Chapter 185: Teachings of Qingcheng (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: Teachings of Qingcheng (1)
“What kind of technique does the Azure Martial Hall Master consider the Illusory Lost Track Step to be?”
“……”
Seok Myeong fell into deep thought at Song Mun’s question.
Simple questions were often the most difficult to answer. It was hard to tell if the question required a theoretical explanation or if it carried a deeper, more esoteric meaning. After organizing his thoughts, Seok Myeong answered with the knowledge he possessed.
“It is known as a technique that deceives the opponent’s eyes. Because its speed is immense and its movements are continuous, leaving illusions in its wake, it was named the Illusory Lost Track Step.”
“A fine interpretation. But if it were as you say, wouldn't 'Phantom Lost Track Step' have been a more appropriate name?”
“…Allow me to answer again.”
Seok Myeong pondered once more. After reflecting more seriously on the etymology, he continued.
“The first character of the Illusory Lost Track Step is Hwan (幻), meaning to change or deceive. To this, we add the second Hwan (環), meaning to circle like a ring. Thus, it means to create illusions that follow one another like an endless loop. Hence the name: Illusory Lost Track Step.”
“Precisely.”
As Song Mun nodded in agreement, Seok Myeong’s face finally brightened. But the relief was short-lived.
“The Illusory Lost Track Step is the representative footwork of Qingcheng, and it has saved my life many times. I’ve used it often when traveling long distances or when I needed to retreat in haste. However, it was most frequently used when facing an enemy.”
At Song Mun’s vague explanation, Seok Myeong’s expression stiffened again.
“After those years turned into decades, I suddenly found myself wondering if the meaning of the Illusory Lost Track Step was truly what I thought it was. To put it simply, I began to wonder if the core of the technique lies not in the 'Illusory Loop,' but in the 'Lost Track.'”
“Ah…!”
Seok Myeong was startled. It was a prejudice he had taken so much for granted that he had never once reconsidered it. The moment Song Mun mentioned it, the weight of the realization hit him.
Was the heart of the technique the 'Illusory Loop' (Hwanhwan), or was it the 'Lost Track' (Mijong)?
“Why would the ancestors of Qingcheng specifically classify the Illusory Lost Track Step—which is, after all, just footwork—as a high-level martial art? Usually, while footwork is vital, it isn't considered a supreme art on its own.”
“……”
“Think about it. In truth, the Illusory Lost Track Step isn't much different from the footwork of other sects. It describes what can be achieved at a certain level of mastery and the phenomena that occur. Even so, why did the ancestors emphasize it over and over? Because it’s more powerful? Or because there’s something else?”
“……”
Seok Myeong did not answer. He could not. He was lost in the depths of contemplation alongside Song Mun’s question.
Song Mun smiled gently at the young Azure Martial Hall Master and continued.
“The conclusion I reached is that it is difficult to define.”
“……”
“Take the speed of footwork, for instance. No matter how fast I am, what does it matter? If the opponent is faster, I am slow by comparison. Strength? That, too, is relative. No matter how strong I am, if the opponent is stronger, am I not weak?”
“……”
“I took that thought a step further. As is the way of the world, why is the Illusory Lost Track Step called a high-level martial art? Perhaps it doesn't mean to simply increase your speed, but rather to adjust your speed to match the opponent. Wouldn't such an interpretation make sense?”
“…!”
Goosebumps broke out over Seok Myeong’s skin. He spoke almost unconsciously.
“Mi (迷) to bewilder others, and Jongbo (踪步) meaning the movement of the feet. Therefore, Mijongbo is movement that makes the enemy lose their way. It doesn't just exploit a gap; it creates a gap where none existed. That is the true intent contained within the Illusory Lost Track Step.”
“You rascal, it seems you’ve finally caught on.”
“Ah!”
Seok Myeong let out a low groan at Song Mun’s gentle laughter. He finally understood what his Martial Uncle was trying to say. Song Mun was pointing out that Seok Myeong had been unable to see the true intent of the technique precisely because he was blinded by the very movements and speed he had displayed.
It was true. The manuals for the Illusory Lost Track Step he had studied only described the methods and the changes that occurred with mastery. Come to think of it, he felt as though he had heard something similar from his Master in the past.
However, while using the footwork, he had focused solely on being faster and more proactive in order to dodge enemy attacks.
And there was one more thing.
‘So that’s why Martial Uncle Song Mun didn't show me his footwork.’
