Chapter 6 : First Flap of the Wings (1)
As soon as he left the clan head's residence, Namgung Il headed for a training ground.
"Haap—!"
There, disciples who appeared to be from the Namgung Clan were all swinging wooden swords in unison.
Wooden swords, not real ones.
Moreover, seeing them swing their swords in a very basic stance, Namgung Il was once again reminded of his own situation.
'To send me to a place like this... This guy's martial arts talent must have been a complete bust.'
Namgung Il knew well what kind of place the training ground he was standing in was.
A place called the Lesser Heaven Training Ground.
Just from the name 'Lesser,' one could easily guess that only very basic training was conducted here.
'A direct descendant, and he was still floundering in a place like this?'
Usually, when one inherits the blood of a martial family, they are bound to show some talent in martial arts.
The Namgung Clan, in particular, could be said to be at the pinnacle among the numerous martial families throughout the martial world.
It might be different for a branch family, but for a direct descendant with the thick blood of the Namgung Clan, it was natural for expectations to be higher than for ordinary people.
But to not even be able to leave the Lesser Heaven Training Ground for five years... It was no wonder he was looked down upon like this.
'I don't understand.'
Namgung Il knew his own body better than anyone else.
But looking at his bone structure alone, to be honest, his body was not lacking.
In fact, it was even better than his own bone structure when he was the Beggar King in the past.
His internal energy was also at a considerably excellent level for his age, as if he had been training it steadily since he was young.
'Well, no matter how good a weapon is, its power changes depending on the person using it.'
In the end, what's important is what's inside.
Perhaps he had proven that fact by defeating Namgung Ji with a single bone.
'This is actually good.'
Namgung Il decided to think differently.
On the contrary, because he had no talent, wouldn't he be able to learn the martial arts of the Namgung Clan from the basics, solidly, from now on?
If this guy's talent had been too outstanding, he probably wouldn't have been able to learn martial arts from the basics so naturally.
'I am Namgung Il now. So I need to use martial arts accordingly.'
He couldn't fight with a bone forever.
No, in the first place, that had worked because it was Namgung Ji. It was a trick that would never work on those who knew even a little about martial arts.
Of course, he could be said to be a person who had mastered the ultimate techniques of the Beggars' Sect, but considering various aspects, it seemed problematic for him to openly use the martial arts of the Beggars' Sect.
'And...'
Watching Namgung Jeongung's martial arts, he had once thought that he wanted to swing a sword like that too.
The intense movements that guy had shown him.
Since he had gained a new life, it seemed fine to live a new life as a martial artist as well.
"Young Master Namgung Il."
Just then, a man approached Namgung Il.
From his appearance, he seemed to be the instructor of the Lesser Heaven Training Ground... Since it was naturally his first time seeing this man, Namgung Il had no choice but to answer tactfully.
"...Instructor?"
"It's been quite a while since you've shown your face."
The man who approached Namgung Il was, as expected, the instructor of the Lesser Heaven Training Ground.
To be precise, he was a member of a branch family of the Namgung Clan, and his name was Namgung Shin.
He and Namgung Il had a long-standing connection, having seen each other here for over five years.
"Haha, it has been a while, hasn't it?"
Namgung Il said with a friendly smile.
Namgung Shin watched him, clicking his tongue slightly, and soon opened his mouth again with a small sigh.
"Why on earth have you not shown your face at the training ground until now?"
"I wasn't feeling well."
"Is that so? The rumor is that Young Master Namgung Il beat up Young Master Namgung Ji."
"Come on, how could I do such a thing?"
Namgung Il answered smoothly, not flustered by any of the words.
Namgung Shin stared at him, tilting his head inwardly.
Namgung Shin was also vaguely feeling that something had changed in Namgung Il in the few days he hadn't seen him.
"...Well, whatever. Since you're here, pick up a wooden sword and stand over there."
"..."
"We were just in the middle of training the Azure Heaven's Flying Star."
The Azure Heaven's Flying Star was one of the forms of the Azure Sky Sword Style.
The sword style that any disciple who entered the Namgung Clan learned first. That was the Azure Sky Sword Style.
In other words, it could be said to be the very foundation of the Namgung Clan's sword styles.
Namgung Il knew that fact well too.
Swoosh—
After saying that to Namgung Il, Namgung Shin was about to return to his place.
But for some reason, Namgung Il showed no sign of moving.
Namgung Shin looked at Namgung Il with a puzzled face and asked.
"What are you doing?"
"I have a favor to ask of you, Instructor."
"A favor?"
"Would you be willing to teach me the Azure Sky Sword Style from the beginning, one-on-one, in detail?"
Hearing that, Namgung Shin was momentarily at a loss for words.
Not only did he show up at the training ground after several days, but he was suddenly asking him to teach him the Azure Sky Sword Style personally.
Of course, since it was a request from a direct descendant, there was no reason he couldn't do it, but Namgung Shin couldn't understand what the point was.
"Haven't you been training only the Azure Sky Sword Style for five years?"
"Yes, I have."
"Then you should already know all the basic forms. Are you asking me to show you that again?"
To be honest, Namgung Shin thought there was little point in teaching Namgung Il one-on-one.
He had already taught him all the basic forms, and hadn't Namgung Il been repeating them for five years?
It was now a stage where he had to get used to it and awaken to it himself, not be taught, but Namgung Il had not even reached that level until now.
In other words, teaching him one-on-one again was just a waste of time.
Namgung Shin didn't want to engage in such a waste.
"Is there a need... for that?"
"..."
"Young Master, you have learned all the basics, and I have already advised you several times. But to ask me to do it again now..."
"Of course, you're right."
Namgung Il immediately agreed with Namgung Shin's words.
As he said, it was ultimately one's own role to make a sword style one's own.
