Chapter: 294
“How is it?”
I had to pause for a moment with a blank expression when Bi Eejin asked me that question.
What on earth is this person saying now?
A disciple?
‘Your master is recruiting disciples?’
And he wants me to join in?
Even though he’s mentioned as the master of the secret society. He refers to his master as Venerable Pae. And Venerable Pae is none other than Bi Eejin himself….
What he’s saying is effectively that he’s selling himself out.
I saw this and thought, ‘Isn’t he embarrassed…?’
The dignity I felt in my previous life vanished in an instant.
This guy… he feels more off than I thought!
And a disciple?
What disciple?
Are you asking me to become the disciple of the fallen one?
The reply popped out immediately.
“I won’t.”
I flatly declined.
“Okay, then next time… what?”
Bi Eejin, who heard the rejection, wore an uncharacteristically shocked expression.
Did he seriously expect me to accept it without hesitation?
That seems like an incredibly arrogant thought.
‘Well… it’s not like I’m just any disciple.’
He is supposedly a disciple of the Three Lords, and the Supreme Lord no less.
In the Central Plains, there are three descendants who ascend to heaven.
Not just martial arts.
You inherit their reputation and status too.
If you have plenty of potential,
You can take on their power and even explore their level of mastery.
Refusing such an offer is shocking enough.
But even so…
‘It’s Venerable Pae.’
That statement makes you think a lot.
The unique martial art created by Venerable Pae himself is a martial skill that emerged less than a hundred years ago, like the Moonlit Dance used by Sword Venerable.
And the old file room?
If we consider that the divine powers of the Four Great Families have been transformed and perfected over centuries,
It could be considered unfinished and lacking, but…
‘No way. That can’t be the case.’
Venerable Pae’s arts were never incomplete. I assure you, as someone who witnessed the entire thing he wielded firsthand.
In all my life, I’ve never seen such ignorant yet powerful martial arts.
Now to differentiate…
Sword Venerable took the original martial arts and modified them to suit himself.
But Venerable Pae once stated himself that,
From beginning to end, it was a martial art he created.
‘Is that really possible?’
That’s the question.
Not only did he invent a new martial art,
But within less than a hundred years,
He honed it to rise to the position of Samjon.
That’s a level I couldn’t even dream of.
That’s why…
The martial arts of Venerable Pae are precious.
This means it’s a divine skill that any martial artist would covet.
One.
I’m currently pressed for time to learn a new martial art.
“Shouldn’t a disciple be capable of learning it as well?”
I lit a fire at my fingertips and showed it to Bi Eejin.
Ah, damn… my danjeon aches.
The energy from the Nine-Year-Old Man’s Tao was already flowing through my body,
And I was in a state of perfect engagement with it.
This means I was almost at the point of fusion.
To practice martial arts means,
You must build up new energy based on the appropriate depth of energy for that martial art.
For instance, to use the Gu Flame Wheel Technique, which primarily deals with flames and combat.
I’m already conditioned to that kind of energy.
But learning a new martial art in this state?
‘Are you planning to burst all my blood vessels?’
That’s nonsense behavior.
Upon hearing my words, Bi Eejin seemed to realize my reasoning,
Then his shocked expression softened.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”
He continued speaking as if everything was fine.
What the heck, is there some kind of solution? My ears perked up.
“It’s possible if you empty everything and fill it up anew.”
“… What the hell.”
I cursed at Bi Eejin’s words.
That guy was even crazier than I thought.
That is to say…
You’re telling me to empty all the energy flowing through my body,
And fill it with new energy to learn the martial art?
“Please, stop saying ridiculous things.”
To clear out everything I’ve built up until now.
That was basically saying to step into a new martial art.
‘This is complete nonsense.’
Where would I find someone who would do something so insane?
Even at a peak level…
‘…’
As I pondered, another thought suddenly popped into my mind.
If he speaks about it so naturally, could it be…
Did that guy actually do this?
It’s potentially possible.
Maybe that’s why he talks so casually about it.
Normally, a person wouldn’t do something like that.
But for those who have reached the level of Samjon,
There’s a high chance that none of them are normal.
Of course, I have no intention of doing that.
“I’m not going to do it. Am I crazy enough to take everything out and fill it all back up?”
My answer doesn’t change.
How much energy have I raised so far, and how much further must I go from here?
Would I throw that away just to learn one new skill?
‘I don’t have time for that.’
There’s simply no time for it in the first place.
