Chapter: 155
They rented a small martial arts training ground, clearing out everyone else so only the group remained. This was the Temporary Training Ground.
“Turns out there’s a mythical dragon living under Cheonggyeong Lake! I’ve heard many tales about mysterious shadows around Cheonggyeong Lake, and it seems this mythical dragon was the protagonist of those stories!”
“Well, having a mythical dragon around is great and all, but… why do we have to practice fighting like this?”
Tap tap tap.
Namgoong Seung-Ah grumbled as she looked at the stick attached to her waist. It was an improvised tail made by tying a long stick with cloth near her tailbone.
Every time she wiggled her hips, the stick swayed back and forth, scraping against the ground. It was a ridiculous sight, but Cheong-Hwi spoke seriously.
“I learned from the Tower of Trials that being well-prepared can truly be powerful. If you devise a strategy and exploit weaknesses, you can win even against a formidable opponent.”
“…So, what’s your point?”
“But no one here has ever fought a mythical dragon. We need to predict how the mythical dragon will fight and come up with countermeasures.”
The form of the mythical dragon living in Cheonggyeong Lake resembled a salamander. It had four limbs, and its tail was as long as half its body.
Cheong-Hwi lay flat on the ground, trying to mimic its shape.
Then he started to crawl on the ground like a salamander, using his hands and feet alternately.
“Ew?!”
Namgoong Seung-Ah jumped back in surprise, while Namgoong Myung clapped his hands in admiration at the high accuracy of his imitation.
“Wow! You really look like a salamander, Taoist Cheong-Hwi!”
“See? In this position, the types of attacks are limited. While there’s no end to exploring every human movement, as a salamander, we can strategize our approach more effectively.”
“…So, are we currently trying to create a way to counter the salamander’s styles? Like a martial arts counterstyle?”
“Exactly.”
It sounded absurd, but there was a certain level of persuasiveness to it!
Namgoong Seung-Ah covered her mouth with her hand, taking time to understand Cheong-Hwi’s suggestion.
“There are martial arts that mimic the movements of animals, known as shapeshifting martial arts. So if we think of this as practicing Salamander Fist rather than simply imitating the salamander, it might not be such a deplorable task…”
“Let’s have a light spar. This time, I’ll take on the role of the salamander, so let’s investigate efficient movements.”
“…Now?”
Thud. Thud.
Swish swish swish!
Taoist Cheong-Hwi, as a salamander, dashed forward at breakneck speed. Namgoong Myung and Namgoong Seung-Ah frantically grabbed some wooden sticks and focused.
According to Cheong-Hwi, the mythical dragon down below was about the same height as a person. Since there was no such thing as a giantization martial art, they couldn’t replicate that size, leaving it up to their imagination.
The first impression upon seeing the charging “salamander” was…
“…It’s low. Heavy.”
“Indeed, it has a low center of gravity, sister!”
Against a human, dispersing the opponent’s center of gravity is an effective strategy. Since they stand on two legs, tripping or pushing can easily disrupt their balance.
However, the salamander has its belly pressed against the ground, so such techniques wouldn’t work effectively.
Wham!
The “salamander” (Cheong-Hwi) pushed off the ground and spread its arms wide, as if to bite down.
In their imagination, the oversized mythical dragon opened its mouth wide, ready to swallow them whole. What should they do in response?
Block? That wouldn’t work. If it were a creature the size of a mythical dragon, overcoming its biting power with human strength would be nearly impossible, and it wouldn’t be light enough to just swat away.
They needed to dodge. Namgoong Seung-Ah stepped back quickly, yet…
“…?!?!”
The gigantic mythical dragon chased her with its mouth wide open. With its front and back limbs free, it could accelerate even while attacking.
Namgoong Seung-Ah found herself backed against the training ground wall. Evading backwards was a bad idea!
“Crap…!!”
Chomp.
Namgoong Seung-Ah was bitten by the mythical dragon. She should have dodged sideways instead of backwards. She squeezed her eyes shut, slowly accepting her fate in regret…
“…”
Wait, it was all just imagination.
Namgoong Seung-Ah opened her eyes. If it were real, she’d have been bitten and dead by now. Despite the absurdity of the method, it wasn’t a bad way to reduce mistakes.
Just as she realized and was determined to take this shapeshifting practice seriously, an unexpected hot breath enveloped her chest, startling her back to reality.
She found herself clutching Cheong-Hwi, who had buried his face in her bosom.
Namgoong Seung-Ah’s face turned beet red.
“…Are you not letting go?!”
“Oops, it wasn’t intentional! I got too caught up in it…”
“Then let go already!”
Namgoong Seung-Ah repeatedly patted the top of Cheong-Hwi’s head. Cheong-Hwi quickly covered his head with his arms and bolted away, resulting in a brief chase.
