WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Oblivious
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◈ Murim in my Hometown ◈
Chapter 30: Internal Energy
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It was strange. He was clearly a master, yet I could not sense any presence from him at all.
Martial artists made a living killing people, so they carried a distinctive ruthless air much like that of butchers.
Not only novices, but masters as well thought differently from ordinary people and gave off a different sort of feeling.
The old man stood with his hands behind his back, impassively looking me over as though he were a farmer standing on a ridge between rice fields.
If not for the sword at his waist, I would not even have recognized him as a martial artist. The fact that I did not feel the slightest danger from him was deeply unsettling.
“Who are you, sir?”
“Bring your saber. We will talk after I have examined your saber technique.”
I reached behind my waist, then flinched. I hurried inside and came back out carrying the long saber.
The old man drew his sword.
“Fight with all your strength. Otherwise, you will die.”
Whoosh!
The old man lightly kicked off the ground and closed the distance in an instant.
His sword flew toward my chest like an arrow.
I could tell at a glance that this was not a strike I could casually dodge or block. Unless I gave it everything I had, my chest would be pierced in a single blow.
I used my footwork to brace my body firmly, then gripped the long saber with both hands.
Clang!
With a clear ring of metal, I knocked aside his sword with an ultimate technique from the Nameless Saber Art. My palms throbbed as though I had struck a boulder.
The old man's brow twitched slightly.
I lowered my stance, moved to the side, and drew the long saber inward.
Taking a deep breath, I made a long cut from left to right, advancing step by step as I pressed him relentlessly like a storm.
It was a continuous series of slashes, the boldest and most well-connected sequence among the Nameless Saber Art's ultimate techniques.
It was so fierce and domineering that even Won Seogang had been unable to block it properly and had retreated.
The old man was different.
He swung his sword with the same indifferent expression. Like an experienced fisherman riding over raging waves, he deftly slipped through the gaps in my murderous saber strikes.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
At first glance, it seemed evenly matched, but it was nothing of the sort. It was so one-sided that cold sweat ran down my back.
Before I knew it, I was performing the Nameless Saber Art against the old man from beginning to end, in order.
It was not because I wanted to. As I blocked his attacks, I had naturally been led into doing so.
For some reason, the old man saw through the saber technique completely. He was deliberately forcing me to perform each move in sequence.
In short, he was playing with me.
My anger rose, but a chill also ran down my spine.
Even when I twisted the moves to create variations, the result was the same. No matter what I did, I remained in the palm of the old man's hand.
After performing the final, eighteenth move, there was nothing else I could try.
Gritting my teeth, I charged in and thrust, making the fullest possible use of the sword path.
For the first time, a gleam appeared in the old man's indifferent eyes.
Over time, I had refined the sword path incorporated into the Nameless Saber Art, strengthening the thrust's power.
Won Seogang had warned me against it, saying it could ruin the saber technique, but I was certain. That was where my own path lay.
The old man also kicked off the ground and extended his sword.
Sword and saber rushed toward one another, drawing closer and closer.
There was no thought of passing each other and aiming for his torso or vital points. He was not an opponent such a variation would work against.
I focused everything on one point.
True to his nature as a swordsman, the old man did not avoid my decisive move either.
The tip of his sword struck the tip of my saber.
When point met point, the blade of my long saber bent, and pain shot through my wrist.
“Ugh!”
An overwhelming sword force surged in, piercing my entire body from my fingertips to my toes.
I tried to endure it, but it was impossible. I was pushed helplessly backward.
I only stopped after backing all the way to the wall. Stomping down, I swung my long saber and threw off the remaining force.
The hand holding my saber trembled, and my whole body tingled.
As if savoring our exchange just now, the old man stroked his white beard and fell into thought.
Gusam sat collapsed off to one side, mouth hanging open as he hiccupped in shock.
“Haa... haa...”
As I breathed heavily, I checked my condition. The trembling in my hands and feet gradually subsided. The impact had been severe, but fortunately, I had not suffered internal injuries.
After a while, the old man spoke.
“When did you realize the sword path?”
“Not long ago.”
“Why do you only use the first eighteen forms of the saber technique? Have you not learned the latter eighteen forms?”
“I do not know what you mean, but I used everything I learned.”
“Tsk, tsk. You only possess half of it. It is difficult to call you a direct successor like this.”
