The Master's Unyielding Method
Cheong sent the shorty off to train, saying she might as well get some practice in, then led Dang Nan-a toward the Sect Leader’s Hall. The current Sect Leader, Cheondungeom Wang Juhee, was a woman of remarkably little presence. With the former Sect Leader Seomun Su-rin shining so brightly, she was inevitably overshadowed. Yet according to what the senior sisters said—Cheong being the youngest among them—Daesa had always possessed that faint, almost nonexistent presence from the very beginning. It was no wonder her title was Heaven-Fleeing Sword; the name came from the time she had slipped behind the Murim’s public enemy, Bae Ga-saek-gwi, during his subjugation and pierced his heart before even their own allies noticed.
“Indeed. To have studied medicine at such a young age is truly admirable and commendable. Since you have come to our temple, take in as much of its pure energy as you can. There are no strict rules here, so rest at your ease.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Hmm. A female physician, though… what a splendid ring that has. Not that I mean anything by it, of course. You came to check on our youngest sister’s condition? How thoughtful of you.”
“Ah, please don’t say that.”
“Very well. Rest well. Thoroughly. Very thoroughly.”
The repeated emphasis on resting thoroughly made Dang Nan-a, who had been sweating nervously, speak up in a small voice.
“If you would permit it… while I am here, might I at least take her pulse with my meager skills…?”
“Oh my. How admirable. That exceptional beauty of yours must come from such a kind heart.”
Thus the Sect Leader achieved what she wanted. Afterward, when they went to prepare a room and bedding in the guest quarters, Dang Nan-a could not hide her surprise.
“What is this place? It’s empty.”
“It’s your room.”
“……?”
“……?”
Dang Nan-a clapped her hands as if she understood.
“Come on, don’t tease me just because I lack worldly experience. You said you have to take your shoes off when boarding a ship too. You think I’ll fall for this again? How is this a guest room when there isn’t even a bed?”
“Then what do you think I’m holding?”
“A blanket and a thick blanket?”
“This is called a yo. It’s meant to be spread on the floor to sleep on.”
“Gasp! So that’s the thing I only ever heard rumors about…!”
The daughter of Sichuan’s wealthiest household seemed unable to accept reality and had fallen into shock. Then again, the room was only about as large as—or slightly smaller than—Dang Nan-a’s luxurious bed back home.
“Won’t this be incredibly hard?”
“Hard? Try lying down and see.”
Cheong unfurled the thick yo with a single burst of strength and laid it flat. Dang Nan-a lay down on it with a fluttering, excited expression, only for her face to stiffen immediately.
“It’s hard!”
“I never said it wasn’t. Of course it’s hard.”
“No, how are you supposed to sleep like this?”
Dang Nan-a made a miserable face. Cheong snorted. Last winter, Cheong had curled up in a corner, shivering without even a single blanket, unable to lie down because of the cold. She hadn’t even been able to lean against the wall, since it was freezing too.
“I’ll bring you two more. Three layers should be tolerable, right?”
“Hng. It’s still uncomfortable.”
“If you sleep outside, you just pick out the pebbles and lie down. Stop complaining.”
Dang Nan-a looked at Cheong with an aggrieved expression. Coming from someone who had spent more than half the day sprawled across a comfortable bed, the words carried zero persuasive power.
“Then what about you? You’re the Daesa, aren’t you? Don’t tell me you get a nice room while everyone else suffers.”
“Why, want to see my house?”
And so Cheong revealed the sweet home she had dreamed of. Seeing her own house again after so long, Cheong’s feelings were… well, it really was rather shabby.
……Had it always been this small? Had someone been secretly shaving pieces off it?
Seomun Su-rin had many worries. All because of the disciple she had taken in her later years. How on earth was she supposed to correct that girl’s manners? Last winter she had beaten her calves the way one strikes a crying child, nearly stripping her bare. She had hoped the girl would feel shame in that nearly naked state and reflect on her conduct, but instead she had simply lost the very concept of shame itself. The punishment only lasted until the pain faded; afterward she would act as if nothing had happened and, despite being a grown woman and the Daesa of a Taoist sect, shamelessly fawn and act cute.
Of course, Seomun Su-rin understood the lonely heart that made her disciple look after her master. It was simply a kind nature, and she was grateful for it. If it were not for that, she would have seriously considered whether she ought to deal with the calamity of the Heavenly Killing Star herself. Still, thanks to that stubborn foolishness, she could at least hold the conviction that her disciple might overcome even the vicious fate of the Heavenly Killing Star.
In truth, Seomun Su-rin had not actually taught her disciple any martial arts. She had taught her the Juyang Sesimgyeong*, and the girl had achieved great success with it at once, which had been surprising. As for other techniques like swordsmanship, however, Seomun Su-rin had judged that she must gain enlightenment from what she already possessed. The training method Seomun Su-rin had prepared for this winter was an extension of that same principle.
