Many people believe that to truly delve into deep thought, one must sit quietly in a serene place.
But in reality, that’s not quite true. When people sit in silence, they often find their minds wandering, and soon enough, they start to nod off.
If you really want to think deeply, the best way is to walk silently, without engaging in conversation, much like Tang Mujin did as he walked along the caravan route.
In recent days, Tang Mujin’s thoughts had been consumed by martial arts.
Among the various martial arts he had learned, the one that particularly intrigued him was the art of “Yudogong”—the Art of the Escaping Monkey.
Until recently, Tang Mujin had largely ignored Yudogong for several reasons.
Firstly, it lacked flair. Imagine trying to impress the neighborhood kids with your martial arts skills:
“This is the Sword of the Heart. It eliminates unnecessary movements, aiming directly for the opponent’s heart. I’ve pierced the hearts of dozens with this technique.”
“This is the White Lotus Fist. From afar, it looks as graceful as a white lotus, but up close, its fluid movements leave you bewildered. Where did I learn it? From the renowned Shaolin Temple, of course.”
“And this is Yudogong. It mimics the movements of a fleeing monkey, circling the opponent and throwing daggers or stones. No one who has faced Yudogong has ever left without feeling frustrated.”
…Not exactly impressive.
There were other issues too. What bothered him most was that Yudogong lacked depth compared to other martial arts.
While other techniques were difficult to master but revealed profound insights as one delved deeper, Yudogong was intuitive but lacked any deep, meaningful forms.
It was easy to see why the Namgung family classified Yudogong as a mere trick.
Yet, Yudogong had a redeeming quality that easily outweighed its minor flaws.
Ultimately, practicality is the essence of martial arts.
Despite requiring the least training time, Yudogong proved to be more effective than many other techniques.
Martial artists were accustomed to sword fights but struggled to defend against thrown weapons. Even assassins who specialized in throwing weapons weren’t adept at defending against them, as their role was to throw, not to catch.
Moreover, Yudogong was excellent for handling unexpected situations.
Just recently, when chasing a masked figure, Tang Mujin had wished for an extra dagger. Fortunately, he had managed to solve the problem with the Heavenly Needle Tube.
With a new perspective on Yudogong, Tang Mujin’s approach to it changed as well.
The seemingly shallow content of Yudogong, when viewed differently, was full of endless possibilities. The Yudogong manual provided the basics of throwing techniques, leaving the rest for him to discover and develop on his own.
His thoughts on Yudogong naturally intertwined with the Heavenly Needle Tube.
“Could I mimic the power of the Heavenly Needle Tube with my bare hands?”
If he could shoot poison-tipped needles like the Heavenly Needle Tube, few martial artists would stand a chance against him.
Tang Mujin fiddled with the needle tube in his pocket before putting it back. Since he was training while on the move, he couldn’t afford to waste the carefully crafted needles.
Walking at the back of the caravan, he snapped off branches and threw them as practice.
Unlike throwing a large, weighty dagger, the small, light branches were hard to throw with force. Throwing needles, which were even smaller and lighter, would be even more challenging.
“From here on, it’s my path to forge. I’ll create my own martial art.”
As Tang Mujin continued to snap and throw branches, Namgung Myung, walking beside him, took notice.
“Brother Jin, is that Yudogong you’re practicing?”
“Yes, it is. How did you know?”
“I heard from the head of the sect that you chose and practiced Yudogong at the Celestial Martial Hall. I was curious if there was something special about it, so I decided to learn it too.”
Namgung Myung broke off a branch, snapped it, and threw it.
Even in such a simple action, the essence of Yudogong was present, and his skill was not inferior to Tang Mujin’s.
“You’ve practiced a lot. I thought you were only interested in swordsmanship.”
Namgung Myung’s expression turned somber.
“I don’t have a sword right now. For the past few months, the only martial art I could practice was this kind of trick.”
Namgung Myung threw a small piece of wood with more force.
The small piece of wood, barely the length of two fingers, embedded itself deeply into the back of a cart. Tang Mujin’s eyes widened in surprise.
“How did you do that? The power is impressive.”
“Oh, that? It’s an application of the principle of ‘Grasping the Air.’”
“Grasping the Air?”
Tang Mujin knew what Grasping the Air was, having seen it demonstrated by a master. It involved using internal energy to move objects at a distance.
However, the master never taught Tang Mujin Grasping the Air, believing it to be impractical.
The master’s theory was that Grasping the Air was difficult to master with mediocre skill and nearly impossible to use in real combat.
He also mentioned that channeling internal energy into a sword would be far more powerful than using it for Grasping the Air.
“I heard that even a top martial artist can only manage to move a water jug with Grasping the Air.”
“Water jugs are heavier than they look, and the water inside makes it hard to balance. But moving something like a small piece of wood is much easier.”
Namgung Myung placed a thin branch on his palm and slowly lowered his hand. The small branch remained suspended in the air.
With a focused expression, Namgung Myung waved his hand, and the branch floated like an insect before settling back onto his palm.
It looked fun, if not particularly practical. It seemed like a good skill to practice secretly while following the caravan.
“Fascinating. Can I learn it too?”
“You don’t need special lessons. The principle is simple. Just as you naturally channel energy into a sword, you channel it into the air and the branch. If you can infuse energy into the branch without touching it, you can move objects as if you’re holding them.”
