Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Master and Disciple
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“Hmm...”
Bakerd let out a low groan and abruptly sat up. He blinked at the scenery of the room where he had stayed for over a month before looking out the window.
‘Night...’
The bout with Full Moon Revelry had taken place just before noon, so it seemed he had lost consciousness for at least half a day. Bakerd let out a hollow chuckle and shook his head.
“Are you awake?”
Yuri spoke as he opened the door and entered. Bakerd stared blankly at Yuri’s face before nodding.
“You brought me here?”
“Yes.”
“What about Golden Lily and the Killing Guard Sect assassin?”
“I told them to go back first.”
“Why did you stay?”
“Someone has to explain things when you wake up.”
Elena had seemed intent on staying as well, but in the end, she had been dragged back to the mansion by Ha-ryeong.
“How long was I out?”
“About seven hours.”
“Good thing it wasn’t more than a day.”
The pain in his body registered belatedly. Bakerd frowned as he looked down at himself. There wasn’t a single spot on his entire body that wasn’t wrapped in bandages. The injuries were especially severe on the fists he had swung relentlessly and his left arm, which had taken a direct hit from the magic bullet.
“Did you treat me?”
“No. I called a doctor.”
“Good call. We’re not in some remote area—it’s right in the middle of the city, so calling a doctor when you’re hurt is the right move.”
“I took the money from your wallet.”
“You little shit.”
“It’s not like I got hurt.”
His face said it was only natural. Bakerd glared at that brazen expression for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh and nodding.
“Fair enough. What did the doctor say?”
“There’s a diagnosis sheet right next to you, so take a look.”
Sure enough, there was a diagnosis sheet on the table beside the bed. Bakerd reached out with his tightly bandaged hand and checked it. Fractures, contusions, abrasions... He skimmed through the familiar terms before crumpling the sheet and tossing it aside.
“Didn’t give any medicine?”
“I asked for a prescription, but he said a martial artist like you would have potions on hand.”
“Did the Killing Guard Sect assassin say that?”
“Yes.”
“He’s right. There’s a saying that low-tier fighters battle on drugs rather than inner power.”
When Bakerd reached out, a large bag in the corner of the room floated lightly over to him.
“What do you think that means?”
“That martial artists get hurt a lot, I suppose.”
“Exactly. If you plan to keep fighting with your fists, always carry a variety of medicines.”
“You’re not low-tier, but do you still fight on drugs?”
“Once you reach the 4th tier, you rarely get injured—assuming you only pick opponents weaker than yourself. I’m someone who’s seldom fought weaker opponents in my life.”
Bakerd pulled out various medicines from the bag with practiced movements, dumped them into a large glass bottle, and mixed them. After downing the improvised potion, he closed his eyes.
“Good. No internal injuries. Full Moon Revelry showed me tremendous mercy.”
“Both your hands are shattered.”
“It’s not a serious injury.”
“Shattered hands aren’t serious?”
“A martial artist’s body reveals its true worth as their tier rises. Even severe injuries heal quickly without much treatment. My body took a beating in today’s bout, but even without medicine, it’ll be fine in a week.”
“And with medicine?”
“Three or four days.”
It was astonishing.
‘Well, fighting barehanded without weapons... they’d need durability and recovery at least.’
The character he had raised in the game, ‘Padrip Immunity,’ had been the same. He had acquired several self-recovery skills, but even without them, the base recovery was impressive.
“I heard Full Moon Revelry evaluating you.”
“Weren’t you passed out?”
“My body couldn’t move, but I was conscious. I lost consciousness midway, but I clung to awareness until the moment he left.”
Bakerd opened his closed eyes and stared at Yuri.
“I knew your talent for martial arts was extraordinary, but it seems even more exceptional than I realized. So, how much did you see?”
“I didn’t see it clearly...”
How should he respond? The talent of a possessor was related to mana, so this answer wouldn’t raise suspicions of being one. Still, Yuri hesitated simply because he wasn’t sure how to describe what he had seen.
“I started watching from when you began the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist.”
