Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 38

038. The Lone Wanderer, Dokgo-rang

Swaaack.

Un-hyun’s wooden sword sliced through the air, creating a distinct ripple. It wasn’t just the wind you’d expect from swinging something.

It felt as if the very silence was startled by Un-hyun’s sword.

Whoo-oong.

Again, the air shimmered softly, distorting along the path of Un-hyun’s blade.

And finally, the Third Stance.

Whoosh.

Un-hyun’s sword stopped moving. But the motion didn’t end there.

Hum, hum.

Around Un-hyun’s stationary sword, vibrations spread slowly, like the echo after a large drum strike.

Un-hyun stood firm, feeling the vibrations resonate through his body.

As the last light of day faded, the swirling energy around him gently subsided.

“Hoo-ooo.”

Un-hyun regulated his breathing.

Even though it was just a short sequence of three sword forms, he found himself needing to catch his breath for a while.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect it to be this strenuous…”

Un-hyun frowned slightly as he recovered.

“Is this truly a combat sword technique, or is something wrong with my form?”

Un-hyun began to contemplate the new sword form, recalling a book where he had noted Instructor Il Chung-hyun’s words, specifically the distinction between ‘training swords’ and ‘combat swords.’

Combat swords, unlike training swords, were said to unleash one’s energy in a powerful burst.

Un-hyun found that concept particularly intriguing.

His initial idea had been to reconstruct the Twelve Forms of the White Tiger Training Sword.

After all, the White Tiger Training Sword was the only sword form he truly knew.

He felt a twinge of unease at the thought of freely modifying something that a White Tiger scholar, essentially a senior in his field, had dedicated his life to creating. But he quickly dismissed it, thinking, ‘It should be fine if I add annotations and properly cite the source.’

‘Well, anyway…’

In academia, no thesis emerges from a vacuum; they all build upon the work of predecessors. As long as the source is clearly acknowledged, it should be acceptable.

Of course, Un-hyun was probably the only one concerned with such academic formalities.

‘First, the first form should be fast and sharp…’

Un-hyun decided to call this new sword form the Three Forms of the White Tiger Combat Sword.

First, speed and sharpness; second, fluidity; and last, power.

This was Un-hyun’s vision as he reconstructed the White Tiger Training Sword.

However, a significant problem remained.

‘There’s no one to confirm if this is actually a viable combat sword technique.’

It didn’t seem like an unreasonable concept, but if Il Chung-hyun were alive and saw this sword form, who knew what he would say.

‘He might have frowned and asked what this ridiculousness was.’

As he pictured Il Chung-hyun’s disapproving face, a smile unconsciously touched his lips.

Un-hyun caressed the roughly carved wooden sword and muttered.

“But at this rate, I can’t even dream of a proper duel.”

There was a hint of regret in Un-hyun’s voice.

He had trained with the sword for well over a decade. And he had received inner energy cultivation from Instructor Il Chung-hyun.

Originally a scholar, he had never considered himself a martial artist, but he believed his accomplishments were not insignificant.

‘Well, I can’t compare to the renowned masters of the Jianghu [the martial arts world]…’

Still, he believed his skills were on par with martial artists from prestigious families, and that his insights on swordsmanship would not be easily dismissed, even by masters.

That was why he longed to test his skills someday.

Perhaps that was why the term ‘combat sword’ had initially piqued his interest.

But if he was already panting for breath after performing his own combat sword form just once, a real duel would be entirely out of the question.

“The masters of the Jianghu unleash these brutal swordsmanship techniques dozens, no, hundreds of times, so I understand why they are called masters of inner energy.”

Un-hyun shook his head lightly, as if to dispel distracting thoughts.

“Rather, this White Tiger Sword is also a problem. If it were as I envisioned, I should be able to execute it more effortlessly, but if this is the case, then the Scholar’s Sword and the Azure Dragon Sword…”

Un-hyun’s thoughts extended beyond just the White Tiger Combat Sword.

