Chapter 63: Water Too Clear Has No Fish (11)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: Water Too Clear Has No Fish (11)
To be honest…
Yeon So-wol was being entirely sincere.
“How could you call it clumsy? True mastery often appears ordinary. Great Hero No’s strike seemed simple at first glance, but its result was anything but. Had my Qi sense been even slightly duller, I would never have noticed the sword qi flying from the tip of your blade.”
Was this a ploy to curry favor with No Hee-deok? Of course, such a calculation wasn't entirely absent.
But even if he had mixed in a bit of exaggeration and flattery, the words themselves were genuinely heartfelt.
It’s a form of cultivation where one completely contains their energy, preventing it from overflowing. Like trying to slice through water without leaving a single ripple.
The purpose of swinging a sword is to cut.
If so, then all the accompanying phenomena—the whistling of the wind, the disturbance of natural qi, the billowing of clothes, or the shimmering haze of heat—were, from a certain perspective, nothing but waste.
Viewed that way, the strike No Hee-deok had shown was a pinnacle of martial artistry—a swing that wielded energy and skill without a single grain of waste.
How terrifying would it be if a man who trained like that unleashed his full power!
Yeon So-wol was sincere. He felt something beyond respect; he felt a profound sense of awe.
I’ve never even attempted something like that, not even in my drunken dreams. I never even conceived of such training. In my dreams, I just forgot everything and swung as I pleased, over and over… I should try it myself when I get back.
As he was lost in thought, No Hee-deok spoke to him.
“Would the Young Hero care to try it himself? A genius as renowned as Young Hero Yeon Seon-hong would surely do far better than I.”
Yeon So-wol immediately waved his hands in refusal.
“Me? I wouldn’t dare. I started my martial arts training late and have been learning the sword for less than a year. I would be too ashamed to display my skills before such esteemed seniors.”
“Ah… I see.”
No Hee-deok let out a deep sigh. He shrugged, his voice rising slightly with a sharp edge.
“I suppose showing your sword to a dullard like me would be a waste.”
“Of course not!”
“It must be a terrible nuisance for a genius like you, Young Hero Yeon, to have his precious time taken by someone like me.”
“No, not at all!”
“And yet, I am that desperate. Please, if you would bestow a single lesson upon this foolish one, I will never forget your grace.”
“But I…”
“A single strike from a genius like Young Hero Yeon could be the dream of a lifetime for a dullard like me. Please…”
Yeon So-wol was aghast.
He’s not listening to a word I’m saying!
The relentless assault of the man's passive-aggressive self-deprecation was suffocating.
Huu… I have no choice.
Yeon So-wol decided to play along.
I’ll just embarrass myself a little. No Hee-deok is a household name, so for someone as young as me, it won’t be that much of a disgrace.
When he thought about it, it wasn’t such a bad thing. He needed to win No Hee-deok’s favor anyway, and since he genuinely felt awe for the man’s skill, he didn’t feel as bad as he’d expected.
“Very well. Then, this junior will dare to display his lacking swordsmanship before his senior. I welcome your guidance and critique.”
Shing—
Yeon So-wol’s Demon-Slaying Sword slid from its sheath. It was a treasured blade gifted to him by the Chief Daoist of Yanggwang, and its pure white steel gleamed dazzlingly under the sun.
“Oh…”
“My, that sword…”
Hearing the gasps of admiration, Yeon So-wol slowly raised the sword above his brow.
Don’t let a single wisp of energy escape. Contain it as much as possible.
He was careful even of the rustling of his clothes.
Slowly. Slowly.
He gathered all his energy. His target was a tree ten paces away. A single leaf upon it.
Make the heart sincere…
He would do as Lee Yu-baek had taught him. With his right hand, he gripped the sword with the utmost sincerity. With his left hand, he gripped himself.
He would give it his all, but he would not lose himself in the process. Standing on that boundary, he would perfectly control both his energy and his soul.
“…”
“…That’s.”
“Heh. Is that really the martial aura of a young man not yet of age?”
One by one, the onlookers fell silent. The surroundings grew deathly quiet.
A sharp, clear presence radiated from him, like a blade honed without rest. This wasn’t a matter of reaching a cultivation realm like Soaring Dragon Fire or Fierce Fire Piercing the Heavens. It was the pure momentum of a martial artist, honed and polished. His posture and the atmosphere he projected as he faced the sword overwhelmed everyone.
