Chapter 31: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (2)
As the entertainment was about to begin, the martial artists of the Jianghu murmured their predictions.
“Who do you think will win?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Young Hero Seong Gwang, the direct disciple of Great Hero Si Bu-jae.”
“Mm. If it’s Seong Gwang ‘Wailing Wind,’ then he’s a sure bet.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone will succeed. And if no one succeeds, there’s no winner.”
“True.”
“That’s a fair point.”
This particular event was limited to those aged twenty-five and under. That meant most of the challengers were Second-rate.
In the martial world, reaching the First-rate realm by the age of thirty was considered the mark of an exceptional talent. In contrast, among the military officers blocking the way, there was no shortage of First-rate martial artists. This was why many in the Jianghu were betting on a total failure.
Realizing this, Yeon So-wol felt his breath catch.
“Is this… even possible? First-rate is the same level as my father, isn’t it?”
Even at a glance, there were over twenty military officers who appeared to be First-rate.
Twenty Lee Yu-baeks…?
A shiver ran down his spine.
“Don’t worry, little brother. Not all First-rate martial artists are the same.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Isn’t there a massive difference in skill even among the Second-rate?”
What did it mean to be Second-rate?
According to Lee Yu-baek’s standards, they were those who had cultivated their internal energy to the stage of Breath of Smoke and Clouds and were proficient in martial arts. Most of the people Yeon So-wol had met so far were Second-rate.
That’s right. The difference is huge.
Come to think of it, it was true. He himself was Second-rate. Mad Dog was Second-rate. The pathetic Black Path thugs who came with Mad Dog were Second-rate, Resentful Dog was Second-rate, and even Eun-yeong from the Cheongun Pavilion, who had taught him how to use Qi Sense, was Second-rate. Even the impossibly strong Junior Rank 9 County Inspector, Jang Wi-san, had breathed out white mist, meaning he too was Second-rate.
Once a cultivator began to kindle True Fire, they no longer exhaled smoke. By then, all the impurities within the Eight Extraordinary Meridians had been burned away.
So, while they were all lumped together as Second-rate, when actually measured against each other, the difference was like that between heaven and earth.
Kang Mu-hyeok continued.
“But the difference is even greater among the First-rate. Although you’re called First-rate once you can kindle True Fire, there are stages within that realm as well.”
The entry into the First-rate realm was called Soaring Dragon Fire. It was the stage where the kindled True Fire began to radiate heat and pressure externally. When one drew upon their True Qi, their blood vessels would bulge in thin-skinned areas like the temples or the back of the hand, and a subtle heat haze would shimmer around them.
Upon reaching the middle stage of First-rate, the pressure and heat of the True Fire intensified, causing a fierce flame to pierce the heavens. This was called Fierce Fire Piercing the Heavens. At this stage, when one drew upon their True Qi, their clothes would billow, and the rising heat haze would look as if it were truly on fire.
“Most of them seem to be at the Soaring Dragon Fire stage. They’re no match for Master.”
“Does that mean… there are some who have reached Fierce Fire Piercing the Heavens?”
“Even so, they’re still no match for Master.”
No matter what he said, Yeon So-wol’s mind was a tangled mess.
But what choice do I have?
He forced himself to get a grip.
“Yes. Let’s give it a try. The military officers’ martial arts will be tailored for the military examination, so their techniques are probably somewhat limited, right? If we can exploit that, we might have a chance.”
The pitfalls of rote learning weren’t unique to his past life!
“You’re absolutely right, little brother! They’re the type to think that if you jump high, they can just shoot you down with an arrow, and if you approach stealthily, they can just block you with their armor. There are bound to be openings.”
“Alright! Let’s come up with a strategy!”
The second disciple, Seon Je-hun, exclaimed cheerfully, pulling Mo Cheong over to join them. The Three Gentlemen of Pungryu—no, with Yeon So-wol, it was the Four Gentlemen of Pungryu—huddled close, putting their heads together.
“Our Pungryu Sect has ‘wind’ and ‘willow’ in its name, so our lightness techniques are light and quiet. Don’t you think we could use that to our advantage?”
At Seon Je-hun’s suggestion, Yeon So-wol let out a small gasp. “Ah!”
“That’s a great idea! Instead of showing off, what if we try to stay hidden as much as possible?”
Yeon So-wol thought of Eun-yeong. The way she had taught him to use his Qi Sense. How to use it to move while avoiding the enemy’s notice. If the problem was that the opponents were strong, then shouldn’t they just try to move without being seen?
“Excellent! That’s a very good idea. The precision of one’s Qi Sense isn’t a subject on the military examination, after all.”
