Chapter 40: Becoming the Demon Subjugation Group Leader (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: Becoming the Demon Subjugation Group Leader (3)
“Let’s camp here for the night.”
I wasn't exactly thrilled about sleeping outdoors from the very first day.
To reach Sinryong, we had to pass through Mount Qingcheng, and there wasn't even a small cottage in the vicinity. We found a spot near a small, flowing stream and began preparing our camp.
The members of the Demon Subjugation Group all looked energetic as they assigned patrol shifts and prepared the meal. The rest of the group scattered to nearby clearings to practice their martial arts.
So Gu-chi and Sim Geol were more enthusiastic than anyone, while the Twin Heroes of Guiyang sharpened their combat instincts through a friendly duel. Poison Wolf Ibu and the Smiling Face Sword seemed to be training the lower-ranked members in some kind of sword formation.
For those lower-ranked fighters, forming a sword formation was their best bet for surviving a real fight. It was heartening to see everyone training diligently without me even having to give an order. After all, the stronger they were, the safer and more pleasant this "excursion" would be for me.
I stood up quietly and headed toward the forest. When the Twin Heroes of Guiyang stopped their duel to follow me, I spoke up.
“I’m just going to go loosen up my body for a bit. Don’t follow me; just wait here.”
Thinking I was going to practice my sword techniques, the two of them cupped their fists and bowed.
“Understood, my lord.”
I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw them stop their sparring to stand guard over the perimeter instead.
“Don’t worry about me, just keep training. I just have some things to think about, so don’t be concerned.”
Despite my words, the two remained as immovable as statues.
“Honestly, no flexibility at all.”
The reason I had come into the forest was to master the use of the bracelet. I needed to figure out how to inject internal energy into it properly so that the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet wouldn't drain all my reserves.
Once I was sure no one was around, I drew my sword. I wanted to find the difference between injecting energy into a blade and injecting it into the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet.
At first, even when I tried to channel energy into the sword, it was sucked into the bracelet. Since the bracelet was positioned over my wrist, I figured that if I skipped the wrist meridians and sent the energy directly to my Palm Center, the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet wouldn't be able to steal it. I decided to test this theory.
“As I thought! The bracelet is absorbing the energy flowing through the wrist meridians.”
If that was the case, operating it was simple. When using the sword, I would send energy directly to the Palm Center; when I wanted to use the bracelet, I would let the energy flow through the wrist.
Of course, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. I was still a novice among novices, struggling even to guide my internal energy through specific blood paths.
I drew my sword and channeled energy into my Palm Center. I felt a slight vibration in the blade. About three paces ahead, a dry pinecone was hanging in a perfect position for a draw-strike. I felt the urge to use a lightness skill and draw my sword simultaneously to hit it.
Since a few tree trunks were blocking the path to the pinecone at an angle, I thought dodging them while drawing would be good practice. I braced myself and kicked off the ground.
Thump! Whoosh!
The moment my right foot hit the ground, my body shot forward, and the pinecone loomed large in my vision.
“Tsk!”
I pivoted on my left and right feet to avoid the obstructing trees. However, I was so focused on dodging the trees that my sword missed the pinecone by a wide margin.
It was then.
My body began to move almost on its own. My right foot stepped forward to halt my momentum, and my sword lashed out toward the pinecone behind me. I twisted my waist, swirling the sword upward as if stirring the air before slashing out. Naturally, my lower body rotated as well, closing the distance to the pinecone.
Tuk!
The sword grazed the pinecone.
It was a movement so perfect that anyone watching would have burst into applause. For a moment, I was bewildered—how had my body produced such a move? I stood there for a moment, frozen as I replayed the motion in my mind.
“My god! That was a form from the Ten Severing Soul Sword.”
The moment I passed the pinecone, I had felt a desperate urge to hit it. In response, my body had executed one of the only forms I knew that could bridge that specific distance—a move from the Ten Severing Soul Sword.
Because it had happened almost subconsciously, even I was stunned. I hadn't given much thought to the Ten Severing Soul Sword lately, treating it as nothing more than a warm-up exercise. But that sequence—closing the gap and slashing in one fluid motion—was breathtaking, even to me. I felt how the movement had flowed as naturally as water.
Taking advantage of the momentum, I decided to perform the entire Ten Severing Soul Sword. I went through the forms slowly, as if warming up, but I couldn't replicate that fluid, water-like feeling from before.
What am I missing?
As I immersed myself in that thought, a spark suddenly flashed before my eyes.
“That’s it! It’s the internal energy!”
Earlier, when I channeled energy into my right foot, it had naturally flowed into my hand as well. And to hit that pinecone, my body had instinctively triggered a form of the Ten Severing Soul Sword.
I opened my upper dantian fully and injected internal energy into the sword. My wrist tingled, and my palm felt heavy. It was proof that the energy was being channeled into the sword through the Palm Center.
Then, I executed the first form of the Ten Severing Soul Sword.
It was the first form: Scattering Light Red Sun Flash.
The essence of this form was to be both slow and fast simultaneously.
Whoosh!
As I injected the energy from my upper dantian into the sword and unleashed the Scattering Light Red Sun Flash, the blade curved as gracefully as a Tai Chi practitioner before striking and retracting as fast as a bird pecking for grain.
And as I took the final stance, the sword naturally shot forward like a hidden weapon. It flew so fast it was nearly invisible, burying itself deep into a tree trunk.
Thud!
The entire tree shuddered.
“Huff... huff... huff!”
My legs shook. Just one form had drained almost all of my internal energy.
“This... this sword art is a glutton for energy. Between the bracelet and this technique, everything just wants to suck me dry.”
