Chapter 7: Find the Student (4)

Namgung Yun-ho was stunned as he listened to the instructor’s explanation.

“So… you’re saying that most people simply react to what they see?”

“That’s right.”

“If someone aims for their head, they block their head. If someone aims for their leg, they block or dodge their leg?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s absurd!” Namgung Yun-ho exclaimed, his voice rising in indignation.

He had a good reason to be upset.

“My grandfather always said that swordsmanship is a game of anticipation! How can you simply react to what you see and feel?!”

“That’s what most people do.”

“People aren’t fools! They can’t be that simpleminded!”

“They are.”

“Even Confucius said that there’s something to be learned from everyone, even children! He said that we shouldn’t limit ourselves to simple observations and thoughts, that we should constantly strive to learn and grow!”

“Sigh.”

This was the problem.

Namgung Yun-ho was too good at anticipating his opponent’s moves.

It wasn’t just that he was intelligent or quick-witted.

‘He can see several moves ahead, predicting his opponent’s next move, and the move after that, and the move after that…’

It was like a form of precognition.

It was a blessing for a martial artist.

Being able to anticipate your opponent’s moves gave you a significant advantage, allowing you to defeat even stronger opponents.

‘The problem is, he acquired this ability suddenly.’

If he had developed this ability gradually, as his skills improved, it wouldn’t have been an issue.

But his body wasn’t ready for it. His insight had outpaced his physical abilities, making his newfound awareness more of a curse than a blessing.

It was like a child trying to wear adult clothes.

‘And his personality isn’t helping either.’

Most people would have recognized their own uniqueness, their special ability.

But Namgung Yun-ho assumed that everyone else could do what he could.

His tendency to overestimate others and underestimate himself had led him down this path of self-destruction.

“That’s impossible!” Cho Un-hwi exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.

“Most people struggle to even block a single attack!”

“When your life is on the line, you don’t have time to think five moves ahead! You react instinctively!”

“You need to learn to accept the techniques as they are! Stop trying to overanalyze everything!”

“If I tell you to thrust, you thrust! If I tell you to slash, you slash!”

Namgung Yun-ho flinched at the instructor’s outburst.

“I-I’ll try my best.”

“Try your best? Just do it!”

“But surely, if I can see the moves so clearly, others must be able to as well…”

“Oh, for crying out loud.”

Cho Un-hwi thumped his chest in exasperation.

‘This is it. This is the one.’

With his unique talent, Namgung Yun-ho had the potential to become a true master, as long as he didn’t give up.

‘But it’ll probably take a few decades!’

He didn’t have that kind of time.

He needed results now, or he would be out of a job.

He decided to take a shortcut.

“You must have seen something that triggered this ability.”

“Seen something?”

“You couldn’t have developed precognition out of thin air. There must have been a specific event, something related to martial arts, that left a lasting impression on you. Something so powerful, so unforgettable, that it unlocked this hidden potential within you. Does anything come to mind?”

“Now that you mention it…”

Namgung Yun-ho thought for a moment, then nodded.

“I witnessed my grandfather performing a sword dance. He was in a trance, moving gracefully as if guided by some unseen force.”

“The same sword dance he’s been performing randomly lately?”

So that was the culprit.

The sword dance of a master, performed in a moment of enlightenment.

Namgung Yun-ho’s grandfather was none other than the Heavenly Spear Monarch, one of the most renowned swordsmen in the land.

(TLN: i guess spear in their name is just a title of some sort cause these mfs all use swords)

Witnessing the essence of his grandfather’s martial arts, the culmination of a lifetime of training and experience, must have had a profound impact on the young man.

“Why did the old man have to go and dance in the moonlight like that?”

“It wasn’t just a dance…”

“Whatever. The point is, you’ve been blinded by the brilliance of the sun, and now you can’t see the light of a candle.”

It was like staring at the sun and then trying to look at a candle.

The sun’s brilliance would overwhelm your senses, making the candle’s flame seem dim and insignificant.

But Namgung Yun-ho was still confused.

“But that doesn’t make sense. My father and my brother also saw the sword dance. Why am I the only one affected?”

“That’s simple,” Cho Un-hwi replied.

“They’re not as talented as you.”

Namgung Yun-ho’s eyes widened in disbelief.

***

The next day, Cho Un-hwi stood in the training ground, his makeshift whip in hand.

“There are two ways to cure your condition.”

“Is it really possible?”

“Have you been living under a rock?”

Of course he had.

He had been scammed by countless charlatans, defeated by third-rate martial artists, and even consulted with shamans.

‘This is going to be fun.’

Cho Un-hwi decided to ignore the young man’s past suffering and get straight to the point.

“Before we begin, there are a few ground rules.”

Snap!

He whipped Namgung Yun-ho across the head.

“First, you’re going to drop that old man act.”

“Old man act?”

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“And I’m twenty-five!” Cho Un-hwi roared, whipping him again.

Technically, he was much older, but that was beside the point.

