Chapter 41
If you asked the people of the Murim whether it was possible to intercept an absolute master's technique mid-flight, most would say it was impossible. But Tian Ailang timed his move to the spinning rhythm of Cheowal, reached out, and seized its hilt. With that, he spun his body in the same direction as the weapon's rotation and launched himself toward Paeng Pung-gyeol.
"Hah!"
Empowered by the force of its spin, Cheowal hurtled toward Paeng Pung-gyeol at terrifying speed.
"Kuhk!"
Paeng Pung-gyeol reacted a beat too late and took the blow to his shoulder. Without even glancing at his beloved weapon embedded there, he swung Manwol. Tian Ailang sensed a deadly will in the attack. Somehow, that will seemed to encapsulate Paeng Pung-gyeol's entire life.
Kwaaaang!
Tian Ailang perfectly sensed Manwol entering his domain and tried to parry it just as he had with Cheowal. But it was only half a success.
"Kuhuk!"
Tian Ailang spat blood. He had succeeded in batting back Manwol, infused with qi far stronger than Cheowal's, but he couldn't fully suppress its energy. The clash sent shockwaves ripping through his body. He felt his limits closing in. The endless circulation of heaven and earth's qi no longer felt omnipotent; its flow had slowed. Blood trickled from his left eye—perhaps a side effect of his newfound senses. His mouth filled with the endless metallic tang of blood.
Through his blurring vision, Tian Ailang checked on Paeng Pung-gyeol. The man indifferently yanked Cheowal from his shoulder and picked up Manwol from the ground. He wasn't using Magnetic Attraction to retrieve it, which suggested he'd expended a great deal of inner power—but that was all. Paeng Pung-gyeol's eyes burned even brighter with vitality.
Hoo. Hoo. Hooo.
Tian Ailang steadied his breathing as if circulating his qi, soothing its flow. This would likely be his final strike.
Plip. Plip.
Then raindrops fell on Tian Ailang's refined nose. He looked up at the sky.
Plip. Plip. Plip-plip-plip—
Shwaaa!
A downpour began to lash from the heavens. Tian Ailang's eyes, filled with unshakeable resolve, turned to Paeng Pung-gyeol. Receiving that gaze, Paeng Pung-gyeol smiled inwardly. Though he didn't show it, the massive drain on his inner power and his internal injuries left him dizzy. It had been ages since he'd felt such wounds and exhilaration. And yet, the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant.
Just as Tian Ailang pondered his final blow, Paeng Pung-gyeol prepared his own.
Gripping Manwol and Cheowal in both hands, he assumed his stance with the solemn focus of his earliest training days. Tian Ailang, having regulated his breath, settled into a relaxed natural posture.
"Hoo... Here I come!"
"Yo ho ho ho! Come at me!"
Tian Ailang thrust his hands forward, palms facing the sky. His pupils flashed green for an instant. Then he spread his arms wide.
Suddenly, the world fell silent.
Paeng Pung-gyeol's eyes widened like saucers. The raindrops plummeting toward the earth reversed course, floating upward. They began to merge into a single form.
"Water Dragon..."
Paeng Pung-gyeol murmured in quiet awe at the beauty before him. Never in his life had he seen such a magnificent technique.
Tian Ailang clapped his widely spread arms together with explosive force.
"Haaaaap!"
It was a shout infused with every last drop of his qi.
Paeng Pung-gyeol smiled as the Water Dragon bore down on him.
"Yo ho ho ho! Today, I witness a martial pinnacle! Yo ho ho ho!"
Paeng Pung-gyeol unleashed his full inner power. Raindrops touching his body vaporized into mist. His frame, axes in hand, seemed to swell enormously. Drawing forth energy equivalent to thirty-six years at once, his formless qi took on tangible shape.
Kwajik. Kwajik.
The ground beneath his feet cracked wide open. Paeng Pung-gyeol let his arms drop naturally. The manifesting qi grew vast, as if a mountain god had descended. With unprecedented might, he raised Manwol and Cheowal as if to send the oncoming Water Dragon skyward.
Bwoooong!
Kururururur!
That day, onlookers thought the heavens and earth themselves were splitting apart. The clash pierced a hole through the clouds above them, halting the rain for a moment.
Shwaaaaa!
The downpour resumed soon after.
Swish.
In that instant, Tian Ailang squeezed out his last reserves and used Shrinking Earth to slip behind Paeng Pung-gyeol. The hairs on Paeng Pung-gyeol's nape stood on end. Tian Ailang thought he'd secured the perfect opening and moved to end it. Rather than a grand technique requiring vast inner power—which he no longer had—he opted for swift, covert qi projection aimed at the heart.
Just as Tian Ailang's hand neared Paeng Pung-gyeol's back over his heart, Cheowal flew in as if possessed by will, blocking the strike. Tian Ailang recoiled in shock.
Staring in astonishment, he said to Paeng Pung-gyeol, "...Is this the result of the man-weapon unity you spoke of?"
