Chapter 365: The Authority of the Strong (7)
Swish!
A deep blue sword blade cut the empty air and passed by.
The movement of the sword itself was elegant, but its speed and sharpness did not suit a soft sword at all. One could tell that the heart of the swordsman handling the sword was full of edge.
The swordsman, Yeon Ji-pyeong, stared forward with bloodshot eyes.
A fairly large rock was sitting still and mocking him.
Pa-ak!
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who narrowed the distance in a single breath, swung a terrifying quick sword.
Sasasasasak!
Despite his unstable emotional state, he unfolded a precise sword technique that cut the surface of the rock by a mere inch of the sword tip. One could see that the martial arts he learned and practiced had completely melted into his body.
Pabababababak!
Stone dust bounced up from the rock.
It was a sword technique where sharpness and precision stood out, but it was hard to give a good score in terms of the delicacy of true qi. If he properly loaded true qi, it would have crumbled to the sword wind before the stone dust could even bounce, and if it had been a little sharper, the stone dust itself wouldn’t have bounced.
The technique was ingrained in his body, but it was proof that his true qi was wavering due to psychological problems.
And Yeon Ji-pyeong himself knew that better than anyone else.
‘Ik!’
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who gritted his teeth, forcefully flew his left hand.
Ku-ung!
The rock lifted greatly and then returned to its place.
Considering the size of the rock, its weight would also be truly amazing. To half-lift such a rock, it was truly amazing internal energy.
However, Yeon Ji-pyeong was not satisfied.
Ka-ang!
He jammed his sword into the ground in a single breath. It was an action where unknown anger could be felt.
“It’s only to this extent.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong let out a sigh.
“It’s only to this extent.”
Looking only at his objective realm, Yeon Ji-pyeong couldn’t even reach the feet of his father Yeon Wi, let alone his older brother Yeon Ho-jeong. Because those two were true experts strolling through the seventh and eighth parts of the great mountain, beyond breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End.
However, considering Yeon Ji-pyeong’s age, reaching the realm of a peak expert at an age that hadn’t even reached twenty yet was an amazing thing in itself. Yeon Ho-jeong was only fast because he was retracing the path he had already passed, but in terms of talent, he couldn’t dare compare to Yeon Ji-pyeong.
How high of a realm would he be able to reach in five, ten years from now?
The realm of the Dark Emperor that Yeon Ho-jeong completed in his forties with top-notch martial arts, relentless driving force, and countless life-or-death battles, Yeon Ji-pyeong might achieve in his thirties purely through effort.
The problem was now.
“Hu-uk!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who sat down on the spot taking a deep breath, looked down at his sword with complicated eyes.
‘Weak. I’m too terribly weak. To think I was such a helpless guy.’
Since when was it? It was probably after receiving teachings from his brother in the Murim Alliance.
Yeon Ji-pyeong became able to view his talent and skills objectively. He honestly admitted that his talent was not ordinary, and thanks to that, he gained eyes that knew how to distinguish the possible from the impossible.
From then on, Yeon Ji-pyeong saw the path he had to take more precisely and clearly.
And because he did, he couldn’t help but feel a more piercing sense of defeat.
‘With this level of skill now, I’m of no help to father and brother.’
If his skills were far superior to now.
If it was really like that, he would have been able to participate in this fight as well. That definitely would have been the case.
Because he’s blood? Because he’s young? That’s not it.
He is his older brother, but Yeon Ho-jeong was also among the youngest in this battle. Yet, not only did he lead the battle, didn’t he return after establishing a huge military merit?
‘In other words, I have yet to be acknowledged by anyone.’
Yeon Ji-pyeong closed his eyes.
‘I have a long way to go.’
He wasn’t sad about the fact he wasn’t acknowledged. The truly sad thing was that he couldn’t assist his brother because he was weak.
If he had been stronger than now and joined this fight, and so could have shared a little bit of the work his brother had to do.
If so, his brother might not have had to lie down. Then naturally, he could have erased the anxiety cast on his father’s face.
The reason Yeon Ji-pyeong felt confusion, and furthermore, a sense of shame.
That was because he thought no matter how outstanding his talent was and how good his skills were, the moment it couldn’t become strength for his family, it was meaningless.
“First time seeing this?”
At the suddenly heard voice, Yeon Ji-pyeong turned around in surprise.
Gang Ryang was there.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you with such a dying expression.”
“Ah! Have you come, Brother.”
Gang Ryang looked at the rock situated not far away.
The rock with dozens of net-like sword wounds drawn on it looked like seeing a single piece of artwork.
Gang Ryang’s eyes changed.
Cha-ah-ah-ah-ang!
Along with drawing the sword, a deep blue sword light crossed the empty air.
Click.
Before he knew it, Gang Ryang who swung the drawn sword sheathed it.
The three stages of drawing the sword, slashing, and retrieving were incredibly fast and precise. It was a ghost-like skill not seen in the previous Gang Ryang.
That wasn’t all.
Thwack!
Only after he sheathed the sword did the rock split in half.
It was a linear sword energy with not a single inch of shaking. What a sharp strike it was, the cross-section of the cut rock was clean like glass.
Yeon Ji-pyeong was greatly surprised.
Gang Ryang asked with a calm voice.
“How is it? My single sword.”
“A-amazing.”
“Really? It still seems lacking to me.”
“Not at all. A quick sword as fast and precise as that, it’s the first time since father. You are truly amazing.”
“Thank you.”
