There Are No Evil Madous in the World (3)
"Please accept this manual."
"Absolute Stance Footwork?"
I stared blankly at the manual Jegal Hyeon-sang handed me. The book carried the clean scent of fresh ink, looking as pristine as if it had just been written. No matter how I examined it, it clearly hadn't been around for long.
"Where did you get this?"
"There wasn't a suitable manual available, so I extracted the core principles of a footwork style that would suit Great Hero Wei and compiled them into this volume."
"Extracted the core principles? Is this something I can actually use?"
Martial arts aren't the kind of thing you can just pluck the essentials from and learn on the spot. If it worked that way, picking up new techniques would be far easier than it is now. And if that were possible, this guy would already stand at a higher realm than me.
Maybe my unconscious skepticism showed in my eyes, because Jegal Hyeon-sang puffed up with pride.
"Who do you think I am? I am a son of the Jegal Clan. I can confidently claim my mind is among the sharpest in the world. I searched the Wuxia Alliance archives for footwork and lightness techniques that might suit Great Hero Wei, but since you do not employ the mental cultivation methods of the Central Plains, learning our footwork or lightness skills would prove difficult."
"Hmm..."
He wasn't wrong.
Just as he said, I couldn't simply adopt Central Plains footwork or lightness techniques as they were. Murim arts often intertwined mental methods with physical techniques, creating complications for someone like me who only possessed Western meditation practices.
"That led me to a single conclusion. All martial arts are built upon underlying principles. So I analyzed the fundamental principles of the footwork best suited to you, Great Hero Wei, and organized them into this book."
"Principles?"
"Are you familiar with Arrow Sprint Steps?"
"Arrow Sprint Steps... Never heard of it."
"Ah! Arrow Sprint Steps! I know that one!"
Hye-ryeong, perched on a rock behind me, let out an excited cry. She seemed familiar with the concept. She immediately launched into an explanation.
"Arrow Sprint Steps is a footwork that shoots forward like an arrow! It's similar to what uncle usually does!"
"Hmm."
"As Lady Hye-ryeong says, Arrow Sprint Steps utilizes the body's coiling tension, much like an arrow leaving the bowstring, to propel the user forward. The concept appears in many martial arts, though it is primarily employed in fist techniques."
"I still can't quite picture it."
"Allow me to demonstrate..."
Jegal Hyeon-sang stepped back a few paces, spread his legs front and back, then slightly bent his rear leg. With a spring-like motion, he kicked off the ground and covered roughly ten steps in the blink of an eye.
"Something like that. I've only learned the basic Six Harmonies Fist, so my execution is far from perfect... but I believe you now understand the nature of the technique."
"Like an arrow—swift, explosive forward movement..."
It was the Central Plains equivalent of the method I often used: exploding aura at the soles of my feet for instantaneous acceleration. Still, being purely physical made the sensation noticeably different.
"The technique isn't difficult to learn and lends itself well to adaptation. It would be far more beneficial for Great Hero Wei to practice this. After all, you aren't seeking some refined, flowing footwork, are you?"
"No, I'm not."
"Mastering this alone will aid you greatly when creating new techniques later."
"Creating techniques?"
"You will need to develop footwork that complements Western martial arts, will you not?"
He was right. The way I directed my aura differed fundamentally from theirs, making their methods hard to adopt. This wasn't a world where you simply infused your muscles with power. Here they trained their energy pathways to the extreme and performed all manner of feats with them.
I couldn't declare one superior to the other, but what mattered was that this was a footwork I could learn without strain. It felt closer to pure martial arts movement than traditional murim techniques.
"I believe this will be more than enough for you, Great Hero Wei. Lightness techniques can also be developed from the same principles. For now, your primary task should be to fully internalize the concept of Arrow Sprint Steps until it becomes second nature."
"Thank you."
"Not at all. Consider this an investment."
"Will it yield proper returns?"
"That depends entirely on you, Great Hero Wei. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to. I wish you great success on this journey."
With his business concluded, Jegal Hyeon-sang turned and walked lightly into the Wuxia Alliance headquarters without a backward glance. I tucked the manual titled Absolute Stance Footwork into my robe and turned to gaze down the endless official road stretching before us.
