episode_0056

Everyone already knew that Cheongun was going to transmit martial arts to Yeonbaek.

So everyone was curious.

Since not much was known about Cheongun to begin with, the fact that he was teaching martial arts to someone was naturally astounding.

What kind of martial arts would he teach?

At best, Cheongun’s known martial art was the Red Night Decapitation Sword, but he had hardly ever demonstrated it in front of anyone, and in any case, transmitting the Red Night Decapitation Sword to an outsider would absolutely require Jin Mooseong’s permission.

Cheongun also had many worries.

Although martial arts were widely available, he couldn’t just teach any martial art carelessly.

As one anecdote, there was a fellow who was caught stealing and selling martial arts in the past.

A wandering martial artist had stolen the basic cultivation method of a small sect and traveled around, accepting disciples and earning money.

His greed led him to openly display a signboard, which exposed him, and he ended up becoming a public enemy of the martial world, chased his entire life, and finally became crippled after having his tendons severed.

Such was the price for daring to steal a sect’s martial art!

That’s what unique martial arts are like.

No matter how insignificant a martial art might be, if the two characters ‘unique’ were attached to its name, no one could touch it carelessly.

Surprisingly, an implicit form of copyright exists within martial arts.

If he were to ignorantly teach just any martial art, he could end up being targeted by various sects and embroiled in all sorts of disputes.

Cheongun sat still and browsed through the list of martial art techniques floating in the air.

Red Night Decapitation Sword. There’s no way my Master would allow this.

Four-Sun Sword Art. This is also a secret technique of the Jeomchang Sect.

Tai Chi Benevolent Sword, Light-Splitting Sword Art, Plum Blossom Sword Art, Cheongun Crimson Cloud Sword…

Every single one was a martial art representing a specific sect.

Swish swish, Cheongun scrolled down the list endlessly.

After eliminating all the unique martial arts and secret techniques of various sects, martial arts that were currently lost caught his eye.

Wind-Thunder Palm Art, Flowing Water Sword Formula, White Crane Divine Art…

Ah, these too.

Although the Wind-Thunder Gate had long since fallen, some of their successors still remained in the Jianghu.

Cheongun scrolled down the list again.

Heavenly Sword Heart Formula, Shadowless Steps, Harmonious Palm…

These were completely lost martial arts.

There were no descendants to inherit them, and their sects had vanished long ago.

Among them, one martial art particularly caught his eye.

Its name was the Fishing Rod Divine Art.

Cheongun was momentarily bewildered.

Fishing rod? A fishing rod?

Something was strange.

Why was a martial art named ‘Fishing Rod’?

Even he, who had played the original game for over 20,000 hours, was unfamiliar with a martial art of that name.

Of course, it wasn’t unheard of to use a fishing rod as a weapon.

But was there a separate martial art specifically for handling only fishing rods?

As far as he knew, it didn’t exist.

Cheongun read the explanation with a bewildered expression.

It was scrawled with a lot of complex information, but honestly, he didn’t quite understand it, so he flipped through it quickly.

Then, he suddenly found the name of the grandmaster who created the martial art, written small at the very end.

Grandmaster’s name: Cheongun.

What? It was a martial art I created?

But I don’t remember creating a martial art.

Cheongun fell into thought.

A martial art he had never created was suddenly registered under his name in the system.

And what’s more?

Even though the name was ridiculous, its rank was quite high.

A shimmering golden color, indicating that it was a Divine Art (神功).

A single Divine Art implies a vast framework.

It was a compilation of all the cultivation methods, external arts, energy circulation techniques, profound principles, footwork, and movement techniques that Cheongun had devised and practiced to destroy enemies with a fishing rod.

Naturally, creating a Divine Art is based on an endless theoretical understanding of martial arts.

However, there was no way Cheongun possessed such understanding.

This meant that the system had arbitrarily fleshed out his random fishing rod movements, establishing them as a Divine Art.

Someone capable of creating a martial art is called a Grandmaster (宗師).

