0084 : Amcheonhyang (Dark Heaven Village)
The next day, I went out early in the morning to prepare for the royal ceremony guard duties. I wore the special ceremonial attire provided to me and learned how to move gracefully. Thankfully, although it was a guard for the ceremony, my role mainly involved walking along a designated path while holding a flag.
With a loud blast of instruments, the sounds of the erhu and guzheng filled the air. I circled around the royal shrine before standing in the designated spot. The royal ceremony honoring King Gongmin continued for about an hour, during which I had to stand still without moving from my spot.
“With this, the ceremony is concluded.”
Someone wearing a golden crown stepped forward to declare this loudly. After the event concluded, all the royal family members and nobles headed somewhere. The ceremony guards dispersed, each following the noble they were assigned to serve. Since I had some understanding of what to do next, I followed the procession to the grand event hall.
It was a splendidly arranged banquet hall. Under the cool, clear sunlight, a variety of sumptuous dishes were laid out, and musicians were prepared to perform. Across the large banquet tables, nobles were engaged in quiet conversation.
I was looking for the captain of the guard warriors who worked under Jeong Cheol-wook. When he spotted me while organizing the ranks, he said, “You should enter the white tent over there and wait.”
“Understood.”
Although I didn’t completely comprehend, pointing with his finger made it easy to follow his instructions. I entered the tent, which had simple seating arrangements for resting. It seemed I was meant to wait there until the sparring began.
Inside the tent was a maid who appeared to be speaking in Goryeo language.
“……?”
When I couldn’t understand her words, the maid looked around in frustration and handed me a teacup. She probably was asking if I wanted to have some tea. I shook my head, and only then did she take the teacup back and leave.
‘This is really uncomfortable…’
I couldn’t pick up even simple conversations, and if the vocabulary got a bit harder or the grammar twisted, I was utterly lost. Despite studying hard for the past six months, it remained challenging. I would likely need to live in Goryeo for a few more years to communicate properly.
After a while, the captain of the guard warriors entered the tent.
“The sparring is about to begin.”
“Understood.”
I followed him out of the tent. In the open competition arena, a sparring stage had been set up, measuring around twenty paces. As I stepped onto the stage, I could hear people speaking in Goryeo below me. It seemed they were explaining the background of this sparring match.
Shortly after, my opponent stepped forward.
I recalled what Lee Joo-hee had told me the previous day.
‘We will have a total of three rounds, and if I lose even one round, it counts as a defeat.’
It was an absurdly disadvantageous condition, but I had no choice. If the Twelve Righteous wanted to test my skills, it was only natural for it to be unfair. As I scrutinized my opponent, he frowned in annoyance.
“@@…!!”
He then spoke something in Goryeo and assumed a fighting stance.
My opponent appeared to be a swordsman in his mid-to-late twenties. Estimating his internal energy, I thought to myself,
‘He is quite skilled.’
As I stood there, the interpreter who was near the sparring stage said, “He is Ja Ryun of the National Defense Alliance. You should introduce yourself as well.”
I nodded and similarly took my stance.
“I am Baek Woong, a guard warrior of the Jeong Clan.”
Though my pronunciation was clumsy, it was indeed proper Goryeo language. Ja Ryun nodded as if he understood my words, drew his sword, and pointed it at me. It seemed the sparring was about to begin.
DONG—
A loud gong sounded, announcing the start of the sparring. Simultaneously, I noticed Ja Ryun’s figure (his stance) darting forward, unleashing sword energy that scattered in all directions. The speed was incredibly fast, and his sword techniques were precise, forcing me to raise my sword in defense.
CLANG!
“Hmm.”
I didn’t fully grasp Ja Ryun’s sword technique, but I was genuinely taken aback. He was leagues above the pirate leaders I had faced before; he was, quite literally, a master of a prestigious swordsmanship style, honed to a remarkable level. His internal energy was surprisingly high for someone of his age, and the way he released his sword energy indicated he was likely at the level of a sect elder from a prominent faction.