*TL Note: Juyang Sesimgyeong (often written in Hanja as 聚陽攝心經) translates roughly to the "Sutra of Gathering Yang and Controlling/Focusing the Heart/Mind."
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Stacks of books piled high in front of Cheong with heavy sounds.
“Uh, Master?”
“I wondered why my disciple’s enlightenment was not coming. It occurred to me that perhaps it was because her learning was so shallow she had nothing at all.”
It was a blunt way of saying, “You ignorant girl.”
“A girl training in Taoist and Buddhist martial arts who does not even know the names of a single Taoist immortal or Buddhist Buddha cannot possibly hold onto enlightenment even if it comes.”
“Uh. At this age, studying is a bit……”
“Study is something that continues throughout one’s entire life, my disciple. Until you have copied every one of these books twice, I will not permit you to travel the jianghu.”
“Ah.”
Cheong made a miserable face. Of course, the books of the Central Plains were not written on thin paper crammed with tiny characters like those from her homeland. The paper was thick and the letters were large, so if she copied diligently she might finish by mid-spring—or she might not. It all depended on how much she slept.
Cheong looked down at the books. Just from the titles she could tell they were Taoist and Buddhist scriptures. In other words, the most boring kind of religious texts. Moreover, the classics of this era were closer to philosophical commentaries where the same sentence could be interpreted differently depending on the author. In short, they were dull. Even if she had an exam the day after tomorrow, these books would still be incapable of being interesting.
Cheong answered with a grave expression.
“Master. I would rather strip—”
Smack!!
Cheong rolled across the floor.
“Tsk tsk. Even so, a young lady of marriageable age should know what is proper to say.”
“Master, it feels like you’re getting stronger…… At this rate my head really will split open.”
“Stop exaggerating.”
“No, it really hurts……”
Cheong spoke with tears welling in her eyes. Of course it hurt; she had struck her for that very purpose.
“Since my disciple does not know shame, stop saying useless things and do as you are told. Even if you are ignorant, you have a brain, so if you keep writing you will naturally memorize them.”
“Yes……”
Cheong answered listlessly, shoulders drooping. Yet from time immemorial, wise people across all eras and regions had said the same thing: the mouth is the root of all misfortune, so always watch your words.
In truth, the ignorant self-defense training from last winter had been the sort of outrageous misdeed that would have earned every master in the jianghu to point fingers and curse. Making a grown female disciple stand nearly naked before the other disciples—what shame could she possibly endure? Seomun Su-rin herself had suffered heartache and felt guilty the entire time, yet this was the result. Seomun Su-rin was only human. Her guilt was matched by equal irritation.
“But since my disciple has shown such great courage as to speak of disrobing, how could I, as her master, stop her? It seems you have not forgotten that training even after enduring it all winter. Very well, I shall permit it once more.”
Cheong realized she had not only failed to gain anything from speaking up but had lost what little she had. Resigning herself cleanly, she voiced a single desperate hope.
“Then… could you at least allow me one blanket this time? I want to sleep lying down……”
“Hey, Cheong-ah. Time to apply the medicine.”
Whenever Dang Nan-a occasionally called her by a name other than “you,” she always seemed strangely awkward and self-conscious afterward, glancing around as if checking for reactions. This time, when she tried to glance around, she immediately let out a shriek.
“Kyaaak! You—what on earth are you wearing?!”
Dang Nan-a covered her eyes and screamed. Her pupils were still visible between her fingers, but since it was the standard posture women used to express embarrassment, there was no point in pointing it out.
Cheong answered with a liberated expression.
“……It turned out like this.”
“What happened to your house? Did a thief break in?”
“More or less. Something like that.”
“Aren’t you cold? The wind is blowing so hard……”
“I am cold……”
Being fine and being cold were two different things. Just because the Nuclear Noogies did not leave bruises or tear skin did not mean they did not hurt. Still, it felt a little better than last year. Ah. Maybe because she was wrapped in bandages……
Thanks to the effects of the So-nyeo Hwanhee-gyeong, which helped her endure cold and heat, and having learned two ice arts on top of that, it was only natural. Unless it was the winter of the North Sea, the cold of the Central Plains could not invade her body.
“W-why are you dressed in such an indecent manner?”
“Training……”
“What kind of training is this? Are you being hated or something? How could you appear in front of others looking like that……”
“They’re family anyway……”
“That’s not the issue here……”
Dang Nan-a swallowed hard. Still, it was provocative. The girl was dressed in a way that would have suited the most lascivious woman in the world, yet her expression and eyes were filled with gloomy resignation, her shoulders drooping in a sorrowful manner. That contrast was… really quite provocative. Dang Nan-a could only keep swallowing.