Shadow Pierce and the Man Without Heavenly Fate
Lightning-fast, Jin Sawol's hand claimed the space behind me like a thunderbolt striking. Her swift, sharp thrust was more than enough to throw me off balance. The hand flying toward me with the momentum to pierce my heart looked incredibly lethal.
But Jin Sawol wasn't aiming for me. She targeted my shadow.
Was it that Shadow Bind from before? I'd already figured out how to counter it. I quickly activated Darkness Control.
But Jin Sawol moved just a fraction faster. Her hand pierced right through my shadow.
"Shadow Sever!"
"Kgh!"
Unlike the previous Shadow Bind, this time a sharp pain stabbed through me. It felt like my heart had been punched hard by a fist. My mind went blank for a split second.
I gritted my teeth and forced my body to move. If I didn't, her follow-up strikes would overwhelm me. Suppressing the pain, I pinpointed Jin Sawol's position.
She'd used another bead from her Mukhyeol Yeomju. Once again, she teleported behind me.
"I won't fall for the same trick twice...!?"
Jin Sawol's body pressed against mine. I could feel her firm skin through our clothes. She raised her fingers right up against my cheek, close enough to feel her breath. The soft, plush sensation pressing into my back was tempting enough to savor forever, but right now, we were fighting.
Her ominous aura made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
Pressure point strike!?
Pressure points that paralyze foes were a staple in wuxia tales. Basic acupoint techniques were widespread in the Central Plains, so they weren't exactly exotic. But Jin Sawol, as Heukam Dosa's disciple, had something special. Her fingers softly pressed into my forehead.
"Urk!"
Her fingers were smooth as silk, but it felt like an awl drilling into my skull. Like a hole had been bored right through my forehead.
There are many types of acupoints. Roughly classified by reaction: sleep points that knock you out, mute points that silence you, paralysis points, knockout points, energy-sealing points that block internal energy, and finally, death points.
The point Jin Sawol hit was smack in the center of my forehead. Slightly above the Yintang acupoint between my eyebrows—a lethal spot if struck hard enough. But killing with pressure points required at least the Fire Transformation Realm or higher. No way Jin Sawol was there yet.
A vicious headache hit, and my whole body went numb. Even though she'd struck a death point, I didn't die. Must be some unique technique from Heukam Dosa. This spar banned killing blows anyway. She was just trying to disable me.
But I've got a counter too.
I used Light Cure. It consumes stamina and mana to dispel abnormalities. Not sure if it'd work on pressure points, but since they count as status effects, it should have a high chance.
A glow enveloped my body, and sensation returned. It worked. Healers dominate status ailments, as expected.
Glad it got through!
We were close enough to trade punches. She looked triumphant in her victory, but this spar was mine. Her final moment of carelessness was the key.
At this range, I can strike before her Illusory Beast Bead activates!
I thrust my hand toward Jin Sawol with enough force to shove her down. The moment my arm reached for her chest, shock flashed across her face. By her plan, I should've been paralyzed and immobile.
This spar's my win!
"Enough!"
My outstretched hand halted mid-air toward Jin Sawol. Not by my will. Like her earlier Shadow Bind, an invisible force crushed my body.
But this pressure dwarfed hers—immensely stronger, unyielding. It crushed even the will to resist.
"That's enough."
The voice belonged to Heukam Dosa. He descended lightly from a drifting cloud, eyeing Jin Sawol and me in turn.
"Master!"
"You fool of a disciple! Instead of treating our guest properly, you're brawling? Trying to embarrass me on purpose!"
Heukam Dosa swung his lightning-struck jujube staff like thunder.
"Hey! Jong young master agreed to this too!"
Jin Sawol protested indignantly. Heukam Dosa clicked his tongue at her bead necklace.
"Tch! If you're gonna pick a fight, win it properly. You lost pathetically."
"Ah, the match isn't over yet!"
She shot back at his piercing words.
"You used five beads from your Mukhyeol Yeomju and still couldn't settle it? No need to watch further. You lost. Admit it."
"Ughhh...!"
Uncharacteristically straightforward, Heukam Dosa made Jin Sawol bow her head in shame. He strode toward me, leaving his disciple behind. Looked like he had words for me.