‘That guy thinks I’m a genius, but I’m not.’
I may push forward and keep learning,
But I’m no genius.
The reason Venerable Pae is putting himself on the line to do this is that
He probably thinks I’m suitable for learning his martial arts.
To others, I’d likely appear like a genius descended from heaven.
And that’s what a master, after reaching their original level, is like.
They want to show others the results of their honing.
They want to share the things they’ve accomplished.
There are a lot of people who don’t have those intentions,
But at least most of the experts I know seem to fit that mold.
It’s likely a yearning and a goal.
Why is there a pressing need to have disciples and teach them martial arts?
‘It’s something they want to leave behind for future generations.’
To be known as an incredible person.
It’s about making that known through their disciples.
Of course, there’s the honor of the sect.
The importance of their name and other miscellaneous things involved.
But to me, it seems no different.
Isn’t this quite the useless goal?
‘Of course, that guy… doesn’t seem to have that purpose.’
I wasn’t concerned about knowing his motive.
I just didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention.
In that guy’s eyes, I must look like a common Heavenly Muscular Body.
I think I appear something like that.
Anyone could see it that way.
I lack the talent to inherit the martial arts of the fallen.
No time either, that’s the point here.
I’m busy right now, so what’s the point of learning a new martial art?
“Find someone else. I’m not doing it.”
Still, I turned my back and walked away.
Honestly, I entertained other thoughts.
‘With the energy of spirit and blood, maybe even the magical energy combined, is it not possible to add new energy?’
Maybe it’s the influence of the Demonic Absorption.
Whether it’s the hidden strength of the Nine-Year-Old Man or not,
Considering that I’ve stored an outrageous amount of energy without my body and blood vessels bursting and can still use them separately,
I briefly wondered if it would be okay to learn Venerable Pae’s martial art.
Just a fleeting thought…
‘That’s a gamble…’
What if I try and something goes wrong?
I didn’t want to engage in that.
“I hope you find a good disciple…. no, a master. I’ll take my leave now…”
Just when I tried to make a run for it from a distance,
A voice called out from behind.
“This is a bit tricky. I didn’t expect to be rejected.”
As I heard the words, I turned my head.
In that moment, Venerable Pae—or rather, Bi Eejin—had appeared right in front of me.
‘Crazy.’
Since my danjeon couldn’t move properly, I couldn’t even grasp the movements accurately.
Not to mention, Bi Eejin was incredibly fast.
Bi Eejin spoke to me.
“Our teacher said it would be challenging to find anyone else besides you.”
“… When did our Master Bi So-hyeop last see me?”
“…”
At my pointed question, Bi Eejin briefly hesitated.
It seemed he had slipped up.
“… Don’t rumors usually spread nationwide?”
“Yes, I suppose that’s the case. So, what’s your plan?”
Are you thinking of forcibly taking me?
I thought he couldn’t be such a difficult person.
But looking at him now, he might not be so simple.
‘Running away… could be tough.’
Given the surprise attack just before,
And his earlier movements were enough to clue me in.
With my danjeon in its current state, I couldn’t escape from that man.
As I pondered what to do,
Bi Eejin raised his hand and showed me something.
It was a blue belt.
When I started wondering if Bi Eejin had a blue belt,
“…huh?”
I felt something was off and rummaged through my pockets to check the belt I possessed.
Only then did I realize.
The belt he was holding,
It was the same one I had.
I let out a breath and asked.
“…Are you going to take that with you?”
Losing one blue belt doesn’t change anything.
It doesn’t matter if it’s taken by someone else,
Or if it’s snatched by the monsters in the forest.
At my words, Bi Eejin gripped the belt tightly in his hand and said,
“I understand your position. Let’s discuss something else.”
His tone changed.
I couldn’t tell if it was instinctive or not, but it seemed closer to his natural speech.
No comments were made.
“If you take this belt back from me, I will happily give up.”
Those words were spoken by Bi Eejin as if it were a benevolent offer.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“Why on earth would I do that?”
“If you refuse, I’ll follow you around and pester you. How does that sound?”
“What?”
What on earth is he saying now?
“I’ve thought and observed your reactions, and it seems like you have no special desires for Shinryonggwan. You probably feel the same as I do.”
“… No? I actually want to go.”
How did he know?
“I didn’t get that vibe, but wouldn’t that mean you should take action?”
The fluttering blue belt was annoying me.
He was more cunning than I thought.
