Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 84

## The Difference in Perspective

Ignoring Sima Geon’s anger, the disciples from each faction began to help those who were injured.

Moyong Mi also assisted the injured alongside Nangong Biyeon.

*Step.*

Moyong Mi, sensing someone approaching, turned around to see Pajeonhan of the South Sea Sword Sect bowing his head towards her.

“Your judgment was excellent, Miss.”

Pajeonhan said in a respectful voice.

“Thanks to you, we were able to prevent a dangerous situation. Thank you.”

Moyong Mi smiled at his words and shook her head.

“It’s nothing. I simply did what I thought was right.”

“There are many who do not act according to what they should do.”

Pajeonhan’s words resonated deeply.

Indeed, Sima Geon and Jegal Ryong had prioritized their own feelings over others.

It could have easily turned into a tragedy.

Moyong Mi gave an awkward smile and unconsciously scanned the banquet hall.

“Are you looking for someone?”

Pajeonhan asked.

“Ah, well…”

Moyong Mi hesitated for a moment but soon continued.

“Have you perhaps seen Scholar Un? I’m worried because he doesn’t know martial arts…”

Moyong Mi knew that Unhyun had come to the banquet hall earlier.

She was worried that he might have been hurt during the commotion, but Pajeonhan’s reaction was a bit strange.

“If it’s Scholar Un, he’ll be fine.”

His answer was so certain that Moyong Mi couldn’t help but ask.

“Really?”

“That person…”

Pajeonhan paused for a moment.

Pajeonhan couldn’t possibly reveal the identity of the master he had met near Seohogyeong [a fictional location].

The same was true when he recalled the letter he had sent and the scathing criticism of his swordsmanship written on it.

However, the phrase ‘a sword containing the spirit of the great sea’ written in the letter had deeply resonated with Pajeonhan.

The family’s sword style he had been practicing was not just a sword technique.

It was the spirit and soul of his ancestors who had wanted to live embracing the vast sea.

‘This is what it was all along.’

It was natural that Pajeonhan felt no humiliation or shame.

He devoted himself to training day and night to unlock the ‘sword containing the spirit of the great sea’.

It was perhaps natural that he thought of Unhyun.

The criticisms Unhyun had made were in line with the sword paths described in the letter.

“He’s not someone who would be harmed by something like this.”

Moyong Mi wore a puzzled expression at the politeness she sensed in Pajeonhan’s tone.

As far as she remembered, wasn’t Pajeonhan the one who had spoken harshly to Unhyun and turned away?

She had even appeared on the martial arts stage because she was worried that Unhyun might be harmed.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

Before Moyong Mi could say anything, Pajeonhan bowed politely.

And he walked away to help other injured people.

Moyong Mi, with a puzzled expression for a moment, unconsciously looked around the banquet hall.

However, she couldn’t see the figure of the scholar anywhere, and Moyong Mi had to let out an inexplicable sigh.

***

“Hoo-ooh.”

Unhyun slowly lowered his sword and took a breath.

The small clearing filled with blue moonlight was silent as if no one was there, with only Unhyun’s breathing faintly audible.

In the silence that seemed to deny the explosions and shockwaves that had filled this place until just now, there were two other people.

One person was kneeling on one knee on the ground, silent, and the other person was standing a little further away, also in silence.

“…I.”

A quiet female voice broke the silence.

It was the voice that came from Bingseol, who was kneeling on one knee.

Her hand, visible through Bingseol’s disheveled hair, was still holding the sword, but it was merely to keep from dropping it.

“I lost.”

Listening to Bingseol’s voice, which was squeezed out with difficulty, Unhyun raised his head.

“Your sword path is excellent.”

Unhyun said in a calm voice.

“However, your various techniques haven’t yet found a single, unified flow. It seems that there has been great progress recently, but you need to make it more your own.”

After speaking as if he were commenting on someone’s writing, Unhyun hesitated for a moment and added.

“…Still, it was amazing.”

It was sincere and true.

Although Unhyun himself had won, he had never seen a sword like Bingseol’s before.

Perhaps it would be similar if the swordsmanship of Binghon [Bingseol’s family or sect] were pushed to the extreme?

Unhyun’s evaluation of Bingseol’s sword was actually closer to high praise.

“Keuk.”

A small groan escaped from Bingseol.

And soon her slender shoulders heaved greatly.

“Cough.”

*Thud.*

Something dark red flowed from her lips and dripped onto the ground.

Unhyun flinched.

Coughing up blood meant that the body was greatly damaged. But Unhyun had never directly cut or hit her.

Perhaps it was the result of Bingseol’s own inner energy backfiring [a common trope in martial arts stories], or perhaps she couldn’t withstand the shock.

Suddenly worried, Unhyun turned to look at the Young Palace Master, but she was also looking at Unhyun with deeply sunken eyes, with no sign of helping Bingseol.

In the end, Unhyun had no choice but to move.

*Step, step.*

The sound of his footsteps echoing felt particularly loud to Unhyun.

Bingseol must have clearly felt him approaching, but she didn’t look at Unhyun or say anything.

Unhyun let out a light sigh and then spoke to Bingseol.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to, but it seems I hurt you.”

Bingseol’s shoulders trembled slightly, but her expression was not visible because of her flowing hair.

Unhyun spoke to Bingseol again.

“Are you… alright?”

But no answer came back.

Bingseol, with her head bowed, didn’t even move, and Unhyun, who felt awkward saying anything more, stood in front of Bingseol, not knowing what to do.

“Um…”

It was when Unhyun was about to speak again.

“Stop it now.”

The voice heard from behind was that of the Young Palace Master.

Unhyun turned his head.

*Rustle, rustle.*

The Young Palace Master, who had been far away, slowly walked towards Unhyun.

