Chapter 92: Another Demonic Energy Absorption Art (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: Another Demonic Energy Absorption Art (2)
"It’s the Beggar Sect, isn't it?"
At Cheol So-yeon’s question, Seok Myeong nodded.
"It seems so."
"Do you think it’s someone at the level of a Hall Leader?"
"I’m not sure. But they clearly came looking for us for a reason."
Cheol So-yeon tilted her head as they walked. "But if they have business with us, why not just ask? Why are they avoiding us?"
"We’re short on time. If we get bogged down in small talk and it comes out that I’m the Qingcheng disciple Song Hak is hunting, or if your identity is leaked, things will get messy. We only have about two months left, after all."
Song Hak had said he would return in half a year, so Seok Myeong was trying to hurry. Moreover, he wanted to teach Hyeok-jin as much as possible in the little time they had left.
"Brother, I’ve packed the food!"
Just then, Hyeok-jin came running up from behind. He had been delayed for a moment while packing the leftovers.
"Honestly, I can't with him. That beggar’s instinct of his..."
"Hey! Food is innocent!"
Cheol So-yeon clicked her tongue, and Seok Myeong laughed at the two of them before resuming his pace.
They headed toward the Cutting Sword Gate.
*
"Are you participating?"
"Yes."
"One tael for spectators, two taels for participants."
"Pardon? Why is there a fee..."
"Make up your mind quickly."
Upon entering the Cutting Sword Gate, an old man wearing a Dongpa hat sat behind a crude table and blocked their path. Seok Myeong stood there blankly until Hyeok-jin paid the fee, and only then did he receive a slip of paper from the man.
"Take your number first."
Seventeen (十七)
Those two characters were written on the paper. Below them was a list of text that seemed utterly nonsensical at first glance.
First Gate (一重關) – 25, Second Gate (二重關) – 17
Third Gate (三重關) – 8, Fourth Gate (四重關) – 59
Fifth Gate (五重關) – 62, Sixth Gate (六중關) – 10
Seventh Gate (七重關) – 22
Without understanding what the numbers meant, he passed through the entrance of the Cutting Sword Gate. About ten men were lined up along the wall, and the space, which was as wide as a garden, was packed with people.
"Brother Seok Myeong, what did you get?"
"I’m not sure. He said it was a number tag, but I don't know what's written underneath..."
Seok Myeong walked toward the crowd. Spaces had been partitioned off with thick paulownia wood pillars, almost like tents, and a plaque reading 'First Gate' hung above one. Looking closely, it matched the text on his paper.
"Participants are over to the side."
A man dressed in deep navy robes approached and pointed Seok Myeong in a certain direction. He must have seen him at the registration desk. Seok Myeong, who had intended to watch for a moment, moved back toward the wall.
Arriving there, he turned his gaze to a gaunt-faced man at the front of the line. The man was holding two forearm-length daggers, tapping them against each other.
"Excuse me."
"What is it?"
When the man looked up and scowled, Seok Myeong felt he looked even more menacing than expected.
"I received this paper with the number seventeen on it. Do you happen to know what it means?"
Perhaps he liked the polite tone of voice. The man curled his lip slightly and looked back down, but he answered quietly.
"I’m number sixteen. It looks like they’ve called up to number eight, so you’ll have to wait a bit longer."
"Thank you. And..."
"What now?"
"I’ll ask just one more thing. What is this 'First Gate' written at the bottom?"
At this, the man scanned Seok Myeong from head to toe before speaking.
"Good grief, man. If you're coming here, you should at least learn how things work before you show up."
"My apologies. I am a newcomer to the Jianghu."
"Hmph. Those places marked as 'Gates' are where we actually go in to fight an opponent. You don't have a fixed spot; you choose one yourself. However, if your turn is late and someone else has already chosen a gate, you have to pick another. For example, if the First and Second Gates are full, you have to choose between the Third and Seventh Gates."
"Then do I have to enter and win a hundred times?"
"That’s right. If you win a hundred times there, you can finally receive instruction from the Great Hero Jin Hwi-su."