“Your eyes followed the familiar fist form. What about after that? When Full Moon Revelry unleashed the Full Moon Subduing Kill Art in earnest. Could you see that?”
“I think I saw about half.”
“What about Mancheon Torrential Rain? That technique?”
Fortunately, no laughter escaped. Yuri kept a serious expression as he replied.
“That one was on too high a level, and honestly, I couldn’t make out what was what, so I didn’t see it well.”
“That’s only natural. I’ve faced many martial artists myself, but the ultimate technique of the Full Moon Subduing Kill Art was truly remarkable.”
“I’m not sure if I saw it right, but within that ultimate technique, it looked like your fist was deflecting the direction of his aura.”
At that response, Bakerd’s eyes went blank. A moment later, he composed himself and let out a hollow chuckle.
“Impressive. You saw that far?”
“Yes.”
“It’s thanks to Full Moon Revelry holding back. He could have killed me or made me submit in one strike. But he didn’t. If what I felt is correct... Full Moon Revelry intended to impart a lesson to me.”
Bakerd looked down at his shattered hands.
“The fist form I attempted at the end was something I shaped on the spot from what I needed in that moment.”
“It looked like a fusion of the Diamond Crushing Fist and the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist.”
“Exactly. My own studies were insufficient, so I couldn’t connect it fully... but this bout has given me an outline. What I must focus on from now on is turning this vague outline into a solid form.”
Bakerd closed his eyes again. The moment he had floundered in the Mancheon Torrential Rain. As he desperately swung his two fists, he had briefly entered a state of no-mind. It was only an instant of immersion, but the memory and sensation from that moment remained vivid.
“I must leave.”
“Huh?”
“I was blocked by a massive wall. The 7th tier wall. The wall that leaves most martial artists in despair. Thanks to great grace and fortune, I’ve caught a vague glimpse of the realm beyond what once seemed only distant.”
This realization might vanish like a mirage at any moment. Thus, Bakerd made his decision.
“Once my wounds heal, I must depart immediately.”
“Where are you going?”
“Most of my life has been that of a wandering ronin without a set destination, and this time is no different. Where to go... I don’t know. Since I challenged Full Moon Revelry, perhaps challenging the Fist King next wouldn’t be bad.”
Bakerd chuckled as he gently clenched his bandaged fist.
“I don’t know if the other Peerless Lords will be as merciful as Full Moon Revelry, but the enlightenment gained from bouts with masters is truly sweet and valuable.”
“Even so, this is too sudden.”
“Our meeting was sudden, so our parting should be as well. Yuri, show me the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist.”
“Huh?”
“If you watched the bout, you must have felt something. So try performing it.”
Bakerd’s eyes were extremely serious. The atmosphere left no room for refusal. Yuri nodded and stood up.
“Perform the four forms separately in sequence: Floating Cloud Wander, Wind Cloud Dance, Dark Cloud Moon Link, Thunder Cloud Dragon Cub. After that, perform them connected as one without distinction.”
He raised his two fists into the starting stance of the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist. He had performed this fist art countless times in front of Bakerd before, but now it felt somehow foreign.
The bout from half a day ago. The movements of Full Moon Revelry and Bakerd flickered in his mind. Yuri took several deep breaths to calm himself. Full Moon Revelry wasn’t here now. But in Yuri’s mind, the magic bullet he kicked around like a ball and the spheres of aura existed clearly.
Slowly.
Yuri’s fist moved forward. Imagining attacks from a nonexistent Full Moon Revelry, he countered with his fist. The first form of the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist, the form representing the essence of the art: Floating Cloud Wander. As his slowly extending fist moved, Yuri’s feet naturally followed.
Yuri’s movements took place within just a few steps. Yet the freedom contained in his fists and feet felt as if it transcended the space he moved in by far.
The motion changed. The speed of the slowly extended fist shifted. Softness, variability, speed... The three principles pursued by the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist melted into the trajectories created by his two fists.