Simply organizing existing techniques wouldn’t satisfy his scholarly pride.

How could he call himself a scholar if he didn’t create something original?

So, the other two swordsmanship styles that Un-hyun envisioned were the Scholar’s Sword and the Azure Dragon Sword.

‘The Scholar’s Sword aims for the most fundamental, simplest sword form, for now…’

The simplest sword form, which he had mentioned to Eunuch Park, was the Scholar’s Sword.

Although the specific sword path had not yet been fully defined, it was the sword form that Un-hyun was most passionate about and eager to achieve.

‘The sages said that they pierced through everything with one principle, so how could such a principle not exist in the sword as well?’

The sword, too, embodies a fundamental principle.

If the White Tiger scholar approached the sword academically, he wanted to embody the sword as a true principle.

He found nothing of the sort among the tens of thousands of books in the Munyeon Pavilion [royal library].

It might take a lifetime, but scholars traditionally dedicated their lives to studies that might never reach a definitive conclusion, didn’t they?

And then there was the Azure Dragon Sword.

“Hoo.”

A sigh escaped his lips.

The very sword dance that he had been unable to fully grasp in the dreamlike world he had once glimpsed.

A sword path that seemed as if it would unfold from the tip of his sword at any moment, yet remained frustratingly out of reach, like a distant memory.

That was the Azure Dragon Sword.

He had only witnessed it once, but it was a sword that Un-hyun’s heart yearned for, like a hometown he longed to return to someday.

‘Someday…’

Someday he would see it again. That was how Un-hyun consoled himself.

Perhaps his training was ultimately driven by the desire to encounter that one sword path, the Azure Dragon Sword, once more.

“Hoo.”

Un-hyun regulated his breathing and calmed his mind, pushing back the rising tide of longing.

“This is not the time for such distractions. One must focus on the grand mountain and take the broad path.”

The White Tiger Combat Sword was sufficient for the present.

Un-hyun decided it was time to focus more on refining the training sword than recklessly pursuing the combat sword.

Otherwise, he might never even get to witness the Azure Dragon Sword again.

But Un-hyun found it difficult to put the wooden sword away.

“Okay, let’s do it just one more time.”

Un-hyun muttered, as if making excuses, even though no one was questioning him.

And slowly, he regulated his breathing and raised the wooden sword.

His mind became one with the sword, and an intangible energy began to ripple faintly.

It was the beginning of the First Form of the White Tiger Combat Sword.

***

Sohu, located in the eastern part of Anhui Province, is a lake widely known for its beautiful scenery and abundant aquatic resources.

However, the focus of the people gathered by the lake today was neither the picturesque scenery nor the historical landmarks.

“Haa!”

Clang, clang.

The glint of the blue blade flashed, and the line between life and death blurred in an instant.

The figures of the two men facing each other with swords were so intricately intertwined that their movements were almost imperceptible.

“Kuh!”

A grimace appeared on one man’s face.

Both men wielded swords, but only one held the advantage, and the other’s face grew increasingly pale with impending defeat.

“Ta-hup!”

Swaaack.

Was this an attempt to turn the tide in a situation where defeat seemed inevitable?

The man who had been on the defensive leaped into the air with a loud shout.

“Take this!”

The eyes of the man on the ground narrowed slightly. And in the very next moment.

Thwack, jjiing.

A sharp, subtle sound echoed across the lakeside.

The people who had been watching the duel with bated breath couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Oooo.”

“It’s the Lone Wanderer. As expected…”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, he was too hasty. Jumping up recklessly when you’re cornered – is that an attack or an escape?”

The murmurs spread quickly through the crowd.

The man who had leaped into the air staggered and fell, clutching his waist.

A long sword cut was visible through his sharply sliced clothing, and red blood seeped out.

“Indeed… the Lone Wanderer… It was a… wonderful match.”

