The Chase (1)
The Chase (1)
The Dragon Phoenix Gathering was an important matter, but the most pressing issue we faced right now was the Hao Sect. If we couldn't resolve this problem, the Dragon Phoenix Gathering would remain nothing but a distant dream. I spent the remaining time diligently training under Sannyeo's guidance, and she looked slightly bewildered as she watched my realm advance so suddenly.
"...So, how exactly did you achieve this enlightenment?"
"Well, I thought of this axe as my cock... and imagined that shooting my inner energy was like ejaculating. When you just come, it scatters all over the floor and that's the end of it. But when you ejaculate inside a woman's body, it doesn't spray outward — it wraps around you, right?"
"What the hell are you even saying..."
Even when I explained my enlightenment as earnestly as I could, Sannyeo just shook her head with a genuinely baffled expression. They say all streams return to the source, but I supposed if the paths you'd walked were different, you could only understand the scenery you yourself had gazed upon. Sannyeo was more inclined toward the unorthodox path, so it seemed she had trouble grasping the enlightenment of someone like me, an orthodox martial artist.
It was a shame. To be unable to share a discourse on enlightenment with my one and only master — how could anyone who couldn't properly discuss the Way and martial arts with their master even call themselves a martial artist?
I stroked my axe and spoke.
"...Hong Ye would understand."
"...Even the Murim Alliance Leader wouldn't understand, I suspect."
It was a remark I'd thrown out to provoke her a little, but Sannyeo sneered without so much as a flicker of change in her expression. She looked at my face, scoffed, and continued.
"Anyway, don't get complacent just because you've entered the first-rate realm. The opponent, the Hao Sect Leader, is 'at least first-rate' — but not even that is confirmed. There's no information on him at all. All that's known is that he specializes in miscellaneous skills like movement techniques and disguise. No one knows exactly what martial arts he uses, or precisely what level his martial prowess is at. When you actually face him, he could turn out to be an overwhelmingly powerful master."
"That's why I've been training like this, isn't it? Gathering my qi quickly, layering it on, and striking with a single powerful blow. Right?"
I swung my axe through the empty air as I spoke. When simply channeling inner energy into the axe, I could execute the stances of the Mount Tai Axe Technique while lightly infusing it. But when I tried to layer my inner power atop the weapon, my movements became jerky and unnatural, like a marionette — snapping to halts at odd moments.
Sannyeo evaded the arc of my swing and pressed her hand against my shoulder. I tried to react, but my wide swing had left far too large an opening.
"See? Even now, you're slow. At that speed, even if you completely suppress your opponent, you can't guarantee you'll finish them off. And if you fail, the opening you leave is far too large. You've finally become first-rate — wouldn't it be troublesome to die from a futile counterattack?"
So we'd been training to increase speed. Sannyeo would observe the entire process of me gathering qi and swinging, then point out the gaps and the parts I hadn't optimized. The next time I swung, I'd compensate for those areas — that was the method.
Of course, a person wasn't like the Jiangshi — a creature that would follow instructions perfectly the moment you gave them. Martial arts weren't simple manual labor. Even if someone said, 'This is more efficient,' it wasn't easy to change things in the domain of inner energy, where deeply ingrained habits and instinct governed your movements.
"Still, there's no need to be impatient anymore, is there? You shot up to first-rate in an instant. Isn't that right?"
At Sannyeo's words, I nodded. She was right. I had wanted to reach first-rate, and I had reached first-rate. There was nothing for me to be hasty about now. Confident optimism gently loosened my hands and hardened my resolve.
I gathered energy into my arm. Then, retracing the method for drawing out my inner power, I muttered.
"...Like ejaculating..."
"...I'm sorry, but please keep that one inside your head."
"Ah, I'd just gotten fully focused."
The flow was shattered.
******
The grueling training continued. Around the time I'd perfected swinging with a decent speed and form, the intelligence-gathering to capture the Hao Sect was also nearing its end. When Zhuge Yeong-yu knocked on the door, I set my axe down on the floor and wiped the sweat from my brow to greet the arriving guest.
Deolkeong!
"Great Hero. It's been a while since I've seen your face. I have good newwwws..."
The front gate swung wide open, and Zhuge Yeong-yu stepped forward with a beaming smile — then froze, eyes round as saucers, the moment he saw me. I was stripped to the waist like some common laborer. I met his gaze, shrugged, and pulled my clothes back on.
"Ah, my apologies. It's hardly proper manners to receive a guest like this. I was just training for a moment."
