Chapter 95: Face-to-Face (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: Face-to-Face (2)
It was something he had heard that morning. He asked Hyeok-jin if he was aware of it as well.
“Ah, that?” Hyeok-jin responded as if it were common knowledge. “That rumor started a few days after you arrived, Brother Seok Myeong. Now, everyone is talking about it. They say people are flocking here just to receive guidance from the ‘Illustrious Mentor.’”
“Guidance?”
“Yes. Don’t you always point out your opponent’s flaws and suggest a direction for them to take after a duel? Because of that, the popularity of the Samjung Hall has gone through the roof lately.”
“Why is that?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Nowhere else in the Jianghu gives out such teachings for free. But you, Brother, scratch exactly where they itch the moment the duel is over.”
“Hah.”
Only then did Seok Myeong understand. He realized why his opponents over the last few days had looked at him with such intensity, and why they showed such deep respect once the match concluded.
Wait, they don’t give guidance in the Jianghu?
He felt something was fundamentally wrong with that notion.
Martial arts only progress when they circulate. If they are tied down to one place, they stagnate. There is no martial art that is purely good or purely bad; if you adapt it to yourself, it becomes a "good" martial art. One must absorb the strengths of a technique as they are, and if there are weaknesses, one must develop the eye to see them and compensate through practice.
If the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Families could occasionally release secret manuals to satisfy the desires of martial artists…
Seok Myeong looked away for a moment, lost in thought.
Many people wished to learn martial arts. If he could spread the arts to them while simultaneously guiding them toward the true path, wouldn't that be his role as a Taoist?
…Is it not possible?
Of course, this was a thought only Seok Myeong could have. The forms of each sect were precious, unique assets. Furthermore, human greed included the desire for monopoly. Many preferred to be superior to others even if it meant being poorer, rather than everyone being equally prosperous.
And the Jianghu was a place where the survival of the fittest was the law. Such tendencies were extremely prominent here.
“Where are you coming from?”
While Seok Myeong was lost in thought, Hyeok-jin shouted loudly.
Step. Step.
It was Cheol So-yeon. As usual, she ignored Hyeok-jin and spoke directly to Seok Myeong.
“I’ve spotted the Samu Alliance.”
“Hmm?” Seok Myeong looked at her blankly, confused by her sudden words.
“It’s likely because of the previous incident. Taking down the Black Snake Union must have been the trigger. I thought you should know.” Seeing his lack of reaction, Cheol So-yeon huffed, her face turning slightly red. “You really have to be careful from now on. They don’t care about honor or methods. Whether it’s an ambush, poison, or even explosives—it’s a life lived on the edge of a blade.”
“……”
Seok Myeong remained silent. He had already prepared himself for that much.
“Hey? Are you listening to me?” Cheol So-yeon pressed.
“I am listening.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“For now, I plan to finish the hundred duels as scheduled. Surely the great Samu Alliance wouldn’t start an all-out war against a single Taoist?”
“And if they do?”
“……”
Seok Myeong couldn’t answer. Normally, he would have thought that was ridiculous, but they were the Unorthodox Faction. Since they had a pretext, how hard would it be for them to kill him? Even if he was a disciple of a great sect like Qingcheng, right now he was just a lone Taoist. They might consider his life as insignificant as a fly’s.
“It’s fine. They’ll come to meet me before it reaches that point,” Seok Myeong said with a smile to the worried Hyeok-jin and Cheol So-yeon.
For some reason, his voice was filled with certainty.
*
The next day.
Seok Myeong’s first opponent upon entering the Samjung Hall was a middle-aged man who introduced himself as Jang Saeng.
His voice sounded older than his face, and while his legs were short, his arms were remarkably long. There was one more peculiar thing about his appearance: he didn't seem to be carrying any weapons.
While observing him, Seok Myeong noticed something strange about his clothing. The sleeves were slightly larger than those of other clothes. One might overlook it, but compared to his ordinary trousers, they were definitely conspicuous. The sleeves of his upper garment were far too wide.
A user of hidden weapons.
“I am Seok Myeong.”
“I am Jang Saeng.”
After introducing themselves, they took their positions. Perhaps thinking that Seok Myeong wouldn't answer any questions, Jang Saeng immediately moved into the duel.
“Begin!”
As Hong Jun-gyeong spoke and stepped back, Seok Myeong drew his sword.
It was then. As if he had been waiting for that exact moment, Jang Saeng quickly pulled something from his sleeve and hurled it at Seok Myeong.
As I thought!
Seok Myeong moved to the side, dodging the flying projectile. He thought it looked strangely round, but since nothing good would come from being hit, he moved his body quickly.
Whoosh!
…Huh?
However, the projectile didn't hit the back wall as expected. The thrown weapon suddenly twisted its direction in mid-air.
