The Problem with Rote Learning
“This is exactly why rote learning is such a problem.”
Baek Cheong stepped into the interior of Jinmun Peak, walking side-by-side with Jin Wi. The deeper they ventured into the peak, the more intense the flickering of the character-patterns became. The patterns that had been drifting between the pavilions were gathering together in orderly rows to form small formation fragments, while various colored spirit qi flowed subtly between them. Baek Cheong deliberately kept her gaze fixed on her feet to prevent the patterns from flooding her vision all at once.
As Jin Wi guided her toward the center of the peak, he spoke in a voice brimming with excitement. “Young Miss Baek, the platform over there is the most popular spot on Jinmun Peak. In celebration of the academic fair, a senior formation master of our sect has set up a formation on the platform and opened a challenge for guests to try their hand at it. It’s not exactly an easy formation, though…”
Jin Wi trailed off, a proud smile playing on his lips. On the large platform in the middle of the peak, a small cluster of clouds was swirled into a circle. From a distance, it looked like white mist had settled onto the platform, but upon closer inspection, one could see character-patterns subtly embedded between the clouds. At the edge of the platform, a line of cultivators—presumably guests—and Biun Sect disciples stood waiting for their turn. Compared to the number of people waiting, very few cultivators actually stepped into the challenge, and most of those who did only managed to stumble out after a long while.
“They call it the Unmi Hwanjin (Cloud-Bewildering Illusion Formation), and it certainly lives up to its name.”
“My vision was blocked from the very first step; I couldn’t even guess which way to walk.”
The cultivators sighed as they exchanged words. On the platform, a single formation master in blue-green robes stood with his hands clasped, keeping watch. His aura suggested he had reached the mid-to-late Foundation Establishment stage, and the embroidery on his chest neatly displayed the insignia of a Biun Sect formation master.
“The Unmi Hwanjin is a formation we treat as an introductory lesson within our sect. The structure itself is not particularly complex, but because it is obscured by clouds once you are inside, it is not easy to gauge the direction of your steps. It is a formation that can only be escaped by those with superior intuition and divine sense, rather than mere academic knowledge of formation theory. If you can escape within one shichen, it is not unreasonable to consider you a talent in the art of formations.”
A light stir rippled through the cultivators. However, among those gathered, there seemed to be almost no one with the aptitude to escape within one shichen. Jin Wi stared at the Unmi Hwanjin from below the platform for a long time before looking at Baek Cheong.
“Young Miss Baek, would it be alright if I gave it a try? I felt so frustrated after failing to escape during the last academic fair…”
“Yes, Senior Jin Wi, please go ahead.”
Jin Wi immediately stepped onto the platform and bowed to the formation master with his hands clasped. “Senior, I would like to attempt the challenge.”
“Oh, if it isn’t the transmission disciple of my grand-uncle. By all means, go ahead.”
The formation master nodded and manipulated the formation, clearing an entrance to the Unmi Hwanjin. Jin Wi smoothed his robes and stepped inside. The clouds wrapped around his feet, obscuring his vision in every direction.
Baek Cheong watched the Unmi Hwanjin from the edge of the platform. While what was happening inside the clouds rarely leaked to the outside, the flow of the character-patterns was vaguely visible to Baek Cheong’s eyes. A source character-pattern was gathering spirit qi, a main body character-pattern was releasing that qi into clouds, a boundary character-pattern was surrounding the perimeter, and an anchor character-pattern was holding the structure together. Jin Wi’s shadow was spinning in circles near the center of the clouds. He repeatedly entered one path, reached a dead end, and turned back.
‘Sigh, that’s not the way…’
By the time two sigyeong had passed, Jin Wi stumbled out of the exit of the Unmi Hwanjin, reeling. His robes were disheveled, and fine beads of sweat clung to his forehead.
“…I, I barely made it out.”
“Two sigyeong is enough to say you have an aptitude for formations. It is a talent worthy of a transmission disciple.” The formation master clapped and guided Jin Wi down from the platform. Jin Wi caught his breath and walked over to Baek Cheong.
“Young Miss Baek, this… it is truly not easy. I don’t think you need to push yourself.”
Baek Cheong shifted her gaze toward the platform. She could grasp the structure of the Unmi Hwanjin to some extent even from below. Recalling the times she had handled small formations herself, the Unmi Hwanjin was simply a formation with a few more character-patterns and an added effect to block vision.
