Eugene Kwang’s Consideration
The group, including Dang Moo-jin and the other Yumin, agreed that the first step in confronting the cult leader was to master the art of “Geobgi Seonggang.”
However, staying on a barren rock with no shelter from the elements and no way to find food was not a wise decision.
Fortunately, there was a suitable place not too far away: the Hwasan Sect. When the group arrived at Hwasan, the sect leader, Seon Yu-ja, welcomed them with open arms.
“Ah, you’ve come at last! Let me prepare a warm bath for you. Please, come in!”
Hwasan had suffered greatly during the last war against the demonic cult, even more so than the Wudang Sect. While their buildings weren’t burned down nor their treasures looted, the human cost was severe.
The heavy casualties meant that many of Hwasan’s top masters had perished, leaving the younger disciples without mentors. Although Seon Yu-ja and a few others were doing their best, it was clearly not enough.
In this dire situation, the arrival of more than ten of the martial world’s top masters was a godsend for Hwasan. Naturally, Seon Yu-ja and the other disciples were overjoyed.
Seon Yu-ja spoke politely, “We will ensure you lack nothing during your stay. In return, may our disciples observe your training?”
This request could have been seen as quite rude, as many martial artists were secretive about their training. Seon Yu-ja, aware of this, added an explanation.
“Of course, we don’t intend to steal your techniques. We merely hope our young disciples might gain some insight…”
Understanding Hwasan’s situation, Dang Moo-jin’s group wasn’t offended. As top masters, they were confident that no one could easily steal their skills.
Dang Moo-jin replied graciously, “That’s not a problem. However, our training is quite static, so it might be difficult to gain any insights just by watching.”
“In that case…”
“If you have questions, feel free to ask. While I can’t teach you Hwasan’s techniques, martial arts are universal, and there might be something useful for you. That would be more beneficial for Hwasan.”
Seon Yu-ja thanked Dang Moo-jin for his consideration, bowing respectfully. Dang Moo-jin, seeing himself as a polite young man, returned the gesture.
Soon, the group gathered around Namgung Myung, who was about to explain a technique. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “What should we call this technique?”
Hong Gal-gwi raised his hand. “Weren’t we going to call it ‘Sword Qi’?”
Namgung Myung shook his head. “It’s not quite at the level of the cult leader’s technique, so calling both ‘Seonggang’ seems off.”
“Then ‘Sword Qi’ it is,” Hong Gal-gwi suggested, though Namgung Myung initially frowned at the seemingly casual suggestion.
Upon reflection, Namgung Myung realized it was a fitting name. The technique involved infusing energy into the sword, so ‘Sword Qi’ was appropriate, even if it didn’t reach the brilliance of the cult leader’s technique.
Namgung Myung began his explanation, “Sword Qi. Yes, let’s go with that. Now, let me explain…”
His explanation was somewhat abstract and complex. Sword Qi was as much about feeling as it was about technique, and since Namgung Myung hadn’t learned it from anyone else, his explanation lacked structure.
Soon, they discovered an intriguing fact: high achievement didn’t guarantee easy mastery of Sword Qi. Hong Gal-gwi was the first to succeed, enveloping his Blue Dragon Palm in a white aura within half a year.
Namgung Myung watched Hong Gal-gwi’s success and thought, “If even Hong Gal-gwi can handle Sword Qi… or should I call it Soft Qi? Perhaps it’s easier to learn than I thought…”
From a distance, Hwasan’s leader, Seong Ja-su, marveled at the white aura around Hong Gal-gwi’s Blue Dragon Palm.
“Truly, the reputation of the Heavenly Spirit’s hero is well-deserved. His talent is no exaggeration!”
As the Hwasan disciples praised Hong Gal-gwi, he maintained a modest demeanor, saying, “It was just luck.”
“Luck alone can’t achieve such mastery. Other masters struggle with it.”
“You’re too kind. But it’s frustrating to be like an old tree clinging to a rock, unable to grow.”
“Why the frustration?”
“If the legendary Hong Ju-san were here, his achievements would far surpass mine. His brilliance would outshine even the cult leader’s.”
Seon Yu-ja and the Hwasan disciples were astonished by this claim.
“Was Hong Ju-san truly that exceptional?”
“Yes, a peerless genius, the greatest in our history. I can’t even compare to him.”
Listening to Hong Gal-gwi’s self-praise, Dang Moo-jin and Hyun Gong were impressed in a different way. How could someone be so shameless?
Of course, Seon Yu-ja had no way of knowing their thoughts.
“Amazing. But you’re too modest, Iron Wall Hero.”
“It’s not modesty. I’ve just been around such greatness that I can’t help but be humble… though I can no longer meet him.”
Hong Gal-gwi’s self-praise continued for quite some time.
In truth, half of his rapid progress was due to his skill and intuition, while the other half was thanks to the Blue Dragon Palm, or rather, the mysterious staff he wielded.
