Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 31

031. The Affairs of the Mo Yong Clan

After his unexpected defeat in the duel against the Iron Family, Mo Yong Jin, the eldest disciple of the Mo Yong Clan, abandoned everything and spent his days drinking and in dissipation.

Mo Yong Mi couldn’t shake off the emptiness in her heart.

‘Brother needs to pull himself together,’ she thought.

Mo Yong Jin wasn’t her biological brother.

When his only son passed away, leaving behind two granddaughters, the head of the family, Mo Yong Dancheon, adopted a boy from distant relatives as his grandson and gave him the name Mo Yong Jin.

He was intelligent and talented, earning the family head’s high expectations, but since his defeat, he had been living as if he had given up the sword altogether.

With Mo Yong Jin, who was essentially the heir apparent to lead the Mo Yong Clan, acting like this, Mo Yong Mi couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

‘Hoo.’

Unable to show it outwardly, Mo Yong Mi sighed softly to herself.

The family head’s seclusion and the eldest disciple’s wandering—understandable, but why at such a difficult time?

“Thank you for your hard work, Chief Manager Shim.”

“Yes, eldest young lady. Then I will take my leave.”

Chief Manager Shim bowed respectfully and left.

Mo Yong Mi, as if trying to compose herself, held the letter in her hand and headed towards Manhyujeong [a secluded pavilion or retreat].

Sabeok [sound of footsteps].

“Grandfather, it is I.”

Mo Yong Mi spoke in front of the door, but no reply came from inside.

However, a faint, small cough could be heard, signaling her to enter.

Mo Yong Mi quietly slid the door open.

Dalkak [sound of a door sliding open].

As the door opened, Mo Yong Dancheon was seen sitting at his desk, reading a book.

With thick eyebrows, a long beard, and intense eyes, Mo Yong Dancheon was a very impressive martial artist.

However, in the past few months, he seemed to have aged considerably, and the vigor that overflowed from his eyes had diminished greatly.

Sabeok [sound of footsteps].

Mo Yong Mi entered, but Mo Yong Dancheon didn’t even turn his head.

Tak [sound of something being placed].

Mo Yong Mi closed the door and bowed gracefully before Mo Yong Dancheon.

“Did you have a peaceful night?”

“Hmm.”

As always, only a cough returned.

However, Mo Yong Mi didn’t mind and carefully placed the letter she was holding next to the table.

Sarak [rustling sound].

“A letter has arrived from the courier company.”

Mo Yong Dancheon still didn’t respond. Mo Yong Mi cautiously spoke.

“Grandfather, please stop now…….”

However, Mo Yong Mi’s words were cut short.

“Enough, go out now.”

Mo Yong Dancheon said without turning his head.

Mo Yong Mi sighed softly. Normally, she would have retreated at this point, but she didn’t give up and changed the subject.

“I will bring tea.”

Mo Yong Mi rose from her seat and left the room with a composed gait.

Tak [sound of something being placed].

As his granddaughter Mo Yong Mi left the room, a shadow fell over Mo Yong Dancheon’s face.

‘……Poor thing.’

Mo Yong Dancheon’s heart ached whenever he saw his granddaughter.

Having lost her parents early, she had grown up beautifully in her grandfather’s care, truly a precious child.

He thought that all that was left was to see those kind and lovely children become happy, but now she was struggling to support the rapidly declining family fortunes with her weak shoulders.

“Hoo.”

Mo Yong Dancheon finally let out a long sigh.

‘This grandfather is inadequate, making even his innocent granddaughter suffer…….’

Whatever the reason or situation, ultimately, all responsibility lies with him, the head of the family.

That’s why he couldn’t step forward.

The pride of a martial artist that he had protected all his life couldn’t tolerate defeat, and leading the family without any qualms after being defeated.

He wanted to give up everything, but doing so would ultimately mean leaving all the burden to his frail granddaughter.

So, Mo Yong Dancheon remained in seclusion.

He even thought that it would have been better if he had died in that duel; he had lost the will to do anything.

“Hoo.”