"Then what are the numbers next to them?"
"Those numbers represent the number of wins the man inside has achieved. The higher the number, the more people he has defeated."
"So, if it says sixty-two for the Fifth Gate, does that mean he has won sixty-two times?"
"Exactly."
Seok Myeong replied in surprise. "Then the person in the Fifth Gate must be quite strong."
"Most likely."
The man seemed annoyed, yet he explained everything.
"Then what happens if those people lose?"
"They go back to the beginning. On the other hand, there’s a benefit for the challenger. If you take down someone with a high count, you're credited with half of their wins."
"Half?"
"For example, if you defeat someone who has taken down sixty-two people, it counts as if you’ve already won thirty-one matches."
"Ah."
"It’s a deliberate tactic to keep everyone in check."
He went on to teach Seok Myeong various other details he didn't know. The matches took place from noon until the Hour of the Monkey, when the sun began to set. No one could fight more than five people a day, and so on.
Throughout the explanation, the man didn't even scowl. Seok Myeong had to revise his first impression of him. Despite his appearance, he was a warm-hearted man.
*
'Based on a rough calculation, it will take about a month.'
Even with a tight schedule of facing three opponents a day, it would take a little over a month. Facing four a day would shorten the time, but there wouldn't be a massive difference.
'I’ll just have to do my best.'
Seok Myeong didn't know exactly how much fame he needed to build to become a Qingcheng Sword Shield. If he went to Mount Qingcheng and they told him his reputation was insufficient, it would be an awkward situation. Therefore, he had to make a name for himself more definitively.
If this place was as famous in Shaanxi as people said, he felt he could build the reputation required for a Qingcheng Sword Shield here.
"Number seventeen!"
At the call of a man who appeared to belong to the Cutting Sword Gate, Seok Myeong, who had been waiting, raised his hand.
"Do well."
Hyeok-jin approached and cheered for Seok Myeong. It seemed he had been watching the sparring matches with the others and had just returned.
"The guy in the Fifth Gate wasn't much. With your skills, a hundred wins should be easy," Cheol So-yeon said with a stoic face. However, considering she was usually stingy with praise, it was clear how much she was rooting for him.
"Thank you."
As Seok Myeong stepped inside the gate, five large buildings that looked like Taoist halls stood before him. The gate markings from his paper were carved above them.
"Where will you go? For your information, the Fifth and Sixth Gates were taken just now."
Seok Myeong held out his paper and said, "I will go to the Third Gate."
"Very well."
The man in the navy robes led Seok Myeong down a path at the back. It seemed to be the entrance for participants, away from the crowded main paths.
As they walked through the narrow alley, two men in the same uniform as their guide appeared and gave a fist-and-palm salute. Following their lead, Seok Myeong entered an area with a high platform, much like a martial arts arena.
Below, people were looking up as if watching a tournament, all shouting and talking amongst themselves. Looking around, Seok Myeong saw six men dressed in the same uniform as his guide. They were spread out, three on the left and three on the right.
And at the back, there was a man offering a solemn bow toward him. He was a young man with a pleasant impression but slightly awkward eyes.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Sa Gong-un. I have come after active service in Qinghai."
"Qinghai Province is quite far from here. You have traveled a long way."
"I came hoping to gain some fame. As everyone says, if you pass through here, you are recognized in the Jianghu."
Seeing him reveal his purpose so openly, Seok Myeong felt an inexplicable sense of naivety from him. How often did one encounter a martial artist who showed their inner thoughts so plainly?
"I am Seok Myeong. I was in Sichuan and came here by chance."
They had just exchanged a few words when a man in his forties, wearing clothes with ornate patterns, entered with a stern face. He appeared to be the official in charge of the Third Gate.
"The fight must end within one shichen. If a winner is not decided by then, it will be considered a loss for both. If you believe you have lost, shout it out or raise your hand and show five fingers. Now, begin!"
"Waaaaah!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers. Simultaneously, the six men on the left and right scattered to take positions at the top, middle, and bottom of the arena.