So, is he going to play mind games if I say no?
‘What a pushy person.’
I hadn’t thought of him like that before.
If it were otherwise, he truly values me enough to do something like this.
But for what reason?
Looking into Bi Eejin’s eyes,
It was clear he didn’t intend to let it go easily.
That guy…
It seemed like if I didn’t take action, he would genuinely attempt to disqualify me.
“… What’s your plan if you can’t take the belt all the way?”
“It’s not ideal to deduce a loss before the match.”
“Because I’m originally not someone of great stature.”
I wasn’t about to fall for his wordplay.
“Don’t tell me that forcing me to become a disciple is your plan or something?”
“Well, I’m not the type of person to drag someone unwillingly.”
“Are you talking about the master of the non-combatant?”
“… Yes, that was a slip of the tongue. It’s our teacher.”
He grinned.
This is ridiculous.
That’s how he’s managed to stay under the radar till now.
Ah, so that’s why the sect hasn’t shown up.
“If you don’t manage to get that belt all the way…”
“What if I can’t?”
“You only need to meet our teacher once.”
“… Are you referring to the elder who is the scapegoat?”
“Yes.”
Meeting him is what?
He’s right before my eyes, right now.
‘…I can’t say that.’
What’s the intention of that uncombative guy?
Now, he’s implying I should leave him behind to meet the fallen one instead.
‘Is he thinking of using a substitute?’
I couldn’t figure it out.
The intention was likely to persuade.
For now, in this current situation, if it’s just about meeting…
“Got it….”
BAM-!
With a sharp pain hitting directly to my face,
My head tilted back.
“Ugh…!”
What the heck?
“…Oh.”
Bi Eejin, who had swung his fist, expressed admiration.
I was almost losing my stance.
“I can’t believe you dodged a bit during that. You’re impressive.”
“Are you insane…? What are you doing?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
He was stroking his nose, looking bewildered.
Bi Eejin smiled and waved the blue belt.
“Did you really think it would end just because you grabbed the belt?”
“…What.”
“I never said that I wouldn’t hit you, did I?”
Is this old man so sneaky?
‘…Wait.’
I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.
‘Ah.’
It dawned on me.
This reminded me of when Elder Lee was Elder Lee,
When he smashed down Peng Woo-jin who was making a fuss about attending the Nine Dragons Club.
—Elder Lee, weren’t you just avoiding it?
—I never said such a thing.
‘A lot of people say they’re in their own world.’
The old man’s friends were all abnormal.
Fortunately, it just grazed me.
The world still spun around.
‘I almost got hit in the chin.’
If I had paused for even a brief moment,
I would have landed flat on the ground.
“…ah.”
Of all the people to get mixed up with…
I wonder if I’m genuinely getting punished for bothering Gujeol-yeop.
Knock knock.
This is so irritating.
I’ve already got a pile of things to do.
I loosened my body slightly.
I channeled strength into my danjeon.
Zing-
The excruciating pain still lingered, though.
But it was tolerable if I gritted my teeth.
At least for now.
Inhale…
I gathered my energy.
As soon as I began drawing energy up through my danjeon, I felt my body expanding.
If just the energy isn’t enough…
I had to pull in something else, no matter how underhanded it was.
[Krrrrrr…!]
As I attempted to raise my energy, the young beast reacted particularly fiercely.
That beast was unnaturally sensitive to this energy.
Spirit energy.
Right now, it could be better than magic.
In a moment, its power was definitely apparent.
‘Will once be enough?’
I have no idea.
I had to give it a go.
“Hmm?”
Did Bi Eejin sense something from me?
He changed his expression.
Crunch.
At the moment I got off the ground, I was launched at Bi Eejin.
I moved my left shoulder and reached out my arm.
The power of blood that I had drawn up after so long,
Moved much faster than I expected.
Bi Eejin also flinched and moved.
He realized my hand was aimed at his wrist wearing the blue belt.
But,
My target wasn’t his wrist.
Maybe it was much faster than expected?
Fortunately, it was only a fraction of a second too late for Bi Eejin to recognize my true intention.
My moving hand veered off course.
“…!”
At that moment, Bi Eejin realized what I was after.
Wham!
Then my arm plunged into Bi Eejin’s abdomen.
After confirming my attack hit,
I immediately
Whoosh!
Exploded my energy with the tip of my fist.
BOOM-!
The energy burst everywhere,
And the surroundings were engulfed in chaos from the shockwave.
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