The man tried to maintain his composure as he spoke, but he was met only with the cold gaze of the Lone Wanderer, Dokgo-rang.

“A wonderful match? You call such a clumsy duel a wonderful match?”

The insulted opponent’s face twisted in anger.

However, the Lone Wanderer silently sheathed his sword.

And he turned to leave without a word.

Thud.

Although he had won the duel, his expression remained grim.

His opponent wielded considerable influence and was rumored to be a skilled martial artist.

However, the opponent he had faced directly had failed to meet Dokgo-rang’s expectations.

‘Tsk.’

Dokgo-rang clicked his tongue inwardly.

He couldn’t trust the rumors of the Jianghu; his opponent was nothing more than an empty shell, leaving the Lone Wanderer in a foul mood.

However, the crowd, oblivious to his feelings, chattered noisily, unable to contain their excitement.

“Wow, now the best martial artist in Anhui Province is officially the Lone Wanderer.”

“That’s right. Now that he has conquered Anhui Province, where will he go next? Will he head to the Wudang Sect [a famous Taoist temple and martial arts school] or the Shaolin Temple [a famous Buddhist temple and martial arts school] as rumored?”

“Well, isn’t it time for him to stop dueling and start his own sect?”

“Hey, he has enemies everywhere, so what sect would he open? You should assume he has already given up on that idea.”

In Anhui Province, the story of the Lone Wanderer was a topic of great interest.

However, the person in question, the Lone Wanderer, Dokgo-rang, had no interest in such discussions.

Thud, thud.

As the Lone Wanderer, having concluded the duel, approached, the crowd parted to make way for him.

Who would dare to block the Lone Wanderer’s path now?

The Lone Wanderer continued forward without hesitation.

It was then.

Someone hesitated among the crowd and spoke to the Lone Wanderer.

“G, Great Hero.”

The eyes of the crowd turned to the speaker all at once.

A middle-aged man was cupping his fist in a traditional greeting and bowing deeply.

At the awkward posture, the crowd wore disappointed expressions.

They had been hoping for something more exciting to happen.

For example, an unexpected, sudden challenger.

Thud.

The Lone Wanderer’s footsteps halted. His gaze fell upon the man who had called out to him.

“I… I congratulate you on your victory, Great Hero.”

The Lone Wanderer remained silent.

Under that cold gaze, the man hurriedly rummaged through his clothes.

“I am… I work at a *biaoju* [courier company specializing in transporting valuables]. I… I need to deliver this to you, Great Hero…”

The man produced a neatly wrapped, thick letter from his chest.

The Lone Wanderer accepted the letter without a word.

“W, well, then, I’ll be on my way…”

The man who had delivered the letter tried to leave with a forced smile.

“Wait.”

The man, about to turn and leave, froze at the Lone Wanderer’s cold voice.

Tear.

The Lone Wanderer, who had never cared about the people around him, tore open the letter on the spot.

He pulled out several thick pages and began to read them.

“What, he was just a courier from a *biaoju*.”

“Tch, I thought something interesting was going to happen…”

Most of the crowd lost interest in the courier.

A few were curious about the contents of the letter, but no one dared to peek over the Lone Wanderer’s shoulder to steal a glance.

However, the courier from the *biaoju* was becoming increasingly anxious.

‘D, damn it…’

In the first place, delivering a letter to the Lone Wanderer was a troublesome task.

The Lone Wanderer, Dokgo-rang, was a lone wolf-like martial artist with no fixed residence.

At least the location of his duels was always well-known, making it possible to deliver the letter, but that also meant delivering it after a potentially dangerous duel.

With the tension of the duel still lingering, there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t become collateral damage.

Besides, the Lone Wanderer’s expression was deeply unsettling.

‘He just won, so why does he look so angry?’

The Lone Wanderer was staring at the letter with a distorted expression, unimaginable for the victor of a duel.

His eyes were so fierce that the courier’s anxiety intensified.

‘A, am I going to die here today?’