CLASH! CLANK!
I first engaged in some exploratory moves, using the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique to block Ja Ryun’s attacks. After just a few exchanges, perhaps due to my overwhelming internal power, Ja Ryun stopped attacking and retreated. He realized that if he continued, he risked being cut down along with his sword.
‘Hmm. This person is exceptionally talented in martial arts.’
I couldn’t help but click my tongue inwardly. Among the guests gathered in the Han Clan, there were hardly any swordsmen at Ja Ryun’s level. At best, there might have been one or two skilled individuals. For someone who looked so young to possess the capabilities of a top sect elder, achieving that level of talent and skill was no easy feat.
Perhaps Ja Ryun was truly a peak expert!
Ranked among the most outstanding masters in the Goryeo martial world.
Once his momentum was gathered, Ja Ryun moved swiftly again, launching his sword energy as a form of probing attack. I calmly began to defend myself once more.
CLANG!
However, Ja Ryun was sweating profusely on his forehead, clearly tense, as my internal energy was far more formidable than he had anticipated. It was no wonder; my strikes, infused with my internal energy while clashing swords with Ja Ryun, sent his body sliding back several paces. With such overwhelming strength, I was naturally at a severe advantage.
Moreover, I was currently several levels stronger than when I had faced the elder of the Zhongnan Sect. Given Ja Ryun’s swordsmanship, he was unable to avoid a direct confrontation and strike at my openings.
Eventually, Ja Ryun could no longer withstand the pressure and retreated backwards, avoiding five paces.
……
A moment of silence enveloped the arena. This lull in action occurred because I refrained from making any aggressive moves, and Ja Ryun maintained a defensive posture. After a lengthy standoff, Ja Ryun suddenly spoke.
The interpreter below called out loudly, translating what he said.
“Ja Ryun declares that he will unleash his ultimate technique! If you can withstand this technique, he will acknowledge his defeat.”
I nodded without hesitation.
“Of course!”
I had been contemplating how it would look if I won merely by overpowering him with my internal energy, so his offer was actually quite welcome. As I gathered my sword technique to prepare for Ja Ryun’s attack, a silver aura emanated from his entire body.
WHOOOSH…
The silver aura was a manifestation of qi. It seemed he was attempting to unleash a technique that he normally couldn’t, enhanced by a special internal energy skill, intending to perform it in a short timeframe. In an instant, the sword energy enveloped Ja Ryun’s blade, intensifying into a fierce sword flame, and his momentum surged like a storm.
Ja Ryun unleashed a battle cry.
“HAH!”
KA-BOOM!
Simultaneously, Ja Ryun’s sword and body became one as he charged forward with incredible speed. This was the realm of Sword and Body Unity, a level rarely seen even in the central martial world. With the sword flame enveloping him, it was a decisive technique capable of slicing through average martial artists. I instantly realized Ja Ryun planned to kill me for the sake of victory.
‘Not happening!’
What had I gone through to get here? I cannot afford to die now, having not even properly sought Haeinsa yet. Channeling all my focus, I unleashed the unique technique of the Thunder Shadow School, the Heavenly Pillar Kill, at the moment Ja Ryun’s attack was released.
WHOOSH!
My form instantaneously split into three. At the same time, as I executed the Heavenly Pillar Kill, my body moved skillfully, deflecting Ja Ryun’s attack while my sleeve was torn. Though I couldn’t entirely evade it, as evidenced by the scratch on my wrist, I nevertheless succeeded in withstanding Ja Ryun’s assault.
THUD!
Concurrently, my left hand unleashed the Thunder Cloud Palm, which sent Ja Ryun flying.
“AAAH!”
Despite putting tremendous strength and internal energy into the strike, Ja Ryun spat blood. It was likely due to the gap left right after unleashing a special move, rendering his defense weaker. Watching Ja Ryun, who was rolling on the ground in agony, I once again realized the deceptive power of the Thunder Shadow School.
