Butterview (3) - The Will of the Three Talents
The Three Talents Fist is originally derived from the Three Talents Sword Technique. It is a basic fist method modeled after the three talents of Heaven, Earth, and Man.
“Yes, Master.”
“In swordsmanship it is expressed through thrusting, horizontal cuts, and vertical cuts, but this seat has interpreted those principles in the Three Talents Fist as the uppercut, the block, and the thrust. The uppercut embodies Heaven, the block embodies Earth, and the thrust embodies Man. Now, show me.”
“Yes! Master!”
Having listened to Myeong-yun’s explanation, VariLamb clenched her fist and swung.
An uppercut, a block, a thrust.
Yet without any proper stance to support them, the motions looked limp and floppy.
Myeong-yun paid the flood of laughter no mind. He stepped forward and corrected her posture with calm authority.
“Spread your legs wider. Drop your shoulders. When you throw the uppercut, both legs must root into the ground like the base of an ancient tree. If you wish to gaze at the heavens, your feet must remain firmly planted upon the earth.”
“…Yes! Master!”
Once he finished adjusting her, the uppercut finally looked like an actual technique.
“Commit this stance to memory. Your left foot is the axis. Never let it leave the ground.”
Myeong-yun continued correcting her blocking and thrusting forms. Once the movements became somewhat passable, he had her repeat all three techniques before nodding.
“Your martial talent is not bad. If you train diligently for about twenty years, you should reach first-rate level.”
“T-twenty years? Out of curiosity, Master, how long did it take you to become the strongest under heaven?”
“Hmm? This seat became the strongest under heaven one year after beginning my journey through the martial world. If we speak purely of training time, around fifteen years. I began foundational training at age five, then cultivated the Heavenly Demon Divine Art after becoming the young cult leader.”
“And you became the strongest under heaven at… what age?”
“The age of twenty.”
Normally, viewers would react to such a story with a knowing Oh, so it’s that kind of concept. Yet watching Myeong-yun speak without the slightest hesitation made it feel strangely real.
This was the immersive power of natural roleplay.
“The conversation has drifted. Focus. We do not have much time left.”
“Roger that! Master!!”
VariLamb concentrated again and threw the punches repeatedly. Her quick mind paired well with decent focus, and Myeong-yun felt he had gained a rather promising disciple.
Before long the promised thirty minutes had passed. Because VariLamb had been throwing punches and chattering nonstop, the audio track never went silent.
“Thirty minutes! Time’s up! Now we’ll test whether the Heavenly Demon Master’s guidance actually worked!”
“Having learned the foundational techniques, if you simply move exactly as this seat instructs, you should be able to defeat a wooden training doll with ease.”
“That’s just your hopeful thinking, Master! Do not underestimate VariLamb’s skills!”
VariLamb’s physical ineptitude was already well known; quite a few messages acknowledged it. Of course, they acknowledged it in the worst possible way.
When VariLamb clapped her hands together, a sparring doll appeared before her. The difficulty floating above its head read “Beginner”—the lowest setting. Even so, someone who had never fought before would still struggle to win.
VariLamb had never learned martial arts nor thrown a punch at another person in her life, so her odds of victory were slim. On top of that, there was a noticeable size difference. No one expected her to win.
Could thirty minutes of instruction really change anything?
“One last thing this seat will tell you. Martial arts are both study and a vessel for will. Only when you pour your will into each punch does the technique truly complete itself.”
“…I don’t really get it, but understood! Master!”
“Think simply. Place meaning behind every single fist. There is no meaningless movement in true martial arts.”
“Got it!”
“Now focus solely on the enemy before you. Move exactly as this seat’s voice commands.”
Myeong-yun took one step back. VariLamb planted both feet firmly on the ground and assumed her stance. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her expression as resolute as if she were burning her bridges behind her.
Facing the doll, she spoke in a grave voice.
“They say enemies are fated to meet on a single-log bridge. You who wronged my parents… I will end you here and sever the chain of hatred once and for all!”
The countdown above the doll’s head reached zero. The spar began.
The instant it started, Myeong-yun spoke.
“Use your left foot as the axis. It must not move.”
VariLamb had reflexively tried to retreat as the doll charged, but at Myeong-yun’s command she planted herself and tightened her fists. Combat usually made her uncomfortable; she never played VR games that focused on fighting. Yet for some reason, hearing his voice filled her with confidence that she could do this.
The tense moment pushed the viewer count past one hundred and eighty thousand. Myeong-yun’s audience and VariLamb’s subscribers had gathered together, eagerly awaiting a collaboration of an entirely different flavor.
“Rotate half a turn to the right.”
“…Hup!”
