Chapter 27 – Training…? (4)
“There is a technique called ‘Unju Cheonmudong,’ which means ‘the clouds move, but the sky remains still.'”
We finished our meal and packed our bags, ready to head to our next destination without any further delay.
As the village we left behind slowly disappeared from view, Hong Yeon-hwa opened her ample chest and spoke.
“Just like the saying that the sky remains still even as the clouds move, Unju Cheonmudong is a technique that doesn’t falter no matter how long you practice it.”
“So…it means it doesn’t tire you out easily, right? It may be subtle, but it seems like it could be useful in many ways. But why Unju Cheonmudong all of a sudden?”
“Why not? You need to know what kind of martial arts you’ll be learning from now on.”
Hong Yeon-hwa bounced ahead like a ball and began to leave her footprints on a quiet road.
I know this! She wants me to follow her footsteps, right?
After precisely following her footsteps, I looked at Hong Yeon-hwa with anticipation, only to hear a ridiculous voice.
“What are you doing?”
“Weren’t you telling me to follow your footsteps?”
“Can you learn swordsmanship just by looking at a sword mark?”
“No?”
“Then how can you learn Unju Cheonmudong just by looking at footprints?”
“Oh…”
Why did I even think that?
…Wuxia novels! You’re the one who made me like this!
I couldn’t refute her perfect logic and just floundered in embarrassment.
“Ahem. It’s great that you’re dedicated to your training, but is it okay to show it to me?”
Pang So-so, who had been coughing quietly, spoke up.
Well, Pang So-so has to be careful in this situation.
Unless you’re from the same school or close enough, watching martial arts training scenes is considered taboo in the martial arts world.
It’s because you can learn martial arts by watching and stealing techniques.
Hong Yeon-hwa probably knows this fact too. Nevertheless, there must be a reason why she wants to teach me Unju Cheonmudong in front of Pang So-so.
Hong Yeon-hwa smiled wryly and dismissed Pang So-so’s concerns.
“If you want to see it, you can see it anytime. It’s practical, but it’s just a slightly modified basic technique.”
“What?”
I could sense a clear doubt in Pang So-so’s short answer. It feels like she’s asking why I need to learn that.
It’s a natural reaction if you think about it. Pang So-so has only seen me using the Muryeong Shin Gong technique.
Maybe she thinks of me as a first-class martial artist at the peak of my abilities.
Usually, basic techniques are learned for physical training or to learn other advanced techniques.
From the explanation, Unju Cheonmudong is probably a martial art that trains the body… specifically, endurance.
I thought I would learn a decent martial art, even if it’s not as advanced as Sangseung Mugong, but hearing that it’s just a basic technique, I was taken aback.
Well, what can I do? I guess this is the extent of my talent…
Still, it’s good that I can continue training even in front of Pang So-so. Basic techniques are too simple, but on the other hand, there’s no way to avoid them.
It’s like in Samjae Geombeop, where there’s no need for a grand technique to block a vertical cut.
Even if you don’t know Samjae Geombeop, you can understand that you just have to block or avoid it.
It’s a relief that the level of my learned martial arts is so low that I can show it to others. I don’t know if I should like it or hate it.
As I sighed with a complicated mind…Pang So-so’s eyes were getting brighter and brighter.
“You’re amazing! It’s always important to start with the basics, right? Even though you know it in your head, it’s hard to put it into practice…I’ll run with the mindset of practicing the basic technique along with you today!”
“What?”
Did she misunderstand this much? Her eyes are too sparkling, so it’s hard to correct the misunderstanding.
I asked Hong Yeon-hwa with my eyes to help me out, but…
“That’s right! Those words are true. The basics never betray you. What you can rely on in the most desperate moments is the effort you’ve accumulated so far.”
Hong Yeon-hwa nodded her head as if she fully agreed.
She’s not trying to clear up the misunderstanding, but to reinforce it…?
I glared at her with a hint of resentment, but all that came back was Hong Yeon-hwa’s warm gaze.
Her thin, pink pupils sparkled as if looking at something glittering.
As our eyes met, Hong Yeon-hwa approached me and placed her hand on my collarbone.
“From that perspective, you’re doing very well.”
From my collarbone to my chest, abs, side, and thigh. She touched my muscles with a touch full of strange heat and spoke.
“Come to think of it, it’s been like that since we first met. You knew your own shortcomings well. Even so, you didn’t give up or get discouraged, and you swung your sword as if it were a natural thing to do.”
“That’s…”
There was definitely a time when Hong Yeon-hwa admired me for being faithful to the basics when I received the Chugungwaheul technique.
However…that was because I had nothing else to do but practice, so I kept doing it.
From Jejae Geombeop to Baekbo Sin-gwon, Asura Pacheonjang, 24 Su Maehwageombeop, Unryong Dae Pal Sik, Taeguk Hyegeom, Tagubongbeop, Mancheon Hwau, and even Cheonma Shingong.
All kinds of flashy and powerful martial arts I saw in my previous life were stored in my head.
I wanted to reproduce them somehow.
Imagine yourself pulling out your sword energy and breaking the ground, splitting the mountain. How cool is that?
