“So…”
Jang Childeuk continued haltingly.
“You were training?”
“Yes.”
“Were you perhaps practicing the Wall Lizard Technique?”
“I’m not entirely sure myself, but I think so.”
The Wall Lizard Technique. I’d seen it plenty of times in wuxia novels.
Apparently, it was a martial art inspired by the way lizards climbed walls.
It was similar to the real-world sport of climbing, with two key differences.
First, unlike climbing, it used internal energy.
Second, there was no safety equipment.
This really is the Murim. No holding back.
If you fell, you were as good as dead. It was the ultimate macho martial art.
When I nodded, the two men stared at me as though I were a ghost.
“From this height?”
“Is that even possible?”
“It worked.”
When I first heard Cheongpung suggest it, I’d wondered what kind of insane nonsense he was talking about, too. But once I tried it, it worked.
It had only seemed unrealistic because I’d never tried it before. It was no exaggeration to say my body had already entered the realm of the superhuman.
“Oh, my. Third Young Master, what if something serious happens to you?”
The middle-aged guy fussed over me, brushing the dust from my clothes.
Only three minutes ago, he had treated me like a jiangshi from Taecho Village. Now he was handling me as carefully as though I were his family’s precious only son, three generations in the making.
“Come now. I think you should stop training for now and return to your quarters.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? You were lucky this time, but if you fall again, you could really die.”
I waved a hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. It’s not like this was my first or second time.”
“What?”
“This is already the fifth time. Why act surprised now?”
“The fifth… time?”
“Yes. Five times.”
His trembling gaze darted between me and the steep cliff.
“H-how are you still alive?”
“It’s fine. Someone else has fallen more than ten times.”
“…”
“…”
“Looks like it’s about time for him to fall again… Oh, there he comes.”
I pointed toward a spot high up on the cliff. A black dot that grew larger by the second was followed by a piercing scream.
“Aaaaaaah! Caaaaaptain!”
The two men’s mouths fell open.
“My goodness. There really was someone else.”
“Who is that?”
“My right arm—no, my little toe.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“Never mind that. Shouldn’t we save him right now?”
“Save him? That?”
I shook my head.
Hyuk Mujin was a healthy adult man. If I tried to catch him as he fell from that height, it would end with more than just a broken bone somewhere.
“Just leave him alone. Don’t get involved and hurt yourselves.”
The two men screamed.
“He’s falling! He’s falling!”
“He’ll die if you leave him like this!”
“He won’t die.”
If that could kill him, he would’ve died more than ten times already.
But Hyuk Mujin had a lifeline—a sturdy rope that always saved him by the narrowest of margins.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Hyuk Mujin’s scream drew closer by the second. The instant even his horrified expression became clearly visible, a streak of light flashed above us.
It plunged downward as swiftly as a meteor, glowing with a soft purple light.
“W-what is that…?”
“What is it?”
I answered briefly.
“The Zaha Divine Technique.”
More precisely, it was someone channeling the Zaha Divine Technique.
The two men couldn’t see him, but I could clearly make out Cheongpung, wrapped in the technique’s distinctive purple qi.
He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Whoooooa!”
“…”
Look at that bastard having the time of his life.
His personality might have been a little unhinged, but his ability was in a league of its own. I could only marvel at what happened next.
How is that even possible?
Shooting downward like an arrow, Cheongpung snatched Hyuk Mujin by the waist in the blink of an eye.
Then he extended his palm toward the ground rushing up beneath them.
Bang! Boom-boom!
Once. Twice. Three times…
Compressed air exploded, gouging deep craters into the ground.
Was this what it would look like if an invisible giant pounded the earth with its fists?
Every time Cheongpung struck out with a palm, the frozen ground flipped over. The resulting recoil stopped the falling figure in midair.
A moment later, Cheongpung’s feet landed lightly on the ground.
“Whew, that was fun again. Right?”
Hyuk Mujin, already unconscious, groaned.
“Uhh… uhhh.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
“…”
What part of that made him look like he’d enjoyed himself?
Cheongpung cheerfully set Hyuk Mujin down, then acknowledged my presence.
“Oh, Benefactor! You’re still here?”
“I fell. Thanks to someone.”
I glared steadily at Cheongpung.
In fact, I had already had several chances to reach the summit. The problem was that Cheongpung was not exactly a man in possession of an ordinary state of mind.
“Hehe. It makes me happy to hear it was thanks to me.”
“Shut up! I would’ve reached the top ages ago if you hadn’t kept interfering from up there!”
“Gasp! Please calm down, Benefactor!”
“Calm down? You should’ve said that before rolling rocks at me!”
Think about it.
Climbing a cliff well over a hundred jang high with your bare hands was hard enough. But every time I thought I’d made decent progress, rocks the size of children came tumbling down from above.
Cheongpung’s innocent cries were an added bonus.
Benefactor, rocks are rolling!
Only someone who had experienced it could understand. Even if Shakyamuni himself had been in my position, he would have strangled that bastard to death with his prayer beads.
Now that I think about it, I’m getting pissed off again.
