Chapter 16

“Move.
I used the dragon to try to raise Danzhen’s internal energy.
“Still no movement.”
Sealing the inner cavity was not an empty promise.
I don’t know what acupuncture point I was using, but the energy didn’t move at all.
The normally pulsating energy had stiffened, as if it had been blocked by something and had become solid.
“Yes, I guess the only answer is to get used to it.”
I gave up trying, but there was only one answer.
I must get used to this weight.
“Let’s move, let’s move.”
Arms up, creak, arms down, creak.
Lift your leg, creak, lower your leg, creak.
It was as if the creaking body had turned into a ghost.
“Hehehe…… ahhh, it’s hard.”
Even though I had just washed up, my whole body was sweating again.
How long had I been moving my body like that?
Before I knew it, Sifu had opened the door and was looking at me.
“Did you come back? Why did you call me?”
My inner gong had been sealed, so I didn’t feel the invitation.
Besides, I was concentrating on moving my body, so I didn’t really feel anything.
Master closed the door and sat back in his chair.
“I have something to tell you. Sit down.”
He looked serious.
Unlike when he left, his expression was very serious and dark.
I had only seen this expression a few times before, and it made me very nervous.
“Zhong Nanfa, do you know?”
“Of course I know.”
The Zhongnan Sect.
The old sect in the volcano-like Shaanxi province.
A sword sect renowned for its swift, heavy, and changeable swords, and like the volcano, it is in a state of decline.
“I had a meeting with the elders of the Zhongnan sect the other day.”
“I know.”
I was surprised that he suddenly held talks with the elders of the sect.
He’s talking about that time.
“Yes, at that meeting, we scheduled a joint exercise. And we’re sending out five land prosecutors, four land rights officers, and three preliminary prosecutors. Twelve people in all. But you weren’t among them.”
“Isn’t that obvious? It’s absurd to me that I would be selected over other active alumni.”
Master gave me an odd look.
Well, it’s a bit grim, but it’s the truth.
“……Anyway, listen. There’s been a change of plans. You’re on the list. In three days, we’ll descend.”
“Yes……?”
Suddenly my head feels white.
Suddenly Hassan.
I couldn’t think of anything but the two letters Hassan.
“I can’t help it. It’s a recommendation from an elder. No elder can refuse.”
“Elder Zhang recommends…….”
“I don’t know why he recommended you, but I’m sure you know, and I won’t ask.”
“Ah!”
I remembered. Half a year ago, my defiance in the guise of a secret meeting with the executioners.
I’d heard that Zhang Il had said I’d won, and that Yoo Hyuk hadn’t been heard from since.
Joint training.
Though they say they are for fellowship, they will send their best and brightest to build the pride of their faction.
Each will send the strongest in any position.
The one who best fits the bill.
The Land Swordsman beat the Seersworn.
Yoo Hyuk, who is also the most talented and promising.
It’s only natural then that Zhang Wenyin would recommend him.
After I finished thinking quickly, I summarized the current situation and tried to think of a solution.
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with a solution.
“Hah.”
I let out a deep sigh and the master smiled bitterly.
“It’s a pity I still have a lot of things to teach you…….”
“Well, we still have about two weeks left.”
“Think positive, think positive.
“Yeah, it’s a shame, but what’s done is done. There’s no point in regretting it, so let’s make the most of the time we have left.”
“I guess we should. It can’t be helped.”
“Come out.”
The master returned to his normal state, having given up his regrets.
I followed him outside.
In front of the house, on the training grounds.
There, in the open, the master looked at me and said.
“Time is running out. It will be quicker for you to enlighten your body than your head.”
“What?”
“I told you, you have much to learn.”
Master stood with his back to me.
He shook his head and said.
“Come on.”
The momentum he exudes, it’s as if a huge wall is standing between us.
It wasn’t this big, but it felt like it once the inner gong was sealed.
Even though I could feel that Master had adjusted his energy to put only the slightest pressure on my body.
“Haat!”
Thud!
My fist slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
Boom!
A dull crunching sound cut through the air.
Master teased his feet dizzily, holding back as if he wasn’t going to attack.
Tadadak!
Master shifted to his right and bowed his head slightly.
His fist deflected by a slip of paper.
“This is the method. It may look like a plum blossom, but it’s all for three purposes.”
Boom! Boom!
The fist stretched out with all its strength, but the master dodged it with a simple motion.
“Dodging. Dodging with the most efficient and simple movement is the first.”
Although slowed down by the weight of the iron ring, the master’s technique of dodging a punch with all his might by moving his back foot as if he were taking a light stroll was said to be a masterpiece.
Of course, that’s in the eye of the beholder, and as an attacker, I’m sure I’d be furious.
