Chapter 190
CHAPTER 190
That's right.
The very first memory that surfaced was a sword.
Not the blood splattering all around him.
Not the heads falling to the ground.
Not the flower-patterned robe that approached afterward.
Not the smile of the middle-aged man.
A sword.
A sword that shone pure white even within the darkness, reflecting the moonlight.
That was the first memory engraved into his mind.
“What?”
“A... sword...”
Caught off guard for a moment, Jinyeon had cut himself off midway through speaking.
The child did not shrink back...
Instead—
“A sword?”
He tilted his head and repeated the word in an awkward pronunciation.
It seemed he wasn't entirely sure whether he had said it correctly.
“Master! Why are you yelling at my junior nephew-disciple!”
“When did I ever yell at him? I was just surprised. Yes, child. You want to see someone wield a sword?”
Jinyeon smiled once more and approached him.
The child nodded.
“Very well, I'll show you. No, you'll be able to see plenty of it once the tournament begins. But before that, there's something I want to ask. Do you remember where your home is?”
Seeing how quickly the child had begun speaking, he no longer seemed likely to be from another country.
If so, that increased the chances.
But after tilting his head and pondering for a moment, the child shook his head.
In truth, he had vaguely understood them during the journey as well, so every time they asked, he had shaken his head.
I thought perhaps he'd regained some memories now that he could speak.
Apparently not.
“Do you remember your name or your age?”
“I don't know.”
His pronunciation was awkward, but the answer was clear.
“I see. Understood. As for swords, once the tournament begins you'll see as many as you want. And if you go to Mount Hua, you'll be able to hold one to your heart's content.”
He didn't know where he came from.
He didn't know his name.
His mind was like a blank sheet of paper.
As though someone had completely erased his memories.
Could it be because of the trauma? He definitely learned the language while traveling with us.
If so, then his intelligence was undoubtedly high.
Could he be the child of some noble from a foreign nation?
There were too many unknowns.
He might have been an orphan from the beginning.
“Junior Nephew! Let's go outside and look around town instead of worrying about swords!”
“Yes.”
“Master! We can go out, right?”
“Let's go together. After I rest for a little while.”
“That's a bit...”
“...”
In any case.
“It would be nice if your memories return, but don't worry too much even if they don't.”
He gently stroked the child's head to reassure him.
“Uh... Master?”
Hyunwoon was the youngest among his fellow disciples.
Six years younger than the average disciple of his generation and eight years younger than his Senior Brother, he was accustomed to being treated as the youngest.
Not all youngest disciples turned out the same way, but receiving constant attention and care often caused one to grow up somewhat spoiled.
Or perhaps—
“Wow, Master! Did you see that wall over there? Who paints things like that?”
“Look at those decorations. We don't have anything like that at Mount Hua.”
“What food is the best in town? I heard you've been active around the Martial Alliance since you were my age, Master.”
“By the way, did the Sect Leader give us plenty of travel funds? How much do people usually get?”
He talked far too much.
Having a cheerful personality wasn't bad.
But it made one's ears hurt.
Well.
Thanks to all that talking, the child holding his hand had probably become familiar with the language much faster.
Jinyeon chose to think positively.
“But these buildings feel strange. Like a building inside another building. Very enclosed.”
As they slowly walked outside, Hyunwoon suddenly spoke after some thought.
“Oh? You noticed that?”
“Yes. Is the Martial Alliance normally built like this?”
“Not all of it. It's confidential, so I can't tell you.”
“You're just too lazy to explain, aren't you?”
“Yes.”
Jinyeon nodded without shame.
“Still, only this area is structured like this.”
The reason they had been assigned to this building was obvious.
It would become the residence of the new division that would soon be created.
There would be little reason to leave.
And outsiders would rarely enter.
Among the instructors, I'll probably be the least distinguished.
Seeing the people approaching, he became certain.
“It has been a long time, Elder Namgung Tae.”
The Namgung Family.
The foremost among the Five Great Martial Clans under heaven.
Standing beside Namgung Tae, just as Jinyeon stood beside a youth and a child, were a handsome young man and a younger child overflowing with confidence.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Hyunwoon of Mount Hua.”