And someone who created a martial art worthy of being called a Divine Art, not just any mediocre martial art, at least on par with the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, is called a Great Grandmaster (大宗師).

Thus, Cheongun’s heart fluttered.

He meticulously transcribed the first stage, corresponding to 1-star, out of the total 10 stages, onto a secret manual without missing a single detail.

After that, Cheongun summoned Yeonbaek.

“Deputy Bureau Chief, it’s Yeonbaek.”

Yeonbaek came to the training ground with a voice full of military discipline.

Perhaps because he was so pleased to be able to learn proper martial arts, loyalty and respect visibly overflowed from his eyes as he looked at Cheongun, unlike usual.

Thud—

Cheongun tossed a fishing rod and a secret manual in front of Yeonbaek.

“Take these.”

“What are these?”

“A martial arts manual.”

“Huh?”

Yeonbaek was slightly flustered.

“Then what’s this fishing rod?”

“That is the weapon you will use from now on.”

Weapon?

This fishing rod, you mean?

“But Deputy Bureau Chief. Isn’t this a fishing rod, not a weapon?”

“A fishing rod is, in fact, the most perfect form of weapon.”

“Huh?”

…What kind of nonsense is this?

He had expected to be taught a sword art, but instead, he was given a fishing rod, and Cheongun insisted it was a weapon, which was simply bewildering.

Yeonbaek’s face turned pale.

“The martial art I will transmit to you is called the Fishing Rod Divine Art. As the name suggests, it’s a martial art for wielding a fishing rod.”

“A-Are you serious?”

“I am serious about everything.”

Yeonbaek tried to persuade Cheongun as cautiously as possible.

“But Deputy Bureau Chief, I’ve been practicing sword arts for several years now. Suddenly changing weapons is…”

“A fishing rod is also a sword.”

“How is that a sword?”

“You’re spouting such foolishness because you’ve never contemplated weapons other than swords.”

Cheongun genuinely thought so.

What was the reason for different operational methods and countermeasures for each weapon?

It’s because the martial principles (武理) used vary depending on the weapon.

The whip embodies the profound principle of change (變), bending unpredictably.

The spear embodies the profound principle of thrusting (衝), piercing and penetrating.

The blunt weapon embodies the profound principle of dominance (覇), striking down and smashing.

The sword embodies the profound principle of swiftness (快), slicing and cutting.

Once one somewhat masters each of these profound principles, then they can wield a blunt weapon like a sword, or a whip like a blunt weapon.

“From that perspective, there’s no weapon as good as a fishing rod.”

“How does that work?”

“Watch closely. The rod part, due to its nature, can be swung like a staff, and if you sharpen the tip, it can stab like a spear. Is that all? Depending on how you use the fishing line attached to the end, you can snag distant enemies and throw them, or infuse it with sword energy and unleash it like a sword, and further, you can even wield it like a whip.”

“……”

Yeonbaek was momentarily captivated by Cheongun’s explanation.

He could do so many things with just one fishing rod?

Now that he heard it, if one could truly master it, it seemed like an unparalleled weapon.

“Most importantly, it’s rare.”

“Rare…?”

“Yes. Think about it. A sword art that everyone and their dog uses, no matter how much you practice it, lacks flair. On the other hand, look at a fishing rod. Doesn’t just carrying it around capture everyone’s attention?”

Indeed.

As a man himself, Yeonbaek couldn’t help but nod at Cheongun’s words, which emphasized flair.

“Most importantly, it’s also good for making your opponent lower their guard. What martial artist in the world has ever faced a martial art that uses a fishing rod as a weapon?”

“That makes sense.”

“Right. And it’s easy to provoke with.”

“Indeed. If I were the opponent and someone swung a fishing rod as a weapon, I think I’d get furious.”

“Exactly. The most important thing for a martial artist is composure, and this allows you to gain an advantage right from that point.”

“Ohh.”

“And look. How overflowing with romance it is.”

At those words, Yeonbaek tilted his head.

“But Deputy Bureau Chief, you clearly said last time that romance is born from beautification, and that in reality, it’s utterly worthless…”

“Shut up.”

