Chapter 58
The Omnipotent Martial God, Chapter 58
058
The landlord placed no fewer than five jugs of wine on the table.
Noh Hae smiled and handed one of the jugs to Gu Yang Cheon-gang.
‘There’s a saying that you should never be friends with someone who doesn’t drink.’
‘That’s the first I’ve heard of it.’
“That’s because your horizons are narrow. If you can become this old man’s drinking companion and empty every single jug in this tavern, then I’ll be willing to listen to your story.”
Tongue-clicking, Gu Yang-Cheong-gang picked up a jug.
There was nothing on the table that could be called a cup.
So, he had no choice but to drink straight from the jug.
Bringing the jug to his lips, he said to Akasha:
‘Akasha, please break down the alcohol entering my system in real time.’
[Understood, Doctor.]
Gu Yang-Cheong drank non-stop, as if from a bottomless jug, yet remained completely sober.
Noh Hae’s expression, which had initially been one of derision, gradually turned to astonishment.
“Heh heh, well now… it seems I’ve met my match today……”
When dozens of wine jugs had piled up around the table, Noh Hae acknowledged that Gu Yang Cheongang was his equal—no, a ‘Wine Immortal’ surpassing even him—and was left speechless.
“That’s enough, that’s enough. I really take a liking to you, you rascal.”
Gu Yang-cheon-gang wiped the traces of wine from the corner of his mouth with the cuff of his sleeve and asked.
“Will you tell me now?”
Noh Hae set down his empty wine jug.
The effects of the alcohol had completely faded from his eyes; in their place was a sharp gleam that seemed to pierce right through a person’s innermost thoughts.
“I have verified your martial arts skills and your capacity for drink; now it is time to examine your heart. Why on earth are you seeking out Master Zhu, who has been treated as a dead man for decades?”
Gu Yang Ch’ien-kang straightened his posture and began to speak in a calm tone.
“As you know, Master, the Gu Yang clan today is little more than a hollow shell, a mere name. All the glory of the past has vanished, and we are merely scraping by in the shadow of our in-laws.”
He paused briefly before continuing in the same measured tone.
“I wish to avenge my father’s grievance and bequeath to my younger brother a family that stands tall, one that will never again be looked down upon by anyone.”
His gaze fixed directly on Noh Hae’s half-closed eyes.
“To achieve this, I desperately need the help of Master Ju Pyo, who departed amidst the turmoil of the War against the Demons. I am not seeking him for wealth or honour. I merely wish to borrow his strength and wisdom to revive our crumbling family. Please, tell me where he is.”
Having finished speaking, he bowed his head.
A moment of silence hung over the tavern.
Noh Hae sat in silence, idly fingering his wine cup.
He was a man so disinterested in fame and fortune that he had even turned down the position of Elder of the Open Sect.
The reason he had turned his back on the influential figures of the Chongta Sect clinging to his coattails and chosen to live in seclusion in this den of beggars in Gukgang was that he had grown utterly weary of human greed.
He had seen countless greedy souls who would cast aside loyalty like a worn-out shoe for their own gain, or stab a comrade in the back for the sake of honour.
But Gu Yang-cheon-gang, standing before him now, was different.
There was no trace of personal greed in his eyes.
They held only a desperate and pure desire to restore his family’s honour.
Seeing Gou Yang Ch’ien-kang like this, Noh Hae felt a corner of his heart—which had been hardened like a stone for decades—begin to stir.
Gou Yang Ch’ien-kang waited for Noh Hae’s reply.
But the old beggar was not looking at him.
His gaze was fixed on the shabbily dressed innkeeper.
Noh Hae shouted loudly.
“Master Ju, did you hear that? The eldest son of the family you cast aside has travelled a thousand li to find a single old retainer. What do you intend to do now? Will you continue to spend your days in this remote tavern, entertaining old drunks like me, whilst waiting for the day you can cross the Samdo River?”
“……!”
Go Yang-cheon-gang’s whole body broke out in goosebumps.
His gaze, filled with astonishment, turned towards the innkeeper.
He saw the regret accumulated over many long years rippling like waves in the innkeeper’s eyes.
Gu Yang Ch’ien-kang rose from his seat, clasped his fists in a deep bow, and bowed his head towards him.
