Chapter 154: Sibling Showdown (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 154: Sibling Showdown (3)
Eun Wi-ryong held a deep, abiding respect for his master, Eun Yu-do.
This was the benefactor who had taken in a mere orphan boy and raised him as a disciple. To Eun Wi-ryong, he was a teacher, a father who had bestowed upon him a surname, a peerless friend, and, occasionally, an annoying older brother.
But what did his master truly think of him?
How did he view this pathetic disciple who couldn't take a single step forward, floundering in place?
‘I won't scold you for your martial arts; do as you please.’
Those words were meant to be comforting, but... were they sincere? Did he secretly want to cast aside such a worthless disciple?
Eun Wi-ryong stared blankly at the martial arts arena.
The duel between Namgung Su-ah and Namgung Myeong had made his heart burn with a fierce heat just from watching. He let out a long, slow breath, exhaling that fire.
Martial arts. It was the exclusive domain of those damn geniuses.
After swallowing a few more bitter curses, his heart settled into a hollow stillness.
– Eun Wi-ryong of the Diancang Sect…!
At the referee’s call, Eun Wi-ryong began to walk. He stepped onto the arena he had just been looking up at. Straightening his posture against the crushing weight of the crowd's gaze, he gripped the hilt of his sword like a lifeline.
‘I expect nothing.’
If you expect nothing, you cannot be disappointed. Even if the sword he aimed at the sun failed to reach it, that was fine. He had never believed it was possible in the first place.
– Hwangbo Hye-ji of the Hwangbo Clan…!
Eun Wi-ryong quietly observed the woman standing opposite him. Meeting his gaze, Hwangbo Hye-ji flashed a crooked smile.
"I finally get to beat that shameless face of yours."
"Try it. If you can."
His stomach churned. What if he lost here? The future he envisioned for himself was nothing short of miserable. The small, secret part of him that still clung to hope was incredibly cruel.
Perhaps, even for me... is there not some potential to shoot down that sun in the sky?
– Begin…!
At the referee’s signal, Eun Wi-ryong stood perfectly still. Sword drawn, he stared blankly at Hwangbo Hye-ji.
Her face contorting into a scowl, she took a heavy step forward.
"What’s with that look?"
Pushing off her front foot, she twisted her waist. Immense power gathered in her drawn-back fist before it launched forward like a cannonball.
Great Fist of Mount Tai.
It was a crushing blow, carrying the sheer momentum of a falling mountain. Eun Wi-ryong reflexively executed the sword technique ingrained in his very bones.
Flash Cloud-Splitting Sword.
A brilliant flash, sharp enough to cleave the clouds, shot from his hand.
Swish—!
It was faster than Hwangbo Hye-ji’s fist. Her eyes widened as the tip of his blade appeared right before her nose. She aborted her punch and hurriedly twisted her body away.
Flutter—!
Her sleeves whipped in the wind. Using the momentum of her spin, Hwangbo Hye-ji threw another punch.
BOOM—!
Eun Wi-ryong was forced back, barely blocking with the flat of his blade. Hwangbo Hye-ji glared fiercely, rubbing the stinging sensation in her knuckles.
"Pathetic."
What was with that dazed reaction? Aside from that one chilling initial strike, everything that followed was completely unremarkable. The sword Eun Wi-ryong had displayed years ago was sharper than this.
"Are you really planning to just give up on everything?"
It made her blood boil. Some people worked themselves to the bone to stand in this arena, yet this guy had regressed instead of moving forward, staring at her with the dead eyes of a fish.
"I told you," Eun Wi-ryong muttered. "Martial arts are meaningless for those without talent, no matter how much they devote their lives to it."
He assumed his starting stance once more. Despite his defeatist words, his posture was absolutely flawless. His talent, his effort—no martial artist who had seen him fight could fail to recognize them. How much blood, sweat, and devotion must one pour into the sword to display such a perfect form?
And yet, he had let that very sword rust away through years of futile self-pity?
Hwangbo Hye-ji refused to accept it.
"Fine, then. Why don't you try getting beaten to a pulp by someone who isn't meant for it?"
Maybe that would finally snap him out of it. Gritting her teeth, Hwangbo Hye-ji’s eyes flared. A thick, brownish internal energy erupted from her entire body.
Thunderbolt Fist of Mount Tai.
The expectations of her family. The expectations of her mother. She channeled all that crushing weight into her strike.
‘I absolutely cannot lose to someone like him.’
She took a giant step and thrust her fist forward.
BOOOOOOM──────────!!!
A thunderous roar erupted from her fist as it pulverized the air. Eun Wi-ryong hurriedly twisted his body, a sudden glint returning to his eyes. In that split second, his sword cut through the light.
Ssssh—!
He aimed straight for her shoulder. Hwangbo Hye-ji made a split-second decision. Ignoring the incoming blade, she stepped directly into his guard.
Thwack—!