‘While the Thunder Naimyo is one thing, the Heavenly Pillar Kill is truly an outstanding martial art. Could this too be a high-level kill move?’
It was a divine technique capable of evading even the secret skills of top-tier masters! Furthermore, it served as an essential footwork to support the extreme offensive power of the Thunder Shadow School.
“Baek Woong, victory!”
The announcer’s voice rang out.
Murmurs filled the surrounding area as the watching Goryeo nobles expressed their admiration. Seeing their positive reactions, I sighed in relief, feeling I had somewhat met the intended goal of the sparring.
A moment later, the announcer approached me. He was someone who could speak Mandarin.
“I’m sorry, but you will have a half-ceremony break. It seems it will take some time to send out the next representative.”
“Understood.”
“Please enter that white tent and wait.”
I went back into the tent, only to find an unexpected visitor waiting for me.
“Joo-hee?”
“Don’t call me that~ Just call me Joo-hee.”
“What brings you here?”
Lee Joo-hee, who had taught me Goryeo language for the past six months, was sitting there with a bright smile. She giggled and said,
“You’re really amazing. To defeat Ja Ryun, the best peak master of the National Defense Alliance…”
“I’ve only just taken down the first representative.”
“Not true. The thought was to end it with Ja Ryun from the Twelve Righteous! The reason you are being given this break is because they are flustered. They likely didn’t expect you to win against Ja Ryun.”
“……?”
I looked at her with a bewildered expression.
While Ja Ryun was certainly a remarkable martial artist for his age, was he truly someone deserving of such confidence?
‘Ah, I see. Given my appearance as a teenage boy, it’s understandable they might think that way.’
But soon, I realized that my perception was distorted. Having continuously looked up to top-tier masters and fought against monstrous experts, Ja Ryun seemed less impressive to me. From the perspective of an average martial artist, Ja Ryun was an extraordinary master, someone you could encounter only once in a lifetime. Joo-hee said,
“Hm… no matter who comes out, you can win, right?”
Concerned, she asked. I chuckled lightly and replied,
“I’ll win against the ones I can, and those I can’t, well, I’ll just do my best.”
“Do you realize how cowardly it sounds to say you’ll do your best? If you lose after doing your best, will you be satisfied with that?”
Lee Joo-hee, who had been grumbling, held onto my hand tightly and looked at me earnestly.
“If you’re going to do it, make sure you win! Got it?”
“I understand.”
Joo-hee seemed to be trying her best to encourage me. I had never imagined that someone would worry about me while I was in a foreign land, and I felt a peculiar warmth as I looked at her face.
A short while later, I was called again and stepped out of the tent onto the sparring stage. Upon my arrival, my opponent also made their way up, but this time it wasn’t a young man like Ja Ryun; instead, it was an older master who looked to be considerably aged.
He had a wise appearance with a flowing white beard, likely in his sixties, and gripped a single spear tightly. As he introduced himself, the interpreter below announced,
“The second opponent is Choi Eul-ryong from the Bilumun (Flowing Water Gate) of the Twelve Righteous.”
I glanced at the interpreter and said,
“I have a request.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“I’d like to change my weapon to a spear. Could you please ask Choi Eul-ryong?”
The interpreter appeared surprised that I would make such a request. He approached Choi Eul-ryong and conveyed my words; Eul-ryong nodded without hesitation. It seemed he was confident in his ability to handle whatever weapon I chose.
“He agrees. Then, the spear will be brought to you.”
SWISH!
Once I received the spear, I took a stance and faced off against Choi Eul-ryong. As I waited for the signal to begin the spar, I thought,
‘It seems the Twelve Righteous are determined to win. This guy is strong…’
From the moment I looked at Eul-ryong, I could tell he was definitely a master beyond the peak! However, the extent of his strength was still uncertain to me. If Eul-ryong truly was an extraordinary master, winning against him would be incredibly difficult. Therefore, using a spear, which is more effective in actual combat, instead of a relatively weaker sword, was only logical.
