Dark Mage Vol 1 Chapter 2

At the end of the vast plains, there was a road that led to a steep peak and there were many figures camped out there.  They all had white robes on.  The emblem on their chest was one fresh blood drop steeped on a long sword.  It wasn’t hard to deduce that they are from Sanseo Murim’s famous Chul-Hyul-Moon disciples. All of them had bright eyes that was piercing and they were all experts(Go-Su).  There was a special figure in the middle and he had ki pouring out of him that would make a mountain bow.  He was too old to be called a lad but too young to be called middle-aged.  He had thick eyebrows with sharp eyes and his pupils showed wisdom that was hard to measure.  The blade of his nose were high and his lips were closed tightly.  It seemed to show his steadfast will.
His name was Young-ho-myung.  Among the present Murim’s later generation, he was worthy of being named the top expert, and he was understood to be an up and coming expert.  Especially the level of his sword art was known to have reached was peerless.  In a political war, his father died from an unknown accident and he had to inherit the Chun-hyul-moon at an early age.  He was a genius that had the ability to retain and lead his sect.  A personage like that had gathered all the sect’s experts and showed up.  Young-ho-myung had a deep grudge against the fallen Bae-sect’s sect leader.  Dok-go-song had killed his master(TL note: Sabu, sifu or martial master) and he had a grudge that wouldn’t allow himself to live under the same sky as him.  When Young-ho-song thought about his master, his sword energy crawled through him.

“Guy!(TL note: direct translation is man/guy/dude but there is no equivalent word in English that conveys how the word is being used.  I could do ‘b.a.s.t.a.r.d’ while the intention of using the word is similar but it changes the definition of the word.) You won’t live and escape this age.(TL note: pretty sure he made up this word 적령평 I can only glean the meaning and try to decipher the meaning by breaking it up…)   Not even your dead soul…”

After roughly spitting out his words, Young-ho-young thought again about the master who had died because of Dok-go-song.   If he had not met his master then there were no possibility of him reaching the position he had achieved.  Young-ho-young dearly missed his dead master.

Sanseo’s Chul-hyul-moon originally used Que-gum-sul(TL note: fast/quick sword art) which pursued Que(TL note: fast/quick) to establish their sect.  If you are comparing quickness then Chul-hyul-moon’s Chul-hyul-gum-bup was shoulder to shoulder with Gon-ryun’s Bun-Gw.a.n.g-Gum-Bup which was synonymous to Que-Gum-Sul according to the public opinion.  However Que-gum-sul originally used florid sword art to dazzle the opponent.  That was the main focus of this sword art and if you followed this path then against experts that are past a certain stage, the effectiveness will be halved.  The previous Chun-Hyul founder Young-ho-choong always kept this in mind and thought about the shortcomings  of Chun-hyul-gum-bup and he made a resolute decision.  Chul-hyul-gum-bup’s greatest weaknesses were revealed to be s.h.i.+n-bup(tl note: 신법(身法)-martial art that deals with techniques that can be seen outside and ki techniques) and Nae-gong(TL note: 내공(內功)-deals with inner energy) and desperate measures were made to strengthen these aspects.  It was decided that the eldest son, Young-ho-myong, would enter into the Seo-rim-sa (TL note:shaolin temple) as a Sok-ga-jae-ja(TL note:속가제자(俗家弟子)- it’s a term used for disciple who has a master but is entered into a different inst.i.tution usually because they have good relation) Universally in Murim’s guild, if you are a collateral disciple and not of direct descendent then the martial organization won’t be able to hand down their true techniques. However Young-ho-young had an incredible meeting at the Seo-rim-sa that would change his and his household’s fate. At that time he coincidentally met the top Seo-rim holy monk who was the ultimate expert at Seo-rim and he was hailed as the best expert in the whole Murim.

“He’s a rare genius.”