"...Ah, no... well. Nothing to apologize for... hmm..."
Zhuge Yeong-yu said that and cleared his throat awkwardly. He'd been stealing sidelong glances at me, and for a moment he looked around as if he'd forgotten what he meant to say, before finally speaking.
"...You've grown quite a bit."
His words put me in a good mood, and I laughed all the wider. When I grinned with all my teeth showing, I saw Zhuge Yeong-yu flinch in surprise. I thumped my chest proudly.
"Ah, that's right. I broke through the first-rate wall not long ago. I can now proudly call myself a true martial artist. As expected, Great Hero Yeong-yu, you have a discerning eye. To recognize it at a single glance."
"Uh... ahaha... r-right. Truly impressive. Great Hero. My surprise just now... was, indeed, due to that. Ahahaha..."
His laughter sounded strange. But I was in a good mood, so I decided not to dwell on such things. Surely a peak-level master like Zhuge Yeong-yu had sensed how much stronger I'd become — why else would he be standing there with that dumbstruck expression, hemming and hawing before my eyes?
I straightened my clothes and gestured toward the guest room. The servants were bustling about, preparing for the guest, and we walked side by side at a very leisurely pace. Zhuge Yeong-yu, having regained his composure, asked.
"Have you been invited to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering? Now that you've reached the first-rate rank, you certainly have the qualifications to attend."
"I haven't been invited, but I have acquaintances there, so I do plan to pay a visit. Have you been invited, Great Hero?"
The faces of Hong Ye and Im Seo-ryeon flickered through my mind.
Zhuge Yeong-yu tilted his head at my words and asked.
"Acquaintances, you say? That you have ties to other masters besides myself — that's rather unexpected."
"There is Miss Hong Ye, with whom I formed a bond in Sichuan."
Zhuge Yeong-yu let out an exclamation at that. He nodded and added.
"Indeed, if you leave her unattended for too long, she'll surely harbor unpleasant thoughts. This is the right time to go and show your face. You're quite a thoughtful man, Great Hero. To look after even someone you have no feelings for."
"No feelings, you say? How could a man and woman who spent so long together in the same sect have no feelings at all? It's just that the situation is complicated right now, and there's a risk of derailing my great undertaking, so I've kept my distance. But once everything is over, I'm even considering a formal wedding."
"Eh."
Zhuge Yeong-yu let out a short yelp, and I turned to look at him again. He stared at me with round eyes, then shook his head and spoke. He was looking up at the sky with a smiling face.
"What's the matter?"
Zhuge Yeong-yu opened his mouth. Words came pouring out at a faster tempo than usual.
"You already have a wife, and if the Taiji Sect's direct disciple were to enter as a second wife... wouldn't that create many... unpalatable complications? Well, it's not my place to meddle in domestic affairs... and if your heart is truly set, then it can't be helped... but the position of second wife is originally every bit as important as that of the first wife. If the first wife firmly anchors the household, then the second wife must be a woman of great wisdom, one who knows how to maintain balance. Not that I'm saying Miss Hong Ye lacks the capacity. And I'm not exactly trying to dissuade you from marriage, but perhaps a little more careful consideration... until another... wise woman appears... waiting just a little longer might..."
His fingers fidgeted and his eyes darted wildly. It seemed like if I waited, he'd ramble on endlessly, so I cut him off.
"As expected, Great Hero, you've known many women and understand them well. However, I am a man of shortcomings myself — how could I demand a woman of great capacity as a wife? They say heroes are lustful, but ranking one's wives for petty reasons — how could one call himself a hero for that?"
Zhuge Yeong-yu closed his mouth at my words. He covered his mouth and pondered for a moment, then nodded and said.
"...I got a little agitated and some strange things came out of my mouth. I apologize."
"Not at all. It's fine. That you concern yourself with me this much — if anything, it puts me in a good mood."
"Ahaha..."
Zhuge Yeong-yu laughed briefly. His voice was naturally rather high-pitched, and when he laughed, that tone rose even higher, ringing out almost like birdsong.
And with his laughter behind me, I sank momentarily into thought.
'Why the hell is this bastard so interested in my marriage, anyway?'
'Seriously, what the fuck?'
Zhuge Yeong-yu spoke.
"Great Hero. The conversation has strayed down a different path. Let us first return to the matter of tracking the Hao Sect."
I watched Zhuge Yeong-yu's back as he walked ahead and thought.
'Once my foundation is set, I need to escape the Zhuge Family's clutches as quickly as possible.'
'I must get the Hao Sect into my hands, no matter what.'