A New Bodyguard (2)
“Why him of all people, the Shadowless One?”
“That fellow has nothing going for him beyond passable movement techniques. Why did he choose him?”
“Young Master Seok Geum-ryong is only ten years old, and he’s spent his whole life with no interest in martial arts. How could he possibly tell jade from stone?”
The ridicule and sneers from the others struck his ears, but Seok Geum-ryong did not waver in the slightest.
That was because, in his previous life, he had himself been a bodyguard like them, and around this time had drifted into Seokga Manor, where he knew full well the majority of the masters standing here now.
No nonsense. This Shin Dan-woo, the Shadowless One, is the perfect martial artist for me right now, and almost the only one I can truly trust.
He knew the future, and he knew these men’s histories better than anyone.
While everyone else was laughing, Seok Geum-ryong was the only one quietly laughing at them all in return.
Young Master Seok Geum-ryong chose me?
Shin Dan-woo was just as startled by the sudden selection.
Among all these bodyguards, he was in fact almost the only one who did not belong to either the Fifth Young Master’s or the Third Young Lady’s faction.
That alone was reason enough for Seok Geum-ryong to point at him.
There are other martial artists who don’t belong to any faction, but they aren’t free of the succession struggle; they’re simply weighing who is stronger and who will pay them the most.
By contrast, Shin Dan-woo was naturally mild-tempered and righteous, and less inclined to stand with the strong than to remain neutral.
The front-rank fighters Seok Ji-sung had secretly hoped would choose him were all highly capable and bore sterling reputations, but most of them were already in the camp of the eldest son, Seok Dong-seo, or the eldest daughter, Seok Myo-hee. If he had brought them in, they would have reported Seok Geum-ryong’s every move and become a serious liability.
And there was one more reason.
Shin Dan-woo was also the only man in my previous life who came to drink with me when I was being pointed at and mocked as the Gold-Selling Swordsman.
At the time, Woo Do-min’s situation had not allowed for a deep friendship, but even so, he had been able to tell that Shin Dan-woo was of a gentle and good heart.
From then on, he had held Shin Dan-woo in good regard, and when the chance to recruit him came, he had chosen without hesitation.
“Geum-ryong. As water spilled on the ground cannot be scooped back up, so too a man’s choice cannot be taken back. Are you satisfied with your decision?”
Seok Ji-sung, surprised by his son’s choice, asked with penetrating insight.
“Of course. If it had been a choice I would regret, I would never have made it in the first place. Even if my choice turns out to have been wrong, I will not regret it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it was the best choice I could make at the time.”
Seok Geum-ryong answered without hesitation.
It was easy to call something a failure only after the fact, but at the time, it had been the best possible choice.
That was the kind of thing only a man who had lived through a life full of twists and hardships could say.
What a clever young master.
Shin Dan-woo’s gaze toward Seok Geum-ryong softened at that answer, which shone with wisdom.
Seok Geum-ryong had his own reasons for wanting him, and confidence in that choice.
He knew the bodyguards who had trained alongside him.
Shin Dan-woo, among everyone standing here, was the most sensible and righteous man, belonged to no faction, and above all, his movement technique was exactly what the current Seok Geum-ryong needed.
“Then so be it. Great hero Shin Dan-woo, the Shadowless One.”
Once Seok Geum-ryong named him, Seok Ji-sung immediately called him forward.
“Yes, Manor Lord.”
Still looking somewhat reluctant, Shin Dan-woo stepped forward.
“Coincidentally, my son has chosen you as his bodyguard and requested that you teach him martial arts. Would that be all right? If you agree, I will make certain that your treatment and compensation are properly handled.”
Shin Dan-woo’s father had been a magistrate, an honest official who had been falsely accused and put to death.
After that, the family collapsed, and he was left an orphan, wandering the Central Plains and enduring countless hardships before finally mastering movement techniques.
Because of that background, Shin Dan-woo did not choose for wealth or fame alone.
He wanted to see whether Seok Geum-ryong was truly someone worth serving.
...
And yet, what was this?
By rumor, Seok Geum-ryong was said to have a somewhat timid side, a pity for a boy with the name Geum-ryong, meaning golden dragon.