The Seorim holy monk Hyuh-jung was able to see Young-ho-myung’s talent in one glance.  Moreover he decided to personally teach him martial art.  At that time it was a problem that made the Seo-rim-sa very noisy.  Even the Grand Monk stepped in tired to stop Hyuh-jung.

“You are trying to pa.s.s down techniques when he is not even a collateral decent but a Sok-ga-jae-ja. ”

“This situation has never happened before.  It’s not even worth speaking about, uncle.”

However the Seo-rim holy monk did not even blink at the backlash that was stirring inside the Seo-rim-sa.

“It doesn’t make sense that a peerless genius will rot because of old-fas.h.i.+oned pieces of edicts.”

Hyuh-jung stopped the Grand Monk’s dissuasion with one sentence and from then, he started teaching Young-ho-myung directly.  Then 15 years pa.s.sed. It may be because of his extraordinary talent and being taught by the Murim’s greatest expert, Young-ho-myung progressed very rapidly.  Young-ho-myung progressed so rapidly that at the age of twenty he had achieved enough to almost destroy the 18 Na-han-jin. (TL note: it’s a formation formed by 18 monks)  The So-rim-sa finally realized the true worth of Young-ho-myung and he was named the first disciple.  Then they urged him to enter the Murim to gain real-life experience.

Afterward, Young-ho-myung’s path in life was very bright.  He was taught directly by Hyuh-jung and had gained a profound Nae-gong.  With his great understanding, he was able to combine the learned Ascending s.h.i.+n-bup with the Chul-hyul-moon’s exquisite sword art.  He became a matchless expert that was hard to find.  San-suh’s Um-Yang-Ssang-mah.  Chung-hae’s Hyul-Bal-gi.  Dong-Jong-ho’s Muk-ryong-ji-ju.(TL note: these are where they are from and their names)  The Kang-ho’s hyung-ma’s looked down on the rookie and picked a fight.  Young-Ho-Myung would record their names on a hit-list and they fell futilely.  After some time has pa.s.sed, Young-ho-young rose like the rising sun but like a bolt from the blue news arrived.  The news was that the So-rim holy monk who had given him boundless blessing had been a.s.sa.s.sinated and he had suffered a grisly death.  Young-ho-myung pushed every work back and returned to the So-rim-sa.  Then he promised in front of his Sa-bu’s grisly corpse while crying b.l.o.o.d.y tears.

“Sa-bu-nim.(TL: master or sifu-nim) This, Young-Ho-Myung, will exterminate the villain with my hands and I will offer him before your departed spirit.”

However he wasn’t able to fulfil his wishes easily.  He couldn’t approach the villain because he was hiding inside the Bae-sect’s main head quarter and not long afterwards a political war exploded.  Young-ho-myung didn’t hesitate to partic.i.p.ate in the political war.  With his strong martial arts, he was easily able to become the leader of the Ho-chun-sue-ho-dan(it was formed from a hundred rookie experts) and he was able to achieve great wartime accomplishments.  Even the Ma-gyo who were not afraid of death, refrained from going up against Ho-chun-sue-ho-dan, which was led by Young-ho-myung.  However that wasn’t the only misfortune of Young-ho-myung.  News was received that Bae-sect was in direct confrontation with the Chul-hyul-moon and his father, Young-ho-choong perished while fighting on the front-line.  It was a series of misfortune, but Young-ho-myung’s courage did not break.
He resigned as the leader of the Ho-Chun-Sue-ho-dan and he returned to the Chul-hyul-moon to be the new leader.  After having his father’s funeral, he led the Chul-hyul-moon back into the political war.  It was because he heard the news that Dok-go-sung, the son of the previous sect leader, had become the new sect leader.

“Sa-bu-nim,  and my father’s enemy is definitely Dok-go-song.  I will recover this blood debt.”
In the midst of the political war, Young-ho-myung’s eyes were on fire and he aimed for Dok-go-song. However it was very difficult to approach him since he had learned the Chun-ja-hyul-ma-gong and he also led the Bae-sect’s best elite troops, Soo-ho-ma-w.a.n.g-gun. Also Dok-go-song’s talent was on par with Young-ho-myung and he was endlessly growing stronger going through desperate fights.  However, he patiently waited for the day he could stab him to death.  Therefore he was able to grasp this golden opportunity.

