Chapter 47 Everything Was Within Me

Chapter 47 Everything Was Within Me

Whack!

Another thrilling sparring session began today.

“Whack!”

Barely blocking North Palace White’s fist, I unleashed the opening attack of the Park Ryong-sip-sam-tu technique.

Thud thud.

Though I poured all my strength into it with perfect timing, he parried my attack with alarming ease.

‘I thought he’d fall for it.’

Damn it.

I barely swallowed the curse rising in my throat and focused forward, seeing North Palace Baek with one corner of his mouth twisted up.

“You’ve improved a bit.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Did you have some kind of epiphany?”

“……Indeed, you are the Sect Leader. That’s right. I’ve had a small epiphany recently.”

Insight, my ass.

After training ended, I was too busy sleeping to even think about reviewing, let alone reflect.

Yet the lie just popped out automatically.

“So, I’d like to suspend sparring for a while. I think I need some time to make this new insight my own.”

Because I wanted to quit this fucking sparring.

But he was even crazier than I thought.

“Oh? Then I’ll have to beat you up even more. So you can internalize it more solidly.”

No, what the hell is he, some kind of iron ore?

That beating makes you stronger?

With that, Baek’s new form surged forward.

Thwack!

My Poxa Mirror extended to meet the hand gesture tearing through the air.

Somehow, I managed to block it, but it was too soon to relax.

The second and third strikes were bound to follow immediately.

Sure enough, Baek’s fists erupted as expected.

I had already exhausted all the energy I’d drawn up with the Poxaegyeong just moments ago.

‘I can’t block it.’

Abandoning defense, I quickly threw my upper body backward to evade the fist.

Swoosh!

A spine-chilling sound accompanied the wind pressure slamming into my face.

I immediately deployed the Zhen Wang Bo to create distance from North Palace White.

Whoosh.

His leg, which had caught up in an instant, flew toward my torso.

“Fuck.”

Thwack!

His steel-like leg sent me flying over ten meters away.

Stepping on the True Step, I barely managed to stop. I saw North Palace White’s hand, enveloped in a black current.

A power on a completely different level from anything before.

‘He’s decided to kill me outright!’

Unable to dodge or block this move, I instinctively threw a punch.

And then.

BOOM!

With the sound of an 81mm mortar exploding, the air detonated, sending dust billowing around us.

“……?”

“……?”

Bukgung Baek looked at me with puzzled eyes, and I, too, looked down at my hand with eyes full of questions.

“Huh?”

A blast wave had erupted from the fist I’d thrown in desperation.

And I hadn’t even drawn upon my true energy.

‘What the hell?’

Shh.

I thrust my fist forward again, assuming the same stance as before.

Only the sound of wind cutting through the air could be heard; there was no power behind it at all.

As I threw a few more punches to try and replicate it, Baek’s voice reached me.

“When heavy rain falls, waterways form throughout the mountains, and water flows.”

“……?”

Thinking he was suddenly spouting nonsense, I looked at him. Baekgong Baek wore a distinctly serious expression.

“Where water passes dozens, hundreds of times, it becomes a stream. When it holds even more water, it becomes a river.”

“…”

Bukgung Baek’s words instantly brought to mind the ancient mantra of the former royal lineage.

The more you fight, the stronger you become.

The more you fight, the stronger you become.

He had never once considered what principle this might be based on.

‘When you unleash a technique, it becomes qi circulation. Why?’

Bukgung Baek’s single remark set him off on dissecting the mantra.

‘If I’ve unleashed the Exploding Sword Technique hundreds of times, that means I’ve channeled qi hundreds of times too. So why would I need to consciously draw up my true qi?’

A slight doubt began to take root.

‘There was never any need to distinguish between them in the first place. The Zhenwang Style is a martial art without distinction between internal and external techniques.’

He realized his previous error.

Simultaneously, the words of the Xian Sword Master from his dream surfaced.

‘I see. Everything was within me all along.’

A sudden realization struck him.

He released all the true qi he had meticulously stored in the qihai acupoint, known as the dantian.

Crackle.

The true qi raged wildly.

Normally, he would have tried to calm it, but not now.

