I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. (4)
Jo Geol and Yoon Jong exchanged words as they looked at Baek Cheon with serious expressions.
“Hey, are we really going to entrust Hwasan’s honor to that man?”
“Should we jump him now, Sahyeong?”
“Ugh. But then I’d be afraid of the consequences. Unlike Chung Myung, that man has a tendency to hold grudges.”
“That’s true.”
The disciples of Hwasan nodded with uneasy expressions.
“Right. Well, then…..”
“It can’t be helped.”
“I still feel uneasy about it.”
“What else can we do? He insists on stepping forward himself. Rank has its privileges.”
Although their grumbling attempts to dampen his spirits kept reaching his ears, Baek Cheon pretended not to hear and did not even turn around. The moment he lost his temper here, he would be playing right into their hands.
“Do not worry. I will return victorious without fail.”
“Yeah, you’d better.”
At the chilling voice that came from behind him, Baek Cheon cautiously turned his head. There stood Chung Myung, smiling brightly as his clenched fist cracked ominously.
“Just try losing.”
“…”
“Please, please, just lose this once. Pleeease.”
Baek Cheon stared at Chung Myung’s wildly gleaming eyes, then smiled.
‘If I lose, I’m dead.’
And he probably would not be granted a peaceful death, either.
At this point, it was no longer merely a matter of pride. His life was at stake. No matter what it took, he absolutely had to win.
Having steeled his resolve, Baek Cheon walked forward and smiled at Jwa Gohak, who was already standing in the center.
“Have I kept you waiting?”
“I thought I’d die waiting. It sure took you a while.”
“My apologies. Unlike yours, our disciples aren’t particularly obedient.”
“Or is it because the one above them is so pathetic?”
“Perhaps. But what can you do about it?”
Shrrring.
Baek Cheon slowly drew his sword with a crooked grin.
“From now on, you’re going to get beaten half to death by that pathetic man.”
Shrrring.
Jwa Gohak drew his sword in response, wearing a meaningful smile.
“I look forward to it. Do not worry. I will at least allow you to preserve a minimum of dignity.”
The two men smiled at each other.
Watching them closely, Tang Soso spoke in an uneasy voice.
“Don’t they both look like they have truly awful personalities?”
“Soso.”
“Yes?”
Yoon Jong smiled gently.
“There are some things in this world that need not be said aloud.”
“…”
Meanwhile, Baek Cheon calmed his mind and settled his thoughts.
He absolutely had to win. If he failed, before there was any discussion of the honor of Gangho or Hwasan, he would immediately be hung upside down from a tree and thoroughly crushed to pieces.
So this was a match he had to win, no matter what. But…
‘So what?’
Baek Cheon snorted.
Even so, was there any reason for him to be nervous? The man standing before him was not a martial artist, but a Confucian scholar.
Of course, Baek Cheon did not underestimate Jwa Gohak. Setting aside the fact that the man was insufferable, it was an undeniable truth that he was one of the greatest prodigies under heaven.
No, judging by the people Baek Cheon had encountered throughout his life, the more obnoxious someone was, the more likely they were to possess exceptional talent. By that standard, this bastard was undoubtedly an absurdly gifted individual.
‘So what?’
But no matter how gifted he was, was he not still merely a Confucian scholar?
Perhaps Jwa Gohak would one day rise to become a Grand Secretary. No, perhaps he might become an even greater official and leave his name in history.
“Even so, it won’t change the fact that you’re about to get beaten by me.”
“Hm?”
Baek Cheon flinched at Jwa Gohak’s voice, which had suddenly cut into his thoughts.
“You seem to be thinking something along those lines.”
Jwa Gohak smiled calmly, as though he knew exactly what was going through Baek Cheon’s mind. Struggling to conceal his startled expression, Baek Cheon opened his mouth.
“I didn’t realize Confucianism included the art of reading minds.”
“Would I really need to read your mind? It’s written all over your face.”
“It seems I lost my composure. My apologies.”
“There is no need to apologize. It is only natural for you to think that way. But…”
Jwa Gohak smiled faintly.
“I don’t particularly like that way of thinking.”
“Hm?”
Jwa Gohak lightly flicked the sword in his hand through the air.
“Now, there is no need to waste words in a situation like this, is there? Let us see what we are capable of.”
