The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 17

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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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Episode 17.
Mu Heun’s eyes widened slightly as he regarded Dok Go Hyeon.
“From what I understand, the Nine Cuts of the Dok Go Sword School represent the very essence of martial arts, is that not so?”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
“Then the fact that you cannot execute the Nine Cuts means….”
“…What of it.”
Dok Go Hyeon fell silent, his gaze sliding away from Mu Heun’s.
“No, but this isn’t something just anyone can do. Even my master said he could execute the Nine Cuts, but he’d never actually seen it performed.”
“I see.”
“And I know every movement by heart. It’s just that the effect doesn’t manifest. Teaching you the forms wouldn’t be a problem, would it?”
“Then there should be no issue.”
“Right, no issue—wait. No. There is an issue.”
Dok Go Hyeon exhaled deeply.
“The issue is with me. If I can’t execute the Nine Cuts, I’m only half a swordsman.”
At Dok Go Hyeon’s self-deprecating remark, Mu Heun pressed him.
“You said you know every movement?”
“Yes, perfectly. My master verified it himself.”
“Then there lies a separate problem. What did your master say about it?”
“My master….”
Dok Go Hyeon made a clicking sound with his tongue.
“He said nothing. He told me that without wandering the world and awakening to it myself, there’s no meaning to it. In any case, he was an obstinate old fool.”
Mu Heun pondered briefly, then spoke again.
“Very well. Could you show me the movements of the Wave Breaking Form first?”
Dok Go Hyeon scratched his head awkwardly.
“Tch. I suppose so. Embarrassing as it is….”
Dok Go Hyeon picked up a wooden sword, crudely carved from a branch.
“I’ll show you as best I can.”
Contrary to the uncertainty in his voice, the presence radiating from Dok Go Hyeon shifted dramatically the moment he raised the blade.
The movements that unfolded were spare and elegant.
Raise the sword, then strike.
If there was anything remarkable about it, it was how seamless the entire sequence appeared—so fluid that it seemed less like martial technique than something else entirely.
The motion of cutting through something that didn’t exist made it difficult to discern what was being severed at all.
‘Is he cutting at the wind itself?’
While Mu Heun held this thought, Dok Go Hyeon completed the demonstration and lowered his blade.
“…That’s the form.”
Mu Heun applauded lightly.
“Well observed. That was a strike of true parsimony—not a single wasted movement.”
“I appreciate you saying so.”
Dok Go Hyeon let out a small laugh.
“But you saw it for yourself, didn’t you? The Wave Breaking Form is, well… enigmatic.”
Mu Heun nodded slowly.
“Is that the entirety of the form?”
“Yes. It’s the same as the other techniques. This is only one example. That’s how I was taught.”
Dok Go Hyeon shook his head with an air of regret.
“But I simply cannot fathom it. How it suppresses superior inner strength… I’ve pondered it for years, yet no answer comes.”
Mu Heun found himself in agreement.
‘If this were a dance, I might praise it generously. But as a martial technique, I cannot discern what value this form truly holds.’
Without inner strength, it somehow suppresses superior inner strength.
As such, it appeared too fluid, too indefinite in its target.
“So for now, just keep it in your mind. It’s not a useless movement, certainly not. Perhaps….”
Dok Go Hyeon’s explanation trailed off, his voice stripped of confidence.
Mu Heun let out a soft hum, mentally retracing the movements he’d just witnessed.
He did this to contemplate its application.
‘…Hmm?’
After mentally repeating the form roughly ten times, something caught Mu Heun’s eye.
‘Have I seen this sword path before?’
Mu Heun felt a sense of déjà vu in the sword path of the Wave Breaking Form.
Had another person experienced such a feeling, they would likely have confused it with some other sword technique.
But for Mu Heun, who possessed perfect memory, the implication was far more significant.
‘No—this isn’t mere déjà vu. I remember every martial technique I have ever witnessed.’
