Chapter 1760 – Return of The Mount Hua Sect
Paat!
Power
surged through his legs. His leap resembled that of a hawk targeting the head
of its prey.
Tap.
His
movements were fitting of the term “valiant,” but his attack was effortlessly
blocked by a light gesture, making it seem almost laughable.
Then,
a palm gently extended and tapped his opponent’s empty chest.
However,
the result of that light movement was far from insignificant. The person who
was pushed back flew backward like a leaf swept away by a typhoon.
“How
foolish you are. I’ve told you countless times that it’s meaningless, yet you
still can’t abandon those ingrained habits.”
Heo
Dojin, who coldly uttered those words without any expression, folded space and
approached Baek Cheon, throwing another punch.
“Ugh!”
Baek
Cheon gritted his teeth and twisted his body. He narrowly dodged the incoming
punch with the shoulder that still had some muscle left, and immediately spun
around, rushing toward Heo Dojin’s chest.
Thud!
But
once again, it was Baek Cheon who was knocked away. Heo Dojin glared at him
with icy eyes and rebuked him.
“I
told you not to calculate with your head but to feel with your body.”
“Cough.”
“Four Liang to Move a Thousand Jin
literally means emitting the weight of a thousand jin with the strength of four
liang.” [tl: Sarangbalcheongeun. 1
liang=50grams, 1 jin=500grams]
Paat.
Heo
Dojin extended his leg. It was a kick, more of a feint, lacking any real power
behind it. However, to Baek Cheon, who could hardly use his internal energy,
even this was a lethal move.
Baek
Cheon rolled his body without thinking. Right above him, Heo Dojin’s kick whizzed
past with a loud crack.
Immediately,
Baek Cheon tried to get up quickly.
Thud!
But
the leg that had passed by twisted in an unnatural direction and struck Baek
Cheon’s side.
Baek
Cheon let out a painful groan as he tumbled to the ground.
“Even
if your body is broken, you still have the strength of four liang. But if you can’t abandon the habit of trying to manage
everything with your strength alone, it’s obvious that you won’t be able to
manage even a hundred jin, let alone
a thousand.”
Thud!
Heo
Dojin, who lightly stepped forward, suddenly extended his fist toward Baek
Cheon, who had just managed to stand. Baek Cheon sharply turned his head to
avoid the punch.
“Dodge.”
Paat!
This
time, Heo Dojin’s elbow flew toward Baek Cheon’s temple. Startled, Baek Cheon
instinctively tried to raise his hand, but he hesitated and urgently lifted his
shoulder instead.
“Block.”
Baek
Cheon reflexively extended his leg toward Heo Dojin’s chest.
“Counterattack.”
Thud!
Before
his leg could even cut through the air properly, Heo Dojin’s shoulder slammed
into Baek Cheon’s chest. Baek Cheon was knocked over in the same position he
had been in while lifting his leg.
“You
are utterly foolish.”
Heo
Dojin glared at Baek Cheon with eyes full of contempt.
“Don’t
you understand yet that dodging, blocking, and counterattacking are all
contrary to the principles of Four Liang
to Move a Thousand Jin?”
“Oh...”
“If
you want to utilize your opponent’s strength, you must neither dodge nor block,
and you mustn’t attempt a clumsy counterattack with insufficient power. You
should simply deflect and return it!”
Heo
Dojin stomped the ground with an angry rebuke.
“Do
you still have that foolish pride left in you?”
“.....”
“The
beginning of all martial arts is observation. You must see yourself to know
your limits and see your opponent to understand their strength. If you wish to
grasp the principles of ‘Able to subdue steel
with softness’, you must even be able to see the flow beyond that!”
Baek
Cheon’s face twisted in frustration.
Don’t
dodge, don’t block, don’t counterattack. He had heard it countless times. He
already understood it in his head.
But
it was no different from denying everything he had learned so far. No matter
how much he understood that Heo Dojin’s words were correct, the things he had
accumulated over decades would not disappear in an instant.
“Do
you understand?”
“Yes!”
As
soon as Baek Cheon replied, Heo Dojin suddenly disappeared from the spot as if
the ground had swallowed him up. He then reappeared right in front of Baek
Cheon’s nose.
Bang!
Heo
Dojin launched an attack imbued with the profound technique of “Silk Reeling Energy.” Baek Cheon, who
was struck squarely in the chest, spun like a toy pinwheel caught in the wind
and crashed to the ground.