He had been told that despite possessing several excellent qualities, he had been living in the formidable Seokga Manor with nothing to rely on and had grown dispirited as a result.
But look at him now.
Even with Shin Dan-woo staring straight at him, Seok Geum-ryong did not once avert his gaze.
Then, with a formal clasp of the hands, he seemed to convey the message that Shin Dan-woo should hurry and join his camp.
For a moment, Shin Dan-woo even felt that if he did not come under Seok Geum-ryong’s command, he might one day beat his breast in regret. Whether that was true or not, he found himself utterly dumbfounded.
What is that confidence?
In truth, Shin Dan-woo had drifted into Seokga Manor by accident, but after watching how most of the martial artists displayed their petty greed, and how the master they served dreamed of becoming the manor lord and living in ease and luxury, he had been deeply disappointed.
Now, however, seeing Seok Geum-ryong’s bearing, along with the boy’s intelligence and decisiveness, he felt his heart incline in that direction.
“Then, with gratitude, I will protect Young Master Seok Geum-ryong and teach him what I can.”
And so, in the end, Shin Dan-woo decided to place himself under Seok Geum-ryong’s care.
At that choice, the other bodyguards clicked their tongues.
“Tsk, what a pity.”
“Exactly. Of all people, Young Master Seok Geum-ryong?”
“That’s the weakest and most insignificant faction among the eight camps and powers.”
“Phew. Glad it wasn’t me.”
Whatever they said, Shin Dan-woo paid them no mind.
Even if, in the end, this choice should prove wrong or foolish, it was, as Seok Geum-ryong had said, the best choice from the standpoint of this very moment.
Seok Geum-ryong and Shin Dan-woo.
What sort of harmony would the two of them create?
* * *
“Young Master. Why did you choose me?”
That was the first thing Shin Dan-woo said upon entering Seok Geum-ryong’s shabby estate.
“Among those who were desperate to join a stronger faction, those who had already attached themselves to another camp but still hoped to earn merit by becoming spies, and those who simply lusted after gold, you alone were a man of character, a true martial artist. Great hero Shin Dan-woo was the only one.”
Seok Geum-ryong answered without the slightest hesitation.
How can such insight and judgment come from someone so young?
Shin Dan-woo was moved once more.
At the same time, he felt a strange conviction that choosing Seok Geum-ryong might not only have been the best choice in the present, but perhaps even the best choice in the future as well.
“There was another practical reason as well.”
Seok Geum-ryong, looking at the astonished Shin Dan-woo, finally showed the innocent smile fitting his age.
“A practical reason?”
“Yes. I need your martial arts, especially your movement technique, because there is one thing you never fall short on.”
“And what would that be? Among those standing with me, there were masters of blade arts who could easily rank among the top hundred in the martial world, and even fist experts boasting extraordinary inner energy techniques.”
Shin Dan-woo’s confusion only deepened at Seok Geum-ryong’s certainty.
That was because he knew nothing of Seok Geum-ryong’s current situation.
I already have superb offensive forms and an excellent internal energy method.
The Heaven-Shattering Seven Stars Sword Technique and the Northern Dipper Cultivation Technique.
What Seok Geum-ryong desperately needed, however, was movement.
“My foremost goal is survival. What I need most right now is a swift movement art that will let me evade the attacks of the assassins that will surely come and give me room to plan for the future.”
The reason Seok Geum-ryong chose Shin Dan-woo was not merely that Shin Dan-woo’s character was excellent and would greatly benefit the faction that would grow around him in the future.
The movement technique the Shadowless One practices is undervalued in the current martial world, but it is absolutely a peerless art.
Moreover, the one martial skill the Gold-Selling Swordsman Woo Do-min had lacked was movement, or mobility.
To make up for the shortcoming of his former life, and to ensure that the current Seok Geum-ryong could flee when confronted by a great enemy, a superb, peerless movement art was essential.
Furthermore, given the martial principles of the Northern Dipper, if Shin Dan-woo’s movement technique were added to the mix, it would be like giving wings to a warhorse.
“Hahahaha...”
