Chapter 1142: Scorched World.

I once asked Pajeon.

‘How many forms are there?’

How many forms did Tuapa Cheonmu actually have?

‘If you count them now, there are up to seven forms, but… well.’

In response to my words, Pajeon would react as if that wasn’t particularly important.

‘How many forms exist isn’t that important to me.’

‘Then what is important?’

The forms. Or rather, that the number of forms constituting the martial art isn’t very important?

It was incomprehensible. Especially for those who practiced martial arts.

But. Pajeon calmly responded to my question.

‘Completeness. And satisfaction.’

‘Huh?’

‘If reducing the forms increases completeness, that’s the right way. If expanding them makes it better, that’s also the right way. And. If that brings satisfaction. I consider that the completion of the martial art.’

It was a truly simple principle.

If expanding it makes it worse, delete it. If deleting it makes it worse, expand it.

He said that’s how one completes martial arts.

‘……So. Are you going to expand it further if you want to?’

‘I have to.’

‘When are you planning to achieve Great Accomplishment then?’

You said achieving Great Accomplishment with Tuapa Cheonmu was your lifelong dream. When are you planning to achieve it like that?

Pajeon laughed at my question.

‘Ahaha. My disciple.’

‘Yes.’

‘What do you think Great Accomplishment is?’

‘What else? Isn’t it mastering the martial art completely?’

Mastering all the created forms. And finally embodying them fully within the body. Isn’t that what’s called Great Accomplishment?

At least, as far as I knew, that’s what Great Accomplishment in martial arts was.

‘Really? That could be it.’

Pajeon reacted as if he had a different opinion.

‘Why? What do you think Great Accomplishment is, Elder?’

I asked, sounding curious.

‘Well.’

Pajeon didn’t answer.

However.

‘At least, it’s different from what you think.’

‘…….’

He just shook his head, as if to assure me it was different from my thoughts.

‘Anyway. The forms can be changed or added to at any time. If I want to do that, I will.’

It wasn’t wrong. Pajeon was the creator of Tuapa Cheonmu, after all. It was important to shape it according to his desires.

The problem was.

‘……If you keep doing that, when will I ever master it all?’

Creating, deleting, creating again, deleting again.

If this keeps up, when am I supposed to master it? He made a disciple to make me achieve Great Accomplishment since he couldn’t do it himself.

In what era could I achieve his goal?

I pointed that out.

‘Ahaha.’

Pajeon laughed.

‘If you keep at it, you’ll get there someday.’

‘…….’

Damn old man. Why are all the old men around me completely insane? As the question arose.

‘Still, it’s fortunate that I have no intention of deleting anything before the sixth form.’

‘……You’re not deleting them?’

‘Yes. It’s become somewhat satisfactory now… Besides.’

Tuk tuk.

Pajeon lightly patted my shoulder with his fist.

‘I don’t know about anything else, but the sixth form doesn’t need changing. That, is my masterpiece of the ages.’

‘…….’

It was probably the first time.

I had heard Pajeon mention the sixth form.

Masterpiece of the ages.

A perfect form that needs no changing.

It was a string of words that seemed impossible to come from Pajeon, who was close to a perfectionist and borderline insane.

What on earth was the sixth form? What was it that elicited such a reaction from Pajeon?

I couldn’t understand.

I hadn’t even learned it before the accident happened. I had lived completely forgetting about conversations like this.

“……Haa.”

Only now, in the present, did I understand.

“Insane.”

The sixth form.

First Volume.

Just one thrust.

Unlike its simple and light name, I couldn’t react to anything as I looked at the devastated surroundings.

The terrain had changed.

The vibrant greenery had been drastically altered into desolation, as if some disaster had struck.

The lingering resonance of the strike still remaining vaguely resembled the smell of burning.

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you really haven’t seen it before.”

“……I suppose so.”

“Hmm. Why is that?”

Pajeon said it as if he couldn’t understand me.

“You would have had more than enough time to learn it back then. What could be the reason I didn’t bother to teach you specifically…?”

It was simply because I was busy, but Pajeon tried to find a reason within that.

“Is there some particular reason?”

“……No. I was genuinely busy.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s good.”

“What is…?”

“Learn it now while you’re at it.”

“……Huh?”

Learn the sixth form in this situation?

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Yes. Why now, specifically…?”

“What do you mean ‘why now’? If there’s something you haven’t learned, you should learn it from me. Who else would you learn it from?”

“…….”

The Pajeon here and the Pajeon from where I was are different. However, this Pajeon, who only knows that time has been reversed, seemed to think otherwise.

‘……Am I supposed to learn martial arts from that guy even here?’

Learning the sixth form is fine. I was momentarily captivated by the power emanating from his fist.

The pinnacle of martial arts.

Shin Noya once told me, looking at Pajeon. That perhaps Pajeon was the being most fitting of the name ‘Warrior’ (武人).

The end of the martial arts path, one who could reach the limits achievable by the human body.

