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Chapter 406. The Reason for the Struggle (6)
The first memory of his life was being shoved from behind.
In a hazy recollection, a wretched-looking elderly couple was pushing him toward frightening men, and he kept clinging to the old couple, refusing to go.
"I said go! Why won't this brat listen......!"
The couple, trembling as though gripped by terror, finally snapped when he kept clinging and kicked him. The pain that racked his body made it impossible to hold on any longer.
"Hehehe. Look at those oldsters. Put 'em in front of a kid and suddenly they've got the bearing of a master."
Ë n̂ ùm̈ӓ.і̊ d
"Kahaha. I was so scared I nearly pissed myself."
The laughter erupting from all around him remained the clearest memory.
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In retrospect, the elderly couple had been his parents—or guardians of equivalent standing. With nothing else left to take, the couple had handed him over to protect the food stores they needed to survive the winter.
After that, daily life was utterly different from before. A previous existence spent suffering from hunger alone. But now, harsh labor was added alongside the starvation. He also had to endure the beatings that men, returning from somewhere with wounds, would lash out in frustration.
"I-I'm sorry. I was so hungry......"
"How dare you touch the food before we've eaten?"
Ё n ū ṁа̇ . iḋ
There were children who were beaten to death for sneaking food while cooking.
The one permitted luxury was peeling scraps of meat clinging to the bones the men had tossed aside after eating.
Each time the men flung a gnawed bone to the floor, he competed with the other captured children. Fights during those scrambles were commonplace, and the men watched the spectacle with amusement.
He lived that way in a strange world where pain and misery were routine, and hunger was happiness. Until, one day, men wearing matching uniforms and carrying matching swords entered the stronghold and began a slaughter.
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"......"
"......"
Е̂ nüm̂а
Not a single child shed tears over the men's deaths. There were children who feared their own lives might be added to the count—but none who mourned.
He looked down at the men, pulverized and crumpled into the earth. For the first time, he had looked down on them. Then he raised his head and looked up at the uninvited guests. Silhouetted against the blue sky, they felt upright and immense—nothing like the men who had radiated fear and dread.
The most terrifying men in the world had been no match for these gentle souls. The brutal axes and the savagery that could split a child in half had been sliced apart like tofu by blades only three fingers wide.
More than the horror of watching someone die before his eyes, he was captivated by their abilities, which transcended common sense.
After the stronghold was disbanded, the children who had labored there were gathered together and relocated elsewhere. None of them were happy or excited. They had never experienced "freedom," "peace," or "normalcy." They simply felt even greater fear toward these unknown men who had cleaved the massive axes in a single blow and split the great sabers like logs.
"You...... have a special talent."
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Just as he was about to be loaded onto a cart with the other children, a middle-aged man ran his hands over his body.
"How about it? Will you come with me?"
That was his first meeting with Clear Water True Man.
The place he followed him to was the Wudang Sect—the greatest sect in the murim—and it was only some time later that he learned his master was the person closest to inheriting the seat of the next Abbot.
The most astonishing thing after entering the Wudang Sect was that pain and misery were not the norm. No matter how much rice he ate, no one cursed at him, and no matter how deeply he slept, no rod followed.
Of course, there were obligatory duties. Labor and training. But even the labor was modest—suited to children his age—mostly laundry and drawing water. Children of a similar age complained and grumbled about the difficulty, but for Hyeon-yeong, even such labor was a joy.
Е ǹūm̃ а.і̀ ď
Training was an even greater pleasure. Running, sprinting, moving his body—all without any purpose. With every movement, it felt as though the pain of the past was peeling away one by one. For Hyeon-yeong, training was closer to "peaceful play."
The moment he savored and recognized that happiness, a great question arose.
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[The self in the stronghold and the self in Wudang are the same—so why are the lives so different?]
When he asked the master who had given him the name "Hyeon-yeong," Clear Water True Man answered with the most compassionate face he had ever shown.
"Because the world is murky."
Each time those calloused hands patted his head, a warm feeling washed over him.
Еn ü m а̄
"When the righteous path does not stand firm and the justice of the people is not upheld, the weak are plunged into wretched misery."
