Formless Sword Gang
“Formless Sword Gang?”
Dang Mugi echoed the question, and Paeng Yu-gun, still wearing a stunned expression, answered blankly.
“What is gang qi? It’s the unbreakable energy born from a martial artist’s convictions and enlightenment taking form.”
Paeng Yu-gun waved his hand. His simsang, the Crimson Tiger, sat before him as if it were a living beast.
“A simsang is the same. It’s the projection of a martial artist’s inner world into reality. So, are a simsang and gang qi one and the same, or different?”
“Isn’t a simsang just an illusion?”
“The beginning of the Heart Sword is breaking down that boundary—making the simsang real through gang qi.”
“……That means.”
“Right. This Crimson Tiger isn’t mere illusion. It’s made of gang qi.”
“!?”
Dang Mugi’s eyes widened to the point of tearing.
Not all Super Peak experts were created equal. So even for Dang Mugi, Paeng Yu-gun’s words must have been shocking.
“But that kid’s sword…… sliced through the Crimson Tiger’s forepaw like it was nothing. He cut gang qi itself.”
Paeng Yu-gun’s eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at me.
“Kid, I knew right away you weren’t from the Blood Cult the moment you unleashed your energy. That pure crimson lightning qi is clearly the same kind as the red bolts wielded by Yao Xian.”
“…….”
I didn’t answer. Or rather, I couldn’t.
Blood was surging up my throat in hot, bitter waves.
[Internal injury.]
‘I know. Crazy old geezer.’
[Guide the energy through the meridians I told you about.]
As I circulated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art’s energy through the meridians Pa Cheon indicated, the pain in my gut eased noticeably.
I’d deliberately thrown Pa Cheon instead of clashing directly.
Yet even the shockwave had done this much damage.
If I’d gripped and swung it myself, even with the Diamond Needle reinforcements, my right arm might have been pulverized.
“Kid. That was definitely Formless Sword Gang, right?”
“Brother. Is that the important question right now? Look at Yoon-i’s condition.”
At Dang Mugi’s words, Paeng Yu-gun looked sheepish and pulled something from his bosom, tossing it over. Dang Mugi caught it.
It was a small red pill wrapped in fine packaging.
“Little Red Pill. Embarrassing to give something like this to Yao Xian’s heir, but it’s one of those fancy drugs from those Wudang nose-hair bastards, so it’ll work well enough.”
I sat up and cupped my fists toward Paeng Yu-gun.
“My thanks…… for the grace……”
“Grace? This is me breaking you then patching you up. Eat it.”
Dang Mugi scolded Paeng Yu-gun before peeling the pill for me.
[A perfect grandfather-grandson duo.]
‘Thinking of the Poison King as a grandpa feels pretty reassuring, doesn’t it? Damn.’
No matter how beneficial a medicine, bitterness was part of the deal—but this Little Red Pill was excessively so. Like concentrating the acrid taste of mature ginseng tenfold.
Still, my insides definitely settled. The blood had been surging up hot and nauseating, but now it felt like a cool stream washing it away.
Sensing the pill’s benefit, the Heavenly Demon Divine Art’s energy observed quietly without interfering.
“Ahem. Er, Eastern Sword Dragon. Sorry about that.”
Paeng Yu-gun said to me. Honestly, I was pissed as hell, but he was an old monster who’d dominated the jangho for decades. Brushing it off was easier on my mind, and the fact that such a monster was apologizing was impressive in itself.
“No need. I figured it could happen.”
“So, about that move you showed. It really was Formless Sword Gang?”
Of course not.
The ability to sever gang qi came solely because Cheol Mu Geuk had perfected Pa Cheon. Though calling it “solely” downplayed its incredible power.
‘No matter how divine or famed the sword, no one would believe it cut gang qi on its own…… So they assume invisible gang qi coats it.’
If he hadn’t known about Formless Sword Gang, they might’ve overlooked it. But because Paeng Yu-gun was obsessed with the concept, the misunderstanding arose.
“Why are you so fixated on Formless Sword Gang?”
At Dang Mugi’s question, Paeng Yu-gun answered with frustration.
“Because the Cheonhwasamnakdo secret manual left by the Three Joys Blade Lord mentions formless gang qi.”
The Cheonhwasamnakdo wielded lightning energy.
It boasted terrifying destructive power, but as a drawback, it grew overly flashy and noisy.
The higher the realm and the greater the accumulated energy, the worse it got.
“It says mastering Formless Sword Gang overcomes that. According to the Three Joys Blade Lord, Formless Sword Gang retains all the innate functions of gang qi despite being invisible to the eye—and it’s even a level beyond ordinary gang qi.”
“Is that true, Dong Yun?”
Paeng Yu-gun and Dang Mugi’s eyes turned to me.
The answer I had to give was obvious.
“……Yes.”
‘Yes.’
I couldn’t use gang qi. That’s why I only faked Flying Sword with Pa Cheon.
The problem? Flying Sword was just a Super Peak symbol, not proof.