That was why he could stop Mok Cheong Woo’s Bi Hwan Dan Cheon Sword Technique before it even unfolded.
‘If that’s the case….’
Mu Heun closed his eyes and brought forth the countless sword techniques that existed in his memory, summoning them like currents upon the river of consciousness.
Across ages beyond measure, the sword techniques that had taken root in Mu Heun’s memory found their places like constellations, reflecting themselves against his closed eyes.
Before long, among the river of martial arts spread wide as stars in the sky, one technique drew Mu Heun’s gaze.
“The Cangqiong Wuya Sword Technique.”
From Mu Heun’s lips came the name of the sword technique that represented the Nam Gung Clan, the greatest swordsmen under heaven.
“What?”
“The First Strike Principle… drawing the blade before the opponent attacks. I see. That is….”
“What are you suddenly doing? Why are you muttering like that?”
Mu Heun seemed not to hear Dok Go Hyeon’s question, his eyes trembling as he gathered his thoughts.
Then Mu Heun burst into laughter as if the realization was absurd.
“Ha! Ha ha ha! Cough!”
At the coughing that followed, Dok Go Hyeon regarded Mu Heun with the expression of someone watching a madman.
“Are you all right? What’s wrong with you?”
“Cough! No, no. My thoughts grew long, so my breathing became uneven for a moment.”
“To cough like that? That Pulse Cutting Illness must be no ordinary sickness.”
“It’s true that Pulse Cutting Illness is no ordinary illness. But….”
Mu Heun smiled and turned to face Dok Go Hyeon.
“The Dok Go Sword School is truly no ordinary martial art. I would say it’s almost a divine technique.”
“What?”
Mu Heun rose from his seat, picked up a branch, and demonstrated the movements of the Wave Breaking Form that Dok Go Hyeon had displayed moments before.
“My body is too weak to execute it perfectly, but this is the movement of the Wave Breaking Form that you showed me.”
Dok Go Hyeon nodded with an expression of confusion.
“Right. So what? Trying to show me you memorized it well?”
Mu Heun shook his head and demonstrated a new movement.
Beginning with the basic motion of striking downward from above, the subtle principles of the heavy blade unfolded, seeking to utterly topple an invisible opponent.
Given Mu Heun’s poor physical condition, the power was negligible, but the intention came across clearly.
Dok Go Hyeon then asked:
“What is that? It looks like some formidable martial art.”
“It’s an impressive sword technique. It’s an imitation of one of the forms from the Nam Gung Clan’s Cangqiong Wuya Sword Technique.”
“! The Nam Gung Clan?”
Dok Go Hyeon recalled the sword of Seo Ryong that he had seen days ago.
Though he had never fully deployed a proper technique, it was the noblest martial art he had ever witnessed in his entire life.
“…I see. That’s why it looked so formidable. But suddenly, are you saying that the Dok Go Sword School seems shabby in comparison?”
“Not at all. Recall the very beginning of the form I just showed you.”
Dok Go Hyeon tilted his head.
“Isn’t it just a downward strike?”
“It is just a downward strike. But when the Nam Gung heart method, the Cangqiong Dayan Divine Technique, is added to it, the most supreme subtlety of heavy blade technique unfolds.”
“And then?”
“Once it begins, even the greatest master at the same realm would find it difficult to stop. But if we prevent it from unfolding at all…?”
After a brief pause, realization flickered in Dok Go Hyeon’s eyes.
“…The movement of the Wave Breaking Form is a fast upward strike.”
“Exactly. And if we apply the First Strike Principle inherent in the Dok Go Sword School, coincidentally it would stop the very beginning of the Cangqiong Wuya Sword Technique before it unfolds.”
Mu Heun continued, his voice animated.
“And you said that is merely an example. Is that not so?”
“…Yes, you said you must be able to adapt in any situation.”
Dok Go Hyeon’s eyes flickered rapidly.
