I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. (5)
‘What was that just now?’
Baek Cheon stared intently at the tip of Jwa Gohak’s sword.
‘He blocked them all. That means he executed as many variations [[변(變) – change/transformation] as the sword strikes I unleashed.’
And every last one of them had been a real strike, without a single feint.
Even if Baek Cheon had not put his full strength into his sword, was such a thing truly possible? Especially for a mere Confucian scholar, rather than a swordsman who had devoted his life to the sword?
There had to be some trick…
“Do you think it was sorcery?”
Baek Cheon flinched and looked at Jwa Gohak in bewilderment.
“What…”
“That is what people usually say. That it is sorcery, demonic arts, deception, or that I used some underhanded method.”
Jwa Gohak shrugged as though it were nothing of consequence.
“Well, I understand. When people encounter something beyond the bounds of their common sense, their first instinct is to deny it.”
Baek Cheon’s face flushed slightly.
Come to think of it, were these not the very words the disciples of Hwasan had always heard? Those who could not comprehend Hwasan’s swordsmanship would sometimes disparage it as being no different from the arts of the unorthodox and demonic paths.
And yet, even if only for a moment, he had thought the same way as those he had condemned.
“…I was merely taken aback. I apologize.”
“Hmm?”
Jwa Gohak looked at Baek Cheon with curiosity in his eyes.
“You are admitting it?”
“Because it is true.”
“Well, now.”
Letting out a hollow chuckle Jwa Gohak shook his head, looking utterly perplexed.
“You people truly are impossible to understand. Despite being so deeply entrenched in your own obstinacy, you are needlessly open-minded.”
“You may think whatever you please, but……”
Baek Cheon gazed silently at Jwa Gohak for a moment before threateningly flicking the tip of his sword.
“You’d do yourself a favor by easing up on judging others at every turn. I have never seen anyone who does that last very long.”
“My, my. My apologies. It’s something like an occupational hazard.”
Baek Cheon fixed Jwa Gohak with a cautious gaze once more.
‘Right. Whether it is a trick or whatever else, that is not what matters.’
Whatever the case, that bastard had kept up with Baek Cheon’s sword. That was what mattered now.
Baek Cheon slowly drew a deep breath. The tip of the sword in his hand began to tremble gently.
‘Let’s find out.’
Whether that sword was the real thing, or merely a momentary stroke of luck.
‘Let’s see.’
The look in Baek Cheon’s eyes changed completely. At the same time, the trembling of his sword grew stronger and stronger until, accompanied by a sound like a swarm of bees beating their wings in unison, it began scattering nearly a hundred streams of sword energy in every direction.
“Oh!”
“Good heavens, what kind of sword is that!”
The Confucian scholars gaped in astonishment at the overwhelming spectacle.
Light as an illusion, those streams of sword energy- something far beyond the limits of their understanding – drifted through the air like butterflies gliding across the sky as they flew towards Jwa Gohak.
At that moment, Jwa Gohak calmly assumed the middle guard stance without the slightest hint of surprise. The stance that formed the foundation of all sword techniques.
The instant he saw that middle guard, a chilling premonition ran down Baek Cheon’s spine.
‘What is this?’
It possessed neither Hwasan’s splendor, nor Jongnam’s steadfastness, nor Wudang’s fluidity.
There was nothing exceptional about it, yet nothing lacking either. Like an illustration someone had drawn in a swordsmanship manual, it was a middle guard that embodied perfect balance.
From that uncompromising foundation, the sword moved.
Clang.
The first stream of sword energy hurtling towards him was pierced through by the tip of Jwa Gohak’s sword.
Clang.
The sword energy that curved in from the side like a viper struck the flat of Jwa Gohak’s blade and ricocheted away.
Clang! Clang! Claaang!
Each time Jwa Gohak swung his sword, another stream of sword energy shattered. One strike flowed into the next, and the next, until dozens of sword energies completely filled the space before Jwa Gohak.
‘A sword curtain [검막(劍幕)]? No, that is not a sword curtain!’
Cl-cl-cl-clang!
At last, Jwa Gohak’s sword struck down every last stream of sword energy Baek Cheon had unleashed.
At the sight, Baek Cheon unconsciously bit his lip.
Simply put, a sword curtain was a wall built from sword energy. It was essentially a sword form that created a shield capable of blocking every attack, no matter where the opponent aimed.
