Chapter 2: Three Talents Sword Art
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 2: Three Talents Sword Art
As soon as they returned home, Chun-bong abruptly thrust a tree branch she’d picked up off the street toward him.
“Swing it.”
“Without even teaching me anything first?”
“Just do it already, dammit.”
What a rude little brat. Seo-jun grumbled under his breath, but he took the branch and swung it through the air.
Surprisingly, it felt right in his hand. It must have been a 'rare' branch or something. The weight was strangely balanced, making it easy to swing.
However, it didn't seem to satisfy Chun-bong in the slightest.
“Well… you’re completely average.”
“What, did you expect me to cleave the heavens just because I picked up a stick?”
“There you go spouting bullshit again.”
Chun-bong sighed and glared at Seo-jun.
In truth, no matter how much she thought about it, this Seo-jun guy was highly suspicious. For one, he clearly didn't look like he was from the back alleys. While he didn't exactly have perfect table manners, there was a certain level of decorum in the way he ate.
Is he the son of a noble clan? But there’s no trace of him ever having learned martial arts.
Tsk. Chun-bong clicked her tongue and poked Seo-jun in the ribs as he continued to swing the branch.
“Ack! Hey, what was that for?!”
“Quiet. That’s enough, so just sit down over there.”
Still… he seemed like a decent enough guy. It wouldn't hurt to teach him something basic like the Three Talents Sword Art.
Chun-bong let out a long sigh.
* * *
She really was a fickle kid. Seo-jun grumbled as he sat down where Chun-bong pointed.
Still, she has her cute moments.
At first, she’d been incredibly wary of him, but after a few days, she’d started following him around.
Living in these back alleys at such a young age must have been a grueling life. It wouldn't be strange if she was starved for affection.
“Just shut up and listen. It’s not that hard, so you should be able to memorize it quickly.”
Chun-bong held her branch and began scratching characters into the dirt like a teacher giving a lecture.
“Alright, can you read this?”
“Heaven, Earth, Man?”
“What? You can read? This is getting really suspicious.”
“Come on, man. Even a neighborhood kid could read this much.”
天, 地, 人.
They were basic Hanja characters.
Wait.
Come to think of it, the people here didn't speak Korean. It was actually strange that they could communicate at all.
Is this that thing?
The 'Transmigrator’s Buff' or whatever?
But it wasn't like he’d possessed someone else's body, nor had a status window appeared.
As Seo-jun pondered this, Chun-bong poked him in the side again.
“Then what about this?”
Seo-jun looked where she was pointing and saw a bizarre, overly complex scribble.
“What the hell is that?”
“Grape (葡萄).”
“Okay, that one’s tough. I think I could’ve guessed almost anything else, though.”
“Whatever.”
Chun-bong sighed and pointed back to the character for 'Heaven.'
“The Three Talents Sword Art is a technique consisting of three forms. Each form is modeled after Heaven, Earth, and Man. The Three Talents Heart Method is the internal technique created according to those principles.”
“Ooh, a Heart Method.”
“Don’t give me that look; it’s nothing special. Anyway, every Heart Method has an oral chant. And now, you have to memorize it.”
Ahem. Chun-bong cleared her throat and continued.
“By nature, man is a lowly creature whose goal is to rise from the earth to the heavens, and when one reaches the heavens and becomes a Heavenly Being…”
It wasn't particularly long. If recited without stopping, it would probably only take about three minutes.
Of course, hearing it once and actually memorizing it was a completely different story.
“Ah, wait. One more time.”
“By nature, man is…”
“Wait… start again from the 'Heavenly Being' part. Hehe.”
“‘Hehe’ my ass, you want to die? Sigh… When one reaches the heavens and becomes a Heavenly Being…”
By the time he’d managed to more or less memorize the chant, he was exhausted.
“Why do I even have to sit here and memorize this…?”
“Actually, you don’t have to.”
“What? You little brat!”
He barely managed to suppress the urge to snap. Good job, Lee Seo-jun. Beating up a kid is a bit much, even for you.
“But you’d be an idiot not to. Just by memorizing the chant, a certain level of mental imagery—the foundation of martial arts—will take root in your subconscious. Besides, if you ever fall into Qi Deviation or get hit by forbidden arts later on, reciting the chant can save your life.”
So it wasn't just random gibberish.
Chun-bong tapped Seo-jun on the head with her branch. Something about this kid… she’s actually quite smart.
“Were you originally from a wealthy family?”
“Wh-who, me…!? No!?”
“Ah, okay.”
“What do you mean, ‘okay’?!”
Seo-jun frowned as he watched Chun-bong jump around defensively.
She understands ‘okay’? This is getting ridiculous.
Did China trade with the West during this era? He didn't know history well enough to be sure. He wasn't even certain if this world followed the history of his original world in the first place.
“Alright, Teacher. Shall we try the Heart Method now?”
“Urgh…!”
Chun-bong ground her teeth, but she stood behind Seo-jun and placed her palm flat against his back.
“First, you have to feel the Qi. If you can’t do that, then all this was just a massive waste of time, so keep that in mind.”
“It’s fine. I have a feeling I’ll be good at it.”
“Where does that baseless confidence even come from?”
Chun-bong gave a short, scoffing laugh and explained.