“Ah, yes.”

Yeonbaek closed his mouth.

Cheongun asked Yeonbaek, who stood like that:

“Now, decide.”

“Decide what?”

“Whether you will learn this or not.”

“Are there, perhaps, no other options?”

“What, other options? Ugh, you foolish bastard. Are you in a position to be picky right now? A third-rate fellow talking big. Shut up and learn.”

Yeonbaek fell into contemplation.

His own realm was, at best, third-rate anyway.

The sword art he had learned was merely the Three Calamities Sword Art.

On the other hand, the martial art proposed by the Deputy Bureau Chief, though its origin was utterly bizarre, had already proven its monstrous effectiveness, including at the Dangga Branch meeting.

No matter what it was, being taught anything at all was a big deal, wasn’t it?

Just as the Deputy Bureau Chief said, he wasn’t in a position to be picky.

Yeonbaek knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and performed a deep bow.

“I will learn it.”

“You’ve thought well.”

Cheongun smiled with satisfaction.

“Then, from now on, you are my disciple.”

“Yes.”

“As a martial artist, you know this, don’t you? What are masters and parents?”

“They are equals.”

“Well said.”

Being a disciple in the martial world was akin to a form of legal servitude.

In modern terms, perhaps a position like a graduate student?

If the master ordered something, they had to do it, and they were not allowed to raise any objections to the master’s words.

He liked it very much.

Thus, Cheongun grinned and extended his hand for a handshake to Yeonbaek.

“I’m counting on you.”

“Understood. Deputy Bur… no, Master-nim.”

“Call me Deputy Bureau Chief.”

“Ah, yes…”

****

The next morning.

As Cheongun sat quietly cultivating his energy, someone came to visit him.

It was Geum Myeongju, the Righteous Alliance Leader.

Cheongun took a sip from his teacup and asked,

“What brings you here without prior notice?”

“Amitabha, I apologize for the intrusion. It’s nothing else, just that this old monk rarely gets to see his disciple, so I came to see his face just once.”

His disciple was none other than Bang Jongdae.

Cheongun nodded.

“Well, if that’s the reason. Follow me.”

Cheongun guided Geum Myeongju.

As they passed, guards along the way respectfully greeted Geum Myeongju, and he responded each time with a gentle smile.

They arrived in front of a room.

It was the room where Bang Jongdae was staying.

Bang Jongdae’s figure was faintly visible through the crack in the door.

As soon as the door opened, a savory meat aroma assailed their noses.

Bang Jongdae was frantically devouring a table full of meat dishes, swiftly shoveling them into his mouth.

Both Cheongun and Geum Myeongju were martial artists who had entered the realm of Return to Simplicity.

Therefore, Bang Jongdae, who hadn’t sensed their presence, remained oblivious and continued to heartily tear into the meat, chuckling to himself.

Geum Myeongju looked at Bang Jongdae and smiled kindly, as he usually did.

No, was that even a smile?

Now that he looked closely, his eyes were smiling, but the corners of his mouth were rigid.

Just then.

“…?”

Bang Jongdae, mid-meal, suddenly turned his head swiftly, sensing a strange killing intent.

At that moment.

Their eyes met.

“……”

“……”

An eerie silence hung in the air.

At the sudden encounter, Bang Jongdae broke out in a cold sweat.

Soon, he desperately turned his head around, looking for Cheongun to ask for help, but Cheongun had already escaped.

Then, Geum Myeongju opened his mouth.

“Disciple.”

Bang Jongdae gulped.

“Is it delicious?”

“M-Master-nim.”

“It seems you’ve put on quite a bit of weight since I last saw you.”

“Misunderstanding, it’s all a misunderstanding! Please calm your anger for a moment. This unworthy disciple will explain everything…”

“Khat!”

Clang—!

A wooden moktak was lodged in Bang Jongdae’s forehead.

The clear ringing sound, characteristic of a profound martial art of the Shaolin lineage, resonated.