Chapter 174: Chapter 174
The early dawn of the next day.
Seol Ran visited the thatched cottage to request a spar before the sun even rose.
“Yesterday, you were just screaming, but you bravely came back again. Did you feel anything different when you woke up today?”
At words that seemed to clearly pierce through her mind, Seol Ran blushed.
Even though it was only a day, her internal energy had undeniably increased.
On top of that, her sword had also become sharper.
“Your internal energy increased, you gained real combat experience, and you even listened to martial arts theories that are rarely heard. You probably won’t receive this kind of training often. No, I’m probably the only one who can do it.”
Cheon-hwi began to praise himself.
Who else would teach so many things with just a single spar?
There would be no one but him.
“I said it before, but there won’t be an opportunity like this again.”
Seol Ran smiled awkwardly.
Cheon-hwi’s words were correct, but hearing those words directly from the person involved, she didn’t know what kind of expression to make.
“Then, let’s begin.”
As Cheon-hwi spoke briefly, the atmosphere suddenly changed and tension filled the air.
“Huu, yes.”
Seol Ran adjusted her breath and answered.
She had clearly achieved remarkable growth in just a day, but thinking about getting beaten like yesterday made her fingertips tremble slightly.
However, she hurriedly corrected her mindset.
‘As the Martial Uncle said, there is no opportunity like this.’
Was it just at the level of an opportunity?
Sparring daily with a master like Cheon-hwi was an unprecedented serendipity not just for her, but for any martial artist in Jianghu.
Sreuk…
She raised her sword.
However, the sword tip pointing at Cheon-hwi was still trembling finely.
Then, Cheon-hwi let out a chuckle.
“What are you so tense about?”
Along with his words, he lifted his scabbard and flicked it.
“This time, you come first.”
“Then, I’ll go first…”
Seol Ran stopped speaking halfway and drew her sword in a single breath, her eyes shining.
Chaeng!
A sharp metallic sound erupted.
“…It won’t work twice.”
“Still, unlike someone else, you have the ability to learn.”
As Cheon-hwi looked at Seol Ran, who had blocked his surprise attack, with a satisfied expression.
Hwiririk!
She spun, centering on her left foot.
Using the Jade Ring Wondrous Step in a single breath, Seol Ran slashed her sword widely from left to right.
It was the Falling Flower Sword, executed with all her might and heart.
The opponent was none other than Cheon-hwi.
How could she afford to hold back any power?
‘One strike. Let’s succeed in just a single strike!’
Seol Ran’s eyes sparkled.
She hadn’t the slightest thought that she would defeat Cheon-hwi.
There was only one thing she wished for.
To succeed in a single strike against Cheon-hwi and surprise him even a little!
‘On top of that, I can learn new martial arts.’
Strength went into the hand holding the sword.
The swung sword caused an even stronger wind and reached Cheon-hwi.
“You must have thought a bit about what to do before going to sleep yesterday.”
“Because I can’t keep getting hit.”
At her answer, Cheon-hwi smirked.
‘As expected, she’s better than Jeok-geom.’
He liked it.
Usually, if someone was beaten to a pulp like yesterday, they would naturally not want to think about it again.
However, Seol Ran was different.
She had steadily kept the contents she heard yesterday, and she did not make the same mistakes.
Therefore, a point of regret caught his eye.
‘Tsk. If she only had as much talent as Jeok-geom, she would have widely made a name for herself in Jianghu.’
Seol Ran was versatile, but her talent for martial arts didn’t match it.
‘Well, still, having talent but being lazy is much worse.’
Countless individuals came to mind and disappeared.
There were many rising stars who were once promising, but the number of those who became masters whose names shook the world wasn’t many.
The reason was simple.
Conceit and arrogance.
They settled for their own skills and neglected their efforts, fading into obscurity.
‘And they lived in the past before dying.’
Were there only one or two?
Even the ones he recalled in a brief moment amounted to at least several dozen.
‘In that regard, Seol Ran is fine. Because she has no talent, she has no conceit and no arrogance. Instead, she puts in this much effort and is full of enthusiasm.’
Cheon-hwi evaded the slashing Falling Flower Sword by simply twisting his waist slightly to the side.
After that, he raised his scabbard and.
Thwack!
He struck Seol Ran’s left thigh.
“Keuk!”
In an instant, Seol Ran’s balance collapsed.
However, she endured the pain and raised her sword once again.
And she swung it widely.
“It’s not over yet!”
Although Seol Ran rushed in again.
