Chapter 12
Why was I born as the eldest son?
That was the lingering regret that Namgung Sun harboured within him. If other prestigious families’ heirs heard such words, they would foam at the mouth in disbelief, but to Namgung Sun, it was a genuine concern.
From a young age, he felt a strange thirst. A harmonious family and abundant wealth—he had a life that lacked nothing, but he still couldn’t feel a sense of fulfilment in life. His position as the eldest son and the expectations tied to it—Namgung Sun’s life was solely dedicated to meeting those expectations.
It wasn’t a difficult task, as Namgung Sun was capable of handling anything with ease. The lessons in succession and leadership were nothing more than assignments to him, and he obediently followed the elders’ instructions.
Then, one day, the moment he first grasped a sword, he realized it.
No matter how delicious the food, how valuable the possessions, or how much praise he received from the elders, the insatiable thirst could only be quenched by one thing—swordsmanship.
Namgung Sun loved the sword. He couldn’t contain his joy whenever he practiced sword techniques. He relished the moments of pondering over which direction to swing the sword depending on the situation, how to channel internal energy according to the form, and the mysteries of the higher-level sword techniques.
Such thoughts were a pastime for him.
Inheriting Namgung Hyuk’s bloodline, he had a natural talent for swordsmanship. His skills improved rapidly day by day. As a result, everything outside of swordsmanship began to feel tedious.
“I just want to live my life honing my sword.”
But his position as the eldest son was a stumbling block.
Legitimacy. A life lived solely for the sake of inheriting the family.
Namgung Sun understood the responsibility given to him more deeply than anyone else.
If only I were the youngest.
If only I didn’t have the position of the successor, I could live a leisurely life, practicing swordsmanship and being happy.
But he couldn’t simply cast aside the expectations placed on him.
Namgung Sun feared his father.
Namgung Hyuk had never scolded him, not because he was lenient towards the eldest son, but because Namgung Sun had never failed to meet expectations. The obedient and diligent eldest son.
Every time his father patted his shoulder, saying he did a good job, Namgung Sun felt an unspoken pressure.
The thought of his father’s gentle face twisting in rage was terrifying even in imagination.
“Do I have to live like this, just following orders?”
Namgung Sun’s dissatisfaction with his life was greatly influenced by an incident at a recent family meeting.
A man named Lee Se-woong appeared, claiming to be Yeon-hee’s fiancé.
“Oppose him at all costs.”
His father’s command.
To Namgung Sun, that command was absolute law.
So, he criticized Lee Se-woong and picked fights with him.
He stirred up the family members and deliberately tried to degrade him.
He truly didn’t want to do it.
“Why should I care if they like each other?”
It might have been a sense of compensation. He wanted his younger siblings to at least live freely since he was the one working hard for the family’s sake.
I’m the eldest son, so there’s nothing I can do. But at least, if they’re happy, that’s enough.
He couldn’t understand why his father was so intent on blocking the youngest’s engagement.
So, how could his words come out smoothly?
He had no choice but to stammer under Lee Se-woong’s sharp retorts.
“I envy you.”
Lee Se-woong’s figure, standing confidently against his father—it was something Namgung Sun couldn’t even imagine in his wildest dreams.
The Fighting Ghost.
Maybe it was because he was once a wanderer roaming the world.
Namgung Sun admired Lee Se-woong’s freedom.
At the same time…
“Why is it only you?”
He felt a twinge of jealousy for the audacity Lee Se-woong showed in confronting Namgung Hyuk.
***
“Not bad at all.”
The martial school was peaceful as usual today.
What started as something to kill time, since being idle made him uneasy, turned out to be something he was surprisingly good at.
“Is this why people raise disciples?”
Perhaps now he could understand a little of his master’s feelings. In a way, it was revealing one’s own secrets, but the sense of accomplishment when a disciple managed to perform what he taught them was immense.
It also helped him organize his own insights.
“There were unexpected benefits too.”