Should I just charge him?
The moment I clenched my fist, Hyuk Mujin—who had been lying on the ground with only his fingers twitching—sprang upright with a scream.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
“Hey, hey. Breathe. Take a breath. You’re on the ground.”
“Huff, huff. Am I really alive?”
“Yeah, you idiot. You’re still alive.”
“W-water, please.”
Cheongpung held out the bamboo tube hanging from his waist.
“Here.”
“Thank…”
Hyuk Mujin absentmindedly accepted the bamboo tube, then froze stiff.
A moment later, he unleashed a lion’s roar.
“You fucking bastard!”
Cheongpung recoiled in alarm as Hyuk Mujin went berserk, his eyes rolling back.
“W-why are you suddenly acting like this toward me?”
“You seriously don’t know? Captain, catch that bastard!”
“I’m only doing exactly what my grandfather taught me.”
“Get over here right now!”
“See you up there later, Benefactor!”
Cheongpung scampered away from Hyuk Mujin and kicked off the ground.
Boom!
He shot more than ten meters into the air in a single bound, slapped onto the cliff, and began climbing with the Wall Lizard Technique.
Papapapapak!
Now that was a true veteran.
Cheongpung vanished as quickly as if he’d been born walking on all fours. Hyuk Mujin sank to the ground.
“That bastard threw rocks at me. Rocks…”
I answered solemnly.
“I know. I saw you fall earlier. One hit you in the eye.”
“He’s completely insane. He throws rocks as big as a child’s head.”
“That’s smaller than what he threw at me. He even threw dirt at me.”
“Captain. I’ve made up my mind.”
“About what?”
“I won’t give up until I catch that bastard and beat the shit out of him. I swear it on the name of Hyuk Mujin, a true man.”
Hyuk Mujin’s eyes blazed.
I’d never seen him so fired up. Whatever he might be like inside, he’d always seemed cheerful and laid-back on the surface.
Could this be what Cheongpung was aiming for?
Was all of this Cheongpung’s way of drawing out Hyuk Mujin’s anger so that he would give it his all?
No. That wild man from Huashan didn’t have the brains for that.
Well, whatever works.
I tossed a bundle to the fuming Hyuk Mujin.
“Keep it secure inside your clothes.”
“What is this?”
“Fasting pills. I packed them before we started training.”
Nothing was better for staving off hunger and replenishing energy. They were also small, light, and easy to carry.
“Eat some if you start running out of strength on the way up.”
“We’re surrounded by sheer drops. Where am I supposed to eat fasting pills? I’m going up there right now and cutting that bastard down in one stroke…”
“You’re the one who’ll die in one stroke.”
Apparently, he wanted to use his newly learned Wall Lizard Technique to climb straight up Mount Beimang. I smacked him on the back of the head.
“Ow!”
“And the cliff isn’t sheer all the way up. There are ledges here and there, so find somewhere to stop and eat. Don’t get impatient and fall. Take your time, and focus on making it in one attempt.”
“Hoo.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes, Captain!”
Hyuk Mujin and I were standing before the cliff with determined expressions when—
“Um…”
“T-Third Young Master.”
Right. These two were here, too.
Jang Childeuk and the middle-aged guy spoke hesitantly.
“Would it be all right if we reported this to the Lesser Family Head?”
“Considering the circumstances… If you suffer even an injury, Young Master, then we…”
I raised a hand to stop them.
I could easily guess what they were going to say next. I knew the perspective of ordinary employees better than anyone.
“Go ahead and report it. But…”
“But?”
“After your shift ends. How much longer do you have?”
“About three shichen.”
“That’s enough.”
I’d already spent half a day climbing the cliff.
I intended to conquer the damned thing within the remaining three shichen.
This tall, steep, nameless cliff bore the full marks of time. Some sections were uneven, while others were smooth.
In some places, thick roots or rocks jutted out, making them easy to grab. In others, I had to wedge a single finger into a tiny crack and hang on.
This would be much easier if I could at least use internal energy or a weapon.
With internal energy, even solid rock would crumble like tofu.
If I took weapons from my inventory, I could drive daggers into the cliff like steps and climb that way.
I was putting myself through all this instead of taking the easy route because it was training…
Well, that was part of it. But every time I tried to use an easier method, Cheongpung would uncannily sense it and drop rocks on me.
Rattle, rattle.
A sudden shower of rock dust from above was an ominous sign.
Hyuk Mujin and I hurriedly shielded our heads with our arms and shouted.
“We didn’t do anything! Seriously, we didn’t! Don’t roll any rocks!”
“Uuughhh!”
A pale face cautiously poked out from above.
“Really?”
We nodded frantically.
We weren’t even halfway. If we were hit by a stone shower and fell now, all the bold claims we’d made before climbing would become a dark stain on our past.
“Please believe us!”
“Young Hero Cheongpung! No, Great Hero Cheongpung!”
“My grandfather always said there must never be any shortcuts in training. Martial arts are earned through blood and sweat.”
After delivering an entire speech, Cheongpung added magnanimously,
“I’ll let it go just this once.”