The martial arts to counter the mythical dragon’s movements gradually increased in sophistication over time.
“This tail may be more useful than I thought. If I swing it like this…”
“…”
“Why are you looking away… Look at the tail, the tail!”
The method of striking with the tail.
And how to hang onto the tail in response.
“If I strike from this angle, wouldn’t this area be in the blind spot?”
“So you mean to move sideways and swing like this?”
“No! It’s not that. This area will leave it open like this, and then… No! I feel a bit trapped, Taoist Cheong-Hwi!”
The way to charge in and slam.
And how to dodge and slip in response.
“There’s a species called Lizardmen. They walk on two legs like lizards and cleverly use their tails… We might even be able to adopt such tactics.”
“Are you saying that humanoid, lizard-like beings exist that can walk on two feet?!”
“Then does that mythical creature lay giant eggs as well?”
“Can we discuss that later? For now, I want to try out the tail-swinging technique I thought of.”
They anticipated various unorthodox techniques and diligently wove their martial arts together.
With every drop of sweat, the depth of their martial study grew. Three novice martial artists brainstormed together, producing surprisingly plausible results.
This was the result of brilliant minds mixed with experiences from another world and almost fateful coincidences.
Thus, two martial arts were created. One was the Child Dragon Fist (아룡권), derived from imitating the mythical dragon’s movements, and the other was the Child Dragon Killing Method (아룡살법), designed to defeat the mythical dragon.
Though clumsy in places, they were undoubtedly effective martial arts when facing a salamander.
They hadn’t neatly organized the key points, but their excitement over having created martial arts together prompted them to head to the bookstore and buy two blank books.
Then, they elegantly wrote the names of their martial arts on the covers. Prideful smiles spread across the three of their faces.
However, Cheong-Hwi wore an expression indicating something seemed off.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong, Taoist Cheong-Hwi?”
“I feel like something’s missing. So, um…”
What if, someday, this crude martial art inadvertently continued on to future generations…
Cheong-Hwi hoped that the practitioners of that future generation would learn this martial art with joy. While their purpose was to obtain an elixir, the process of mimicking the movements of a salamander and bringing it all together felt more like a playful game.
Even in an otherwise heavy and serious situation, with the need to find an elixir to heal his Dantian, imitating the tail’s movements and shaking their butt would lead to bursts of laughter.
Thus, dear practitioners, remember that joy can be found anywhere, and don’t forget the joy of mastering martial arts!
Cheong-Hwi added the words “Joyful Way” (혜도) in front of the names of the martial arts.
The Joyful Dragon Fist (희도아룡권) and Joyful Dragon Killing Method (희도아룡살법).
This was the meaning (意) of these martial arts.
With that, Cheong-Hwi and the Namgoong siblings completed their preparations. They bathed, gathered their minds, and descended to the depths of Cheonggyeong Lake.
In order to capture the mythical dragon and obtain the elixir.
===============================================================
RRAAAAH—!!
“There’s no mention of a breath weapon coming from a salamander—?!”
“How was I supposed to know it could breathe fire?!”
“Bre—What’s a breath, Taoist Cheong-Hwi?! If you knew about that dreadful attack, you need to explain it so we can counter it!!”
“For now, let’s run—!!”
Rumble rumble rumble!!
The three of them ran for their lives, with a deadly beam capable of melting rocks hot on their tails.
“Things were going so smoothly until now…!”
Cheong-Hwi lamented.
In truth, up until just moments ago, everything had been going exceedingly well. The Joyful Dragon Killing Method was functioning perfectly, and they were easily overpowering the mythical dragon.
Easily dodging the tricky tail attacks, when it lunged to swallow them, they would sidestep, countering beautifully, and everything seemed to fit perfectly.
They even scored critical hits targeting the mythical dragon’s weak spots.
However, who would have predicted the emergence of a second phase?!
Out of breath and running hard, Cheong-Hwi squeezed Namgoong Myung under his arm and shouted to Namgoong Seung-Ah.
“It won’t be able to keep breathing fire forever! There’ll be a moment it has to stop—let’s seize that opportunity!”
“Assuming we don’t get roasted first!!”
“…How about splitting up? Left and right!”
“Are you suggesting we use one of us as bait?!”
Namgoong Seung-Ah hesitated briefly but nodded. After exchanging glances, Cheong-Hwi and Seung-Ah simultaneously split to the sides.
RRRRAAAAAAH—!!
The mythical dragon briefly turned its eyes toward them before springing forward and chasing Seung-Ah. Cheong-Hwi set Namgoong Myung down in the shadows of the cave and rushed out, intending to jab at the mythical dragon’s weak point.
The weak point was locatedat the nape of its neck.
“Joyful Dragon Fist, Salamander Dash…!”