Kang Mu-hyeok immediately agreed. He glanced behind them and said, “The timing is perfect. The first disciple of Great Hero Si Bu-jae, who’s famous for his Qinggong in Guangdong, is here. Seong Gwang, known as Wailing Wind. His Qinggong is flashy, so let’s make it our goal to sneak in quietly while he draws their attention.”
“Sounds good, Senior Brother. And among us, should we try to hide our young master until the very end? If their attention turns to us, you, me, and Mo Cheong can draw their eyes one by one, while we keep the young master hidden.”
“That’s a great idea, Je-hun.”
The Four Gentlemen of Pungryu were of one mind. But they needed a more detailed plan.
“The problem is… we’re on a river. Our movements are restricted. If we step on the boats, we’re bound to draw attention…”
Just as they were racking their brains, a voice cut in.
“Stepping stones. Step on them.”
The voice came out of nowhere. Everyone was stunned; they hadn’t felt anyone approach.
“Ah! Young Miss Eun-yeong!”
Yeon So-wol recognized the voice and greeted her warmly.
“Stepping stones. Step on them. Go. Quietly.”
Eun-yeong nonchalantly reached out, picked up several large wooden trays, and—Fwoosh!
She flung them low across the water’s surface, like skipping stones.
“…Incredible!” Kang Mu-hyeok breathed in admiration.
“Where did another expert like this come from…” Seon Je-hun gasped.
It was only natural. She had thrown large wooden trays and gourds, each the size of a person’s torso, without a single Air-Cutting Sound. She had used a technique adapted from how assassins throw their hidden weapons. This was the kind of unpredictability that Jianghu martial artists possessed, which the military officers lacked.
Like night owls, the wooden trays and gourds flew low and silent, landing quietly here and there on the river. They looked like stepping stones. Shrouded by the dark night waves, they were barely visible.
“Memorize. The locations. Then. Good luck.”
Eun-yeong gave Yeon So-wol a small wave, then hopped lightly back to Cho-ran’s side. Cho-ran was still dancing.
“…So-wol. That person. She’s a woman dressed as a man, right?” Mo Cheong nudged Yeon So-wol in the ribs.
“Huh? Oh. Yeah, she is. She’s with those courtesans over there. I guess she dressed as a man so she wouldn’t be mistaken for one.”
“…She’s really pretty.”
“Hmm?”
“What.”
“Don’t tell me you…”
“What.”
Mo Cheong’s face was slightly flushed as he grumbled and averted his gaze. Yeon So-wol wanted to tease him more, but there was no time.
“Behold! The challenge will begin when this fire arrow lands on the river!”
The voice announced the start of the entertainment. Immediately after, Swissssh! A fire arrow shot into the sky, tracing an arc before falling onto the dark waves.
“Let’s go!”
Dozens of young martial artists leaped into the air at once.
*
Hwoooo—
White breaths scattered like mist from all directions.
Si Bu-jae, No Gil. He was a famous figure in the Guangdong Murim, whose peerless, high-speed Qinggong was said to make him vanish from sight the moment you saw him. His direct disciple, Seong Gwang, was called Wailing Wind because he moved so fast that he left only the sound of the wind laughing in his wake.
True to his name, Seong Gwang charged forward with overflowing confidence.
“I’ll go on ahead!”
Kwwaaaaang!
The speed at which he kicked off the boat was on another level. While others drew a parabola, Wailing Wind drew a straight line. He left only the pitter-patter of his fluttering clothes behind him.
His strategy was simple: be faster than anyone else. So fast they couldn’t even compare! He would run at full speed from the start, faster than anyone could anticipate—before the military officers could even react!
At this distance, I can reach it in just four leaps!
He had already made one leap. Kwang! He stomped on the first boat and leaped again. Kwwaaang! He stomped on the second boat and leaped once more.
Just one more!
Just as Wailing Wind bared his teeth in a grin, a voice shouted.
“Fire!”
Swissssssssssh!
“Ah?”
Over ten arrows flew toward him. Though their tips had been removed, leaving only the shafts, their momentum was extraordinary. Even without tips, they looked like they could easily punch through human flesh.
Wailing Wind hastily flipped his body in mid-air. His clothes fluttered wildly as he contorted his body between the arrows, somehow managing to dodge the attack. But the officers had aimed so exquisitely that one or two arrows were impossible to avoid.
Kkang!
Wailing Wind swung his sword to block them, but the force of the impact sent him tumbling toward the river.
“Damn it!”
“Senior Brother!”
Another of Si Bu-jae’s disciples threw himself forward to become a foothold. Only by stepping on his junior did Seong Gwang manage to get back onto a boat.