Paeng Pung-gyeol smiled. "Yo ho ho... That's right. Today, my eyes have opened. A Water Dragon... So beautiful, I almost wanted to take it head-on."
Tian Ailang frowned at his words.
'No more... No inner power, no stamina...'
His vision blurred. His left eye oozed sticky blood, obstructing his sight, while pain from his upper dantian—side effect of the massive qi expenditure—made his whole body tremble. Exhausted, even standing was a struggle.
"Yo ho ho... A fine bout. But all things must end. Shall we conclude it?"
Paeng Pung-gyeol approached slowly.
"Yo ho ho. Among all I've faced, you're the finest. To reach such heights at your age... Even the Heavenly Demon or Bodhidharma couldn't have at yours. Thanks to you, I've glimpsed a path I thought closed forever. Out of respect, I'll grant you a clean death."
Tian Ailang struggled to move, to gather qi. But it was no use.
"Hoo... To die without vengeance, leaving loved ones behind—it's regrettable. Yet I fought to my heart's content and gained much insight, so my heart is clear. Still, it's not over till it's over. Stay sharp."
Paeng Pung-gyeol smiled. "Truly a warrior. I'd love to keep you by my side. Yo ho ho."
"Ugh... Spare me that nonsense. Vengeance matters, but so does building a happy family—that's my dream too."
"Yo ho ho. I once dreamed the same, but life rarely goes as planned. Now, truly, the end."
Paeng Pung-gyeol had closed to arm's reach. As Tian Ailang desperately sought a last-ditch move, a ferocious blast of qi shot between them at blinding speed.
Kwang!
Tian Ailang, barely holding himself up on shaking legs, saw a massive arrow embedded between them. Looking toward its origin, he spotted a white-haired elder standing with a gigantic bow. Around him bustled a group of warriors he'd sensed earlier, swords and spears at the ready.
Paeng Pung-gyeol glanced at Tian Ailang and laughed. "Looks like heaven wants you alive a bit longer. Yo ho ho. The world's vast. The imperial palace trash should learn that too. Well, this works out. Hope we meet again. Yo ho ho!"
With that, Paeng Pung-gyeol leaped away in the opposite direction from the elder and vanished.
Tian Ailang watched him go. As tension released, his body felt like it might burst. Consciousness faded.
Somewhere, voices called his name. Tian Ailang collapsed into oblivion.
* * *
Like the world blurring from sudden light in darkness, Tian Ailang's vision clouded white. A wooden ceiling came into view.
'...'
Cognitive dissonance hit as he awoke. It took time for his foggy mind to think straight. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.
As his wits returned, Tian Ailang sat up.
"Ugh!"
Pain screamed through his body, drawing a groan. Glancing down, he saw bandages everywhere.
"I survived?"
Memories of the brutal duel with Paeng Pung-gyeol flooded back. Without his epiphany at the Evil Sun Tower—and those during the fight—he'd surely be dead. Heaven had intervened, nothing else explained it. Still, it had been an exhilarating duel.
"Ha!"
Tian Ailang chuckled wryly at his own thought. Near-death, and he found it fun? He wasn't right in the head.
He wanted to replay the battle in his mind but set it aside to survey the room. Elegant wooden walls. A fine tea table in the center. He sat on a plush bed. Incense burned nearby, calming the mind and body. He didn't know how much time had passed, but the snowy landscape and chill outside hinted at the season.
"Nngh."
Tian Ailang rose to assess his situation.
'Where am I? Did Chanho and Sogeol treat me? Are they safe?'
He walked slowly to the door and opened it.
Creak.
Peering left and right, he saw a blocked wall to the left—upper floor, inner side—and a long corridor to the right ending in stairs.
Tian Ailang stepped out slowly. Then he locked eyes with a woman ascending the stairs, carrying clean water and cloth. She dropped the bowl in shock upon seeing him.
Clang.
They stood frozen, staring. Tears welled in her lovely eyes and fell like jade beads.
Tian Ailang scratched his head with an awkward smile. She ran to him, sobbing.
Overjoyed, he waved. But as she reached him, she swung a fist.
Thwack!
"Oof!"
The dainty punch to his gut doubled him over. She kept hitting him with her small hands.
"S-stop. That really hurts."
Her hands paused at his pained cry. Then she collapsed to the floor, wailing bitterly.
"Waaah~! Sob sob~ Sniff~ Hic!"
"Uh... That crying's a bit..."
She glared at him mid-sob.
"Ha, ha..."
His awkward laugh set her off again in full wail.
"Hweeeeng!"
Tian Ailang scratched his head, knelt slowly beside her, and patted her back gently. She leaned into him, sobbing harder. A faint, natural feminine scent wafted to his nose—not perfume, but her body's own aroma.
'Damn!'
Even battered as he was, that part was healthy. Tian Ailang grimaced awkwardly.
'Why now... This is awkward.'
He held the strained pose. His injuries made it agony; his body screamed for relief.
After a long cry in his arms, she suddenly stopped and bowed her head.
Tian Ailang smiled as her sobs quieted. "Lady Soyeon, it's been a while."