Chapter 23: In the Jianghu, One's Body is Not One's Own (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: In the Jianghu, One's Body is Not One's Own (12)
Shin Ja-eon, the leader of the Severing Sword Sect, had a total of seven direct disciples. Four of them were still alive.
He held a single, firm belief, passed down from his own master.
‘The year after reaching the Breath of Smoke and Clouds is the most crucial!’
The teaching was as sharp as frost.
His master had claimed that the training during that specific period determined whether one could pave the way to becoming a true first-rate expert. In fact, Shin Ja-eon himself had earned the title of a first-rate master through that very training.
He wasn't some self-proclaimed "first-rate" martial artist you'd find in a backwater town. He was a true master, one whose strength would be acknowledged even in the empire's greatest cities.
Shin Ja-eon believed in the method he had learned with unwavering, fanatical conviction.
Therefore, my disciples.
Once you reach the Breath of Smoke and Clouds, you must abandon yourselves for one year.
Devote yourselves solely to cultivation.
Never stop your breathing techniques, all day long.
Circulate your energy every time you sit.
Practice your sword forms at every moment, refining and settling every part of your body until the entire process is as natural as breathing.
You must not sleep for more than one shichen a day. Train without rest, and maintain this for a full year.
His first disciple, Great Severing Sword Seong Bu-myeong, was the first to receive this teaching.
Shin Ja-eon had started meticulously training Seong Bu-myeong at the age of eleven, helping him reach the Fire Phase at fifteen. As soon as he reached the Fire Phase, Shin Ja-eon gave him an elixir and even hired a Daoist to help him lay the foundations for Self-Cultivation. It was a risky move, but it was considered relatively safe for someone who had just reached the Fire Phase.
Of course, if one’s luck was particularly bad, both could end up crippled. But if one was lucky, they might escape with only minor internal injuries. It was a challenge well worth taking.
And so, at seventeen, Seong Bu-myeong finally reached the Breath of Smoke and Clouds. For one year, he was subjected to grueling, hellish training. Great Severing Sword Seong Bu-myeong endured it all, laying the foundation to become a first-rate martial artist.
Although he was judged to be about half a step weaker than Kang Mu-hyeok, the eldest of the Three Gentlemen of Pungryu, Shin Ja-eon was more than satisfied. After all, the Pungryu Sword Lee Yu-baek’s martial arts came from a peak expert who had roamed the world. There were even rumors that Lee Yu-baek had inherited the profound teachings of the Orthodox Faction. Shin Ja-eon felt a surge of pride that his disciple had managed to close the gap to a mere half-step.
Shin Ja-eon nodded to himself.
As expected, Master’s teachings were never wrong.
He taught his second disciple the exact same way. His second disciple, Middle Severing Sword Ha In-so, also succeeded. Though he was considered nearly half a step weaker than Seon Je-hun—the second of the Three Gentlemen of Pungryu—and was two years older than him, Shin Ja-eon remained satisfied.
Now, he was certain. There was no better method. The teachings of the Severing Sword Sect were great enough to rival the profound arts of the Orthodox Faction, with only a half-step difference.
Then came the failures.
His third disciple, eight months after reaching the Breath of Smoke and Clouds, dozed off for a moment during his dawn energy circulation. He died screaming as his internal organs burned away from the inside out.
His fourth disciple, four months after reaching the Breath of Smoke and Clouds, made a mistake during his sword forms and over-tempered his spine. He died when his back snapped like a dry twig. This, too, happened when he momentarily dozed off from exhaustion.
“…”
Shin Ja-eon was thrown into a state of confusion.
Was the method wrong? Or was it just bad luck?
After burying his disciples, he couldn't sleep for a long time. When he lay down, he would hear his third disciple’s dying screams. The face of his fourth disciple, who had looked up at him weeping with a shattered spine, flashed before his eyes.
What drove him mad was that he still couldn't give up on the Severing Sword Sect’s method.
Just one more time…
He himself, his first disciple, and his second disciple had all succeeded.
His fifth disciple, Small Severing Sword Gi Hyeon-seung, made it. He endured the year, laid his foundation, and was judged to be on par with Mo Cheong, the youngest of the Three Gentlemen of Pungryu. Although he was three years older than Mo Cheong, he hadn't fallen behind.
I knew it. It was just bad luck.
Shin Ja-eon was relieved. He moved on to his sixth disciple.
