Chapter 89: Reorganizing the Blood Wind Squad (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: Reorganizing the Blood Wind Squad (2)
I was just finishing my energy circulation practice and getting up when I heard Deputy Woo’s voice from outside.
“I apologize for disturbing your morning reflections.”
Deputy Woo was treating me with the utmost courtesy now. There was no doubt that Ham Bi-hye had given him specific instructions.
I wasn't sure what had brought it on, but ever since we crossed into Yunnan, the way he looked at me had become significantly more favorable.
“What is it?” I asked.
“The new warriors of the Blood Wind Squad are gathered in front of Jiok-gwan. We can’t have the Acting Squad Leader missing for the opening address, can we?”
I really didn't want to stand out and act like a big shot.
“Is it absolutely necessary?”
Deputy Woo replied to my reluctance. “I was going to let it slide, but the new recruits were quite adamant. They want to see the face and hear the words of the man who chose them before they begin their training.”
He continued with a faint smile.
“As it turns out, the warriors selected this time have been subtly ostracized by the other members of the Nine Demons Chamber. Our sect leans toward the Demonic Path in terms of martial arts, even if our temperament is neutral. Since these men practice orthodox internal cultivation methods, they’ve been quietly shunned. Most of them were pushed into peripheral roles or didn't even have a proper assignment. They are grateful that you picked them specifically to be part of the Blood Wind Squad.”
Hearing that, it made sense. From their perspective, learning orthodox arts had made them loners, so having someone like me give them a chance meant more to them than to anyone else.
If that was the case, there was no reason for me to feel intimidated.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
When I arrived at the place called Jiok-gwan, nearly two hundred warriors were lined up in formation.
Jiok-gwan was a massive training facility belonging to the Nine Demons Chamber, available for use by the various squads. They were providing full support for the formation of this new unit.
As Deputy Woo had predicted, I realized I was the center of attention the moment I arrived. It wasn't just the new Blood Wind Squad; a fair number of other warriors had come out to watch as well.
I even spotted some women in the crowd. Looking closer, Seo Rin was there, surrounded by a few other women who seemed to be whispering incessantly while looking at me.
Ham Bi-hye and the others were nowhere to be seen—likely busy with Ham Jeok’s treatment—but Galwi was standing next to Deputy Woo, yawning widely as he watched me.
That guy isn't the type to show up here just for the hell of it.
As I scanned the surroundings, I realized Deputy Woo’s true intention in calling me here for a speech. Simply put, I’d been played by that fox.
These weren't just random warriors; experts from various squads within the Nine Demons Chamber had gathered to size me up.
‘Damn it, I underestimated Deputy Woo. No wonder he serves as the Sword Demon’s strategist.’
I realized there was a reason for everything he did. This was a formal announcement that the Ninth Chamber Leader’s squad had been reorganized. Furthermore, it had the effect of drawing everyone’s eyes toward me.
“Who’s that guy?”
“They call him the New Dragon of Sichuan. He looks a bit dim-witted, doesn't look strong at all.”
“Still, they say he killed several Blood Luo Living Jiangshi in a single strike.”
“Really? Hard to believe. That guy behind him, his sworn brother, looks much stronger.”
“That’s the Yellow Dragon Secret Sword. Word is he fought to a draw with Mu Gyeol, the leader of the Nine Dragons Group. If that’s true, the New Dragon of Sichuan’s martial arts must be decent, right?”
“He’s probably just a big fish in a small pond. You know how many masters we have here in the Nine Demons Chamber.”
“True enough.”
They were talking loudly enough for me to hear on purpose. Despite the insults being hurled my way, I remained stoic.
“Please, step up to the platform and say a few words for the newly launched Blood Wind Squad,” Deputy Woo said.
I felt a sudden urge to punch him right in the face. My anger flared at being turned into a spectacle. However, that was just my internal thought; my public persona had to be different.
“They seem like better recruits than I expected. Every single one of them has a spirited aura,” I remarked.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang and the members of the Demon Subjugation Group were also standing in the ranks, dressed in the Blood Wind Squad uniforms. Seeing them like that, they actually looked quite dignified.