The sword sank into her shoulder. She had layered her internal energy to block it, but the defense wasn't perfect. Blood sprayed into the air.
Eun Wi-ryong’s eyes widened, his pupils trembling. That tremor traveled down his arm to his sword, causing the tip to waver.
"Why...!"
Hwangbo Hye-ji didn't hesitate. She swung her fist.
Wham—!
Struck squarely in the abdomen, Eun Wi-ryong was sent tumbling across the ground.
"Cough…!"
After rolling several times, he lifted his head. Hwangbo Hye-ji was glaring down at him. He gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but suddenly, it all felt utterly ridiculous.
‘There’s no reason to go this far.’
Even if he stood up and struggled pathetically, what would change? His lips quivered.
I forfeit.
Just as he was about to utter the words, his gaze drifted up to the high spectator seats. His master was watching him. There was no disappointment or contempt on Eun Yu-do's face. Instead, he wore a faint, gentle smile.
‘Why?’
A sudden, inexplicable anger lashed at his body.
Why does my master not rebuke me? Why is he not disappointed, even after I’ve shown him such a pathetic display?
If there are no expectations, there can be no disappointment. Is that it? Did he never expect anything from me to begin with?
He knew it was a foolish, irrational thought, but his heart refused to listen to his head. Staggering to his feet, Eun Wi-ryong glared at Hwangbo Hye-ji. She stared right back. Seeing the dark, ugly emotions swirling in his eyes, a crooked smile etched itself onto her lips.
"That’s actually much better."
"...What do you know?" Eun Wi-ryong muttered.
His sword vibrated slightly. The minute vibration quickly escalated into a violent tremor, until the blade seemingly shattered into fine pieces, the sword tip multiplying like a phantom illusion.
"Be careful."
His sword shot out like a ray of light.
Swish-swish-swish!
It descended upon Hwangbo Hye-ji in a flurry of deadly afterimages. Eyes wide, Hwangbo Hye-ji threw a single, devastating punch.
BOOM—!
The countless sword strikes vanished. However, just as many shallow cuts appeared across her body. Ignoring the pain, she took another step forward. Gritting his teeth, Eun Wi-ryong swung his sword dozens of times.
BOOM—!
Once again, the phantom strikes were shattered by brute force, leaving more bloody lines on her skin. The arena stones were soon stained with red. Yet, Hwangbo Hye-ji’s footsteps never wavered; she marched straight through the storm of steel.
Eun Wi-ryong, who had once been far ahead of her, had allowed his blade to rust while wandering in self-doubt. Meanwhile, Hwangbo Hye-ji, who had started from behind, had doggedly pushed forward until she finally surpassed him.
BOOM—!
His sword technique was broken yet again. Eun Wi-ryong’s eyes trembled. He couldn't win. He knew it, but it was already too late to stop. The bitter resentment he had buried deep inside finally erupted, seizing control of his body.
"WHY────!!"
Master. Eun Yu-do. Why do you not correct me? I have gone so far astray. What good does it do to blindly believe in such a hopelessly pathetic disciple? ...This disciple can do nothing for you.
Sunlight shattered against the pathetic tears welling in his eyes. It was blinding. He saw the beads of sweat on the doggedly approaching Hwangbo Hye-ji. He saw the blood soaking the arena floor.
Her fist drew back. She was within striking distance now. If that fist landed, he wouldn't be able to withstand it.
His body moved before his thoughts could catch up. The Flash Cloud-Splitting Sword. The forms that had been brutally etched into his very muscles were executed flawlessly, without a single point of disorder.
Time seemed to slow. Eun Wi-ryong felt as if he were watching from a high place. His body moved on its own, his spirit following closely behind. His eyes locked onto the sun, revealed through a break in the clouds.
The sunlight splits the clouds and falls—Flash Cloud-Splitting.
Resentment surged within him. He traced those blinding rays back to their source, staring directly at the sun that cast the light.
If only I could punch a single hole in that damn sun.
The sunlight falling from the heavens was suddenly contained within his blade. And that sword, entirely ungrateful for the grace bestowed upon it, thrust upward to pierce the sun.
‘A frog in a well sits and looks at the sky.’
A mere frog cannot comprehend the true depth of the heavens. But if the sun were to reach out its hand first... would the frog still be unable to reach it?
Eun Wi-ryong’s sword stretched toward the sky.
‘I see.’
The sword of Diancang pierced the heavens, etching a single, absolute black dot into the very center of the sun.
Shooting the Sun.
Eun Wi-ryong burst into laughter as he watched his sword reach beyond the unreachable.
"Hahaha…!"
WHAM—!
Hwangbo Hye-ji’s fist slammed brutally into Eun Wi-ryong’s abdomen. She stiffened, momentarily flustered by his lack of defense, but Eun Wi-ryong merely collapsed to the ground, still laughing.
"Haha, ahahaha…!"
He looked up at the sun in the sky. It was still clear and spotless. It was as if the sensation of piercing it had been a mere illusion.
