Chapter 156

Thud!

Timing, speed, strength. And finally, even the point of impact.

That blow had landed perfectly. There was just one unfortunate fact: that perfect blow had buried itself in my solar plexus.

“Guh!”

In an instant, excruciating pain robbed me of my breath. Through my blurred vision, I saw Cheongpung raising his fist.

“W-wait!”

“Why?”

“You hit me in the solar plexus. My solar plexus.”

“Grandfather said that once a fight begins, you have to beat your opponent to a pulp.”

“This is a spar!”

“Grandfather also said you have to treat spars like real battles if you want to survive in the harsh martial world.”

I had nothing to say to that. This wasn’t some old man who ran the neighborhood supermarket. The Sword Saint had taught him that. What could I possibly say? Besides, treating every fight like a real battle wasn’t exactly bad advice.

Once I gave up on everything, I felt at peace.

“…Fine, fuck it. Hit me.”

“Yes!”

Smack!

System

Powerful hit! Toughness increased by 2.

My vision flashed white, and my legs gave out. My body slowly toppled backward against my will.

Can’t crack the back of my head.

Fortunately, what I feared didn’t happen. Hyuk Mujin had already passed out and fallen over, and his butt cushioned the back of my head.

It’s filthy. Filthy, but soft. Filthy, but firm.

This bastard had an apple-shaped ass, minimum.

It was enough to make me wonder whether he’d been doing Pilates or yoga between shifts at the Gate Guard Pavilion.

Using Hyuk Mujin’s butt as a pillow, I looked up at the sky. Maybe it was because I was seeing it after getting beaten senseless, but the sky looked yellow.

Check Quest.

Ding.

System

Quest

Sword Saint Training: A Secondhand Experience—2

Cheongpung, exhilarated by your outstanding results, has presented a second training challenge.

Knock him down at least once before New Year’s Day!

Grade: Peak

Restriction: Those who have completed the prerequisite Quest

Mission: Win the duel against Cheongpung (Incomplete)

Reward: ???

Cheongpung is very pleased.

Failure: ???

Cheongpung is very saddened.

The thought that I would win at least once had vanished the moment the spar began.

My duel with Cheongpung was even more one-sided than my duel with Jin Mukyung, and that much more brutal.

How does he know so many martial arts?

I had seen more than a dozen different martial arts over the past two days alone.

Just when I thought I might be getting used to the Taeeul Miri Palm, he would bring out the Falling Flower Chasing Shadow Palm. Just as that technique began to look familiar, the Crouching Tiger Fist would come flying out.

On top of that, countless supreme techniques that had helped turn Huashan into one of the Nine Sects and One Gang had seeped into every part of Cheongpung’s body.

His martial arts are rooted in Huashan. His teacher was the Sword Saint.

Didn’t this guy need a balance patch?

“Heh heh. Hehehehe.”

As I let out nothing but hollow laughter, Cheongpung approached and asked,

“Benefactor, are you all right?”

“If you’re going to ask that, you could at least go easy on me.”

“But then it wouldn’t be training. Doing something half-heartedly is worse than not doing it at all…”

“Your grandfather said that, didn’t he?”

“Gasp! How did you know? Have you ever lived on Lotus Peak?”

“…No.”

I was born and raised in Gyeonggi Province, you punk.

I heaved a sigh and pulled myself upright. Hyuk Mujin, who had been unconscious for quite some time, still hadn’t moved an inch.

“What did you do to him? Isn’t he going to die at this rate?”

“I did try to control my strength, but I guess I was a little inexperienced.”

“Control your strength?”

“Yes. I’ve only ever had one sparring partner in my entire life.”

Cheongpung had spent his life sparring daily with the Sword Saint, a Supreme Peak master, as casually as if they were sharing meals. Naturally, he would only have learned how to go all out.

He continued with sad eyes.

“Now that I’m out in the world, it’s much harder than I expected. I was so clumsy that I injured the Senior from the Zhongnan Sect, and now even Warrior Hyuk…”

It seemed this mountain hermit was having a rough time adjusting to Murim.