“Gu Yang Ch’ien-kang, eldest son of the Gu Yang Clan, pays his respects to Master Chu Piao of the Gankon-ilsu.”
The innkeeper’s demeanour began to change.
The murkiness in his eyes—which had seemed ordinary and aged—vanished completely, replaced by a sharp, piercing gleam.
His previously stooped back straightened, and his shoulders broadened like mountains.
He was, in fact, Master Zhu Biao of the ‘Gongon Ilsu’ school.
The Head of the Ju Pyo asked in a voice as hard as steel.
“Are you truly Master Gu Yang Cheon-gang, the eldest son of the Gu family? I have heard that you were destined to die before reaching the age of twenty due to the ‘Nine Yin Meridian’?”
“It seems you have continued to take an interest in the Gu family even whilst residing so far away.”
“Just answer the question.”
“It seems you find it hard to believe that I am Gu Yang-cheongang.”
“With nothing but your word to go on, wouldn’t it be even stranger to believe you straight away?”
Gu Yang-cheongang spoke with a calm smile.
“By a stroke of fate, I was able to learn the medical arts of a sage. By adding a little of my own insight to that, I discovered a cure for the blocked meridians. There is still a long way to go before a complete recovery, but I have at least managed to build a body strong enough to endure such a long journey.”
Noh Hae interjected briefly.
“Brother Zhu, that chap’s a master. Even when I unleashed the ‘Eight Immortals’ Technique’ and the ‘Golden Rooster Claw’, he didn’t so much as touch the hem of my robe.”
A look of astonishment flashed across Zhu Biao’s face.
“He’s practised martial arts even though his ‘Nine Yin Collapsed Meridian’ hasn’t been fully cured?”
“Yes.”
“If he can evade the ‘Flying Fist’ technique, it can’t be just ordinary martial arts, can it?”
Gu Yang Tianjiang replied without hesitation.
“I have fully restored all five of our clan’s lost martial arts techniques.”
Zhu Biao’s expression changed drastically.
“Er… is that really true?”
“Why would I deceive you, Master, in a situation like this?”
“Can you demonstrate it?”
“Of course.”
Gu Yang Tianjiang remained seated as he slowly moved his hands.
As no internal energy was channelled into them, the hand movements looked almost like a game.
However, Zhu Biao had no difficulty recognising that they fully embodied the form and intent of the martial art last displayed by the previous clan head during the Great War between the Righteous and the Demonic.
An overwhelming martial intent that subdues all changes through sheer force.
Zhu Biao murmured in a trembling voice.
“The Thunderbolt Flame King’s Strike…! The very martial art that the previous clan head last displayed at the Battle of Baeksapyeong…”
His voice was steeped in deep sorrow and regret.
After a moment’s silence, he spoke.
“I suppose you have come to me in the hope that I might assist in the reconstruction of the clan.”
This implied that he no longer harboured any doubts about Gu Yang Tianjiang’s true identity.
He continued.
“But I am already over eighty years of age. What use could someone like me possibly be to the clan?”
“I have not come to ask you, Master, to step forward and fight personally.”
Zhu Biao asked, looking perplexed.
“Then what is it you wish?”
Instead of answering, Gu Yang-cheong asked a question of his own.
“Are you still in contact with those who left the clan with you back then?”
“…Half of them have passed away, and the remaining nine, myself included, meet up once every few years. Do you wish for them to return as well?”
“Yes.”
Gu Yang-cheong continued in a calm tone.
“Master, please teach the young men who, alongside them, will become the pillars of the Gu Yang clan. Your martial arts, experience and profound wisdom will form the roots of the new Gu Yang clan.”
Zhu Biao asked, his eyes flashing with determination.
“To rebuild the clan, we must effectively exclude the interference of the Golden Pagoda Manor, which currently controls the clan. To do so, we’ll need at least three hundred top-tier martial artists. Master, how many years do you estimate it will take to cultivate such a force?”
“Two years at the shortest. Three years at the longest.”
Zhu Biao asked with a look of utter disbelief.
“Two or three years? Do you really think that’s possible?”
“I do not devise impossible plans.”
“Judging by your talent, Master Gong, it seems you already have a plan in place regarding funding, so I shall not ask about that. The problem lies in sheer martial prowess, however…”
Ju Pyo sighed and continued.
