novelraw Chapter 16 : Sword Certification (1)
Chapter 16 : Sword Certification (1)
Chapter 16: Sword Certification (1)
Severed Meridians Condition.
There was no one in the Martial World who did not know of that condition.
It was a disorder named after the meridians—said to be the pathways through which energy flowed within the body—being severed or distorted. For those who sought to learn martial arts, it was an incurable disease referred to as a heavenly punishment.
In modern times, various causes of Severed Meridians Condition had been revealed through research, yet there was still no systematized treatment.
Children born with it naturally had imbalanced energy in their bodies, resulting in cold hands and feet, pale complexions, and frail physiques.
However, Gyojin was different.
He was so healthy that it was hard to believe he was a patient of Severed Meridians Condition, living without any inconvenience at all.
Just as there had to be a reason he could not learn martial arts, Cheon Bigang thought there must also be a reason for his unusual health.
Though he usually acted cheerful, he was still only twelve years old.
As Gyojin wiped his tears with blistered hands, Cheon Bigang, seated in his chair, spoke bluntly.
“Don’t cry.”
“……”
“A man only has three times in his life when he is allowed to cry.”
“……Pardon?”
“If you cry now, you won’t have the chance later even if you want to. So wipe your snot and stop.”
Sniff!
Gyojin rubbed his nose with his sleeve.
Once Gyojin calmed down, Cheon Bigang pointed toward the sky with his finger.
“A man cries three times in his life. The first is the day he is born. It is the sound that announces his arrival into this world. And one of the remaining two is when he bids a final farewell to someone dear.”
“……What about the last one?”
Cheon Bigang quietly closed his eyes and recalled words he had once heard from his master.
‘Bigang, a man’s final tears are for his ideal. When a dream once thought impossible becomes reality, we will be overwhelmed.’
After relaying his master’s words to Gyojin, Gyojin rubbed the corners of his eyes.
“I don’t understand.”
“Yeah, to be honest, I don’t understand it either.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s my master’s words, but I don’t get it either. Anyway, Gyojin! Since you were born a man, from today onward, tears are forbidden.”
“But what if I cry because I’m sad?”
“Say you ate something spicy. That’s better.”
“That’s unreasonable.”
“My disciple sure has a sharp tongue. Enough, come sit here.”
“Yes……”
Feeling embarrassed about having cried, Gyojin awkwardly stood, placed his sword on the sword stand, and sat beside Cheon Bigang.
“Yes, I need to check your condition, so I’ll take your pulse.”
“……”
Gyojin extended his wrist.
Though he had assumed it would be thin, Gyojin’s arm was firmer and more elastic than expected.
‘He’s been training consistently.’
From the dantian that had awakened after the battle with Scatter Blood Demon, a gentle energy rose and seeped into Gyojin’s meridians through Cheon Bigang’s fingers.
While holding Gyojin’s pulse, Cheon Bigang asked,
“I heard from Sa Gyeom earlier that something happened outside before you returned to the pawnshop?”
“Yes……”
“What happened that made you swing a blade until your hands blistered like that?”
“Well…”
Gyojin hesitated at first, but as Cheon Bigang showed curiosity, he began recounting what had happened earlier that day.
---
Two hours earlier.
When people who had borrowed money from the pawnshop failed to repay the principal on time, Gyojin would call them to adjust the repayment schedule.
Of course, not everyone repaid diligently. It was not uncommon for some to suddenly cut off contact or brazenly tell him to dispose of the pawned items as he saw fit.
Items that ended up this way were handled directly by Gyojin. Most were sold through online shops, but jewelry, luxury bags, and electronics were passed to offline dealers who offered proper prices.
Today was no different.
Gyojin had sold pearl accessories, luxury cufflinks, and a digital camera to a dealer for 2 million won—slightly above market price.
Thinking about having a delicious dinner with Cheon Bigang, Gyojin passed through a neighborhood park in a good mood.
“Kyaaah!”
Crash!
The sound of metal utensils crashing to the ground rang out, followed by a sharp scream from a young girl.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Startled, Gyojin ran toward the inside of the park.
There was an area lined with food trucks along the walking paths and lawn.
The commotion was happening there.
When he arrived, a crowd had gathered around a sandwich-selling food truck.
Gyojin quickly grasped the situation.
Three men who appeared to be martial artists were grabbing an elderly vendor by the collar.
A granddaughter around Gyojin’s age was pleading beside them.
“Sir, please stop. Please let my grandfather go!”
A man wearing sunglasses frowned and thrust forward his sauce-stained shirt.
“Old man, you want to die? This shirt was hard to get—it’s a luxury item! What are you going to do about this?”
“Th-that… wasn’t it spilled by the customer while eating?”
“Hey! You bastard!”
Thud!
The man shoved the old man.
The frail elder groaned and fell to the ground.
“Grandfather! Grandfather!”
The granddaughter clung to him helplessly.
The sunglasses man’s companions began rummaging through the bread, sauces, and utensils on the food truck, throwing them aside.
Crash!
As if making sure the crowd could hear, the sunglasses man shouted,
“If you dirty someone else’s clothes by mistake, you should pay for it! Do you want to die?!”
Realizing words wouldn’t work, the old man clasped his hands and pleaded.
“…I understand. I’ll give you all today’s earnings, so please let this go just once.”
