Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Wind-Tendon Household
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My words had clearly hit Peng So-cheon right where it hurt, right in the muscles of his brain.
“What? You say my lower body looks weak?!”
Peng So-cheon immediately bristled and stepped forward.
“Even if we've been like brothers since the days we ran around naked together, there are things you can say and things you can't!”
Seeing Peng So-cheon huffing and puffing like that, Master at my waist clicked his tongue as if to say, what's he getting so worked up about?
-That apprentice guy frothed at the mouth over the saying that the sword is the king of all medicines, and this fool's losing it over his muscles.
Ah, I almost burst out laughing.
Personally, I had to agree with Master to some extent.
However, knowing the original Peng So-cheon and the characteristics of the North Hebei Peng Family's saber techniques as described in the story, I could understand his muscle obsession.
'Internal and external combined.'
Unlike the martial arts of other great sects that focused on comprehension of advanced techniques and internal energy cultivation, the Peng Family's saber arts required simultaneous training of internal and external energy under one's innate constitution to reach the pinnacle, as depicted in the original work.
'And I pointed out his weak lower body. That really struck at his pride.'
But I hadn't just scratched at Peng So-cheon's nerves without any basis.
'His balance really is off.'
When Peng So-cheon demonstrated the forms of the Five Tigers Single Gate Saber.
Master at my waist had clearly noted the instability in his landing during the form where he leaped into the air and came down.
'I saw it too.'
I might be little more than a pup as a martial artist, but with all the odds and ends I'd seen and experienced in my previous life, plus my ability to perceive time differently when I focused intently, it was clear to my eyes as well.
Truth be told, Peng So-cheon's muscles couldn't be balanced anyway.
The world's strength training methods weren't like my previous life with specialized equipment and measuring devices for scientific workouts. They were just brute-force affairs like dragging rocks or carrying equivalently heavy logs, making balanced development hard.
'The Pengs have a high rate of innate Fierce Tiger Physique, so even that kind of training builds their bodies like that.'
Anyway, the mere fact that he was bristling meant he was aware deep down that his muscle balance was off.
With a smirk, I continued.
“To be precise, the muscle balance between your left and right legs is off.”
“……!”
“They say you can tell the upper body from the lower. Isn't it the same with your left and right arms and back muscles?”
“I can't take any more! Draw that sword at your waist, Eon Yong-un! Don't just talk—prove it like a man with your body!”
His face flushed red, Peng So-cheon challenged me to a spar.
Peng So-cheon wasn't the type to gain enlightenment from mere words.
'That's why I want to spar too.'
But if it meant clashing Five Tigers Single Gate Saber against Heaven-Splitting Ten Swords, it wouldn't align with my intent to get him frequenting the Azure Bamboo Pavilion.
To steer the match my way, I smirked again and spoke.
“We're talking body training, so why does it end with blades? You said prove it like a man with your body? Then let's do it without swords or sabers—just pure body.”
After lightly chiding Peng So-cheon like that, I turned to So-rung, who had been silently watching with bated breath.
“So-rung.”
“Yes, Eon hyung.”
“Isn't there a spare desk in our student council room?”
“Yes. The publicity minister position is vacant, so there's one spare desk.”
“Go fetch it.”
So-rung zipped off like lightning and dragged back a desk from the student council room.
But he wasn't alone.
He'd brought Ha-seong and Jeong-hyeon along.
“Hyungs! Why are blood brothers fighting... Uh? That's not Yong-myeong hyung. And who's this...?”
“Hm? Isn't that Peng So-cheon of Cloud Plum Pavilion?”
“Right. You guys saw him sneaking around before, so you know—our fathers are sworn brothers, so we grew up like siblings. But why bring up Yong-myeong all of a sudden?”
“Oh, we thought you and little Eon were fighting, so we figured some trouble between the Eon brothers.”
“Anyway, introduce yourselves. This is my brother So-cheon from the North Hebei Peng Family.”
“Yes. Allow me to greet you properly. I'm Jeong-hyeon.”
“Me too. Eun Ha-seong. If you're Yong-un hyung's hyung, you're mine too, so I'll call you hyung?”
“So-cheon hyung. These are my...”
It was a bit embarrassing to say out loud every time.
Gulp.
But their eyes were sparkling with anticipation.
Fine, generosity it is.
“...little brothers.”
“Hm. Well, if you're Yong-un's little brothers, you're mine too. Nice to meet you. Peng So-cheon.”
That led to a brief round of introductions, which wasn't bad since I was trying to connect Peng So-cheon with my little brothers anyway.
I was thinking it worked out well when Peng So-cheon spoke up.
“So. What do you mean 'pure body'? Why the desk?”
“Let's do ssolgyo.”
“Ssolgyo? You mean the Mongolian wrestling?”
Ssolgyo referred to wrestling, and in the Central Plains, mentioning it usually brought to mind the Mongolian style from the Yuan Dynasty, like Peng So-cheon did.
Of course, if that's what I meant, I wouldn't have called for a desk.
“Not that. Arm ssolgyo.”
I meant arm wrestling.
It had never been mentioned in the original, so maybe he wouldn't know.
“Arm ssolgyo?”
Yup, clueless.
But as martial artists, one demo and they'd get it.
“I'll show you. Eun Ha-seong. Stand across from me with the desk between us.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Like this, facing each other. Elbows on the desk. Ha-seong, hand out.”
“Like this?”
“Yeah. Both elbows on the desk, then grip hands like this. Now, when we start, you pull toward you, I'll pull toward me, full strength.”
