Chapter 27: Chapter 27

I followed Taoist Hyuncheon to Taejeong Hall. The Taoist moved smoothly, without any waste in his steps. I wondered if this was the result of his martial art’s transcendent lightness technique called Cloudstream Pursuit from the Wudang sect. Upon arriving at Taejong Hall, I saw a moderately sized building where about 5-6 people were engaged in training.

I didn’t see any inner disciples. When I asked Taoist Hyuncheon about it, he said, “They’ve been sent to the Wudang’s main branch for a situation briefing. They were sent yesterday, but they should be back by afternoon at the latest.”

“Won’t your disciples, skilled in the Wudang’s Jin San martial arts, be useful in the suppression of the heretical sect?”

Taoist Hyuncheon shook his head.

“You wouldn’t say that if you’ve seen those monsters. They are not something that can be dealt with in numbers by half-skilled individuals. All that would result is more sacrifices.”

“……?”

“My disciples have not been training for a long time; none have surpassed the first-rate realm. I can’t put those who will be the future strength of the Wudang sect in danger.”

*Clatter*

Taoist Hyuncheon went inside and brewed tea. From the aromatic scent, it appeared to be a high-quality tea. He took a sip and said, “In the end, we only need to defeat the strange individual who controls the monsters and fanatics with a flute.”

“Hmm… Has that individual trained in martial arts?”

Taoist Hyuncheon gave a wry smile.

“That’s a tricky question.”

“Tricky?”

“I couldn’t get close enough due to the monstersand fanatics they control. I could have risked my life to approach, but the risk was too high. So I retreated without confirming their martial skills.”

“……”

His answer seemed slightly humorous, but it made me realize the severity of the situation.

Even if the fanatics gained enhanced combat ability, a true master is a true master. Taoist Hyuncheon should have been able to use his invisible Cloudstream Pursuit  skill to strike at the enemy’s master. The fact that he hadn’t even attempted this indicated that the power of the fanatics and monsterswas not to be taken lightly.

‘Hmm… Did I step into a messy situation?’

However, such unique experiences are not common. I felt that if I missed this opportunity, I would regret it later. After pondering for a while, I asked a peculiar question.

“Is this weird individual a man or a woman? And what is their goal?”

“I could only confirm that they have a human shape and they were playing the flute. They didn’t say a word.”

“You’ve been infiltrating that village for quite some time now. What is the current situation there?”

“… I don’t even want to imagine. When I entered, the whole village was already engulfed in madness. I doubt anything has changed.”

“……”

I felt the need to steel myself. If human sacrifice was already happening when I first infiltrated, now the streets might be filled with corpses and cannibals. Although I’m accustomed to brutality, encountering such a scene suddenly could be mentally overwhelming.

‘Ah, now that I think about it.’

I realized a crucial point and shared my thoughts with Taoist Hyuncheon.

“A heretical sect’s goal is to expand its religious influence, correct? But they didn’t take any particular actions even when they realized you knew about them. Why is that?”

Taoist Hyuncheon nodded in what seemed like admiration.

“Yes, you’ve pointed out something important. I’ve been observing their activities around the village for the past few days, but I haven’t seen a single person leave the village. Even from this mountaintop, I kept an eye on anyone coming in and out, but there has been no change.”

I frowned.

“It seems the mysterious fluter is scheming something.”

“Exactly. If the fluter suspects my identity, he would also suspect that a punitive force will soon be organized. If they’re not amassing power or letting chaos break loose, then… they must be preparing some wicked, or dark arts, within the village. Either they’re gathering strength through more sinister techniques, or perhaps they’re creating even more terrible monsters.”

“We can’t afford to waste time, then.”

“True.”

I finally understood why Taoist Hyuncheon, despite the risks of leaking the secret martial arts of the shamanic sect, chose to involve me. Even if he is a renowned figure in the orthodox sect and well-connected, finding a master of his caliber is not easy. And recruiting such an individual overnight would be far from straightforward. From Taoist Hyuncheon’s perspective, he had no choice but to involve me.

I took a sip of tea. The warm liquid soothed my throat and calmed my nerves.

“But you keep mentioning these monsters. What exactly are they? How do they look and what kind of power do they possess?”

“Ah… describing them is difficult. Let me gather my thoughts for a moment.”

Taoist Hyuncheon thought deeply, then took out his brush and inkstone from a nearby table and began to sketch. Having learned the basics of poetry, calligraphy, and painting from Mangryang, I could tell that Taoist Hyuncheon was quite skilled at drawing as well.

“This is what it looked like.”

After sketching for quite some time, Taoist Hyuncheon finished the drawing. I was so shocked by what I saw that I was at a loss for words.

“…”

Could such a creature even exist? It looked like a blob of quivering meat, its entire body seemingly made of frothing bubbles, with countless eyeballs popping up on its surface. What’s more, hundreds of tentacles protruded from its body, waving around. Seeing my expression, Taoist Hyuncheon sighed.