But the only martial arts I had learned were Samjae Geombeop and Palbangbo. More accurately, the only martial arts I could learn were such third-rate techniques.
Later, I did learn Unryong Dae Pal Sik, but… it was only recently that I truly understood its real power.
Believing in my master’s words that I would become stronger if I worked hard, I practiced my swordsmanship every day.
Thanks to that, I reached the highest level that could be achieved through effort alone, the first-class level… but at the same time, I also thought that the first-class level was my destination.
That was until I met Hong Yeon-hwa.
“Even though your swordsmanship may be clumsy, I know that your will is not. Haven’t I witnessed it myself?”
Although she was speaking in a roundabout way, she was probably referring to when I defeated Cheokan Geumgwi with Unryong Dae Pal Sik.
Stepping back slightly, Hong Yeon-hwa bowed her head and placed one hand on her waist while pointing at me with the other.
“So don’t pay attention to other flashy things. You only need to look at me.”
“….”
A slightly worried voice.
Why did she suddenly say something like this…? Perhaps she sensed my complicated feelings about being able to train without worrying about the level of my martial arts.
She doesn’t have to go this far. The time to be anxious or embarrassed has long passed.
…But still. She’s saying it like this, so I should learn with all my heart.
But before that, I lightly bit the finger that Hong Yeon-hwa had pinched. Then, I moved my teeth back and forth like sawing.
“Meow…?! W-What are you doing? Why did you bite my finger all of a sudden?”
As expected, Hong Yeon-hwa jumped in surprise.
“Because there was a finger there.”
“Eek…! You did this before when you sucked on my cheek, and now this. I really don’t understand why you keep trying to eat me up!”
There’s a reason for this. It’s because I saw something excessively cute in my past life, and to maintain the balance of my mind, my aggressive tendencies would come out.
Of course, since I didn’t really want to hit anything, it was expressed as biting or nibbling.
I think it was called cute aggression in technical terms.
I was briefly considering where to start explaining this, but…
“Last time! You ate me up… slurp!”
A voice with both embarrassment and excitement came from beside me. Of course, it was Pang So-so.
As I turned my head in surprise, I saw Pang So-so covering her mouth in shock.
Oh… I forgot that it’s not just me and Hong Yeon-hwa here anymore. I should try to restrain myself a bit when we’re together.
Anyway, when we get to the inn, we’ll have our own room, so we can enjoy our time alone then.
I gently removed Hong Yeon-hwa’s finger from my mouth and tried to imitate the movement she had shown me to break the awkward atmosphere.
“…Did I do it like this?”
“Cough. Move your legs, but don’t move your waist.”
Hong Yeon-hwa corrected my movements to match my pace.
We both pretended as if nothing had happened and desperately ignored the situation. Pang So-so, on the other hand, stretched out her long arms and legs and started to loosen up as if nothing had happened.
The basic movements of Unju Cheonmudong were not that difficult. The posture and flow of inner energy were simple, so I was able to learn it quickly.
The only thing that was a bit unusual was that I had to breathe in short bursts like long-distance runners I had seen in my past life.
After awkwardly practicing Unju Cheonmudong for half a day, we arrived at our destination.
***
This time, we didn’t arrive at a small village but a city called Bojeong.
It was near the capital of Myeongnara, the undisputed ruler of the current world, Beijing. Bojeong was the largest city I had ever seen since I was reborn in this world.
Gorgeous mansions, red lanterns, colorful shops, and countless people.
The first thing I did in the bustling atmosphere I hadn’t felt in a long time was…
To lie down on the ground.
“You won’t get tired! The clouds keep moving, but the sky stays in place!”
“How can you blame it all on martial arts? It’s all because of your lack of achievement.”
As Hong Yeon-hwa said, I couldn’t expect much from the newly learned martial arts.
Still, it was tough.
Not only did I have to run without stopping in an unfamiliar posture for training, but I also had to use my Unryong Dae Pal Sik at every moment.
While Pang So-so ran beside me, Hong Yeon-hwa rode on my shoulders, interpreting the secrets of the Cheolwanghosimgyeol.
Of course, I used the Light Body Technique. My already light body became even lighter, so it wasn’t much of a physical burden.
The problem was that my concentration kept getting distracted by the weight of Hong Yeon-hwa’s chest that touched my jawline and her unique floral scent.
My mental energy was depleted twice as fast, and as soon as we arrived in Bojeong, the recoil hit me as my energy was released.
Thanks to that, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even move a finger.
As an adult, lying on the ground and acting like a child would naturally attract attention, but I didn’t even have the luxury to care about that.
Hong Yeon-hwa grabbed my shoulders, which were panting heavily, and lifted me up, supporting me lightly like an arm-in-arm.
“Now all we have to do is grab a room, swing the sword a few times, and finish the Cheolwanghosimgyeol training.”
“What?”
“I’ve interpreted it diligently, so I want to try it out once…”
Saying that, Hong Yeon-hwa looked up at me with a pitiful expression, her arm around my chest.
“Can’t we do it?”
“….”
Where did she learn this kind of thing?
“Of course, we can!”