“I believe that all the forms of the Dok Go Sword School are ultimately steps toward reaching the Wave Breaking Form. If my thought is correct, then the Wave Breaking Form must be the form that suppresses all the martial arts in the world before they even begin.”
Dok Go Hyeon felt that Mu Heun’s words were right. More than that—he was almost certain.
“Why didn’t I see this until now?”
“Because you lacked experience in seeing the world. You’ve had almost no experience facing martial arts other than the Dok Go Sword School.”
In fact, Dok Go Hyeon had only just now seen even the most famous Cangqiong Wuya Sword Technique in its abbreviated form, demonstrated by Mu Heun.
“It’s not about the opponent themselves, but understanding their flow. Suppressing the beginning. That is the true meaning of the Wave Breaking Form, I believe. So inner force is unnecessary—you end it before it even begins.”
Dok Go Hyeon instinctively nodded at Mu Heun’s words.
“That’s right… that’s what it was. I see.”
Dok Go Hyeon seemed struck silent for a moment.
“…Your words seem correct. But there’s one thing I don’t understand.”
“What is it?”
“You must have seen the Nam Gung sword before. And since you don’t forget anything you see once, it’s possible for you to apply the Wave Breaking Form exactly as it is.”
Mu Heun caught what Dok Go Hyeon was getting at.
“But what if someone lacks knowledge in martial arts to that degree? Wouldn’t it be impossible to find the thread in the first place?”
Mu Heun shook his head lightly.
“Of course, there are countless martial arts, and even the same technique manifests differently depending on the practitioner.”
“Then….”
“But what the Wave Breaking Form seeks is the harbinger before a technique begins—that is, sensing the premonition and severing it. So even without knowing the opponent’s martial art, one can still react.”
At Mu Heun’s words, Dok Go Hyeon’s brow furrowed.
“Then the way to perceive that premonition is….”
“Of course, experience. And a tremendous amount of it, at that.”
“Dok Go Gu Pae spent his entire life challenging dojos. Now I finally understand why.”
“Yes. I believe the Dok Go Sword School’s teaching that it borders on recklessness refers to precisely this.”
Dok Go Hyeon exhaled deeply.
“I thought I’d grasped something about the Wave Breaking Form, but all I’ve gotten is an answer that I still can’t apply it properly.”
“Come now, don’t be so impatient.”
Mu Heun continued with an easy smile.
“Your talent is undeniable. And you’ve already mastered the eight forms that come before deploying the Wave Breaking Form, haven’t you? You say countless experiences are necessary. But looked at another way, it simply means experience is all you need.”
Hearing Mu Heun’s words, Dok Go Hyeon studied him quietly, then let out a soft laugh.
“I haven’t seen much in my life, but I suspect you’re more eloquent than anyone else could be in a lifetime of wandering Zhongyuan.”
“Ha ha! You’re too kind.”
“No, I’m not. You’re right. It’s a matter of building up experience.”
Dok Go Hyeon nodded with a look of relief.
“Once I’ve taken you to Qingcheng Mountain and we arrive in Sichuan, I’ll seek out a dojo somewhere and request a friendly duel or two. I can’t make as much of a spectacle of it as my grandfather did, since there’s no point in drawing unnecessary attention, but it should help.”
At Dok Go Hyeon’s words, Mu Heun smiled and nodded.
“If you request a friendly duel with proper courtesy, there will be places that accept. The martial artists of Sichuan are rather competitive.”
“That’s good to hear. And on the way to Sichuan too, there should be opportunities, right? Those bandits called the Green Forest Bandits. Fighting them would help as well.”
At Dok Go Hyeon’s words, Mu Heun studied him for a moment, then spoke.
“Hmm. You likely won’t clash with the Green Forest Bandits at all.”
“What?”
At Mu Heun’s words, Dok Go Hyeon’s eyes widened.