Instead, he moved his body to let the qi rage even more wildly.

He even began to wonder if this madly surging qi might be what truly suited the Zhenwang style.

Thud. Crackle.

His planted qi-step shattered the martial arts hall floor.

Clang.

A burst of energy erupted from his casually extended fist.

He moved around the training ground like this, extending his hands and feet for about an hour.

Despite unleashing a considerable number of techniques, his internal energy quickly replenished.

He had grasped the true essence of the Zhenwang Style.

“Hoo.”

Just as he paused to catch his breath, Bakung Baek’s voice reached him.

“You’ve understood it properly.”

“Ah!”

He immediately bowed his head toward North Palace White, who had just imparted the teaching.

“Thank you for your instruction.”

“I merely pushed you up one step.”

He said it as if it were nothing.

“Your true energy is surging. However, it appears natural, so there seems no need to forcefully restrain it.”

He accurately assessed my state and offered advice.

“······I will keep that in mind.”

Bukgung Baek suddenly blurted out an unexpected remark.

“How about calling it the ‘Jeonwanggi’?”

“Huh?”

“Since the technique and your inner energy have merged as one, it should have a name.”

“Ah, I see. Understood. I’ll call it the Zhen Wang Ji.”

He chuckled.

Satisfied, he smiled before resuming his stance.

“Come at me.”

“···It won’t be like before.”

“Like a puppy worrying about a tiger.”

With that, I lunged at North Palace Baek.

* * *

I got beaten like a dog.

Then again, Bukgung Baek was known to have reached the pinnacle of mastery. Unless I could pierce through to the Hwa-gyeong realm in a single strike, there was never any way to defeat him.

Still, unlike yesterday, I wasn’t just getting beaten one-sidedly.

Even if it was a shallow blow, I managed to land an effective hit.

I looked down at my right hand, which had just struck Baek’s jaw.

‘…I did it.’

To actually land a blow on that damn face.

Brr.

A shiver ran through me from head to toe.

‘If I could just land one more hit…’

I felt like I could sell my soul to the devil.

But my immediate goal wasn’t Baek.

To beat him, I’d need at least ten years of grueling training.

‘This is worth pursuing.’

Having passed the initial peak and reached the midpoint now.

I could even go toe-to-toe with Danun.

Maybe I could beat him to a pulp.

“Pfff.”

The image of Danun with eyes like night owls made me chuckle involuntarily.

Just as I was about to retire to bed in that good mood.

‘Wait.’

A single question surfaced.

‘Jeonwanggi?’

The name of the true energy Bukgung Baek had bestowed upon him.

As a true energy originating from the Jeonwang lineage, it was a name anyone would nod at.

‘Did I ever teach that gentleman the name of the Jeonwang lineage?’

No matter how hard I searched my memory, I had never even mentioned the Jeonwang lineage to him.

After pondering for a moment, I quickly reached a conclusion.

‘Must have been babbling while drunk again.’

Excessive drinking really is no good.

* * *

The next day, I went to see Baek again.

I couldn’t forget the thrill of dislocating his jaw the day before.

“Enough now.”

Unexpectedly, Baek ordered me to stop.

“Just like that?”

No way, you’re just going to hit me and call it quits?

“Further sparring is pointless. Focus on meditation for now. You’ll see results.”

Seeing my bewildered expression, he gave a faint smile and said.

“Do you think you’ve grown stronger just because your martial arts have improved?”

“Of course…”

His sudden riddle left me speechless.

As I pondered, Baek’s voice reached me.

“The martial arts you’ve mastered can simultaneously cultivate essence and qi. It can be called a divine skill and profound art rarely found anywhere in the world.”

He raised a finger, pointing at my head, and continued.

“But it cannot cultivate the divine.”

“…”

“Seems you don’t understand.”

Bukgung Baek rose from his seat and approached me.

Then, suddenly, he reached out his hand.

“Huh!”

Thud.

Reflexively, I unfolded the Jeonwangbo and slipped out of his attack range.

Immediately, Bukgung Baek’s voice came again.

“Look. Even though you’ve ascended one step, you’re moving exactly the same as before.”