The old man clicked his tongue with a disappointed expression and sheathed his sword.
“Who exactly are you, sir?”
“I am Do Hoengil, successor of the Cheongsan Sect's Sword Branch.”
Cheongsan Sect. It was a sect I had never heard of before.
“The saber technique you learned is the Heavenly Steel Saber Method. It is the foundational saber technique and signature art of Cheongsan Sect's Saber Branch.”
“It is certainly an excellent saber technique, but it does not seem worthy of being called a treasured art.”
“That is because you have not learned it properly. Even with only half of it, without Internal Energy or the latter eighteen forms, you have managed to stay alive until now.”
Do Hoengil stared intently at me with those same calm eyes.
“Your saber technique contains some crude tricks, but you are not a bad prospect. If you can even read a flawed sword path, you are worthy of being taken as Munhwi's direct successor.”
“I am not his direct successor. He bought me drinks and taught me a few moves. That is all.”
It was the plain truth without a shred of falsehood, but the old man firmly shook his head.
“After losing his left arm in the last martial contest, that fool lived like a broken man, but he was not mad enough to casually leak his sect's secret arts. You are the only person he has ever taught that saber technique to.”
I knew it. The one-armed saber wielder from Hangzhou. He had insisted that I never call him my master, and there had been a reason for it.
“I have never formed a master-disciple bond with him.”
When I continued to deny it, Do Hoengil's eyes narrowed as though it irritated him.
“Fine. If you do not wish to be a direct successor, we will settle this by retrieving the Cheongsan Sect's martial arts.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“I will sever the tendons in your four limbs. Since you have not learned Internal Energy, I will leave your dantian untouched.”
“Do not talk nonsense.”
I tightly gripped my scabbard with my left hand and glared at Do Hoengil.
If my limb tendons were severed, I would become a cripple who could not even walk. No matter how much stronger he was, I could not calmly accept becoming disabled.
If I struggled to the end, it would not stop at the tendons in my limbs.
Was I going to die here? I had killed many people up to now, so there was nothing especially unfair about my turn finally coming.
It was a shame that I would not see Soso noona, Uncle, and Auntie again, but who knew? Perhaps I would see them in the afterlife.
“Hic. Hic.”
I turned at the sound of unceasing hiccups.
Gusam had gone pale in the tense atmosphere and was trembling helplessly.
He had rushed over in his own way to help me, only to put himself in danger instead. He would probably never forget today for the rest of his life.
I suddenly remembered when I had first taught Gusam how to fight.
He had tried to bow to me and take me as his master, but I had stubbornly refused. I worried that if people who held grudges against me came looking, Gusam would be harmed too.
I had not known this would happen then, but it had been a wise decision.
Would this old man kill Gusam as well after killing me to silence him... It would be good if I could at least buy enough time for Gusam to escape.
As I steeled myself and prepared for the end, Do Hoengil made an unexpected offer.
“If you agree to become the Saber Branch's direct successor, I will teach you the latter eighteen forms.”
I tilted my head, wondering what he meant.
“I thought you were from the Sword Branch?”
“The Saber Branch and Sword Branch have held life-and-death martial contests for over fifty years. Of course I know their moves inside out. I will also teach you the Internal Energy Method. It is impossible to learn the latter eighteen forms without Internal Energy.”
“...Did you say Internal Energy?”
“The Saber Branch and Sword Branch originally split from the same root. Their principles differ, but their Internal Energy Method is the same. Once you receive the latter eighteen forms and the Internal Energy Method, you will no longer be able to say that you are not a direct successor.”
“What are you trying to do?”
To martial artists, martial arts were more precious than life itself.
They might do good deeds from time to time, but martial artists did not share their martial arts without reason.
That was even more true for masters as far beyond me as Do Hoengil. They talked about not passing their arts on to unworthy people and would not even spare a glance for ordinary talents.
Much less someone like me. I was not even a formal disciple. I was merely an unknown wandering martial artist he had never met before.
As expected, Do Hoengil had an ulterior motive.
“On the condition that, five years from now, you fight the Sword Branch's direct successor in a life-and-death duel as the Saber Branch's official direct successor.”
“If the Sword Branch's direct successor is...”
“Me.”
Of course. I was too weak to be worth fighting, so he planned to raise me before killing me.
A life-and-death duel with this old man...
