Chapter 152
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Sowing the Seeds (2)
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*Paaang!*
The precisely thrust spear tip glinted coldly in the moonlight.
“Hoo-wook.”
Jong Risan, gasping for breath, was drenched in sweat.
“A little short, was it?”
He gazed at a boulder far in the distance.
*Tuduk! Tuk!*
A dozen or so thin lines were etched into the house-sized boulder.
But that was all. There were chipped and broken parts, but it hadn't split cleanly.
*Swish.*
As Jong Risan withdrew his Sea Dragon Spear, a look of disappointment crossed his face.
“As expected, it’s difficult.”
Just then, a voice came from behind.
“That’s impressive.”
Jong Risan turned around.
Seo Ryang was walking toward him from the entrance of the bamboo forest.
“A thrusting attack. Normally, if you imbued it with internal energy, it should have punched a hole the size of the spearhead in that rock. But instead, you’ve left fine lines, as if you slashed it with a blade.”
Jong Risan bowed his head.
“You have arrived, my lord.”
Seo Ryang waved his hand.
“It’s embarrassing, so just call me Young Master.”
“I cannot do that.”
Unlike Ma Dongpil, who was blunt but had a certain flexibility, Jong Risan was a rather rigid man. He wasn't one to change his form of address just because he was told to.
Shrugging, Seo Ryang approached him.
“Training under the moonlight? How elegant.”
“It is nothing special.”
“Nothing special, you say.”
Seo Ryang examined the distant boulder.
“A distance of eleven *zhang* and four *chi*. To display such a feat with only twenty percent of your internal energy… It seems the title of Lord of one of the Seven Houses is not given to just anyone.”
“Compared to you, my lord, I am still sorely lacking.”
“Well, that’s also true.”
Jong Risan asked.
“Have you finished your discussion with the Lord of the Golden House?”
Seo Ryang didn’t answer.
Staring intently at the rock, he held out his hand to Jong Risan.
“The spear.”
Asking a warrior to borrow their weapon.
Even in a lord-vassal relationship, it was not proper etiquette. But Jong Risan handed over the Sea Dragon Spear without a moment’s hesitation.
“Oho?”
After swinging the Sea Dragon Spear a few times, Seo Ryang let out a soft exclamation of admiration.
“This is quite the piece. The balance between the shaft and the blade is exquisite. They’ve mixed in just the right amount of soft iron to minimize the risk of damage. This is no simple demonic weapon.”
*Woosh! Woosh!*
He swung the spear casually. The silver blade cut through the air.
A smile formed on Seo Ryang’s face.
“I don’t know what craftsman made this, but you’re lucky.”
“Thank you. However…”
“Hm?”
Jong Risan asked, looking surprised.
“Have you ever wielded a spear before?”
“A spear? Of course.”
“I see… Your movements as you swung it were incredibly natural.”
*Woosh! Woooosh!*
He gripped the center of the shaft and rotated it properly. It didn’t look like he was using much strength, yet the spear seemed to move as if it were alive.
“It’s not just spears. Axes, whips, Mandarin Duck Axes, crescent blades, banners… there isn’t a weapon I haven’t handled.”
“That is amazing.”
“Nothing amazing about it. I just used whatever I could get my hands on. If I have to, I’ll swing a teacup or an animal carcass.”
“A carcass?”
*Thwip.*
Seo Ryang stopped, holding the spear, and scratched his head.
“The art of weaponry isn’t actually that difficult.”
“Pardon?”
Seo Ryang held up his thumb and index finger, slightly apart.
“Whether you’re the best in the world or the greatest of all time, as long as you’re human, a hole this big in your chest will kill you.”
“…?”
“It doesn’t matter if the sword is long or short, or if you’re swinging a spear, an axe, or an arrow. In the end, aren’t all martial arts created just to produce that one result?”
“…!”
“Whatever you use, as long as you create that result, you can say you’ve used the weapon in your hand efficiently.”
Jong Risan’s eyes wavered.
His lord was giving him the exact same advice he had given Ma Dongpil. But while the words were the same, the content was entirely different.
He had spoken of the principles of martial arts, of understanding the sword in one’s hand.
His lord was speaking of the way of martial arts, of producing the right result no matter what was in one’s hand.
In other words, he had spoken of the logic of *battle*, while his lord was speaking of the logic of *death*.
The same, yet a completely different interpretation. It spoke volumes about how the two of them had lived their lives until now.
“How to use a weapon can be understood by looking at its form. That’s why the technique you just performed is so amazing. You achieved a cutting result with a thrusting motion.”
*Swish.*
Seo Ryang lowered his stance.
Gripping the Sea Dragon Spear and pulling it back, he extended his left hand forward.
“To use it properly, you should swing it with a feeling like this.”
*Paaang!*
Seo Ryang thrust the Sea Dragon Spear.
*Whoooosh.*
A bamboo leaf, floating in the air, began to spin around the Sea Dragon Spear.
*Swoooosh.*
Jong Risan’s eyes widened.
*Ruuuumble!*
The boulder shattered into dozens of pieces and collapsed.
Seo Ryang handed the spear back to Jong Risan.
Jong Risan let out a low groan.
“How…?”
“Whether it’s the pinnacle of battle or the pinnacle of death, the result is ultimately the same. You could call it all streams returning to a single source.”
“…!”
“You thrust your spear and produced a cutting result. But your perception is confined to the spear.”
Seo Ryang tapped his own head.
“You thrust the spear, but didn’t your energy follow the slash of the spearhead? It’s an extension of that. Imagine that what you’re holding is not a spear, but a sword.”
“A sword?!”
“Isn’t a sword just a spear with a shorter shaft and a longer blade?”