I scratched the back of my head.

“Don’t worry about that. The Zhongnan guy was someone who deserved to get hit, and Mujin won’t take it to heart. It’s training, after all.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You’re getting better and better, so don’t worry too much.”

Cheongpung smiled brightly, as though none of that had ever happened.

“Benefactor, did you know?”

“How would I know?”

“Of all the people I’ve met in Murim, I like you best, Benefactor!”

I drew up my internal energy.

“Back off right now. If you lay so much as a fingertip on me, I’ll bite my tongue and die.”

“Because even if I hit you with all my strength, you always get back up!”

“Oh.”

“And you’re the most satisfying to hit!”

Listen to the way he said that.

Relief and irritation surged through me at the same time. I had wondered why he seemed to be beating me so enthusiastically. Without realizing it, I had become a sandbag for testing punching power.

No wonder my Toughness kept shooting up.

Toughness was the last stat I’d acquired, and I’d barely invested anything in it. Even so, it had already caught up with the combat stats I’d poured points into.

Should I be grateful for this?

It had only been a few days of short-term training, but I was certainly seeing substantial results.

Scaling the cliff had earned me the Wall Lizard Technique and a considerable boost to my stats. Now I was experiencing Huashan’s martial arts firsthand while raising my Toughness like crazy.

“Please continue to take good care of me. I’m learning a lot by hitting you, Benefactor.”

“…Ah. Yes.”

I wanted to smack Cheongpung on the back of the head as he bowed politely, but I held myself back. I knew there was no real malice behind anything he said.

Part of me was relieved, too.

If he were any stronger than this, I’d be completely screwed.

Cheongpung was a mountain I absolutely had to climb.

If he’d been holding back even while facing me, I would’ve found that more insulting than anything else.

Consideration from someone you wanted to defeat never felt like consideration.

I spoke in a solemn voice.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Anything, Benefactor.”

“When you fight me, give it everything you’ve got.”

“Everything I’ve got?”

“Yes. Your best. That’s all I need.”

Cheongpung stared at me for a moment, then nodded.

“Understood.”

“Thank you—”

Ssssss.

Before I could finish speaking, the heat of the Zaha Divine Technique blazed up from Cheongpung’s entire body like a wildfire, burning through the cold winter air.

His eyes, already tinged with a faint violet hue, fixed on me.

“I’ll really give it my best, Benefactor.”

“…Oh. So this is your best?”

Damn it. I’d forgotten about that.

At my vacant stare, Cheongpung smacked his forehead.

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. I can be a little slow on the uptake.”

“It’s all right. As long as you understood me eventually, that’s—”

Shing.

This time, Sword Energy rose in a long, surging blade from the sword in Cheongpung’s hand.

“Now I’m ready to give it my best.”

“Ah…”

“Benefactor, I’ll really work hard! Even if I fight you with all my strength, you’re bound to get back up anyway!”

I wasn’t so sure. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be getting back up this time.

I silently stared at the undulating energy of the Zaha Divine Technique and the blazing Sword Energy before finally managing to speak.

“L-let’s put away the Sword Energy.”

Let me live too, you bastard.

Whoosh!

The spearhead tore through the air. A fast, razor-sharp strike. Cheongpung rolled his shoulder aside, and the second and third attacks followed like a storm.

“Hah!”

With a shout, spearheads rained down. The martial art itself was simple and heavy.

But the movements of the man wielding the spear were light and fast. Hidden between his efficient movements were unpredictable attacks.

Swish! Swish-swish-swish!

A smile tugged at Cheongpung’s lips as he narrowly evaded the spearhead.

Wow, this is fun. Was Benefactor always this good?

He beamed as he watched the young man pressing him relentlessly.

Jin Taekyung. They hadn’t known each other long, but he was the Benefactor who had helped Cheongpung in many ways.

When Jin Taekyung had given him every last candied hawthorn skewer¹ at their first meeting, Cheongpung had nearly cried.

He’s a good person. He gave me something so precious.

