Chapter 124
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The Comprehensive Martial Art, Art of the Celestial Wanderer
“I’ll go too.”
Geum Cheong-san and Cheon Jeong-u spoke almost simultaneously.
Perhaps the idea that they could leave at any time had piqued their interest.
Neung Yu-seong, Namgung Yeong-ho, and Gu Bon-gyeong didn't dare offer their nameplates, merely observing the situation.
Their expressions showed they were desperate to follow me and receive martial arts instruction, but they knew they were several levels below Song Ga-hyeon and the others, so they couldn't even bring it up.
I looked around at Bal Dan-ryong, Song Ga-hyeon, Geum Cheong-san, and Cheon Jeong-u and said.
“The four of you will duel each other to determine your rankings.”
All but Bal Dan-ryong flinched.
“Don’t you think I need to know the level of your skills to respond appropriately to your future opponents?”
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.
The four of them looked at each other, already beginning to size one another up.
* * *
I saw Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, beautifully dressed and waiting for me, and spat out a dry remark.
“Byeok-gyo, let’s have a one-on-one duel.”
“Brother Yong!”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, who never expected me to suggest a fight, was startled.
When I had asked her to keep her schedule free yesterday, she had taken it to mean that I wanted to spend some time alone with her.
The three-story pavilion where she was staying was about ninety percent complete and looked magnificent.
Since it was nearly lunchtime, she had arranged for a splendid meal to be prepared, only for me to suddenly propose a one-on-one duel.
“What kind of one-on-one duel are you talking about?”
I said brightly.
“A martial arts duel, of course.”
“Ah!”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo looked surprised, but her expression also said that what was bound to happen had finally come.
She said quietly.
“How about we set a separate time for it later?”
“Shall we do it here?”
This was the third-floor lounge; there was no way we would duel here. It was a sign of how firm my will was.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo had anticipated that since my goal was to become the Peerless Martial Emperor, I would one day want to duel her as well. That day was today.
Realizing she couldn't change my mind, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo said calmly.
“Please have a seat for a moment. I will discuss it with my aides.”
“You’ll have to defeat me.”
“What do you mean?”
“If you can’t defeat me, I have no intention of allowing the central headquarters to be converted into the Dong-ro Grand Branch.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked at me.
This wasn't me being unreasonable; it was my prerogative. Which meant she had to fight with all her strength. That was my meaning.
* * *
I left the three-story pavilion where Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo was staying and walked toward the newly built pier on the Qiantang River. Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, Sang Gang-jo, Lord Soyang, and Zen Master Yeongak followed three paces behind.
There was no suitable place to duel within the construction site, so I intended to go to a secluded sandy bank of the Qiantang River.
The warriors guarding various parts of the construction site were startled to see me and bowed respectfully.
“Greetings to Great Hero Ak!”
“Great Hero Ak! It is an honor to see you!”
Nearby warriors flocked around me, loudly chanting “Great Hero Ak” as they greeted me.
I paused for a moment, nodding in response to their cheers.
At times like this, I didn't feel a sense of pride or smugness, just a calm indifference. In fact, I even found their behavior a little bothersome.
Over three thousand warriors and masters had gathered from all over the world, drawn by my reputation as the Fire Dragon Sword alone, and had joined the Dong-ro Grand Branch after being screened.
About three hundred of them had been assigned to guard this construction site under the orders of Do Hyeon-tak, who was in charge of the new members.
Of course, Do Hyeon-tak believed this was the construction site for the new Dong-ro Grand Branch.
As I started walking again, warriors gathered wherever I passed, greeting me loudly.
However, the warriors did not greet Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and her aides. They had only been instructed by Do Hyeon-tak to guard the construction site, so they didn't know who Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's party was.
Zen Master Yeongak was not in his Shaolin robes but in plain clothes, looking like a stout old man.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo had discussed my request for a duel with all her aides and had ultimately decided to accept, but they couldn't all follow because it would attract too much attention.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and her party followed, calmly observing the scene.
Sang Gang-jo smiled brightly and said.
“Hahaha! The Grand Branch Master is incredibly popular.”
“Hahaha! Isn't it only natural, since warriors from all over the martial world have joined solely upon hearing the Grand Branch Master's name?”
Lord Soyang also chimed in with a radiant smile, as if it were his own achievement.
Then, upon seeing Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and Zen Master Yeongak, he seemed to realize something and flinched.
Though their expressions were neutral, he felt a bit embarrassed for praising the Grand Branch Master right in front of them.
At the newly constructed pier on the Qiantang River side of the site, several large ships loaded with materials were docked and being unloaded, and there were especially many warriors there.
Not only the warriors at the pier but also those who had rushed over from elsewhere upon hearing of my arrival created a commotion for a while, all trying to greet me.
I smiled and accepted their greetings as I headed toward the riverbank next to the pier.
In that moment, I realized another reason for the decision Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and her aides had made—to dissolve the Martial Alliance themselves and come under the Dong-ro Grand Branch, with me as its supreme leader.
The three thousand-plus first-rate warriors who had joined the Dong-ro Grand Branch believed they were joining the branch led by the Fire Dragon Sword as Grand Branch Master, not the Martial Alliance.
Therefore, for Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and the Martial Alliance headquarters to establish roots here, they would have to make those three thousand warriors understand and persuade them, which would not be an easy task.