Mo Yong Dancheon sighed again.

The book he had opened hadn’t been turned a single page since earlier.

Casually lowering his eyes, Mo Yong Dancheon suddenly noticed the letter his granddaughter had left.

Busureok [sound of paper rustling].

Mo Yong Dancheon picked up the letter and untied the ornate knot.

As he removed the paper wrapped around the knot, another paper neatly wrapping the letter came into view.

‘Again?’

The Mo Yong family head frowned as he unwrapped the paper.

Seeing it wrapped so neatly twice, the person who sent the letter must be very meticulous or timid.

In such cases, the content tends to be similar, so Mo Yong Dancheon couldn’t help but feel displeased from the start.

Baseurak [sound of paper rustling].

Finally, the envelope containing the letter appeared.

Written in an elegant, flowing script was ‘Personal Letter to the Head of the Mo Yong Clan,’ and it was signed ‘Heavenly Secret Place, Azure Dragon Sword Master.’

Mo Yong Dancheon let out a bitter smile without realizing it.

‘There are still people who use such grandiose titles.’

It was an excessively pretentious title.

Using exaggerated titles as if they were some great person was a trend that had long passed.

Mo Yong Dancheon judged that whoever wrote the letter was either very old-fashioned or very inexperienced.

Perhaps it was more likely the latter.

‘Just because I lost the duel, they’re sending me letters like this…….’

Mo Yong Dancheon’s mouth felt bitter.

‘Do they think I’m an easy target?’

Feeling uneasy, his touch couldn’t be gentle.

Mo Yong Dancheon roughly opened the envelope and took out the letter.

At first glance, it was a lengthy letter spanning six or seven pages.

Mo Yong Dancheon unfolded the first page with a displeased expression.

Baseurak [sound of paper rustling].

“Tsk.”

As soon as he read the first sentence, Mo Yong Dancheon immediately frowned.

‘Still this story…….’

The letter began with a discussion of his duel.

If it had said ‘unfortunate defeat,’ Mo Yong Dancheon would have crumpled it up without even looking at it.

Such letters were obviously meant to flatter and improve his mood with pleasant words.

After reading them, he would only feel more self-loathing.

‘Hmm.’

Mo Yong Dancheon looked at the letter with unexpected interest.

There were no words meant to flatter him.

Instead, the letter began by briefly describing the previous duel and pointing out several aspects that Mo Yong Dancheon had overlooked.

‘Not bad.’

Mo Yong Dancheon thought that the person who wrote this letter wasn’t entirely inexperienced.

Rather, the points they made were sharp and quite convincing in many ways.

However, who would be happy to dwell on their mistakes?

Mo Yong Dancheon’s frown didn’t ease easily.

‘I already know this much…….’

Who wouldn’t reflect on a lost duel?

The points made in the letter were already well known to Mo Yong Dancheon.

And the decisive thing was that even if he had known these things in advance, the outcome of the duel wouldn’t have changed.

Baseurak [sound of paper rustling].

Mo Yong Dancheon turned a page of the letter.

Come to think of it, the handwriting was elegant, stylish, stable, and full of strength, which seemed quite unusual.

‘Perhaps this person has some knowledge of both literature and martial arts.’

As Mo Yong Dancheon continued to read, his graying eyebrows twitched for a moment.

The letter was now beginning to discuss the flow of the Mo Yong family’s swordsmanship, known as the sword style.

‘This…….’

Mo Yong Dancheon clicked his tongue inwardly.

When it came to the Mo Yong Clan’s swordsmanship, no one in the world knew as much as he did, or knew it better than he did.

He had been holding a sword since before he could remember, and had mastered the numerous insights and supreme techniques of his ancestors.

To Mo Yong Dancheon, the Mo Yong Clan’s swordsmanship was already a part of himself, or rather, himself.

How dare someone discuss the Mo Yong family’s sword style in front of him?

The feeling that had been improving suddenly seemed to be ruined.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue without realizing it, Mo Yong Dancheon pondered for a moment.

Should he continue reading this, or should he tear it up right away?

