Chapter 67 Dispatch to the Ascension Pavilion (2)

Chapter 67: Dispatch to the Ascension Pavilion (2)

The Seogak, visited after so long, stirred nostalgia within me.

Though the Seogak mostly held only basic techniques and intermediate martial arts, lacking anything truly advanced, I’d come here whenever I could.

Unlike the geniuses from the Inner City Eight Palms who entered after mastering some martial arts, I had absolutely nothing back then.

Still, thanks to that, I found the martial art that suited me perfectly: the Parkryong Thirteen Steps. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise.

“Hmm, it should be around here? Eh, nope, still not here.”

I searched the spot where the Parkryong Thirteen Steps had been, just in case, but sure enough, it was empty.

Disappointed, I flipped through various manuals stuck nearby, but none sparked much interest.

I put the books back and sat at a nearby desk, looking around inside.

Memories came flooding back of frantically searching for the Parkryongshimsiptu manual and reading it.

‘Look once, go out, unfold it, come back in, read, go out, look again.’

I wonder why I went to such lengths when I could have just borrowed it to read.

‘I never enjoyed learning martial arts as much as I did back then.’

I was truly obsessed.

I’d visualize the moves in my head every time I closed my eyes, and I practiced with every step, extending my hands and feet as if in combat.

‘I was a madman.’

As I briefly savored the memory, my conversation with Baekgong Baek came to mind.

‘I crossed the wall by separating life from death on the battlefield. Since your martial arts began at the Ascension Pavilion, returning to the starting point and reexamining it will help you find a way to cross that wall.’

Was that why he told me to go?

Returning to the starting point definitely gave me a new perspective on martial arts.

For instance.

‘Do I even truly understand the Dragon Thirteen Piercing Fist?’

To the point of asking such a question.

Driven by this sudden doubt, he headed straight for the open space before the Western Pavilion.

To examine the Dragon Thirteen Piercing Fist.

The first technique he unleashed was the first form, a simple straight punch.

Whoosh.

Even without loading any internal energy, the fist shot out with a sharp whistling sound.

Though I’d performed this technique countless times before, seeing it extend now, with a different mindset, felt strangely new.

Just thinking about it made my body move on its own.

‘It’s as if I’m wearing the martial art itself.’

Had I reached a new level?

It felt much more ingrained in his body than before.

How to describe it? If before it felt like wearing loose-fitting tracksuits, now it felt like wearing tight red undershirts?

He pondered when this change began, and the answer came quickly.

‘Ever since I forced myself to unleash the Yan Environment.’

Ever since he blew through about five hundred nyang on medical bills, the Park Ryong-sip-sam-tu technique had drawn near.

He immediately moved his arm and unleashed this technique.

Pah!

As his elbow struck the target point, the sound of air bursting echoed.

Simultaneously, the third technique unfolded on its own.

In an instant, he had deployed all the techniques up to the final one, then realized a fact.

‘The ki moves even without loading internal energy.’

Where? Why? How?

Amidst the flood of questions, he unleashed the Dragon Thirteen Strike once more.

This time, he executed it as swiftly as possible, unlike before.

He felt eyes turn toward him at the sound of the air bursting.

But he had no time to spare for such gazes.

Paf-paf-paf-pang!

Because this training, born from a small doubt, was beginning to reveal new possibilities for the Dragon Thirteen Strike.

Even as my body moved, my mind began endlessly deconstructing and reassembling the Parkryongshimsaptu.

‘Jeonwangshimsaptu?’

It was the height of arrogance.

This wasn’t some shallow martial art whose name could be changed merely because it carried the Jeonwanggi to unleash its power.

But was it a supreme technique? I wasn’t sure about that either.

Couldn’t one only evaluate it if they’d mastered other martial arts first?

Still, it seemed certain this was a martial art with enormous growth potential.

Because it resembled the Jeonwang-ryu, the greatest martial art I knew.

Sure enough.

‘Each time it unfolds, external qi is drawn in.’

The Zhenwang Style also absorbs external qi each time it’s unleashed.

