Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Training
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Modern man Cheongun knew nothing about martial arts.
He was aware of what martial arts existed, which ones were divine techniques, and how they matched up against each other.
After all, he'd played the original game, Azure Wind Saga.
But that didn't mean he truly knew martial arts.
To know something meant to internalize it, make it your own, and wield it freely at will.
Thus, Cheongun knew nothing of martial arts.
In games, martial arts were just 'skills,' after all.
Press a button, and it activated automatically—no need to ponder its profound principles.
And so it was.
Summoned for his first lesson, he was hit with a Zen koan right off the bat.
"What is martial arts?"
"Fancy packaging for beating people to death."
Jin Mu-seong gazed steadily at Cheongun, who stood tall before him.
For some reason, this boy lagged far behind his innate martial genius when it came to understanding martial arts as a whole. No—this was just plain ignorance.
So of course, a question like "What is martial arts?" would elicit such a response.
Jin Mu-seong intended to fill these gaps during his instruction.
"Martial arts is the study of martial techniques—'gongfu.'"
"Study?"
"Indeed. Then what is study?"
"Learning and internalizing."
"Exactly! That's it. It is self-reflection, which is to say, cultivation."
"Aha."
Cheongun nodded vaguely.
This was fairly important knowledge.
True to his age, the man was full of wisdom.
"Through breathing, one draws in qi. When that qi meets a tempered body, synergy arises, propelling one to superhuman realms—this we call inner power. Cultivating and controlling it is cultivation, which is ultimately martial arts."
"Ooh."
"Thus, the prerequisite for building inner power is self-cultivation. That's why the Nine Great Sects and Eight Great Schools each pursue their own paths. They interpret martial learning according to their goals and infuse it into the sword."
"That's sword forms, right?"
"Kekekek! Precisely."
So that's the acquisition condition for skills in this world.
What a hassle. So damn complicated.
"You've managed qi thus far through your innate martial frame and qi sense, but that's not enough for complete swordsmanship. Even if you can swing a fishing pole like a sword, what's the point? If you can't wield a sword like a sword, it's just flailing a sharp metal rod."
"I see."
"Very well. What this old man will now teach you is the Crimson Night Heaven-Severing Sword—a sword art."
He knew this one.
As one of the Five Great Sword Arts symbolizing the current murim, how could he not?
"Behold."
No sooner had the words left his mouth.
Jin Mu-seong assumed a sword stance with his wooden sword, then traced a single arc through the air.
Chwararararak—!
The sharp whoosh of the sword tip slicing air grazed his ears.
Suddenly, the wooden sword seemed to halt midair—but it was an illusion.
Jin Mu-seong's right foot pressed lightly against the ground.
At once, his lax muscle fibers tensed and pulled taut.
A faint quiver at the sword tip flowed down the blade, then veered like lightning.
Finally, a long horizontal sword path was etched.
Azure sword light flickered like a meteor's tail, cleaving the air.
Creeeeeng!
With a sound like cracking ice, white sparks erupted along the sword's trajectory from the wooden blade.
Cheongun's eyes never left the path carved by the sword.
The blade's flowing dance was truly exquisite swordsmanship.
How could a single hand produce such motion?
Cheongun stared, lost in awe, forgetting even to blink.
The mystery of the sword technique unfolding before him surpassed imagination.
Perfection itself.
Was it because he'd maxed out his qi sense stat at character creation?
This was worlds apart from viewing skill effects through a monitor.
Cheongun could see not just the sword's movements, but how the qi flowed and shifted in tandem.
The difference was vast.
"Hoo."
Jin Mu-seong finished the demonstration and halted his sword.
As the sword stopped, the circulating qi flickered like flames around the blade.
"Did you see?"
"Yes."
"Share your impressions."
"Insane."
"Kekeke! You have an eye for it. So, can you imitate it?"
Cheongun fell into thought.
Even with maxed qi sense, he couldn't recall it perfectly.
No, he could.
The motions, sword path, qi flow—everything.
He could probably mimic the movements right now.
But the subtleties within? No clue.
Even imitating the same motions, he had no confidence in replicating it identically.
"Probably not."
"Do you remember it?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Then let us begin martial arts training now."
Jin Mu-seong led Cheongun to a private training ground behind the manor.
Permitted only to Namgung clansmen, the area was deserted.
Jin Mu-seong handed Cheongun a wooden sword from the ground.
"Take it. Now, let's spar."
"Spar? What about training?"
"Sparring is training."
"???"
Jin Mu-seong smirked at Cheongun's baffled expression as he gripped the sword.
"Let's begin at once!"
"W-Wait a sec!"
