Surviving as a Cripple in Murim – Chapter 51

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Are you… serious?”

Jang Dal asked cautiously, as if he were speaking to a madman. Xuan Hu chuckled softly, a mocking, fox-like sound.

“Believe what you will. But the important thing is that further involvement will only bring you misfortune.”

Xuan Hu, his body swaying unsteadily as if he could barely stand, leaned closer to Jang Dal and whispered his warning.

“Furthermore, that Nangong Xiaoshao… woman? Man? It’s confusing. In any case, they were meant to die today, but they survived thanks to a fortunate encounter. They are blessed with strong fate.”

Xuan Hu’s narrow eyes opened slightly, revealing dark, bottomless pupils.

“Abandon this mission. That is my best advice, as a merchant to a valued customer.”

Jang Dal wanted to tell him to stop talking nonsense, but the intensity of Xuan Hu’s words, delivered even as he coughed up blood, silenced him.

“…….”

“Ultimately, what you choose to believe, what path you choose to take, is your prerogative.”

Xuan Hu smiled wryly at Jang Dal, who remained silent, his lips sealed.

“Then I shall take my leave. I will be in hiding for some time, so even if you seek me out, you will not find me.”

As he finished speaking, Xuan Hu’s body dissolved into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.

“What?!”

Jang Dal blinked, stunned by the sudden, inexplicable event.

He bit his tongue, wondering if he had been caught in an illusion, but nothing changed.

An unsettling, unpleasant feeling crept up his spine.

He felt as though he had witnessed something supernatural, something beyond human comprehension.

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Mancheon watched as Xiaoshao circulated his energy, regulating his breathing, and felt a flicker of curiosity.

‘He’s filled with yin energy. Is that his natural constitution?’

He didn’t know which of the Nangong family’s signature internal energy cultivation techniques Xiaoshao practiced – the Boundless Azure Sky Divine Art or the Heavenly Thunder King’s Divine Art – but neither of them were yin-based techniques.

As the names suggested, incorporating the Daoist term “Azure Sky” (蒼天), the Nangong family was heavily influenced by Daoism.

Daoist internal energy cultivation techniques were typically yang-based, or sought a balance of yin and yang. They didn’t emphasize the accumulation of pure yin energy.

But… then again, he had learned two internal energy cultivation techniques: the Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method and the Immovable Heart Method. Perhaps Xiaoshao also practiced a secondary, personalized technique.

He observed Xiaoshao, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and even, his delicate features serene, almost cute.

He saw a frail girl, burdened by responsibilities, who wielded the King’s Sword, a weapon too large for her small frame, and who insisted on being called a man.

A delicate flower bearing a heavy weight.

As he stood guard, lost in thought, Xiaoshao’s eyes fluttered open, revealing calm grey irises.

“Thank you for watching over me, despite your injuries.”

“You’re the one who pushed yourself to use the King’s Sword, despite being weakened by the curse, to save me. I owed you at least this much.”

“To prioritize the well-being of another, without seeking recognition for your own deeds… You are a true xia, Young Master Sima.”

He felt a pang of guilt at the hero-worshipping look in Xiaoshao’s eyes. It was… unsettling.

While he appreciated the compliment, it was an exaggeration.

He wasn’t a xia, a righteous hero.

He simply did as he pleased.

If he wanted to learn something, he learned it. If he wanted to laugh, he laughed. If he wanted to cry, he cried. If he wanted to save someone, he saved them. He had always lived life on his own terms.

And it just so happened that his impulsive actions often led to positive outcomes.

But… explaining all this would be tedious and uncool, so he changed the subject.

“I appreciate the compliment. But we’ve saved each other’s lives. There’s no need for formalities like ‘Young Master’ or ‘Warrior.’ Why don’t we just become sworn brothers?”

He hadn’t suggested brotherhood simply to change the subject. He was genuinely interested in getting to know Xiaoshao, and that naturally extended to the Nangong family’s martial arts.

He wanted to learn the Boundless Azure Sky Sword Technique, the King’s Sword, and the Heavenly Thunder Qi, an enchantment technique that imbued a sword with lightning energy – all secret techniques of the Nangong family.

And it would be awkward and inconvenient to maintain formalities while asking for such favors.

He envisioned a close friendship, sharing meals, visiting saunas together, exchanging martial arts techniques, honing their skills together.

It was the ideal martial arts brotherhood. And as sworn brothers, there would be no issue with learning each other’s family’s secret techniques.

Or so… he hoped.

Xiaoshao sighed at Mancheon’s suggestion, his face clouded with worry. He wasn’t rejecting the offer, but he was concerned for Mancheon.