But this was the exact opposite. It only appeared like a wall because the lingering afterimages of his sword had been left behind as he struck away every attack. It was not a sword curtain.
It might be meaningless to compare the degree of perfection between entirely different sword techniques, but this was a sword form of such a high level that an ordinary sword curtain could not begin to compare.
“Whew.”
Lowering his sword, Jwa Gohak shook his head as though the effort had been somewhat taxing.
“Indeed… Now I understand why Hwasan’s swordsmanship is so renowned throughout the world. I nearly lost track of it for a moment.”
“….And that means you, who managed to block it, are even more impressive?”
“You needn’t take it so cynically. It was a sincere expression of admiration.”
Jwa Gohak smiled with complete composure.
“But I must admit, I find it difficult to understand.”
“….Understand?”
“Rather than wasting time on half-hearted deceptions and twisting the path of your sword, would it not be better to build it up with unwavering solidity…”
“…”
“…would that not be closer to the orthodox path?”
Jwa Gohak’s gaze darkened slightly.
“And yet, the fact that you employ this kind of swordsmanship… to put it bluntly, might suggest a lack of effort.”
Grit.
At those words, Baek Cheon’s face twisted as he clenched his teeth.
“A lack of… effort?”
“Hmm?”
“Effort?”
Countless moments from the past flashed through Baek Cheon’s mind.
“You… What the hell do you know?”
Clear tears welled in Baek Cheon’s eyes.
“All those times I was beaten by my Sajil, rolled around on the ground, and hung from cliffs crying my eyes out, begging to be saved… And what? I didn’t put in enough effort? What the hell would you know?!”
By the end, his grievance-laden cry was practically a howl, prompting the watching disciples of Hwasan to begin whispering among themselves.
“Did Sasuk ever cry while hanging from a cliff?”
“I never saw it myself.”
“I’ve seen him being put through plenty of things that would make someone cry. Who knows? Maybe he cried when we weren’t around.”
“What a tragic confession. Let’s pretend we didn’t hear it.”
“That would be best.”
Regardless of whatever chatter was going on behind him, Baek Cheon – his reason half gone – continued venting his fury at Jwa Gohak.
“You dare speak to me of effort?”
“F-First, please calm down.”
Overwhelmed by Baek Cheon’s venomous fury, Jwa Gohak faltered and took a step back.
“Of course, there will be individual differences. But what matters is the overall course of development.”
Baek Cheon stared at Jwa Gohak as though daring him to continue.
“Your martial arts do nothing more than blindly emulate* the ways of the past.”
“….Emulate?”
“Yes. You devote your entire lives to pondering how to perfectly recreate what came before. You never question that path, and you tolerate no dissenting opinions.”
Baek Cheon closed his mouth. He thought he understood what Jwa Gohak was trying to say. Come to think of it, he had said something similar when they first met.
“That only leads to stagnation and decay. But we are different. We move towards what comes next. We debate, research, and contemplate how to surpass the achievements of the past and create something better.”
After briefly glancing at the sword in his hand, Jwa Gohak looked back at Baek Cheon.
“Within that field of research, everyone is merely an equal individual. No one claims authority over the others. That is how we have progressed. In how to wield a sword, how to cultivate internal energy, and how to advance to the next realm. Yes, in other words…”
Jwa Gohak added with a faint smile.
“To us, even this sword is a form of scholarship.”
“…”
Baek Cheon furrowed his brow. He felt as though he almost understood, yet at the same time, he did not.
“And so, our martial arts, which we have developed as a field of scholarship…”
Hummm.
Jwa Gohak thrust out his sword, now wreathed in blue sword energy, and aimed it directly at Baek Cheon.
“…Have no reason to lose to your martial arts, which do nothing but endlessly emulate the insights of the past.”
His words were filled with conviction, as well as unmistakable hostility.
For a moment, Baek Cheon silently stared at the tip of the sword aimed at him. Then a smirk appeared on his lips.
“Then why are you hesitating so much? Come and prove it.”
“…”
“Do you know what scholars and people like them all have in common?”
“…I cannot say I do.”
“They always make a lot of noise, but there is never any substance behind it.”
“Haha.”
Jwa Gohak let out a mechanical laugh. But Baek Cheon did not miss the slight twitch above his brow.
“So stop talking and…”
Baek Cheon swung his sword downward. Then he kicked off the ground with all his strength and charged at Jwa Gohak.
