Chapter 19
“Heh, you son of a bitch. Can we talk like people, damn it?”
At that single line, the hall of the sect fell into an eerie silence as if an invisible force had wrapped around us.
The sect leader, his eyes narrowed and glaring fiercely, soon turned red like a ripe tomato as he shouted, “Sassy! How dare you speak so recklessly in this sacred place!”
As I raised my hand, the leader must have caught some kind of thrill because he sprang up from his seat, shaking his tightly clenched fist in a surprisingly cute way.
“Oh come on, Uncle. You seem pretty grumpy! How about we just have a little brawl instead of all this yapping?”
“Grumpy…? Did you just call him that?” I could see Chun-bong tilting her head in confusion, but the leader was too far gone to notice.
“Fine! If you choose to drink the bitter wine instead of the sweet, I will gladly comply!”
At that moment, Qingyun, who had been frozen in shock until now, suddenly snapped out of it, his face twisting into an ugly scowl.
“There’s no need for our leader to step in! I’ll take care of this insolent fool myself!”
“Shut up! If I heard this nonsense and did nothing, I’d lose face as the leader!”
“But leader!”
It was almost like a well-rehearsed play. Watching the drama unfold, I couldn’t help but poke Chun-bong in the ribs with delight.
“It’s all just absurd nonsense, isn’t it? Why can’t we just get to the fighting already?” (Seo-jun)
“Hmmm… yeah, I guess.” (Chun-bong)
“Why’s your reaction like that?” (Seo-jun)
“Nothing! Just… yeah.” (Chun-bong)
Chun-bong shook her head in disbelief and let out a sigh.
“Ugh… Anyway, be careful. For a group like this, their leader should be pretty skilled.” (Chun-bong)
No way he could be peak-level skilled. If there were truly a peak-level fighter in this backwater, it would have made breaking news by now.
It would be surprising if there was even a martial artist of considerable skill here, but it’s within the realm of possibility.
“Peak-level? I’ll just swallow him whole.”
“…Now I’m starting to feel nervous. Should I step in for you?” (Chun-bong)
“Oh, please, just enjoy the show from the sidelines,” I chuckled as I stepped forward.
By then, I guess they had reached a conclusion because the leader grabbed a sword from behind his chair.
“Brat, follow me!” the sect leader commanded.
“Pass! Your invitation is declined!” (Seo-jun)
“…You really are out of your mind!” (Sect Leader)
“Not at all!… Ouch!” (Seo-jun)
“Can we please stop this nonsense? Seriously, it’s making me want to dig a hole and hide, oppa,” Chun-bong said, exasperated.
Did Chun-bong just call me ‘oppa’ out of desperation? That was some serious begging.
I nodded obediently; I didn’t want to end up on the wrong side of this.
“Okay, let’s go.”
*
The place the sect leader headed to was the training ground within the sect.
It wasn’t enormous, but it was adequately equipped—it looked like they had everything they needed for training.
For a place out in the sticks, this sect had decent size. A bigger sect usually meant the leader was pretty strong.
Chun-bong tried to mask her anxiety with a stiff expression.
‘Nothing bad will happen just because we go in…’
It wasn’t like we were surrounded by the scum of the Earth, and unless things spiraled out of control, there was no chance of dying here.
And if it ever got dire, we could always reveal our true identities.
“You really know how to stir up trouble.”
With a sigh, Chun-bong gazed at the two warriors standing off against each other.
The furious leader and the smirking me.
Seeing me so cheerful suddenly made Chun-bong a bit suspicious.
‘Is he purposely trying to provoke things?’
I wasn’t stupid; a little naïve maybe, but definitely not a fool. I had some cleverness in me.
You can’t master martial arts while being an idiot.
‘Maybe he just loves to fight.’
Just as she was having those thoughts, Qingyun shouted.
“Let’s get this started!”
The duel began.
Before long, members from the Qinghua Sect gathered around to witness the action. Chun-bong watched intently, eyes wide open.
Wham!
I took the initiative, quickly charging at the leader with one of my signature moves.
The leader looked surprised by the sudden attack.
“Jitan? How can a punk like you do that?!”
I wielded my mastery over energy so well that gauging my true level was nearly impossible. The leader probably had no idea I had reached peak-level.
So, with the leader flustered, this was my chance.
I knew what to do; I enveloped my sword with dull golden energy and swung down fiercely.
Boom!
With the force of a raging river, my sword advanced. But to my surprise, the leader remained calm in front of that attack.
Hmm!
The clash of swords echoed. The leader’s sword flowed smoothly forward, effortlessly redirecting mine downward.
“Ugh… this isn’t looking good.”
Chun-bong’s brow furrowed in worry.
The leader, having deflected my strike, abruptly shifted from a smooth motion to a rough, aggressive assault.
Even as I wielded my sword with one hand and hurled out energy attacks with the other, I was still getting pushed back.
There was just no contest; the leader’s skills far surpassed mine.
