Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 86

086. Journey on the Yangtze

A blue moonlight bathed the deserted training grounds, casting a lonely atmosphere.

Standing alone, Unhyun’s mind remained in turmoil.

The confusion, like the chaotic marks of their clash etched into the ground, lingered stubbornly.

“Hoo…”

Unhyun slowly exhaled.

How long had it been since the two figures had disappeared? Quite some time had passed since the sparring match, a fact he still found hard to believe.

Yet, Unhyun’s heart still pounded fiercely.

“Heh heh.”

Unhyun chuckled humorlessly.

During the sparring match, when his heart should have been racing, he had remained calm. But now that it was over, his chest finally pounded.

It was as if he was only now truly feeling the weight of the match.

Wobble.

“Oh.”

As he tried to step forward, Unhyun stumbled.

His legs had given way without him realizing it.

Before he could regain his balance, Unhyun collapsed to the ground.

Thud.

“Haha.”

A hollow laugh escaped him. But Unhyun didn’t get up.

Swoosh.

Still sitting, Unhyun raised his hand.

Bathed in moonlight, his pale hand trembled slightly.

Clench.

Unhyun clenched his fist.

He couldn’t believe it.

How could he have so confidently faced the sword of a master like Bingseol? He couldn’t understand it.

The trajectories of Bingseol’s sword and his own were still vivid in his mind, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t been the one to create them.

But it was undeniable that he had blocked Bingseol’s sword and even won.

“Huh, heh heh…”

A burst of laughter escaped him.

But something warm was slowly rising within Unhyun’s chest.

‘Was it a tree branch at first?’

Looking up at the night sky, Unhyun pondered.

First, it was a tree branch, and then a wooden sword.

The time he had spent in the Forbidden City flashed before his eyes like a dream.

Clear autumns, snowy winters, and short springs followed by long, sweltering summers.

How many times had the seasons changed?

Still, he simply loved the sword.

Even without considering its usefulness, without mentioning terms like ‘literature’ or ‘martial arts,’ he simply enjoyed practicing with the sword.

Even if it was just a humble wooden sword or a nameless training sword, he could forget everything in those moments.

He could immerse himself in a new world.

‘But.’

When the training ended, reality returned.

When the training time, which had allowed him to forget everything, ended, a cold wind always blew through a corner of his heart.

It was because the years were passing without leaving any lasting meaning.

He told himself that it couldn’t be helped, that living like this wasn’t so bad.

Eventually, he even lost precious relationships, left the Forbidden City, and became a down-and-out scholar heading back to his hometown.

He thought he had left on his own accord, that he could just travel the world, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had lived his life the wrong way.

‘But.’

But today, Unhyun had defeated Bingseol.

That was proof that he hadn’t wasted the past years.

“Ha, hahaha. Hahahaha.”

Unhyun laughed. It wasn’t a forced or hollow laugh. But the laughter didn’t last long.

“Haa, a master…”

At the end of the laughter, which had turned into a sigh, Unhyun muttered unconsciously.

For the past decade, Unhyun had lived clinging only to stories about the martial world [Jianghu].

He knew what kind of people were usually called masters so well that he could recite it in his sleep.

‘And that’s definitely not my story.’

Unhyun thought calmly.

There was no need to overthink it. He knew very well that he could never become a martial artist or a master.

He wasn’t a military officer who devoted his loyalty through martial arts, nor was he someone who sought enlightenment with his life and beliefs centered on a single sword.

He had no intention of forming groups in the name of clans or sects and seeking profit through swords and violence.

He simply liked the sword, so how could he call himself a martial artist or a member of the martial world?

‘If I had to say, I’d be a scholar who critiques swords?’

Those who like to talk about others are called gossips. If you sell that as a story to the public, you become a storyteller.

So, neither a master nor the owner of the Fallen Sun Sword suited Unhyun.

In the first place, even the title of Azure Dragon Sword Lord was just a false name to conceal his identity.

“Hoo.”

Unhyun let out a long sigh.

The night sky was filled with blue moonlight, and the sound of the waves of West Lake could be heard.

As he sat there, savoring the wind carrying the scent of water, the world seemed peaceful.

But Unhyun’s heart was neither calm nor peaceful.

“Sword Saint, Divine Monk, North Sea, and the Martial Alliance.”

He had thought of himself as someone who had nothing to do with these things, but before he knew it, he was even engaged in life-or-death sparring matches.

Without him knowing, favors and grudges had accumulated, and he had become entangled in the interests of people he had no connection with.

Not that he intended to resent anyone, but the martial world, which he was being drawn into against his will, felt like the Forbidden City of the Devil’s Den, and he couldn’t hide his bitterness.

“The way others judge me seems more important than how I see myself…”

Unhyun lowered his gaze and looked around the training grounds bathed in blue moonlight.

The traces of the sparring match, spreading out around him like scars, and the intertwined interests and uncompromising viewpoints within them.

“Is this the Jianghu (Martial World)?”

Unhyun muttered quietly, as if sighing.

But the only thing that answered his voice was the sound of the wind blowing through the empty training grounds.

Swish.

Unhyun got up.

Gathering his belongings and wrapping his wooden sword in cloth, Unhyun moved with a hollow feeling.

Step, step.

Without realizing it, Unhyun caressed the ring hanging on his chest.