But Eun Wi-ryong knew the truth. Further. Just a little further. At the end of that endless journey, the sun awaited.
And in that moment, he realized that his true desire wasn't to shoot down the sun. It was to pierce through it, to ascend to an even higher place, and in doing so, to finally embrace its light.
That was what he truly wanted.
"I understand now, Master."
Delusion had clouded his eyes and caused him to wander aimlessly. But now that he could clearly see the destination, there was no reason to stray from the path.
Eun Wi-ryong reached out his hand. The sunlight streaming down seemed to grasp it in return. Its warmth felt exactly like his master’s unwavering faith.
This is the Tao.
And this is Shooting the Sun.
* * *
– Winner! Hwangbo Hye-ji of the Hwangbo Clan…!
The referee’s declaration rang out, but not a single elder of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans dared to open their mouths.
Amidst the deafening cheers of the crowd that threatened to shake the heavens, Seo-jun let out a dry chuckle.
"Is that guy crazy?"
To suddenly thrust his sword at the sky in the middle of a life-or-death duel?
As Seo-jun snickered, an old man standing beside him burst into hearty laughter.
"Hoho, my disciple isn't exactly sane, I'll admit."
"Ah, he’s your disciple? Congratulations."
"Congratulations, my foot. That foolish brat. If he was capable of doing that all along, why did he spend so many years wandering around feeling sorry for himself?"
Despite his grumbling words, the old man's mouth was stretched into a wide, beaming grin.
"You'd better go collect him quickly," Seo-jun said. "If he properly digests that enlightenment, he should easily break through to the Super Peak Realm within a few years."
"Mm, I suppose I should."
The beaming old man kicked off the ground, practically flying down into the arena. Eun Wi-ryong, who was still lying in the dirt grinning like a fool, looked up at him.
"You’ve come, Master."
"Yes, I’m here, my disciple."
"Master."
"What is it?"
"What is the Tao?"
"I have no idea. If I knew that, I would have ascended to the heavens by now."
"You really don't know at all?"
Seeing Eun Wi-ryong’s probing gaze, Eun Yu-do laughed heartily.
"I believe the Tao is simply what the heart truly desires."
"Then wouldn't the Tao be different for every single person?"
"Of course. Since all people are different, how could they possibly walk the exact same path?"
Eun Yu-do leaned over, looking down affectionately at his battered disciple.
"The Tao is not a destination, but a path. It's the road you travel. You know, what the Westerners call a ‘way’?"
"What kind of nonsense is that now?"
"Why do you think the character for Tao (道) means what it does? It’s because it’s a road. The Tao doesn't refer to the destination. It refers to the path you walk to get there."
"I saw the sun," Eun Wi-ryong said, staring intently into his master’s eyes.
Shooting the Sun. To fire myself forward, to surpass you and reach an even higher peak. So that I can finally grasp the hand you’ve extended and climb up, becoming a disciple you can be prouder of than anyone else.
"Your eyes must be failing you in your old age," Eun Yu-do teased.
"I’m still in my prime."
"You cheeky brat." Clicking his tongue, Eun Yu-do's expression softened. "If you saw it, then keep moving forward. That is your Tao."
"Haha…! I understand."
"What a silly fellow."
Instead of replying, Eun Wi-ryong pulled himself up from the bloodstained floor. Looking up toward the high spectator seats, he found the figure of Jin Gi-jae-cheon.
"Thank you, Senior!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
A moment later, a voice transmission echoed directly in his mind.
[ For what? ]
[ The thing about the 'frog in a well sitting and looking at the sky.' Those words. ]
[ Were they helpful? ]
[ Yes. Even in a sky the size of a well, the sun still rises. ]
[ You certainly have a way with words. ]
[ I honestly thought you lived without a single thought in your head, Senior, so it was quite unexpected. ]
[ What did you just say, you little brat? ]
Insolent fellow.
Seo-jun chuckled softly from the stands and lazily waved his hand. It seemed the Murim would soon welcome another Super Peak martial artist. Of course, it would be a disaster if the kid got stuck at the Life-Death Barrier, but from the look in his eyes, that wouldn't be a problem.
If he solidified his foundation for a few years and challenged the Super Peak Realm using today's enlightenment, his breakthrough would be perfectly smooth.
To think that a swordsman blocked by such a massive wall could transform like that after a single grand epiphany.
‘Well, thanks to him, I also…’
Seo-jun tilted his head back and looked up at the sun. He extended his thumb and index finger, forming a gun shape with his hand, and aimed directly at the blinding sphere.
"Bang."
For a fleeting second, it looked as if a perfect black hole had been pierced straight through the center of the sun.
Seo-jun smirked. The absolute logic and profound mysteries of Shooting the Sun were now as clear as day in his mind.
‘It sure is easy to pick up scraps when you’re just watching from the sidelines.’
Thank you, Diancang Sect.