Chapter 19: Chapter 19
As Jang Geon knocked down Mountain-Riding Bear, affection began dripping heavily from the eyes of the watching warriors toward him. From Jang Geon’s perspective, it was a somewhat burdensome look. Especially Bi-rang’s sparkling eyes were difficult to face directly.
However, Red Wind, who laid Mountain-Riding Bear in the shade of a tree, was slightly different. Wearing a serious expression, he asked Jang Geon.
“Your main weapon is a sword, right? Then if you had fought holding a weapon, Mountain-Riding Bear would have died…”
Jang Geon, who was also good at fists, didn’t bother to say no. Because had he really held a sword, he wouldn’t have clashed two or three times. And at Red Wind’s continued words, the other warriors’ expressions also began to harden.
“The ruffians I saw in the village weren’t martial artists. Are real martial artists all like you?”
Jang Geon let out a chuckle at the hardening expressions of the warriors.
“Regardless of what degree that real martial artist refers to, I won’t be a common warrior.”
“Then you mean the martial artists that Central Plains person brings will be easier than you?”
“…I cannot be some absolute standard for martial artists. In the first place, exact grades cannot be divided in a fight risking lives holding swords. But, well. It would be fine to view it roughly like that.”
Red Wind folded his arms and stroked his chin.
“Still, borrowing the power of spirits to fight head-on would best be the final resort.”
“Was that power just now the power of spirits?”
At Jang Geon’s question, Red Wind smirked.
“Central Plains people aren’t the only ones using mysterious power.”
Jang Geon tilted his chin.
“I didn’t see such things from Heavenly Empress City people.”
“Not every tribe can borrow and use the power of spirits. This isn’t a power easily permitted.”
Red Wind seemed reluctant to explain specifically. Jang Geon recalled the resilient counter-force he felt when striking internal energy at Mountain-Riding Bear, the flow felt under his feet, and the qi and blood he instantly scanned. Even if he didn’t know fine blood vessels, what flowed without blockage in the twelve main meridians was clearly a power similar to internal energy. However, he hadn’t felt a dantian, so it was a strange matter.
However, if they wished to hide it, Jang Geon had no desire to pry it out. He already had martial arts achieved through his own effort and ability, and which he would continue to achieve. It would be good to find out, but even without such things, he had many things to realize in the future.
When he actually appeared to lose interest like that, Red Wind asked as if disappointed.
“Are you curious? Shall I tell you?”
As Jang Geon looked at Red Wind as if flabbergasted, Bi-rang chimed in from the side.
“To use the power of spirits, first you must meet a spirit. And when your chest opens with their help, you become able to accept the power of spirits and ancestors filling all creation…”
“You kid! Won’t you be quiet!”
She pouted her lips as Red Wind scolded her.
“What does it matter. Anyway, if that person doesn’t permit it himself, one can’t even meet…”
“You kid, still, do you just blabber that out?”
“Didn’t Uncle try to tell him too?”
“No, that. I… as you said, even if one wants to meet, it’s not like one can meet…”
Jang Geon quietly watched the conversation between the two who were glancing at his reaction. It seemed there was a secret unique to this tribe, but as Jang Geon saw it, it wasn’t a story to care about right now.
He opened his mouth.
“Let’s do what we were going to do.”
“…What we were going to do?”
Jang Geon picked up the sword he had set aside.
“Didn’t you ask me to teach you how to deal with martial artists? Let’s do that.”
Red Wind and Bi-rang’s faces turned serious. That was the same for the other warriors who had been watching the two’s squabble with giggles.
Strapping the sword to his waist, Jang Geon widened the distance from the gathered warriors. It was a distance of roughly two zhang.
“The moment a martial artist is most dangerous is by all means the very first clash. Internal energy, muscle strength, and sensitive senses gather into one to explode in that moment. That’s why when martial artists who trained in martial arts face each other one-on-one, the duel often ends in a single clash. Because life and death are divided by a paper-thin difference.”
Standing with widened distance, Jang Geon looked at the gathered warriors.
“The distance of that single-clash duel will mostly differ by three or four steps forward or backward from this distance right now. There are martial arts that start from a further distance or stick closer, but those aren’t general cases so I’ll pass over them.”