“To take the defense. The second is to take the square, which is the fastest and easiest way to defeat an opponent.”
Sensei dodges my fist with another light movement, and I take a step forward.
“Huh?”
Then he disappeared before my eyes.
I heard his voice from below my chest.
“Empowerment. The third is to center your weight so that you can put the most power into your blow, and the fourth is to make it a steady attack.”
I lowered my head to look at him, and as he finished speaking, he released the hand that had been holding his back and held his right hand out in front of him.
“Ahem!”
What looked like a light swipe.
However, I couldn’t ignore the fact that my inner gong was currently sealed, so I quickly clasped my hands together and blocked his attack.
Pfft!
“Kk…….”
My hands tingled.
Even though he had clearly blocked it, he couldn’t move as if he was paralyzed.
“These are the three purposes of the Bo Law. Do you understand?”
I flicked my hand and glared at him.
He gave me a strange look.
“Hmm…… you’ve gotten used to it already? You’re sweating, but you don’t seem to be struggling too much.”
“That’s right……, it’s not…….”
I was almost fooled.
I quickly changed my tune, and he gave me a disapproving look.
“Oh, well, whatever. Here we go again. Look straight ahead.”
Without a moment to rest his tired body, Master walked back.
“Hot!”
He punched me again and repeated.
After about ten such blows, something clicked in my mind.
Looking at me panting, Sensei opened his mouth.
“That’s the end of the first part of the Bo Law. Next up is fire. As you can see, it’s very basic.”
Hua. Using the opponent’s strength to attack.
It’s a basic, basic move.
“Attack.”
“Whoa…… whoa…….”
I let my sweaty body cool down for a moment, then threw my fist out again.
It was slower than the first time, perhaps due to lack of strength.
“You’re being insincere. Do it right.”
I retorted to my master’s scolding.
“You’re tired, so why don’t you take a break?”
“…… Okay, half a minute, half a minute. Then we’ll resume.”
At Sensei’s words, he dropped to the ground.
“Hua…….”
My breath was hot after the strenuous exercise.
Even though it was fall, I could still breathe.
After half an hour, I stood up, pleading with my body to lie down and rest.
“Let’s get started.”
“Ha!”
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I took a step forward with my left foot, rotated my waist, and thrust my right arm out.
The punch, sped up by the rotational force (if it was), was dodged by Sensei by ducking his head to the right.
He then stepped forward with his right foot and dug into my body, grabbing my front with his left hand.
It happened so fast and so naturally that I couldn’t stop it.
“Aah!”
Pow!
Sensei twisted my wrist, and the weight of my forward motion sent me spinning and plummeting to the ground.
Even more surprising than the soreness in my back was the realization.
It was how simple and natural it was to get angry.
“This is anger. It’s the most basic and fundamental thing to learn, but it’s also one of the most difficult to master.”
I stretched out on the ground, ears pricked up, and listened.
“The first basic thing you need is the eye method. You need eyes that can read the paths, read the flow, otherwise how can you take advantage of your opponent’s strength? The second thing you need is the stance. As we said before, you need to use the simplest and most efficient movements to avoid your opponent’s attacks, and to pick the easiest places to attack and put your weight. And the third thing you need is internal strength. Although you“re using your opponent”s strength against him, it doesn“t mean that you don”t have any strength of your own. You need to have a large inner cavity, like that of a daehae, that can embrace your opponent’s strength.”
‘I see…….’
I nodded at my master’s words and pushed myself up again.
“Let’s try it one more time. As I said, the fastest way to learn is by doing.”
“Yes.”
She turned her back to him, stretched, and thrust once more.
As usual, Sensei dodged my attack with a single step and grabbed my wrist.
“Aah!”
He stamped his foot and pushed me backwards.
Boom, kwadang-tang!
This time, I was sent tumbling to the ground.
I grimaced.
“Come again.”
And then again, and again.
After a few words, Sifu continued to demonstrate his anger, as if he really wanted me to feel it.
And his method really worked.
Unlike when you realize something, your body remembers it before your head does.
I instinctively moved my body to avoid his anger.
Even if I did, I would immediately stumble again.
“The body is more reliable than the head. The head forgets old memories, but the body is different. If you remember something, you never forget it. Even if you forget, the body will remember again after a few repetitions.”
“@BakTuShen…… @BakTuShen…….”
“Next up is the art of boxing.”
“@BakTu?”
“Bactoo is a fighting style that involves hitting and punching each other. It’s like the kind of fighting that samurai and parahumans do, where they throw their fists, but you can’t learn that. Even such a third-rate technique has much to learn, and it also contains a bunch of ascension. This is it.”
Sensei assumed the mabo stance and thrust out his fist.
“Mabo Chung Kwon.”
“Eh?”