I grumbled, but after performing the form, I finally understood. The most baffling part of practicing the Ten Severing Soul Sword finally made sense. When I first studied the manual, I couldn't understand why the very first form involved throwing the sword away.
It was always so draining to throw the sword, go pick it up, and then try to continue the forms. I used to think whoever created this art was a complete hack.
But I was wrong.
After throwing it, I felt it. There was a reason for the throw.
As it turned out, the Scattering Light Red Sun Flash wasn't some haphazardly made move. It was a technique where you were supposed to retrieve the sword immediately using internal energy. The starting posture of this form involved reaching out with an empty hand to gather energy.
In other words, it meant the sword had to be retrieved via Manipulating Sword with Qi.
“Even so...”
The realization terrified me. This Ten Severing Soul Sword—or rather, its original name, the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword—was an art that surpassed even advanced martial arts. It was a technique that could only be fully realized by someone capable of Manipulating Sword with Qi, which required at least two jiazi of internal energy.
“The Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword is meant to be performed with at least two jiazi of power.”
Because a weakling like me, with barely any energy to speak of, had been trying to perform it, it had seemed like a bizarre and nonsensical style.
That means the man who died with this was an absolute grandmaster.
Since I had found this manual on a dead warrior, it meant that warrior must have been a master of the highest caliber.
“Good grief. I had no idea I was carrying around something as dangerous as a Thunderbolt Ball.”
My hands trembled. I had accidentally discovered the secret of the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword, but it only made my heart heavier. It was a relief I hadn't told anyone about this.
If I’m not careful, this could be the end of me. Forget it. I need to completely forget this sword art.
It was clearly a technique I had no business possessing, let alone learning. I calmed my racing heart and stepped out of the forest.
When I emerged, drenched in sweat after such a short time, everyone seemed to think I had been engaged in some profound training. They all looked at me with eyes full of admiration. Eventually, the lower-ranked martial artists who had been practicing began to drift toward me.
What is this?
I knew that look. It was the look of people hoping for some kind of enlightenment.
“The other day, after Young Hero Eo gave my friends a stern scolding, the look in their eyes grew much deeper. Even if it isn't about martial theory, please give us a word of wisdom that might serve as a ray of light for us.”
One of them stepped forward and spoke.
I felt truly sorry for them. They should be asking someone who actually had something to say. I wasn't some Zen monk living in a secluded temple; I didn't know why everyone went crazy for "enlightenment" the moment they saw me.
And yet, realizing that these men had likely joined this Demon Subjugation Group hoping for exactly this made me feel a pang of pity. Most of this trip would just be an excursion, but they had followed me into a unit where they might actually have to fight and die, all because they trusted me.
That thought softened my heart. It wasn't like I couldn't say something, even if it wasn't strictly about martial arts.
As I took a deep breath and straightened my posture, the crowd gathered, expecting something profound. Even the Sword Palace Squad was secretly paying attention, and Fairy Doyeon approached me.
“I do have one thing to say to you all.”
Expectation filled their faces. Whenever I had asked the Failed Scholar for something profound, he would always give me a flick on the forehead and say something. I decided to recite those exact words. If I said this, they surely wouldn't bother me again.
“If you can only understand the meaning of Simultaneous Pecking, your enlightenment will not be far off.”
“Simultaneous Pecking?”
“What does that mean?”
The martial artists whispered among themselves, looking confused. Scanning the crowd, it didn't seem like anyone knew the term. Still, I looked toward Doyeon and the Demon Subjugation Group leader, Ye Woon. Since they were well-versed in both letters and martial arts, I trusted they would understand.
“I didn't expect to hear the term 'Simultaneous Pecking' from Young Hero Eo,” Doyeon said with a smile. “Simultaneous Pecking was one of the important koans in the Blue Cliff Record, a representative Buddhist text from the Song Dynasty.”
As expected, Doyeon, coming from the Emei Sect, had studied Buddhist texts and knew the meaning.
One of the martial artists stepped forward tentatively.
“We’ve heard the term before. We know the gist of it. It refers to how a chick must peck from the inside while the mother hen pecks from the outside at the same time for the egg to hatch. It means that there is a right time for enlightenment.”
All eyes turned to him. For a common fighter, he seemed to have read a fair amount of books. Doyeon nodded with a bright smile.
“That is correct. However, Simultaneous Pecking has another meaning. It signifies that a teacher only provides the opportunity for awakening; the rest must be achieved through the disciple's own effort. Right now, Young Hero Eo is telling you that enlightenment is something you find within yourself, not something that comes from others.”
I nodded at Doyeon’s plausible interpretation. Then, I looked at one of the warriors.
“The one holding your sword—is it you? Or is it me?”
“It is I,” the warrior replied.
I continued.
“Then why do you keep acting as if I am the one holding your sword? The ones you should treat as your masters are the person who taught you your techniques and your martial arts manuals. You must study those manuals over and over to find your own understanding. That sword is not mine; it is yours. How can you seek an enlightenment I haven't even found when you haven't even mastered what is already yours?”
When I finished, the warrior bowed his head deeply. Even Ye Woon of the Five Dragons of Sword Palace and Doyeon looked at me with surprised eyes.
Though my words were close to a Zen riddle, everyone present became lost in their own thoughts. If that was enlightenment, then so be it.
Whenever I had tried to ask the Failed Scholar something, he would tease me with words like these. He only said them because I was being annoying, but I never imagined they would be so useful in a situation like this. I was truly realizing the value of an education.
Leaving the somewhat awkward stares behind, I headed back to my spot. Behind me, the Twin Heroes of Guiyang and the Seven Cats followed quietly, their faces practically screaming, 'As expected of my lord.'