Chapter 125 Journey (3)

Chapter 125 Journey (3)

The next day, at dawn.

Gu Yangjie rose early, stripped off his robe, and wrung out the moisture.

The altitude was so high that the clouds were close, making the air incredibly humid.

The saying that it was filled with rain, mist, and snow year-round was certainly no exaggeration.

Some scholars called it a fairyland, but to Gu Yangji, that was utter nonsense.

If that guy had slept here even one night, he wouldn’t have spouted such bullshit.

‘The air is so thin it’s hard to breathe, and it’s so damn humid it’s infuriating.’

Unless you were a master of considerable skill, you couldn’t even begin to adapt—it was a place where you could easily catch a strange disease (怪疾) and meet an untimely death.

Thinking this, Wei Jinchuan seemed quite extraordinary.

Not only had he become a disciple of that man, but he had lived in a place like this for over ten years.

He must have possessed a unique constitution or innate resilience.

Gu Yangji reached out and opened the door.

Squeeeeeek…

The half-rusted hinges screeched in the damp air, and thick fog poured through the open doorway.

But it wasn’t just fog.

A man’s voice echoed through the darkness, before dawn had even broken.

“Awake?”

“How could I sleep when you’re radiating fighting energy at the crack of dawn?”

“Heh heh.”

The man let out a faint chuckle as Gu Yang-jeok stepped out of the room and slipped on the dobok he’d briefly set aside.

The man, who had been staring at him blankly, finally spoke.

“I didn’t call you here to fight. I just wanted to talk.”

“…Usually, people don’t jab others with fighting energy to start a conversation.”

At that remark, the man scratched his chin as if at a loss for words.

“I suppose it’s because, as you said yesterday, I’m a barbarian without roots.”

“Well now, I can’t exactly refuse an apology for being ignorant. This is awkward.”

What could he say to that? Calling himself a barbarian.

When Gu Yangdi gave a light sneer, the man let out a hearty laugh.

“It’s not easy to feel goodwill towards a guy I just met yesterday. Are you really a cultivator?”

“The barbarian here might not know, but I’m a late-stage cultivator known in the martial world as the Plum Blossom Sword Hero.”

“…I’m a barbarian, and you’re a promising late-stage cultivator called the Plum Blossom Sword Hero? Well, your sarcasm is quite masterful for a Taoist.”

Even as he spoke, the man showed not a trace of displeasure.

His claim of having no roots was, in fact, sincere.

The Tianwufeng sect, which took in and taught an orphan with no connections, practicing the tradition of single-master succession.

In the man’s case, he didn’t even have a name.

“Just call me Nameless. Or call me a lowly commoner, like my disciples do.”

“You want me to call you Nameless? Truly, you have no name?”

“If you insist, you can call me ‘Uncle’.”

Just as Mantongzi didn’t care about age, Nameless seemed indifferent to names or formalities.

When Gu Yangji sat comfortably against the rock, Nameless gave him an amused look.

“Steps too large lack agility, steps too small lack stability (步小不穩). Ever heard of it?“

Gu Yangji answered immediately.

”It means a large stride lacks agility, and a small stride lacks stability. I don’t understand why you’re asking about the basics of fist techniques and footwork here.“

”It’s just the basics. I’ve never seen anyone use them properly.”

Even Wei Jinchen, whom I took as a disciple, flails about without grasping the true intent,“ Mu Ming chuckled, praising Gu Yangji’s exceptional nature.

”I wanted to test the martial artist Man Tongzi first brought here, but when I actually blew the door off its hinges, I was flustered because he was too young.”

“You call that a test? Anyone could see you blew it off to kill him!”

Despite Gu Yangji’s disgusted rebuke, Muming maintained a brazen expression.

“That’s precisely why he’s remarkable. I never expected an eighteen-year-old to be flawless in every minor movement, capable of crushing a mountain with a single step.”

“Had this been the Martial Alliance, such a minor incident wouldn’t have been overlooked.”

Wuming ignored Gu Yangji’s words.

“Skill breeds boldness, boldness elevates skill! Unlike those fools playing with blades in the mountains, you’ve diligently honed both your art and your courage. Truly impressive.”

“…Well, that’s obvious.”

“But something felt unnatural, didn’t it?”

At those words, Gu Yangji wondered if Mumei was nitpicking, but his expression was intensely serious as he adopted a posture of attentive listening.

Seeing this, a faint smile formed on Mumei’s face.

“I sensed yesterday that you possess confidence in your cultivated skills and formidable courage. Yet, each time I launched a powerful strike, your reactions grew slightly slower.”

“You noticed that?”

Gu Yangji asked in surprise, and Muming nodded firmly.

“It was subtle, but definitely different. Could it be you’re weighed down by the burden of having been badly beaten fighting some powerful bastard?”

At those words, Gu Yangji unconsciously thought of the Black Dragon.

A force utterly impossible to resist.

It was the first time his martial arts, honed over decades, felt like the schemes of a weakling.

Trivial martial arts hold no sway against a true master.

Realizing this truth, he resolved to grow stronger, distilling the essence of the Heavenly Dull Sword Technique and reaping its benefits.

Yet now, he seemed crushed under the shadow of the Black Dragon?

‘That would render all his progress utterly wasted.’

Gu Yangji held off on answering immediately and recalled yesterday’s sparring match.

The recollection was brief.

Gu Yangji’s gaze fell to the ground.

“It’s not exactly wrong.”

“So that’s the one Man Tongzi was wary of.”