Baek Cheon smirked and slowly raised his sword.
“If that’s what you want.…”
Gripping the sword’s hilt as though he meant to crush it, Baek Cheon twisted the blade forcefully.
“I’ll show you!”
Fwoooosh!
As he raised it with the speed of a surging stream, countless sword shadows burst forth in every direction like exploding fireworks.
‘Take this!’
The disciples of Hwasan began hurling criticism as they watched.
“A dirty move.”
“How underhanded.”
“No, seriously? Against a beginner?”
Baek Cheon pretended not to hear and grinned.
‘Let’s see how you handle this.’
What kind of swordsmanship was the most troublesome for someone lacking in skill to face? A swift sword faster than a flash of lightning? Or a powerful sword that seemed able to break one’s wrist the instant it was blocked?
Opinions might differ, but Baek Cheon would answer like this.
‘An Illusionary Sword [환검(幻劍)], of course.’
Mixing feints with real attacks until it was impossible to distinguish one from the other was one of Hwasan’s specialties. Those facing this sword form for the first time often had their throats cut before they could even grasp what was happening.
After scattering countless sword shadows to draw Jwa Gohak’s gaze, Baek Cheon thrust the secretly prepared strike towards his neck. From Jwa Gohak’s perspective, one of the sword shadows that had been fluttering all around him suddenly darted straight towards his throat…
Clang!
“Huh?”
Baek Cheon blinked.
The tip of Jwa Gohak’s sword had intercepted his blade with perfect precision.
Wearing that characteristically obnoxious smile, Jwa Gohak sneered as though asking what the problem was.
“May I ask which part of that surprised you?”
“…”
Staring blankly for a moment, Baek Cheon withdrew his sword and unconsciously cleared his throat.
“You are more capable than I expected.”
He blocked that? A beginner?
Baek Cheon tried his utmost to feign composure, but it was obvious to anyone that he was flustered.
“If you remain doubtful, you are welcome to try once more.”
“As a matter of fact…”
Baek Cheon’s sword flashed through the air like a ray of light.
“That was exactly my intention!”
The blade surged forward until it was right in front of Jwa Gohak, then split apart in an instant. Dozens of sword images bloomed forth, aiming at Jwa Gohak’s entire body. This time, Baek Cheon made no attempt to conceal his decisive strike. He would mix real strikes with feints and leave him utterly disoriented…
At that moment, Baek Cheon’s eyes widened.
Dozens of swords shot forward to meet his advancing sword shadows. Unlike Baek Cheon’s blurred and indistinct sword energy, each of them possessed the flawless form of a complete sword.
Claaaaang!
Baek Cheon’s sword energy collided head-on with Jwa Gohak’s in midair. Every one of Baek Cheon’s moves was blocked by Jwa Gohak’s sword and dissipated into nothing.
“…..What.”
When Baek Cheon stared at him in utter bewilderment, Jwa Gohak smiled and lightly tapped his own shoulder with the flat of his blade.
“Is there any need to distinguish the real from the illusion? One need only block them all.”
Baek Cheon’s mouth slowly fell open.
“That makes no……”
“Why do you think it does not?”
Jwa Gohak snorted and shrugged.
“You Taoists truly are an incomprehensible lot. Even after being shown something for your own eyes to see, you still doubt it… You refuse to believe in what exists, yet worship and follow what does not.”
He added with a faint smile.
“You truly deserve to be called followers of a heterodox path [외도(外道)].”
Baek Cheon’s expression hardened.
⠀
“Just now…….”
“Chung Myung-ah, what was that?”
“Hmm.”
When Yoon Jong hurriedly asked, Chung Myung narrowed his eyes as he rubbed the corner of his mouth.
“Was that a Transforming Sword [변검(變劍)]?”
“A transforming sword?”
Chung Myung narrowed his eyes further as he studied Jwa Gohak and Baek Cheon’s duel.
“There are many different ways to wield a sword. The most representative are Speed [쾌(快)], Illusion [환(幻)], Change/Transformation [변(變)], Power [강(强)], Softness [유(柔)], and Heaviness/Bluntness [둔,(鈍)], among others.”
Scratching his chin, Chung Myung continued briefly.
“But transformation is a rather peculiar one.”
“How so?”