‘It’s not really a difficult formation, though.’
Baek Cheong smoothed her attire once. “I’ll give it a try, too.”
“…Are you sure?”
Jin Wi hesitated for a moment before nodding as if he had no choice. As the sect leader’s transmission disciple, he was not in a position to dissuade Baek Cheong’s curiosity. Baek Cheong stepped onto the platform and bowed to the formation master.
“Senior, may I also attempt the challenge?”
“Oh, has the young Daoist friend’s curiosity been piqued as well? Don’t push yourself, but go ahead.”
The formation master accepted the child’s challenge without much thought and opened the entrance to the Unmi Hwanjin. Clouds rose to her feet and began to envelop her vision in every direction. It was similar to walking through mist, yet it was a landscape quite different from mere fog. Unlike mist, the clouds formed a maze that stretched out in winding paths. However, the exit to the path was brightly visible in Baek Cheong’s field of vision. Every single character-pattern embedded between the clouds was distinguishable, showing exactly how it supported the formation, and the entire path from entrance to exit looked as if a blueprint had been laid out before her eyes.
‘The formation structure is even easier to see now that I’m inside.’
The way out was brightly illuminated right in front of her feet. She could even dismantle the Unmi Hwanjin itself by lightly shaking one of the anchor character-patterns. But Baek Cheong bit her lip.
‘No.’
If the formation appeared this clearly only to her eyes, there was no way to know how it looked to other formation masters. Her ability to read formations was a talent that had never been discovered by anyone else. Since it was a skill that didn’t leave traces in the final product like alchemy, it was easy to keep secret, and it was a secret that needed to be kept deeper than any other, even those involving the Mumyungbang.
‘I’ll have to take my time getting out.’
Baek Cheong deliberately avoided the fast path and stepped into a side path between the clouds. She also deliberately paused at every intersection. Even though the exit of the formation was clearly visible, she turned her head left and right, pretending to hesitate. She entered one path, let out a small sigh, turned back, and repeated the process of entering another path.
‘So you can use character-patterns in this way, too.’
In reality, the exit of the formation was only a few steps away, but Baek Cheong deliberately took a long detour to the path on the opposite side of the exit. It wasn’t the right place to show off her skills after so long, but thanks to slowing her pace, she was able to study the usage of the character-patterns inside the Unmi Hwanjin.
Meanwhile, the formation master observed the flow of the Unmi Hwanjin and wore an expression of surprise. Since he was operating the formation himself, he could tell how much someone was struggling inside. However, there was no real hesitation in the young Daoist’s steps. Although she stopped once or twice as if hesitating, every place she stepped was unknowingly leading her toward the next path of the formation.
“Hmm…”
On the other hand, Baek Cheong felt bored and swallowed a yawn. Since she had finished examining the character-patterns used in the formation, there was no way to kill time. It wasn’t as if she could browse the forum while inside a formation. At this rate, it seemed impossible to hold out for a full shichen.
‘This should be enough.’
Thinking she had spent enough time to not stand out too much, she moved her feet. As soon as she reached the exit, the clouds cleared, and she could breathe the outside air. She smoothed her fluttering hair and stepped onto the platform. Her robes were not disheveled, and not a single bead of sweat was on her forehead.
“Young Daoist, to escape the Unmi Hwanjin within one sigyeong… even those who enter for the first time among our sect’s formation masters often struggle for two shichen.”
“I think I just happened to pick the right path.”
Baek Cheong answered demurely, showing modesty. At the same time, she couldn’t shake the thought that it was a boring formation. The formation master, unaware of this, shook his head and opened his mouth.
“Finding the right path in the Unmi Hwanjin is not a matter of luck. Unless one’s intuition for grasping the flow of a formation is genius, it is impossible to escape my formation within one sigyeong.”
The cultivators watching from below the platform also let out small gasps and turned their gazes toward the young child.
“…I don’t know which clan this child belongs to, but it’s my first time seeing someone escape the Unmi Hwanjin in one sigyeong.”
“How can someone so young be a genius at formations?”
The cultivators whispered noisily among themselves. The formation master clasped his hands and bowed his head toward the young child once more.