“It's been a while, brat. And greetings, disciple of Mount Hua.”
“Elder, don't tell me you're here because of—”
“That's right. How could I refuse a request from the Alliance? Hahaha. Anyway, introduce yourselves. Cheon, Hwang. This is the Plum Blossom Immortal Sword.”
The two children beside Namgung Tae greeted Jinyeon.
“By the way, who is that child? A third-generation disciple?”
Namgung Tae's gaze shifted toward the child standing beside Jinyeon.
It was obvious he wanted a proper explanation.
The reason was—
Because of that child.
The young Namgung boy's eyes were filled with confidence.
Namgung Cheon.
A few years ago, the Namgung Family loudly spread news that a prodigy had been born among them.
Namgung Cheon was ten years old.
About the same size as the child Jinyeon had rescued.
Perhaps slightly taller.
Probably around the same age.
That was why he was interested.
Namgung Cheon was the eldest son of the Young Patriarch.
Once his father became Clan Head, he would naturally become the Young Patriarch himself.
And eventually, the Clan Head.
“No.”
“Really? Then why is he here?”
“He's simply a child I happened to take in while traveling.”
“Tsk. This is why Daoist sects are hopeless. If necessary, I was even considering teaching him some martial arts in the future.”
The moment he heard the child wasn't a Mount Hua prodigy, Namgung Tae immediately lost interest.
Jinyeon snorted.
Their eyes met.
Sparks seemed to fly between them.
“You mean the Namgung Family's martial arts?” Jinyeon asked.
“That's right. Since everyone has united for the greater good, the Alliance Leader pressured us a bit, saying we should contribute something.”
As if.
The purpose was nothing more and nothing less than building connections with the geniuses of every sect.
They spoke of righteousness and the greater good, but if someone looked capable of standing in Namgung Cheon's way among his peers, they would immediately begin keeping an eye on them.
What a personality.
Even without seeing it, getting involved with him would be troublesome. Still, if I'm going to look after Hyunwoon, he'll need at least one ally. I may have to ask the elders for a favor.
Jinyeon's skill was high enough to surpass others of his generation.
Teaching would not be a problem.
But in situations like these, he had no choice but to defer to his seniors.
They were members of the righteous path, after all.
“Let's just ignore him and move on.”
Once the child started speaking, his ability to listen and communicate improved day by day.
Though he was young, he wasn't lacking in intelligence.
That was why he understood that his situation was unusual.
Still, Jinyeon and Hyunwoon repeatedly assured him that everything was fine, so he didn't worry too much.
“Really. I'm an orphan too, Junior Nephew, so don't worry.”
“Yes!”
“And even as an orphan, I became this handsome and distinguished swordsman of Mount Hua. You saw it yesterday, right? How I subdued my opponent in just five moves?”
“Huh? But couldn't you have beaten him in three moves yesterday?”
The child asked with a smile.
“Ha! He's doing it again!”
Hyunwoon grinned right back at him.
“You only think that because you've never held a sword before. Do you have any idea how much strategic maneuvering happened during that exchange?”
“Really?”
“Of course! You need to learn the sword quickly so you can understand how amazing your Martial Uncle is. Still, aren't you proud that your Martial Uncle reached the quarterfinals?”
“Huh?”
“That isn't how you earn a child's respect. Tsk, tsk.”
“No, Master! I want to cross swords with my Junior Nephew myself, but you won't bring him to the training grounds. If I'm going to join the division soon and be separated from him for a while, I need to teach him about my greatness while I still can.”
“Hahaha. You've got your priorities all wrong. Then again, after dealing with junior nephews around your own age, seeing a child like him must be refreshing.”
“Well... yes.”
Hyunwoon nodded awkwardly.
“I see. In that case, shall we visit the training grounds? He hasn't officially entered the sect yet, but teaching him the Six Harmonies should be fine.”
That was also why the child still had no name.
His memories might return.
And even if they didn't, once he arrived at Mount Hua, he would receive a Daoist title.
There was no point giving him a name before then.
“Sounds good.”
The child's eyes widened.
Watching the martial arts tournament had only increased his desire to hold a sword.
“You like that idea so much?”
“Yes!”
Every sword technique he had seen so far was already being replayed in his mind.
