Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: The Cloud Dragons' Lesson
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Pae-seon had Pa-sun begin his training not with a spear, but with a staff. He explained that those who wield the spear must first master the staff.
For Un-pyo, he stressed that while saber techniques were important, he should first train with a wooden sword.
He said that practicing with a wooden sword beforehand would allow him to adapt quickly in situations where he needed to subdue an opponent with the flat of his blade.
“Everything is about application. And application comes from a solid foundation. You two lack a proper foundation. I will use the sword as an example, so listen carefully.”
Pae-seon drew his sword and swung it swiftly.
“The Swift Sword pairs well with the Shifting Sword. This is because the nature of the Shifting Sword requires one to alter the blade’s trajectory so the opponent cannot perceive it, and for that, the high velocity of the Swift Sword is most suitable.”
Pae-seon swung his sword rapidly toward a leaf falling between the trees. The trajectory was so precise that any martial artist watching would have been certain the leaf was cut.
However, the leaf itself was pristine.
Pae-seon had altered the trajectory mid-swing, passing by the leaf without cutting it.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“Yes!”
“And the stage where you add speed to this Shifting Sword, leaving a trace of its flow in the path while forging a new one, is the Illusory Sword. It’s a principle that will suit Pa-sun’s swift and destructive spear techniques well, so remember it.”
This time, he swung his sword several times, leaving afterimages of the blade in the air that confused the eyes, making it impossible to tell where the real sword’s path lay.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“Yes!”
Pae-seon wore a pleased expression and continued.
“The Heavy Sword is a style that emphasizes power, where each and every strike acts as a fatal blow. Such a style tends to reveal itself at a decisive moment.”
Pae-seon raised his sword and swung it over Pa-sun and Un-pyo’s heads. It happened in an instant. Though the sword moved slowly, Pa-sun and Un-pyo could feel an immense pressure from the clearly visible blade.
But they could definitely see it. They tried to dodge, and they thought they could. Yet, strangely, they couldn’t. A clear miscalculation. It felt as if the surrounding space had darkened, and the sword Pae-seon swung was pressing down on them like a colossal weight.
*Fwoosh!*
The swung sword stopped right before Pa-sun and Un-pyo’s eyes.
“Hah, hah.”
Pae-seon spoke to the sweating Un-pyo and Pa-sun.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“...Yes!”
“The Strong Sword excels at overwhelming the opponent from the very beginning with formidable power.”
This time, Pae-seon infused his sword with a great amount of qi and swung it at a tree several times, shattering it into pieces. It was a powerful sword style that could be said to be the most commonly used in the Demonic Cult.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“Yes!”
“When the Strong Sword and the Heavy Sword meet the Soft Sword and are harmoniously blended, it is called the Absolute Sword. Un-pyo’s saber techniques could match this well, so pay attention.”
It appeared to be a powerful swing, but in the middle, he would release his strength and adjust his speed. A sword art that released its power, twisted its trajectory, and then, in an instant, added speed and force to double the might of the Heavy Sword.
The Absolute Sword was the very embodiment of sublime martial arts.
“Did you see that clearly?”
“Yes!”
Listening to Pae-seon’s explanation, Mu-heun thought to himself.
*‘A true veteran of the martial world... He’s a natural at teaching. With this, Pa-sun and Un-pyo will grow even stronger.’*
He had never received such teachings from his master, the Heavenly Demon. No, there was no need for them. The Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon was a heaven-defying martial art from the start. It followed a completely different path from other martial arts, so there was no reason to learn such fundamentals.
Thus, Un-pyo and Pa-sun received a crash course from Pae-seon, and being quick-witted fellows, they seemed to have grasped the concepts to some extent.
Next, they learned how to refine their energy in a straight, fast, and pure manner, like members of the Orthodox Sects. It was another crash course, but they were quick learners. They were now starting to look somewhat like Orthodox martial artists.
Eight hours passed like this.
“You both seem to have gotten the hang of it. Let’s move on to the next step.”
“The next step, you say...?”
“Recently, there’s been a troublesome fellow causing problems for the sect. His name is Yeok Mu-gi. The man sucks the yin energy from women, kills them brutally, and flees. He also beheads the wealthy, hangs their heads on their gates, and plunders their fortunes, yet he remains at large.”
“Does that mean he’s that strong?”
“No, he’s not weak, but he’s not particularly strong either. Yes, he’s probably at your level, or perhaps even lower.”
Pae-seon said, pointing at Un-pyo and Pa-sun.
“Then why hasn’t he been caught?”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun were subtly offended, but they said nothing, knowing who they were dealing with. Having been soundly beaten while learning qi manipulation and swordsmanship from Gu Pae-seon, they didn’t dare talk back.
“He’s quite elusive, so they say he’s hard to catch. He uses the Art of Disguise to change his appearance, making him difficult to recognize. The Kunlun Sect asked me for help, but I had momentarily forgotten about it.”
“So, should we capture him and hand him over?”
“No. To let them know you are my disciples and win Kunlun’s favor, you must handle this where they can see it. So, you will catch the man, but beat him up and give him internal injuries. Then, Baek Mu-heun, you will heal him swiftly in front of everyone.”
“Ah…!”
“Then, using them, I will make Baek Mu-heun out to be a hidden disciple of the Sichuan Divine Doctor and the last hope for healing the Two Cloud Dragons. Also, if possible, I will attempt to sow discord with the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“The plan sounds good. But... how are we supposed to do that?”
“The core of this task is to capture the man, create a scene in Kunlun territory, and then have you two recapture him. That’s all you need to know.”
“...”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun were bewildered, but seeing Mu-heun’s calm expression, they decided to just follow along.