If things went wrong, there was a high chance of a massive backlash and desertion from the new members. So, they chose the easier path.
Even though I had just realized this fact, I didn't feel offended, nor did I have any intention of revoking my decision.
Since I was the one who had allowed the Martial Alliance headquarters to come here in the first place, I could simply laugh off such matters.
We stopped in a wide, open meadow far from the construction site. There was no one around but us.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and I stood facing each other, with Go Un-hyo, Sang Gang-jo, and the others standing a little way off to the sides.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo said quietly.
“Brother Yong, how shall we duel?”
“No holds barred. The duel ends when one of us is in a state of helplessness.”
“Can't we just end it when one of us says they've lost?”
For Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, this was an unwelcome duel, so she felt no competitive spirit.
She had no desire to win at all costs. Thus, she was prepared to admit defeat at any moment.
“Keep this in mind. If you lose, the Dong-ro Grand Branch arrangement is off.”
I said this to stir her fighting spirit.
Since I had invited Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and the others to bring the Martial Alliance headquarters to Dong-ro Prefecture, I would honor that. However, if she lost, I would not permit the headquarters to hide under the banner of the Dong-ro Grand Branch.
“Furthermore, if you don't fight with all your strength, I will not tolerate that either.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo wore a troubled expression.
“Brother Yong, do we really have to go this far?”
Sang Gang-jo and Lord Soyang, knowing my personality well, remained silent.
But Zen Master Yeongak gently tried to reason with me.
“My friend, isn't there another way besides fighting?”
“You're next.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, Sang Gang-jo, and Lord Soyang were quite surprised.
They suddenly realized that the person standing before them was a much more formidable existence than they had ever imagined.
Their preconception that the Fire Dragon Sword was on their side had made them neglect to evaluate him objectively.
The deeply cultivated Zen Master Yeongak showed no emotion and said.
“If Benefactor Ak is unharmed after his duel with the Alliance Lord, I will gladly face you.”
He predicted that I would lose the duel against Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo showed her delicate, jade-like hands and said sweetly.
“I will fight bare-handed. But Brother Yong, you are free to use your sword.”
The moment I faced Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, my martial arts had already been activated.
“I’ll also fight bare-handed.”
I drew upon all of my one hundred and eighty years of internal energy.
With Zen Master Yeongak present, I intended to avoid using Shaolin martial arts if possible.
Come to think of it, the only fist and palm techniques I had used so far were Shaolin arts like the Hundred-Pace Divine Fist, the Monument-Shattering Palm, and the Arhat Divine Fist.
It wasn't because I had only trained in Shaolin fist and palm techniques, but simply because they were convenient to deploy.
So, for this occasion, I decided to use the most suitable fist and palm art.
Art of the Celestial Wanderer.
This unique martial art, with a name that didn't sound like a fist and palm style at all, unbelievably encompassed fist techniques, palm techniques, kicking techniques, finger techniques, grappling arts, and even footwork and lightness arts.
In other words, it was a comprehensive martial art.
In the Gwalchang Mountain cave, I had spent the longest and most grueling time practicing this very art.
While I had mastered other martial arts in about ten days on average, the fact that the Art of the Celestial Wanderer alone took me four months should give an idea of how abstruse and difficult it was to learn.
In terms of years, it had been eleven years since I practiced it, but since I had lain in the Yin Essence Abyss for ten years, it felt like a martial art I had practiced just a year ago, and the memory was still vivid.
Until now, when facing high-level opponents, the Art of the Celestial Wanderer had never once come to mind.
The reason was that my opponents had not been skilled enough to warrant its use. But now, it permeated my mind and body with complete naturalness.
As I recalled the incantations of the Art of the Celestial Wanderer in my mind and gave a slight twitch, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo looked a little surprised.
“Brother Yong, what’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“No. Let’s begin.”
“You may have the first move.”
I did not refuse.
“Here I come.”
To approach Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, I initiated the Divine Phantom Steps.
Swoosh!
In an instant, I closed the distance to one pace before Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo.
“Ah!”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, startled, let out a soft gasp from her plump lips, but her two fists were already striking at my vital points all over my body.
Papapapang!
The ultimate Shaolin technique, Arhat Fist, embroidered the air before her, striking the empty space where I had been five times.
My initial plan was to approach within one pace of Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo using the Divine Phantom Steps, and from there, deploy the footwork of the Art of the Celestial Wanderer, the Celestial Wanderer's Steps, to leap over her head and get behind her.
If I had mindlessly rushed forward to attack without such a calculation, I would have been hit by the Arhat Fist in at least three places.
The Arhat Fist—no, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo’s Arhat Fist—was half a step faster than I had anticipated.
But by then, I was already flying over her head.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, standing in place, arched her back and struck above her head, then spun a half-circle and continuously unleashed the Arhat Fist.
She wasn't just randomly throwing punches; she kept them exactly one pace in length and precisely targeted me, minimizing wasted energy.
Tatatang!
As I was flipping over her, head down in a somersault, I descended to the left midway through and, extending my right hand, snatched at her right shoulder with the Celestial Wanderer's Grappling Hand.
Swiish!
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo had anticipated that I would have gone behind her and had unleashed the Arhat Fist while half-turning. If I hadn't changed direction mid-air, I would have been struck by her fist.
Seeing that, her prediction and speed were astonishing.
Her shoulder was caught between my right index and middle fingers.