‘Floating Cloud Wander, Wind Cloud Dance, Dark Cloud Moon Link, Thunder Cloud Dragon Cub...’
As Bakerd had instructed, he performed the four forms one by one separately. That was not difficult. But connecting the four forms into one was hard. Each form had a different starting point. He tried linking Floating Cloud Wander into Wind Cloud Dance, but the connection felt awkward and floating.
“Again.”
Bakerd said. Yuri agreed that the connection just now had been forced. Without responding, he returned to the beginning.
“Again.”
He heard “again” many times. Yuri did not stop. He voiced no complaints. Martial arts were enjoyable to Yuri, and if he wasn’t satisfied with what he had performed, wanting to try again was only natural.
After repeating the fist art dozens of times, sweat poured down his body like rain. Again. What was the problem? Should he insert new movements when connecting forms? But those inserted movements would themselves become new forms.
‘This isn’t it.’
The Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist was a pinnacle fist art. Yuri, with little experience, couldn’t connect it smoothly by squeezing out movements. Then should he trim the ends of the forms and stitch them? The more he immersed himself, the less satisfied he was with everything about himself.
Lighter.
Faster.
Softer.
Freer...
One by one, his desires grew. The movements drifting in his mind. How Bakerd had moved, how he had swung his fists. How Full Moon Revelry had frolicked in the sky, how he had moved his legs.
-Zzt.
In Yuri’s mind, all the forms of the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist tore into pieces. The explanations, full of vague metaphors, clung to each torn fragment. The manual. The illustrations depicting examples of each form. The pictures of dots and lines became Yuri.
There were jarring points in each form. Things he hadn’t noticed when he first started now became clearly conscious. Trim them. Wrong. Trimmed too much. If he did this, the fist would float and gaps would form.
He returned to the beginning.
Midway through withdrawing the thrust fist, he twisted and struck again. It said to use the left hand, but the right seemed fine too. Would it really? Connecting the torn pieces, tearing again, reconnecting anew...
‘Ah.’
Finally, the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist connected into one in his mind. Before he could forget it, he manifested it with his body.
—Fwoosh!
It was a wondrous feeling. He had clearly performed it with his body, yet his mind brightened and his dantian quivered. Yuri let out a large breath and plopped down where he was.
“Excellent.”
Yuri looked up and flinched in surprise. The window, which had shown night, was now morning. As Yuri gaped in astonishment, Bakerd chuckled and spoke.
“How was it?”
“Huh...?”
“What you just did. Satisfied?”
He had swung the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist from night until morning. Yuri recalled the fist art he had performed at the end. After a moment of contemplation, he let out a short sigh and shook his head.
“Not really satisfied.”
“Why? I said it was excellent.”
“I connected it, but it doesn’t feel like the right answer. I feel like I can do better...”
“Well, of course. It’s the pinnacle of fist arts. Does it make sense for you to connect its forms perfectly in half a day?”
“Then why did you make me do it?”
“Honestly, I didn’t instruct you expecting success. I thought feeling the insufficiency while trying would be enough, but you did far better than I expected. That’s why I watched without sleeping despite the pain.”
Bakerd nodded with a smiling face.
“You connected it. That alone is impressive.”
“Tch... it feels ambiguous...”
“If you’re not satisfied, keep practicing and refine it. Now, take this.”
The flying manual landed in front of Yuri. [Fluttering Wind Cloud Step]. Yuri blinked at the name written on it.
“What’s this?”
“The footwork of Dividing Light Fist Yang Ilsu, the creator of the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist. It’s the footwork I learned too. It’s also the reason I was obsessed with the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist. Do you remember what I said a month ago?”
He remembered.
[If you use all the forms of the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist to counter my fists, I’ll give you a gift.]
And now a month later. Yuri still hadn’t succeeded in countering Bakerd’s fists using all the forms.
“I can’t spar directly since my injuries haven’t healed, and seeing your level, there’s no need.”
“...You were hiding this footwork?”
“Hiding? I don’t like that wording. Want me to take it back?”