The staff, resembling bamboo, was made of an unknown metal or mineral, not wood. Even Dang Moo-jin couldn’t identify it.
Previously, he thought its value lay in its durability, but now he realized its true worth was in its ability to channel energy.
This property allowed Hong Gal-gwi to be the first to master the technique. It took years for him to fully understand the staff’s potential.
As days passed, more people began to demonstrate Sword Qi. Hyun Gong, Yoo Jin-kwang, and Gwang Eom-ri all succeeded.
Those who mastered Sword Qi continued to study it carefully, discovering several properties.
A sword imbued with Sword Qi could easily overpower one without it. While it couldn’t cut through an opponent’s blade like the cult leader’s technique, it could quickly wear down the blade, giving the user a significant advantage.
”…It’s incredibly powerful.”
However, Sword Qi had its drawbacks.
Previously, once a certain level of internal energy was reached, its quantity wasn’t considered crucial.
But using Sword Qi consumed a significant amount of energy. Even top masters could quickly exhaust themselves in a duel.
To fully master the cult leader’s technique, an immense amount of energy would be required.
“I need to focus on building my internal energy.”
Until now, internal energy cultivation was considered less important than techniques like footwork or swordplay.
But with the rise of Sword Qi, the ability to quickly accumulate energy would become invaluable.
“A wind of change is blowing through the martial world…”
As time went on, other top masters also succeeded in mastering Sword Qi. The last to do so were Sam An-bul and Mak Hyun-seung, as enveloping a fixed weapon with energy was easier than doing so with a constantly changing hand.
Finally, when Sam An-bul managed to envelop Namgung Myung’s sword with his fist’s energy, Namgung Myung asked Dang Moo-jin, “Aren’t you going to learn Sword Qi?”
“How much can I do with a sword? If I could infuse it into my hidden weapons, maybe…”
Dang Mujin never mastered the art of the ethereal sword. To be precise, he gave up almost immediately. Infusing his inner energy into a weapon once it left his hand to create a sword aura was something beyond his capabilities. Even Hwayeonshin, Namgungmyeong, and Chang Ildang had quickly abandoned the effort, so Dang Mujin felt no regret in letting it go.
One day, as the group continued to train and adapt to using sword auras, Dang Mujin was watching their sparring session as usual.
“Haah, haah! That’s it. That’s enough!”
Manryeokso and Yujingwang finished their bout, wiping sweat from their brows as they sat down next to Dang Mujin. The heat of their exertion had dissipated, but with the coolness of autumn, their sweat would soon dry.
As Dang Mujin observed their sparring, a question came to mind.
“Yu Daehyeop.” “Yes?” “After the Great Sect War began, did you visit Mount Tian with the other Taoists from the various sects?” “Indeed.” “What… what did you do there?”
Dang Mujin was secretly worried about what the cult leader, who had returned to Mount Tian with the Grand Protector, might encounter. If the leader were to face something unacceptable, who knew what rash actions might follow?
Yujingwang replied with an odd demeanor.
“Didn’t I tell you? We fought.” “I’m asking how you fought. Who did you fight? Did you spare any lives? If you killed, how many? And beyond that…”
Yujingwang stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Well, we cut down anyone who came at us with a sword.” “Ah, I expected as much.”
This was anticipated. However, Yujingwang’s next words were a bit strange.
“As we kept cutting down those who attacked, eventually there was no one left to fight. The survivors all fled. So while we were gathering the abandoned treasures…”
”…Treasures?”
Yujingwang nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“The dead have no need for treasures, and those who ran away don’t deserve them. The choice was to leave the treasures or take them, and treasures fulfill their purpose by being used, don’t they? So we had no choice but to take them.”
It was a rather convincing logic, but on reflection, it was simply looting.
“The cult was surprisingly vast. We were busy for about five days…”
The important point was not that the fighting lasted five days, but that the looting did. Dang Mujin thought they must have been quite thorough.
”…Then some monks came looking for us.”
As Yujingwang recounted this, the ears of Sam Anbul and Manryeokseung, who were listening nearby, perked up.
“Monks came looking for you?” “They looked a bit different from the people of the Central Plains, and their robes and sandals weren’t like those of the Shaolin or Emei monks. They must have come from that place they call the Outer Martial World. What was it… Gwaeum Temple? No, Rweum Temple? Something like that.” “Rweum Temple, I suppose.” “Those guys demanded we hand over Seonnasong immediately. So we killed them.”
Yujingwang spoke as if it were the most natural thing. But Dang Mujin couldn’t quite grasp the connection between the demand for Seonnasong and the resulting deaths.
“They asked for a person, so why did you kill them?” “Among the items we gathered, there was a small golden statue. I thought that was Seonnasong. It was only after the fight that I learned Seonnasong was a person’s name. Apparently, someone who had committed a crime and fled…”