Chapter 213: Three Reasons (3)
Chapter 212 – Three Reasons (3)
‘Is he really a crazy guy?’
The thought that kept rising since earlier did not stop.
To tell him to cut off his arm with that sword?
Could anyone in their right mind say such a thing?
However, seeing how he logically refuted point by point so far, he was definitely not a crazy fellow.
Even so, the Jiangling Divine Art was the Eon Clan’s secret, so by what means could a punk like him help with it?
As if reading those inner thoughts, Namgung Cheon spoke.
“Of course, I do not know about the Jiangling Divine Art.”
Though, in truth, he knew it too well.
Namgung Cheon had already exchanged blows with Eon Ho-ryang before.
At that time, watching Eon Ho-ryang’s qi circulation with the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes, Namgung Cheon could vaguely guess that there was a problem.
Although he could not remember it accurately since it was so long ago, the Jiangling Divine Art used by the former Clan Leader felt much more solid than that.
Eon Yang-geol narrowed his brow and asked as if questioning.
“Since you do not know about the Jiangling Divine Art, what and how will you help?”
“Could I not at least give you a clue to break through the blocked parts?”
“A clue. By what means?”
“By blocking that sword with my bare body.”
“Are you saying that in earnest?”
“Of course.”
Namgung Cheon smiled brightly.
Because he looked too innocent, he did not even feel tense.
Eon Yang-geol, who let out a hollow laugh, soon stiffened his expression and called Eon Ho-ryang.
“Bring the sword.”
“A, Father…….”
“Hurry!”
Eon Ho-ryang kept his mouth shut, walked to the stand, and brought out the sword.
Eon Yang-geol’s expression was terribly stiffened.
He was actually in a state of being extremely offended.
Even so, though he had admired the logic that persuaded him along with the title of the Jianghu Divine Dragon, to think he would be this reckless and presumptuous.
‘He seems to look down on the Jiangling Divine Art quite a bit!’
Eon Yang-geol, who received the long sword, drew the dark blue blade and asked.
“Well, let’s hear it. How do you intend to block this sword?”
“Since I do not know the Jiangling Divine Art, I will block it with the Azure Emerald Art.”
“The Azure Emerald Art? Is that the Namgung Clan’s martial art?”
“Yes, it was lost for a while, but I learned it again and am using it usefully.”
“However, the qi circulation of the Azure Emerald Art must be completely different from that of the Jiangling Divine Art. Even if you block my sword, you will not teach me the profound mystery of the Azure Emerald Art. Do you really think that would help in practicing the Jiangling Divine Art?”
“Tsk, all martial arts return to the same source. Knowing one to realize ten is what martial arts is about. If you cannot even realize that, you are too ignorant to be qualified to learn martial arts.”
“…….”
Is this bastard messing with me right now?
Eon Yang-geol, whose forehead veins temporarily bulged, took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“Fine. Regardless, that is only under the premise that your arm remains intact.”
“True.”
Namgung Cheon was grinning senselessly.
The ones wearing anxious expressions were instead the cadets who came with him.
“Daoist Yu, will that really be alright?”
“Well. I do not think Young Hero Namgung would act like that without any plan, but…”
“Trust him. Trust Namgung Cheon. Because I do.”
Jin So-hong spoke with a firm expression.
Looking back at her profile, Yu Hyeon and Yun Jong-seung could not help but admire Jin So-hong inwardly.
To think she had that level of trust.
They said merchants do not trust others easily, so why did Jin So-hong trust Namgung Cheon like that?
‘Ah……!’
Yun Jong-seung let out a low exclamation.
Watching Jin So-hong’s firm expression, something newly dawned on him.
‘Yes, So-hong is not trusting Namgung Cheon. She is trusting herself.’
She is trusting her own eye that recognized Namgung Cheon.
Jin So-hong stared intently at Namgung Cheon and Eon Yang-geol with her mouth shut tight.
Indeed. That was not the gaze of someone struggling not to lose, but the gaze of one looking toward a higher place and risking danger.
Once his thoughts reached this point, he newly found Jin So-hong, who could possess that much conviction, great and enviable.
Eon Yang-geol spoke in a stiff voice.
“There should be no need to pick a place. Let’s do it here.”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
Namgung Cheon spoke casually and cast off his upper garment. Soon, his upper body, finely detailed with solid muscles, was fully revealed.
Namgung Cheon strode forward and extended his right arm.