Eul-ryong seemed to catch on to my reasoning behind the weapon change. His eyes sparkled with interest.
DONG!
The large gong rang, announcing the start of the second match. However, unlike Ja Ryun, Eul-ryong didn’t immediately attack. Instead, unexpectedly, he began speaking to me in Mandarin.
“The Central Plains truly is vast. I’ve never met a talented youth like you in my lifetime.”
“You can speak Mandarin?”
“Ho ho… In my youth, I traveled a bit around the Central Plains.”
Choi Eul-ryong smiled widely.
“Seeing you prepare to use a spear shows me you are quite serious. Then, as the leader of the Bilumun, I will do my best.”
“Leader…!! You are the leader of the Twelve Righteous?”
“Yes. Let us have a fair duel.”
WHUM!
Eul-ryong transitioned into his battle stance, radiating an aura that, while not as dazzling as Ja Ryun’s silver energy, was calm and reminiscent of a great river.
Seeing the stable energy flowing from his stance made me instinctively tense, and I swallowed hard. I knew from experience that a master whose spirit, technique, and physicality are harmonized like that is tremendously terrifying.
‘Damn… he’s really serious about this.’
Once I sensed that Choi Eul-ryong’s martial might was extraordinary, a wave of irritation coursed through me. How could the leader of the Twelve Righteous participate in a mere spar to spice up the event? They were intent on securing a victory against me!
BAM!
“Ugh!”
I hurriedly dodged several explosive bursts in the air. Eul-ryong’s spear tip seemed to move leisurely but suddenly burst the air around where my head had been. I soon realized this was the high-level application of the spear technique—shooting and launching. This method allowed him to project invisible energy to intercept foes from a distance.
WHOOSH!
Simultaneously, I assumed a stance from the Thunder Shadow School, concentrating the energy on the spear tip. It was a low, crouching position. As my spear spun, entering a defensive posture, Eul-ryong looked surprised.
“Astonishing! Have you really grasped the subtleties of spear technique at such a young age?”
Like a snake raising its head to observe its prey, a brief silence fell between us as we sized each other up.
In the next moment, Eul-ryong and I crossed our spears, and they clashed violently. My spear whirled in a rotational motion, tearing through the air, while Eul-ryong dodged my attack swiftly, instead aiming to strike at my vital points. I couldn’t help but marvel at how he managed to evade our internal energy struggle while still effectively targeting my weaknesses.
BANG!
Although I managed to shake off Eul-ryong’s assault with a sweep of my spear, his attacks were unrelenting. Suddenly, the clever turn of the Heavens unleashed a barrage of invisible energy that attacked me from multiple angles. I couldn’t even consider engaging him in an internal energy stand-off, so I swung my spear like a windmill and stepped back.
CLANG! CLASH! CLANG!
Eul-ryong wasn’t fazed by my attempts to create distance and lure him into an opening. Calmly, he took a thrusting stance and repeatedly jabbed at me ten times in succession. Each thrust, emitting a white light, was terrifying enough to send chills down my spine. I felt like I was suffocating as I continued to retreat.
CRACK!
In the end, I could no longer withstand him and activated the Thunder Shadow School’s technique, darting around the sparring area. My illusions flitted past, confusing Eul-ryong’s eyes; yet he grinned, as if possessing clairvoyance, and unleashed a rain of attacks toward my true position.
KAANG!
In an instant, I was sent flying by the condensed energy of his spear. It was astonishing, but he too seemed to know the advanced techniques that disregarded the gap in internal energy levels. As I landed on the ground, I bit my lip.
‘Indeed, he is extraordinary… I can’t win in a fair fight.’
I couldn’t tell whether Choi Eul-ryong could use the transforming skill Hee-hwan or any strong techniques, but I doubted he could. It was something I always thought about when facing Lee Kwang; once the strong techniques came out, I had no chance of winning.