“Thank you.”
Yuri quickly replied and grasped the Fluttering Wind Cloud Step manual with both hands.
“I won’t teach you that footwork directly. You’ve been creating and using something similar on your own... and its form is close to the Fluttering Wind Cloud Step. Given your understanding of the Southern Heaven Drifting Clouds Fist, you’ll learn the Fluttering Wind Cloud Step well on your own.”
“...”
“Besides, I’m not your master.”
“You’re master-like.”
Yuri wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead as he replied.
“Others will think so too.”
“No, I can’t be your master. You can’t be my disciple either.”
“Why not?”
“If I became your master, my karma might pass on to you too.”
“Karma?”
At the question, Bakerd fell silent for a moment. Silence descended. Yuri said nothing and quietly gazed at Bakerd’s face.
“I quit the Sairan Guard for revenge.”
“...”
“I don’t want to share the details. It’s my burden to bear. Because I have revenge to exact, I became a ronin, and I can’t take a disciple.”
“I keep my mouth shut. Even if you tell me, I absolutely won’t tell anyone else.”
“Still not telling.”
Yuri already knew Bakerd’s secret. Survivor of the Raspion family massacre. A secret with no benefit if revealed to the world, and since Bakerd had no intention of speaking, he didn’t pry further.
“Once I succeed in my revenge later. Then we can drink and chat. If you’re really curious, just wish me success.”
“Revenge hard.”
“From what I see, your rude mouth makes you unfit disciple material.”
Bakerd grimaced and waved his bandaged hand.
“I need to rest now. You must be tired too, so go home and crash.”
“I’d like to see you again before you leave. When do you plan to go?”
“No need.”
“Come on, people form bonds. I’m not so rude as to ignore a master-like figure leaving without a care.”
“You little...”
He grumbled, but his face didn’t show disgust.
“My bones should knit by the day after tomorrow, so I’ll leave then. No need to come find me—I’ll stop by Golden Lily’s mansion to say goodbye.”
“Yes.”
Yuri lifted his aching body.
“Then I’ll see you then.”
“Alright.”
His steps were heavy as he left the inn where Bakerd was staying and headed back to the mansion. He hadn’t said a word and had spent the night outside, so Elena was undoubtedly worried.
‘She didn’t come looking, surprisingly...’
Thinking that, Yuri descended to the first floor of the inn and froze midway down the stairs.
“...”
Elena was reading a book in the first-floor dining area, while Ha-ryeong sat across from her polishing a dagger.
“The runaway who snuck out overnight has arrived.”
Ha-ryeong spoke as she examined the dagger’s blade in the light.
“Please at least say something next time you stay out. You made me pull an all-nighter too.”
“Is it over?”
Elena turned her head.
“What are you doing here...?”
“I was trying to enter the room when Bakerd sent a transmission. He said it was an important moment and not to open the door.”
“Transmission?”
[Like this.]
Ha-ryeong’s voice echoed in his head.
[It’s a skill using inner power to convey intent directly without vocalizing. Magic has something similar, but martial artists can do it from the 4th tier.]
“Ha-ryeong, you’re 4th tier?”
“Oops.”
[I could be 4th tier, or higher, or lower.]
“You said transmissions start at 4th tier.”
[That’s the general case, but if you learn the related martial art, even lower tiers can use them.]
“Maybe what I’m doing now isn’t a transmission but ventriloquism.”
Ha-ryeong produced a voice with her lips closed, just like the day before.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t know ventriloquism?”
“Just roll with it.”
“You’re not going home?”
Smack. Elena closed her magic book and glared.
“I am.”
Yuri nodded obediently.
*
The top floor of the Derusia Magic Tower.
Orca, who had just returned from the Ascard mansion, flopped down onto the sofa.
“Padrip Immunity?”
Orca frowned and tilted her head.
“What the hell is ‘Padrip’ that you’d be immune to it?”
Reishi, who had been brewing coffee, pondered for a moment.
‘How do I even explain that...’
An elegant explanation seemed impossible.