Chapter 130: To Chongqing (1)
Chapter 130: To Chongqing (1)
"I am off then, Abbot Daesa."
"Won-deok. I will not tell you to never break the precepts, but you must be able to account for your actions in detail upon your return."
"Would I dare do anything to betray my master? Since I took my novice vows, I, Won-deok, have never once done anything I could not stand proud of."
"Should you not avoid breaking the precepts in the first place, rather than breaking them and then reporting it?"
"‘One should develop a mind which does not abide in anything’ (The Diamond Sutra). Patriarch Huineng himself said to ‘think not of good and think not of evil,’ so how could I, a humble monk, dare to violate his teachings?"
"My greatest regret in taking this position was teaching you how to read..."
Abbot Hyegak looked at his disciple with a bitter gaze before shaking his head.
Won-deok gave a deep, single-handed bow, then turned and left without looking back.
His luggage for the long winter journey was light as could be.
With a tattered cassock, a string of prayer beads, and an old Buddhist staff, he walked with his bamboo hat pressed low. He strode with such vigor that he didn't even seem to feel the cold.
A few days later, when he arrived in Luoyang.
"The scent of alcohol is thick in the air. This is the joy of walking the secular world."
His pace slowed for a moment as he passed the taverns and inns, but he soon steeled his heart and headed toward the Sima Clan.
Following the path cleared by several startled servants who recognized him, he arrived at the guest hall.
A warrior leaning against the doorway with a sword in his arms spoke to him curtly.
"Who are you?"
The atmosphere in the guest hall was unusually grim for the Sima Clan, causing Won-deok to pause in surprise.
Won-deok tilted his head and looked down at the man.
The man guarding the entrance had a foul expression that screamed 'Unorthodox Faction' at first glance.
"Is Patron Peng inside?"
"There are several Pengs in there. What business does a damn monk have with them?"
"Haha. Patron, saying such things to a monk in Luoyang might lead to an unnecessary misunderstanding."
"Pah!"
The Unorthodox warrior, standing with a crooked posture, spat on the ground and looked up at him.
The warrior wasn't short himself, but the monk before him was a giant of nearly nine feet, forcing the man to crane his neck significantly.
As the guard slowly reached behind him to signal those inside—
"No, this isn't right."
He suddenly froze at the giant's murmur. No, it wasn't the sound that stopped him.
An overwhelming pressure bore down on him, as if his very movements had been sealed, leaving him unable to even twitch a finger.
Thump, thump, thump. A deep resonance, like the tolling of a bell, vibrated from the giant's body.
Beneath the cassock fluttering without a breeze, muscles resembling those of a Vajra Guardian writhed.
It was a famous sight. Even with the bamboo hat obscuring his face, it would be strange not to recognize him.
In fact, hadn't the guard been trying to warn those inside of a Shaolin martial monk's appearance?
Among martial monks, a young monk with such a physique and such an aura was by no no means common.
"Excuse me for a moment."
A thick palm was placed against the frozen man's chest.
Before he could react, the palm resting on his chest emitted a clear thrumming sound.
"Gah!"
The door shattered as the man's body was sent flying into the inner courtyard of the guest hall.
Amidst the rising cloud of dust, the monk's voice rang out alone.
"I have come to see a friend, so clear the way (Gado-ip-u)."
"A Shaolin martial monk—!"
"He's in the Peak Realm! Go get the Elder!"
The warriors who had been sharpening their weapons or drinking alcohol in the courtyard all sprang to their feet at once.
As they surrounded the giant in a circle, Won-deok, having entered the grounds, looked at a fluttering banner in the center of the courtyard.
It was the Peng Family banner. Behind it, words were written in a familiar hand: Blade Earl.
"He must have taken quite a liking to it. Has he no shame...?"
The men pointing their swords at Won-deok hesitated.
Killing a single martial monk who had jumped in alone wouldn't be difficult, but they whispered among themselves, wondering if it was truly alright to kill a Shaolin monk inside the Sima Clan's courtyard in Luoyang.
And then.
—Swish!
A black trajectory flew toward them. Won-deok watched the object flying straight at him but did not react.
—Clang.
The ink-colored blade of a Peng Family saber stopped in mid-air, then fell and embedded itself in the ground.
"Little Arhat. Have you reached the Super Peak Realm?"
"How could I dare? I am merely imitating it."
"Is that something you can just 'imitate'...?"
A young man walked out from between the open doors.
Every man in the courtyard let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.
They willingly made way for the approaching youth, bowing their heads and stepping back in respect.
Won-deok's brow furrowed as he watched.
"You have the air of a Great Demon Lord. Is that what you desired, Patron?"
"It's just that I'm quite popular."
Won-deok couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that swaggering tone.
"Beheading Blood Wolf."
"Little Arhat."
Peng Hyeon-hwi laughed as he roughly swept back and tied his now-shaggy hair.
"Will you hand that over?"
"Come and try to take it."
"You annoying damn monk."
Hyeon-hwi chuckled and extended his left hand. His hand, clad in a heavy gauntlet, flicked its fingers toward the blade stuck in the ground.
—Rattle!
The blade twitched ever so slightly before stopping.