“You’ve already made enemies by helping me. Further involvement will only bring you misfortune.”

It was a heartfelt warning, a plea for him to distance himself from the complicated affairs of the Nangong family. But it was a wasted effort.

“That is not for you to decide, Brother Nangong.”

He disregarded Xiaoshao’s concerns, closing the distance between them, breaking down the walls Xiaoshao had erected.

“Making friends and enemies is a natural part of life. If you wish to avoid such entanglements, you should seclude yourself in the mountains.”

As long as one remained in the mortal world, such conflicts were inevitable. Xiaoshao looked up at Mancheon, whose carefree, almost arrogant dismissal of his concerns was both irritating and… refreshing.

It was as if a cool breeze had swept through the stuffy inn.

Xiaoshao suddenly understood why he had stared at Mancheon earlier. It was as if Mancheon’s arrival had brought a breath of fresh air into the stifling atmosphere.

“So stop worrying and call me ‘Brother Sima’ from now on.”

He was a refreshingly straightforward and unpretentious man. A small smile touched Xiaoshao’s lips.

Their eyes met, Mancheon’s amber eyes sparkling like stars, Xiaoshao’s calm grey eyes reflecting the moonlight. Mancheon extended his hand, and it was Xiaoshao’s turn to reciprocate.

“Um… Brother Sima, there’s something I need to tell you.”

And so, Xiaoshao, in a soft, hesitant voice, confessed a secret to his first true friend.

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It turned out Xiaoshao was nineteen, older than Mancheon.

He wasn’t Brother Nangong, but Sister Nangong. Or rather, Big Sister Nangong.

As he pondered this, watching Xiaoshao search through Tang Meiniang’s room for fever medicine for the other young martial artists,

Xiaoshao, sensing his gaze, tilted her head curiously. She wasn’t doing it intentionally, but her every movement was so… animal-like, it was adorable.

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In the pre-dawn hours, as the moon faded and the first rays of sunlight painted the sky,

Gwahae, with Jegal Liang as her unwitting meditation partner, was engaged in a battle for control of her own body, training to master her dragon powers in the mental realm.

A strange space, filled with a starlit night sky and an endless, clear blue sea.

A giant serpent and a blue-eyed girl faced each other.

[■■■■■-!!!]

The world trembled at the roar of the half-dragon, a being closer to a serpent than a true dragon. Gwahae’s body shook, but she didn’t retreat.

Mancheon had fought this monster when she was only thirteen, to protect her from herself, from her rampaging dragon powers.

Her blue eyes, like the vast ocean, flashed with a fierce light.

If she couldn’t control her dragon powers, she would never be able to see Mancheon again. She would only hurt him again.

So she wouldn’t falter. She wouldn’t give up.

She approached the half-dragon, crossing the sea to reach Mancheon.

She had grown stronger, seeking the warmth she had lost, yearning for the missing half of her soul.

She would never be separated from him again. She was his, and he was hers.

They were MancheonGwahae (瞞天過海 – Deceiving the Heavens, Crossing the Sea).

[■■■■■■-!!!]

Sensing the danger, the half-dragon lashed out with its massive tail, churning the sea, trying to keep her at bay, but Gwahae ignored the distraction.

Half-dragon versus human. She couldn’t afford a prolonged fight. She would strike with full force from the start.

She stepped forward with her left foot, bending slightly, and drew circles in the air with both hands, gathering her energy. Two dragons coiled around her arms.

Twin Hand Combat.

Left and Right – Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms – Repentance of the Ascendant Dragon.

Two dragons, formed of pure energy, roared, their bodies coiling, lunging towards the half-dragon.

It was an irresistible force, an overwhelming wave of energy, transcending mere palm strikes, becoming a wave.

Twin Dragon Wave.

The resonating waves of energy slammed into the half-dragon, shattering it.

The battle was over.

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The young miss, barely sixteen, yet already having surpassed the limitations of first-class martial artists and reached the Transcendent realm, slowly opened her eyes.

Her clear, blue eyes, like the morning sea, shone brightly. Jegal Liang, startled, dropped the Go stone he had been holding.

“I’ll have to tell that boy Mancheon… to be more respectful.”

Even Jegal Liang, a man who rarely acknowledged talent in others, couldn’t deny her exceptional skill.

“I, Jegal the Monstrous Dragon, one of the Ten Great Masters, acknowledge your strength. Gwahae, you are…”

The current self-proclaimed strongest in the world expressed his admiration for the future strongest.

“a genius among geniuses, deceiving the heavens and conquering the sea.”

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Gwahae turn into a genius 😱