Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Anger
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One of the emotions humans feel is anger.
The martial art commonly used by the Beggars' Sect beggars, who move as if drunk, is called the Drunken Fist.
People think that its characteristic staggering, drunken movements are a feint to lure the opponent into dropping their guard.
In other words, they believe its power comes from feigned reality and deception.
However, the Drunken Fist truly unleashes its full might only when one is genuinely drunk.
It exploits the fact that alcohol makes a person numb to pain, allowing them to exert even greater strength.
Of course, this means moderately drunk. Becoming dead drunk renders it utterly useless.
Infusing anger into martial arts follows a similar principle.
Excessive anger dulls one's movements, but the right amount of anger actually draws out more power.
It unlocks the hidden strength within the body and grants the resilience to endure impacts.
Thus, anger is called the origin of destruction or the root of power.
Nangong Seong had gained the strength to crush Mount Tai with a single sword stroke through his rage.
That was the reason his Nangong Clan's Azure Bow Infinite Swordsmanship would later be hailed as the exemplar of heavy sword styles.
For that reason...
“Kraaak!”
As Nangong Seong screamed and was sent flying, Yu Hyun pursued him like a madman and struck again.
“You bastard!”
Nangong Seong, enduring the merciless barrage of punches somehow, swung his wooden sword desperately once more amid curses.
Hwaaak!
The sword tore through the air viciously, slicing toward Yu Hyun's waist.
Yu Hyun watched his blade with quiet satisfaction.
As expected, people grow fastest when pushed to their limits. To grasp how to infuse anger into the sword in just a few days...
That's why my masters beat me so harshly.
Let's see... He's mastered infusing anger now. Time to teach him how to release it.
Only by properly wielding both will his skills truly advance.
Puk!
Dodging the attack with light steps, Yu Hyun's foot slammed into Nangong Seong's jaw.
“Kuk!”
As his body floated up with a pained cry, Yu Hyun closed in immediately and swung his fist.
Ududuk!
“You damn...!”
Just as the fist was about to connect, Nangong Seong gritted his teeth so hard veins bulged in his eyes.
“Hap!”
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The sword, gripped with both hands in midair, plummeted vertically.
Huuuung!
The force behind the blade compressed the air, and the pressure shattered the ground upon impact.
“...”
But no further movements followed.
Yu Hyun had twisted away in an instant, his hand chop pressing against Nangong Seong's nape.
“That's enough.”
“Huk, huk... Thank you, Uncle.”
“Yeah. You're getting decent.”
Nangong Seong watched as Yu Hyun patted his shoulder and headed to the veranda, tongue clicking in amazement.
His struck areas throbbed, but the surprise overshadowed the pain.
Impossible to catch up to, perhaps?
He could somewhat understand why Nangong Chang-seon held him in such high regard.
“Huu, huu...”
Suddenly, Nangong Seong looked at his sweat-soaked palms.
He had grown stronger.
The power in his sword felt utterly transformed.
It was like stepping into a new realm of martial arts.
The predecessors always said that a martial artist must regulate emotions with a clear, mirror-like mind to progress...
Yet simply infusing anger into the sword could change its power this much.
But how did Yu Hyun know how to channel human emotions into the sword?
An utterly inscrutable man.
“Uncle.”
“Yeah?”
“Shall I prepare a meal?”
“...”
Only then did Yu Hyun feel his hunger. Training him had drained quite a bit of stamina.
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
At Yu Hyun's reply, Nangong Seong dashed outside with an excited expression.
He even has a maid...
In any case, it had already been ten days since they began training together.
Nangong Chang-seon occasionally came by to lecture on the intricacies of the Nangong Clan's martial arts, but the training was mostly just the two of them.
He wanted to spar with the current Sword King, Nangong Chang-seon, but it was too soon, so he held back.
There was plenty of time anyway.
He could challenge him after acquiring the second spiritual object. He knew the Nangong Clan's arts down to their roots.
“Still, to find the second spiritual object, I need to locate that guy first...”
Everything about the hound of the upheaval was completely blanked from his mind, as if erased wholesale, but he remembered everything else.
The man who knew about the second spiritual object.
He was soon to appear in the Righteous Alliance's thunder prison.
Yu Hyun didn't know how or why he'd been captured and imprisoned there, but he knew exactly when he had met the hound of the upheaval.
One year from now.
And after securing the spiritual object, he needed to visit his masters—the Righteous Six Saints, starting with Nangong Seong—and impart enlightenment to them.
So they could grow far stronger than when they had raised him, increasing their chances of victory even slightly when the upheaval came.
For now, teach Nangong Seong how to release power first...
As Yu Hyun organized his thoughts, Nangong Seong returned with the meal trays... but...
“W-what is this?”
“I prepared something special.”
“...”
“Truth be told, I've been too neglectful while receiving your guidance, Uncle.”
“...”
“So, to repay you even a little, I sent a letter to Yu Clan Manor asking about your favorite foods. And so...”