But if he acted according to his temper, he wouldn’t be able to face his granddaughter who would be coming in soon.

If she saw the torn letter, her beautiful face would be filled with worry.

“Hoo.”

Sighing, Mo Yong Dancheon scanned the letter with a displeased gaze and turned the page.

Busureok [sound of paper rustling].

Cheep cheep, purorong [onomatopoeia for bird sounds].

The sound of birds could be heard from outside the door, and for a while, the room was just quiet.

And after a while, the calm atmosphere flowing in the room suddenly became tense.

Basak [sound of something tightening].

Mo Yong Dancheon’s hand holding the letter tightened.

The reason for the tension that filled the surroundings was Mo Yong Dancheon himself.

‘This, this is…….’

Mo Yong Dancheon’s hands were trembling.

As if unable to believe it, Mo Yong Dancheon’s eyes were also shaking violently.

However, the sentences written in the letter were echoing in Mo Yong Dancheon’s mind like thunder.

‘……How can this be?’

He was the sword of the Mo Yong family.

He had been proud of that all his life, but that pride was now shattering.

Every sentence he read was filled with astonishment.

The realm he had never thought of, the realm that had always been in front of him but he had never realized, was unfolded in this letter.

It was like a giant picking him up and showing him, truly the excitement and awe that a child feels when riding on the shoulders of a giant.

“Ah…….”

He had lived with the family’s sword his entire life.

But only today did he finally look down upon the family’s sword.

A sense of awe spread throughout the body of Gwanilgeom [Penetrating Sun Sword] Mo Yong Dancheon at the wonder unfolding before his eyes.

It was observation (觀照) [spiritual insight or contemplation].

***

“Grandfather, it is I.”

Mo Yong Mi, who had brought the tea, called out to Mo Yong Dancheon in front of the door.

However, even the usual cough wasn’t heard.

Mo Yong Mi tilted her head.

He wasn’t as affectionate as before, but Mo Yong Dancheon had always answered with a sign of life.

She waited for a moment, put down the tea table she had brought, and carefully opened the door.

Sarak [sound of something sliding].

As soon as she opened the door, an extraordinary aura emanated from the room.

‘Huh?’

Mo Yong Mi momentarily raised her head and looked at the head of the family, Mo Yong Dancheon.

And she widened her eyes in shock.

Woowoong [humming or buzzing sound].

The tense air in the room was slowly flowing around the head of the family, Mo Yong Dancheon.

And from Mo Yong Dancheon, who was sitting at the center, an aura that made her skin tingle was emanating.

Mo Yong Dancheon, with his eyes focused on the letter in his hand, seemed to have forgotten everything.

Mo Yong Mi’s hands trembled slightly.

‘Ah!’

Having lived as a woman of a martial arts family for over twenty years, she couldn’t possibly not know what this meant.

That moment, that moment of enlightenment that was said to come once in a lifetime, had come to Mo Yong Dancheon now.

Right before her eyes.

‘……Grandfather!’

Mo Yong Mi couldn’t hide the hot emotions welling up in her chest.

But she slowly stepped back instead.

Carefully, so as not to make even a small sound, Mo Yong Mi carefully closed the door.

And she stepped further back and stood in the front yard in front of the door.

Sarak [sound of fabric rustling].

Tidying her clothes, she bowed deeply towards the closed door, or rather, towards Mo Yong Dancheon inside the room.

Her elegant and clean clothes were soiled, but she didn’t care.

Sabeok [sound of footsteps].

Mo Yong Mi bowed so deeply that her forehead touched the ground.

‘Heaven has not abandoned our Mo Yong Clan.’

Tteolleureuk [sound of a tear dropping].

A stream of tears ran down Mo Yong Mi’s cheek.

‘I pray for great success (大成) [dà chéng – a state of great accomplishment or enlightenment].’

Mo Yong Mi, who had been bowing her head, slowly rose.

And without hesitation, she turned and left Manhyujeong.

Tears that she couldn’t hide were glistening in her eyes, but Mo Yong Mi didn’t care.

She had a lot to do from now on.