The next day.
“From now on, the technique I’m going to impart is the advanced version of the fourth style, the Blood of the Convergence.”
As usual, I met Tang Hochang in the training grounds of the mansion, and he began to explain the advanced techniques of the Tang Sect.
“The advanced version of the Blood of the Convergence… you say?”
At my question, Tang Hochang nodded.
“As you know, the Blood of the Convergence is a technique that creates an opening by focusing on attacking the weak points in an enemy’s defense. And starting now, you will learn the first technique of the Tang Sect, the Heaven-Sealing Blood, which strikes at the openings you’ve forced the enemy to create.”
“Striking at the openings!”
The name of the most well-known technique that comes to mind when thinking of Chinese martial arts made my eyes shine with anticipation.
“Why are you so happy?”
“Because striking is like a dream technique for martial artists!”
“…Is that so?”
Tang Hochang looked puzzled, but honestly, I didn’t care about that.
What mattered now was the fact that I would be learning the technique of striking.
“Anyway, let me demonstrate before we start the real training.”
With that, Tang Hochang stood before a training log.
“Whoo—”
He placed his hands on his waist, focused his mind, and began to attack the log at high speed, following the specified movement of the Blood of the Convergence.
It was a practical martial art that utilized strikes, angles, and even memorized moves when needed.
That was the Tang Sect.
As he pounded away at the log, just before delivering the final blow, Tang Hochang paused his fist for a moment.
Finally, he tapped the log with his fist, and bang! The log shattered into pieces.
“Ugh, did I mess up the strength control?”
He muttered that while shaking his hands, looking honestly pretty cool.
“How was that? Now you understand why I call this technique a finishing move, right?”
“Yes!”
I shouted with all my might, causing Tang Hochang to look at me in bewilderment.
“Why is he so fired up?”
“More than that, let’s start training right now!”
As I said this, urging him on, Tang Hochang shook his head and agreed.
*
Striking.
One of the ultimate goals of all forms of martial arts.
In particular, the striking techniques in martial arts novels usually include short strikes (cun jing) or long strikes (chi jing), and also inner energy penetration strikes that infiltrate the opponent’s body to wreak havoc internally.
Among these, the Tang Sect’s Heaven-Sealing Blood is classified as a short strike, and the area hit becomes numb for a time and can’t be used.
It wasn’t strange to call it a finishing move, considering it could incapacitate a limb in life-and-death struggles.
“But the problem is that it’s too difficult to use.”
I sighed softly and looked down at my fist.
Honestly, while I’d felt that everything had come too easily until now, I hadn’t realized that learning a technique as crucial as striking would be this hard.
The basic principle of striking isn’t just about using arm strength but about utilizing the synchronicity of the whole body to concentrate force at a single point and release it.
By doing so, even with a punch swung from less than one inch, the opponent would be sent flying. At this point, the strength of the lower body was also crucial.
Tang Hochang hadn’t stressed the importance of lower body training for nothing.
Until now, I had achieved striking successfully about five times.
Having practiced over a thousand times to barely succeed five times, my success rate was just 0.5%.
Even that was due to luck, and I hadn’t grasped the key techniques.
It felt like hitting a massive wall.
When I asked Tang Hochang about this phenomenon, he chuckled and replied.
“What you’re facing now is something every warrior goes through. Whether you overcome it or not determines if you can move on to the next stage.”
“Next stage?”
“Your current martial arts level is about first-class. You weren’t bad to begin with, but as you learned the Tang Sect, your skills improved rapidly. However, you haven’t learned the most important thing, which is how to emit energy (qi).”
“Emitting energy?”
“If you were using a sword, you’d call it sword qi harming a person, but for us martial artists, it’s called fist qi harming a person. The stage of being able to express the qi flowing inside your body outward is what we call fist qi harming. And striking is very closely related to fist qi. The fundamental principles are nearly the same.”
“The principles are almost the same…?”
“Well, you don’t have to try to understand it all right now. I didn’t expect you to learn this technique within the remaining time anyway. After all, if emitting fist qi becomes possible, it means you’ve stepped into the realm of mastery.”
