite accustomed to being treated as the youngest.
Not all youngest children are the same, but when one receives such care and attention, there’s a risk of becoming a bit too presumptuous.
Or perhaps.
“Wow, Master! Did you see that wall? Who paints things like that?”
“Look at that decoration. We’ve never seen anything like it at Hwasan.”
“What’s the best thing to eat in the city? Master, I heard you’ve been active in the Murim Alliance since my age…”
“And does the Sect Leader give you an allowance? How much do you usually receive?”
He talked far too much.
Though his candid nature was admirable, it was rather taxing on the ears.
Yes.
It was doubtless thanks to all his chatter that the child now holding his hand had picked up the language so quickly.
Jin Yeon thought of it benevolently.
“By the way, this building feels like a building within a building. It’s so closed off.”
As they slowly exited, Hyun-woon suddenly paused in thought before speaking.
“Oh. You can sense that?”
“Yes. Is the Murim Alliance always built like this?”
“Each one is different. It’s classified, so I can’t tell you much.”
“You just don’t want to explain, right?”
“Exactly. But I think only this place has such a structure.”
It was obvious why they were lodged in such a building.
It would become the headquarters of the new faction to be established.
There would be no reason for anyone to venture outside, no reason for strangers to come and go.
‘Among the masters here, my rank is probably the lowest.’
When he saw who was entering, he became certain.
“It’s been a while, Elder Namgung Tae.”
The Namgung Clan.
Among the five most powerful families under heaven, they held the position of supreme authority—a martial great house.
Flanking such an elder were a sturdy, tall young man and a confident-looking child, much like how Jin Yeon had youth and child on either side.
“Long time indeed, boy. And welcome, disciple of Hwasan.”
“We’re pleased to meet you. I’m Hyun-woon of Hwasan Sect.”
“Ah yes, it’s been a while. And welcome.”
He gestured to the two children beside him. “Make your greetings. Cheon and Hwang. The Plum Blossom Swordswoman.”
The two children beside Namgung Tae greeted Jin Yeon.
“But that child—is he a third-generation disciple?”
Namgung Tae showed interest in the child standing beside Jin Yeon.
His demeanor made clear he wanted a proper explanation.
The reason was obvious.
‘It must be because of that child.’
The young Namgung child whose eyes blazed with confidence.
Namgung Cheon.
‘Several years ago, the Namgung Clan made a big show of announcing the birth of a prodigy.’
Namgung Cheon was ten years old. The child Jin Yeon had taken in was roughly the same size. Perhaps Namgung Cheon was slightly taller?
They seemed close in age.
And that was precisely why Namgung Tae took interest.
Namgung Cheon was the eldest son of a branch family leader. When that leader became clan patriarch, Namgung Cheon would naturally follow. Eventually, he was destined to become patriarch himself.
“No.”
“Is that so? Then what is he doing here?”
“He is simply a child I picked up along the way.”
“Tsk. This is why the Orthofaction is problematic. I would have offered to teach him martial arts if I had known.”
Upon hearing that this wasn’t a Hwasan prodigy, Namgung Tae lost interest immediately.
Jin Yeon let out a dry chuckle.
Fire flashed between their eyes.
“You speak of Namgung martial arts?”
“Yes. Since all have gathered for the greater cause, we elders agreed to share some knowledge.”
His true intent had nothing to do with righteousness—he simply wanted to build connections with prodigies from each sect. And naturally, if a peer-aged child seemed likely to block Namgung Cheon’s path, he would move to suppress them.
“Then I’ll be going. Cheon, I know I said to befriend everyone, but there’s no need to associate with such a child.”
What a temperament.
‘If I get entangled here, it’ll be quite troublesome. Still, to look after Hyun-woon, I should have at least one ally. I’ll need to request something from the elders.’
Jin Yeon’s skills surpassed a full tier above the expected level, so there would be no problem with his instruction.
But in a situation like this, he had no choice but to defer to his seniors.
They were of the Orthofaction, after all.
“Let’s ignore them and go.”

* * *

Once the child’s tongue was loosened, his grasp of speech and comprehension improved day by day.