"At your age... are you already challenging the Upper Dantian?"
"Just... imitating... Ugh, it's not working."
Muttering grumpily, Hyeon-hwi trudged over, pulled the saber out, and sheathed it.
He gave the Little Arhat a firm slap on the back and then turned around.
"If the show's over, everyone go back to your business. We're leaving soon."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The Unorthodox warriors began to scatter in an orderly fashion. Hyeon-hwi spoke as he walked toward the guest hall.
"Follow me. We have time for a cup of tea."
"Do you happen to have any 'grain tea' as well?"
"You crazy monk. There's plenty of booze."
The two entered the guest hall, chuckling.
"Just what have you been learning? I thought I had pulled far ahead after a small enlightenment recently."
"How can you pull 'far ahead' with just a 'small enlightenment'...?"
"Isn't that the difference between my stride and yours? Your stride is too small, Patron."
"...I'm not the kind of person who usually hears things like that."
Hyeon-hwi said this as he snatched a bottle of liquor his brother had been drinking and tossed it to the Little Arhat.
Peng Hyeon-cheon watched the scene blankly, looking like he was about to cry.
"I just... did a bit of training here and there."
"Hah."
The Little Arhat thought as he gulped down the alcohol.
On the way to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Alliance in Chongqing, in Luoyang where the Orthodox martial world was teeming... he found time to train?
The blade that had just pierced through his domain... for a moment, he had felt a fragment of something that could perhaps be called 'Intent.'
*
The few days spent staying here in Luoyang could be considered the absolute minimum rest I would have for the time being.
Once we arrived in Chongqing, I would have to do nothing but swing my blade until the job was done.
Therefore, my task for the ten days following the end of the War of Extermination was essentially set.
"No, I'm asking how you actually do that."
"How many times must I tell you? It is about sensing the energy of objects."
"No."
Was my family actually a line of shamans? Why is your spiritual eye open?
"Do not think of it as something only those 'horse-nosed' Taoists do. Even if it is an infinitesimal amount, Qi flows through all things in heaven and earth. It begins with seeing and feeling that."
Grandfather Peng Ik-cheon reached out toward the candle flame at the edge of the table.
As if pulling a trigger, he flicked his index finger—
—Whoosh!
The candle extinguished itself. It wasn't that the wick was snuffed out by something like a Telekinetic Palm.
That sort of thing was just a trick I could already imitate.
This time, I couldn't even feel the flow of True Qi to begin with.
It simply meant the fire went out on its own just because he pointed and pulled his finger.
"There was nothing like that in the Righteous Heart Heart Method..."
I could only conclude that the Hao Clan Leader had deceived me.
Why are there no secret ocular techniques like the Mind's Eye, Spiritual Eye, or Sharingan awakenings? A minor version of the Byakugan seems too weak...
"This is not an area of established martial arts, you dimwit. Think back to when you first formed your Lower Dantian. Did you start by considering the guidance of True Qi or the correspondence of acupoints?"
That wasn't it. In a situation where one hadn't even formed a Lower Dantian, one couldn't do things like moving internal energy. Only then did it start to make a bit of sense.
It meant that the threshold for entry was on a similar level to forming the Lower Dantian.
In the sense that entry became possible from the moment one could perceive the energy of nature.
The problem was—
At least the Lower Dantian is an actual organ.
The point was that for these incredible medieval humans, the Lower Dantian was a physical reality.
How could intentionally activating an existing physical organ be the same as being told to personally experience a sensation I've never felt in my life?
"How do people usually train for this?"
"The Taoist temples in the mountains teach sitting under a waterfall. It is a foolish method, but it is not bad for experiencing the natural energy itself while cut off from the outside world, in a place where natural energy creates the most prominent torrent."
"What about our family?"
"The Soul-Stealing Blade is a martial art of the direct lineage. We do not bother teaching this method to those below that. We prefer to encourage them to slowly build their realm from the Peak Realm and then challenge the Upper Dantian."
To briefly explain the 'tech tree' of my family's direct lineage martial arts:
During the introductory period, one tempers the body through Cleansing the Marrow and simultaneously begins accumulating internal energy with the Hunyuan Heart Method.
From the moment one can guide internal energy on their own, full-scale Hunyuan Gong training begins.
That was the process I started at age seven and finished at age ten.
When one has mastered Hunyuan Gong, the Heart-Protecting Fist, and the Hunyuan Blade, their realm is around the second-rate level.
From the point where forming Sword Qi becomes possible, a direct descendant learns the Chain Blade and the Iron Cloth.
It is a martial system completely different and opposite to the Hunyuan Blade. By this time, the martial artist's realm is first-rate, capable of hurting others with Sword Qi.
Once one becomes first-rate and possesses the minimum qualifications to challenge the Peak Realm, they are taught the Thunderbolt Gong to achieve the Hunyuan Thunderbolt Blade on their own. That is the beginning of the Peak Realm.
I reached that point only when I turned seventeen.
For the record, I heard that for a normally talented direct descendant, this realm is only possible well after their twentieth year, closer to thirty. Let's just say I graduated early.
And now, the Soul-Stealing Blade.