“Because the transforming sword is the principle that forms the foundation of all swordsmanship.”
Yoon Jong asked as though he did not understand.
“How can it be peculiar if it’s a fundamental principle? That makes no sense.”
“It doesn’t. But it does. There is no sword that does not change. Even Diancang’s Sun-Piercing Sword, which pursues speed to the utmost extreme, or an assassin’s sword designed solely to pierce an enemy in a single instant, cannot completely eliminate variation.”
“That is true.”
“But strangely enough, it is difficult to find a sword art that makes transformation itself its central principle.”
At those words, Yoon Jong frowned.
“Now that you mention it……”
Wudang’s sword was founded upon softness.
Namgung’s sword took overwhelming strength as its foundation.
Hwasan’s sword bewildered its opponent, while Diancang devoted itself solely to speed.
But was there any sword in the world whose greatest strength was change itself?
There had to be one. Surely one existed. As far as Yoon Jong knew, among all the renowned sword techniques under heaven, a sword centered on transformation and change…
“…There really isn’t one?”
Why was that? If every sword naturally had to incorporate transformation, then surely a sword art that maximized transformation must exist as well.
“Why isn’t there one?”
“Why do you think?”
“Huh?”
“Think about it the other way around. Why do you think there isn’t one?”
At those words, the disciples of Hwasan sank deep into thought. After a moment, Yu Iseol spoke, a slight frown forming on her face.
“Because it’s too fundamental.”
“Right.”
“If something is fundamental, that also means it’s familiar. It means people naturally have some ability to deal with it, even without specifically preparing for it.”
“That’s right too.”
“Is there another reason?”
When Tang Soso asked, Chung Myung nodded faintly.
“The most decisive reason is that it’s inefficient.”
“Huh? Inefficient?”
“In one respect, you could say Hwasan’s sword is the most similar to that sword. In the sense that it pursues a greater number of variations.”
“….Is that so?”
“But imagine creating every technique of Hwasan’s sword entirely from true moves, without a single feint. In other words, imagine the Plum Blossom Sword Technique…”
The disciples of Hwasan imagined it for a moment, then immediately recoiled in horror and let out pained groans.
“Just imagining it makes me feel like my wrist is going to snap off.”
“Could your internal energy even sustain that?”
“Wouldn’t the number of variations be cut in half?”
Chung Myung slowly shook his head.
“Right. It’s horribly inefficient. Truly, unbelievably inefficient. In other words, if you’re wielding a sword to defeat your opponent, it’s an approach you should avoid at all costs.”
“But that man is using it.”
“Exactly.”
Chung Myung stared at Jwa Gohak with a sharp gaze.
‘But that bastard’s sword undoubtedly contained intricate variations. That should be impossible for someone his age.’
Unless that bastard was a supreme master who had regained his youth, it meant there was some method they knew nothing about. They had to figure it out during this spar…
“Um, excuse me.”
“Hm?”
At that moment, Yu Hanbin cautiously raised his hand.
“To be honest, I don’t really understand all this talk about sword theory and sword forms.”
“And?”
“But from what you’re saying, doesn’t it ultimately mean that Baek Cheon Dojang is completely screwed right now?”
“…Huh?”
“Isn’t that right? He has to face a sword that even the people watching from here can’t understand. Um… Am I wrong?”
At those words, everyone turned to look at Baek Cheon at the same time, as though they had planned it beforehand.
He had stepped forward with an intent to crush some slippery Confucian scholar, only to discover that his opponent was a master of the Transforming Sword, something none of them had ever seen or heard of before…
“If he loses, he dies, right?”
“It wouldn’t matter if only Sasuk died, but Hwasan’s reputation would hit rock bottom too.”
“It’s not just Hwasan’s reputation. Every martial artist in the world would be treated like an idiot.”
“If Gangho were the only one to suffer, that would still be fortunate, but Hanbin’s path would be blocked as well.”
“Uh……”
A chilling wind cold enough to freeze even through their spines swept among the disciples of Hwasan.
As he silently stared at Baek Cheon’s back, which somehow looked especially sorrowful today, Yoon Jong muttered without realizing it.
“I always think this, but… I really don’t know why that man has such terrible luck.”
“…”
The disciples of Hwasan agreed with him in silence.
Special Spinoff Chapter 50 >>>
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