“The real thing is even worse. And it’s quite large. It’s a terrible monster, the likes of which I’ve never even read about in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”

[TL/N: The “山海經” (Shānhǎi Jīng), often translated as “Classic of Mountains and Seas,” is an ancient Chinese text that dates back to the Warring States period and the early Han dynasty. It is a compilation of mythic geography, folklore, and myths of ancient China, serving as an encyclopedia of sorts that catalogs various kinds of creatures, plants, and supernatural phenomena, as well as the customs and beliefs of different regions.]

“So there’s more than one of these?”

“There were three in total. Their movements were fast, they were powerful, and sword attacks hardly affected them. Their bodies were like liquid; my sword Qi could cut them, but it took an extraordinary amount of effort to bring them down.”

“We’re going against these things?”

“No. To take down these monsters, we would need at least a thousand troops. All we need to do is take down the mysterious fluter.”

“Do you have a plan?”

Taoist Hyuncheon spoke confidently.

“The mysterious fluter doesn’t show himself often, but he appears in the village center at noon to play his pipe. He conducts human sacrifices on a strange altar. During the sacrifices, he is vulnerable, so that’s when we strike.”

“And the monsters?”

“They only appear after the sacrifices, to consume human flesh and blood. They won’t appear before that.”

“What should I do?”

Taoist Hyuncheon hesitated for a moment before speaking solemnly.

“Clear a path for me so I can slit the fluter’s throat.”

“…”

I was conflicted, as this was the answer I had anticipated.

In other words, the plan of Taoist Hyuncheon is to swiftly launch a preemptive strike before the monsters appear and decapitate the monsters’ leaders. And my role is to eliminate the fanatics, thus safeguarding Taoist Hyuncheon. Considering the stakes are life and death, I can’t help but feel terrified.

‘Damn it. Should I just back out now?’

The thought of facing my fourth death in this place makes me queasy. If I’m lucky, I could just die and reincarnate. But what if I get caught by a hostile group and am tortured or gutted alive? Even if I manage to reincarnate, my psyche might be shattered.

Maybe it’s not too late to run away.

But giving up on learning Wudang Sect’s  martial arts would be a waste.

After pondering for a while, I spoke.

“…Alright. But before that, Taoist, you must guide me in martial arts.”

“What are you talking about? Isn’t your martial arts skill already at an unparalleled level?”

“Well, let me show you.”

I sighed briefly, leading Taoist Hyuncheon to the Taejong Hall training ground. I picked up a military spear lying around and executed Eight-style Thunder Spirit Technique, Silent Thunder Sword Technique, Thunder Cloud Palm Technique, and Silent Thunder Steps, connecting them with utmost effort. My objective was to exhibit my martial arts proficiency to the best of my ability.

Zzzzaaa…

Qi energy started to surge belatedly, creating an aura of thunder-qi that seemed to promise a rainfall of thunder essence. This was a phenomenon that occurs when my Thunder Dragon Breath Technique reaches its limit.

Taoist Hyuncheon, who had been watching my martial arts demonstration, let out a big sigh.

‘Ha! What an anomaly… Your internal energy surpasses mine by threefold, yet your martial arts skill is barely above second-rate! How can such an imbalance exist?’

His voice was tinged with astonishment and disbelief. Clearly, as a martial arts expert of his caliber, he could accurately evaluate my skill. I sheathed my sword and spoke with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

“This is why I hesitated to assist you. Though my internal energy is strong, my understanding of martial arts is lacking.”

“Hmm… did you obtain some rare elixir? I thought you were a reclusive master who had turned young again.”

“Reverting to youth is something you read about in martial arts novels…”

“Nonetheless, your internal energy is so great that it’s hard to explain otherwise. The only one who could match your internal energy in the current martial world would probably be White Lotus Sect Leader.”

Taoist Hyuncheon chuckled.

“Ha! To think you were such a young prodigy… what a revelation. You are truly an enigma.”

Though he muttered a Taoist chant, he didn’t seem particularly displeased. From his perspective, imparting martial arts to a rejuvenated old man from who-knows-where would be less ideal. He seemed to also have a good read on the quality of my remaining martial arts.

“Your spear and sword techniques resemble that of an established martial arts sect. However, they lack completion, preventing you from fully utilizing your powerful internal energy. It feels like you are only able to exert about 30% of your true power.”

“Only 30%?”

“It makes sense. Your manipulation and concentration of internal energy are very crude. An adept could read your Qi flow and counter you easily. What use is immense power if it can be effortlessly dodged or deflected?”

“I see.”

I smiled bitterly. Taoist Hyuncheon pointed out something I had painfully realized before. Once upon a time, I had been easily defeated by a master from Iron Blood Gate who had less than half my internal energy. If I were to face off against Taoist Hyuncheon now, the outcome wouldn’t be different.