That was the Pajeon I knew.

Although his teachings were indeed necessary for me.

“No. Not right now.”

I refused.

At least, not right now.

“Why?”

“……I have things to do. There’s also a place I need to visit right now.”

“Going again? Where to.”

“It’s Shanxi.”

“……Hm?”

Shanxi. Hearing that, Pajeon tilted his head.

“Shanxi?”

“Yes. I have business there and need to go.”

“Hmm.”

Hearing this, Pajeon fell into thought for a moment. Then he spoke to me again.

“Do you have a way?”

“……To some extent?”

I had asked my father for a favor, and besides that, I had thought of other methods.

Although most of them were violent and highly illegal.

“Really?”

Pajeon laughed upon hearing that answer then.

“I understand. If it’s a matter like that, then yes. You should go.”

Did he understand? Judging by his reaction, it seemed so.

“Yes. That should do it. Go ahead.”

“……Huh?”

Pajeon nodded and moved, as if he had something in mind.

Afterward, he walked away teobuk teobuk and looked back at me.

“What are you doing? You need to go back. You’ll be late at this rate.”

“…….”

Tung-!

Pajeon launched himself forward.

It seemed he was heading back in the direction he came from.

“Hmm…”

Seeing Pajeon’s back, I had to launch myself forward just the same.

Is it really done?

I was taken aback by how smoothly Pajeon moved, but I thought I could overlook it for now.

But.

‘Why do I feel so uneasy.’

The lingering unease in my heart didn’t disappear.

As always. My ominous premonition was never wrong.

---

I returned to the main base.

Pajeon had already arrived and disappeared, so he wasn’t visible. When I came to where I usually was, my colleagues weren’t there either, so I naturally returned to the Azure Dragon Unit.

“Oh. You’re back.”

“Rookie. How was your first mission? Was it manageable?”

As soon as I returned to the Azure Dragon Unit, my seniors greeted me with chuckles. Those guys seemed busy teasing me, who had returned from a long-term mission.

“Yes. Well, moderately.”

“What do you mean ‘moderately’? Long-term missions are supposed to be incredibly tough. You must have gone through a lot.”

“Well, maybe not. You didn’t go just anywhere, you rested at the Namgung Clan’s place. Perhaps it was a bit easier?”

“True.”

“…….”

Their words bothered me. These guys surely knew about the White-level monster incident that happened at the Namgung Clan’s place.

Why were they provoking me?

Unable to understand, I just stared at them.

“Yeah, don’t get cocky just because you went on a mission. Do better. This is advice from your seniors, so take it to heart.”

I nodded at the follow-up words. Ah, I see.

‘These guys.’

It seemed they were just trying to assert dominance, perhaps displeased that the rookie had handled a major task.

Realizing that, I chuckled too.

“Yes. I have no intention of getting cocky. It wasn’t exactly a task worthy of getting cocky over anyway. There’s no way anyone hasn’t done a mission of that level, right? Especially.”

I said, looking at the guy who had been provoking me.

“There won’t be any idiots acting high and mighty without ever having done it themselves.”

“What…?”

“What did this bastard just say…!”

As if they caught my meaning, they growled.

“You treat me like the rookie and dote on me, so you think you’re hot stuff–!”

Kwa-deuk.

“Gahk!?”

His head snapped back. I drove my fist into his face.

He collapsed, bleeding. And then, hudu-deuk! A couple of his teeth popped out.

“Wha… Huh?”

Seeing his bewildered face, I grabbed the back of his head and slammed his knee into it.

Kkwah-deu-deuk-!

“Gurgle!”

One guy collapsed, losing consciousness.

Looking at him, I glanced sideways. It was the guy who had been nagging me alongside the other.

“So. Got something to say?”

“…….”

“If you have something to say, say it.”

Tuk.

I released my grip on the guy. He fell limply.

Looking at the dumbfounded guy, I continued.

“But. Be prepared to take responsibility for your words.”

“…….”

Was I going to tolerate it depending on the situation? Absolutely not.

“You… right now…”

The guy was flustered, clearly not expecting me to hit a senior.

“H-how are you going to handle this!”

“Handle what? I hit him because he pissed me off.”

“This punk…! I’m reporting this to the Grand Elder immediately.”

Just as the guy, grinding his teeth, turned to run towards the Grand Elder’s chamber.

Kwang-!

“Gak!?”

The guy, hit on the head with a fist, collapsed immediately.

For reference, it wasn’t my fist. It was a fist twice the size of mine.

“Tsk tsk. A man shouldn’t have such a loose tongue.”

The person who knocked out a squad member and clicked his tongue.

It was Gurun.

“Ah, greetings, my boy.”

He smiled looking at me. Then he took something out of his pocket and spoke to me.

For reference, what he took out was a Yakgwa (a traditional Korean honey cookie).

“If you’re okay with it, won’t you talk with this old man for a bit? I have Yakgwa here too.”

“…….”

His words were somehow disturbingly creepy.