Thwack! Thwack!
A far more intense beating returned.
And along with it, screams erupted again just like yesterday.
“Kyaak! M-Martial Uncle! G-Gently…”
“What do you mean gently.”
Cheon-hwi’s scabbard moved even more roughly, battering Seol Ran’s entire body.
“This is all for your sake.”
When the two were in the midst of their spar, there were people who visited the thatched cottage.
It was Danmok Rin and Jeok-geom.
“Why is Senior Martial Brother sparring with Seol Ran…?”
“Since when did Seol Ran have that level of skill?”
The two looked at the spar in surprise.
In particular, Jeok-geom, who saw Seol Ran’s skill which was superior to yesterday, bit his lip.
‘I’ll get caught up at this rate.’
A sense of crisis was felt.
In just one day, Seol Ran had grown.
Evident enough that even he, who had seen her every day, could clearly feel it.
‘I need to hurry and circulate my energy.’
Jeok-geom hurriedly took a cross-legged position.
In his heart, he wanted to watch their spar more, but…
‘There is no time.’
Jeok-geom, who felt alarmed by Seol Ran’s growth, immediately began Qi regulation.
‘I need to quickly be able to move my internal energy as I please.’
While regulating his Qi yesterday, he realized why Cheon-hwi had instructed him to circulate his energy.
Wasn’t it said that too much is as bad as too little?
The energy of the White Gold Pill had transformed into internal energy, but managing it was impossible with his current level of skill.
If he forcefully tried to handle the internal energy, it was certain that he would only suffer internal injuries.
Therefore, Cheon-hwi’s intention was for him to properly learn the method of controlling inner force while regulating his Qi, that is, the operation of internal energy.
‘If only I can handle the internal energy…’
As he imagined himself managing the internal energy in his lower dantian in the future, just as he was fully concentrating his mind on Qi regulation.
“That is…!”
Danmok Rin opened her eyes wide.
There was a specific rule in the beating that seemed like he was just hitting mercilessly without any consideration.
‘From a little while ago, he has been pressing and stabbing the acupoints that follow the Eight Extraordinary Meridians and the Grand Heavenly Circulation of the Plum Blossom Qi Art with the tip of his scabbard.’
She, who had learned numerous acupoints in order to recover her ancient legendary physique, the Extreme Yin Foundation Body, was reading all the places Cheon-hwi’s scabbard tip pressed right now.
‘Could it be Pushing Palaces and Activating Acupoints…!’
The moment Danmok Rin realized Cheon-hwi’s intention, the scabbard fell from above to below.
Smack!
A dull sound erupted.
Seol Ran, who was struck square on the crown of her head, namely the Baihui acupoint, with the scabbard, collapsed backward.
Thud…
Cheon-hwi looked down at the unconscious Seol Ran and formed a gentle smile.
“There’s a taste to teaching.”
Even though she must have been afraid of getting hit, Seol Ran did not waver when swinging her sword.
Rather, she burned her enthusiasm even more.
Seol Ran, who learned ten things when taught one, was the best from a teacher’s perspective.
‘Although it’s a little bothersome and tiring.’
Cheon-hwi moved his shoulders largely.
Since it was Pushing Palaces and Activating Acupoints, it was a task that required delicate inner force operation and strength control.
If he did it too strongly, her Eight Extraordinary Meridians could be damaged or injured, and alternatively, if he did it too weakly, the effects of Pushing Palaces and Activating Acupoints wouldn’t even appear.
‘Well, still, what can I do. Since I started it, it’s better to hurry even a little rather than doing it half-heartedly.’
For anything, the faster the better.
Especially for martial prowess, it was even more so.
Did he, who had already reached a supreme realm in the past, not know better than anyone how vast a difference would widen in the future?
‘There is no choice but to make her grow quickly.’
Cheon-hwi turned his head.
And then he spoke to Danmok Rin, who had been holding her breath and watching the spar since earlier.
“You came at the right time. I was debating whether I should go find you anyway. You came on your own.”
In an instant, Danmok Rin’s expression brightened.
It was because, regardless of the purpose, she was glad at the words that he was looking for her.
“For what matter is it?”
“Do you want to learn martial arts from me?”
At that moment, Danmok Rin’s mouth gaped wide open.
At the words she had never even considered, she lost her words.
“Do you not want to?”
“N-No!”
Danmok Rin replied, startled.
“But why suddenly martial arts…”
“Because I need a master.”
Cheon-hwi spoke calmly.