“Ah…!”

He unfastened the flask slung at his side, poured its contents into his mouth, and continued.

“Go and review everything you possess. It will help you balance your qi and spirit.”

Advice worth its weight in gold.

I hastily bowed my head.

“Thank you.”

“One incompetent subordinate is costing me dearly in every way.”

“I will never forget this kindness.”

“If you’re truly grateful, buy a few bundles of bamboo leaf tea sold near my house. You could bring some Dongpo pork made by Miss Miao too.”

He turned away, waved his hand, and left.

Watching his retreating figure, I thought.

Damn cool.

‘Arctic White?’

Pffft.

* * *

From that day on, I shut myself in my room and began meditating.

I tried to review everything, from the Earth-Nourishing Technique I learned on my first day at the Ascension Pavilion to my most recent insights, to check my martial arts progress.

“……I can’t focus.”

Having sat in the lotus position for the first time in nearly a decade, I made no progress whatsoever.

Wuxia protagonists seemed to enter a state of bliss whenever they got the chance…

Reality really is different from fiction.

“Ugh…”

But I couldn’t just give up.

Wouldn’t this hardship save my life in the war about to erupt?

I sat on my bed, my mind racing.

‘Three Calamities Mind Technique… Clear Light Sword… Wind-Cutting Fist…’

Growl.

“Damn it.”

The thunderous rumble from my stomach made me jump up.

What could I do?

“Sis, dinner!”

I’d eat first and try again later.

Just then, it was almost dinnertime, and everyone sat down to eat.

Slurp slurp.

I was so hungry I practically inhaled the rice, scooping it up like a vacuum. That’s when I heard Myaohyang and Seongso’s scolding.

“Eat a little slower. You’ll choke.”

“Yeah. You’d think someone was trying to steal it from you.”

“Gulp. I haven’t eaten anything all day…”

“That’s why I told you to eat before leaving. Would you like some more rice?“

”Yeah. Thanks.“

Only after polishing off three bowls did I realize Yongmasan was staring intently at me.

”Why? You want to say something?“

”Hmm… It’s just that something seems different.”

So, a master recognizes another master?

“Heh heh heh, you noticed. That I’ve crossed the ‘wall’.”

“……I’m not sure if it’s quite a ‘wall’, but you’ve definitely grown.”

“Knowing is one thing, doing is another. Who knows? Maybe when the Red Dragon Sect comes for you, I won’t be able to stop them.”

“I’m not counting on it. Besides, the Red Dragon Sect couldn’t kill me in the first place.”

“Why not?”

“There’s a reason.”

What was he trying to say? So frustrating.

“Oh, right. Have you ever tried meditation?”

“Meditation?”

“Yeah. I tried it earlier, but it just wouldn’t work.”

“A master like Team Leader Jin can’t meditate? “

Yongmasan asked in a voice that seemed to say, ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

”Strangely, I couldn’t do it. I think I was good at it when I was young…“

”That’s impossible. If you were such a blockhead that you couldn’t meditate, you wouldn’t have become such a master.“

”You bastard?“

”Then that means your constitution changed because of your martial arts…”

Yongmasan ignored me and pondered deeply for a moment.

Moonlight reflected off his head as he opened his mouth.

“I see.”

“Why? What is it?”

“Five hundred years ago, there was an absolute master called Seopae-wang. He, like Jin Jo-jang, was a martial artist who mastered the Donggong technique to reach the pinnacle.”

“Seopae-wang?”

It was a name I’d never heard before.

“In his later years, he said that when moving his body, he often fell into a state of selflessness. Reflecting on that, perhaps martial artists who master the Donggong should meditate while moving their bodies rather than sitting still… What do you think?”

“That makes sense. I thought you were utterly useless, but you can be helpful sometimes?”

“…”

That’s Hao Bang-ju’s intelligence for you.

I thought I should make good use of it later.

That’s how I found my own meditation method and was able to reorganize all the martial arts skills I possessed.

A few days later, seeing Ha Jin-hyeong come to find me, I sensed war was imminent.

“Captain! The Deputy Leader is looking for you!”