Because of this, he understood that his situation was strange.
But thanks to Jin Yeon and Hyun-woon repeatedly assuring him it was fine, he didn’t worry much about it.
“Yes. Your disciple says he’s also an orphan, so don’t worry.”
“Yes!”
“See? Even as an orphan, I’ve become such a splendid sword-user of Hwasan. You saw yesterday, didn’t you? How I subdued my opponent in five moves. Right?”
“But wasn’t it three moves yesterday?”
The child asked with a smile.
“Ha! Here we go again!”
Hyun-woon grinned widely at the child.
“You don’t know because you’ve never held this sword, but it’s not as simple as all that. Do you have any idea how many exchanges of blows happen in a fight?”
“Oh!”
“Exactly! Once you learn the sword yourself, you’ll understand just how remarkable this teacher is. But you should still be proud—I made it to the quarterfinals, after all! Right?”
“Yes?”
“Your respect for your teacher shouldn’t be shown that way. Tsk tsk.”
“No, Master! I actually wanted to cross blades with my teacher directly, but since you won’t bring the child to the training grounds, I have no choice but to do it this way. And I’ll be leaving for my faction soon anyway, so I should be telling him about your greatness while I still can.”
“Haha. You’re hopeless. Though I suppose, after seeing all those peer-aged disciples, this little one does look endearing.”
“Yes, well…”
Hyun-woon nodded bashfully.
“If you really want to, shall we visit the training grounds once? He hasn’t formally entered yet, but it should be fine to teach him the Yukhap Sword at least.”
It was also the reason why the child still had no name. His memory might return, and besides, if he went to Hwasan, he would receive a Sect Name, so there was no point in giving him a name now.
“Great!”
The child’s eyes widened.
His desire to hold a sword had been growing stronger each time he watched the sparring competition.
“You’re that happy about it?”
“Yes!”
The child was mentally recreating every scene of sword-wielding he had witnessed thus far.
He wanted to unfold them himself.
There was no particular reason. He simply wanted to.
And after that, he wanted to see this place called Hwasan.
The only things the two people who held meaning for him ever spoke of were matters concerning the sect, so it seemed the child had already come to know the geography of Hwasan though he had never been there.
“Come along then.”
They loved this place called Hwasan.
“Hmm… I thought it would be empty at this late hour.”
In the training grounds were Namgung Tae, whom they had met on the first day, along with Namgung Cheon and Namgung Hwang, all engaged in practice.
Of course, the child paid them no mind. He grasped the hem of Jin Yeon’s robe and looked up.
“Yes.”
After a brief greeting, Jin Yeon handed the child a wooden sword.
“Go on, take hold of it. There.”
“Am I holding it correctly?”
“You’ve observed well this whole time. Certainly sharp. Now I’ll teach you the Yukhap Sword. The Yukhap Sword is…”
But the moment the child grasped the sword, Jin Yeon’s words became muffled, as if they’d sunk underwater.
The world around him began to fade away.
All his senses concentrated on the feel of his fingertips and the rough wooden blade connected to them.
And the child swung the sword.
The Yukhap Sword.
Following the movements Jin Yeon had shown upon their arrival.
But soon the child was pulled back from that world.
“Disciple! Haha. Anyone watching would think you’d entered a meditative trance! You should listen to Master’s teachings while you practice. Still, the fact that you love the sword so much shows you have the makings of a true Hwasan swordsman!”
Hyun-woon laughed. Jin Yeon joined in, his lips curving into a satisfied smile.
“Now, widen your stance a bit more, and raise your arms higher.”
“Why? This feels more comfortable.”
The child’s question was innocent. There was no defiance or hidden intent—just genuine curiosity.
For someone about to enter the martial world, such a questioning attitude was desirable.
Jin Yeon pondered how to make the child understand, then began his explanation.
“Martial arts cannot proceed simply as one pleases, child. The Yukhap Sword, like other foundational techniques, provides the most stable foundation for learning the higher martial arts that follow…”
Those who learned the Yukhap were children. But when they learned higher martial arts based on the Yukhap, their bodies were fully grown.
The Yukhap Sword was naturally designed with a fully-grown body in mind.
But if children of this age were to learn higher martial arts…
‘A narrower stance and lower posture would be more…’
The thought flashed through Jin Yeon’s mind that it might be easier for them.
And the fact that he’d spoken of ease made him pause.
Was it coincidence?
‘Of course that child will grow up and learn higher martial arts eventually, so I should correct him now for sure, but…’
“Then…”
That was when it happened.
“You there. Have a word with me for a moment.”
“Ah, Elder. Understood. I’ll be back shortly, so entertain yourselves.”
Jin Yeon departed with the Murim Alliance elder toward the far end of the training grounds.
Left behind were Hyun-woon and the child.
“Hyun-woon, congratulations on making the quarterfinals.”
“Ah, Namgung Hwang. You made the quarterfinals too, didn’t you?”
Namgung Hwang approached, bringing Namgung Cheon along. It seemed Namgung Tae had joined the elders.
“Yes. Could we talk for a moment? I’ve built connections with other competitors, but you never came to the training grounds, so…”
“Well, we weren’t really here to train, so we have time. Child, wait here for a moment.”
And so the child was left alone with Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon spared the child not a glance, taking up a wooden sword and beginning his practice at a distance.
The child paid no mind. In fact, his mood improved.
With the sword in hand again and his focus renewed, the world faded away easily.
Noise and surroundings dissolved as quiet serenity returned.
Then Namgung Cheon’s sword path dimly pushed through the gaps into his world.
His concentration broke. The child watched Namgung Cheon’s movements with interest and opened his mouth.
“Why are you swinging like that? Are you also picking up the sword for the first time like me?”
This day.
The child experienced sparring for the very first time.
And that sparring was…
Quite easy.
At the time, the child thought it was because his opponent was also a beginner.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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