Docorin’s sword clashed with my fist in the air.
Having sparred countless times, we knew each other’s martial arts far too well.
Our duel flowed like water.
Docorin’s martial art, Guguong Mujuk Gyeonggyeol, is a martial art from the Dokgo family, consisting of a total of nine forms.
Each form is a sort of weapon response manual that encompasses countless ways to counter various weapons, but in Guguong Mujuk Gyeonggyeol, only the last form, Pachun Sik, has a distinct shape.
And this Pachun Sik was the technique that had driven Weijichun to his death in the original story.
Though the creator of this martial art, Dokgo Pae, didn’t intend it that way, it’s truly ironic to think that Weijichun has “heaven” (天) in his name.
“Are you thinking about something else while we’re sparring?”
With those words, Docorin’s wooden sword sharply stabbed forward.
Her main weapon, a curved bow, literally takes the form of a blade, making stabbing impossible, but since she was using a wooden sword now, stabbing was an option.
“Ugh!”
I hurriedly raised my forearm to deflect the jab, and I took a step back to regain my balance.
However, Docorin relentlessly pursued me, not missing the opportunity.
The greatest feature of Guguong Mujuk Gyeonggyeol is that every form, except for Pachun Sik, is formless (無形), allowing the movement to change according to the situation.
Considering that the concept of forms is to have a series of connected movements prepared to respond to various situations, it can be said to be a truly groundbreaking martial art.
In the end, I found myself on the defensive, pushed back to the edge of the sparring arena.
The moment I took another step back, I would become the loser of this duel.
But neither of us wanted to end it this way, so I used my hidden ace.
“Hup!”
Bang!!
The moment Docorin’s wooden sword collided with my fist, the sword shattered like a piece of paper.
I had realized the trick when I fought that guy, Ma Dongcheol, previously.
“!”
Docorin looked surprised, but soon discarded the broken wooden sword and charged at me barehanded.
But that was a grave mistake.
No matter how strong Docorin was, she would still lose to me in hand-to-hand combat.
Thinking that, I confidently tried to use Huaganjie Wu (華間蝶舞).
But the reason I say “tried” is that before I could even use the form, Docorin had already overpowered me first.
“…Huh?”
As I realized this, I found myself staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling as if the world had been turned upside down.
Perhaps I had been thrown, as I felt a sharp pain radiating from my back.
While I was helplessly gazing at the ceiling, unable to take in the sudden change, Docorin peered down at me and asked,
“Is this my victory?”
I couldn’t refute that.
*
‘Who would’ve thought she’d be stronger than me in barehanded combat?’
Honestly, I was a bit shocked.
I thought I would be stronger in martial arts, but I lost far too quickly.
As I curled up, feeling dejected, Docorin smiled wryly and said, “You only succeeded because you surprised me! If it had gone long, I would have won. Don’t be too disappointed.”
“You don’t need to comfort me….”
I lost in my area of expertise, so honestly, what could I say?
Seeing my gloomy expression, Docorin, who had just won, seemed unsure of what to do.
At that moment, a third person appeared in the indoor sparring arena.
“Oh? What are you two up to?”
It was Namgoong Ruby, who looked like she had just come in to work out.
“Hello.”
As I greeted with a weak voice, Namgoong Ruby looked even more puzzled.
Since it felt a bit strange to dig deeper into the awkward situation, I brushed it off and got up.
“Why are you mumbling like that? Now I’m even more curious.”
Approaching me, Namgoong Ruby insisted I spill the beans.
Eventually, I revealed what had just happened.
“Ahaha! You’re sulking over that?”
“What do you mean ‘that’? It was a big shock for me.”
As I voiced my complaint, Namgoong Ruby said, “Sorry! Sorry!” in an insincere tone.
“But I thought it was too naive to assume that someone trained in swordsmanship would be weak in barehanded combat.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because, surely someone must have thought that way in the past.”
“Well… that’s true.”
I couldn’t refute since it was indeed a valid point.
“So most swordsmen learn close-quarters combat to prepare for situations without their swords. And you can’t always carry a sword with you.”
As she spoke, Namgoong Ruby punched the air back and forth.