I gave the Demon Subjugation Group members a brief nod of acknowledgment before stepping onto the platform. Wanting to leave as quickly as possible, I kept my words brief.
“Do not forget why you first picked up the sword! Do not forget why you sought to learn martial arts! If you hold onto that purpose, you will eventually see the end of the path you started on! I wish you all the best of luck!”
Just as I was about to step down after that short outburst, one of the Blood Wind Squad members shouted a question.
“Acting Squad Leader! Is there a specific reason you gathered only us? We want to know the reason. We believe knowing it will help our training results.”
He was asking why I had specifically chosen only those who practiced orthodox internal cultivation.
As I was thinking of an answer, another man spoke up.
“Is it because the Acting Squad Leader was once part of the Orthodox Murim? Deputy Woo told us that you would turn us into masters. We want to know how you plan to do that.”
I thought I understood why they were asking this. They wanted confirmation. They wanted to know if they could truly become masters within the Nine Demons Chamber by learning demonic techniques on top of their orthodox foundations.
I began to circulate my energy through my "Transcendental Tongue." An answer came to mind.
The words I was about to speak were actually things I’d heard from Elder Third Rate. Once, when a vagabond martial artist complained that his skills were regressing instead of improving, Elder Third Rate had given him this advice.
Back then, hearing those words had been a great realization for me. It was why I had abandoned the Six Harmonies Sword Technique and the Three Calamities Sword to focus solely on the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword.
“What martial arts do you practice? I mean your weapon techniques, not your internal methods,” I asked.
The warrior answered loudly. “The Ghostly Yin Sword and the Heaven Slaying Sword!”
“Are you training in both simultaneously?”
“I am.”
“And what is the reason?”
When I asked, the man fell into thought for a moment. He was hesitant because explaining the reason would reveal the characteristics and weaknesses of his martial arts to the world.
However, he seemed to make up his mind, lifting his head to speak.
“The Ghostly Yin Sword inherently carries Yin energy, making it weak against techniques with Yang energy. Therefore, I tried to compensate for that weakness by mixing the moves of the Heaven Slaying Sword, which has strong Yang energy, into the Ghostly Yin Sword.”
“And have you overcome that weakness now?”
This time, the man answered without hesitation.
“I thought so at first, but as time went on, the weakness actually seemed to grow larger.”
I knew it. I decided to explain the reason later and addressed the crowd loudly.
“Raise your hand if you are practicing two or more types of martial arts!”
Every single warrior raised their hand. It almost made those who practiced only one technique look like fools. The Nine Demons Chamber operated on a system where one could learn any technique they desired, so most of its members practiced several different styles.
“Is the reason you practice more than one technique to compensate for weaknesses?”
The Blood Wind Squad warriors remained silent. Their silence was an admission. It was bound to be the case. Every martial art has flaws. There is no such thing as a perfect technique in this world, because a limited set of movements and forms cannot possibly contain all the principles of the universe.
“Now, I will tell you how to become masters!”
At my words, not only the Blood Wind Squad but also all the experts from the Nine Demons Chamber who had come to watch leaned in to listen.
“The reason you eventually hit a wall you cannot cross is that you keep mixing other techniques into your own! The idea that you become a master by mixing martial arts is something that only happens in novels. If you master one technique perfectly, and then master another perfectly, they will eventually harmonize and blend naturally without you having to force them. However, if you mix them to cover flaws before you are fully proficient, your martial arts will only become weaker and eventually fall apart.”
A warrior raised his hand high. “How does compensating for a sword technique’s weakness make it weaker?”
“Because the moment you mix them, progress stops.”
“Won't it improve if I keep practicing?”
“That is the logic of a weakling. I don't call that training; I call it 'messing around.' The person doing it might think they’re taking a shortcut, but to an observer, they are working very hard to go down a path that leads nowhere.”
“Why is that?” the confused warrior shouted.
I answered loudly so everyone could hear.