Choi Eul-ryong was likely at the early stage of the extraordinary master level. However, even that put a significant gap in skill and technique overall. Thus, my only option was to endure with my internal energy. I never expected to face such a master, and to my surprise, it seemed he felt the same.
Choi Eul-ryong lowered his spear and, with a serious expression, spoke.
“We were just frogs in a well… If there are talented youths like you in the Central Plains, our Twelve Righteous will soon be trampled in the martial world. Today’s encounter has been a great lesson.”
“……”
Of course, that wasn’t true. There couldn’t possibly be many people like me in the Central Plains. However, I didn’t feel the need to correct his misunderstanding.
Instead, gripping my spear tightly, I replied,
“Nonetheless, let’s go until the end! Isn’t that the warrior’s spirit?”
“Very well!”
And the clash continued.
I managed to hold out for about four hundred seconds, using every trick I had learned. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I used everything I learned from Lee Kwang today. However, the fundamental difference in our skills was unavoidable, and eventually, I couldn’t block his attack, leaving myself open and ultimately being knocked down.
The cold spear tip pressed against my throat.
I could hear the announcer’s voice ringing out.
“Choi Eul-ryong, victory!”
I felt a pang of resentment inside.
If I had used the Thunder Shadow technique, I may have been able to seize an advantage, but the thought of revealing the Thunder Shadow technique lingered in my mind. Lee Kwang had instructed me not to expose it carelessly during a crucial moment. Techniques like Thunder Shadow’s Heavenly Kill or even simple spear skills could be shown without much concern, but the Thunder Shadow technique was different.
Lee Kwang had said that when it was unleashed, witnesses should be dealt with immediately, as the technique’s breathing was unique, and if mishandled, it could be detected and countered. I couldn’t use it in this Goryeo, where I was practically in enemy territory, especially in this sparring arena surrounded by spectators.
‘Sigh… I’ll probably face scorn from the Jeong Clan starting tomorrow.’
As I rose from my spot bitterly, Choi Eul-ryong spoke to me.
“Truly impressive skills. Who is your master?”
“I cannot reveal that.”
“Hmmm… your master must be an exceptional spear master. I hope you can tell me later.”
“……”
“I apologize for our Twelve Righteous causing trouble this time. We won’t bother you again.”
With that, Choi Eul-ryong left the sparring stage. Receiving his apology made me feel I had surpassed a significant hurdle. While I hadn’t won all three rounds, at least it seemed my troubles with the Twelve Righteous would be reduced moving forward.
After the festivities that day, I returned to the Jeong Clan and responded to Jeong Cheol-wook’s summons.
Contrary to my expectation of him scolding me or expressing disappointment, Jeong Cheol-wook was astonished, standing up from his chair to grasp my hand.
“Seeing your divine might in person is remarkable!”
“… What?”
“To engage so fiercely against the leader of the Twelve Righteous has already become a topic of conversation in Gaegyeong. Haha… that was indeed a satisfying spar!”
“But I lost…”
Jeong Cheol-wook laughed heartily.
“Who doesn’t know that the leaders of the Twelve Righteous are extraordinary monsters? In fact, among the nobility, many thought it shameful for a leader to face a youth like you. You played your role admirably.”
“Hmm.”
“Let’s continue to work well together! I will treat you with the utmost respect.”
Jeong Cheol-wook’s words were genuine.
From then on, rather than looking down on me, the Jeong Clan began to treat me with kindness, and even the guard warriors’ treatment of me changed. The captain of the guard, who had only regarded me as a foreigner, started greeting me in broken Mandarin from time to time, joking with me. It indicated that he was trying to acknowledge and befriend me.
From their change in attitude, it seemed that the Twelve Righteous held great significance in Goryeo.
‘Indeed, if I give my all when faced with the inevitable, good outcomes will follow.’
I continued learning from Lee Joo-hee, absorbing both language and literature.
With this momentum, if I could get a holiday soon, I must definitely visit Haeinsa. I had a feeling that if I could find clues there, my future endeavors would go much more smoothly.
—————————= Author’s Note —————————=
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