Her form was quite something; she definitely seemed like someone who had trained in martial arts.
“Of course, it’s rare for someone trained in martial arts to be able to defeat a professional, but it’s not unheard of.”
Didn’t she just claim that she lost to Rin?
After that, I had to admit how naive I had been.
“Alright, I got it, so stop with the lecturing. I’ll work harder.”
“Yes. That’s the right attitude.”
As Namgoong Ruby nodded, she asked Docorin, who was standing next to her,
“By the way, Rin, if you have time, wouldn’t you spar with me?”
“I’ll pass. I just sparred with Chilbok and I’m worn out.”
“Ugh! So unfair! You can’t leave me hanging!”
The serious demeanor from earlier vanished, and Namgoong Ruby was now whining like a little kid.
Yet, Docorin pretended not to hear.
Ultimately, seemingly exhausted, Namgoong Ruby puffed up her cheeks and said, “Hmph! I’m upset!”
Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but smirk.
“But you rarely come out to train on weekends; that’s unusual.”
“Is it strange for me to practice?”
“Well, I thought people usually just hang out on weekends.”
“Ugh, I can’t argue with that.”
Namgoong Ruby, with a sullen expression, began to explain why she was training on the weekend.
“Well, we’re going on a training trip to the volcano pretty soon, right?”
“That’s true.”
“But the volcanists are famous for their swordsmanship. Since I’m the daughter of the Namgoong family, known as the best swordsmen in the world, I wanted to fight against the plum sword masters of the volcano at least once.”
“Do you really think that’s going to happen?”
Even in terms of talent, just being a plum sword master means they could easily be the top disciples of the Volcano Sect. I wasn’t sure if they would even entertain a challenge from someone like Namgoong Ruby, who was still in her mid-teens.
“Don’t you know you won’t know unless you try? And if worst comes to worst, I’ll just showcase some skill.”
Namgoong Ruby said nonchalantly, making a frightening remark.
“Ugh— just don’t cause any trouble.”
I said, making a genuinely disgusted face, which made Namgoong Ruby look hurt.
“Chilbok, are you being too harsh just with me?”
“Well, it’s because you cause a lot of trouble normally.”
“…That’s fair.”
Given that, Namgoong Ruby had no rebuttal and obediently shut her mouth.
As our conversation somewhat calmed down, Docorin interjected,
“Well, since we’ve had enough rest, let’s start training again.”
*
The volcano.
It’s a recurring location in Chinese martial arts.
Famous as one of the Five Great Mountains of China, the volcano is home to the Huasan Sect, with towering peaks sprawling endlessly across a rugged rocky landscape.
Known as a sacred place for practitioners, this beautiful landscape is also renowned for its harsh mountain terrain, hence many people also visit for mountain climbing.
And the most important advantage is that it’s not too far from Chang’an.
If one travels too far for training, just going back and forth would consume a tremendous amount of time.
Mmm— mmm— mmm— mmm—
On a languid afternoon, the noisy sounds of cicadas echoed through the forest as we finally arrived at the entrance of the volcano two days after setting out from Chang’an for the training trip.
“Wow, it’s hot.”
Even though it’s still early summer, the sunlight pouring down from the sky is scorching.
Fortunately, there’s plenty of shade in the forest; if we had walked through the empty plains for an extended time, we might have suffered from heatstroke long ago.
“Okay, let’s take a break here, everyone.”
The students in our class were here for a training trip and a visit to the Huasan Sect.
Even though they were well-trained warriors, long-distance journeys can be tiring.
After two full days of moving, they were understandably weary.
At the teacher’s declaration of a break, many students in our class collapsed to the ground or sat down.
Of course, I was one of them.
As I enjoyed the cool breeze under a proper tree shade, Docorin approached me and asked,
“Chilbok, do you want some water?”
“If you don’t mind, sure.”
Nodding without declining, Docorin handed me her water flask.
I opened the cap of the flask and took a sip, then sighed, “Ah, this water tastes so good.”
“Really?”
Delighted by the fact that she helped me, Docorin shyly smiled.
At that moment, a familiar voice called out to us.
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