At those words, Gu Yangjeok’s gaze immediately turned to Myeong.

He tried his best not to show any emotion, but he couldn’t hide his pupils widening.

Myeong’s words continued calmly.

“That guy’s mouth is incredibly tight, so I never heard who he was, but I often heard him ask for practice partners, wanting to face off against someone brutally strong like me.”

“……”

“So, was he stronger than me?”

Gu Yangji answered Mu-myeong’s question honestly.

“Much stronger.”

“And yet he made it here alive? He should have been crushed. Man Tong-ja did well to find him.”

“So Man Tong-ja’s arrangement was you?”

A sinister smile deepened on Mu-myeong’s face.

“Of course it was.”

“Just as expected of a martial artist trained in Zhangjiajie, you casually boast about your strength.”

Despite Gu Yangji’s subtle provocation, the nameless man casually flicked his ears.

He acted even more leisurely.

“How should I show affection to this adorable junior disciple…….”

“If you can, go ahead.” ”

Swish!

Unlike yesterday, Gu Yangji immediately drew his sword.

Yesterday, he hadn’t used his sword because he wanted to humiliate Wuming, but this time he intended to spar seriously.

Wuming’s advice wasn’t wrong.

It had inspired Gu Yangji to strive for improvement.

‘The longer one is crushed under the shadow of the Black Dragon, the slower one’s progress becomes.’

He couldn’t deny feeling like he was playing out the picture painted by the Ten Thousand Treasures Sect, but if that was the path to growth, he was willing to go along with it.

After all, Wu Ming held his own against the top masters of the martial world, those hailed as the best.

No, perhaps he even surpassed them.

‘Being able to spar freely with such a master is truly a stroke of luck.’

Gu Yangji raised the Zhanxian high.

“Thank you for yielding the first move.”

“Hey, when did I ever…!”

Clang!

The Zhanxian’s blade sliced through the dawn mist, revealing the blazing sunlight.

* * *

One hour before awakening Gu Yangji.

Wuming stared at Mantongzi with a questioning look.

‘Why not just lie down and sleep at night?’

The words spoken to him in secret were utterly absurd.

Asking him to point out Gu Yangji’s shortcomings.

And to think he was saying this to him, the sole inheritor of the martial arts lineage. It was simply unbelievable.

And it wasn’t as if Gu Yangji’s martial prowess was lacking.

Wuming spoke with a hint of irritation.

“After sparring with him once, it seemed he’d figure things out just fine without me lecturing him. What’s the rush?”

“I feel a strong responsibility to nurture the next generation.”

“Bullshit.”

As if to show the master himself, Muming slowly unwrapped the bandage covering his wrist.

The once-white bandage gradually revealed itself to be soaked in yellowish pus as it came loose.

He had only sparred for a moment, yet the injury was far worse than a day’s worth of training.

Muming’s face twisted into a sneer.

“Do you really think this is something a mere novice could pull off? Your internal energy is nearly at the peak level, and your skill is exceptional enough to wield it freely!”

“……”

“Even if you’d been learning martial arts since you were in your mother’s womb, you wouldn’t be that good. Don’t tell me… that ‘guy’ you were going to fight is him?”

“No, he’s already dead.”

At Mantongzi’s words, Wuming exhaled a sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief.”

“So, will you accept the disciple?”

Wuming immediately frowned.

“I do like that guy’s personality. He’s not like a typical Taoist, very straightforward and refreshing. But still, I already have a disciple, don’t I?”

“I’m asking you.”

At those words, Wuming’s eyes widened.

Who was Mantongzi?

He was one of the top three sorcerers across the entire Zhonghua Continent, a monster who, by sheer age alone, had already reached a realm beyond human.

Such an old monster was making a request to him.

And not by sending a messenger from Wushan, but by coming in person.

Wuming let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re making it hard to refuse. This is awkward.”

Wuming let out a deep sigh.

Though Mantongzi had always offered advice whenever Wuming faced difficulties, he had never once expected repayment or made a show of it.

For such a man to come personally and make a request—how could Wuming possibly refuse?

Moreover, from Wuming’s perspective, it didn’t exactly feel unpleasant.

He had secretly found Gu Yangji’s nature rather appealing.

‘…Could it be this guy brought him here knowing I think Gu Yangji is decent?’

With Man Tongja, anything was possible.

The thought sent an involuntary chill down Moo-myeong’s spine.

“You didn’t come here with ulterior motives, did you?”

“I just came because he’s nearby.”

“I… suppose so.”

Soon, Muming promised Gu Yangji he would give his all.

As the leader of Tianwufeng, where the principle was one-on-one transmission, it was a promise he absolutely should not have made.

Teaching him the flaws he saw at a glance and sparring with him would mean revealing half of Tianwufeng’s martial arts secrets.

But deep down, Myeong-ui felt a pang of regret for Gu Yang-jeok and was driven by the compulsion to repay his debt to Man Tong-ja.

Compared to Gu Yang-jeok, his disciple, Wei Jin-cheon, seemed a bit inadequate.

On the way back to the thatched cottage after securing that promise, Man Tong-ja encountered Dae-ung, whose wet fur hadn’t dried, making him irritable.

“Woo-woo!”

“When are you coming down?”

“Kwoo!”

“Just wait a little longer.”

Mantongzi gazed at the thatched cottage where Gu Yangji was sleeping.

“From what I can see, it shouldn’t take too long.”

The look in Mantongzi’s eyes held strong confidence.