Hyeon-yeong, who had never felt outrage—not when abandoned by his parents, nor when beaten half to death in the stronghold—felt outrage for the first time.
"Then...... because there is no justice, children like me will continue to be born?"
"Of course."
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In an instant, a dizzying despair crashed over his entire body, and his heart plummeted. What a hopeless world this was. The pain of the past, which he had believed he'd shaken off with every movement of his body, began crawling across him like a living thing.
"Master. What must be done to make people uphold justice?"
W̃ ê bñ ov е̇ l Е̄ǹ ŭ m̀.á
"One need only set the righteous path right."
"What does it mean to set the righteous path right?"
"To temper oneself and prove justice."
His master stroked his head again, pride gleaming in his eyes.
"You are doing more than well enough."
From that day on, Hyeon-yeong's goal became setting the righteous path right. Rescuing the world from suffering and ensuring that no more victims like himself were created. That alone was Hyeon-yeong's purpose.
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He devoted himself even more fiercely to training, and the results showed. Not only Clear Water True Man but even the current Abbot visited to observe Hyeon-yeong's training.
"I will become someone who raises the banner of the righteous path for Wudang and brings peace to the murim and the world!"
He could endure any amount of grueling training or painful study. Because he had a purpose. And everyone in Wudang spared no support in helping him.
Until that day came.
"Remarkable. A child who has not even entered martial training is already moving qi on his own."
"In the entire history of the murim, this is the first child to possess such innate comprehension."
Ẽn̆üm̈ а̄
"It is Wudang's great fortune!"
A junior brother, two years younger, who arrived after him. From the moment that child appeared, all the attention and focus that had been directed at Hyeon-yeong shifted to him.
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The generous support and attention that had been bestowed upon him gradually began to dwindle.
"What a shame, Hyeoncheong! If not for that child, you would have become the head of Wudang."
Even his sole master was about to withdraw from him, but Hyeon-yeong was fine with it.
"I am all right, Master. My goal is to achieve justice and establish the righteous path—not to advance my career."
Ẇеbn̂о̀v̇e̊ l̂ Е̃ǹ umа
"Good. That is a fine way to think."
To his commendable disciple, Clear Water True Man carefully broached a subject for the first time.
"......When the light is bright, the shadow is deep. You understand this?"
"Yes."
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"That child needs a deep shadow."
He gripped his disciple's shoulder tightly.
W еb̌nо̂ v́ е.l̇ Ê nŭ m а
"Can you fulfill that role?"
"......"
"You will not have a future like the other children. Even so......"
Eyes in which a quiet flame flickered swept over Hyeon-yeong's entire body.
"For the righteous path, for justice—can you take on the role of the shadow?"
Hyeon-yeong felt neither hurt nor disappointment. He was always prepared to sacrifice for justice, for the righteous path. He calmly met his master's eyes.
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"Of course."
"Good. From now on, you are the shadow of 'Yong So-ah.' Our Wudang will prosper and flourish forever."
It was the first time he had ever seen such a hearty laugh on his master's face, and so, even though it was the moment he forfeited his own future, Hyeon-yeong felt better than ever before.
***
The instant unbearable agony assailed his body and his consciousness tried to vanish into the abyss of darkness to sever the pain—a voice burrowed into his ear.
[Lucky you. I wanted to show you what real sacrifice means.]
E n̆ ú má.ї d
Why was he here? What was the mission he had to accomplish? Who...... who was "I"?
He answered the questions as they came, one by one.
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—To uphold justice and establish the righteous path.
—To eliminate Dam Ak, who would plunge the world into ruin.
—Hyeon-yeong of the Wudang Sect.
With each answer, he hauled his consciousness back from the darkness that had been swallowing it.
Еń ům̆ â . і̌ď
'Partial damage to the qi center. The wound across the upper body is at minimum a serious injury. Left arm tendon and right leg ligament are strained. Combat capability......'
In a split second, Hyeon-yeong assessed every aspect of his body's condition and reached a conclusion.
'Possible. However, Jin So-un's attainment exceeds what was reported. Use of inner arts beyond the limit is indispensable.'
The qi center damage could be recovered with half a day of recuperation. But if he waited to recover, Dam Ak would escape here.
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[Lucky you. I wanted to show you what real sacrifice means.]
