Surviving as a Cripple in Murim – Chapter 80

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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At a crossroads of life and death, as if a sword were held to his throat,

“Now, now, Che, don’t misunderstand. I have no intention of killing you.”

Nangong Tian quickly calmed his aura and softened his expression, breaking the tense atmosphere. He slowly looked at the assembled relatives.

“Scholars say they would rather live a life of poverty and contentment in the mountains than sully their bodies.”

His eyes, filled with ambition and madness, flashed with blue lightning.

“But they are wrong. You cannot gain the world with clean hands.”

“In the chaotic times of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao slaughtered the Yu Bai family to survive, and the righteous Liu Bei betrayed his own kinsman, Liu Zhang, for his dream of restoring the Han Dynasty.”

Drops of blood dripped from the tip of the sword in his hand.

“Those who can change the world are those who are not afraid to get dirty, who are willing to jump into the muddy waters.”

Nangong Tian’s hand gently caressed Nangong Che’s cheek, as if in approval.

“Now, tell me. What grand dream did you harbor that led you to join hands with the vile demonic sect and try to kill your only niece?”

The assassination of Nangong Xiaoshao, orchestrated with the help of the Shaolin Sect and the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

Nangong Che’s heart sank as he realized that his most important secret had been exposed.

No excuses would work now. No, considering his father’s personality, making excuses would be the worst possible move.

So, Nangong Che racked his brain, his voice trembling as he confessed his sordid desires.

“I… I just… wanted to become the head.”

“The head?”

“Yes… I wanted to succeed you as the head of the Nangong Family. I wanted to become the pinnacle of the righteous martial world.”

What he truly desired was the sweet power that came with the position, but Nangong Che had enough sense not to say that.

“Sigh… You joined forces with the demonic sect for such a trivial reason? You fool.”

To Nangong Tian, it was a pathetically small ambition. And the method was utterly wrong.

“Let’s say you succeeded in killing Xiaoshao with the help of the Sun Moon Holy Cult and instigated a rebellion to become the head. Do you think they would simply say, ‘Our job is done. We’ll leave you to it,’ and leave?”

“They would install you as a puppet head and slowly devour the Nangong Family.”

The wrinkles on Nangong Tian’s face softened as he looked at his inept son. Disappointment so profound could sometimes extinguish anger.

“You’ve always been like this. Ambitious, but short-sighted. Unable to see the future.”

He had cut off his son’s ear as a warning, a harsh lesson for someone who had planned a rebellion and had it exposed from the start.

He hadn’t intended to kill him, so Nangong Tian sheathed his sword.

“And that’s why you’re still alive.”

Nangong Tian turned away, as if deeming his son no longer worth his time, and calmly instructed Nangong Lin, who was following him.

“Inform the Sun Moon Holy Cult that I, not Che, am their new contact. Let’s discuss matters beyond the martial world, matters of the entire realm.”

“Understood. What about Xiaoshao’s assassination?”

“It’s canceled, of course. Assassinating our dear Emperor is preposterous.”

Nangong Lin didn’t understand. Nangong Tian had known from the start that Nangong Che was being used by the Sun Moon Holy Cult.

He had also known about their plan to kill Xiaoshao to sow chaos within the Nangong Family.

Yet, he had sent his most beloved relative, Xiaoshao, on a journey alone, without proper protection.

It was practically abandoning her to die.

As Nangong Lin’s face showed a flicker of confusion, Nangong Tian smiled in satisfaction and walked away.

“Lin, what do you think is the most important virtue for an aspiring emperor?”

“A powerful army, a justifiable cause, and the resources to maintain them.”

“That’s one correct answer. But there’s something even more important.”

Nangong Tian pointed his finger at the ceiling, at the sky.

“It’s luck. Destiny ordained by heaven.”

Nangong Lin was speechless, hearing such an unexpected answer from the always calculating Nangong Tian.

She couldn’t understand how this pointless question was related to the life of her only niece, the beloved child of her admired brother.

“During the Chu-Han Contention, Liu Bang suffered a crushing defeat against Xiang Yu at Pengcheng.”

The Battle of Pengcheng.

The battle where Chu’s霸王 Xiang Yu, leading 30,000 elite soldiers, annihilated Han King Liu Bang’s allied forces of 560,000 at Pengcheng.

“Xiang Yu and his Chu soldiers chased after Liu Bang, the enemy commander, to kill him. And when they were right in front of him…”

“A sudden whirlwind arose, obscuring the Chu soldiers’ vision. Liu Bang seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and escaped.”

Nangong Lin’s face hardened as she understood her father’s meaning. A chill ran down her spine.

“Father… are you saying you… tested Xiaoshao’s luck?”

“Nangong’s daughter shall become king.”

