The Farmer Who Ended Up Teaching the World’s Greatest Martial Artist
“Do you finally understand what it means for a weapon to be meaningless?”
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded in response to So Biwon’s words.
He had never thought that So Biwon simply chopped trees with branches and dug rocks. The old man had forged the branches into formless weapons. That was why Sa Unsik’s earlier remark had made perfect sense: no matter which weapon he wielded, he could execute the exact same set of moves.
And the Explosive Cross was no ordinary crossing swing either. The raw power born at the precise moment of intersection—that was the true heart of the technique.
“Then why does Do-nim carry a sword and saber at your waist if weapons are meaningless?”
Yoo Eunhyeon stared at the sword and saber at So Biwon’s waist and asked, puzzled.
So Biwon, as always, let out a hearty laugh, drew both weapons, and flourished them once.
“This is what I mean? Haha. Even though Murim people say they don’t rely only on sight, the information that flows into the eyes is vital. And in battle situations where you must decide in an instant, that importance skyrockets.”
“It’s like mixing formless and tangible to create confusion,” Yoo Eunhyeon murmured.
So Biwon’s eyes sparkled with delight at the remark.
“Precisely. If you can create confusion in the midst of chaos, the power of martial arts grows all the more terrifying. This is the fundamental principle of Mudong Hwanmu. One mixes tangible weapons with formless ones to suit the situation.”
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded, understanding.
Those blades looked ordinary enough to any outsider, yet they somehow felt anything but.
Of course he couldn’t ignore something so obvious and still fight effectively. He had only nodded, but that didn’t mean he could actually do it.
Even listening alone, the method sounded like it required vast experience. For Yoo Eunhyeon, who possessed none, that was the biggest hurdle.
When Yoo Eunhyeon nodded again, So Biwon continued explaining the Explosive Cross.
“The first form, Explosive Cross, creates an intersection of the tangible trajectory, which then generates a formless collision and produces even greater force.”
“That works? You swing it twice as fast?” Yoo Eunhyeon asked.
So Biwon’s movements were indeed swift, but he had clearly swung the weapon twice. How could two swings create an intersection?
It moved so fast it was almost invisible. Yet it still counted as two separate actions. You can’t simply swing them both at the same time… or you’d never get the collision.
So Biwon answered as if reading his thoughts.
“Internal energy, by nature, cannot last long once it leaves the body. It dissipates in an instant.”
“Yes, I know.”
Yoo Eunhyeon, now familiar with internal energy, understood its nature well.
Internal energy was the body’s natural adaptation of qi. When it left the body and returned to the wild, it scattered rapidly.
“To maintain power after propelling internal energy outward, you need at least first-rate martial artist level. But even then, it lasts only a fleeting moment. You cannot keep it outside for long.”
Indeed, projecting energy with sword qi or saber qi demanded both immense internal energy and speed.
“So special internal energy is necessary?”
“As expected, you understand quickly. Once you master Hwandong Simgong, your internal energy can remain outside much longer.”
“I don’t need to learn Hwandong Simgong to use Mudong Hwanmu. I just need to use the internal energy I’ve already gained through Hwandong Simgong.”
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded in admiration, then suddenly realized something and asked, startled.
“Then… even if I learn it, it won’t help?”
“Not at all. Didn’t I say earlier? Internal energy can stay outside the body, even if only for a short time. Its power will simply weaken. But even that is enough.”
“That makes sense.”
Even for a farmer like Yoo Eunhyeon, So Biwon’s explanation was clear. Mudong Hwanmu was a martial art that allowed free variation of internal energy and prolonged presence outside the body.
Seeing that Yoo Eunhyeon still looked uncertain, So Biwon set the branch he had been holding down and picked up the sword.
“Further refinement leads to this.”
Different from before, So Biwon assumed a sword stance and immediately released a surge of powerful energy from his body.
The formless qi that had resembled flickering embers earlier transformed again and began to surge like a roaring flame.
“Ah…”
Yoo Eunhyeon could not help exclaiming. The shape of the flames reminded him of the blazing sun on a scorching summer day.
Several years ago, in the height of summer, he had once again felt the majesty of the sun while toiling under a merciless drought.
“Huff!”
With a sharp cry from So Biwon, the air itself flickered. Countless trajectories unfolded in a single instant.
They twisted and intertwined like a net, and within that net were countless intersection points—enough to overwhelm the eyes.
Yoo Eunhyeon instantly grasped what would happen next.
Kuuuooong.
Following the crossed sword paths, countless explosions erupted. The air boomed like thunder.
As the sound gradually faded, So Biwon sheathed his sword and spoke.
“Explosive Cross—Net of Chaos. Even if you only watch, it is enough. This cannot be performed without Hwandong Simgong.”