It was hard to believe I was putting up this much of a fight.
But I couldn’t just give in.
Chun-bong gritted her teeth. Losing wasn’t a big deal for me, but for her? She couldn’t stand the thought of her beloved oppa losing.
“Oppa…! Hang in there!”
After coming this far, there was no way I could accept defeat and still show my face.
*
The swords clashed fiercely.
The leader’s technique was something else—so natural.
Sometimes soft, other times fierce.
Just like rain falls and the wind blows, the sword flowed seamlessly.
“Where’s that earlier bravado now?! Why don’t you flap your gums again!”
His sword lashed out like a waterfall, aiming for my head.
I shot out energy with my left hand while gripping my sword tightly in my right.
Wind and Clouds.
With the basic move from the Yellow Cloud Sword Art, I managed to deflect the incoming attack.
‘Natural flow… got it.’
That must be the essence of the Clear Flow Sword Art. Or maybe this was a technique that went beyond simply “Clear Flow”.
Watching more closely led to realizations.
‘The art of the sword creates a world of its own.’
The rain falls, the winds blow. The river changes with the weather—just like the dew on grass and the mist creeping in.
It strikingly resembled the Essence-Unity Divine Technique—a similarity that echoed in the Yellow Cloud style.
‘It creates a singular world.’
All the martial arts I had witnessed fit this description. Even the Three Calamities Sword Technique was trying to form a world, encapsulating heaven, earth, and man.
That might just be the culminating goal of martial arts.
What I had only vaguely understood became clear through insight.
The mental image of the Yellow Cloud Art—a golden sunset and the clouds flowing gently below it; perhaps how one presents their interpretation of the world is part of mastering martial arts.
“Hang in there, Oppa…!”
That adorable little brat’s cheer echoed in my ears.
With her cheering me on, I couldn’t afford to lose.
I cracked a smile and swung my sword wide, stepping back and slightly pushing the leader back. The leader, momentarily stunned, gazed in awe at the vibrating sword.
“Well, well. Seems you weren’t what you seemed. You draw close to the Clear Flow Sword Art, but you’re not it.”
“What do you mean, punk?”
“Alright, that’s enough. A duel like this is sufficient.”
The leader stared hard at me.
“Your martial arts are clearly not from the lowly rogue, but from a reputable school. You didn’t learn the Clear Flow Sword Art—I can see that now. There’s no longer a reason to fight.”
“Oh, so you were provoking me from the start to see if I’d use the Clear Flow Sword Art?”
“Looks like it’s time for you to back off. No need for you to keep pretending to be tough. Or do you have your reasons for pretending to be a member of the Black Tiger Gang?”
The leader shook his head, lowering his sword.
“Let’s finish this. You must have a name for your sect. Surely, you’re not nameless?”
“Hey, Uncle.”
I raised my sword triumphantly, a bright golden light dancing on it as it flowed like a river.
This was the original move from the Yellow Cloud Sword Art, now altered to fit my newfound style.
Smoothly flowing, yet with a fierce point.
“Who the hell decides when a fight ends!”
I charged in. The leader arched an eyebrow, drawing his own sword to parry.
Boom—!!
With a thunderous crash, dust erupted around us.
The leader’s hands trembled as his eyes went wide.
“What… the…?”
“I think I’m starting to understand,” I mused.
My understanding of the Yellow Cloud technique deepened as I realized this moment would lead to further revelations about martial arts.
The Essence-Unity Divine Technique.
The martial arts I had crafted began to pulse with energy.
‘It felt like I created a world, but it was just an illusion.’
That had only painted a lifeless picture.
But with enlightenment came a breeze—suddenly blowing through my mind.
‘A single breeze brings change.’
Moving like I was gliding over land, I smoothly maneuvered beside the leader.
As he attempted to close the distance in our fighting, I raised my sword, brushing him aside.
‘The storm is ever-changing, just like the winds rage.’
With my sword held high, the sky collided above me, storming down like a torrential downpour.
With every clash of our swords, my blade morphed and transformed. The leader could only gasp in astonishment.
“How…! Are you truly absorbing my sword?”
Absorbing? Close, but not quite. I had merely drawn inspiration from a tiny portion of the leader’s technique.
With a bright smile, I swung my sword with madness.
Day and night. Rivers and winds. Rain and clouds.
As the fragments of my mental image flourished, they grew vibrant with vitality.
Though still clumsy, one day these thoughts would burst alive, completing the Essence-Unity Divine Technique.
“Hey, Uncle, prepare for a grand debut. You’re going to be the first to get hit by the initial move of my Essence-Unity Divine Technique.”
Clenching my sword tightly, I finally grasped clarity. The Essence-Unity Divine Technique was about creating martial arts on one’s own. The sword was merely a brush to paint that masterpiece.
“Unifying!”
A murky light enshrouded my blade, now sticky and glimmering, engulfing the entire sword.
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