The true proof of Super Peak always circled back to gang qi.
The unbreakable conviction a martial artist honed over a lifetime.
It had always been my weakness. In the Divine Cult, I could cross my arms arrogantly and say, “You’re not worth my gang qi,” and they’d tremble. But I couldn’t pull that here.
In that situation, making Paeng Yu-gun mistake Pa Cheon’s ability for Formless Sword Gang?
Now I’d officially proven I could wield gang qi.
From here on, even lazy swings would elicit “Ooh, that’s the Formless Sword Gang Dao King mentioned!”
[This is what you schemed for?]
‘No way. Formless Sword Gang caught me off guard too.’
As a Murim Returner veteran, I knew of Formless Sword Gang.
It did appear—but
My thoughts cut off.
“I knew it! Formless Sword Gang! Uhahahaha!”
Paeng Yu-gun burst into admiration and laughter. He continued.
“You can use it because of the martial art you practice, right?”
My title had upgraded from “brat” or “kid” to “you.”
“Yes. It’s a secret art, so I can’t disclose details.”
“Of course, of course. Must be something left by Yao Xian. I’m just thrilled to witness Formless Sword Gang in action.”
Fortunately, Paeng Yu-gun had stubbornness but also shame. If he’d demanded the secret, that would’ve been trouble.
‘I’d have wriggled out using Dang Mugi somehow.’
Unlike me and Paeng Yu-gun, whose tension had eased, Dang Mugi’s face remained stiff.
“Brother.”
“Hm? What?”
“You made a promise with me. If Yoon-i’s innocence was proven, you’d pay the price for testing him.”
As expected. There must’ve been some deal between Dang Mugi and Paeng Yu-gun before I arrived.
[That’s why the Poison King just watched.]
‘Nah, I forgot, but Grandpa Poison King isn’t normal. In my eyes, it’s not poison that makes him Poison King—it’s his viciousness.’
[What’s that mean?]
‘He already knew I wasn’t Blood Cult.’
I’d shown martial arts before him. Not fully, but enough.
Plus, unlike Paeng Yu-gun, the Poison King knew about Mu Geuk Cheon Hwa.
No one carrying the impurity-purging Mu Geuk Cheon Hwa would be Blood Cult with their signature blood qi. Absurd.
[So you mean?]
‘He set this up to make me squeeze something out of Dao King. Worst case, he steps in himself.’
Not for nothing was he called an old fox. Viciously cunning.
[Is this affection or madness?]
‘Both. It’s a win for me anyway.’
[You’re injured.]
‘Got the fancy pill, and Heavenly Demon Divine Art will heal me in two days.’
[It’s not your injury that’s the problem. It’s that body being mine.]
Always so sweetly spoken.
Anyway.
At Dang Mugi’s words, Paeng Yu-gun scratched his head.
“Didn’t forget. Just pondering.”
“You must give the most valuable thing you possess. Yoon-i isn’t just any martial artist. He’s the Tang Clan’s honored guest.”
“My most valuable is little Soso, but can I just hand her over? Besides, the kid’s already got a fiancée.”
“Not funny.”
“Tch. Wait a sec. Lemme think for once. Sword Dragon, you meditate and recover in the meantime.”
The situation settled into a lull.
“What happened?”
A beat late—no, several beats—Tang Clan head Dang Mun Su and various experts appeared, along with passersby like Namgung Jin and the young elites, even Paeng So So mixed in.
Paeng So So cheerfully waved, “Grandpa!” Paeng Yu-gun chuckled heartily.
Dang Mugi replied calmly.
“Nothing much.”
“We felt an enormous clash of energy. Father, really nothing?”
“I said nothing.”
“That?”
Dang Mugi tried to dismiss it, but Paeng Yu-gun suddenly stepped forward.
“Lost a drinking bet, so I sparred with Eastern Sword Dragon.”
“Ah, you gave guidance.”
“Nah. I learned a move.”
“!?”
Everyone’s faces showed shock at Paeng Yu-gun’s words.
Who was Dao King?
Among the countless saber users in the jangho, he was the pinnacle, hence the “King” title.
For such a Dao King to learn from me—a mere young elite known as Super Peak at best? Shocking.
“Is, is that true, elder?”
“Kid. Don’t you introduce yourself when speaking?”
“I’m Namgung Jin, elder.”
“Ah. That slimy one?”
An insult Namgung Jin could hardly bear, but against Dao King—even his grandfather couldn’t win. Face red, nothing else to do.
“Anyway. Yeah. Learned something good from Eastern Sword Dragon. So now I owe him…….”
Seeing the crowd, Paeng Yu-gun clapped as if struck by inspiration.
“Perfect, with everyone here. Listen up, all of you.”
Before anyone could react, Paeng Yu-gun dropped the bombshell.
“I’ll become Eastern Sword Dragon’s blade—once, no conditions, no limits.”
……Went fishing for reward, hooked a nuke instead.
I Pretend to Be the Heavenly Demon