So Biwon had never been one to boast of his skills. Yoo Eunhyeon did not know this, but among Murim people, only someone of his level could ignore such displays.
Yet when teaching, the master’s duty was to reveal the realm he had reached. That was one of So Biwon’s teaching philosophies.
Although not a formal disciple, since he was teaching his own technique, Yoo Eunhyeon would not hold back.
“Wow…”
Yoo Eunhyeon stared with his mouth wide open. He could not yet grasp the power or subtlety of the form, but the majestic presence was like a natural landscape.
His eyes shone. He had momentarily forgotten—martial arts were a recreation of nature. And what he knew best was nature itself.
“If you can feel anything, that alone is enough. Very well, I shall demonstrate further.”
So Biwon showed the Explosive Cross several more times. Only after explaining how to move the internal energy did Yoo Eunhyeon finally learn the first form.
After that, he received the second form, Hidden Lance, and the third form, Wave-Shattering Fog Strike, straight from So Biwon’s hands.
Strictly speaking, he had only watched and copied at the level of imitation, but the information was imprinted deeply enough to remember.
Suddenly flooding his mind with knowledge, Yoo Eunhyeon was half-dazed. Fortunately the knowledge and the actions were separate, or he would have forgotten most of it.
“It is not enough to simply move. You must also learn to wield internal energy at the same time as your movement.”
“I would normally teach you by watching each movement and demonstrating the qi, but I do not have time. I will correct your posture directly and teach you the qi circulation in words. The rest you can practice on your own.”
“Ah… yes.”
So Biwon sounded almost reluctant to leave.
The next morning, So Biwon—who had risen early to watch Yoo Eunhyeon’s forms one final time—spoke.
“Then this old man must take his leave.”
“Already?”
Compared to the time Sa Unsik had stayed, it was still very short.
Deep down, Yoo Eunhyeon wanted to learn more from So Biwon, but he could not bring himself to stop the older man, who seemed strangely hurried.
Yet the moment he announced his departure, So Biwon lingered in place as if he had something more to say.
“So-soju… perhaps…”
“You said you wanted to say something yesterday but stopped. Is there any reason?”
Yoo Eunhyeon asked, but So Biwon could not finish his sentence.
It was certain that the Cheonhwang Paeundae was heading this way. So Biwon could certainly stop them, but there was something more important to him.
He needed to keep watch on Sa Unsik, the Thousand-Year Dark Demon. He must respond to the Lord’s movements the moment he made a move.
Without So Biwon, no one else could stop him if he actually began his assault. If this was a trap, the losses would be far too great.
“No… no. Please train diligently.”
So Biwon finally left without saying anything more, clearly worried about Yoo Eunhyeon.
If there are fifty members of the Jeongeumdae, they can block the Cheonhwang Paeundae. At the very least, the Thousand-Year Dark Demon would not send So-soju to target him directly. The danger should be minimal. I should give the Jeongeumdae priority orders to protect and secure So-soju.
The thought that his lush fields might be ruined saddened him, but lives were lives. Yoo Eunhyeon might value something more than life itself, but that was his own choice.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered if Sa Unsik had anticipated everything. But So Biwon shook his head.
Worrying endlessly achieved nothing. Sometimes you had to push forward no matter what.
So Biwon could offer only one piece of advice to the youth who might get entangled: train diligently.
Still… perhaps I want to see it too. An ordinary-looking So-soju who carries infinite possibilities in this Murim world…
A soft, self-deprecating chuckle escaped So Biwon as he took his leave, praying for Yoo Eunhyeon’s safety and wishing him well in the future.
Ten days passed after So Biwon left.
Yoo Eunhyeon continued farming while training his martial arts. Over time, the hours spent practicing martial arts grew longer than those spent tilling the fields.
For someone who had farmed all his life, martial arts had become surprisingly interesting and enjoyable. But the words of both Sa Unsik and So Biwon—that farming and martial arts were similar—finally made complete sense.
“But… I don’t have any decent weapon.”
Yoo Eunhyeon paused while swinging his axe and muttered to himself. So Biwon had said Mudong Hwanmu was independent of weapons, yet for a farmer like him, the only tools available were a sickle, a cleaver, and perhaps an axe that still looked the most threatening.
“Should I dig around the house? Maybe something my father or grandfather used would work?”
He dropped the axe and searched the house, but all he found were old farming tools.
“There’s no other storage. Guess I’ll have to use this one.”
Finally, he picked up the axe he knew best and returned to his training.
I have no choice but to keep at it until it feels natural in my hand.
About a month later, on the edge of Mount Taesan, dozens of martial artists halted their footsteps.
“Is this the place?”
The ominous aura radiating from them tightened around the mountain like a noose.