Before he could finish, another martial artist counting cash from the truck shouted,
“One, two, three… 170,000 won? Old man, are you joking? Our boss’s shirt costs a million!”
The three men threatened the old man.
“This won’t be solved with words.”
“Old man, don’t even think about seeing your granddaughter until you prepare the money. Hey! You, come here!”
“……Let, let go!”
“No! Please spare my granddaughter!”
Just as a man with a carp tattoo grabbed the girl—
“Wait!”
Gyojin pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.
All eyes turned toward him.
He pulled the girl away from the tattooed man.
“Oh? And what are you, kid?”
“That shirt.”
“…?”
Gyojin pointed confidently at the sunglasses man’s shirt.
“You said you bought that shirt for a million won?”
“So what?”
“I think you got scammed.”
“What?”
The flow of conversation suddenly shifted, leaving the three men dumbfounded.
Raising his voice for everyone to hear, Gyojin said,
“The sleeve finishing on that Bivery product is different from the genuine one. Faded color could be poor care, but different stitching means it’s not authentic.”
“What does a brat like you know?”
The sunglasses man stepped closer threateningly.
One against three.
They were martial artists.
Of course, Gyojin was afraid—but he could not just stand by.
Moreover, it was true that the shirt was a counterfeit.
“I know because my dad once bought one and returned it. If you check the tag now, you’ll see. Counterfeits don’t list the country of origin.”
People nearby checked their phones and began murmuring.
“Oh, it’s true.”
“The kid’s right.”
“So he’s wearing a fake and demanding compensation?”
“That’s embarrassing.”
As the crowd’s gaze turned cold, the sunglasses man’s expression hardened.
His subordinates moved to surround Gyojin.
“Ha… damn it.”
“This brat’s got no manners.”
Gyojin responded firmly.
“If you go back to the store, you can get your million won back. That solves everything. Now that you know it’s fake, that’s good, right? Please leave.”
“Ha…”
“You little…”
Unable to refute him logically, the men grew irritated.
“Kid, who do you think you are interfering in adults’ business?”
“Stay quiet like everyone else. If you mess up, your neck might break.”
“Damn brat! Go drink your mother’s milk!”
“No!”
Though pressured by their killing intent, Gyojin shouted,
“I won’t back down. You should leave.”
“Ha!”
“You’ll only cry when you’re dead.”
“We warned you. Whatever happens now is your responsibility.”
The sunglasses man shouted loudly for all to hear.
Gyojin discreetly sent a message to Jo Wol from his emergency contacts.
His chances of winning were near zero—but if he stalled, help would come.
“I… won’t step back.”
The sunglasses man grew uneasy.
‘What the hell is this kid…?’
Even under killing intent, Gyojin did not falter.
‘He’s dangerous. If left alone, he’ll become a problem later.’
Better to cripple him now.
The man gathered energy into his palm.
Woooong!
The trembling palm contained enough force to shatter bones.
“Let’s see that pathetic sense of justice betray you.”
Gyojin lowered his stance.
He couldn’t escape.
The first move—that was everything.
“Die!”
Whoosh!
The man lunged.
‘F-fast…!’
Impossible to dodge.
Then—
Flap!
Someone flew across the grass and struck the man’s hand with a sheath.
“Stop!”
Boom!
The sunglasses man staggered back.
Gyojin was blown away and rolled across the ground.
“Damn it! Who the hell—”
A boy had appeared.
Around Gyojin’s age.
The sunglasses man froze when he saw the sheath.
‘Azure Sky.’
Two masked guards appeared behind the boy.
“…Namgung Family.”
The crowd gasped.
One of the most prestigious families.
The boy turned coldly.
The three men immediately bowed.
“We didn’t realize it was a young master of the Namgung Family…”
“We’ll withdraw.”
They retreated quickly.
The boy approached the old man.
“Are you alright?”
“Th-thank you…”
After helping them, the boy looked around.
He spotted Gyojin’s back in the distance—
Then lost him in the crowd.
“You…”
---
After hearing the story, Cheon Bigang’s brows shot up.
“So? You let those third-rate bastards go?”
“Yes.”
“And didn’t even repay the insults?”
“Yes.”
“Good. From today, you are no longer my disciple.”
“Understood. Even if I’m expelled, I’ll still master the supreme martial arts and become independent.”
“Who said I’d teach you?”
“You accepted my bow.”
Cheon Bigang laughed.
Then said,
“Be honest. You didn’t want to beat them—you wanted to beat that Namgung brat, didn’t you?”
“……”
“No. That’s not it either. What really angered you… was yourself, wasn’t it?”
“……!”
It was true.
Gyojin clenched his fists.
“I… want to become strong like my father… like you. Can I?”
Cheon Bigang held his wrist.
“A body with the energy of a hundred men… twelve primary meridians ruptured… eight torn apart… This constitution is called Heavenly Yang Severed Meridians.”
“……!”
Gyojin was shocked.
Cheon Bigang smiled.
“This is a blessing. Overcome it, and you’ll surpass others tenfold.”
“Master!”
Gyojin hugged him.
“So stop crying.”
Now—
It was time to grow stronger.
---
“Damn luck.”
“Those Namgung bastards…”
“Enough. We’re here.”
The three men entered a tavern.
Creak.
Inside, about twenty martial artists were already gathered.
An old man approached.
“Welcome. My name is Baekya. If you’re here for the Sword Certification Exam, you’ve come to the right place. Please, sit.”