“Ssshhh…”
A thin breath escaped Yeon So-wol’s lips. The refined qi of the Five Elements flowed gently through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians. He subtly awakened the True Qi throughout his body. He lightly supported his right forearm with the Sword Secret Finger of his left hand.
Yeon So-wol suddenly felt as if he could smell alcohol tickling his nose. A smile naturally formed on his lips.
Hundreds of thousands, tens of millions of times. Just as he had swung the sword in his dreams.
He let the sword fall.
From above his brow, toward the ground.
A single, clean line drawn in the empty air, all stray thoughts erased. For some reason, though the blade fell slowly without a single air-cutting sound, all who watched felt goosebumps rise on their skin.
Tok—
The sound of a single leaf falling rang in everyone’s ears like a clap of thunder.
Flutter, flutter—
The sight of the leaf, half the size of a palm, wavering as it fell was seared into everyone’s eyes.
“Heh.”
“Heeuuuhhh…”
The sound of sharp intakes of breath came from all around. As their eyes followed the still-fluttering leaf, people began to whisper.
“Did you hear the sword swing just now?”
“Not at all.”
“Did you feel anything with your Qi sense?”
“Nothing.”
“And yet the sword qi reached ten paces away…”
“If I had been standing there, I would have been mocking him for doing nothing, and then died with my throat slit.”
“…Me too.”
“Isn’t that more amazing than No Hee-deok’s skill? At his age?”
“He has a true affinity for the sword. He is beloved by the sword.”
And No Hee-deok…
“…”
He had, at some point, caught the severed leaf in his hand and was now staring down at it intently.
“…”
Like a man carved from wood, he stared only at the leaf, head bowed, without even blinking. A broad smile spread across the faces of the Jianghu martial artists watching him.
“That guy has finally met his match!”
“He really met his match.”
“Look at his face. It’s like he’s seen a ghost.”
Those with sharp eyes didn’t miss the slight tremor in No Hee-deok’s hand. The sight was incredibly satisfying.
And then.
“Uh… How… How did that work? Oh. If this is… then…”
When people saw Yeon So-wol standing awkwardly behind the motionless No Hee-deok, holding his sword and fidgeting, they burst into laughter.
“Puhahaha!”
“He couldn’t fail even if he wanted to, could he?”
“It must be tiring to live as a genius, kahaha!”
“‘It took me twenty years to achieve this meager feat,’ he said?”
“‘A single strike from a genius could be the dream of a lifetime for a dullard like me?’ So he showed him. What’s the problem?”
“Damn. This is so absurd I can’t stop spitting, pfft-kek.”
Seeing everyone laugh, Yeon So-wol grew even more flustered. He glanced nervously at No Hee-deok but couldn’t bring himself to speak, only shuffling his feet. He had unintentionally humiliated his senior.
However…
“Young Hero Yeon! That was truly impressive today!”
“I thought you were just a skilled martial artist, but you’re already a complete one. I’ll be putting my faith in you for this expedition.”
“Young Hero Yeon! Just seeing someone like you has made my trip to Xinxing County worthwhile.”
“A new legend of the Guangdong Murim has appeared! That was incredible, Young Hero Yeon!”
Fist-and-palm salutes rained down on him from all sides.
He had received many friendly greetings at the funeral before, but the look in their eyes and the tone of their voices were different now. Back then, they had treated him like a likable junior. Now, they were treating him like a true martial artist—an equal they acknowledged, perhaps even one they would defer to.
Seeing the powerful, respectful salutes pouring in from all directions, Yeon So-wol…
Hmm.
…glanced at No Hee-deok, who was still standing like a statue, and thought.
Maybe… this turned out for the best?
*
The Mount Cheonro Subjugation was now just around the corner.
Lee Yu-baek gathered Yeon So-wol and his disciples to update them on the progress. He also detailed the tasks that lay ahead. He always strove to teach them many things beyond martial arts: how to conduct oneself as a martial artist, how to live, and how to plan and execute affairs.
“We will now hold the Xinxing County Martial Arts Assembly. We will gather all the Jianghu martial artists who have come to Xinxing County in one place to decide on important matters. Specifically, we will organize the squads and appoint their commanders. If we just rush in without tactics or leadership, we could be the ones who get routed.”
Yeon So-wol thought.
A kind of general assembly. For voting and elections. That sort of thing.
Lee Yu-baek continued.
“As I said, the basic framework for the squad formations has already been decided. I’ve finished coordinating with many knight-errants behind the scenes, so unless something extraordinary happens, the main structure will hold.”