Eon Yang-geol, who flinched for a moment, checked Namgung Cheon’s waist.
He was clearly wearing a sword on his left hip. That meant he was right-handed.
Yet, he extended his right arm.
Normally, one would psychologically extend their left arm just in case. He himself had also done so until a moment ago.
Yet he extended his right arm?
‘Either he has no thoughts, is a crazy guy, or is a truly monster-like fellow.’
As of now, the possibility of him being a crazy guy was the greatest.
Could he have suffered a very slight qi deviation?
Eon Yang-geol had all kinds of thoughts.
Tense vigilance flowed in the room.
The blue-shining blade and Namgung Cheon extending his right arm with his bare body.
Gulp!
The sound of someone swallowing dry saliva was heard as loud as thunder.
A situation where Namgung Cheon could lose his arm at any moment.
“W-Wait a moment.”
Conveniently, Yun Jong-seung shouted and came forward. As everyone’s gaze turned, Yun Jong-seung stepped up hesitantly and whispered to Namgung Cheon.
“Is there really a need to go this far?”
“Then should we leave Paeng Su-hyeok to die? In any case, we need people to rescue that guy. And the only place we can obtain that many personnel right now is here.”
“That is true, but…”
“Stand back. Do not interfere.”
At Namgung Cheon’s words, Yun Jong-seung nodded unconsciously and stepped backward.
Unlike his playfulness-laced expressions until now, this time it was a gaze and tone that made resistance impossible.
Namgung Cheon watched Eon Yang-geol with a settled gaze.
‘Why do this to such an extent?’
In truth, there was no need to go this far.
If Paeng Su-hyeok died, it would be a bit regrettable, but it was not to the extent of wailing and beating the ground.
It was not like he had only seen close people die once or twice while living as a fugitive.
However, to raise the Namgung Clan to the top?
He must not fight alone.
Namgung Cheon was one who knew better than anyone how reckless and difficult it was to fight the world alone.
This life had to be different.
He had to make as many allies as possible and run toward the peak of the Jianghu.
No matter how strong one became alone, if surrounded by enemies on all sides, they could not hold out for long.
Then, using this opportunity as a springboard, he must secure the Paeng Clan and the Eon Clan definitely. What if he rescued the Paeng Clan from extermination and granted the Eon Clan’s wish before their eyes?
‘We can at least become friends.’
Namgung Cheon smiled faintly looking at Eon Yang-geol.
‘What is this? Do you think that if you look at me with those eyes, my heart will soften and I will not be able to strike?’
Eon Yang-geol had an absurd thought for a moment, but soon stiffened his expression and slowly raised his sword.
“You brought this upon yourself. Do not resent me.”
“Sure.”
“Here is the witness.”
Eon Ho-ryang and the cadets each nodded with stiff expressions.
The moment Eon Yang-geol finally put strength into the saber path,
“Wait a moment.”
“Ah, what is it again! What is it? Why!”
The falling blade hesitated as an irritable voice burst out.
Namgung Cheon scratched the back of his head and said.
“Before that, I must clearly receive the promise.”
“What promise!”
“If I am intact, you are going to support the Paeng Clan.”
“Of course! Instead, though it seems highly unlikely to happen, in that case, you must also offer the clue to shatter the barrier of the Jiangling Divine Art!”
“Naturally. And do not forget that favor.”
“If you offer it! If you offer it!”
“Yes, yes. Just wanted to make sure.”
“Mmm. Did everyone hear? You guys are the witnesses.”
“We heard clearly.”
Eon Ho-ryang and the cadets replied in unison.
“Then I will really start now.”
Namgung Cheon nodded instead of answering.
Eon Yang-geol took another deep breath and raised the blade.
Rustle.
Tense vigilance hung in the room once again.
‘Do not resent me!’
Eventually, putting strength into the saber path, Eon Yang-geol struck down with all his might.
Swiiiiiish!
At that moment, Namgung Cheon slowly closed his eyes and recalled when he fought the Jinzhou Eon Clan martial artists long ago.
And even the Jiangling Divine Art that the Supreme Elder had used at the time.
The Jiangling Divine Art contained two energies of the Five Elements.
The energies of Earth and Metal.
This energy rushed along the blood vessels and spread throughout the body.
Of course, Namgung Cheon was not unfolding the Jiangling Divine Art right now. He was operating the Azure Emerald Art.
The Azure Emerald Art was blue and green.