“I’m going to inject some Qi into you now. It’ll probably be too faint to be of much help, so try your best to sense it on your own.”
“That sounds incredibly irresponsible.”
“I’m starting. I can’t keep this up for long, so focus.”
Seo-jun closed his eyes. He could feel the warmth of Chun-bong’s hand through his clothes. As he focused, he felt a faint, ticklish sensation blooming within that warmth.
Is this Qi?
Following that faint sensation, he expanded his awareness and realized that 'something' was spread throughout the entire world. The place where its presence was most distinct, however, was within his own body. Only after firmly grasping that presence did he open his eyes.
“What? Why are you opening your eyes already? You have zero concentration.”
“I think I’ve got it.”
“What? There you go with that bullshit again.”
Chun-bong scoffed and pressed her hand more firmly against his back.
“It hasn't even been a minute since you closed your eyes. If you’ve already felt Qi, I’ll sear my own hand.”
“Hmm… was that not it?”
“Try moving it. If you really felt it, you should be able to move it to some extent as you wish.”
As if that’s possible. Even the man once called the Martial God probably couldn't feel Qi in just one minute.
Chun-bong clicked her tongue.
* * *
“Wh-what is this?”
Is this guy seriously scamming me?
Chun-bong’s jaw dropped and stayed there. It was only natural, for she could feel it clearly through her palm. Seo-jun’s Qi was moving exactly as he intended!
From Chun-bong’s perspective, she couldn't help but suspect that this guy really was from a noble clan and was somehow deceiving her.
But if that were the case, why would he deceive her so poorly? If you’re going to lie, you should at least make it somewhat believable.
It wasn't like he was the greatest genius in history. If that was the persona he was going for, then he was just an idiot.
“I’m going to be a Mugong master~.”
“…Why are you rolling your tongue like that? It’s annoying.”
“It’s the native pronunciation.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Maybe not? Maybe he really is just a moron.
Chun-bong let out a deep sigh.
No matter how she looked at it, there was no way someone this stupid could be from a noble clan.
“…I guess you just got lucky.”
“Hey, Chun-bong.”
“What.”
“Does your house have a branding iron or something?”
“A branding iron? No. Why?”
Seo-jun stood up abruptly and grabbed Chun-bong’s wrist. Startled, Chun-bong cried out.
“Wh-what are you doing, you crazy bastard?!”
“Didn't you say you’d sear your own hand?”
“…You’re actually going to do it?”
Chun-bong’s eyes trembled. She hesitated for a moment, then squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her hand forward.
“D-do whatever you want!”
“No, that’s a bit much… I’m not a psychopath.”
“I’m pretty sure you are…”
“What was that, you brat?”
Seo-jun sighed and waved his hand dismissively.
“Forget it. Anyway, so we’re done with the Heart Method?”
“No? What are you talking about? We’re just getting started.”
Now that he’d felt Qi, it was time to form a Dantian.
“Ah…”
Already exhausted, Seo-jun slapped his forehead.
* * *
The rest of the day vanished in an instant as he worked on forming his Dantian.
The next day, Seo-jun woke up as sunlight leaked through the holes in the ceiling. He bolted upright.
“A powerful and good morning!”
As he sat up and stretched his body, he felt strangely refreshed. It might have been his imagination, but he felt far more energetic than usual.
“Ah… I see. So this is what martial arts is all about.”
I’m a martial artist now! Just as Seo-jun was about to start his day on a high note, a deep, heavy sigh reached his ears.
“Sigh… Aren't you tired of acting like this so early in the morning? You’ve barely reached the third-rate level; what are you on about with this ‘martial arts’ talk?”
Chun-bong stood up, scratched her head, and walked out while letting out a massive yawn.
“Since you’re up, pay me back for the martial arts lessons. You’re earning our food today. I’ll… I’ll just keep watch.”
“Mmm, sounds good. A non-consensual, semi-permanent relocation of property. That was definitely one of the items on my bucket list.”
“More bullshit.”
Seo-jun wiped the sleep from his eyes and gulped down water from a heavily cracked bowl.
“Ugh… drinking stuff like this is a one-way ticket to getting sick.”
“That’s why everyone dies young.”
“How tragic.”
Swallowing the unpleasant aftertaste, Seo-jun gave a long stretch.
“Well, shall we go?”
In refined terms, a 'Gentleman Thief.' In plain terms, a crook. Today was the day of his first class advancement.
* * *
What are you going to be when you grow up? Do you plan on living as a thief forever?
Some people said things like that, but they didn't know what they were talking about. Thievery was strictly a matter of physical education and the arts, and naturally, it was heavily influenced by innate talent.
Seo-jun recalled the advice of his senior in thievery, Chun-bong.
‘First is stealth, second is also stealth.’
Not getting caught was the best outcome. If you did get caught, running away without being captured was the next best thing.
‘This is more in the realm of pickpocketing than burglary. You have to aim for the exact moment the target’s attention is elsewhere.’
That was the realm of the third-rate. But a second-rate thief was a bit different.
‘It’s best if you can naturally divert the target’s attention yourself.’
He wasn't sure about being first-rate yet, but today he decided to challenge the realm of the second-rate.
“Ah, I’m caught.”
Of course, things didn't go quite as planned.