episode_0045

“…What did you just say?”

“Just what I said.”

“That’s why I’m asking. The Fiend Horse Division invited you while you were just walking along. And not only that, they urged you to help them with a human sacrifice?”

Cheongun nodded.

Many steps had been omitted, but there was nothing false about it.

On the other hand, Jin Mooseong couldn’t make any sense of it.

“The Fiend Horse Division are just rabble from the Demonic Cult, aren’t they?”

“They sure are.”

Jin Mooseong clicked his tongue.

“So. Did you just happily follow them?”

Cheongun flinched.

Because he actually had followed them willingly.

No, when demonic cultivators came stumbling in on their own, how could he possibly refuse?

But if he said that, he would obviously be beaten again, all in the name of training.

So, he cleverly used his modern intellect to package what had happened.

“I didn’t just happily follow them. No, it was suspicious right from the start, wasn’t it? The Fiend Horse Division is notorious, after all.”

Cheongun rambled on, saying whatever came to mind.

He didn’t bother to mix in any lies.

He simply omitted all the processes and psychological causality leading to the internal decision that motivated his actions.

They invited him, so he followed.

He followed them, they spouted nonsense, so he killed them all.

At those words, Jin Mooseong was impressed.

Even if his disciple had a lot of guts, wasn’t he someone who valued his own life dearly?

For such a fellow to crawl into such a demonic den just to punish the Demonic Cult’s rabble…

His spirit and courage could truly be called the demeanor of a true hero.

“But it’s strange. Didn’t you just call him a Demonic Leader?”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“A Demonic Leader would be a master who has at least broken through the wall of the Transcendent Realm.”

“Probably.”

“Did you say he used a fan?”

Cheongun nodded.

Martial arts that use a fan are called Fan Arts.

Naturally, masters proficient in Fan Arts are rare in Jianghu compared to Sword Arts or Palm Arts.

A master of the Transcendent Realm.

And a master of Fan Arts.

If these two rare conditions overlapped in one person, their identity was obvious.

“…Soul Devouring Demonic Leader?”

As expected of Teacher-nim.

Cheongun nodded.

“Haha, Cheongun, you killed that old monster?”

“I tore him to shreds with the sword technique Teacher-nim taught me.”

Cheongun said proudly.

But Jin Mooseong couldn’t easily accept those words.

“Haha, no way. No matter how much sword energy you push forth, you can’t possibly pierce through sword aura wielded by someone who has surpassed the wall.”

Sword aura is not simply compressed sword energy.

The stage where consciousness is imbued into sword energy compressed to its limit is called ‘Sword Energy Crystallization,’ or in short, sword aura.

Wielding sword aura means that one’s history and study of wielding the sword have finally reached a certain realm.

In other words, sword aura is the embodiment of martial arts’ essence, so no matter how much sword energy is brought against it, it will simply be sliced like paper.

“Even if the mental cultivation technique you’ve learned, Cheongun, is extraordinarily profound, and the internal energy you’ve accumulated is pure, that alone cannot bridge that gap.”

“But it did narrow.”

“…Explain in detail.”

Cheongun explained, adding hand gestures.

He explained with as much detail as possible, fearing that a rough explanation wouldn’t be convincing.

That guy kept drawing out aura, and its color was pitch black like filth.

Because it was dirty, he shoved in some refined Primal Chaos Energy, and cracks appeared with a crisp rustle like dried-up mud!

It felt like something could happen, so he crammed in more internal power, and a gap opened?

He pushed straight through, and his sword energy swallowed the aura.

Cheongun finished his explanation.

“Haha.”

Jin Mooseong was dumbfounded.

The color of martial arts ultimately stems from the practitioner’s character.

But sometimes, martial arts that reach an extreme can eventually dominate one’s character.

That was why the aura of a master who practiced demonic arts was pitch black like filth.

‘That’s why demonic arts are dangerous.’

As demonic arts deal with negative energy, they show greater power than orthodox arts at lower realms and faster achievement speeds.

But that’s all.

Isn’t the ultimate goal of Taoist martial arts to ascend to immortality?

To achieve this, the unity of essence, qi, and spirit is required as a prerequisite. However, the moment one practices demonic arts, they become subservient to desires and their mind becomes lax, and as a result, their qi becomes turbid, thus deviating from the heavenly dao.

Only upon reaching the Peak Realm does this deviation reveal itself as a critical barrier, and from then on, one is blocked by the wailing wall of ‘enlightenment,’ wasting away their time.

This was why there were many masters of the Peak Realm in the Demonic Cult, but the number of absolute masters who surpassed that wall was much smaller than in the orthodox sects.

That’s why he couldn’t understand.

To pierce sword aura with sword energy?

This was no different from smashing a rock with an egg [an idiom for attempting something impossible].

“……”

Jin Mooseong quietly gazed at Cheongun.

He was a troublesome fellow in many ways, but he wasn’t the type to lie about such trivial matters.

That meant everything his disciple said was true.

If that assumption held true, then the only possibility was…

‘Subduing Demonic Energy.’

The martial arts of Shaolin are fundamentally about subduing demons.

Because the true purpose of monks who have devoted themselves to Buddhism reading scriptures, cultivating their minds, and training their bodies every day is to overcome all worldly afflictions and demonic obstacles.

And even within such Shaolin, there is something considered a peerless technique.

Not suppressing demons, but rather, subduing them in reverse.