Strangely, Jin So-un's voice kept echoing. He spoke as though Hyeon-yeong didn't understand the meaning of sacrifice at all.
Ӗ n̆ ü m̈а́. і d́
'I...... don't understand sacrifice?'
If Dam Ak escaped here, the Black Thought Alliance would gain power and the world would fill with villains once more. In such a world, there was no telling when or where another victim like himself would appear.
'I cannot let him go!'
The time for deliberation was over; action was swift. A handful of internal qi followed his will through the most dangerous route of the meridians. The qi he'd drawn struck the place inside his qi center that should never be touched.
THUD.
A bell tolled inside the qi center.
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THUD.
With a great tremor, the Innate Energy stored in the deepest recesses stirred and rose for the very first time.
HOOOOOO—
When he opened his eyes again, the world looked different. He could vividly sense the creatures moving beneath the ground, even the tiny organisms living inside the trees.
The boundless energy that had originated from the qi center flooded his body with euphoria and bestowed a sensation of omnipotence he had never known. And when he raised his head—
'Dam Ak!'
W е́_b́ nо̇ve l̄ Ẽnu̇m̆ а̂
The panicked face of the evil that must be killed. Then the fierce eyes looking his way.
'Jin So-un!'
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The instant he stepped forward to deploy Cloud-Ladder Step, his body moved even faster than expected. A moment of bewilderment, but Hyeon-yeong's talent quickly adapted and reclaimed his senses.
When he took his next step, his body had already blocked the path of Jin So-un, who had been well ahead.
"I saved your life and this is what I get, you lunatic!"
SHRIEEK—
Ẅ ѐ b̀_n о̊v̄ еl̄ Еn̆ u m̆ӑ
The swift sword that had been far too fast to track with the naked eye was now clearly visible. At the same time, Hyeon-yeong's hands and feet faithfully conveyed his will more than ever before.
CLANG—!
His perceived speed was clearly a fraction faster than before. The instant he was certain, Hyeon-yeong raised his speed another notch.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
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Confirming that Jin So-un's intercepting blade was gradually slowing, he immediately switched his target to Dam Ak.
Jin So-un had merely been momentarily led astray by wicked influence and strayed from the righteous path. If he killed Dam Ak—the one who had bewitched him—Jin So-un would return.
W̆ e ḃ ň о̆ v̄еl̇ Еn̊um̃_а̃
That thought lent even more strength to his hands. How many good people could a single villain corrupt!
CLANG—!
At last, Jin So-un's sword was knocked aside, and through the gap between Jin So-un's shoulder and head, Dam Ak's face was visible. Hyeon-yeong thrust his blade without hesitation.
'It's over!'
SQUELCH!
SCRRRCH—
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But why? He clearly heard the sound of steel piercing flesh, yet the blade would not go deeper. He shifted his gaze.
"......!"
Dam Ak was still breathing, and Jin So-un had raised his bare left hand to block the sword in Dam Ak's place.
"How did you——"
"It's not over yet, you bastard!"
Jin So-un, blood dripping in streams, gripped the sword barehanded while swinging the Red Radiance Sword with his other hand.
Ëṅ ū m а .іď
Hyeon-yeong quickly released the sword and retreated, then pressed forward with Seven Stars Fist.
BOOM! THWACK-THWACK-BOOM! THWACK-BOOM!
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With every fist that landed, Jin So-un desperately shielded Dam Ak, who was bound to his back. Like a wild animal fighting to the death to protect its young.
'This man...... is beyond waking!'
This was not someone who had sold his conscience for shallow desire, nor someone duped by a passing enchantment. Just as his own parents had done, humans would abandon so much over a small pain.
This was a spirit that refused to yield no matter what. Such a spirit could only be driven by the strongest of personal convictions.
Ē n u m̂ a
Hyeon-yeong picked up his sword, which had been driven into the ground. It was regrettable, but there was no other way. There was no longer any means to persuade him.
Blue sky filled both his eyes. He leveled his blade at the man standing with the sky at his back.
"Please understand that I have no choice but to kill you."
The rough, graceless man—without a shred of gentleness—ground his teeth and spoke.
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"Did you suffer Qi Deviation or something? You're spouting nonsense."
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