“You can see the reason if you look at a mule. Everyone knows a mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey. But a mule cannot have offspring. Why do you think that is? People thought that by combining a strong donkey with a fast horse, they would get an animal that was both strong and fast. But instead, the mule is born with the defects of both the donkey and the horse. That is why a mule dies without being able to produce offspring. It cannot even preserve its own kind. That signifies regression. I believe that mixing martial arts is the act of turning oneself into a mule. My advice to you is to master just one of your techniques perfectly. If you do that, you will at least become either a donkey or a horse. You must realize that in the process of learning, you cannot be both.”
Silence fell over the area below the platform.
Was I right? These were words I’d heard from Elder Third Rate when I first picked up a sword, but since they had stuck in my mind, I figured they contained some level of insight worth using.
If not, well, whatever. I was just saying this to look cool, so I didn't care much about the absolute truth of it.
However, looking at the faces of the Blood Wind Squad, they seemed to be nodding in agreement. Since I’d delivered such a cool speech, the inauguration ceremony was going well, right?
I was about to step down when another warrior shouted.
“I have practiced nothing but the Heavenly Wolf Saber Technique my entire life. I can perform it even with my eyes closed. But why do I still lose to warriors of a similar level? According to your logic, shouldn't I be winning? Even when that other warrior has mixed two or more styles?”
The man had a point. But I had been waiting for this. I expected at least this level of questioning if they weren't complete idiots. Every eye was fixed on me. Since this seemed to contradict what I’d just said, they were curious to see how I would respond.
“There is a reason for that as well. Have you realized the full meaning behind the forms of the Heavenly Wolf Saber Technique?”
When I asked, the man shook his head.
“I haven't reached the ultimate essence yet. But reaching the ultimate essence is something even great masters struggle with.”
“I’m not talking about the ultimate essence. I’m talking about the intent behind each form. I mean swinging the saber while thinking about why this specific move is used for a certain attack or how it functions as a defense. If you just swing the saber exactly as you were taught or as you saw in a book, that isn't a saber technique—it’s a dance. If you understand just that, you will become a master immediately.”
Even though I explained it simply, the man looked like he still didn't understand. So, I brought out a prepared example.
“Do you know of Wang Xizhi?”
“I do. Was he not the Sage of Calligraphy?”
If he didn't know Wang Xizhi, he was truly ignorant. He was a scholar who reached the level of a sage through his brushwork.
“I, too, was able to break through the wall in my martial arts because of Wang Xizhi’s words.”
As I added a heavy dose of exaggeration, the eyes of the Blood Wind Squad warriors began to burn with intensity.
“Wang Xizhi said, 'Idea Before Brush, then one creates the character.' He meant that the writing flows well only after the intent has formed in the mind. I gained my martial insight from those very words. When you swing your swords, do you visualize the intent in your mind? Or do you just swing as your body dictates?”
No one could answer.
A master thinks about a multitude of complex factors even when moving their sword once. But a weakling is someone who can't see the truth even with a legendary sword by their side. The reason a master gains a different level of realization even when learning the same advanced technique is for this very reason.
If you visualize the meaning of a form while performing it, you can realize so much from that single move.
Now, one might wonder how I, of all people, knew such things. As I’ve said repeatedly, even if my body is that of a third-rate hack, my eyes belong to a master.
All that was left was to enjoy the looks of admiration on their faces.
“I have been training exactly as you described!” one warrior shouted. “I visualize the meaning of each form while I practice, but I’ve made very little progress! No matter how hard I train, I feel like I’m just running in circles every day! Why is that?”
Wait, what? This guy was catching me off guard.
Usually, at this point, if I use some fancy literary references, the ignorant types lose their train of thought and just start being impressed. But these guys were different.
I suppose I underestimated them. They are the Blood Wind Squad of the Nine Demons Chamber, after all.
In times like this, one must counter-attack immediately, but since I lacked experience in this specific scenario, I hadn't prepared the next line.
I had to say something—anything—and then figure out how to fix it later. If I hesitated too long, it would imply my insight was shallower than his, so I spoke quickly.