He wanted to try them.
There was no particular reason.
He simply wanted to.
And after that, he wanted to visit Mount Hua.
The only meaningful people in his life were Jinyeon and Hyunwoon, and almost everything they talked about involved their sect.
The child felt as though he already knew the geography of Mount Hua despite never having seen it.
“Come along.”
They headed toward the training grounds.
“Hm... I thought nobody would be here at this hour.”
Namgung Tae, Namgung Cheon, and Namgung Hwang—the people they had met on the first day—were already training there.
The child didn't particularly care.
He tugged on Jinyeon's sleeve and looked up.
“Right.”
After a brief greeting, Jinyeon handed him a wooden sword.
“Here. Take it.”
“You mean like this?”
“You've been observing well. You're certainly clever. Now then, I'll teach you the Six Harmonies Sword. The Six Harmonies refers to—”
But from the moment the sword entered his hands, Jinyeon's voice became muffled.
As though he had suddenly submerged himself underwater.
The world around him slowly faded away.
Every nerve in his body focused on the sensation in his fingertips.
And on the crude wooden sword connected to his hand.
Then the child swung it.
The Six Harmonies Sword.
Following the first sword technique Jinyeon had demonstrated after arriving here.
But he was immediately dragged back to reality.
“Junior Nephew! Hahaha! Someone might think you've entered a state of enlightenment. You have to listen carefully to Master's instructions while swinging. Seeing how much you like swords, you've definitely got the qualifications to become a swordsman of Mount Hua!”
Hyunwoon laughed.
Jinyeon smiled warmly as well.
“Child, widen your stance a little more. Raise your arm higher.”
“Why?”
“Hm?”
“This feels more comfortable.”
The question was utterly innocent.
There was no defiance.
No hidden intention.
He was genuinely curious.
For someone just entering the martial path, that attitude was commendable.
Jinyeon thought about how to explain it in a way the child would understand.
“Martial arts cannot simply follow whatever feels comfortable. The significance of the Six Harmonies Sword, like other fundamental techniques, is that it creates the most stable foundation for learning more advanced martial arts later—”
Those who learned the Six Harmonies Sword were children.
However, when they later learned advanced techniques, they did so after their bodies had fully matured.
Naturally, the Six Harmonies Sword had been designed with a fully developed body in mind.
But if someone were learning advanced techniques with a child's physique—
Wouldn't a wider stance and lower posture actually be more...
The thought flashed through Jinyeon's mind.
And the child's comment about comfort bothered him as well.
Coincidence?
Of course, he'll grow up and learn higher-level martial arts eventually, so correcting him now is still the right thing to do, but...
“Then—”
Just then—
“You there. Come speak with me for a moment.”
“Ah, Elder. Understood. I'll be back shortly, so play nicely.”
Jinyeon followed the Wudang elder—or rather, the Alliance Elder—to the far side of the training grounds.
That left Hyunwoon and the child behind.
“Daoist Hyunwoon? Congratulations on reaching the quarterfinals.”
“Ah, Young Hero Namgung. You reached the quarterfinals as well, didn't you?”
Namgung Hwang approached with Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Tae had apparently gone to join Jinyeon.
“Yes. Would it be alright if we talked for a bit? I've gotten acquainted with the other participants already, but you rarely come to the training grounds...”
“Sure. We aren't really here to train anyway, so we have plenty of time. Child, wait here for a moment.”
And so only the child and Namgung Cheon remained.
Namgung Cheon didn't even glance at him.
Instead, he picked up a wooden sword and began practicing some distance away.
The child didn't mind.
If anything, he felt happy.
The moment he gripped the sword and focused, the world faded away again.
Noise disappeared.
His surroundings vanished.
Everything became calm and silent.
Then Namgung Cheon's sword somehow slipped into that quiet world through a tiny crack.
His concentration broke.
Curiously, the child watched Namgung Cheon's movements for a while before speaking.
“Why do you swing it like that?”
Namgung Cheon paused.
The child tilted his head.
“Is this your first time holding a sword too?”
That day—
The child experienced a duel for the very first time.
And that duel...
Was surprisingly easy.
At the time, the child simply assumed it was because his opponent was another beginner.