“You don’t look twenty-five…”

Sharp kid.

He quickly came up with a new rule.

“Second, you will not question my methods!”

“…”

“Third, you will address me as ‘Instructor’ or ‘Brother’! No exceptions!”

“But ‘Instructor’ and ‘Brother’ aren’t interchangeable…”

Snap!

“Don’t question my methods!”

He whipped him again for good measure.

“We don’t have time for this. Let’s begin.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

Cho Un-hwi demonstrated the Clear Wind Sword Technique.

“From now on, you will only anticipate one move ahead. No more.”

“One move? Not two or three?”

“Just the next attack. Consciously suppress your ability to see further.”

“Will that be enough?”

Cho Un-hwi raised his fist.

“Are you questioning my methods?”

“No, Instructor!”

Good. He was learning.

“Focus on reacting to the immediate threat. That’s all you need to worry about for now.”

“For now?”

“Yes. Once your skills improve, you’ll learn how to use your precognition effectively. But right now, it’s only holding you back. Let me demonstrate.”

He pointed his whip at Namgung Yun-ho.

“I’m going to use the same sequence of techniques as yesterday: One Strike Return, followed by Wind Splitting Cross and Clear Wind Moon Slash.”

“I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

“Oh, really? Are you sure about that?”

“There’s no reason why I can’t block those techniques if I know what’s coming.”

He had been so focused on seeing beyond the immediate threat that he had neglected the basics.

If he knew what techniques were coming, he should be able to block them easily.

He was confident.

Cho Un-hwi grinned.

“Let’s see about that.”

He lunged forward, his whip blurring through the air.

‘One Strike Return.’

A simple downward strike.

Namgung Yun-ho raised his sword to block, but the instructor’s whip changed direction mid-strike.

‘Wind Splitting Cross? Already?’

Yesterday, the instructor had performed each technique fully, giving him time to react.

But this time, he was adapting his movements to Namgung Yun-ho’s reactions, seamlessly transitioning between techniques.

Before Namgung Yun-ho could adjust his defense, the whip struck him in the side.

“What was that? Didn’t see that coming?”

“Again. Please, let’s try again.”

“Alright.”

One Strike Return.

Followed by Wind Splitting Cross.

But this time, there was a subtle difference.

With a simple flick of his wrist, the instructor changed the angle of his attacks, transforming a head strike into a shoulder strike, a side strike into a chest strike.

“Again.”

He tried again and again, but he couldn’t even get past the second technique.

“This is impossible.”

Cho Un-hwi patted Namgung Yun-ho’s shoulder with his whip.

“That’s the limitation of anticipation. Even a single technique can be executed in countless ways, depending on the angle of the wrist, the speed of the movement, the flow of energy. If you don’t understand the fundamental principles of swordsmanship, your anticipation will be useless. You’re so focused on predicting your opponent’s moves that you’re neglecting the infinite possibilities within each technique. You’re trapped in a world of static forms, blind to the dynamic world of change.”

“Static forms… dynamic world of change…”

“Imagine if you could anticipate not just your opponent’s moves, but the infinite variations within each move.”

The whip disappeared.

And Namgung Yun-ho saw it.

A whirlwind of sword strikes, emanating from the instructor’s fingertips.

Thousands of blades, flashing and swirling, filling the air with a blinding light.

It was as if a single sword had multiplied into a thousand, each with its own unique trajectory and rhythm.

“Gasp!”

Thwack!

The whip struck him in the chest.

“One Strike Return.”

Namgung Yun-ho collapsed to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of the display.

His eyes were wide with awe, his body trembling.

Cho Un-hwi chuckled.

‘He’s a natural.’

He had managed to glimpse the infinite variations within the techniques, a testament to his exceptional talent.

‘Well, after seeing that, I doubt he’ll remember anything about his grandfather’s sword dance.’

If the sun’s brilliance blinded you to the light of a candle, then you simply needed a brighter light to erase the sun.

And Cho Un-hwi was just the person to provide that light.

***

“Ugh…”

Cho Un-hwi yawned as he entered Dongcheon Hall.

“What’s with the tired act?” Yeom-gwang sneered. “You don’t even have any work to do. You should be well-rested.”

The other instructors chimed in, eager to curry favor with their leader.

“Haha, he’s probably exhausted from searching for students.”

“I heard no one wants to train with him.”

“Well, who would trust a greenhorn like him?”

Chung-hyeon was away on business, leaving Yeom-gwang in charge.

The instructors took advantage of their leader’s absence to mock and belittle Cho Un-hwi.

But Cho Un-hwi simply blinked at them, unfazed by their insults.

“Excuse me.”

He sat down at his desk and pretended to review his schedule.

Yeo Mae-hong, who was sitting nearby, sent him a secret message.

[Instructor Cho, how did it go?]

He glanced at her, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in a book.

She was sending him secret messages while pretending to work!

‘Impressive.’

Cho Un-hwi grinned and sent her a reply.

[Mission accomplished. Namgung Yun-ho is mine.]