“Senior Brother! You must succeed!”
Splash!
His junior, who had served as a stepping stone, fell into the water. Similar scenes were unfolding all over.
“Aargh!”
“Keoheok!”
“You… you’re crazy!”
“Hey! Snap out of it! You’re not dead, are you?”
Martial artists who had charged in with vigor were struck by arrows and spears and sent flying. Even without heads, the force behind the weapons was immense. Several people were floating unconscious on the river’s surface.
Amidst that pandemonium, the Four Gentlemen of Pungryu used the stepping stones Eun-yeong had thrown, taking a different path from the others. They ran low and silent, as if skimming the night waves.
Good. Just like this. A little further. Just a little…!
Yeon So-wol pushed his Qi Sense to its absolute limit. By observing the fluctuations in the natural Qi, he could tell where people’s attention was focused. It was as if every person and every thing were connected by invisible threads of warp and weft.
As he ran silently along the black waves, he suddenly felt a certain inspiration.
This world is truly… what is it…?
On Earth, no matter how hard he stared, not a single leaf would fall. This world that shimmered in response to one’s mind—was that a good thing? Or a bad thing?
As he pondered this, he recalled what Kang Mu-hyeok had told him. How were First-rate and Second-rate different? What should one be careful of when facing a First-rate martial artist?
‘Humans are made of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. When you kindle True Fire and reach First-rate, you finally transcend Essence and become able to handle Qi.’
Essence is power. Qi is harmony. Where Essence clashes and repels, Qi envelops and leads.
Those words were still a puzzle to Yeon So-wol. Is there really that much of a difference between power and harmony?
He figured there must be, but if someone asked him what it was, he would have a hard time answering. Still, it wasn’t as if he felt nothing at all.
If I kindle True Fire and learn to wield the harmony of Qi, will I be able to see this world from another perspective?
The higher his martial arts rose, the differently he saw the world. And the differently he saw the world, the differently he saw himself. He was getting more and more excited.
Tok.
Yeon So-wol stepped on one of the wooden baskets Eun-yeong had thrown and leaped silently into the air. He used his Qi Sense to its fullest, diving into the unwavering spots—the places where no mind was paying attention.
But the closer he got to his destination, the harder it became to find a gap in their awareness. It narrowed. And narrowed again. When there were no more gaps to be found, Lee Yu-baek’s disciples began to throw themselves forward one by one.
“I’ll go first! Aaaargh!”
Mo Cheong deliberately drew their attention, leaping in another direction before being struck by a spear and falling.
“I’m going too.”
The second disciple, Seon Je-hun, the “Gale-wind Gentleman,” also drew their attention and picked up speed. Befitting his title, he showed an explosive burst of speed, flying in an instant to the vicinity of the Chief Daoist’s boat. Aside from Wailing Wind Seong Gwang, no other martial artist had gotten that close.
But because of that, Thwack-thwack-thwack! He was struck by the spears and arrows of the thoroughly incensed military officers and tumbled into the river.
…He’s not dead, is he…?
The sight of Seon Je-hun’s body flopping like a ragdoll sent a chill down Yeon So-wol’s spine.
“Focus, little brother. This time, I’ll buy as much time as I can.”
Kang Mu-hyeok whispered lowly, then stepped on a foothold and leaped. He landed hard on a nearby boat, diving into the military officers’ Qi Sense and stirring up the excitement.
“I am Kang Mu-hyeok, the Wind and Willow Gentleman, the first disciple of the Pungryu Martial Hall!”
Unlike his usual quiet self, Kang Mu-hyeok shouted at the top of his lungs. Arrows and spears rained down on him.
Brother Mu-hyeok…!
Yeon So-wol tensed. He thought Kang Mu-hyeok would be shot down as mercilessly as Seon Je-hun.
But, “Hmph!”
Kang Mu-hyeok scoffed. He swung his sword, still in its scabbard, and swept away the incoming projectiles.
Swerve!
Yeon So-wol saw it. Around Kang Mu-hyeok’s swinging scabbard, the arrows and spears bent their trajectories as if caught and guided by something. Not clashing and deflecting, but enveloping and leading.
Ah…! That’s Qi! Not simple power, but something that creates harmony!
And then Yeon So-wol realized one more thing. The fact that Kang Mu-hyeok had used Qi meant…
“He’s First-rate!”
“Heavens! The first disciple of the Pungryu Sword has become First-rate!”
“Did he kindle True Fire at twenty-five?”
“He’s faster than his own master!”
“A genius.”
Kang Mu-hyeok, who had been Second-rate until just recently, had finally taken a step into the First-rate realm. He had become a martial artist who would be called an ‘expert’ anywhere in the world.