He looked at his disciples and Yeon So-wol and asked.
“Now, what should you learn from this?”
The one who answered immediately was Lee Yu-baek’s direct disciple, Kang Mu-hyeok.
“That the results of a meeting should be decided before the meeting actually takes place.”
A smile touched Lee Yu-baek’s lips.
“Correct.”
Yeon So-wol, on the other hand, was a bit bewildered.
Decide the results of a meeting beforehand? So they agree on what to do in advance?
Then why even have a meeting? The fundamental question arose in his mind.
Wouldn’t the people who join the meeting without knowing anything be made into fools?
Lee Yu-baek looked at Yeon So-wol.
“So-wol. Do you find it hard to accept?”
“A little… yes. A meeting is for people to gather and decide things together. If a few people arrange everything in advance and the meeting is just a formality… isn’t the meeting not really a meeting, but just a play?”
Lee Yu-baek’s smile deepened.
“So-wol, do you think putting on a play is easy?”
“Well, no, but…”
“The script, the stage, the acting. Everything must be prepared perfectly for it to be a play. If even one thing is off, do you think the audience, who paid a hefty price for their tickets, will just sit quietly?”
The words, which he both understood and didn’t, tickled Yeon So-wol’s heart.
“The martial artists who have come to Xinxing County are our audience. They are precious guests who have come prepared to pay the high price of swords and blood. But what would happen if we appeared chaotic, our opinions divided, a complete mess?”
“Ah.”
“Yes. We invited them, so we have a responsibility. A responsibility to handle everything cleanly and vividly, and to motivate them. So, is a play easy? If you don’t do it right, stones will be thrown at you in an instant.”
“I see…”
“Now. Let’s try to put on a proper play.”
A few days later, the Martial Arts Assembly was held in Xinxing County.
Hundreds of Jianghu martial artists gathered in one place. Normally, the government army would never allow so many armed martial artists to gather inside a city, but Lee Yu-baek had the military tally from the Chief Daoist of Yanggwang.
In fact, the government actively supported the assembly, setting up a stage, tents, and food and drink in the largest plaza in Xinxing County.
A considerable amount of time passed after the assembly began before they got to the main point. With so many different people gathered, there were many formalities and face-saving gestures to attend to. Important figures were introduced, greetings were exchanged, and people declared their purpose and ambitions for gathering there.
A shichen passed in the blink of an eye.
If not for the tents, food, chairs, and tables provided by the government, complaints might have arisen here and there, but thanks to the excellent preparations, everyone was able to pass the time comfortably.
Finally, Lee Yu-baek stood on the stage again. He exchanged glances with those who shared his purpose and at last brought up the main topic.
“The bandits of Mount Cheonro are not only large in number, but they have also fought for a long time and are well-organized. Although our forces may overwhelm them, it is clear we will suffer great losses if we do not establish our own organizational structure.”
Flap!
At his signal, Kang Mu-hyeok, Seon Je-hun, and Mo Cheong moved busily, hanging up large sheets of paper. On the paper were people’s titles and names, along with a brief introduction and their area of activity.
“Therefore, we too must form squads. Each squad must have a squad leader to command it. We have created a total of thirty squads and have selected the squad leaders for each.”
Flap!
All thirty large sheets of paper were hung. At that moment, hearty voices erupted.
“Ha! Excellent! Every single squad leader is a renowned knight-errant!”
The first to shout was Chu Jin-hyeok, the female general who had arrived the day before. Spittle flew from her red-painted lips. Immediately, others echoed her words, their voices equally loud and fervent.
“They are all trustworthy people!”
“Great Hero Lee Yu-baek has a good eye!”
“I can see how much thought went into this!”
These people were blatantly setting the mood. All of them had coordinated with Lee Yu-baek beforehand. Many people followed the mood and nodded silently.
But a few tilted their heads or frowned. Some even muttered, “What? Why isn’t my name there?”
And so, the curtain rose on the play Lee Yu-baek had prepared.
I may not be able to earn everyone’s love, but I hope that by the end, I can at least earn everyone’s applause.
Inwardly, Lee Yu-baek trembled. He trembled, too. Always. When he fought, when he stood before others, at moments like this.
But as always, he didn’t let it show in the slightest. He straightened his posture, standing tall.
“Now, I will first listen to the esteemed opinions of my fellow martial artists of the Jianghu regarding this selection.”