Grandfather had been wrong. He had said Murim was crawling with frightening people who were vicious and utterly ruthless, but everyone Cheongpung had met was gentle and kind-hearted.

He didn’t even dislike the Senior from the Zhongnan Sect whom he’d injured through his own mistake not long ago.

He’s my Senior, so he can’t be a bad person.

As far as Cheongpung knew, the bond between Seniors and Juniors was no ordinary relationship. It was a close tie forged by something thicker than blood.

And Grandfather had always told him to protect the weak.

The Senior from the Zhongnan Sect had been weak in martial arts. Cheongpung had felt terrible for hurting him.

But…

It was nice that there was no reason to feel bad about Jin Mukyung and Jin Taekyung.

They were the strongest people Cheongpung had met since leaving Huashan. Even now, as he exchanged blows with Jin Taekyung, he was enjoying himself immensely.

Whoosh!

Cheongpung easily dodged the spear thrusting toward his shoulder, then burst out laughing despite himself.

“Hehe.”

“You laughing?”

“Because I’m happy.”

“You really need to watch what you say. That’s a dangerous thing to say.”

Swish-swish-swish!

Six killing attacks and twice as many feints came raining down from every direction. But Cheongpung was no longer where he had been.

Jin Taekyung pierced the faint afterimage and shouted with the expression of someone who had seen a ghost.

“What the hell was that?”

“Dark Fragrance Drift. Hehe.”

“That’s cheating!”

“Would you like me to teach you?”

“Great Hero Cheongpung, as for me, I’ve been barely scraping by in this harsh world with the paltry Jin Family’s Manoeuvre Technique…”

“Oh, right. Grandfather told me not to teach it to anyone.”

“This little bastard?”

Whoosh!

Jin Taekyung changed direction and thrust low.

Just before the fiercely spinning spearhead pierced his instep, Cheongpung raised his foot with dazzling speed and pressed the spearhead down toward the ground instead.

Scrape!

“Wow, that was a little dangerous.”

But Jin Taekyung wasn’t listening to him. With a short shout, he lifted the spear shaft beneath Cheongpung’s foot.

“Hah!”

“Benefactor, it’s no use. This is the Thousand-Catty Drop²—”

Whoosh!

The next moment, Cheongpung felt himself floating.

Jin Taekyung’s tremendous strength whipped the spear shaft skyward, flinging Cheongpung’s feet clear and leaving them treading empty air.

He lost his balance for an instant and hurriedly drew up his internal energy.

Boom! Boom! Swish-swish!

The force of the Falling Flower Chasing Shadow Palm struck the air and shoved his body backward. A split second later, Jin Taekyung’s spear stabbed and slashed through the space where Cheongpung had been.

Wow.

Jin Taekyung’s strength was beyond Cheongpung’s imagination, even if it was still inferior to his grandfather’s.

No. It wasn’t just his strength.

He had incredible stamina, enough to fall countless times and keep getting back up. Agility that shouldn’t have been possible for someone with his build. And tremendous Toughness.

Even the way he uses martial arts is different from everyone else.

Cheongpung was a Peak master. He had been raised by the Sword Saint and had grown up watching the Sword Saint’s martial arts.

He could gauge an opponent’s level from a single move and half a form of the martial arts they displayed.

Young Hero Jin Mukyung was sharp.

Jin Mukyung, whom he’d dueled a few days earlier, possessed an aura that seemed sharp enough to cut anyone who touched it. His martial arts were the same.

But despite sharing the same blood, Jin Taekyung’s disposition and martial arts were the exact opposite of his brother’s.

What should I call this?

Though his martial arts were rough, still unrefined, and otherwise unremarkable, his movements created a strange tension. His aura seeped out naturally…

“Whew. You coming? If not, I’m coming to you.”

At the sight of the man striding toward him, Cheongpung finally thought of a word.

Wildness.

A beast hell-bent on biting through its prey’s throat.

Jin Taekyung’s claws had not yet been honed, and that was precisely why they seemed even larger.