“Hmm… Whilst we may be able to teach our disciples, it would be difficult for them to develop into formidable fighters possessing top-tier martial arts skills within two or three years.”
“Why do you think so?”
“The Four Great Martial Arts that the nine of us have mastered—such as the ‘Choyansim Gyeol’—may be considered first-rate, but they are not the path to ascension. To hear that one has reached the pinnacle by learning them, one must train for at least twenty years. Is this not a fact that you yourself are already aware of, Master Confucius?”
His words were utterly realistic.
However, Gu Yang Cheong-gang replied with an unperturbed expression.
“Would you believe me if I told you I’ve refined them into martial arts that even an ordinary person could use to reach the ‘Ten-Star’ realm within a year?”
A hush fell over the tavern.
Not only Zhu Biao, but even Luo Hai, who had been drinking alone at the next table, gaped in astonishment.
“Th… That’s a bit of a stretch.”
“I’m serious.”
“……!”
Gu Yang Tianjiang continued.
“With the Four Great Martial Arts, one can reach the tenth rank within a year, and once one surpasses the eleventh rank, one is hailed as a master at the pinnacle of their art. Therefore, the warriors of our clan will not shy away from honing their skills.”
Noh Hae interjected with a look of utter disbelief.
“If what you say is true, every young person with an interest in martial arts—without exception—will be knocking on the doors of the Gu Yang clan.”
“That’s precisely why we’ve refined the system.”
“Huh……”
Gu Yang Tianjiang smiled faintly and rose from his seat.
“Master Luo, as the saying goes, ‘seeing is believing’. If you witness it for yourself, you will believe my words.”
He pushed all the tables in the tavern against the wall and, standing in the centre, began to slowly perform the ‘Wuji Thirteen Forms’.
It was the same set of moves that Zhu Biao had spent his entire life perfecting, yet it had been completely reimagined as an entirely different martial art.
All superfluous movements had vanished; the flow of qi was unimpeded; and it was a perfect martial art where each move seamlessly led into the next, forming a harmonious unity of attack and defence.
When Gu Yang Tianjiang finished his demonstration and sat back down, Zhu Biao exhaled the breath he had been holding.
“Phew……”
He muttered in a tone that was a mixture of admiration and sigh.
“I was unaware that such a genius—rare throughout the ages—had been born into our clan…”
“You flatter me.”
“Young Master, I am a man who has never uttered a single insincere word in my life.”
Noh Hae frowned and interjected.
“I simply cannot understand it.”
“What do you mean?”
“With abilities such as yours, why were you not appointed as the young master, whilst your younger brother was appointed to that position?”
“Were you aware of that as well?”
“It is your family’s ancestral home; I could not very well pretend not to know.”
Gu Yang Ch’ien-kang replied with a faint smile.
“Once I have seen our clan stand firm upon a bedrock, I shall retire to a secluded mountain valley to devote my life to the study of medicine. As I mentioned, my Gu Yin Jie Mai has not yet been fully cured.”
“Ah… With your extraordinary talent, you should be able to cure even the Gu Yin Jie Mai.”
Zhu Biao, who had been listening silently to their conversation, spoke up.
“For the past thirty years, this old man has been as good as dead. But today, you have shown me a reason to live once more, and a way to console the spirits of my fallen comrades. I shall gladly devote what remains of this old man’s life to the clan.”
His tone had shifted to one of respectful deference.
“Thank you, Master Noh.”
Gu Yang-cheon-gang rose and bowed respectfully.
Ju Pyo, who had risen to return the bow, replied.
“You have granted an opportunity to an old man whose days are numbered; it is I who ought to be grateful.”
Noh Hae spoke.
“Brother Ju, I think it is now time to drink the Moon and Flower Fragrance.”
Realising this was a request for wine, Gu Yang-cheong immediately placed the flask on the table.
Taking it, Noh Hae poured wine into the three men’s cups in turn, with a look of reluctance on his face.
Gulp, gulp—
Having drained his cup in one go, Ju Pyo asked.
“Young Master, are you planning to return to your ancestral home now?”
“No.”
Gu Yang-cheong shook his head and continued.
“My next destination is the Du family estate in Payaeng.”