It was his only son.
His son did not die immediately. In the eleventh month after reaching the Breath of Smoke and Clouds, a problem occurred during his energy circulation. He couldn't suppress the surging heat; his son's nose and cheeks cooked and melted into a sticky, horrific mess.
Unable to breathe properly, the martial arts he had learned became useless. He couldn't even swallow porridge. Shin Ja-eon, insisting that his son had to live, comforted him and diligently fed him every day.
His son slit his own throat with a knife two weeks later. He left no note.
“…”
After that, Shin Ja-eon could no longer follow the old ways.
When his seventh disciple reached the Breath of Smoke and Clouds, Shin Ja-eon changed his approach.
That disciple was Jeon Tae-gwang.
Shin Ja-eon taught him slowly and safely. As a result, Jeon Tae-gwang became the Weak Severing Sword, known for being the weakest among the Four Severing Swords.
*
You think I’m a fucking joke, too?
Resentful Dog—Jeon Tae-gwang—felt his stomach churn with bile.
My Fire Phase? You’re going to lecture me about my Fire Phase? A little shit who hasn’t even been training for a full year?
The faces of his senior disciples flashed through his mind.
‘Tae-gwang, you have it easy. Back in our day…’
‘Tae-gwang, don’t be hasty. That pace is good for you.’
‘Hmm. You’re doing well. I mean, it’s not like you went through what we did—not even being able to sleep one shichen a day. For what you’re doing, it’s good enough.’
His head felt like it was on fire. He could smell the metallic scent of blood in his nose.
Me too! Fuck! You think I… fuck! You think I couldn’t have done it?
He loathed his senior disciples. He resented his master, who had constantly watched over him to stop him from trying to train harder on his own.
But what was this pale-faced bastard in front of him now?
Fire Phase? What about his Fire Phase?
A bastard who’s only been training for a little over half a year!
Jeon Tae-gwang could tell just by the way Yeon So-wol stood.
A worthless bug who hasn’t even learned proper footwork!
Jeon Tae-gwang’s rage gathered at his fingertips. He leaped like a bolt of lightning, intending to snatch Yeon So-wol out of the air.
Whoosh!
Yeon So-wol jumped to evade him, exhaling a puff of white smoke. A savory, fragrant aroma spread faintly through the air.
Jeon Tae-gwang scoffed.
Oh? So you learned Qinggong? You think that’s enough? You? Against me?
No matter how much of a genius the boy was, the years they had spent training were worlds apart. Jeon Tae-gwang had started at ten; there was at least a decade of experience between them. For now, it was only natural that Jeon Tae-gwang would overwhelm him. That was how the world worked.
I’ll chase him down right now and…!
He would grab him. Slam him to the ground. Stomp on his head. Stomp until…!
“…Huh?”
Jeon Tae-gwang, who had been looking up, froze in his tracks.
“…What the?”
Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip!
In the air, a white dopo fluttered like a long banner. Its trail passed a pillar, cleared the interlocking brackets atop it, and grazed the roof tiles.
Tap.
Yeon So-wol landed lightly on the ridge of the roof’s peak. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked down.
“…”
It was a height Jeon Tae-gwang could never reach in a single bound. Absolutely not.
“What the hell? Why is that bastard flying?”
At Mad Dog’s dumbfounded mumble, Resentful Dog Jeon Tae-gwang screamed,
“FUUUUUUCK!”
He had completely lost his mind.
*
“What is wrong with their Fire Phase?”
Yeon So-wol looked down at the Three Dogs of Xinxing sprinting after him. They were fast and agile, but…
“Isn’t it too simplistic?”
He could understand the crudeness of their Fire Phase. According to what he had learned from Lee Yu-baek, when heating the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, one had to delicately burn away only the impurities to produce a pleasant fragrance. If one failed and even a minuscule amount of Essence Blood was burned along with it, it would produce an acrid, spicy smell.
He knew this was an inherently difficult task. Yeon So-wol was only good at it because his Qi Sense was exceptionally developed. Considering that and the excellence of the Pungryu Martial Hall’s teachings, it was understandable that a senior from the Severing Sword Sect would emit a spicy smoke.
But still. Their Fire Phase was shocking.
“That level of fire control is just circulating Qi around the Twelve Standard Meridians and Fifteen Collateral Vessels. It’s like he’s just boiling ramen.”