“That way, we can show the Kunlun elders and the sect leader Baek Mu-heun’s unparalleled medical skills.”
“Then Kunlun might be the one to first request the treatment of the Two Cloud Dragons.”
“Precisely.”
“Understood. So, where do we need to go to catch Yeok Mu-gi?”
“They say the man is fond of women, so let’s head to the village first.”
“...”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun recalled the story they had heard from Mu-heun about Gu Pae-seon. When the Two Cloud Dragons went out to capture the Soul-Crushing Hidden Demon, this man was busy drinking himself into a stupor...
Could they really trust him?
Noticing their expressions, Pae-seon said nonchalantly.
“To catch a tiger, one must enter the tiger’s den, no?”
“...”
“What, am I wrong?”
“No, sir. Let’s go.”
And so, to catch a tiger, they headed into the tiger’s den.
***
—A brothel district in Bugwang Prefecture, near Mount Kunlun in Qinghai.
Seeing a river flowing through the Kunlun Mountains, which seemed to be nothing but rocky peaks and barren wasteland, Pa-sun asked a question.
“There’s a river here.”
Pae-seon answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“This area is so barren that if a river didn’t flow through it, a marketplace could never have formed.”
“But, elder Light-Splitting Immortal, why are you covering your face?”
At that, Pae-seon cleared his throat and said.
“I am quite famous, so, ahem.”
Mu-heun snorted and burst into laughter.
“Khahahaha! The Light-Splitting Immortal made a career out of frequenting brothels. He’s a far cry from a Taoist master. He only started exploring cliffs for hideouts after he got caught sneaking into a brothel. He does know shame, it seems! Khahahaha!”
“What! You rascal! Why would you say all that!”
“Haha, I’m just kidding.”
“What? After saying all that, you punk!”
Un-pyo and Pa-sun found the relationship between the two strange. One was a venerable old man, and the other a young man who had just passed his coming-of-age... but their words and actions were like those of childhood friends.
“In any case, from now on, you must look for anyone here whose appearance feels out of place, or who has strong yin energy. There’s a high chance that person is Yeok Mu-gi.”
Un-pyo asked with a puzzled look.
“Is that even possible to find?”
“It won’t be easy. So, you two should start by asking around if there are any new faces who aren’t originally from here. Then, slowly track those individuals. Also, keep in mind that his martial arts level is said to be just entering the peak realm.”
“Yes!”
Pa-sun and Un-pyo went out into the marketplace, observing faces and asking residents if they had seen anyone new.
But Pae-seon and Mu-heun chose a completely different method.
***
Meanwhile, Gu Yang-baek was completely concealing his presence, checking to see if anyone from the Sichuan Tang Clan was entering Kunlun.
Just then, he spotted two individuals who appeared to be physicians approaching Kunlun under the identity of the Tang Clan.
*‘They are... the emblem of the Tang Clan...’*
Having finally found a lead, Yang-baek completely erased his presence and moved closer to observe them.
*‘The escort consists of one peak master and five first-rate warriors... It won’t be difficult to check their goods.’*
Yang-baek controlled his breathing and sped up. After completely hiding his presence, he tailed the Tang Clan party. While they were taking a short break, he checked the items the physicians had brought without a single soul noticing and took a small portion with him.
*‘The level of these Orthodox Sect bastards is quite pathetic.’*
The quality of the warriors the Sichuan Tang Clan sent to Kunlun. Their mediocrity was unavoidable. The Tang Clan was currently in conflict with the Demonic Cult, so they were short on available talent.
Yang-baek wrapped the item he took in a cloth, tucked it inside his robes, and returned to Mu-heun.
***
Mu-heun and Pae-seon stood in the center of the Bugwang Prefecture marketplace.
“I’ll check from the east.”
“Then I’ll start from the west.”
They then split off in opposite directions.
Mu-heun expanded his qi sense from the eastern end of Bugwang Prefecture. While his sense couldn’t catch everyone who used the Art of Disguise, it was possible with this man. That was because the extent to which a user of the Art of Disguise could change depended on their skill level.
Even the Art of Disguise had its stages. While it could be limited to one’s body and bone structure, there were sometimes those who could alter their qi meridians and even the nature of their qi, which was why he chose this method.
It was highly unlikely that a scoundrel who stole fortunes and absorbed yin energy from brothels would be of a high level. Therefore, his qi pathways would surely not be of a normal form.
So, all he had to do was spread his qi sense and look for someone whose qi flow was below the peak level, had strong yin energy, and exhibited an abnormal flow.
That was the conclusion Mu-heun and Pae-seon had reached.
However, investigating from a distance without meeting face-to-face was something only martial artists who had reached the Mastery Realm, like Mu-heun and Pae-seon, could do. That was why they had recommended a more classic method to Un-pyo and Pa-sun, while the two of them searched for Yeok Mu-gi in this manner.
“Not this one, not that one.”
“Not this bastard, not that bastard either.”
The two went to the ends of the marketplace and then returned to the center. Just as they were about to meet in the middle...
“Oh!”
“Oh!”
They looked at the same brothel simultaneously.
The brothel in Bugwang Prefecture, called the Red and Green Pavilion. In its courtyard was a dandy-looking fellow, laughing and joking with beautiful women. Meeting Pae-seon in the center, Mu-heun was certain that the man frolicking with the women over there was Yeok Mu-gi.
“That’s got to be him, right?”
“Seems like it.”
“He’s clearly practiced yin arts.”
“His qi flows strangely. The level of his disguise isn’t very high.”
“Then let’s go and grab him.”
Pae-seon nodded.
With their hands clasped behind their backs, Pae-seon and Mu-heun approached the man who seemed to be Yeok Mu-gi. The man was in the middle of five beauties, chattering away animatedly.