"You brat!"
"Yes, Dosa-nim."
"Who the hell are you, really?"
Heukam Dosa's sharp gaze interrogated me. Why this sudden question? Had he figured out I was an irregular in this world?
I feigned calm and answered steadily. "Jongchil from Hubei in the Central Plains. Didn't I introduce myself already?"
"I'm not asking for meaningless drivel. You know what I mean."
His tone suggested he knew I wasn't ordinary. How? Did he read my heavenly fate?
Nothing in the original about Heukam Dosa reading fate. But maybe he could. If so, how much did he know? He wasn't fully certain, since he was asking directly.
How to respond? Tricky. No way I'd confess to being a traveler from another world. Even if I did, would he believe it?
As I hesitated, he added, "I tried reading your heavenly fate once. Couldn't make heads or tails of it. You have no fate at all. Never heard of such a thing in my life. Not registered with the Three Goddesses of Fate? Not on Yama King's life ledger? Even then, everyone has some fate."
Tch. He did read it. Rare skill even in the Central Plains...
I clicked my tongue inwardly. I'm not originally from this world—not the Jongchil shell, but the real me. Must've tangled with the fate readings weirdly.
Heukam Dosa's piercing eyes bored into me. I pondered my excuse.
Just deny it flat-out? Might make him more suspicious. But even if I do, he can't prove otherwise...
"What're you lot doing?"
A familiar voice cut in. Our eyes—mine, Heukam Dosa's, Jin Sawol's—turned to the speaker.
"You idle bum!"
Heukam Dosa spoke first.
"Today's my nap day here, but plenty of early birds."
Han Kangwoo grinned casually. Felt like a savior appeared out of nowhere. He eyed me. "You're here too. Wondered where you'd holed up—staying at that long-nosed Dosa's place?"
Heukam Dosa bristled at Han Kangwoo, swinging his staff comically. "What's with 'long-nosed Dosa'? Everyone else can call me that—you can't!"
"Whoa, calm down."
The two were thick as thieves. Han Kangwoo pretended to soothe his excited friend while heading to a massive tree by the waterfall and lying down. He looked like a plain village rustic. Wuxia trope: that guy's a top-tier master.
"If you're gonna make noise, go elsewhere. I need the gentle waterfall sounds to sleep."
"Listen, you bum! This kid trying to be your disciple—he's weird! I checked his fate, and it's gone! No fate at all! Suspicious, right!? Something's up!"
Han Kangwoo tilted his head and chuckled. "Still believing that superstition? Pathetic. Sages always said not to indulge in omens and monsters. Instead of picking fights over nonsense, go home, wash your feet, and sleep."
Heukam Dosa's face darkened with fury. "Gah! Shouldn't have bothered talking to a guy like you! Tch! You! There's definitely something off about you. I'll be watching!"
He stormed off home, offended by Han Kangwoo's dismissal. The culprit lounged back leisurely. Thanks to him, I was off the hook.
Jin Sawol chased after her master. Only Han Kangwoo—lying there relaxed—and I remained at Biryubokpo. Not even a quarter hour later, he started snoring softly, fast asleep.
*-*-*
I returned to Han Kangwoo's hermitage on the sheer cliff. Time to solve his puzzle. Procrastinating on doable tasks is a bad habit.
His riddle sounded like a cryptic koan at first: "Find the golden spring." Like something from a novel or poem. Most would overthink the metaphor.
But it wasn't a koan—it had a clear answer, right in front of me.
Whoosh!
A flock of eagles circling high dove down toward me. They rubbed against my face like affectionate puppies or kittens.
I pulled out meat for them. They acted cute for food. Ignore it, and they'd riot.
Each snatched a hefty chunk in their talons and tore into it. I waited till they finished their pricey Hanwoo feast.
The well-fed eagles formed a bridge with their legs. Far classier than any rope bridge.
I crossed the eagle bridge up to the cliffside hermitage. Empty and quiet without its owner. Wind tickled my ears. The open vista cleared my mind—like gazing at a horizon-spanning sea.
I lay on the spacious wooden porch, soaking in the mountain's timeless charm. Then waited for Han Kangwoo. A cool breeze lulled me to sleep before I knew it.