From the way he spoke, he was a master who knew how to use Internal Energy. He was already this strong without using it. If he revealed his true power, would I even last a single move?
An Internal Energy Method...
Just thinking about it made my heart pound.
I had made my living as a saber wielder until now and only heard rumors of masters who used Internal Energy. I had never seen one in person.
That was how rare Internal Energy Methods were. There was a reason people said you could not obtain one even for a thousand pieces of gold.
Obtaining a secret manual was not enough, either.
Once, I had spent three taels of silver at the Black Market to buy the Three Talents Internal Energy Method after great difficulty.
I read it with high expectations that I might become a master too, but it was full of nonsense about the energies of heaven, earth, and humanity.
There were more than three hundred acupoints, and the energy channels through which one had to circulate qi were endlessly complex. It was impossible to even sense inner qi by looking at a secret manual alone.
I had heard that when entering the path of Internal Energy in a prominent martial family, one received true qi guidance from a proper master. Would that be possible with a master like Do Hoengil?
Would I ever have another chance to receive an Internal Energy Method in my life?
Five years was still a long way off. No one knew what might happen in that time.
Time was on my side. I would grow stronger, while this old man would grow older and weaker.
He might even die of old age. He could become senile and forget about our life-and-death duel.
Though his tone was calm, it seemed he would truly sever the tendons in my arms and legs if I refused.
Rather than live as a cripple unable to lift even a spoon, it would be better to fight and die.
Putting everything else aside, no martial artist would refuse an opportunity to grow stronger.
“Fine. I will do it.”
As though he had expected me to agree, Do Hoengil made an indifferent gesture.
“Hold out your hand. I must examine your inner qi.”
I sheathed my long saber and approached Do Hoengil.
Even after confirming that he was an incredible master, I could barely feel any overwhelming pressure from him.
Was this the realm of a supreme master who had completely concealed all his energy?
I stopped within reach. When I held out one hand, Do Hoengil grasped my wrist.
A cool, clear energy entered my body through my arm. It was an energy I had never felt before. This must be Internal Energy.
After examining my body with his Internal Energy, Do Hoengil shook his head as though dissatisfied.
“You have neglected your saber training.”
He spoke as though an elder of the sect were reprimanding a disciple.
“The energy accumulated in your dantian is as faint as dust. It is embarrassing to even call this Internal Energy.”
“Internal Energy? What are you talking about? I have never learned an Internal Energy Method.”
“You... truly know nothing, do you?”
Do Hoengil looked at me as though I were pathetic.
“Sitting cross-legged and regulating your breath while circulating qi is called Static Practice. When energy naturally circulates inside your body whenever you perform designated forms, that is called Dynamic Practice. Not every martial art can do it. It is a skill possible only with treasured arts built upon a proper foundation.”
I was dumbfounded by something I had never heard anywhere before.
“So I accumulated qi through Dynamic Practice? Without knowing it?”
“It is not enough to call it qi accumulation. This might as well be nothing. Static Practice is not particularly suited to qi accumulation either, but Dynamic Practice is even worse. Sit cross-legged. I must examine your dantian.”
“Before that, let us send the boy away.”
Only then did Do Hoengil notice Gusam. He furrowed his brow as though annoyed.
“Boy. Return to the inn now.”
“Ah, yes...”
With the atmosphere easing, Gusam came to his senses and staggered to his feet. Even as he headed for the main gate, he hesitated and looked to me.
“It is fine, so hurry up and go.”
I pushed Gusam out from behind and bolted the gate.
I climbed onto the wooden floor, removed my long saber, and sat cross-legged. Do Hoengil took a position behind me.
It was a situation that made the back of my neck prickle, but I decided not to care. Whether he stood in front of me or behind me, Do Hoengil could kill me anytime he wanted.
I felt a hand touch my back. Inner qi far denser than before seeped from his palm into my back.
“Say nothing and focus on the path my inner qi takes. That is the qi-circulation pathway.”
The inner qi moved through my body, passed inside my chest, and headed toward my lower abdomen. It swirled faintly like mist around the dantian below my navel.
With my eyes closed, I breathed slowly and observed the mist. Then I suddenly sensed something.
It was the size of a grain of millet, tiny and faint, yet undeniably there.
As I shuddered, Do Hoengil told me what it was in an indifferent voice.
“Did you feel it? That is Internal Energy.”
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