Her reaction was a little slow, but the beginner doll wasn’t particularly fast either. As VariLamb twisted, the doll’s fist whistled past her.
“Even if it is shallow, it is the fist of Man.”
As if in a trance, VariLamb threw the cute little punch exactly as she had been taught. Though it didn’t look particularly powerful, the fist slammed into the doll’s empty abdomen.
“Eek?!”
Even though she had thrown the punch herself, the impact traveling back through her arm made her squeak. But there was another reason she was shocked.
The doll she had struck had been knocked back several steps.
Someone who had never hit a person before stared down at her own fist.
Could it be that I’m actually a martial genius?!
It was the same way people who suddenly displayed impossible reflexes wondered if they might secretly be Spider-Man. With a single punch, VariLamb’s confidence skyrocketed.
The doll charged again.
“Upper right, block.”
“Yes!”
Following Myeong-yun’s instruction, she raised her arm to guard the upper-right quadrant. The doll’s fist smacked her upper arm, but because both her legs were rooted firmly to the ground, the impact was negligible.
“Bend at the waist.”
She ducked, and the doll’s follow-up punch sailed harmlessly overhead.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Myeong-yun described. It felt as though he could read the doll’s every move; simply obeying his words made her feel like a master martial artist.
“Heaven. Aim for the jaw.”
VariLamb swung her right hand upward with all her strength. The uppercut landed cleanly on the doll’s chin. Its chest immediately opened wide, and Myeong-yun commanded:
“It is finished. Stomp hard with your right foot and pour every ounce of strength into the thrust.”
VariLamb stamped down hard with her right foot and drove her fist forward.
…With will. With meaning!
The “Man” of the Three Talents Fist represented the will of humans who stand upon the earth and look up at the heavens. The sudden thought flashed through her mind, and VariLamb’s momentary concentration surged to its absolute limit.
Her fist smashed into the doll’s abdomen. This time it did not simply push the construct back—it sent the entire thing flying.
The doll tumbled across the floor while VariLamb remained frozen in her punching stance, face blank with disbelief.
“Not bad.”
“…What? That last punch felt different somehow.”
“That is martial arts.”
“…Did I just realize it? The very core of martial arts…!”
Neither the viewers nor VariLamb herself could understand the sequence of events that had just occurred. She had simply moved her body as Myeong-yun instructed, yet somehow she had won.
When messages questioning whether it was scripted began to appear, VariLamb hurriedly explained.
“E-everyone, I really have never fought or trained before!! I’m a genuine klutz!!”
The reaction was satisfying.
Myeong-yun stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Children, this is precisely what martial arts are.”
“This is exactly what martial arts are! The final event, ‘Defeat VariLamb!’ ends in victory for the Heavenly Demon Master! With a score of two to one, the Heavenly Demon wins! As the prize, we present a premium Korean beef set and a health supplement set wishing him continued good health!”
“It has been a long time since this seat taught someone. It was rather enjoyable.”
“I had fun too! It’s been so long since I felt the joy of learning something new! Now let’s move on to the final segment!”
When VariLamb clapped her hands in an adorable pose, a brief viewer transition video played. When the screen returned, they were back in the original reception room. The outfits and camera angles had reset to the beginning of the show. The final segment was starting.
“As always, the last corner is a free conversation to wrap things up! It’s truly a shame that Butterview is coming to an end. Heavenly Demon, how are you feeling? What are your thoughts on appearing on today’s Butterview?”
“This seat believes it was good to appear. After all, this seat has gained an outstanding disciple.”
Myeong-yun had been inwardly surprised by that final strike as well. She had simply moved as he told her, yet the last punch had carried the subtle essence of true martial arts.
Her momentary concentration, pushed to the extreme, had allowed her to unleash an actual technique for a single instant. Having glimpsed her potential, he was satisfied with today’s results.
After that came a short talk, mostly about Myeong-yun and martial arts. He also asked VariLamb a few questions about herself. Then it was time to conclude.
VariLamb delivered the closing remark.
“…And finally, the Heavenly Demon has something he would like to say! Everyone, please listen carefully!”
The camera zoomed in on Myeong-yun. This moment was one of the reasons he had agreed to appear on Butterview—the final statement given to every guest.
He opened his mouth.
“…It seems many people have been chattering about this seat’s skill lately.”
As his popularity soared, so did the baseless rumors. Countless posts speculated about the identity of the person behind the red pill account, and just as many challengers threw down the gauntlet. There were also plenty of shameless opportunists trying to ride his fame.
To all of them, Myeong-yun declared:
“This seat will announce the details again later, but I shall prepare a stage for those who doubt my ability. Come. Let us discuss who truly stands as the strongest under heaven.”