Hongryun Sect (16)
Hongryun Sect (16)
"So, like I said, the real training starts now."
"Yeah. You already said that."
In front of the training ground, Seon-go was watching intently. Sannyeo and I stood facing each other. I held my axe as usual, while Sannyeo casually extended her manacled hands forward and settled into a stance. Seon-go observed us with an expression of pure fascination.
"Finally, I get to see a match between real martial masters. I've been listening to that man boast about his exploits for ages, and I've always been curious how true masters actually fight."
She even fetched snacks from the storeroom and sat there crunching away. Sannyeo, seemingly dumbfounded by her relaxed demeanor, tilted her head and spoke.
"....What on earth did that sect leader tell you?"
Seon-go furrowed her brow at the question.
"Every single story was the same. Once he opened his mouth, he'd launch a fist that cleaved the earth and sounded like a thunderclap, and then the enemy would use a secret martial art that made the heavens tremble...."
"Ah. Say no more."
Seon-go had apparently endured a great deal of the sect leader's war stories. Sannyeo shook her head and cut her off.
Then she looked at me and remarked.
"From the sound of it, Docheol, you must have taken down a peak master at least."
"If you catch someone off guard like that, even the grandfather of all peak masters would die."
Sannyeo snickered behind her hand, as if picturing my killing method. Because of the shackles, both hands rose together when she covered her mouth, making her look exactly like a squirrel nibbling a treat.
Seon-go watched us and asked.
"By the way, why is Sannyeo-ssi wearing those manacles?"
I had only explained to Seon-go that Sannyeo was roughly my master. She had initially been a little uneasy about someone as beautiful as Sannyeo being my master, but Sannyeo's warm treatment had since put her at ease.
Sannyeo held up her manacles and declared.
"These? At Docheol's current level, he can't handle me properly. So in my own way, I'm giving him a handicap."
"Ahh...."
Seon-go seemed to genuinely accept that explanation. I swung my axe once through the air, the movement crisp and precise, then settled into my stance.
"So, you said the real training starts now. What the hell is the real training?"
She had told me before that once we took over the sect, the true training would begin. But on that first day, she was still standing in a perfect stance in front of me, and I was still holding my axe, ready to beat her down.
Sannyeo gave a meaningful smile and replied.
"Come at me. Then you'll find out."
At her words, I let out a hollow laugh and took my stance. The moment I stepped forward with one leg and brought my axe down hard in a straight line—even as I executed that downward strike—something white flashed at the edge of my vision.
Peok!
"Ugh!"
Sannyeo balanced on one leg, the other extended straight out, and I was sent tumbling head over heels, sliding to a stop right in front of Seon-go. She sat there, a snack still in her mouth, eyes wide, while I clutched my head and pushed myself up.
"What the...."
Before I could get a word out, Sannyeo slowly lowered her leg like a crane and spoke.
"Over the past month, Docheol, you've perfectly learned the stances of the Mount Tai Axe Technique. But you still have no idea how to read your opponent and act in a spar. Even just now, you were so focused on swinging your axe that you couldn't react to my attack at all, could you?"
"Well, that's because you didn't say anyth—...No. You're right."
I blurted out an irritated retort, but even as I spoke, it sounded like an excuse, so I shut my mouth.
Who in their right mind announces their moves before attacking? In real combat, you aim for blind spots and strike without warning. The world is full of bastards who ambush you and those who invent their own insane martial arts and fight however they damn well please.
Sannyeo nodded.
"Right. Up until now, we've focused on understanding your stances and learning to swing faster and more accurately. Now, you'll learn how to engage in psychological warfare the moment you execute a technique. What can you do to stop your opponent's counterattack? How do you pierce their defense while minimizing their retaliation?"
I got back to my feet and took my stance again. Then I asked.
"Does this actually have anything to do with taking over the sect?"
Sannyeo's eyes widened.
"Of course it does. You need to remain unshaken by idle thoughts while reading your opponent's mind. If the training so far was about falling into your own world, now you must pull your opponent into your inner visualization, at least for the moment of combat. There's a massive difference between believing you're the only one in the world and knowing that for this moment, it's just the two of us. It's more exhausting than you might think. You can't even attempt it without a secure place to rest."
A stable place to rest and a situation without immediate goals to resolve.
In other words, this training was impossible without having some leisure as a foundation.
Sannyeo lifted one leg. Since she was wearing a skirt, her pale thigh was plainly visible when she raised it without hesitation. At her bold move, Seon-go cried out in a flustered voice.
"Oh my, how indecent...."