The true intent of the Lost Track Step was to match the opponent’s movements. Therefore, Song Mun must have judged that there was little point in demonstrating it without an active engagement.
“Seok Myeong.”
Song Mun called out to him, pulling him from his reflection.
“In the future, you will meet those who are your equals, or even stronger than you.”
“…Yes.”
“Most of those enemies will have the ability to manifest their qi or exert power beyond that. Someday, you will meet those whose openings you cannot easily find, no matter how fast you move.”
Seok Myeong nodded. As one approaches the Absolute Realm, an opponent’s openings begin to disappear. The masters he would face in the future would be so formidable that the very concept of a 'gap' would be unthinkable.
“In those moments, you must create the opening yourself. To do that, you must first bewilder the opponent. Only then does the use of your footwork truly change.”
“……”
As Seok Myeong continued to reflect, Song Mun walked slowly toward him.
“Keep this in mind, Seok Myeong. You are now the Azure Martial Hall Master, standing on the front lines as a representative of Qingcheng. You must never allow yourself to be seen as an easy target by anyone—enemy or otherwise. What I’m trying to say is…”
“Martial Uncle?”
Tap, tap.
Song Mun patted Seok Myeong’s shoulder gently. “I’m telling you not to get hurt.”
Seok Myeong started. Song Mun’s voice was warm, carrying the same comfortable tone his Martial Uncle had always used with him.
But the latter half of his words seemed to drift away instantly. Seok Myeong shook his head, a sudden chill running down his spine.
“Really now…”
The surrounding area was an open clearing. One could see for hundreds of yards. Yet, Song Mun had vanished in the span of a single breath.
At this point, it was almost absurd that he had complained about the speed Seok Myeong had shown earlier.
“Haha… the weight of years. The experience of an Elder is something I cannot yet fathom.”
Perhaps only after attaining all those other qualities would such incredible speed finally follow. Seok Myeong realized this once again.
In the evening, when the last of the red light faded from the sky, he spent a long time chewing over the koan left behind by the head of the Azure Peak Pavilion.
*
Scratch. Scratch.
Late at night, as the first hints of dawn approached, Seok Myeong sat in his chair. Relying on a worn oil lamp, his brush moved steadily across the paper.
Even after becoming the Azure Martial Hall Master, he made an effort to produce at least one book every day. Although the Elders helped in their own way, Seok Myeong was currently the only one left who practiced the Heaven and Earth Sword. The task of restoring the martial arts he knew and found useful fell solely on his shoulders.
Swish. Swish.
He dipped his dry brush into the ink again. Seok Myeong’s face, focused and intense, was reflected in the flickering lamplight.
What he was recording now was not a martial arts manual, but a study of the human body’s acupoints.
The human body has six hundred and fifty-seven acupoints within twelve meridians. These meridians connect to the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and serve to preserve the acupoints. One must understand these points to correctly comprehend heart methods or internal alchemy and to establish the foundation of the body.
Furthermore, since every person has a different constitution, he was categorizing which meridians to follow based on the Dantian and which Qingcheng martial arts one should learn.
“That’s one roughly finished…”
Seok Myeong set aside the papers related to the Heaven and Earth Sword and took a brief breath. As he stretched his stiff muscles, Song Mun’s voice suddenly came to mind.
— Keep this in mind, Seok Myeong. You are now the Azure Martial Hall Master, standing on the front lines as a representative of Qingcheng. You must never allow yourself to be seen as an easy target by anyone.
“Whew…”
It was a sentiment he was grateful for, but it was also a burden. It brought a heavy sense of responsibility.
‘Come to think of it…’
He began to wonder about his own current level. Seok Myeong’s internal energy had stopped at Six Gapja, showing no further progress in quantity.
However, Seok Myeong believed this phenomenon was actually a step forward. The boundary between the two energies managed by the Dual Flow Exchange Technique had disappeared. This meant they had harmonized to the point where no boundary could be drawn; they were melting into a single energy rather than being forcibly bound as before.
Moreover, due to the energy in his middle Dantian, it had recently become a completely different kind of energy altogether. Whether this had become a perfect unity or if there was still a path to travel, he did not yet know.
Slide.
“…!”
At a sudden presence, Seok Myeong stopped his brush. Turning his head, he saw an old man with a familiar face looking down at him.
“You really have improved. I came in with extra care this time, yet you still noticed me.”