His
breath momentarily stopped, and he started coughing dryly.
“Cough!”
“You’re
just good at talking.”
“I’m
sorry....”
“Your
current strength is so pitiful that even calling it third-rate would be
embarrassing. You’re barely at the level of a strong commoner.”
“.....”
“If
you don’t fully master the art of using your opponent’s strength, you won’t be
able to last even a moment in any battlefield. If it’s too difficult, just give
up. Living the rest of your life cultivating the soil wouldn’t be so bad.”
These
words could have been a grave insult.
However,
Baek Cheon showed no sign of agitation. Instead, Heo Dojin sighed softly as he
saw the even firmer resolve in Baek Cheon’s eyes.
“Take
a break.”
“I
can continue.”
“That’s
for me to decide, not you.”
“....Yes.”
Only
then did Baek Cheon nod and plop down on the spot, not caring about appearances
at all. It was clear that if he was going to rest, he intended to do so with
all his might, wasting no time.
Heo
Dojin’s expression grew more serious.
How
many days had it been since he started teaching Baek Cheon?
‘And
yet, how...?’
He
could see it. In those faltering movements, the essence of Sarangbalcheongeun (Four
Liang to Move a Thousand Jin) and Neungyujaegang
(Able to subdue steel with softness)
that he had taught was beginning to show.
‘It’s
crude, but...’
Of
course, it was. His body was at its limit, so it couldn’t help but be crude.
But
that meant that if Baek Cheon’s body were in better condition, he would have
shown a level of achievement that would have astonished Heo Dojin.
How
could this be possible?
‘Even
if I were teaching a prodigy of the ages, it would take at least a month just
to grasp the basics.’
Of
course, Heo Dojin had also tried his best to teach as quickly as possible. But
even taking that into account, was this speed really possible?
Was
this young man truly a genius of the ages, surpassing even the heavens?
No,
that couldn’t be.
Then
there was only one possibility left.
“May
I ask you something?”
“Please,
ask.”
After
a moment of consideration, Heo Dojin spoke.
“Who
taught you martial arts?”
“Pardon?”
Heo
Dojin couldn’t help but laugh at himself for asking such an absurd question.
Asking a disciple of Mount Hua who had taught them martial arts—how ridiculous
was that?
But
he couldn’t help but ask.
“I
know it’s a foolish question... but could you answer?”
“When
I was young, I learned martial arts from my family. Although I didn’t learn the
true essence of Zhongnan. Later, when I joined Mount Hua, I learned most of my
martial arts from Un Geom Sasuk.”
“Un
Geom, you say...”
“Of
course... as I grew older, I learned mostly by being beaten by Cheong Myeong.”
For
a moment, Heo Dojin’s eyes darkened.
That
name again.
“You
learned by being beaten?”
“Yes.
He said that if you roll your body enough, you’ll naturally learn the essence.”
“From
someone younger and lower in rank than you?”
Baek
Cheon chuckled.
“It’s
strange, isn’t it? But when you spend time with him, it doesn’t feel strange at
all.”
“Not
strange... truly?”
“Pardon?”
“That
child is younger than you. But from what I’ve seen, it seems that most of those
who use Mount Hua’s sword techniques have been influenced by him.”
Heo
Dojin stared at Baek Cheon intently. If there was any lie, it would surely show
on his face. But Baek Cheon met his gaze without hesitation or shame.
Heo
Dojin was baffled.
“Your
body... already contains the principles of Sarangbalcheongeun,
as if someone deliberately planted them there in advance. Not to be used right
now, but to help you climb the wall of ascension more easily when the time
comes.”
“.....”
“Who
do you think did that?”
Baek
Cheon didn’t answer. After all, the answer was obvious.
“How
do you think that was possible? Do you truly believe that child has nothing to
hide....”
Before
Heo Dojin could finish his question, Baek Cheon calmly replied.
“Doesn’t
everyone have secrets they don’t want to reveal?”
Heo
Dojin fell silent.
“And
if it’s a secret that causes no harm, then isn’t it human decency not to pry?”
“Are
you satisfied with that?”
“I’m
not sure if I’m in any position to say this... but he is my sajil, and I am his sasuk.”
Baek
Cheon said quietly.
“Isn’t
that enough?”