“Now this b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s hands and feet has been all cut.(TL note:not his literal hands and feet but his subordinate, his sect’s support, etc)  Finally his supply has been cut and I will be able to offer him to Sabu-nim and father’s departed souls.

Through the political war, Dok-go-song’s martial arts were revealed and the level was beyond imagination. He has the best ability among the later generation, but even he couldn’t guarantee that he would win.  However Youn-ho-myung didn’t worry about anything.  Before coming here, the So-rim-sa’s Great monk gave him a technique that could effectively suppress Dok-go-song.  Young-ho-myung made a fist while thinking about it.

“Guy!(TL note: Nom! there isn’t really an equivalent term. Maybe b.a.s.t.a.r.d! is better) You won’t escape this time.”

Young-ho-myung fell into thought while waiting for Dok-go-sung and when he heard footsteps, he turned his head.

“Urgent news has been received from the hunting party.  He cunningly broke through the encircling net and he has escaped toward the foot of the Chun-ryung mountain.”

Young-ho-myung was surprised and he desperately turned his body.

“This, it’s a pursuit.  The present masters should direct all of their subordinates to climb the Chun-ryung-mountain.  Only we, the Chul-hyul-moon, should be the one to capture him.
After the order was dropped, the people from the Chul-hyul-moon, all stirred up at once and climbed the mountain.  By seeing this, one was able to see how much these men followed the young head of the organization.  Young-ho-myung grinded his teeth while running up the Chun-ryung mountain.

“I have to kill that b.a.s.t.a.r.d with my hands.  Then my Sabu-nim and father in the underworld may let go of their resentment.”

“Hu-uk.” (TL note: crying sound)

The organization member’s chest was penetrated and his body shook while his sword was lowered.  After a moment, Hojo grasped the heart in the penetrated chest and it exploded.  The organization member died immediately and his head bent.

“Huk, Huk”

Dok-go-song took out Hojo from the member’s chest and his consciousness was starting to become distant.  The state of his body cannot be seen as normal, and blood was flowing out of the wound making his whole body b.l.o.o.d.y. He swayed like he was about to fall.  The fight had continued for almost 4 days.  His ki-flow was all tangled up and he was helpless like a soaked cotton ball. Thoughts brushed by his mind about ending his life like this but Dok-go-song endured and moved his body.  At the very least, he couldn’t die like this.  Along the road he was traveling, suddenly a sword jumped out from a bush.  Dok-go-song sensed that he couldn’t avoid the sword so he stuck out his shoulder.

Pu-shook.(TL note: sound of sword going in)

Accompanied by a frightening sound of destruction, a cutting pain was delivered to the shoulder.  I guess there weren’t much  blood left in his body, because the bleeding wasn’t too bad.  The moment the sword carrying shadow froze, Dok-go-song’s form broke through the shadows like a wind.

Puh-puh-puk.

In the back, the shadows that lost their lives fell to the ground lifelessly.  When the attacked succeeded, their focus slipped and Dok-go-song counter-attacked ruthlessly.  He cut their life line.
However the sword must have had poison coated on it.  Dok-go-song could feel his shoulders slowly becoming numb.

“Are they from the Ma-gyo?  Didn’t Um-Sal-dae b.a.s.t.a.r.ds coat their swords in poison, maybe?”

If they were the culprit then it’s a wound that wouldn’t be enough even if I died a hundred times.  Dok-go-song’s voice was very peaceful after he had sustained the injury.  If seen in one way, you could say he was already free from life and death.

“I have no regret.  I’ve already once reached the pinnacle of power so I have no regret. Still that b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I can’t forgive Sa-jun-hwan.”