“Can you lift larger objects?”
Namgung Myung shook his head.
“With my skill, this is the limit. The heavier the object, the harder it is to move with Grasping the Air.”
Namgung Myung placed a fist-sized stone on his palm. It seemed to lift slightly before wobbling and rolling off.
“My understanding is still lacking, but the potential of Grasping the Air is limitless. Techniques like the Distant Palm and Sword Control must have been developed from it.”
“But what’s the connection between Yudogong and Grasping the Air? You clearly threw the branch with your hand earlier.”
“While throwing the branch with Yudogong, I used the principle of Grasping the Air to stabilize it and add speed. Whether it’s a dagger or a branch, maintaining balance allows for greater force.”
“Hmm.”
Tang Mujin held a small branch and infused it with internal energy.
Though Namgung Myung made Grasping the Air sound simple, the branch didn’t easily lift off his palm.
The branch trembled and rolled off his hand, prompting a small chuckle from Namgung Myung.
“There’s no need to rush. We have plenty of time. Just keep practicing as we walk, and you’ll get the hang of it. I was just like you when I first started following the caravan.”
Their low conversation seemed to irritate Meng, a guard walking ahead, who turned around and barked at them.
“Hey, what the hell are you whispering about? Shut it!”
Meng had become quite irritable since losing his money pouch.
While other guards could borrow and lend money to maintain their usual lifestyle, Meng seemed to lack the goodwill of his peers, who were reluctant to lend him money.
While others massaged their stiff legs and enjoyed a drink, Meng was stuck in a smelly room, barely staving off hunger with bland porridge and noodles, which did nothing to improve his mood.
Of course, taking it out on others was never a good choice, especially with someone like Namgung Myung, who never forgot a grudge.
Namgung Myung lowered his voice further and whispered to Tang Mujin.
“Watch closely, Brother Jin. I’ll show you the true use of Grasping the Air.”
As Namgung Myung extended his right hand, a fly buzzing nearby awkwardly flew in front of Meng’s face.
“Ugh, now even the damn flies are bothering me…”
Meng tried to swat the fly, but it eluded him.
While Meng was distracted by the fly, Namgung Myung’s left hand subtly moved through the air, and a small jade bead attached to Meng’s hat string fell to the ground.
Using the principle of Grasping the Air once more, Namgung Myung discreetly pocketed the fallen jade. It wasn’t high-quality jade, but it was enough to cover drinks for the two of them.
“Looks like we’ll have a feast tonight.”
Namgung Myung grinned slyly.
A few days passed, and Dang Mujin had finally mastered the art of making branches float in midair.
As they shared dinner, Namgung Myung spoke to Dang Mujin with a hint of regret in his voice.
“I’ve had quite a bit of fun these past few days, thanks to you, Jin. But it seems it’s time for us to part ways.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m only working until today. After that, I’m leaving the caravan. I’ve already informed the others.”
It was customary for the leader to give a little extra to the guards and porters if the journey ended safely. With only about three days left until they reached their destination, there seemed no reason for Namgung Myung to leave now.
“Is something wrong, Myung?”
“You know where this caravan is headed.”
“Huineng… Ah, I see.”
Near Huineng in Anhui Province lies Mount Tianzhu, and at the foot of that mountain is the Namgung family estate.
Namgung Myung could wander anywhere in the world, but Huineng was the one place he couldn’t enter. He wouldn’t want his family to see him working as a porter.
“So, where will you go?”
“I’ll look for work elsewhere. I can handle horses, so maybe I’ll work as a stable hand. If nothing else, I could join another caravan heading north. I’m strong and not picky about work, so I can make a living.”
Namgung Myung spoke with a maturity that would have made Namgung Jinchun proud.
But Dang Mujin felt a pang of regret at the thought of parting ways with Namgung Myung.
They were of similar age, got along well, and Namgung Myung never hesitated to offer advice on martial arts.
Dang Mujin’s martial arts skills were impressive individually, but lacked a cohesive structure. His master was a great teacher, but not a meticulous one.
In contrast, Namgung Myung had been trained systematically from a young age.
Whenever Dang Mujin hit a wall in his solo training, Namgung Myung could easily identify the problem and offer solutions.
Moreover, building a friendship with Namgung Myung was beneficial in itself. Having a connection with the heir of a powerful family would undoubtedly be advantageous in the future.
‘No need to overthink it.’
They had grown fond of each other over the past few days. That was what mattered most.
Dang Mujin spoke up.
“Myung, how about we travel together?”
“As I said, I have no intention of going to Huineng.”
“I don’t need to go to Huineng either. I’m not a real merchant, and I have nothing to sell there.”
“Didn’t you have a reason for heading to Huineng?”
“I was planning to head home by taking a boat up the Yangtze, but there are plenty of places to catch a boat besides Huineng. And it doesn’t seem like you have any reason to stay in Anhui either. Why not venture a bit further?”
Namgung Myung’s face brightened. He, too, had endured lonely and weary times.
Though he didn’t immediately agree, Namgung Myung pondered the offer deeply, a testament to his maturity.
But Dang Mujin was confident that Namgung Myung would eventually say yes.
And soon enough, his intuition proved correct.