That fact stirred something in Yeon So-wol’s heart. A thrill ran through him.
Me too…!
His chest grew hot. With his now even more sensitive Qi Sense, he searched for a gap in their awareness. The gaps were truly narrow now, and the ones that did appear were quickly filled, but he willingly leaped into them nonetheless.
Silently. Just as Eun-yeong had taught him.
Thump-thump-thump.
He no longer saw just the fluctuations of natural Qi. He awakened all five senses to their peak, listening to the sound of the water, the breathing of the military officers, the beating of their hearts, and feeling the wind on his skin. Reading all of this along with the natural Qi, he gauged their minds, predicted their movements, and threw his body forward.
With an unparalleled Qi Sense, he crossed the flattened world of threads that came into view at a single glance.
Tak! Tatak!
Leaving only the faintest of footsteps to be swallowed by the waves.
“Aaaaargh! Just a little more! Out of my way!”
“Daaamn it! I am Wailing Wind Seong Gwang! The direct disciple of Si Bu-jae!”
“That’s right! Go wild, Wailing Wind! Now, little brother! Jump! Now’s your chance!”
Far away, enraged young martial artists and military officers were clashing, but Yeon So-wol alone walked the dark night waves and leaped for his final step.
Taaang!
The sound of him kicking off a wooden tray echoed.
The military officers gasped in unison.
“Wh-what was that?”
“Where did he come from?”
“This is…!”
He definitely hadn’t been caught in their Qi Sense. A young man had suddenly leaped into their midst. His feet were descending toward the Chief Daoist’s boat.
“St-stop him!”
“Fuuuuck! No!”
The military officers screamed, their faces pale.
“This… shit!”
Their leader, Mobile Unit Commander Seol Cheong, felt his vision swim. No! This can’t happen!
He couldn’t let a single one through. Following his desperate will, his True Fire blazed fiercely. His Eight Extraordinary Meridians writhed like dragons, his clothes billowed, and veins bulged on his neck and forehead. True Qi surged from the Twelve Standard Meridians, and as the subtlety of Qi mixed within it, power transformed into harmony and gathered at the tip of his spear.
Paaaaang!
The spear, thrown with all his might, pierced the air. The harmony wielded by Qi made air resistance disappear. The already thrown spear accelerated again and again—an expression of harmony that could not be explained by power alone.
Huh?
By the time Yeon So-wol noticed it, the spear had accelerated yet again and was diving toward his chest faster than his perception.
I can’t block this…!
He couldn’t dodge it. Even if he could block it, the momentum was too strong. He would be knocked off into the river.
I was so close!
He was literally one second from his foot touching the boat! Yeon So-wol gritted his teeth.
I’ll use the power of the Heavenly Killing Star.
Twisting his body, he reached out toward the shaft of the incoming spear. He was reluctant to reveal his power, but… It’s a spear, not a person. Besides, martial artists in the Jianghu all had their own unexpected secret techniques.
When you have to use it, you use it!
Finally, Yeon So-wol’s palm struck the side of the spear.
Tuk!
An invisible thread snapped. Because Yeon So-wol’s body contained the shattered principles of heaven and earth, there was nothing it could not break—whether it was a person, a spear, or an aura of energy.
Kwajik!
The spear shaft shattered.
Yeon So-wol executed the Flying Wind Drift to flip his body. Since the spear had broken the instant it touched him, he hadn't felt any force, but he deliberately spun his body as if to dissipate the momentum. He momentarily adjusted the weight of different parts of his body, spinning like a top.
Flap-flap-flap!
His clothes fluttered. When Mobile Unit Commander Seol Cheong hastily raised his spear again, Tak! Yeon So-wol landed after an elegant spin. He was on the Chief Daoist’s boat.
Tuk.
He nonchalantly dropped the broken spearhead he was holding.
“Success!”
His voice, which made the river tremble, echoed across the water.
Splash!
Just then, Wailing Wind Seong Gwang, who had approached to within one and a half zhang of the Chief Daoist’s boat, finally lost his footing and plunged into the river. Poking his head out of the water, he saw Yeon So-wol standing tall on the boat.
While he had been desperately struggling and drawing the full attention of the military officers, one person had approached silently, unnoticed by anyone.
Wailing Wind let out a hollow laugh. “I did all the work, and he gets the glory…”
“Thank you, Young Hero Wailing Wind.”
Kang Mu-hyeok, who had fallen into the water right next to him, cupped his fist in a salute.
“Kang Mu-hyeok…” Wailing Wind’s lips trembled.
“Well done, Seong Gwang,” Kang Mu-hyeok smirked.