“…”
“…”
What an absolute tyrant.
Hyuk Mujin and I swallowed our outrage and resumed climbing.
One tiny mistake would send us plummeting all the way back down.
As a result, our senses grew sharper, and we had to pay tremendous attention to every single finger and toe.
If it weren’t winter, I would’ve reached the top ages ago…
The higher we climbed, the more treacherous the slope became and the smoother the surface grew.
The cliff was already slippery enough. On top of that, the scattered snow flurries that came almost every day and the wind blowing in from the northern Gaoyuan had turned it into one enormous sheet of ice.
Dead end. I can’t see a way forward.
As I worried at my lip, something suddenly caught my eye.
A crack in the rock blocked by a snowball that had not yet frozen.
It was a tiny space, barely wide enough for one finger. It would be difficult, but I had no other choice.
“Hup!”
I launched myself forward with a shout, simultaneously jamming my smallest finger—the little finger—precisely into the crack.
Thud.
My prediction had been only half right. I could break through the unfrozen snowball, but the crack was much shallower than I had expected.
It was barely one finger joint deep. And I had to support a body weighing 0.1 tons with my little finger.
“Ungh.”
Even for me, this was asking a bit much.
To make matters worse, my finger was slowly slipping because of the moisture pooled inside the crack.
If I waste any more time, I’ll fall.
There was not much farther to go. I steadied my breathing and calmed the tension in my body. Using my little finger as a support, I lifted my entire body.
Physical ability truly worthy of the word superhuman.
System
Strength increased by 1.
Agility increased by 1.
Stamina increased by 1.
Even my stats rose at just the right moment.
Just as I smiled triumphantly and reached toward the next crack—
Hup!
“Captain!”
Damn it. My breathing faltered at the worst possible moment. As I steadied it again, Hyuk Mujin kept shouting.
“Th-this! This!”
“What are you saying? I can’t hear you!”
The fierce snowstorm scattered sound and obscured my vision.
I was about to open my mouth again when a clear shout struck my ears.
“Above! Above!”
“Above?”
The fact that I could hear Hyuk Mujin’s voice meant the savage wind had paused. Only then did my obstructed vision clear and my ears open.
Following Hyuk Mujin’s gesture, I raised my head and finally saw it.
A massive boulder falling straight toward my face.
Whoooosh!
“Ah, shit.”
Boom!
“Wow. I can’t believe you broke such a huge boulder with your bare fist.”
I let Cheongpung’s admiration go in one ear and out the other as I collapsed onto my back.
Only a moment ago, I had wanted nothing more than to beat that bastard senseless. Now I was completely drained.
I made it up. It’s over!
Just as I lay there, unable to move even a hand and cheering inwardly, a bluish, frozen hand reached the summit.
“Huff. Haaah.”
“You succeeded in only one day! You’re both incredible!”
If it weren’t for you, I would’ve made it in one shichen, you idiot.
I wanted to lay into him, but I was too exhausted to speak. As Hyuk Mujin and I panted with exhaustion and accomplishment, Cheongpung bowed deeply.
“Thank you both for your hard work! Now that you’ve succeeded once, you should be able to climb the remaining nine times much faster.”
“…”
“…”
The words were so shocking that Hyuk Mujin and I forgot even to pant as we stared at him.
What is he talking about?
Could he possibly mean what I thought he meant?
No, surely not.
As an intellectual of modern society, I spoke with a calm demeanor.
“The remaining nine times? What kind of bullshit is that?”
“My grandfather…”
Was this bastard a wild man or a boy detective?
At that moment, Sword Saint or whatever be damned—I couldn’t help seeing red.
“So you’re telling us to do this nine more times?”
“Yes!”
“And you’ll throw rocks at us from up here just the same?”
“Yes!”
“No.”
“What?”
Hyuk Mujin and I dropped flat at the same time.
“I’m not doing it. I don’t even have the strength to go back down. Go ahead and gut me.”
“Gut me too, you vicious bastard!”
“Puhahaha.”
“…Are you laughing?”
Cheongpung smiled brightly.
“Sorry. You looked just like I did when I first started training, so I couldn’t help it.”
“See? You didn’t want to do it either!”
“No. I thought it was fun and wanted to keep going, but my body wouldn’t keep up.”
Hyuk Mujin muttered quietly enough that only I could hear.
“…Is he insane?”
“So I told my grandfather. I asked whether I could continue the next day because my legs wouldn’t listen to me.”
As he reminisced about his happy past, Cheongpung suddenly drew his sword.
At the same time, purple Sword Energy shot forth.
Shhk.
Ice, dirt, rock—Cheongpung cut through all of it without distinction, then continued speaking.
“My grandfather said climbing up was hard, but going down was easy. He said if I endured it for just a moment, I’d be back down in no time.”
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The edge of the cliff ledge where Hyuk Mujin and I were lying—barely ten square meters in size—began to shake.
Is this for real?
As we lay there in a daze, Cheongpung waved at us.
“Nine more to go.”
System
- The Quest Sword Saint Training: A Secondhand Experience has been generated.
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