Unable to contain his joy, Nangong Tian’s lips curled into a grotesque, distorted smile.

“Xiaoshao possesses it. The luck to overcome any crisis! The destiny ordained by heaven!”

His laughter, laced with madness, echoed through the room.

“She was born with the virtues of an emperor!!”

And her martial talent was exceptional. She had pushed her frail body to its limits, reaching the realm where she could unleash the Emperor’s Sword Stance.

His decision to have Wu Ming kidnap Xiaoshao and to kill her parents before her eyes had been the right one.

He had initially regretted sacrificing his beloved son and Xiaoshao’s father, Nangong Xian, a promising successor, but his choice had been correct.

There was no better catalyst for growth than the desire for revenge.

“Xiaoshao will fulfill the prophecy, overthrow the Deng Dynasty, and establish a new dynasty. And I…”

Nangong Tian’s eyes gleamed coldly as he glimpsed a fragment of the dream he had thought impossible.

“will be recorded in history as the Emperor Behind the Curtain, just like Cao Cao and Sima Yi.”

“If… that young man, Sima Mancheon, hadn’t interfered… Xiaoshao might have truly died.”

Nangong Lin, her voice strained, criticized Nangong Tian, something she rarely did.

“That, too, is part of Xiaoshao’s ability.”

“Excuse me?”

Nangong Tian didn’t care. He hadn’t expected a sparrow to understand the will of a phoenix.

“Just as Guan Yu and Zhang Fei followed Liu Bei, who was once a mere mat weaver, talented warriors and heroes gather around those who possess the virtues of a king.”

“Xiaoshao’s charm captivated the hero Sima Mancheon, and thanks to him, she survived. This, too, is proof that Xiaoshao possesses the destiny of an emperor.”

Nangong Lin couldn’t say anything. Or rather, she chose not to.

Her eyes, filled with fear that no daughter should ever feel towards her father, flickered.

There was no reasoning with him. His thought process was completely different.

A madman consumed by ambition.

He was truly a megalomaniac.

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Mancheon lightly swung a wooden sword in the Martial Alliance training grounds.

As the saying went, strike while the iron is hot.

Xiaoshao had promised to teach him the basics of swordsmanship right away.

But she had gone to change into more comfortable clothes, so he was amusing himself by swinging the wooden stick.

Come to think of it, he had enjoyed reading swordsmanship manga like Blade of the Immortal, Vagabond, and Shigurui.

Especially Shigurui, it was… how should he put it? It was full of grotesque scenes and the art style wasn’t his cup of tea, but it was strangely captivating.

It was about samurai, but the author’s perspective was quite unique, portraying Bushido, the way of the warrior, and blind loyalty to one’s lord as nothing more than masochistic submission to the strong.

Two swordsmen, burdened by distorted friendship and love, family revenge, and ambition.

The life-or-death duel between the blind, crippled swordsman and the one-armed swordsman was truly a masterpiece.

But what had left the strongest impression…

He reversed his grip on the wooden sword, placing the tip firmly on the ground.

was the sword technique created by the blind, crippled swordsman. Honestly, that was the reason he still remembered the manga.

Leaning on the sword as if it were a cane, he focused all his weight on the blade stuck in the ground.

Using the unyielding earth as a scabbard, he swung with all his might, a single, decisive strike, the invisible magic sword.

“Unknowing Counterflow!!”

As he played around, shouting the name of the technique and bending his body into an ‘L’ shape,

“Honestly… your posture is atrocious.”

a refreshing breeze swept past, sending shivers down his spine.

“Gah! Y-you’re the Martial World’s Lemonade Maker! The Ice Witch! Xue Yuehua!?”

“Who’s the Ice Witch!?”

Apparently displeased with the nickname he had just given her,

Xue Yuehua, the snow-white beauty, the princess of the North Sea Ice Palace, placed her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and declared without a hint of embarrassment,

“I am the Martial World’s elegant snowflake! The younger sister of the Ice Dragon, Xue Feng (Snow Phoenix) Xue Yuehua!”

As he trembled like a frightened raccoon, caught off guard by the unexpected encounter,

“Young Master Sima, I apologize. I… ran into Yuehua on the way, and she suggested we have lunch together.”

Xiaoshao, who had appeared with Yuehua, explained hesitantly, feeling guilty about making him wait and postponing their swordsmanship lesson.

“It’s almost lunchtime anyway, so would you like to join us?”

He smiled and approached Xiaoshao, who was fidgeting nervously, gauging his reaction.

“I happen to be hungry. Let’s go eat.”

She was clearly older than him, but perhaps it was because of her small frame, a frame that would fit perfectly in his arms if he hugged her from behind, but he felt a strange urge to protect her.

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Another training got delayed, how will it be when he learned the sword thecnique?