After some thought, Taoist Hyuncheon spoke.

“What is the internal energy cultivation method you’ve practiced?”

“It’s called Thunder Dragon Breath Technique.”

“That’s fortunate. The method I can pass onto you is called Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique. It’s something you can easily learn.”

“Why is that?”

He explained calmly.

“The Thunder Dragon Breath Technique you’ve mastered is the epitome of ‘thunder-qi’. Thunder represents ‘earth’ (토, 土) in the Five Elements. And Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique has the properties of ‘metal’ (금, 金).”

“So it’s ‘Earth generates Metal’ in the cycle of the Five Elements.”

The Five Elements have principles of mutual coexistence and mutual opposition. Because the energy of metal and earth are in harmony and help each other, mastering both arts should not be a problem.

“You seem well-versed in the theories of the Five Elements. Exactly as you said.”

Said Taoist Hyuncheon.

“If you learn Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique, it will provide strong vitality and regenerative power to balance out the aggressive power of Thunder Dragon Breath Technique. Additionally, because they mutually generate, you won’t suffer from energy imbalance!”

“……!!”

“The basics of Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique will take about one hour. With the remaining time, I’ll go through your spear techniques and sword techniques from the beginning.”

I realized I had encountered another great opportunity.

“Understood.”

I would be personally trained in the art of Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique and other ultimate martial arts by Taoist Hyuncheon, a peak-level master. Although it was uncertain if I could learn everything due to the mission I had to complete, just receiving training from him would allow me to make great progress.

As Taoist Hyuncheon said, it took just an hour to complete the basics of Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique. Specifically, he didn’t teach me everything about Mysterious Heavenly Divine Technique but a basic method of guiding true energy to open the required energy channels, making it simple. Taoist Hyuncheon said he would teach me the art fully after completing the mission.

Additionally, learning Silent Thunder Sword Technique  and Eight-style Thunder Spirit Technique was an incredibly novel experience. I didn’t raise my internal energy much while sparring with Taoist Hyuncheon. However, it felt like he could read my thoughts, making all my attacks ineffective. It turns out, when he said he could ‘read all attacks,’ he wasn’t lying.

Thud!

“Your true energy flow in your wrist is lax.”

My wooden sword was deflected far by Taoist Hyuncheon’s wooden sword. Even though it was a short time, sweat was pouring down on me as if it were raining. This was because I realized how many weaknesses I had while sparring with him without using much internal energy.

“Your true energy is too slow.”

“……!!”

“Having profound knowledge like you can also make it hard to determine the course of a mighty river. To cast aside your hesitation, you must memorize how the flow of ‘true energy’ operates within you,” said Taoist Hyuncheon. “You must’ve just felt what you’re lacking. However, I don’t know your swordsmanship, so I can’t point out the shortcomings rashly. Think for yourself what kind of ‘basic formulas’ are lacking and why, and then polish your skills.”

“Thank you.”

As Taoist Hyuncheon said, I felt like the very act of sparring itself was educational. I didn’t necessarily receive any special teachings, but despite that, it felt like my skills were improving rapidly.

When I fought with the elder of Iron Blood Gate, he didn’t give me any room and exploited all my weaknesses, leaving me bewildered. However, Taoist Hyuncheon is currently sparring with me for the sake of ‘guidance,’ so he knows exactly how to provide enlightenment in this context.

For the next four days, I only ate, slept, and trained in martial arts with Taoist Hyuncheon. I couldn’t afford to spend more time as I had to quickly embark on a subjugation mission. Occasionally, we went up the mountain to monitor the movements of the enemy forces, and otherwise, I focused on enhancing my martial arts.

As a result, I was able to considerably eliminate the weaknesses in my ‘true energy’ and reached a higher level of swordsmanship. At least in terms of ‘Silent Thunder Sword Technique’, I was definitely more powerful than before. Taoist Hyuncheon looked at my achievements with satisfaction and said, “At this rate, 50% of your full potential will be more than enough, not just 30%.”

During those four days, Taoist Hyuncheon intermittently pointed out the shortcomings of my ‘Silent Thunder Sword Technique’ and also taught me variations applying ‘Supreme Purity Sword Technique’. It seemed like it would be very useful in actual combat. I sensed the hidden intention in Taoist Hyuncheon’s words.

“So you’re saying we should go on the subjugation mission now?”

“Yes. If we delay any further, who knows what kind of monster will pop out.”

“…”

After contemplating, I answered, “Let’s go then.”

I had a plan in my mind to assist Taoist Hyuncheon as much as possible, and if the situation turned dire, I would escape alone. I had an obligation to help to some extent since I received guidance in martial arts, but I had no obligation to risk my life.

Moreover, with the newly acquired martial arts skills, I can effortlessly slaughter the fanatics, thereby easily gaining real combat experience. There’s no need to miss out on such an opportunity.