Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Lessons in the Seven Stars Fist
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"Hey!"
This persistent bastard had returned once again, disrupting the peace of the hermitage.
"Today is designated for sword formation training, so I don’t have anything specific to do with my time," Cheongu announced with his usual oblivious cheer.
If you have no training, you should find something else to occupy yourself with—why must you keep coming to the Void Serenity Hermitage and getting in my way?
Shouldn't a normal person pick up on the subtle hint when someone shows that much clear dislike, or is he simply too innocent or just incredibly stupid to notice?
But as Jinmu watched him quietly, the face of another man from his past life overlapped in his mind: a loyal man who was just as dim-witted as this boy, the kind of person who would grin even after taking a beating.
'Cheon U-myeong...' the only one he truly missed from his days at the Evil Hegemony Heaven.
Cheongu somehow resembled that man, for they were both cluelessly cheerful, both were bullied by their peers, and both were hopelessly inadequate at their chosen crafts.
"Haa..." Jinmu shook his head to clear the sentimentality.
"Martial Uncle, would it be alright if I train over here without bothering you? I really don't have anything else to do with my day..."
"Fine. Go ahead and do whatever you want," Jinmu replied, sighing as he nodded, mostly because the memory of his loyal subordinate made him soft for a moment.
Cheongu beamed brightly and immediately began his training session. "Haat! Taap! Eeyap!" he shouted, moving while unleashing all sorts of energetic cries.
It was the Seven Stars Fist, which he had learned orally from Myeongjin long ago, and Jinmu found his curiosity piqued as he watched the boy train with such intensity.
He had clearly put in a significant amount of practice, for his basics were solid, and Jinmu realized that the boy wasn't just lazy, but he was failing to adapt the forms to his own specific body type.
Cheongu was fat, which meant his movements were inevitably heavy and slow, exposing all of his intentions to an opponent before he even launched a strike.
'Who taught him such nonsense? If your arms are short, you must push in with your feet more than the standard footwork dictates,' Jinmu thought, feeling frustrated beyond words.
"Hey!" he called out.
"Yes, Martial Uncle?" Cheongu turned, blinking his small eyes in confusion.
"Why are there so many useless flourishes in your punches? You are thick and heavy; a reed can use feints to fool an opponent, but try the same on a tree trunk and it won't even register."
Cheongu's blank stare clearly showed he didn't grasp the concept, so Jinmu stood up with his arms crossed, intending to teach him something quick just to shoo him away.
"Show me the Seven Stars Fist again," Jinmu commanded.
"Ah! Thank you!" Cheongu perked up and began demonstrating the forms, but before his chubby fist could even start its flourish, Jinmu's scabbard struck his elbow with a sharp snap.
"You idiot! Do not focus on useless changes; aim straight for your target with short and concise punches!"
Jinmu matched the Seven Stars Footwork exactly, using his scabbard to strike and correct Cheongu's punches until the useless motions completely vanished after twenty repetitions.
"That is enough for today!"
"Hah, hah... Thank you, Martial Uncle!" Cheongu, covered in fresh bruises and sweat, bowed and collapsed onto the ground.
"Do not come back tomorrow," Jinmu said, glaring with a murderous intent that made the boy shrink like a turtle, though he doubted the child truly understood the threat.
Myeongjin eventually emerged from the hermitage with a pleased expression, noting that Jinmu had guided the child well, which was exactly what a disciple should do.
---
The next morning, the boy did not show up, much to Jinmu's relief, but his peace was short-lived as a sharp roar echoed through the front yard of the hermitage.
Cheongu had returned, but he was accompanied by a fierce-looking Taoist in his mid-thirties: Jinhyeo, a First Generation Disciple and one of the famed Wudang Seven Heroes.
"Ah, Senior Brother," Jinmu said with a lukewarm response that caused Jinhyeo to quirk his brow in anger.
"Was this your doing?" Jinhyeo demanded, his face flushed with rage. "Are you the one who taught Cheongu that despicable crap?"
He accused Jinmu of teaching "cowardly moves" within the sacred Taoist grounds, but Jinmu remained calm, even when the older man began shouting and spitting.
"Why are you so upset? Did your student lose?" Jinmu asked with a smirk.
"He won the spar, but he nearly cost another child his lineage because of your side-path tricks! How dare a Taoist disciple spew such vulgarity!" Jinhyeo bellowed.
Jinmu's street-ruffian vibe and cocky stance clearly flustered the older Taoist, who decided that he must teach his junior some manners through force.
"I will smash that cockiness and set you straight!" Jinhyeo declared, drawing his sheathed sword and radiating a fierce aura.
Jinmu grinned wickedly, realizing that this was a gift from heaven—an opportunity to beat a rival and make a name for himself as he advanced toward his goal.
"Come on then," Jinmu said, pointing his sword tip at the ground in a pose that Jinhyeo found entirely offensive.
The moment he stepped forward, the distance closed instantly, and Jinmu's sword thrust up like lightning from below, targeting the Divine Gate acupoint with terrifying speed.
It was a move from the Divine Gate Thirteen Swords, but as Jinhyeo tried to counter with the same art, he realized that Jinmu was targeting his groin, eyes, and armpits.
"You scum! How can you use a gentleman's sword art like a demonic riffraff?" Jinhyeo screamed, his rage boiling over as his sword unleashed flashy forms in a desperate attempt to reclaim the advantage.