A flexible weapon?
Flexible weapons were known to be the most difficult and tricky to master. It was said that very few people in the Central Plains used them because they were hard to handle and the skill didn't improve relative to the effort invested.
Seok Myeong didn't have time to identify exactly what kind of weapon it was. The moment he sensed it was a flexible weapon, he immediately leaped into the air.
A meteor hammer!
Following that, he saw a rope about the thickness of a finger rising into the sky along with the weight. It certainly wasn't a rope dart. While a rope dart is used to throw and pierce before being retracted, a meteor hammer has blunt or spiked weights at the ends, allowing it to be used for striking as well.
Swish! Whir! Zip!
Faced with rapid attacks that stole his breath, Seok Myeong finally decided to use a Qingcheng movement technique.
It was the Flying Stream Step.
While the Illusory Lost Track Step was the most famous of their movement skills, the Flying Stream Step was the one primarily used within the Qingcheng Sect. And while the Illusory Lost Track Step relied on phantoms, the Flying Stream Step was, as the name suggested, footwork that flowed like water. It allowed one to react naturally to any situation.
It was no different in the air.
While the Illusory Lost Track Step was a movement skill infused with the principles of Void Treading, the Flying Stream Step was infused with the Thousand-Pound Weight technique. It was a movement skill that was actually faster than the Illusory Lost Track Step when closing in on an opponent.
I won—
Meanwhile, seeing Seok Myeong soaring into the air, Jang Saeng’s expression brightened. It was the perfect situation he had wanted: inducing the opponent to let their guard down by hiding his weapon, and then, when they leaped into the air to dodge, using the chain to follow them into the sky and take them down in one go.
However, his hopes were shattered at the very moment his smile was brightest.
The man who should have been in the air was suddenly behind him, a hand placed on his back.
“You were missing the most important thing.”
“What… is it?”
“Distance.”
There wasn't even time to think, How? The moment Jang Saeng instinctively turned his body halfway, Seok Myeong funneled his internal energy into the man’s abdomen.
“Gah!”
Jang Saeng stumbled backward before collapsing face-first.
“Seok Myeong is the winner!”
“Oooooh!”
The spectators marveled. As expected, he didn't disappoint. Just like always, there was a flash of movement, and before they knew it, he had appeared behind his opponent and taken him down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the victory drum sounded, Seok Myeong stopped his movements and bowed.
“What was the problem with the distance?” Jang Saeng asked immediately, without even getting up. He still looked like he didn't understand what Seok Myeong meant. He was desperately seeking an answer.
“Unlike the sword or the saber, flexible weapons are primarily used for surprise attacks. Therefore, you must not show your weapon to your opponent,” Seok Myeong explained kindly.
“Did I not do that?”
“No. Firstly, your attire gave it away, and secondly, the shape of your sleeves was suspicious.”
“Ah…”
“And if you use a flexible weapon, you must stake everything on the first exchange. If the first attack fails, you must change your method of attack. Otherwise, a flexible weapon becomes even less effective than an ordinary weapon.”
Flexible weapons had their advantages, but their disadvantages were glaring. Seok Myeong was pointing this out. At those words, the middle-aged man nodded.
“You’re saying I should sharpen the weaknesses and further polish the strengths.”
“Yes, that’s right. You must have achieved many successes with your first one or two attacks until now. That is why you cannot respond properly when the duel lasts longer than that. Did you not lose track of my movements because you were so certain of victory that you let your guard down?”
“…You are right.”
The middle-aged man nodded. His eyes held a mix of lingering regret and a strange sense of relief. He offered a polite salute and walked away without hesitation.
“Now that I think about it, the rumors were true.” He stopped for a moment as if something had occurred to him and spoke to Seok Myeong again.
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
He turned back and walked out. His expression hadn't changed much, but anyone who had seen his face when he first stepped onto the stage would have known how he felt now. His face, which had looked so strained it was almost a grimace, now looked as relieved as if a bout of severe indigestion had finally passed.
*
The second opponent was a man with a clean-shaven head. Perhaps because he held a staff in his hand, he looked somewhat like a monk at first glance.
Looking at him, Seok Myeong didn't even bother to draw his sword.
His hands are too strong.
He had sensed the man’s skill just by watching him perform a staff dance.
Clang!
Just as Seok Myeong expected, the match was decided in a single exchange. When Seok Myeong shattered the descending staff, the man stood dazed for a moment before bowing and leaving. Since the opponent said nothing, Seok Myeong could only stand there scratching his head with a blank expression.
Then, the third opponent stepped up.
“Sigh…”
Seok Myeong couldn't help but let out a sigh. An even more baffling opponent was standing before him this time.
A beautiful countenance. A slender waist and narrow shoulders.
In one light, the person looked like a man; in another, like a woman.