“I need to go to work.”
There was no better excuse to avoid people. Before, whenever the family elders called for him, he had to run over immediately, but now he had a valid reason to refuse.
Having reached the point where he gained favour from almost every member of the Namgung family just by breathing, the martial school became his only sanctuary.
“Who told you to perform the family’s martial arts in such a sloppy manner?”
A low but furious voice.
It was none other than Namgung Sun who had intruded upon his peaceful haven.
When Namgung Sun visited the martial school, he initially thought it was just his usual inspection. But as soon as he saw Gwak-il, Namgung Sun charged at him.
“W-What is…”
“Can’t you answer properly?”
Namgung Sun’s calm but pressing questions were too overwhelming for an ordinary entry-level disciple to handle.
Facing him, Gwak-il could only stammer in confusion.
“I made a mistake and executed the sequence incorrectly.”
“If you can’t even execute a basic sequence properly, there’s no need for you to learn any further.”
Stupid kid.
He could have just said that I ordered him to do it.
But Gwak-il took all the blame upon himself, claiming he had made a mistake.
“Hyung, I think there’s a misunderstanding.”
“This isn’t something you should be stepping into, is it?”
“Well, I’m the one who taught Gwak-il, so…”
“Ha, can’t you even teach a basic sequence?”
“I taught him properly, though…?”
“What did you say?”
Namgung Hyuk looked at me with disapproval.
“Are you saying you deliberately taught the sequence incorrectly?”
“I only changed the order slightly. Isn’t that a trivial matter when it comes to practicing?”
“You tampered with the martial arts created by father for such a minor reason?”
“I fail to understand why you’re making such a big deal out of this.”
“Such arrogance.”
What I taught Gwak-il was a small adjustment. Instead of raising internal energy simultaneously while performing the sword forms, I instructed him to stabilize his internal energy first and then start the form.
For a master, it’s as simple as breathing, but for beginners, it’s a challenging task that often becomes a hurdle to even entering the basics. That’s why I made this adjustment. I told him to revert to the original order once he got accustomed to it.
In my view, this was an unnecessary fuss.
Isn’t the point of practice to become familiar with what’s unfamiliar? Namgung Sun’s reaction was overly sensitive. As if he thought everything Namgung Hyuk had established must be followed to the letter.
“In real combat, irregular moves often come up, don’t they? This is nothing compared to that.”
“……”
“If you don’t agree with my teaching method, why don’t we test it with the Lightning Sword Technique?”
If you have an issue, let’s settle it the martial way.
For once, I appreciated the barbaric way conflicts are resolved in Murim—through a duel.
***
Namgung Sun was at a loss for words.
It was a situation where anyone could see that Lee Se-woong was in the wrong.
He could have just dismissed it as nonsense and reported it to his father.
But.
‘I’m curious.’
His competitive spirit held him back.
The sword that had endured a ten-second exchange with his father.
How would the swordsmanship of the Fighting Ghost, who once caused a sensation in Murim, fare?
Thus, Namgung Sun accepted the duel.
“I’ll yield the first move. Come at me.”
The sword path of the Lightning Sword Technique was something he could predict even with his eyes closed.
That’s why he allowed the first attack.
Whoosh!
The sword aimed diagonally at Namgung Sun’s chest. It was the first form of the Lightning Sword Technique, Thunderfall, which he had seen countless times to the point of nausea.
Thwack!
Namgung Sun intended to lightly parry it away, but when Lee Se-woong abruptly changed the sword path and targeted his right shoulder, he was completely caught off guard. Even though it was a wooden sword, a stinging pain pressed down on his shoulder.
‘Starting with an irregular move?’
It was an unexpected action.
It’s important to execute a form in the prescribed manner. This is because each movement has an optimized internal energy operation. Changing a form clumsily to exploit an opening would make it difficult to exert proper power.
Forms are perfected after countless years of refinement, proving that “this is the correct way.”
That’s why Namgung Sun has spent his life striving to perfectly implement each form.