"Second-rate. I'll match myself to roughly the second-rate level. Dodge everything and attack me. You can manage that, right?"
"Of course."
I swung my axe at her. Sannyeo swayed as if she'd been waiting for it, then charged at me like lightning.
******
"Ptoo...."
Rome wasn't built in a day. I collapsed on the ground and spat out dirt. Sannyeo leisurely dusted off her feet and sat down on the wooden floor. When she tilted her head slightly toward Seon-go, Seon-go popped a snack into her mouth.
Sannyeo chewed and then said.
"You did well for the first day. I knew you had talent. That boldness, and the focus to concentrate on your opponent."
"Just you wait. I'm going to split your head open."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
Sannyeo smiled as she spoke, and I bared my teeth in a grin.
******
Aside from training, many issues needed resolving now that I was the sect leader of a martial sect.
If I had to pick one of the more pressing ones,
it was the question of what to do with Jayoung.
For one thing, I had made a promise with Seon-go, so I intended to send him off peacefully if possible, but I couldn't quite figure out how to let him go. Sannyeo tilted her head at my dilemma and asked.
"By 'send him off,' you mean kill him, right?"
"....Why would I kill him?"
When I asked in return, Sannyeo actually looked flustered. In her eyes, I must have seemed like a murderer who killed anyone who annoyed him. She said.
"You're not going to kill him?"
"I'm not. Why would I kill a guy who's been living like a decent person? I'll just send him far away. Though, if he comes back, I'll kill him."
Sannyeo's expression lost some of its enthusiasm. She pouted her lips.
"So what are you going to do?"
I watched her for a moment, then shifted my gaze toward the supply warehouse. A crowd was gathered there—since we'd taken over the sect, it seemed Seon-go was arranging to hand over the expensive items in the warehouse to a merchant guild.
"No. This porcelain is not for sale. It's a family heirloom passed down for generations."
"Hoho, at a glance, it looks like an item from the early Qin dynasty. Are you sure you won't sell? I'll offer a high price."
"No. Selling an item like this would only draw unwanted attention. I'll throw in some other goods at a discount, so please pretend you never saw it."
"Understood."
The merchant and Seon-go were having this conversation in front of a large vase in the warehouse. Sannyeo watched their exchange with interest.
And looking at the merchant, a good idea came to me.
"Sannyeo."
"What?"
"I've got a good idea."
******
"Hey there. Wait just a moment."
The ones who stopped the merchant guild just as they were packing up to leave were me and Jayoung.
Jayoung was being carried like a piece of luggage along with his traveling bundle. Since I couldn't be bothered to spend time persuading him, I had smacked him on the back of the head to knock him out.
When I struck him lightly with the blunt side of the axe, the way he'd been sweeping the yard and then just crumpled to the ground was really something to behold.
The merchant was a man with thick lips and a flat, broad face; his unusually long, catfish-like whiskers gave him the impression of a fish. He looked back and forth between me and the limp Jayoung, then bowed politely and said.
"Well now, aren't you the new sect leader of the Crimson Ring Sect? What brings you here?"
"Take this guy with you, too."
I said that as I heaved the limp Jayoung onto the cart. The merchant asked with a puzzled face.
"What do you mean, 'take him with'...?"
"He's served the Crimson Ring Sect for a long time, but he's become an eyesore because he has feelings for my wife. I was going to kill him, but it felt wrong to kill a man who's lived a decent life, so I'm entrusting him to you with some traveling money. Do whatever you want—drop him off at an academy to study, or whatever."
The merchant's face filled with genuine admiration. He flicked his whiskers and said.
"Oh my... Sect leader, you are truly magnanimous. Indeed. If it were me, I would not have been so merciful."
"It's all thanks to having a good wife, isn't it? Well, now that you understand, I'll take my leave. I've packed some money in his bundle, so please send him somewhere nice."
"Understood, Sect leader. Heh heh heh."
I gave a bow to the merchant, who returned a good-natured smile, and turned away.
Doing a good deed, just like a great hero would, felt pretty damn good.
When Jayoung woke up, he would surely be grateful for my mercy in sparing his life, at least.
******
"Did you send him off well?"
"Mm, did a good deed. I should tell Seon-go later that I sent him off to a faraway academy."
******
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"But, why hasn't the fellow who was knocked out woken up even though it's nightfall? Go wake him."
"Yes, elder."
"Is he sleeping like the dead, or what...."
"Elder. This fellow isn't breathing."
"What? Check him! Quickly!"
"Aigoo, look at this—his skull is caved in. Elder. This man is dead."
"The new sect leader of the Crimson Ring Sect.... What a truly terrifying man."