“Now that the match is over, no more words are needed. So now, just like the former master of Nagil [a legendary sword] did…”

*Thud.*

The Young Palace Master’s gaze, having stopped walking, was directed straight at Unhyun.

“End this duel.”

Unhyun didn’t immediately understand the Young Palace Master’s words. It was because the phrase ‘end the duel’ was unfamiliar.

However, from the cold gaze of the Young Palace Master looking at him, Unhyun could easily guess what it meant.

“Could it be…”

The Young Palace Master nodded at Unhyun’s words that he unconsciously let out.

“Even if your sword is not Nagil now, you are the master of Nagil.”

The Young Palace Master’s gaze turned to Bingseol, who had her head bowed.

“If Bingseol were to lose her life to the sword of the Nagil Sword Master, she would have no regrets.”

Unhyun looked back and forth between the Young Palace Master and Bingseol.

Only then did he understand Bingseol’s attitude of not moving with her head bowed, and the Young Palace Master’s extremely cold gaze.

Unhyun sighed in dismay.

“No, I’m not going to do that.”

It was a clear refusal.

The Young Palace Master’s cold eyes trembled slightly. Bingseol, who had shown no reaction, looked up at Unhyun this time.

“Are you saying that you will not carry on the will of the former Nagil Sword Master?”

Unhyun smiled bitterly at the Young Palace Master’s words. And he said quietly.

“I don’t know what the will of the former Nagil Sword Master is, but it can’t be to kill just anyone. And above all, I am not the Nagil Sword Master.”

The Young Palace Master’s eyes wavered again.

She stared at Unhyun with a sharp gaze as if trying to read Unhyun’s mind.

Unhyun calmly accepted that gaze. And after a while, the Young Palace Master’s voice was heard.

“Then, are you saying that the Divine Monk lied to us?”

“Divine Monk? Are you talking about Great Master Bulyeong?”

Unhyun frowned and replied. And he began to get a sense of why this situation had occurred.

No, it seemed completely clear.

‘This is…’

At Waryongheon [a location], the Divine Monk and the Sword Master said that they would each entrust something to Unhyun.

In the case of the Sword Master, it was Nagil Sword, and the Divine Monk had simply glossed over it.

But this was exactly the situation that the Divine Monk had dumped on Unhyun.

The Divine Monk’s ‘Heol heol’ laughter was vividly audible in his ears.

‘Tsk…’

He wanted to swear. But since he couldn’t bring himself to curse at the old man, Unhyun replaced his feelings by distorting his face.

The Young Palace Master, who was looking at Unhyun, asked again with suspicious eyes.

“Really, didn’t the Sword Master hand over Nagil to you?”

“No, I already returned it…”

Unhyun tried to answer sharply but stopped.

Come to think of it, the Sword Master refused to take back that sword.

He even said that the fact that he had given the sword was still unchanged, didn’t he?

“So, it’s true that he tried to give me the sword. But I tried to return the sword, and that’s…”

Unhyun trailed off, unsure how to explain it.

Then the Young Palace Master continued.

“Did the Sword Master perhaps refuse to take it back?”

Her voice was somehow clear. As if she was happy to have found Unhyun’s weakness.

It was a completely different atmosphere from the serious one until now, but Unhyun didn’t even notice the change.

“Ah, well. If you have to say it, that’s how it is…”

It’s not just if you have to say it, that’s the truth.

As Unhyun hesitated, a smile appeared on the Young Palace Master’s red lips.

“So, in the end, it is still unchanged that you are the current master of Nagil.”

“That’s a misunderstanding. I…”

“It’s not a misunderstanding.”

The Young Palace Master shook her head and interrupted Unhyun’s words.

“It’s just a difference in perspective.”

*Rustle.*

The Young Palace Master spoke as she slowly moved her steps.

“It doesn’t matter whether Nagil is with you or not. The problem is that you are the person who has been recognized as the master of Nagil.”

*Rustle, rustle.*

The Young Palace Master’s voice continued between the quietly audible footsteps.

“You have been recognized by the Sword Master, the former master of Nagil, and the Divine Monk has confirmed it. Moreover, just now, you even defeated Bingseol, one of the Bukhae Twelve [elite warriors], before my eyes. It’s really unbelievable, but with that shabby wooden sword that’s not even Nagil.”

The Young Palace Master, who was speaking, glanced at the wooden sword Unhyun was holding.

‘What’s wrong with this wooden sword?’

He wondered why she said it was shabby.

In Unhyun’s eyes, it was a great object that was big, sturdy, and even had a great price.

But he didn’t say it. Because that’s not the topic now.

“So now Bukhae [the Young Palace Master’s faction] has no choice but to pay attention to you. Of course, your origins and sect, your personality and your martial arts, and even who your friends and enemies are. Because…”

*Tak.*

The Young Palace Master, who stopped walking, looked straight at Unhyun.

The Young Palace Master’s red lips, which had come close, sparkled in the moonlight and moved softly.

“Now you are the master of Nagil.”

Unhyun frowned.

If what the Young Palace Master said was true, this was really a disaster.

He didn’t know why the Sword Master had entrusted Nagil to him, but Unhyun had no intention of getting involved in the affairs of the Murim [martial arts world] at all.

“But that is also a misunderstanding of the Divine Monk and the Sword Master. It’s a bit long to explain…”

“Heh heh. A misunderstanding?”

The Young Palace Master’s small laughter interrupted Unhyun’s words.

“Do you think everyone else is stupid? Not at all. That’s not true.”

The Young Palace Master said, shining her beautiful eyes.

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you’re talking about, but I can’t believe that the discernment of the Sword Master and the Divine Monk is worse than mine.”