Was this efficacy inherent in the Parkryong Simsapto from the start?

Or was it an efficacy overlaid because I had mastered the Zhenwang Style?

I have no idea.

But one thing is certain.

‘It shares the same essence as the Zhenwang Style.’

It felt as if the roots of the two martial arts were one.

The moment that thought struck, he began to unfold the Dragon Heart Piercing Palm, gradually modifying it.

Once, twice… Then, upon the eightieth unfolding.

“Ah!”

Something flashed in his mind.

And so began the eighty-first Dragon Heart Piercing Palm.

POW!

Even after pouring out all thirteen moves, only a single crack of shattering air echoed.

And then.

BOOM!

The energy bursting out in all directions destroyed the open space in front of the Western Pavilion, raising a cloud of dust.

CRACK! CRUNCH.

The Extreme Shattering Energy exploded at the targeted spot, cleanly severing the thick trunk of a giant tree at its base.

It wasn’t merely mixing the Dragon Thirteen Strike with the King’s Strike; it was fusing the two martial arts into one.

‘Now this can truly be called the King’s Thirteen Strike.’

I had gained an even more powerful weapon.

‘Lord North Palace’s advice was right.’

Simply by finding the origin of my martial arts, I gained such a stroke of luck.

Indeed, North Palace Baek seems to be a master instructor.

* * *

“You shattered the West Wing while training your martial arts? What on earth am I supposed to do with you?”

“······I’m sorry.”

He had completed the Zhenwang Shisan Tui, but in his haste, he failed to control his power and completely demolished one entire wall of the West Wing.

Thanks to that, he was summoned by the Extermination True Immortal and was now receiving a lecture.

This went on for a full hour.

Resentment began to well up against the lengthy lecture.

‘Seriously, isn’t smashing a wall just part of martial arts training?’

He lifted his head to argue back immediately, but.

“What?! Why?”

“Ah, no reason.”

The Extermination Immortal’s murderous expression made him immediately bow his head again.

After lecturing him for quite a while longer, the Extermination Immortal finally delivered his verdict.

“Pay up.”

If that’s what you wanted, why didn’t you just say so from the start? Why lecture me all this time?

“Well now, I didn’t think you were that kind of person. You’re being pretty stingy. How much is it… exactly? I was about to hand it over right away.”

“Thirty taels.”

“…What makes it so expensive?”

When I protested, the Immortal of Annihilation handed me a small piece of paper.

It was a repair bill.

I checked the bill, ready to argue if they’d overcharged me.

“Eighty volumes of manuals were torn.”

“Do you know how many scribes would have to work to copy those? And how much paper it would take?”

His precise accounting left me speechless.

“……There’s also the cleanup work. Could you perhaps reduce it a little?”

“Cleanup? What cleanup? The only cleanup I want is to clean you out of my sight.”

“We’re not strangers. That’s going too far.”

“If not strangers, then what are we?”

“Family.”

“Where does that shamelessness come from? Even after your brother begged you, you were the one who gave up becoming a Taoist master! What family are you talking about! And just because you have a personal connection, how can I just let you destroy public property?”

“Please, just a little…”

* * *

I barely managed to settle it for twenty-five liang.

Of course, the unexpected expense made my stomach churn, but since I did break it, I should just forget about it… Yeah, right.

The regret kept me awake, even waking me from sleep.

Growl.

The regret was so intense, I couldn’t even swallow my food properly.

Still, what’s done is done. There’s no helping it.

The only way to recoup the loss was to inflate the dispatch fees.

I could claim I got injured while monitoring the Life-and-Death Map and demand medical expenses, or feed the exhausted equipment some weird medicine and inflate the drug costs—there were plenty of methods.

Only after figuring out a solution could I relax and wander around the Ascension Pavilion, meeting people.

The restaurant owner who, upon hearing I was an orphan, took pity and packed me meat dishes.

The instructors who offered advice whenever I had questions about martial arts.

The members of the Ascension Corps who bought me snacks whenever I went down to the city and returned.