Their Qinggong was equally basic. It was powerful and fast, but it lacked lightness. They seemed to have no fine control over their body weight at all.
Well, it’s not like they’re weak.
They pushed off the ground with immense force, making it difficult for Yeon So-wol to easily shake them. The only difference was their position—he was on the roofs, and they were on the street below. If one only cared about fighting and running, it was a simple and efficient method.
However…
“At this rate, the subtlety of their Qinggong is severely lacking.”
They could run fast, but they couldn't leap high as if flying, glide on the wind, or entrust their bodies to the breeze. Only then did Yeon So-wol understand what Kang Mu-hyeok had meant that morning.
‘…I think there’s some kind of misunderstanding. Well, you’ll see for yourself.’
“I see. The teachings of our Pungryu Sect are profound after all. And it seems I learned things in a particularly difficult way.”
Once his thoughts reached that point, his interest waned.
Resentful Dog.
I’d probably lose to him right now.
That was, if they fought one-on-one without his Heavenly Killing Star ability. But with a Fire Phase like that, the gap between them wouldn't last long.
Once I start learning fist, kicking, or sword techniques…
Yeon So-wol glanced at the Three Dogs of Xinxing, who were shouting noisily as they ran. The sight of them running roughshod and causing trouble for the commoners on the street made him frown.
“Let’s pick up the pace.”
Fwoosh!
Through the Twelve Standard Meridians, the Twelve Divergent Meridians, the Fifteen Collateral Vessels, and even the net-like Collateral Meridians, he pushed his Qi. He varied the intensity of the flames in each, pushing his Flying Wind Drift to its limit. The bones and flesh of his entire body were refined with clarity, as if he were turning into pure Essence.
Taat!
Yeon So-wol soared. From one rooftop, he leaped over the next, landing on the one after that.
Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip!
At the third stage, one could wait for the wind and fly. At the fifth stage, one was no longer in peril.
Yeon So-wol felt the wind flowing over his body. The sky is a place with nothing to lean on. You cannot stand with your weight on one leg, nor can you lie prone. You must respond to the blowing wind—to its every fickle change—with your body alone.
Heavy in one place. Light in another.
Just as he had practiced blocking Kang Mu-hyeok’s hands in mid-air, he exchanged blows with the wind. The longer you could dance with the breeze without losing your balance, the longer you could remain in the sky.
Suddenly, it began to snow. It was the third month of the year. The toe of Yeon So-wol's shoe lightly tapped a snow-dusted tile as he leaped again.
“Wonderful.”
A smile escaped his lips.
Thwack!
He no longer looked back. He paid no mind to who was chasing him on the street below. What filled his eyes now was the panoramic view of Xinxing County, with its undulating black-tiled roofs and the white snowflakes falling upon them.
He was lost in the moment, his mind reaching a state of utter focus. He soared, light and free. The wind changed its scent—from bland and sparse to sharp and taut. Snowflakes fluttered up into the sky and vanished. The world grew and shrank, but the white sky remained constant.
“…”
He was at a loss for words. Within his heart, the world was being newly defined. For one who walks the ground, the world is a tangle of streets, buildings, and bustling faces. But for one who flies in the sky, there are only footholds and the heavens.
Once you have soared, the world reflected in your heart is forever changed.
“…”
As Yeon So-wol drifted away, light as a feather, Resentful Dog chased after him with bloodshot eyes.
“Eh. I don’t think we can catch him,” Smiling Dog said, casually giving up.
“Hey. It’s over. We can’t do this on our own. I’ll go get the boys, even if I have to spend some silver taels.” Mad Dog ground his teeth and disappeared into a back alley.
Resentful Dog paid them no mind. He ran on, his eyes fixed only on Yeon So-wol’s receding back. When Yeon So-wol leaped over a building, he would run around it, kick off walls to propel himself upward, and doggedly pursue him.
“…Don’t smile. Just don’t smile. Am I… am I that pathetic to you? Huh? What did I do so wrong?!”
With glistening eyes and a contorted face, he chased Yeon So-wol to the bitter end.
*
He’s persistent.
After running for some time, Yeon So-wol was starting to tire. The flames were dying down. The churning of his Eight Extraordinary Meridians weakened, and the Fire Phase that had been refining his body grew shallower.
Tap! Taaak!