“Got it.”
“Start.”
“Haaah!”
“That all you got?”
“Wh-what?!”
Bang!
“Ack!”
“The one who gets flipped wins.”
After the demo, Peng So-cheon rolled up his right sleeve and spoke.
“Fits the 'pure body' condition perfectly. Fine. Let's go.”
Revealing an arm thick enough to make sailors who lived on spinach weep.
My little brothers and Master at my waist gulped in unison.
“I heard the Peng Family arts emphasize external training a lot, and it's no exaggeration.”
“Y-yeah.”
“...Arm ssolgyo. First time I tried, but against that forearm, won't the arm bend in a way it's not supposed to?”
-Looks like pure strength vs. strength. You think you can beat the Peng kid?
I understood their reactions.
Peng So-cheon's right arm looked that strong.
'But arm wrestling isn't just raw strength.'
If total is ten, technique accounts for three or four at least.
Of course, overwhelming strength leaves no room for technique.
But I didn't think Peng So-cheon's strength overwhelmed mine.
For one, though I learned swordsmanship from Master,
at some point, I trained my body my way.
'Master even acknowledged my method as better.'
So I'd evenly strengthened my entire body—wrists, biceps, triceps, shoulders, lower body, everything, without favoring sides.
'Arm wrestling isn't just arm strength.'
And the arm I'd face wasn't that right one.
“So-cheon hyung?”
“Yeah?”
“Why'd you roll up your right sleeve?”
“Hm? Isn't this how it's done?”
“The method's right. But why'd you get mad in the first place?”
“Why I got mad?”
“Yeah. I said your lower body was weak and your upper body balance was off, right? Or not?”
“……!”
Left arm. Perfect.
At my words, Peng So-cheon sheepishly rolled up his left sleeve.
Peng So-cheon's left arm.
As one with the innate Fierce Tiger Physique, it was far more developed than a typical Jianghu warrior's.
But compared to his saber-wielding right, it was honestly lackluster.
-That looks winnable. You've got a plan, disciple!
It looked promising, and the moment we gripped for arm wrestling, I knew.
'This is mine for sure.'
As Jeong-hyeon, the referee, shouted 'Start!',
“!”
“!”
Peng So-cheon's left arm held for a brief moment on pure arm strength alone.
“Hrgh!”
But it couldn't withstand my twisting technique channeling my evenly developed whole-body power.
“Dahk!”
Peng So-cheon let out a whimper like a crying child as he slammed down with a crash!!!
The desk shattered in the process.
But that ended it.
“Wind-tendon household's wind tendons.”
“W-wind tendon?”
I clapped my hands together in front of the dazed Peng So-cheon and said.
“Wind as in breeze, tendon as in the sinews used with muscles. Looks sturdy, but feels like they're filled with wind inside.”
“...W-wind tendon.”
He'd asked me to convince him with my body, so he had no retort.
“If you'd trained at the Azure Bamboo Pavilion, you'd have real combat-compressed muscles like me. Tsk tsk.”
I tossed the bait without hesitation.
And Peng So-cheon bit hard.
“Kuh. Fine, I lost, so you're right! But you said even the training ground was crappy and getting replaced? Training here builds... what was it, combat something muscles?!”
“Combat-compressed muscles. Shortened to combat-dense.”
“Yeah, that! So what do you mean training at Azure Bamboo Pavilion makes them? Doesn't make sense!”
“Our facilities are outdated overall. But this arrived today.”
I pointed to the pile of dumbbells, weight machines, and iron knuckle guards that had come in today.
“What's that?”
Better seen once than heard a hundred times, better done once than seen a hundred times.
I handed him a solid dumbbell.
“Fold and extend. Stimulate your arms.”
“!”
“The white numbers next to it are reps. See? We've got them lined up by rep count. Feel it?”
“...Using these would definitely develop the necessary muscles more evenly than carrying rocks or logs.”
“We're not strangers. You're like a brother, so if you want, train with us at the Azure Bamboo Pavilion?”
The body's signals tell the answer without words.
Gulp.
Peng So-cheon's throat bobbed.
I smirked and said.
“Oh, of course, there's a usage fee. Plus compensation for the broken desk.”
From that day, Peng So-cheon's voice joined the shouts and groans leaking from the Azure Bamboo Pavilion.
“Down on one, up on two. One!”
“Haaak!”
“Two!”
“Kuh. Kraaah! Spare me, Physical Education Minister!”
“More more more! Full extension! Look at Student Eon Yong-un, Vice President, and Peng So-cheon from Cloud Plum Pavilion! They're handling three times your weight with the same form!”
As the cadets' sweat soaked the new stone floors day by day,
the spring festivals passed one by one, and the season neared spring's end.
Among them, the day after the Cold Food Festival, where old fires were extinguished and new ones kindled in ritual,
with internal and external guests and cadets from the four dorms gathered,
Righteous Martial Academy's Chancellor Gyeong Hye-sa-tae stood tall on the platform clutching a torch.
“For one day yesterday, we ate cold food and lit no fires, extinguishing the old fire that burned unceasingly through the past year. This torch in my hand I kindled myself by rubbing, same as the new fire burning under the kitchen hearth where cadets ate breakfast. Now, I shall transfer this new fire to this brazier.”
Whoosh—
Roar—
“For generations, the Righteous Martial Academy's Spring Dormitory Tournament has been the new students' stage. Like this blazing new fire, compete hotly and healthily, and show the world these young flames who will lead the righteous martial world!”
Thus, the Spring Dormitory Tournament curtain rose.