No matter how much advice one gave from the side, if the other person couldn't properly accept it, it was no different from pouring water into a bottomless pot.
Judging by his tone, he could tell that Namgung Shin had done everything he could for him for five years.
However.
"Still, would you not trust me one more time and guide me?"
"..."
"I'm asking you."
The pot that was being filled with water had now changed.
Only Namgung Il knew that fact, but Namgung Shin was getting an unexplainable feeling from the person in front of him.
'As expected... something has changed.'
He could say it for sure now.
Of course, he couldn't say exactly what had changed, but Namgung Shin could see that compared to the previous Namgung Il, even his gaze was different.
"...I understand."
In the end, Namgung Shin decided to accept his request.
To confirm whether the intuition he was feeling was true or not.
He had answered so, thinking that he could confirm that fact if he accepted Namgung Il's request.
"Pick up a wooden sword and follow me."
"Thank you."
Answering with a calm smile, Namgung Il walked over to get a wooden sword.
Namgung Shin watched his back in silence.
A moment later, the two went to an empty corner and stood facing each other.
"Huh?"
Just then, the disciples who were taking a break belatedly noticed Namgung Il.
Even though they had moved to a corner, the training ground wasn't that large, so they came into the disciples' view.
Seeing Namgung Il, who hadn't shown his face for a while, alone with Namgung Shin over there, the disciples couldn't help but be interested.
"What, he came today?"
"I know, right. But what are they doing over there with the instructor?"
"Maybe he's getting one-on-one personal guidance again?"
"Come on, no way. If it was a problem that could be solved with personal guidance, why would he have been here for five years?"
The disciples whispered among themselves and started laughing, finding something so amusing.
Namgung Il of the Lesser Heaven Training Ground.
All the disciples of the Namgung Clan already knew about Namgung Il.
"That's true, right? What can a flightless, falling bird do now?"
A bird that falls without flying.
That was the nickname the disciples of the Namgung Clan had secretly given Namgung Il.
Of course, they couldn't call Namgung Il by that nickname to his face, but when they talked among themselves like this, they always called him by that nickname and mocked him.
"Well, let's see. Let's see how the flightless, falling bird will fall this time."
The disciples smiled slyly and openly stared at where Namgung Il was.
A direct descendant of the Namgung Clan, yet talentless, Namgung Il sweating profusely always gave them a sense of relative superiority.
There would be no better spectacle during break time.
"..."
Their gazes were felt not only by Namgung Il, but also by Namgung Shin.
But there was nothing he could do about them simply staring.
Since it was a familiar situation, Namgung Shin ignored the gazes and spoke to Namgung Il.
"Now, then, how would you like me to guide you?"
"Please show me the Azure Sky Sword Style from beginning to end, once."
"...Will that be enough?"
"Yes, it's enough."
"..."
Not asking for detailed guidance on a specific form, but simply to show him the sword style itself...
Namgung Shin still couldn't understand his intention, but since he had decided to do it, he planned to do as he was asked.
"I understand."
Namgung Shin answered and drew his sword.
At that moment, his aura changed.
Namgung Il did not blink once as he took in the sight of Namgung Shin swinging his sword with his own two eyes.
'Is that the Azure Sky Sword Style?'
He thought he had seen it before.
He had seen Namgung Jeongung perform it a few times in the past.
Namgung Shin's movements could also be said to be quite disciplined and sharp, but compared to Namgung Jeongung, the level was inevitably lower.
"..."
As Namgung Il watched Namgung Shin's Azure Sky Sword Style, he recalled Namgung Jeongung's movements in his mind.
A friend and a rival who had always clashed their martial arts against each other.
Having sparred with Namgung Jeongung countless times since they were young, Namgung Il couldn't help but naturally recall those movements.
And.
Namgung Il was now making those movements his own.
"Hoo..."
Soon, Namgung Shin's movements stopped.
With a low sigh, his gaze turned to Namgung Il.
After demonstrating all the forms of the Azure Sky Sword Style, Namgung Shin looked at Namgung Il and said.
"It's finished."
"..."
"Would you like to try performing it, Young Master?"
"...Yes, I will."
With a short answer, Namgung Il stood up.
Namgung Shin sheathed his sword and watched him in silence.
"..."
Namgung Il would not realize anything in this one moment.
If that were possible, he wouldn't have shown such a state for the past five years.
Namgung Shin did not expect Namgung Il to be able to do anything right away at this moment.
"Hey, he's doing it."
The same went for the disciples watching from over there.
The flightless, falling bird, Namgung Il.
The disciples were already watching with excited hearts, anticipating how he would provide them with laughter this time.
Thud—
With everyone's eyes focused on him, Namgung Il raised his wooden sword.
A stance with his feet slightly apart and the tip of his sword pointing at the opponent's throat.
It was the middle stance, which could be said to be the most basic of sword styles.
"Yeoksan, the sword style of the Namgung Clan, you see. It begins with this sword style."
"..."
"The sky from which all sword styles begin. That is the Azure Sky Sword Style."
He hadn't understood what he was saying back then, but now he felt like he could understand the meaning of those words.
'It's a funny thing, isn't it, Jeongung?'
To think he was now mulling over the words that guy had said to him, one by one.
A strange smile formed on Namgung Il's lips.
And.
Swish—
A sword strike that cut through the air.
That one sword strike changed the atmosphere of the training ground in an instant.
"...!"
Everyone looking at Namgung Il had their eyes wide open.
Why did the sword strike swung by Namgung Il feel so powerful?
The vast azure sky.
The disciples realized that they had been swinging their swords so hard to create that very azure sky.
Swish—
The flightless, falling bird, Namgung Il.
At this very moment, Namgung Il was taking his first flap of the wings towards the azure sky.
(End of Chapter)