Heo
Dojin let out a quiet sigh.
“Is
he foolish or clever?”
“If
the essence has already been planted in my body... that’s fortunate. Though the
one who planted it probably didn’t expect it to be used like this, it means I
can master it a bit faster.”
Baek
Cheon staggered as he stood up.
“I’ll
go again.”
“....
It seems you’re truly foolish. I told you to rest.”
“I
don’t have the luxury of time.”
Heo
Dojin shook his head.
It’s
clear this young man’s talent doesn’t reach the heights of the heavens. But if
he were a disciple of the Wudang Sect...
‘Even
I would want to pass on the position of the sect leader to this young man.’
Now,
he understood why Mount Hua and Zhongnan were so fixated on this young man.
However, he did not let this acknowledgment show on his face.
“Set
aside your arrogance. Even if the essence has seeped into your body, it will
take at least seven days and nights to fully grasp it.”
“I
can’t afford to take that long. I’ll master it within a day.”
“....
Your mouth is certainly alive.”
With
a swift motion, Baek Cheon charged at Heo Dojin with all his might.
‘Don’t
make that face.’
He
knew it too—that he was being unreasonable.
To
continue mastering martial arts in this condition, to force the highest level
of essence into his body in just three days, was all absurd.
But
knowing this, Baek Cheon had to do it.
Because
he had realized the impact his collapse had on his sajil.
No
matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget the expression on his sajil’s face that night, an expression
he never thought he’d see on someone who seemed unshakable, even if the great mountain
crumbled.
That
face, sobbing like a child who lost everything, was seared into his memory.
‘Damn
it.’
If
Baek Cheon were to fall here, it would all become his sajil’s burden. Even if the world didn’t blame him, that boy
certainly would. Knowing this, there was no way he could stay still.
So
Baek Cheon had to prove it.
That
he hadn’t fallen yet. That he was still Baek Cheon.
Not
with mere words, but by standing strong with his body, and giving that foolish
face a good punch.
“Haah!”
Baek
Cheon gritted his teeth and threw himself at Heo Dojin’s chest.
❀ ❀ ❀
“Here
you are.”
At
the sound of a voice, Cheong Myeong slowly turned his gaze. The person who had
come sighed and said,
“I’ve
been looking for you. Where have you been wandering around?”
“What
for?”
Yoon
Jong sensed that Cheong Myeong’s tone was more curt than usual, but he didn’t
comment on it.
“Well,
we’ve been teaching the juniors how to use qi properly, but it’s not going as
smoothly as…”
Yoon
Jong’s quiet words were cut off as he suddenly froze.
“Cheong
Myeong, your…?”
Something
around the corner of Cheong Myeong’s lips appeared dark. Upon closer
inspection, it seemed like he had wiped something away.
Instinctively,
Yoon Jong brushed Cheong Myeong’s sleeve and checked over his shoulder. He saw
something black, staining the floor.
His
heart turned cold.
It
was dead blood.
Only
then did the foul stench reach Yoon Jong’s nose. It was a smell he’d
encountered many times on the battlefield—the smell that only came from rotting
blood.
Why
was Cheong Myeong vomiting dead blood?
“Cheong
Myeong-ah!”
Yoon
Jong raised his voice, demanding an answer. Cheong Myeong brushed past him
without a word. Yoon Jong reflexively reached out to grab his shoulder, but Cheong
Myeong harshly shoved him away.
“Don’t
touch me.”
“What’s
going on? Since when…”
“What?”
“…..”
Cheong
Myeong’s glare was so cold it seemed almost freezing. But Yoon Jong was more
concerned about Cheong Myeong’s complexion, which was as pale as a sheet of paper,
with not a trace of color.
“Are
you really okay?”
“If
you have time to worry about me, worry about yourselves. You might drop dead
tomorrow.”
Cheong
Myeong snapped, turning his head sharply as he walked away.
Yoon
Jong chewed on his lip as he alternated his gaze between Cheong Myeong’s
retreating figure and the dead blood he had clearly vomited.
Something
had to be done, immediately. But...
‘Is
that.… really the Cheong Myeong I know?’
The
chill he had felt just moments ago was foreign, even unsettling. And that
unfamiliar feeling quickly became a wall between them.
After
hesitating for a moment, Yoon Jong clenched his fists and turned to run off
somewhere.
❀ ❀ ❀
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