If Wudang’s Taiji Skill was aimed at the supreme good being like water, the Namgung Clan’s Azure Emerald Art was aimed at the supreme good being like air.
Water and air.
They resembled each other in many parts, but were also different.
Water could not embrace air, and air could not embrace water.
The two were different individually, but the fact that they could transform into any shape was the same. And air was more flexible than water in accepting change.
Therefore, there was no difficulty in circulating the Azure Emerald Art like the Jiangling Divine Art.
Because the profound meaning of the Azure Emerald Art lay precisely in emptiness. In that empty space, it contained the intent of the Jiangling Divine Art.
The Azure Emerald Art surging from the dantian rushed rapidly along the body’s blood vessels following the flow of the Jiangling Divine Art.
Soon, his skin hardened like pig iron, and his mind sank heavily.
‘This is the Azure Emerald Art!’
This was also the reason why Namgung Cheon was fascinated by the Azure Emerald Art.
The internal energy created by the Azure Emerald Art was purity itself. It was like a cloudless, clear sky.
Therefore, it did not insist on any form and could contain all things. Was it not truly a martial art perfectly suited to Namgung Cheon, who possessed the First Sight Skill-Breaking Eyes?
Although it was that difficult to learn, it was not a problem for Namgung Cheon.
Because he had seen through the flow of all humans’ internal energy and grasped the properties of all internal energy.
The thought was long, but the time taken was merely a split second.
Swiiiiiiiish!
Clannnng!
The moment the blade struck Namgung Cheon’s arm, everyone closed their eyes tightly.
A moment later, Namgung Cheon slowly opened his eyes, and Eon Yang-geol widened his eyes as if tearing.
Soon after, the other people also gaped with shocked expressions.
First they were surprised that a metallic sound burst even though a human arm was struck with a sword. And they were surprised twice that Namgung Cheon’s right arm was intact.
“H-How…?”
The blade did not break.
Since it was a sword hung in the Clan Leader’s office, it was not a blade that would break easily.
However, Namgung Cheon’s arm was also intact.
“The Jiangling… Divine Art…?”
Eon Yang-geol, who muttered blankly, shook his head.
It was not.
That was not the Jiangling Divine Art.
The blue light softly revolving as if surrounding Namgung Cheon’s arm was clearly different from the Jiangling Divine Art.
The Jiangling Divine Art exuded a dark red light.
Namgung Cheon said with a grin.
“Do you believe it a bit now? If you master the Jiangling Divine Art, it will probably be far more great than this.”
“How… how did you do it?”
“Mixing the energies of Earth and Metal is important first. You must do so from the very beginning when pulling it up from the dantian. Not drawing it out and mixing it, but with the thought of already blending it in the dantian and then drawing it out.”
“Ah…….”
“Afterward, you must increase the size further in the middle dantian. At this time, you must never hesitate.”
“……!”
Eon Yang-geol flinched.
For that matter, when it reached the middle dantian, the internal energy naturally hesitated. It was not like a habit. It happened that way automatically.
Namgung Cheon also already knew that fact. Because it was a part he had confirmed while exchanging blows with Eon Ho-ryang in the past.
When the internal energy drawn up from the dantian reached the middle dantian, it exploded like a detonation when using the Eon Clan Fist.
Because this qi circulation was repeated, the middle dantian blood vessels of the Jinzhou Eon Clan martial artists chronically hardened gradually.
If blood vessels hardened, there was an advantage of becoming that much stronger. However, if they hardened excessively, they could not help but naturally become dull.
Since the Eon Clan’s martial arts were mostly derived from the Jiangshi technique, they inevitably went through this process.
‘The problem is that this must be released frequently… but the former Clan Leader must have died before teaching the method of releasing it.’
Namgung Cheon calmly continued speaking.
“If you use muscles a lot, they get congested. At that time, you must keep releasing them to be flexible. If you become a muscle pig that only looks good, it is useless in actual combat.”
Even just this would have been sufficient as a clue. The method of releasing was a matter the Eon Clan had to research themselves.
Sure enough, Eon Yang-geol muttered with an expression of realizing something.
“Is that so… was it that kind of problem! Indeed! That was it!”
Anything is easy once you know the solution.
However, when it is not solved, being lost is precisely the way of the world.
“Then will you go with us now?”
Namgung Cheon asked while putting on his robe.
Eon Yang-geol replied with a firm expression.
“The Eon Clan does not go back on its word.”
“Good.”
Namgung Cheon smiled brightly.