However, Danmok Rin, who heard those words, felt her heart pounding.
“Do you think I will become a master?”
“If it’s you, you can sufficiently become one.”
A smile hovered around Danmok Rin’s mouth.
Because she felt good at Cheon-hwi’s words that highly evaluated and trusted her.
“I like it!”
“But it’ll be a little tough instead, is that okay?”
“It’s okay. How could one become a master without any price.”
“Really?”
“Yes! If I can become a master, I can endure any hardship.”
Cheon-hwi twisted the corners of his mouth.
“How come the female disciples are more passionate.”
Cheon-hwi glanced at Jeok-geom.
Jeok-geom, who was practicing his energy circulation, was trembling slightly as if something pricked his conscience.
“Then first, I need to see your skills.”
Cheon-hwi lifted his scabbard.
After that, starting with cracking his neck left and right, he warmed up his body and opened his mouth.
“I will concede the first move, so you come first.”
Danmok Rin nodded.
Next, right as she was about to draw the White Lotus Sword she received as a gift from Hyeon-ryeo.
Smack!
The scabbard smashed the crown of her head.
“Kyaak!”
Danmok Rin rubbed the bump on her head and stared at Cheon-hwi with shaking eyes.
“S-Senior Martial Brother?”
As she, who hadn’t expected him to suddenly launch a surprise attack, let out a flustered voice, Cheon-hwi smirked.
“You shouldn’t be fooled by that.”
Along with his words, Cheon-hwi raised his scabbard.
And as he drew up his inner force.
Boom!
An enormous momentum crushed down on Danmok Rin.
‘A-Even my father never had such a momentum…’
Danmok Rin’s complexion paled.
Her breath caught at the intense presence that was stronger than any masters she had seen so far.
At that time, Cheon-hwi’s eyes half-opened.
“For now, just endure for exactly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.”
* * *
Around that time, dark clouds hung over Mount Hua.
After the joint operation with the Zhongnan Sect ended in failure, not only the Sect Leader and the elders, but even the disciples were feeling the seriousness of the current situation.
In particular, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen who had moved together with the Pavilion Lord of the Martial Training Pavilion this time were expressing their anger more than anyone else.
“The Pavilion Lord was injured while protecting us.”
“Since Martial Nephew Jeok-geom was also injured…”
They burned with a desire for revenge.
It was probably because the Pavilion Lord of the Martial Training Pavilion and Jeok-geom had saved them even at the cost of sustaining heavy injuries.
Meanwhile, in the Unjung Pavilion, the Sect Leader and the elders were gathered and in the midst of a meeting.
“Since the Zhongnan Sect also suffered greatly, they will likely join hands with us again this time. Is there anyone who opposes this?”
Unlike before, there was no one who opposed it.
Looking at the elders who quietly closed their eyes in agreement, the Sect Leader opened his mouth.
“Then, to the next agenda item.”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes changed.
It was the reason this grand meeting was held now and an agenda related to the future of the Mount Hua Sect.
“I am planning to establish an armed force unit within our sect. Does everyone agree?”
The expressions of the elders became complicated.
An armed force unit itself was something that had not existed in the history of the Mount Hua Sect.
Because when carrying out missions, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen mainly stepped forward to resolve them.
However, they felt it through this incident.
The necessity for the existence of an armed force unit that could move as one body with many people.
“I will take it that everyone agrees to this as well.”
Just as everyone was nodding at the Sect Leader’s words, Hyeon-hae threw out a question.
“I have one thing I am curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Who does the Sect Leader have in mind as the Unit Leader?”
“Until recently, I had thought of the Pavilion Lord of the Martial Training Pavilion as the General Unit Leader who would oversee the armed force unit, but…”
As the Sect Leader, who swallowed his remaining words, turned his gaze to the Pavilion Lord of the Martial Training Pavilion whose right arm was tightly wrapped in bandages opposite him.
Sighs and groans flowed from here and there.
“Since it seems it will be difficult for now, I am thinking of appointing someone else as the General Unit Leader for the time being, even if it is temporary.”
“Who is it?”
Attention was focused on the Sect Leader.
Expressions of curiosity appeared on their faces.
Rightfully so, no matter how temporary a position it was, it was the First General Unit Leader of the Mount Hua Sect’s armed force unit.
Normally, there would be no reason to select this person.
Presently, his lips slowly parted, and a Daoist title that most had not anticipated at all slipped out between his lips.
“It is Cheon-hwi.”
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