Seok Myeong’s first duel at the Cutting Sword Gate was beginning.
*
What Sa Gong-un drew was a spear as long as he was tall. As a man from Qinghai, he utilized a long weapon; one could guess how skillfully he handled it just by seeing that his arms were as thick as thighs.
Seok Myeong’s stance in response was nothing special. He spread his legs shoulder-width apart, raised his arms, and held his palms out toward him.
"Are you using fist and palm methods?" Sa Gong-un asked, his voice slightly raised.
What offended him was that Seok Myeong had a sword at his waist but had not drawn it.
"Not necessarily, but for now, I intend to use only this."
"You could be seriously injured that way."
"It is fine. That is for me to endure."
"I see."
With that answer, Sa Gong-un’s eyes flashed. Since coming here, he had defeated ten people, including two today, and none had been seriously injured. But he wanted to give this man a proper lesson to make him reflect on his recklessness.
'He’s full of bluster.'
Hong Jun-gyeong, the official in charge of the Third Gate, curled his lip at the strange sight. He had watched countless duels and seen all sorts of eccentric martial artists, but this was the first time he had seen someone bring a sword and not use it. Moreover, he had never seen anyone use fist techniques against a long weapon.
'Is this really the man everyone in the city is talking about?'
He knew the name Seok Myeong of Qingcheng. But he thought the rumors of him being humble and having the air of a gentleman must be wrong. Well, considering it was the "arrogant Qingcheng," that level of conceit actually felt more natural.
'This is...'
Meanwhile, Seok Myeong was having his own dilemma. He wasn't intentionally refraining from using his sword. As a martial artist, he knew better than anyone that suppressing an opponent with a sword was a sign of respect.
'It’s too hard to control.'
But right now, he had no choice. The internal energy flowing through his body exceeded Four Cycles. Since he couldn't judge whether he could control this massive energy, he was using his hands first.
A sword has no eyes. If he were to accidentally emit sword aura, it could lead to an unintended killing.
"Haat!"
Tap, tap, tap.
As Sa Gong-un charged with his long spear, the trajectory of the weapon naturally drew itself in Seok Myeong’s mind. Perhaps it was because spear techniques weren't much different from staff techniques, even though the spear's thrusting power was its greatest strength.
Splitting, lifting, chopping, swinging, thrusting, jabbing, and twisting.
Striking down, swinging, thrusting, slashing, hitting in a circle, long thrusts, and rotating were the basic operations of a long weapon. No matter how special the form, it did not deviate from these basic movements.
The moment the seven movements were mapped in Seok Myeong’s mind, the countermeasures for them naturally surfaced as well. As he read his opponent’s flow, a path to victory opened up before he even realized it.
Snap!
The long spear thrust toward Seok Myeong as if to shatter his shoulder, only to hit the floor. Seok Myeong had dodged it by a hair's breadth by turning sideways. In that instant, his counterattack began.
Seok Myeong stomped on the spearhead as it grazed the floor.
Thump! Rattle!
The spear vibrated violently, and Sa Gong-un’s hands shook. Reflexively, his gaze shifted toward the weapon in his hands. In that gap, Seok Myeong lunged in.
"Urgh!"
Realizing something was wrong, Sa Gong-un thrust the spear shaft toward Seok Myeong. The disadvantage of a long weapon is that while its attack range is long, its power drops significantly once an opponent gets inside that range.
Whoosh.
At that moment, Seok Myeong’s eyes gleamed. As if he had been waiting, he ducked under the spear shaft.
Thwack!
As soon as he stood up, he struck Sa Gong-un’s abdomen with the back of his hand.
Bam!
He followed up by driving his elbow into the man's shoulder.
Thud, thud!
Finally, he opened both hands and struck the chest.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
"Ack!"
Sa Gong-un stumbled with every strike, and upon being hit in the chest, he was lifted into the air. His body, launched nearly half a zhang high, eventually crashed to the floor.
"I... I lose."
That was the end of it.