Their eyes met, and Jin Mu-seong swung his wooden sword at Cheongun's thigh.
The massive power behind it hurtled toward his leg with terrifying momentum.
"Crazy!"
Cheongun twisted his body in shock to dodge.
Thanks to maxed qi sense, it was barely possible.
Still, the sudden twist caused one foot to slip, nearly sending him tumbling forward.
"This is training, right?!"
"Heh, what better training than this?!"
"This is just a beating!"
"Nonsense! True martial essence is learned not through theory, but by clashing bodies in real combat! For your inexperienced frame, strengthened only by talent, the best way is to hammer it in strike by strike!"
"That's such bullshit... Ack!"
Jin Mu-seong's wooden sword rose, then whipped through the air wildly.
Soon, the flat of the blade smacked Cheongun's shoulder—Crack!—back—Thud!—and buttocks—Whap!—like pounding a drum.
All the while, he explained the principles embedded in the sword paths without restraint.
"This is the subtlety of 'variation,' and that is the subtlety of 'domination'!"
"Urk!"
"Align the sword tip at shoulder height, step forward with one foot... Yes! Then twist the sword stance downward to break the foe's momentum—that enables Seven Star Sword Path! The core subtlety of the first form of Crimson Night Heaven-Severing Sword!"
"Gah!"
Fuck! This is training?!
Each blow hurt like hell, forcing an "Urk!" with every hit.
At this rate, he'd die.
So Cheongun drew on the natural qi he'd stored in his dantian beforehand.
Yet the one-sided thrashing continued.
Cheongun was stunned.
It was so fast, hard to track with the eyes.
"Heh heh, you slippery little eel."
Meanwhile, Jin Mu-seong was inwardly impressed.
As time passed, Cheongun deflected or dodged the sword more often.
Swift strikes from all directions were evaded by instinctive twists, postures adjusted instantly to the opponent's momentum, and he even dropped low on gut instinct!
And more.
In unavoidable moments, he tensed muscles to lessen damage or expelled qi to specific points to offset impacts.
Jin Mu-seong felt genuine awe at his disciple's genius.
"Kuhahat! A martial prodigy sent from heaven!"
"Aaaagh! What the hell are you saying, you crazy geezer?!"
"Then let's keep going!"
"Your disciple's gonna die!"
"Quit whining! As your master, I'll personally impart everything to you!"
"Y-You maniac... Ack!"
Meanwhile.
Justice Alliance Qingcheng Branch, underground prison.
"......"
Sss...
A figure emerged from the shadows like slipping silk.
The revealed intruder was a masked man—an assassin dispatched additionally from Shadow Flight Gate.
Cell 35...
He'd come for one reason.
Contact with Hong So-yeon, the spy hidden here, had been cut off.
It happened sometimes.
That idiot woman getting caught due to carelessness wasn't rare.
But the problem started after.
Hong So-yeon already had a poor reputation.
The Pavilion Lord knew it too, so he'd ordered her eliminated before she spilled secrets, sending Junior Sister Baek for the task.
Yet even she lost contact and vanished.
Two possibilities.
Discovered during infiltration.
Or Hong betrayed them.
Junior Sister Baek wouldn't get caught easily.
The man concealed his presence and moved.
Arriving at cell 35 where Hong So-yeon was imprisoned, his eyes met hers through the bars as she lay sprawled.
"Senior Brother Kim?"
"Where's Junior Sister Baek?"
He demanded her whereabouts straightaway.
"How should I know?"
"The very fact you're still breathing screams betrayal. And what's that dried provision in the corner? Damn bitch! Trying to wag your tail at the orthodox fools to survive?!"
It struck right at the heart.
Yet Hong So-yeon was utterly calm.
No, she was genuinely outraged by his words.
"What? Wagging my tail like a dog? Do you know my situation? Done talking?"
"If I'm wrong, say so."
"You're not."
"......"
...Is she really insane?
The man was dumbfounded for a moment.
"You sold out Junior Sister Baek too?"
"Yes."
"...Is she dead?"
"She's alive. Why? Still hung up on her after getting beat?"
"......Where is she now?"
"Behind you, Senior Brother."
"What?"
His head whipped around.
As Hong So-yeon said, Baek Seol lay in the cell behind him.
With Shadow Needle Darts slipped onto her fingers.
That instant.
"!!!"
Pababak—!
Shadow Needle Darts flew in an instant, embedding repeatedly in his forehead.
Moments later, the man's corpse crumpled.
And so.
Baek Seol, who assassinated the intruder in a flash.
"Ho ho!"
Munched on the dried provision.
Celebrating her feat.