For a moment, Jong Risan felt as if he’d been struck on the back of the head.
*Swoosh.*
Once more, Jong Risan slowly took his stance.
He raised his concentration with calm breaths, and at a certain moment, he held his breath.
*Thump!*
A powerful rebound from the earth shot up from his lower body to his torso like a whirlwind.
*Whoooooosh!*
The spear was thrust out like a flash of light.
Simultaneously, thin lines appeared on a dozen bamboo trees behind the boulder.
*Tududududuk!*
In an instant, the dozen bamboo trees split into hundreds of pieces.
Jong Risan’s mouth fell open. He had thrust the spear with a moment of enlightenment, but he hadn’t thought it would actually succeed.
“Imagination.”
Startled, Jong Risan looked at Seo Ryang.
Seo Ryang continued with a smile.
“Killing intent and fighting spirit are manifestations of will. Will is the desire to act. Adding a little imagination to that won’t shake your martial arts, will it?”
“…You are right.”
“It’s all the same. It doesn’t matter what weapon you use. Align your desire with your energy. That alone makes many things easier.”
Jong Risan straightened his posture and bowed his head deeply.
“I have received a great teaching. Thank you.”
“A teaching? I just scraped together some crude words and made them sound plausible.”
“The same words can be perceived differently depending on the situation.
Thanks to your advice, Young Master, I have achieved a breakthrough in my martial arts that had long eluded me. I do not know how I can ever repay this debt.”
“A debt…”
Seo Ryang scratched his head.
“You really know how to make a person feel awkward. But if you feel you must repay me, could you do me a favor?”
*Swish.*
Jong Risan knelt on one knee.
“My lord need only give an order. The word ‘favor’ is not one I can easily bear.”
“Tch. I’ll have to get used to this relationship.”
Seo Ryang plopped down on the ground.
He straightened his back and crossed his arms. A hint of trouble appeared on his face.
“Well, first, let me tell you about my talk with the Lord of the Golden House.”
“Yes.”
“The talk went well. It’ll be difficult to restore the members of the Red Snake House to normal right away, but they’ve agreed to provide financial support for the next three years.
That should be enough to keep them from being pushed around by vagrants. Then again, considering the name of our Cult, I doubt anyone would dare to touch them carelessly.”
“I see.”
“And for the next three years, I will take a thirty percent stake in the Red Snake House.”
Jong Risan’s eyes widened as if they would tear.
“Thirty… percent, you say?”
“Yeah. I don’t have any forces I can deploy right away, and right now, money is more useful than warriors.”
Seo Ryang pouted.
“I was planning to swallow them in one bite, but I only got thirty percent. It’s all because of those bastards from the Sword Palace. Damn them.”
*Isn’t that a bit greedy?*
The thought crossed his mind for a moment, but Jong Risan did not voice it.
Besides, becoming the heir would require fighting many different kinds of battles.
Whether it was a war between organizations or a conflict between warriors, one could only exert their full strength with financial backing.
The problem was.
“Will the Cult stand by and watch this happen?”
Seo Ryang snorted.
“Why? Don’t you think you’re in more danger than the Red Snake House?”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve sworn to serve me as your lord. Interpreted differently, isn’t this an incident that would cause an uproar within the Cult?”
“…!”
“That’s why I added the clause, ‘until I become the heir.’
Our relationship is one that will be severed if I fail to become the heir. The same goes for the Red Snake House. In the end, this entire relationship is only a half-measure.”
Jong Risan’s face hardened.
“I did not swear to serve you, my lord, with the thought of backing out.”
Seo Ryang shook his head.
“Saying we’ll hold hands until the end sounds nice, but it’s just a way for everyone to die. If you don’t like that, then just help me as much as you can.”
Jong Risan lowered his head. There was nothing else he could say.
Seo Ryang watched him for a moment before smacking his lips.
“But about that thirty percent.”
“Yes.”
“There’s something I have to do to get that thirty percent.”
Jong Risan realized. The favor he was being asked was about this very matter.
“What is it?”
“Detoxification.”
“…Pardon?”
“I have to detoxify the members of the Red Snake House. If I can’t detoxify them from the Immortal’s Ruin, I won’t get a single thing, let alone a thirty percent stake.”
“That’s…!”
“It’s a fair trade. I tried to negotiate with the head of the Red Snake House, but the head I needed to negotiate with is gone.
In that case, I should at least tear off a piece of flesh, but all the flesh is rotten, isn’t it?”
“…”
“What am I to do? It’s unsettling to just eat it, but it’s a big enough piece to fill my stomach if I give it up. So, I have to wash it clean and then eat it.”
Lost in thought for a moment, Jong Risan spoke.
“Please give up on the Red Snake House.”
“…”
“If you desire more power, why not target another faction instead? If I join you, we could take one more of the Seven Houses…”
“No.”
Seo Ryang’s face turned serious.
“I can’t touch anywhere else. The burden would be too great. It’s not just a matter of power or money, it’s a matter of rumors.”
“…”
“And well… I’m thinking of doing something quite interesting in the process of detoxifying the Immortal’s Ruin.”
“Pardon?”
*Something interesting?*
Seo Ryang smiled. It was a smile so cold that Jong Risan, who was facing him, flinched.
“It’s a bit dangerous, but it’s something that could overturn the state of the world.”
“…”
“That’s why I came to ask you a favor… no, to give you an order.”
Jong Risan bowed his head.
“What must I do?”
***
Ten days later, a carrier hawk flew to the Yeonju Branch.
The letter tied to the hawk’s leg was from Jong Risan, who had returned to his House that night.
“Young Master.”
“Right.”
After reading the letter, Seo Ryang stood up, grabbing all four of his swords.
“Before we go home, let’s go grab a spectacular gift.”