Thwack! Thwack!
The three exchanges that immediately followed put him at a disadvantage by two moves.
Lee Se-woong’s swordsmanship was the Lightning Sword Technique, yet it wasn’t.
‘It only retains a trace of it.’
Lee Se-woong was wielding the Lightning Sword Technique as he pleased, altering the forms randomly. Sometimes, he would twist an upward-slashing motion to target the side, or he would switch from a stabbing motion to a slashing one. He paid no mind to the set procedures of each form.
To Namgung Sun, it looked like a chaotic mess.
‘Why can’t I parry it?’
It was a disorderly chaos.
Lee Se-woong only adhered to parts of the form’s shape while moving according to his own swordsmanship style.
Twisting the directions indicated by the martial art as he saw fit.
Yet he looked so comfortable doing it.
Exchanging swords naturally results in one side being influenced by the other.
To counter Lee Se-woong’s unorthodox attacks, Namgung Sun began incorporating irregular moves himself.
For someone who had devoted his life to perfectly executing each form, this was unthinkable.
As he blocked the swift incoming attacks, Namgung Sun unknowingly began breaking out of the rigid mold he had always followed.
‘I’ve never felt this way before.’
Clack!
The sound of the wooden swords clashing reverberated sharply. To Namgung Sun, the sound was a pleasant resonance.
Click, click!
Adjusting the sword path according to the situation instead of following the set procedure. Abandoning the idea of completing the form’s shape and twisting it as he wished.
Clack!
It felt exhilarating.
The sound of the wooden swords colliding, and along with it, something inside him shattered.
Expectations.
Responsibilities.
Things he must uphold.
His father’s gaze watching over him.
None of it mattered right now.
‘Everything is moving according to my will.’
The clash of their swords increased in frequency. The two swords painted the air without yielding an inch.
‘Right now, I am free.’
His life of strictly adhering to the elders’ teachings.
It was akin to a monk’s life.
Now, Namgung Sun was discarding the shackles that bound him.
‘Am I attaining enlightenment?’
With blue eyes gleaming, Namgung Sun swung his sword as if possessed.
There was an eerie intensity in his movements.
Watching him, Lee Se-woong instinctively realized.
Namgung Sun was currently overcoming his internal demon.
He didn’t know what had brought confusion to his heart, but he knew that if not now, Namgung Sun would never be able to cast it off.
‘Should I just back off?’
What if I withdraw my sword now?
The enlightenment born through this fierce battle would dissipate in an instant.
For some reason, he could imagine Namgung Sun saying, “Thanks to you, I’ve gained insight!”
It would have been easy to stop at this point.
‘What nonsense.’
An orphan, a disciple, a gatekeeper, the Fighting Ghost, son-in-law of the Namgung family.
He had been called many names, but Lee Se-woong’s essence was that of a martial artist.
The heart of a martial artist is one that does not regret dying tomorrow if it means attaining enlightenment today.
He couldn’t hinder someone striving to climb a step higher.
‘Besides, I don’t want to lose.’
Defeat was a disgrace.
Opportunities to face such a formidable opponent were rare.
But to lose?
It would give him sleepless nights.
‘Let’s have a proper fight.’
Right and wrong no longer mattered.
The two men only sought victory as their swords collided fiercely.
***
“I see. It seems you had the right to say such things. I acknowledge that.”
“……”
“I won’t interfere any further. The loser should follow quietly.”
The duel, which had started forcibly, ended with my victory.
Namgung Sun was breathing heavily.
Despite his defeat, there was no trace of regret on his face. In fact, he seemed relieved.
“Allow me to give you a piece of advice as a token for learning from you.”
“What is it?”
“Be careful of Father. He may have given his permission, but it seems he still doesn’t fully approve of you.”sss
Namgung Sun whispered quietly in my ear.
Was it really appropriate for you to say that?
Before I could even ask, Namgung Sun left the martial school.
—
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