“...”
Yu Hyun stared silently at the trays before him as Nangong Seong scratched his head sheepishly.
Two full trays... Sigh, he asked Namsan Housewife.
“You're truly amazing, Uncle. No wonder you have such power—it's all that food intake.”
“...”
“I should eat more from now on too...”
Tak!
“Kuk! Damn it! Why hit me!”
“...”
This kid!
As Yu Hyun raised his fist, Nangong Seong flinched,缩king his neck and pouting in complaint.
Lately, curses popped out reflexively.
Anyway, the fool's learning.
Who could move after scarfing this down? Digest it?
The hellish effort to lose that weight...
“...”
...One tray back on already.
Yu Hyun gazed mournfully at the empty tray.
Damn this appetite...
He'd lost his mind again to the lavish spread.
How long since he'd slimmed down, yet this appetite wouldn't quit?
And now this punk's imitating him?
Yu Hyun's gaze turned to Nangong Seong, who was smugly stuffing food down forcibly.
Kkueyok...
Ugh, fine. Whatever.
One day's binge won't pack on that much weight.
A day or so, it's fine...
“Am... amazing. I can barely breathe...”
“...”
Nangong Seong, belly swollen like Namsan Mountain, panted as he admired Yu Hyun's flat stomach, tongue out in awe.
Cut it out.
Can't you see the maids clearing trays staring like you're a beast?
“Stomach full enough? Let's go.”
“Huh? Where to?”
“Follow and see.”
Yu Hyun stood abruptly and headed out, Nangong Seong tilting his head curiously but following.
Well, at least he's stopped questioning my words. Progress?
* * *
“Are you perhaps going sightseeing on the main street?”
“...”
“Well, you can't train every day. Grandpa was worried you were cooped up training at home too much.”
Nangong Seong chattered nonstop, but Yu Hyun ignored him, searching the main street for something.
Strange. I could've sworn I saw it here...
“Ah, the old books district?”
“...”
“As expected of you, Uncle. Yu Clan Manor is famed for scholarship, and here you are resting in the old books district instead of a tavern. I feel ashamed—I'd been relieving training fatigue with booze. I'll learn from you from now on.”
Truly nonstop chatter...
In that short time, he'd reflected, reached a conclusion.
Was this kid always this talkative?
Ignoring him with effort, Yu Hyun soon spotted a sign at the end of the old books district.
There it is. Knew it.
“Let's go in.”
“Ah, yes. But what's this place?”
Nangong Seong peered at the sign curiously as he followed inside.
Used Book Rental Shop?
A place that lends out books for light, entertaining reads.
They compile tales told by storytellers in taverns and rent them out for a fee...
Did Uncle have a hobby like this?
Inside the shop, countless books lined the shelves by genre along the walls.
From heroic tales in wuxia novels to adult books on romantic entanglements between men and women, their covers alone enough to flush the face...
Well, he's only seventeen now.
Prime age for such interests. Uncle's a man too...
“Oh my, isn't this the young clan heir?”
“Eh? Ah, good to see you.”
“Well, well, even the young heir reads these? Makes sense at your age. You're a man!”
“...”
The shopkeeper, recognizing Nangong Seong, greeted him with a lecherous glint, slyly thumbs-upping.
Caught with something deep and secret exposed, Nangong Seong flushed.
Of all places to stand...
Even the covers so embarrassing...
“No, actually, it's not me, it's the one over there...”
As Nangong Seong excused himself with a red face, turning away, Yu Hyun called the shopkeeper.
“Hey, shopkeep.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Got any books on tragic tales here?”
“Tragic tales?”
“The saddest ones possible.”
“...”
“Ones that make tears pour from page one.”
“Ah, yes.”
The puzzled shopkeeper hurriedly pulled out a few books.
“Take them. Start reading from today.”
“Reading?”
“Yeah.”
“But why these?”
“...”
Why? To temper the power gained from anger using sorrow.
A method he'd tried himself.
A few words suffice to provoke anger.
Like insulting parents despite knowing better, scraping pride raw... Worst case, beat them till they feel it.
He'd trained infusing anger first among the seven emotions.
But the rest can't be felt through beatings and curses.
Hence, other methods, and for sorrow, books are easiest.
Read, visualize the sadness repeatedly in your mind, and eventually you'll immerse, shedding tears.
Thus infusing sorrow.
That lightness enters the sword, creating fluid, water-like natural movements.
Master anger and sorrow—then you've reached the basics of Seven Emotions Swordsmanship.
So he must read.
From now, these aren't mere entertaining novels stimulating emotions—they're manuals.
Read till the contents are etched in his mind, till he can recite the stories fluently.
If he skips because not to taste, or reads but fails to empathize and feel no sorrow?
Back to training anger infusion. Taking beatings...
How he'd learned.
To none other than Nangong Seong...
Time to pay it back exactly, you bastard. Just like you trained me.
See how shitty it is for yourself.