“…Prove it with your sword!”
Swoooosh!
The blade thrust straight forward, then suddenly bent with a supple motion, slipping around Jwa Gohak’s sword and shooting towards his throat.
Clang!
Jwa Gohak calmly swung his sword and struck aside Baek Cheon’s incoming thrust. As though he had expected as much, Baek Cheon used the force of the rebound to spin around and swept his sword horizontally.
Clang!
Once again, Jwa Gohak’s sword instantly moved into position and blocked Baek Cheon’s blade.
But it did not matter. This much had been within his expectations from the beginning.
The instant their swords met, Baek Cheon’s blade sprang slightly upward before exploding into more than a dozen sword strikes.
Countless sword strikes suddenly poured forth from a distance so close that they could hear each other’s breathing.
“I told you, it’s no use!”
But Jwa Gohak was not flustered by Baek Cheon’s move. He maneuvered his sword with chilling precision, blocking every last one of Baek Cheon’s strikes as they rained down with only the slightest differences in timing and angle.
Cl-cl-cl-clang!
A rapid succession of metallic clashes erupted between them. At last, Baek Cheon’s final sword image was firmly stopped against the flat of Jwa Gohak’s blade.
“You seem to be lacking in the ability to learn.”
“Oh, really? Personally, I think I’m rather talented.”
“Hmm?”
At that moment, Baek Cheon smiled triumphantly and pressed down on Jwa Gohak’s sword.
Hummmm!
They researched the sword as though it were a field of scholarship? Fine, that was possible. If so, their swordsmanship was undoubtedly highly refined. But the difference in internal energy was not something they could overcome through such methods…
Grrrk.
“Huh?”
A voice mixed with bewilderment escaped Baek Cheon’s lips.
He was pressing down on the sword with all the internal energy he could muster, yet Jwa Gohak’s blade did not budge at all. Baek Cheon’s wavering gaze rose to Jwa Gohak’s face. Beyond their crossed swords, Jwa Gohak’s eyes curved like crescent moons.
“What was that you said?”
“…”
“Did you think you could simply overpower me with your internal energy?”
Puuush.
At that moment, Jwa Gohak’s sword began pushing Baek Cheon’s blade back instead.
“Scholarship is not the art of finding the correct path. More precisely, it is the art of identifying the wrong ones. Do you think we, who must examine every possible problem that could arise, would have overlooked something so simple?”
Grrk! Grrrriiiind!
A heavy, impossibly heavy sword bore down upon Baek Cheon’s blade. Baek Cheon’s face contorted involuntarily beneath the immense internal energy carried within it. He was being overwhelmed in a contest of internal energy.
‘W-What in the world is this?’
Impossible. After taking Jasodan, Baek Cheon possessed a level of internal energy that few among those his age could hope to rival. And yet he was being overpowered in internal energy by Jwa Gohak, a mere Confucian scholar?
“Did I not tell you? You have made no progress. You do not research or contemplate how to accumulate internal energy more quickly, or how to produce greater power with the same amount of internal energy. You merely try to solve everything with time and elixirs, just as people did in the distant past.”
Crrrack.
Unable to withstand the pressure, Baek Cheon’s arm screamed in protest.
“And I am certain I already told you.”
Booooom!
Jwa Gohak’s sword knocked Baek Cheon’s blade away. Unable to withstand the force transmitted through his sword, Baek Cheon staggered backward, then farther away, and only barely regained his balance after driving his sword into the ground.
“That there is no possibility of our martial arts being inferior.”
Baek Cheon’s hand gripping the sword trembled violently.
‘This bastard…’
For the first time, a genuine sense of danger washed over him.
‘He is truly strong.’
Jwa Gohak leisurely swept his sword once through the air. Then he looked at Baek Cheon with a faint smile.
“I believe the time to prove oneself is just about over, so now it is time to show you the gap between us. Come at me. I will show you how sharp a scholar’s sword can be.”
Baek Cheon bit down on his lip until it bled.
Special Spinoff Chapter 51 >>>
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*답습(踏襲) – dapseup – sounds harsh, compared to, for example, if he said 계승(繼承) – gyeseung – to succeed someone, to carry on their legacy, to inherit. Because ‘dapseup’ means to emulate someone and to follow in their footsteps, to imitate. That is why Baek Cheon absentmindedly repeats it.
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