Its name is ‘Subduing Demons.’

“…”

Jin Mooseong placed a hand on Cheongun’s shoulder.

At first, because of the profound *xuanqi* felt in his internal energy, he thought it was a Taoist mental cultivation technique. But now, he could also feel the profound ‘Subduing Demonic’ quality that would be felt from a highly virtuous elder monk.

“Disciple.”

“Yes?”

“That mental cultivation technique you said you mastered. Its name is…”

“Heaven and Earth Primal Chaos One Qi Art.”

“Yes, that one. Did you say it was a family martial art?”

“Yes.”

Jin Mooseong chuckled.

Heaven and Earth Primal Chaos One Qi Art?

Jin Mooseong had wandered Jianghu for a long time, encountering all sorts of martial arts, but even he had never heard of such a martial art.

There was nothing particularly surprising about it.

Isn’t Jianghu a place where eccentric individuals and monstrous heroes, surpassing common sense, are as numerous as grains of sand in the Yangtze River?

It wasn’t surprising that a peerless divine art of the Subduing Demonic type, yet undiscovered in the world, existed, and that his disciple happened to learn it when he was young.

He was very curious about when and where he had obtained such a fortuitous encounter, but Jin Mooseong simply smiled.

No matter how strict the hierarchy between a teacher and disciple, asking about a martial artist’s fortuitous encounter was against propriety.

Therefore, he didn’t bother to ask.

He was simply admirable.

“That’s amazing.”

“I know.”

“Haha, yes. A martial artist should always be confident in everything they do. Well done.”

Cheongun secretly glanced at his Teacher-nim.

For some reason, he seemed to be in a much better mood.

He swallowed a sigh of relief.

And to please his Teacher-nim, he smiled brightly.

Who knew?

He might even throw him a gift because he was in a good mood.

It was then.

“Did you get that sword from the Demonic Leader you killed?”

“I did, didn’t I?”

“Do you like that sword so much?”

Cheongun pondered.

Did he like it?

Of course he liked it.

It was a top-tier weapon; how could he not like it?

“So, you’ll insist on carrying that wicked sword instead of the one your Teacher-nim gave you?”

“Hmm. Probably.”

“What do you plan to do with the sword your Teacher-nim bestowed upon you?”

“Oh, should I return it?”

It was then.

“Gah!”

Thwack—!

A fist suddenly shot out and slammed into the back of Cheongun’s head.

Cheongun had clearly heightened his qi perception, yet he hadn’t felt even a hint.

*Shit*, is that even possible?

At that level, it was as if the entire process, from extending the arm to delivering the punch, had been completely omitted.

Jin Mooseong looked at Cheongun, who was groaning while clutching the crown of his head, and spoke.

“I won’t take issue with you being attached to that weapon.”

“No, then why did you hit me!”

“However, neglecting your Teacher-nim’s sword is something I cannot tolerate.”

Cheongun was going crazy with frustration.

What was he supposed to do if his weapon slots were insufficient?

It’s a one-handed sword, not a two-handed sword, to begin with!

Is he telling me to wield dual swords now or something?

For a martial artist, their weapon is their life, so what’s wrong with carrying an even better sword?

Speaking of which now, honestly, the Red Night Sword just sounds so rustic.

Its blade was old and rough, its hilt plain and crude; its very appearance suggested a sword an old master would use.

But he couldn’t make a crazy statement to his Teacher-nim like, ‘The sword you gave me looks like something old folks in a dusty room would use, so I can’t use it.’

If he did, he didn’t know what that eccentric old man would do.

So, he was just clutching his throbbing head and holding his tongue when…

Jin Mooseong spoke.

“The sword your Teacher-nim gave you is your life.”

“No, that’s why I don’t carry it! Something as precious as my life should be carefully enshrined, so why would I carry it around?”

“Haha, quiet. Don’t talk back.”

It was unfair.

But he somewhat understood Jin Mooseong’s position.

So, as he was deep in thought, Jin Mooseong offered a solution.

“Carry both.”

“What?”

Both?

Dual swords, perhaps?

“Dual wielding is a bit…”

“Haha, that’s not what I mean.”

“Then what?”

Jin Mooseong clicked his tongue and said.

“It’s simple. You just have to handle two swords simultaneously, don’t you?”

“That’s dual wielding.”

“Isn’t there something other than dual wielding?”

There is?

What could it be?

No, does he even need to know?

He just wants to use a better sword, and they’re not even giving him a better one, so why are they lecturing him?

“You don’t like it?”

“No.”

“Without even hearing it yet?”

“What is it?”

Jin Mooseong smiled broadly as he looked at the grumbling Cheongun.

And he said.

“Sword Control Art.”

Upon hearing that, Cheongun blinked his eyes blankly.

“…Sword Control Art?”

“Indeed.”

“The Sword Control Art I know?”

“That’s right.”

Jin Mooseong clicked his tongue.

“Since you don’t like it, there’s nothing I can do. It’s a shame, but as a teacher, I can’t force you to learn something you don’t want to. I will take my leave now.”

It was then that Jin Cheonwoo stood up from his seat.

Cheongun, who had been standing confidently, suddenly knelt and immediately prostrated himself on the ground.

“What are you doing now?”

“This unworthy disciple dared to doubt the teachings of a sky-like Teacher-nim.”

“Haha, you said you didn’t like it just a moment ago?”

“I don’t remember.”

“……”