"It's long..."
"The Central Plains is vast. This road is but a fragment of it."
What are you talking about, Mok-gyeong?
I looked over at Mok-gyeong, who had appeared at some point. Dressed in light traveling clothes with a small bundle on her back, she regarded us with her usual cool expression that carried just a hint of warmth.
"Benefactor. Lady Hye-ryeong. My apologies for the delay."
"You're not that late. We only just arrived ourselves, so don't worry about it."
Time to get moving, then.
I pulled out the map and traced a line with my finger.
"We'll follow the official road and aim to reach Wudang Mountain within a month. That should bring us to mid-autumn. We'll return to the Wuxia Alliance before winter sets in."
"That's going to be one exhausting trip!"
"It's nothing."
We were carrying some luggage, but it only amounted to about twenty geun. As martial artists, we wouldn't tire from that much weight.
"Let's move out."
"Understood."
"Okay!"
This was the real beginning.
I set foot on the grand official road of the Central Plains.
"We'll rest in this village tonight."
"A village way out here in the mountains..."
"It's exactly because it's so remote that a village exists here."
Living in a place like this, they probably didn't have to worry much about taxes. That didn't mean it was a prosperous settlement, though. We quietly passed through the village entrance and made our way inside.
Eyes naturally turned toward us. We wore bamboo hats, but that only seemed to draw more attention.
I fiddled with the brim of my hat while surveying the village.
Nothing has happened yet.
The original story never specified the exact timing, so we might end up waiting here for quite a while if we were unlucky. Still, since the event occurred in the chapter following the Dragon Phoenix Assembly, it should happen soon.
The real issue was coming up with a believable excuse... I'd have to think it over while staying the night.
"For today, we'll stay here."
"Finally, some rest!"
Hye-ryeong, exhausted from the continuous walking, beamed with relief. The journey had been nothing but tedious trudging along the official road, so she had to be mentally drained as well. She'd been half-dozing for the latter half of the day.
It would have been better to buy horses or travel using lightness techniques, but unfortunately I wasn't yet skilled enough to move that way for long distances. As Jegal Hyeon-sang had said, the concept itself wasn't difficult, but I needed to familiarize my body with it first before I could use it properly.
"Then let's go meet the village chief first!"
"Sounds good."
We headed straight for the most respectable-looking building in the small settlement. As we approached, curious eyes kept appearing and vanishing, but we continued walking without acknowledging them.
The mixture of curiosity and wariness in those stares was impossible to miss.
"Elder, are you home?"
"My, my... It's been a long time since we've had visitors in this village."
"We discovered this settlement while traveling the road and wondered if we might trouble you for a night's lodging."
"Come in. I can certainly put you up for one night."
With the old man's permission, I carefully opened the door. The scent of earth rushed out. Was he making pottery?
I glanced at the dark earthenware in the corner before turning to the old man, whose bald head gleamed as he stared at us. The age spots on his right cheek stood out as he looked at me and muttered in surprise.
"A... a foreigner?"
"Just think of me as another martial artist."
"Never thought I'd live to house a foreigner. Where did you learn our language?"
"From a friend."
"This old man's house isn't large. There's only one room. Will that be all right?"
"It's fine!"
"...It will do."
"We're grateful just for the shelter."
I'd prefer to stay a week if possible, but asking for that immediately would be too much. I didn't have a good reason yet.
"This is the room."
It was a bit cramped, but there was enough space for the three of us to sleep. We'd probably bump into each other if we rolled around, but it would suffice.
"You've come a long way and must be hungry. Let me prepare some supper."
"No need. We're fine. We ate along the way..."
"Very well. Rest well, then."
Once the old man disappeared down the corridor, I set down my pack and leaned against the wall.
"I'll sleep by the door. You two can decide the rest."
"I want the middle!"
"Anywhere is fine with me."
The sleeping order was settled quickly. Time to sleep.
I took my place by the door and lay down. The fatigue from walking all day immediately pressed down on my eyelids.
"Good night, uncle."
"Benefactor, I hope you sleep peacefully."
"You two sleep well too..."
I surrendered to the oncoming wave of drowsiness and slipped into sleep.