He missed his sworn brother, Ilchunghyun, more desperately than ever.

The one who was no longer in this world.

***

The Yangtze River is a vast river that crosses the continent.

Every year, it invariably flooded during the rainy season, becoming the biggest challenge for flood control projects, but no dynasty had succeeded in controlling the Yangtze.

However, the Yangtze also served as an east-west transportation route.

This waterway, connecting the continent from east to west, was greatly valued by merchants and travelers.

Although the threat of the Yangtze River Pirates loomed, the large and small merchant ships traveling up and down the Yangtze were constantly busy.

Splash.

A large sail filled with wind, and the waves crashed against the ship’s side.

Unhyun was aboard a large merchant ship traveling upstream on the Yangtze.

The deck, filled with cargo, was crowded with people who had come up to avoid seasickness, besides Unhyun.

Unhyun leaned against the ship’s side, watching the flowing scenery and sighing.

‘It’s definitely impulsive, but…’

Unhyun, who had been staring at the crashing waves, sighed again.

Early in the morning the day after sparring with Bingseol.

Unhyun, who had stayed up all night, packed his bags and left Hangzhou.

He found a merchant ship going upstream from Nanjing to Dongting Lake, and boarded without hesitation.

‘Brother.’

He missed Ilchunghyun terribly.

But he was no longer in this world.

So Unhyun was heading to Dongting Lake, or more precisely, to his sworn brother Ilchunghyun’s main residence near Yueyang.

‘But.’

However, Unhyun still couldn’t shake his lingering attachment to the position of scribe in the Martial Alliance.

Since he didn’t have much choice anyway, and realistically speaking, there was no better position.

With the name of the Martial Alliance alone, he wouldn’t be ashamed to go anywhere, and from what he had seen in the past few days, its status in the martial world was quite significant.

‘Either a government official or a scribe in the Martial Alliance is the same in some ways…’

He had even considered entrusting himself to the Murong Family.

If that was the case, there was no reason why the Martial Alliance wouldn’t work. In fact, it was even better.

“Hoo…”

Unhyun, unable to sort out his thoughts, sighed once again.

Then, a rough voice suddenly came from behind.

“Hey, young man, you’re sighing quite a lot.”

Unhyun turned around.

Nearby, four or five merchants were having a casual drinking party, and one of the older men was looking at Unhyun with a smile.

“I don’t know what’s bothering you, but come over and have a drink with us.”

“Me?”

“Well, who else is there besides you? Come on over.”

“Ah, I…”

As Unhyun raised his hand to refuse, the other young merchants chimed in.

“We have a long way to go and plenty of time, so why are you being so shy? Come on over.”

“Yeah, yeah. Your sighing is ruining our appetite. We’ve seen each other around the past few days, so come and have a drink.”

As they spoke, he recognized them as faces he had often seen in the past few days.

The older merchant gestured impatiently, and Unhyun eventually hesitated and joined their drinking party.

“I’m sorry for intruding. My name is Unhyun.”

As Unhyun joined them, the merchants shifted to make room.

“Intruding?”

The merchant sitting next to him chided, and the older merchant spoke to Unhyun with a smile.

“There’s no need to be so polite. We’re just sharing a drink on a long journey. Here, take this.”

He handed Unhyun a glass.

Unhyun, who had placed his luggage nearby, took the glass.

After hesitating for a moment, Unhyun steeled himself and downed it in one gulp.

“Oh, this friend knows how to drink.”

“See? I told you he looked like he could drink well. Hahaha.”

The merchants laughed at Unhyun, who was grimacing at the unexpectedly strong liquor.

The young merchant sitting next to him offered a piece of jerky as a snack and asked.

“Are you coming from Beijing?”

Unhyun, about to take the jerky, was startled.

This ship had departed from Nanjing. His appearance wasn’t particularly special, so how did they know he was from Beijing?

“No need to be so surprised. I’ve seen it many times. Well, the exam isn’t just this once. Cheer up.”

“Yeah, young man, don’t be too discouraged. Still, it’s something to have gone to the metropolitan exam [Imperial Examination], right?”

The other merchants chimed in.

Only then did Unhyun understand their kindness.

They assumed Unhyun was a scholar who had failed the civil service examination and was returning home.

“Ah, I…”

Unhyun stopped himself.

It was too much trouble to explain that it wasn’t true, and he didn’t want to spoil their kindness.

And wasn’t he in a situation no different from that of a failed scholar anyway?

“The friend next to you has failed three times. Don’t be too discouraged.”

When the older merchant who had first called Unhyun spoke, everyone added their comments.

“Just failed? Didn’t he fail the provincial exam three times in a row? Three times means a total of nine years, so it’s understandable to give up. Hehehe.”

“Is that all? Didn’t he also work as some kind of strategist for a martial arts family? Now he’s transformed into a merchant, so it’s really a tumultuous life.”

“Hey! You people are being insensitive… Why do you keep digging up other people’s pasts?”

The young merchant replied sternly to his colleagues, then handed Unhyun a glass with a smile.

“My name is Jang Gyeonggyu. I used to take the civil service examination. You said your name was Unhyun?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Unhyun took the glass and bowed his head lightly in greeting.

“Actually, everyone here has tried their hand at the civil service examination. Seeing you reminds me of myself, so feel free to relax.”

Jang Gyeonggyu said with a smile.