And yet, Resentful Dog was still there. Considering the internal energy he had accumulated, it was natural for Resentful Dog to have more stamina. But it was strange how he managed to find his direction no matter how many times Yeon So-wol thought he’d shaken him.
…That’s it.
Just then, a scene caught Yeon So-wol’s eye. Hooligans were running through the streets, causing a ruckus. If someone blocked their path, they would shove them aside, knock over goods, and leap over stalls. When they spotted Yeon So-wol, they would point and whistle.
The Black Path thugs from the back alleys are chasing me, too?
Was this really worth such an effort?
So Resentful Dog was following me by watching them. But… it might be hard to shake them all off.
It wasn't impossible, but the thought of how much more chaos those nuisances would cause on the streets was horrifying.
I’ll just hide for a bit and slip back when things quiet down.
He spotted a four-story pavilion. It was magnificent.
A high-class inn? The food probably tastes good, too.
Yeon So-wol leaped high to avoid the gazes of the thugs and landed on a third-floor balcony.
“…I’m exhausted. Let’s eat and rest a bit.”
He slid open the door and stepped inside.
“Who are you?”
He jumped in surprise.
“Ah.”
Five beautiful women with wide eyes were staring at him warily. The heavy scent of perfume washed over him. Their attire was glamorous, yet somehow unchaste. From beyond the room, he could hear a clamor of voices and flirtatious laughter.
Yeon So-wol realized his mistake instantly.
This isn’t an inn, it’s a courtesan house!
A place where courtesans sold men drinks… and other things.
In that case, these ladies must be…!
His face flushed deep red.
“M-My apologies!”
Yeon So-wol hurriedly reached for the door, when—
Shk.
A cold blade rested against the hollow of his throat.
“…Huh?”
He couldn't see the person holding the sword. He couldn't even see the hand holding it. Every time he tried to move his eyes, the blade dug into his skin. A drop of warm blood trickled down his neck.
Yeon So-wol instinctively activated the power of the Heavenly Killing Star, but he couldn't sever the thread. The invisible enemy was not touching him. If they weren't touching, he couldn't sever them. It was the clear limitation of his power.
He couldn't feel a thing. No presence, no breath. It was as if the sword alone was floating in the air, aimed at his life.
Just as cold sweat began to soak his back, a voice came from behind him.
“Eun-yeong! Stop! It’s Young Master Yeon! The sworn son of Great Hero Lee Yu-baek.”
“Yes, Sister Cho-ran.”
Srrk.
The blade vanished like a dream. Only then did he sense a presence. A moment ago, there hadn't been a single footstep, the rustle of clothes, or even a scent.
A sixth beauty, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, walked with light steps and a blank expression to sit in a chair.
The courtesan called Cho-ran offered an apology to the petrified Yeon So-wol.
“Young Master, you must have been startled. I’m so sorry. I am Cho-ran, and this is Eun-yeong. I took her in a few years ago. She has a bit of a history, so she can be sensitive. She doesn’t mean any harm, so please forgive her.”
Forgive her? Yeon So-wol was so relieved to be alive that his legs felt like jelly.
“Here, please have some tea.”
Cho-ran guided him to a chair while the other courtesans bustled about, preparing drinks. They chattered about how handsome he was and called him "Young Hero Arang," but not a single word registered.
All his senses were focused on the woman named Eun-yeong.
“Hoo…”
Though she must have used her internal energy a moment ago, she was only now exhaling a puff of white smoke. A faint scent of charcoal spread through the room.
What kind of Fire Phase is that…?
He couldn't tell the details, but it was certain that this courtesan's Fire Phase was far deeper than Resentful Dog's. Yeon So-wol felt an inexplicable sense of dread. She was different from any martial artist he had ever met.
As Yeon So-wol sat tense, fiddling with his teacup, Cho-ran asked, “So, Young Master Yeon, what brings you to the Cheongun Pavilion?”
Cheongun Pavilion?
Why did that name sound so familiar? He pondered it, and then a belated shiver ran down his spine.
Cheongun Pavilion!
*
Rule Three.
Never cause a disturbance in the Cheongun Pavilion. If you accidentally earn the resentment of a servant or a courtesan, you must apologize and offer appropriate compensation immediately.
If you fail to do so, you must never be alone from the moment you leave the establishment.
You must stay in a group, do not sleep, and stay awake all night with friends or family.
As soon as the next day dawns, return to the Cheongun Pavilion, apologize, and offer compensation to resolve the grudge.
*