“But when on earth did you… such a sword technique?!”
“Well? During the time you tossed and turned at night worried about your father and brother?”
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face slightly hardened.
It wasn’t simply a sarcastic remark. An unusual meaning was implied inside it.
Gang Ryang continued as if it was nothing.
“You were always calm and polite usually. But the current you is wavering a lot. Even your true qi is wavering from anger that lost its path.”
“…”
“Are you angry at the fact that you couldn’t be a strength to the Clan Head and Brother?”
It was a ghost-like accurate discerning eye.
Yeon Ji-pyeong couldn’t answer yes. It was true, but somehow his lips wouldn’t part.
Gang Ryang, who quietly observed Yeon Ji-pyeong’s expression, asked as if throwing out a word.
“Did you say my sword just now was amazing?”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
“You might have seen it that way, but not me. In my eyes right now, I see the absence of power to back up the sword path. I revived the sharpness, but the fundamental power to push that sharp slash is lacking.”
“…!”
“If I fill the power, it feels like speed control will become difficult again. After controlling the speed, it would be hard to revive the sharpness. As I solve it step by step like that, the time will come again when power will be lacking.”
Gang Ryang smiled while looking up at the sky.
“There truly is no end to the Way of the Sword. Since the sword is precisely martial arts, martial arts too would have no end.”
After looking up at the sky for a long while, he lowered his head and looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong again.
“Ji-pyeong.”
“…Yes.”
“What were you doing?”
“…”
“The Clan Head and Brother two people went to carry out a difficult mission in secret? It’s a worrisome thing. It’s also a regrettable thing. If those two had acknowledged my strength, if I had been acknowledged as a combat power, they would have at least pondered whether to take me on this mission or not.”
“…”
“But like you, I couldn’t join that mission. Because I am from the Black Path? I absolutely do not think so.”
Gang Ryang’s eyes deepened.
“So, what about it?”
“Yes?”
“I wasn’t even treated as a combat power. The combat power I am talking about includes everything such as adaptability, actual combat experience, discerning eye, etc.”
“…”
“In other words, they didn’t take me not simply because my martial arts are weak. Because the person myself is lacking.”
“…!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes wavered.
He was someone who acutely realized his lacking. But he had never thought as deeply as Gang Ryang.
He just felt a sense of shame, and his worry for his father and brother was excessively great. He was angry at the fact his brother returned hurt, and that anger was expressed as strong disappointment towards himself.
If so, what about Gang Ryang?
“Even so, would I suck my thumb and just worry until the two who already left for the jaws of death return? Would I look at the sky and lament why I didn’t work hard earlier, why I didn’t accumulate that much experience earlier?”
“I…”
“What I did after sending off the two was swing my sword while reducing my sleep at night.”
Gang Ryang pointed at Yeon Ji-pyeong with his finger.
“Taking your anger out on a rock like you right now isn’t truly swinging the sword. I struggled to forget all that worry and anger, and solely immersed myself in the sword. Why? Because I have to become even a little stronger in the time I would be worrying.”
“…!”
“People cannot know the future. In other words, the moment they already left the Alliance, the people left behind have no choice but to trust the two. That they will return alive, that they will properly accomplish the mission.”
“…”
“The problem is me. The core is what I will do besides trusting and waiting for the two. Worry? If I worry about the two all day, will a mission bound to fail become successful? Will a mission that would have succeeded turn into failure if I don’t pray?”
“…”
“Don’t mistakenly think of yourself as an overly amazing person. Although there may be differences in talent, ultimately you and I are both kin who live risking our lives on a single sword. If so, you should have invested that time called a day, which won’t return once passed, solely into yourself.”
Gang Ryang pointed at the rock.
“This is the fruit I gained all this time. I still lack a lot, but I’ve become better than the me of yesterday at least. It was a vague sword strike for the me of ten days ago, and an outcome I couldn’t dare imagine for the me of a month ago.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong bit his lip.
Gang Ryang didn’t tell him not to do that, or that he shouldn’t have done that. He just threw out a topic he didn’t expect an answer for, and revealed how he handled himself in that situation.
Yeon Ji-pyeong was ashamed.
For the past ten-odd days, he was too busy sorting out his confused mind, let alone practicing martial arts. However, Gang Ryang immediately faced reality, and furthermore, devoted himself to the sword and achieved the current results.
‘I lost.’
Talent is firewood. The more good quality firewood you have, the stronger the fire burns, and it lasts longer.
And that firewood only burns when there is an ember, what blows the ember to talent is precisely effort.
Effort isn’t simply just devoting oneself. Seeing one’s state is basic, and furthermore, one must be able to read the surrounding situation to set a plan on when, how, and to what extent to make an effort.
Gang Ryang did that. Thanks to that, he was able to train such a surprising sword technique.
Gang Ryang, who was staring blankly at Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face, smiled.
“I thought I would shout for joy if the target I was chasing suffered a stagnation, but somehow I felt a bit annoyed.”
“Yes?”
“I’m just saying so.”
Gang Ryang turned his body.
“The higher the peak, the more taste there is in climbing the mountain. You have become a wild hill conquered by me ten-odd days ago. The current you has crumbled to the point of not even attracting my interest.”
“…!”
“Become a great mountain again. Become the highest mountain under heaven and set fire to my eyes. I too will become a great mountain capable of setting fire to your chest and look down at the world.”
Vitality blossomed in Yeon Ji-pyeong’s eyes.