And finally, Tagon, the son of the Great Chief of the Southern Tribes, whom I had escorted all the way to Guryongseong.

Visiting each one, exchanging greetings, reminiscing about the past.

Before I knew it, the day of the Hellish Life-and-Death Trial had arrived.

Nine instructors, twenty warriors from the Outer Hall’s First Division.

Facing them stood fifteen ninth-year disciples.

The Extermination Immortal spoke before them.

“From this moment, you shall walk a thousand-li journey and cross the Nine Dragons Mountain Range.”

That’s a lie. Or rather, it’s not a lie, but it’s not entirely accurate either?

Anyway, maps in this era aren’t accurate.

Of course, there were distance discrepancies, but the problem was the destination was right before Qinghai City, at the very end of the Nine Dragons Mountain Range.

Considering the vast world of the Central Plains martial arts realm, a thousand li would easily be exceeded.

If precise surveying techniques were introduced sooner, such victims would disappear.

While inwardly praying for rapid technological advancement, the Extermination Immortal finally concluded his long, long exhortation.

“…Therefore, may you all return safely.”

Yes!

With the recruits’ resounding reply, the Life-and-Death Journey began.

Fifteen recruits set out, each carrying only one weapon, followed by their instructors and a few martial artists.

‘I wonder if there’s another Dan-un-like bastard this time?’

As I watched with interest, one recruit suddenly dashed off at high speed, and an instructor hurriedly followed him.

Seeing that scene brought back old memories, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Heh heh.”

Woo Je-jun, standing beside me, asked why I was chuckling.

“Is something amusing happening?”

“No, just reminiscing about the past.”

That Dan-un guy sprinted at full speed from the start to the end of this training.

Even if his strength waned midway and his pace slowed, seeing him run all the way to the end proved he was quite something.

Still, he lost to me, who had stashed food beforehand and memorized the shortcuts.

‘A brute can never outsmart a strategist.’

Sure enough.

Before long, I spotted the schemer.

A figure layered in black garments darted his eyes around, surveying the movements of those watching him.

He was clearly waiting for an opportunity to head for the spot where I’d hidden the food.

I unleashed the Heavenly Wind and closed the distance to his side in a single stride.

“You’re caught. Why don’t you just give up?”

“Are you Senior Turyong?”

“Yes.”

“It is you, Senior. You spotted me at a glance. Understood. I’ll give up.”

As expected, a smart one who understood quickly.

“That’s right, you bastard. You gotta play fair. No shortcuts.”

“I understand you were the first to succeed in cheating in the Life-and-Death Trial, Senior…”

“Who told you that?”

“Senior Jo Sangman of the Ascension Sect told me.”

Looks like I’ll have to shut him up soon.

If this gets to the Eradication Immortal’s ears, he might really swing his sword at me, threatening to chop off my legs.

“…As the saying goes, if you get caught, it’s a crime; if you don’t, it’s strategy. And you know that’s a secret, right?”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I like that. What’s your name?”

“My name is Jeon Gwang. Lord Hwaryongdang is my father.”

Hearing he was Jeon Mook’s younger brother, I was startled and looked at him again.

Short stature and a slender build.

He was vastly different from Jeon Mook, who boasted a height likely over six feet and bulging muscles.

“······You’re completely different from Jeon Mook?”

“I hear that a lot.”

“Do you train with a pickaxe too?”

“I find it inefficient.”

“That one thing I like about you.”

“If I fall too far behind, it’ll be tough later, so I’ll be heading out now.”

“Good work.”

Jeon Gwang gave a small bow and walked slightly ahead.

I watched his retreating figure and thought.

‘You little bastard, I gave you a pass.’

His clothes—more precisely, between the lining and outer fabric of his inner robe beneath the long coat—had jerky hidden inside.

I should have confiscated it, but I let it slide.

The more ignorant warriors a faction gathers, the more they need talented individuals with that kind of resourcefulness.

‘The future of Nine Dragon Fortress looks bright.’

To cultivate such talent—truly befitting Dengtiangge, the finest educational institution in Nine Dragon Fortress.