At that cold, matter-of-fact explanation, Shin Dan-woo was no longer merely surprised. He actually laughed.
He truly transcends his years.
At that thought, his head bowed of its own accord.
Shin Dan-woo had faced Seok Geum-ryong for only one teacup’s worth of time.
Yet in the time it took to drink a single cup of tea, he had completely acknowledged him and decided to serve as his man.
“I, Shin Dan-woo, will henceforth think of Young Master Seok Geum-ryong as my master, and I will bring everything I have to bear in order to protect you. I will also teach you my humble Shadowless Movement Technique.”
Shin Dan-woo bowed again and vowed his loyalty in earnest.
He described his own specialty, his signature art, as humble, but that was far from the truth.
There were countless movement techniques in the martial world that were fast.
But the Shadowless Movement Technique was not only swift; true to the name Shadowless, it was unmatched in its ability to conceal one’s presence.
So much so that Shin Dan-woo had even been mistaken for a killer by trade, or the heir of one.
That was how superior this movement art was, even when measured against the stealth skills of professional assassins.
If one mastered the Shadowless Movement Technique properly, it would be extremely useful for fleeing from a powerful killer, or for hiding one’s presence and waiting for reinforcements.
“Since it’s better to strike while the iron is hot, could you teach me right away?”
“I will.”
At Seok Geum-ryong’s request, Shin Dan-woo agreed readily.
Before beginning the proper lesson in movement techniques, another thought occurred to him.
I wonder what kind of talent Young Master Seok Geum-ryong has for martial arts.
From what Shin Dan-woo had heard, the second young master, the third young master, and the youngest young lady were all praised as gifted in martial arts.
By contrast, every account of Seok Geum-ryong had been the same: the situation was unfavorable, or difficult.
“Movement techniques and footwork are martial arts of repetition, absorbed by the body. That means the ability to control the body is important...”
Shin Dan-woo began transmitting the formulas of the Shadowless Movement Technique to Seok Geum-ryong, formulas he had never revealed to anyone else.
If he had merely sought glory or gold, he would never have taught the technique, even with a blade at his throat.
There was a story behind his martial art, after all.
But since he now sincerely wished to serve Seok Geum-ryong and see him become great, he taught the formulas, believing the Shadowless Movement Technique would play a decisive role.
“Now then, let me explain once more.”
Putting aside the Shadowless Movement Technique, the formulas of most formidable martial arts were all difficult and hard to memorize.
So naturally, Shin Dan-woo assumed Seok Geum-ryong would fail to grasp them at once.
But Seok Geum-ryong was different.
“It should be like this...”
Without even listening to Shin Dan-woo, Seok Geum-ryong had already become completely absorbed in his own world.
Before long, he was even pushing forward on his own, using the first formula he had just been taught as a basis.
Whoosh!
Yet his movement was anything but ordinary.
He seemed to conceal his presence and blend into the surrounding objects as though becoming one with them.
At the same time, he burst forward with ruthless speed, as if flung ahead by some invisible force.
Had he not copied the Shadowless Movement Technique to the letter?
“Huh! Haaah!”
Right after being taught the formulas, Seok Geum-ryong had tried them with his body and nearly succeeded, and Shin Dan-woo felt as though he had been struck on the back of the head with a massive hammer.
It was absurd. Utterly absurd.
He copies it immediately after hearing it?
Shin Dan-woo began to doubt whether his own Shadowless Movement Technique, which he had polished and refined all his life, might actually be a shabby art.
Of course, that was needless worry.
From my previous life, I already kept a close eye on the Shadowless One’s martial arts.
He had watched the Shadowless Movement Technique at close range, over and over again, dozens, even hundreds of times, and now that he had properly learned the formulas as well, it was easy to reproduce.
Yet Shin Dan-woo, unaware of that fact, was completely dazed.
He bowed deeply once more and, as if under a spell, spoke his true thoughts.
“Even if the talents of the other brothers and sisters are said to be outstanding... compared to Young Master Geum-ryong, they are no more than the sun and a firefly. Young Master Geum-ryong was clearly born with the talent to become a great martial artist!”