Flattening himself, Cheong-Hwi crawled on all fours, definitely slower than running on two legs, but this maneuver was the best way to approach without detection.
Using the shadows of the rocks, he stealthily approached.
Controlling his breaths, he stepped lightly to avoid making sounds with every move. Even suppressing his mana. This was a technique he learned for assassination from the Redburn family.
Mages are a perplexing and sensitive lot. Since the technique was meant to kill them, deceiving a large salamander should be easy by comparison.
Climbing onto its rough scales…
“Ugh, this is getting tough—!!”
Seung-Ah, who had been darting around, seemed to be reaching her limit. Envers reached the nape of the mythical dragon, gripped the spear tightly, and gathered his strength.
He had to land a fatal blow at once. If the fight dragged on any longer, the people would tire out before the mythical dragon.
He had to deal maximum damage.
He recalled all the numerous moves he could execute while hanging on. Among them, there must be a correct answer. He raised his arm up high. He thought back on what he’d learned so far, what he’d witnessed.
Luna’s flowing curves.
Bennett’s straight lines extending decisively.
The powerful, sweeping sword style of the Namgoong family that Seung-Ah demonstrated.
And the heavenly gestures of the Celestial Dragon.
The astonishing trajectory that wielded incredible power with very light force.
“Explosive Thrust—!!”
With all movements combined, he thrust in!
In that moment, it felt like the sky was pressing down on him.
Thump.
Slither, it pierced!
Even as it pierced through the thick scales, it met no resistance at all, as if cutting through water.
It was as if Cheong-Hwi had become a nail, using the heavens to hammer his way down.
GRAAAAH—!!
The mythical dragon let out a final mournful cry before exhaling its last breath. Namgoong Seung-Ah collapsed from exhaustion, and Namgoong Myung rushed to check on her.
Cheong-Hwi stood there with an unusual expression, flexing and unflexing his hand. What just happened…?
If asked to do it again, he wouldn’t have any idea how. It felt like a moment of divine intervention, as if he’d caught a glimpse of a higher realm and swiftly come back down.
As Cheong-Hwi stood dazed…
“I’m alive…!”
“Taoist Cheong-Hwi, sis is safe! How about you?!”
Amidst the cries of the Namgoong siblings, Cheong-Hwi snapped back to reality.
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine! First, let’s gather the elixir!”
He hurried back down beneath the mythical dragon’s corpse.
===============================================================
Blue Essence.
Cheong-Hwi carefully dug into the soil. The root resembled a small human, and the scent wafting around filled him with vitality.
“…”
Gulp.
Namgoong Myung swallowed hard, then, with a serious expression, said, “…I’ve heard that sometimes the elixir might not be digestible and can cause problems. So, I’m just leaving this as a precaution before anything happens. If I wake up and don’t remember anything, please don’t hold it against me—”
“Why are you saying such ominous things? Just open your mouth.”
“During critical moments, it’s not wise to speak of such dark things.”
Namgoong Seung-Ah and Cheong-Hwi quickly stuffed the human-shaped ginseng into Namgoong Myung’s mouth, blocking the boy’s ominous fate from manifesting.
“Ugh.”
Seems like it didn’t taste nice.
Namgoong Myung made a sour face, chewed for a while, then attempted to sit cross-legged and channel his energy. But moments later, his eyes closed, and he fell over.
“…?!”
“What, what’s wrong?!”
“Wait! Don’t touch him!”
Namgoong Seung-Ah panicked as she felt for Namgoong Myung’s pulse, finding his heart pounding and breathing normal. It seemed there was an immense internal energy flowing within him. She reached a conclusion.
“It looks like the essence of the Blue Essence is healing Myung’s body. He naturally fell asleep to allow his body to recover. He should be fine.”
“…Thank goodness.”
The two sighed in relief at the same time. They settled down and took a break in the now relaxed atmosphere.
“If he could absorb all that internal energy completely, he could use the Samadhi Transformation technique. Wouldn’t you feel a bit sorry about that, Taoist Cheong-Hwi?”
“I thought I’d feel a little sorry, but right now, I’m just relieved. Quite happy, in fact.”
They had succeeded. He had set his intention and achieved it.
Now, as long as he could return to the Namgoong Family and see Namgoong Myung bustling about energetically, that would be enough. After that…
“Since I saved your son, why not teach him some martial arts? What do you think?”
“I think so too. The family head is an outgoing person, he might even share the family vision with him. So we might train together then.”
“That would be enjoyable…”
Even without a reward, they would do it, but since they were offering, Cheong-Hwi didn’t have any intentions of refusing. As he imagined what kind of gift he might receive, he jokingly remarked,
“Now, as long as our journey home is safe, that would be perfect! Like avoiding bandits or cultists from the Demon Cult chasing after Myung.”
“…!!”
That was the moment the future calamities were sealed.
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