It is the final ultimate art a direct descendant learns in the Peak Realm. A secret technique taught only to those of the direct line worthy of challenging for the succession of the Family Head. Because it is a secret kept strictly within the sect, the moment one learns this martial art, it becomes impossible to branch off into a side family.
The function of the Soul-Stealing Blade is simple.
It allows one to challenge the Upper Dantian while still in the Peak Realm.
It is a martial art that induces the partial manifestation of an ultimate art that should only be possible after the Upper Dantian has blossomed, while still at the level of the Peak Realm.
There is a saying that a direct descendant of the Hebei Peng Family is considered to be one weight class higher than a martial artist of the same realm.
It is because the person themselves is optimized for killing.
This saying no longer applies from the Peak Realm and above, where physical ability can no longer supplement one's realm, but conversely...
If a direct descendant of the Hebei Peng Family masters the Soul-Stealing Blade, it can be seen as having created a shortcut to surpass the martial system of the Peak Realm at that point.
"How long does it usually take to complete the Soul-Stealing Blade?"
"It took me five years for the Soul-Stealing Blade. It took twelve years to complete the true form of the Heaven and Earth Chain Soul-Stealing Blade. I reached the level of Super Peak when I was nearing forty."
"That certainly takes a long time..."
"Do not practice as if you are being chased. Most who challenge martial arts with such an attitude tend to die young without even displaying thirty percent of their potential."
Peng Ik-cheon scratched his head and looked at me.
"Hwi."
"Yes, Grandfather."
"Are you not a mere eighteen years of age? No one has ever entered the Soul-Stealing Blade at your age."
"Not even the Family Head?"
"Indeed. He began at twenty. So, it means you are doing exceptionally well right now. You are young and promising... why do you try to walk so hurriedly? The remaining years for me and the Family Head may not be many, but you have your father, do you not?"
Grandfather Peng Ik-cheon knew that I was seriously challenging the succession.
That was also why he didn't strongly oppose me moving my affiliation to the Hao Clan from the Sanwol Pavilion.
A warrior belonging to the Sanwol Pavilion inevitably lives with the blood of his kin on his hands.
It is a life that cannot help but be met with the wariness and loathing of one's family. Since the mission of the Sanwol Pavilion was the protection of family laws.
Therefore, the more one performs the duties of the Sanwol Pavilion, the more distant the succession becomes.
A person loathed by all the elders and family members cannot become the Family Head.
Even if they become the strongest, it remains so.
One who stands alone without any public support cannot survive in the martial world.
So, to summarize Grandfather Peng Ik-cheon's words:
Even if the Family Head's time runs out, my father would be able to hold the position until the next succession battle. However, I shook my head.
"That is not enough."
"Not enough? Are you saying this because your father's ability does not reach that of the Family Head?"
"It's not just that."
Unless my father reaches the Harmony Realm, the influence of the Hebei Peng Family will inevitably shrink significantly within the Dragon Slaying Alliance for the time being.
In fact, that might be part of the reason why the Family Head did not participate in this expedition.
It was to demonstrate that even in the absence of the Blade Emperor Peng Ik-jin, the family's prestige remained formidable.
But that wasn't all. If my father were to succeed to the position of Family Head in the future, he would inevitably begin a period of secluded meditation.
Just as my grandfather did in his younger days. With the intent of not emerging until he achieved the Harmony Realm.
During that period, the direction of the family would fall to the Council of Elders and the Young Master.
And if time continued to flow like this, the position of Young Master would surely be taken by one of my two older brothers.
To begin with, there was nearly a ten-year age gap between me and Hyeon-cheon and those two.
Ten years at this age is something that can never be ignored. That time guarantees martial prowess, achievements, and public support.
Even if my current growth rate is this steep, I am still lacking to challenge Peng Hyeon-량 and Peng Hyeon-jeong.
Those fellows have also reached the Peak Realm and are learning the Soul-Stealing Blade.
In five years, I could overtake them. Perhaps even shorter. But even those five years are regrettable.
Right now, there are only six months left until the time Peng Hyeon-ryang finishes his secluded meditation.
Before he regains his freedom, our pathetic third brother must at least reach a level where he can keep the second brother in check.
The only thing I ever lacked was time.
Even if I moved as if my feet were on fire, it was still a bit short to overtake my brothers' ten years.
So, I could only say that the state of the world was too harsh for me to be complacent about my youth and rapid achievements.
"Please live a long life, Grandfather."
"Haha, alright."
Peng Ik-cheon tapped the back of my hand a few times and then left.
Since my brother and Grandfather Peng Ik-cheon were handling most of the duties for this expedition, I was actually among the most leisurely in this campaign.
I had to utilize that time to the fullest to build my strength.
Because this current peace might be the last 'burning event' given to me for a while.
"I really can't get a feel for it."
I extended my finger toward the candle flame and put all my strength into it, but the spark didn't go out, nor did I feel any kind of energy. I continued this until late at night before going to bed.
After Peng Hyeon-hwi left.
—Creeeak... Thud.
The candlestick fell over on its own and the flame went out.
Inside the pavilion where all the doors were closed and not a single breath of wind blew.