“We’re traveling by carriage, aren’t we? Aren’t there mountains on the way? I heard that wherever there are mountains, there are Green Forest Bandits.”
Mu Heun smiled slightly and answered Dok Go Hyeon’s question.
“That’s true. The overland route from Hubei to Sichuan passes through a treacherous mountain range called the Daba Mountains. Such vast mountain ranges invariably harbor Green Forest Bandits.”
“Then why won’t there be a chance to fight?”
“Those called heterodox sects generally prefer the most efficient way of life. They’ll likely only levy a passage toll.”
“What, so we just give them money?”
Mu Heun nodded.
“Seo Ryong is here, and so are you—we could win if we fought. But the frightening thing about the Green Forest Bandits is that one victory doesn’t end it.”
“What do you mean?”
“A mountain range as vast as the Daba Mountains harbors many bandit gangs. And they have their own means of communication. So once you defeat one, other bandit gangs who hear the news will send more men.”
Dok Go Hyeon grasped what Mu Heun was saying.
“…Like those who tried to kill me—they keep crawling back endlessly.”
“Hmm, I hadn’t meant to use that example, but yes, it’s much the same principle.”
Recalling that tedious ordeal he’d already endured, Dok Go Hyeon nodded in understanding.
“Then there’s no help for it. I’ll have to postpone building experience.”
Mu Heun pondered for a moment, then spoke.
“Hmm, if you’re that eager to build experience, there might be a way after all.”
“What?”
Dok Go Hyeon looked startled.
“How? You just said we won’t fight those bandits.”
“Experience need not come only from actual combat. As you said, we can hold friendly duels.”
Mu Heun continued as though it were obvious.
“I’ll ask Seo Ryong. He’s skilled enough that my father keeps him as a bodyguard, so he’ll be of great benefit to you.”
At Mu Heun’s words, Dok Go Hyeon’s eyes grew wide.
“Can we really do that? It feels like I’d be incurring another debt….”
“What are you talking about? The journey to Qingcheng Mountain will take over twenty days—it’ll be a pleasant change of pace for both myself and Seo Ryong. Don’t think of it as debt.”
“Twenty days? Does it really take that long? Well, then….”
Dok Go Hyeon accepted Mu Heun’s proposal with an awkward smile.
Though he tried to hide it, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but rise slightly.
Mu Heun watched that expression and smiled faintly.
‘If he can find a new purpose beyond revenge, it will be all the better for his life.’
Swallowing the thought he’d left unspoken, Mu Heun and Dok Go Hyeon finished their final training session before departure.
***
The road to Sichuan was treacherous, but Mu Heun had prepared for nearly every contingency that might arise.
He’d stockpiled provisions for twenty days or more, and emergency rations in case disaster struck.
He’d also set aside ample funds to procure supplies on the return journey.
Beyond that, he’d deliberately chosen the shabbiest carriage from the Je Gal Clan’s stables to minimize conflict wherever possible.
It was obvious that the poorer the carriage, the smaller the passage toll the Green Forest Bandits would demand.
He’d even left the Je Gal Clan’s banner off the carriage, accounting for the risk of his intentions being discovered.
If word spread that the sickly young master of the Je Gal Clan was traveling to Qingcheng Mountain for some reason, someone might wonder if a miracle cure lay waiting there.
With Ling, the clan lord’s escort—a martial master verging on the peak realm—accompanying him alongside Dok Go Hyeon, there was little concern even if combat did break out.
His preparation for the twenty-day expedition was nearly flawless.
But what did “nearly” mean, really?
It meant the preparation wasn’t perfect—not entirely.
As with most adventures, an incident unfolded during this journey.
And it was something that evaded every one of the dozens of scenarios Mu Heun had anticipated.
“Honored wanderers! Please, I beg you—save our master!”
Five boys, none appearing to be more than fifteen years old, had thrown themselves to their knees before Mu Heun’s party, pleading for something.

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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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