“I would like to ask if the young Daoist has any intention of stepping onto the path of formations. Such intuition and divine sense are talents one might encounter once in ten thousand. If you would like to take a small position in our sect…”
Before the formation master could continue his invitation, Jin Wi hurriedly intervened from below the platform.
“Senior, Young Miss Baek has already been taken as a disciple by the Pacheon Sword Sovereign of the Heavenly Sword Sect.”
Jin Wi wiped away his slack-jawed expression and calmly clasped his hands. The formation master’s expression stiffened for a moment before relaxing again.
“…Ah, I see.”
The idea of luring a child under the protection of the Heavenly Sword Sect into his own sect was not a matter for a mere formation master to handle. However, the regret in his expression did not easily fade.
“I did not know she was a disciple of the Pacheon Sword Sovereign, and I have been rude. However… encountering a young Daoist with such aptitude in a formation is something for a formation master to be moved by.”
The formation master bowed his head cautiously and wrapped up his request. Baek Cheong, however, was busy calculating in her head. Unlike talismans, formations were a skill she truly coveted. But since it was a talent she had stumbled upon while hanging out with the users on Mumyungbang, there was no appropriate opportunity to explain to her family how she had learned it.
‘If I play this right…’
A small thought flashed through her mind. Since the formation master had publicly praised her intuition and divine sense, and even the cultivators below the platform had witnessed her skills with their own eyes, if she obtained an introductory formation manual in this situation, it would seem natural for her to be seen studying formations in front of her family later.
‘This is an opportunity in many ways.’
Moreover, she wanted to get a glimpse of how formation masters learned and practiced their art. Since her own method was to understand the character-patterns by interpreting them based on the Jusul Cheonjamun (Magic Character Primer), it was also a chance to compare her method with the standard curriculum.
Baek Cheong pretended to hesitate for a moment and smoothed her robes. “Senior.”
“Yes, young Daoist.”
“I am walking the path of a sword cultivator under the guidance of the Sword Sovereign, so it would be difficult to fully step onto the path of formations…” She bowed her head slightly and spoke cautiously. “But actually, I’ve been interested in formations for a while. I was wondering what kind of books formation masters look at when they first learn formations. If you have an introductory manual, would you mind showing it to me?”
The formation master hesitated at Baek Cheong’s request, but his expression soon brightened. “Ah, the fact that a young Daoist with such aptitude has an academic curiosity about formations is a gratifying thing for me.”
The formation master rummaged through his storage pouch with an excited voice. A small jade slip was pulled out from inside the pouch.
“This is the introductory jade slip we show to disciples who are first stepping into the path of formations in our sect. It only briefly records the basic principles of formations and simple sequence of layout, so it would be suitable for you to unfold and look at lightly.”
Baek Cheong received the offered jade slip politely. Judging by how he pulled it out of his pouch and handed it to her immediately, it seemed to be an extra introductory slip he had prepared for the academic fair.
“Thank you. I will study it well.”
She tucked the small jade slip into her storage pouch. A sense of fulfillment filled her small chest at the thought of having obtained an introductory formation manual. After bowing and offering her thanks, she stepped down from the platform.
Meanwhile, Jin Wi was watching Baek Cheong from below the platform. Without him realizing it, an inexplicable sense of reverence was deeply embedded in his gaze. He had assumed there was no way she could be a genius at alchemy, talismans, and now formations, but the formation master’s expression and the jade slip he had personally handed over trampled those assumptions. Furthermore, he had also escaped the formation quickly, yet he had received nothing.
“Young Miss Baek, you even got your hands on a formation jade slip…”
“Yes, the senior formation master personally gave it to me.”
Baek Cheong replied without much thought, revealing a bright smile. At this smile, even the tiny bit of jealousy that had been blooming in Jin Wi melted away and disappeared. He showed a relaxed expression and hurried his steps.
“Young Miss Baek, there is still much left to see on Jinmun Peak. Over at that pavilion, formation diagrams are on display, and there is also a place prepared inside where you can examine formations up close.”
At this, Baek Cheong nodded with curiosity. However, as she toured the various schools, her disappointment only grew. In the end, even the slightest expectation vanished, and it became a boring schedule. Because…
‘This is exactly why rote learning is such a problem.’
Most of the formation masters only used standardized formations and knew nothing about the character-patterns.