“S-Sect Leader? What brings you here?”
Seok Myeong hurriedly rose from his seat and offered his respects. It was an unexpected meeting. He had heard that the Sect Leader would be away for a while to attend to sect matters.
“The air is stagnant, perhaps because you’ve been working so passionately. Why don't we go outside and walk for a bit?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes…”
Rustle.
Even in his confusion, Seok Myeong neatly organized the documents he had been writing. Song Jeong, with his hands behind his back, watched the scene with a pleased expression before stepping out the door first.
*
Step. Step.
Seok Myeong walked behind Song Jeong for a long time. They passed Chaoyang Cave and crossed over rugged rocks until the path became increasingly narrow, but Song Jeong did not stop.
Seok Myeong’s eyes widened as he surveyed the surroundings.
“Sect Leader, where are we going?”
The place felt increasingly unfamiliar. Mount Qingcheng was so vast that there were many places Seok Myeong had yet to visit. Having spent so much of his life buried in the Azure Moon Storehouse, it might be a place other disciples knew, but he didn't.
Even so, he wondered why the Sect Leader continued to walk without saying a single word. After walking in silence for a long time, Seok Myeong finally spoke up again out of curiosity.
“Sect Leader…”
“We are here.”
Song Jeong cut off the question. Seok Myeong stopped and looked around once more.
Rustle, rustle.
The leaves fluttered in the dawn breeze. Thick bushes grew on a low hill, and trees that looked like plantains were lined up in rows. Behind them, a bamboo grove was visible, though it was hard to see clearly in the darkness. One thing he could feel was that the surrounding area was quite spacious, like a hidden clearing.
“This place is…”
“You wouldn't know it. This is where I primarily practice my martial arts.”
Seok Myeong nodded. If it was the Sect Leader’s private training ground, there was no way he would know of it. This was the place where the highest arts of Qingcheng were unleashed.
What puzzled him was why the Sect Leader had brought him here.
“I heard you received teachings from Song Mun?”
“Ah, yes.”
Song Jeong asked, and Seok Myeong, who had been looking around in wonder, answered.
“That is correct. I was fortunate enough to receive guidance from Martial Uncle Song Mun.”
“Good. Then, would you like to spar with me today?”
But in the next moment.
“…Sect Leader?”
Seok Myeong’s eyes flew open in shock. After making a proposal for a duel that felt like a bolt from the blue, the Sect Leader smiled mischievously.
“Why? You’ll receive teachings from Song Mun but won't even give me the chance? My, my.”
“T-That’s not it. This disciple is…”
“No need for long words.”
Clang!
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Jeong drew his sword. The ring of steel echoed through the three-walled clearing and vibrated in Seok Myeong’s ears.
“Draw your sword. Since when has Qingcheng been a place where words come before action?”
“…Sect Leader.”
When Seok Myeong hesitated, Song Jeong gave a slight, bitter smile.
“It seems your hardships were too long. Even after receiving such a title, you are still so cautious. Myeong, do not misunderstand. I am not here to compete with you in strength.”
“Then you mean…”
“Is not the traditional conversation of Qingcheng held with the sword rather than words? Often, it is better to clash directly once than to hold a hundred discussions on the blade.”
“…Yes.”
Only then did Seok Myeong draw his sword. He felt that, as the Sect Leader said, he might be lacking in confidence. Certainly, unlike others, he had lived a life of many ups and downs within Qingcheng.
Slide.
However, once he drew his sword, Seok Myeong became what he always was: a swordsman who constantly craved and swung his blade.
Whooooosh.
The wind blew. The low shrubs growing like weeds around them swayed. Because the area was enclosed on three sides, the wind swept the ground before rising toward the sky.
Rattle, rattle.
The sound of bamboo shaking faintly joined in. Song Jeong and Seok Myeong stood in the center of the clearing. And at some point, atop the high cliff, the Silent Twin Elders—the Sect Leader’s bodyguards—appeared like ghosts.
Whooooosh.
As the wind rose again, the atmosphere ripened. Slowly, from the sharpness of the blades, an inexplicable tension began to radiate—a tension that felt more like a life-and-death duel than a mere instructional spar.
“Attack first. Do not hold back. For your information…”
Hummmmm—!
Seok Myeong’s eyes widened once more. From the tip of the Sect Leader’s sword, a shimmering Sword Aura nearly four feet long was flickering with lethal intensity.
“I don't intend to go easy on you, either.”