Realm of mastery!
Just hearing that made my heart race.
These days, martial arts have progressed so much in power inflation that the term ‘mastery’ is thrown around as casually as a dog’s name, but it’s a realm that countless martial artists aspire to yet fail to reach.
Even Dokgohyeok, the eldest son of the Dokgo family, and Dokgoseok, the second son, were both masters.
As much as you ascend the ranks in this martial arts world, your achievements become distinguished solely by talent, regardless of age.
“Even if you go to the Cheonmu Academy, keep practicing your striking. It’s an exceptionally useful technique, so it will surely come in handy someday.”
“Yes!”
“Then we’ll end today’s training here. Good work.”
After saying that, Tang Hochang waved his hand and left the training ground, while I started cleaning up, watching his back.
*
After finishing today’s training, on my way back to wash up, I found Dokgorin waiting for me in the hallway.
“Good job, Chilbok.”
“Thank you, Miss.”
I said that while wiping my face with the wet towel Dokgorin handed me.
Having just finished a vigorous workout, the coolness of the wet towel felt great.
“What brings you here today? Normally, at this time, you’d be in the middle of sword training.”
Then, with a shy expression, Dokgorin spoke.
“I had a significant realization recently, so my skills have improved quite a bit. So now I have a bit more leisure.”
“A significant realization?”
“Yeah. I think I’m getting close to peak levels. How about you, Chilbok?”
“For me, it’s pretty much the same as usual.”
As I scratched the back of my head and subtly tried to dodge the question, Dokgorin had a curious look and asked.
“Is there something you’re having trouble with?”
“To be honest, I have no idea how to use striking.”
“Striking?”
“Yes, is there a good way to do it?”
When I asked hopefully as if grabbing at straws, Dokgorin frowned thoughtfully.
“How about trying this?”
“What is it?”
“Meditation.”
Meditation?
“I think you’re putting too much unnecessary strength into your movements right now. But to strike, you have to learn to use only the minimum required strength. For that, meditating is the best way.”
“……”
Indeed, I felt like I was exerting way too much unnecessary force in every single action.
For Dokgorin, who was vastly superior in skill, that must have been an obvious issue.
“Thank you for the advice. I’ll definitely try it once I get back to my room.”
“Yeah. I hope it helps.”
As she said this while waving her hand, Dokgorin seemed hesitant, as if she wanted to ask something else.
“Chilbok, what do you think about Sosu?”
“Sosu, you say?”
“Yeah. Ah, it’s not that there’s any reason or anything. I’m just personally curious.”
Not knowing why she suddenly brought up the topic of Tang Sosu, I figured there must be some reason for her question. After a brief pause to gather my thoughts, I answered.
“Honestly, aside from feeling a bit inferior to her, I think she’s a nice girl. But why do you ask?”
“Uh-huh. It’s nothing much.”
From her expression, it seemed like she felt some relief at that answer.
Could it be that she was feeling jealous because I’ve been spending a lot of time with Tang Sosu lately?
If that’s the case, I could easily prove that I hadn’t thought about it even a little.
After all, I prefer the bigger chest over the smaller one.
As I firmly expressed my taste, Dokgorin seemed to relax, letting out a soft laugh.
“Well, Chilbok always liked girls with bigger chests.”
“Of course.”
Then, after a moment of hesitation, Dokgorin stared straight at my face and asked.
“Chilbok.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to touch them?”
While saying this, she pushed her ample chest towards me.
“……”
I stared at those luscious fruits as if mesmerized, finally pulling myself back to reality.
“You shouldn’t say such things as a girl.”
“Geez, didn’t you say that saying such things would hype a guy up?”
“That’s one thing, this is another.”
I didn’t expect a situation I thought only happened in fantasies to occur right in front of my eyes.
Anyway, having barely dodged Dokgorin’s bold provocation, I turned my gaze away from her chest, trying to act nonchalant.
“Still, thanks to you, I have gained some energy back. Thank you for your concern, Miss.”
Upon hearing my gratitude, Dokgorin smiled radiantly like an angel.
“Anytime.”
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