The warriors all folded their arms or put strength into their eyes, looking at Jang Geon.
“The speed at which Mountain-Riding Bear charged just now will be the single-clash speed of a martial artist who uses a sword decently. After that it definitely slows down, but the first strike is about that fast. I’ll show you once.”
Saying so, Jang Geon turned his body toward a tree on the outer edge of the vacant lot. And catching his breath for about one inhalation, he drew a flashing white streak of light as he was.
“Oh…”
“That fast?”
Jang Geon’s flash neatly severed a tree slightly thinner than a person’s waist just like that. Leaving behind the tree tilting and collapsing, Jang Geon sheathed his sword with a clean movement and looked at the warriors.
“Speed itself will come out to this extent. Though the power of the sword may differ a bit.”
The warriors were now not merely serious, but wearing grave expressions. They were losing confidence in dodging that first strike Jang Geon spoke of.
“Then how should you deal with this first strike? If it were elsewhere it would be troublesome, but in this valley it’s not very difficult. Just lure them into the forest.”
The grave expressions of the warriors turned bewildered. Red Wind asked on their behalf.
“What does that mean?”
“A martial artist’s single clash is powerful, but to that extent it is extremely linear and simple. In a state of facing swords, countless martial principles derive from minute angles and small movements, but stepping back to look, the linear nature is a fact. So lure them into the forest and block that straight line.”
Red Wind seemed to understand quickly.
“You mean seal a martial artist’s strongest strike. Using trees as shields. Then what next?”
Jang Geon shrugged his shoulders.
“Well. For random rascals, the spirit power I saw earlier will be sufficient.”
“…What if they aren’t random rascals?”
Jang Geon’s eyes sank. Looking around at Red Wind, Bi-rang, the warriors, and Mountain-Riding Bear who was rising over there shaking his head, he spoke.
“At that time, one must simply risk one’s life. Hoping that the scale of life tilts even a little toward myself.”
* * *
Gaining Jang Geon’s advice, the valley tribe decided that two warriors at a time would lie in ambush by turns on the road leading up to the village. If Central Plains people came, they decided to launch surprise attacks while they passed through the forest to ascend. Besides the ambushed warriors, there were also those installing traps while roaming the forest. The tribe warriors were surprisingly light on their feet and nimble, as if flying through the forest.
Meanwhile, Jang Geon returned toward the tent and was sitting again on the tree stump he sat on yesterday. He idly watched Bi-rang packing a bow and arrows.
At that gaze, Bi-rang tilted her head.
“Why?”
“You seem to be the youngest among the warriors.”
Placing both hands on her hips, she smiled brightly and spoke.
“Are you ignoring me because I’m young? Except for Uncle, I’m the fastest among our tribe warriors. Those martial artists will probably get hit by arrows while chasing my tail in the forest?”
It was a plausible story. Jang Geon had studied lightness art due to memories of his past life, but most martial artists trained martial arts to move a few steps faster somehow rather than long-distance lightness art.
However, paradoxically, while researching long-distance lightness art, Jang Geon was able to reach a higher realm of footwork. The martial principle of lightness art trying to run long distances long ended up elevating footwork trying to move short and fast. That was the reason he was able to have a certain confidence in his own martial arts at the very beginning.
“More than that, aren’t you really curious?”
“About what?”
“About spirits. Other tribe people were curious about how to do this too. At least our tribe has never told secrets to Central Plains people.”
At Bi-rang’s subtle expression, Jang Geon let out a chuckle.
“Then would you tell me?”
“Hmm… it’s my thought… even if I don’t explain, probably the spirit will visit Jang Geon first. And open your chest. Then Jang Geon can be called a warrior too.”
“Opening the chest… what does that mean?”
Bi-rang opened her mouth to explain, but stopped as if stuck. And struggling alone for a long while tilting her head, she smiled awkwardly and spoke.
“Opening the chest means… opening the chest, I guess…? Honestly I don’t know well. It can only be explained that it opened.”
Shaking his head gently, Jang Geon extended his hand.
“Would it be okay if I take a look?”
“Take a look? How?”
“Give me your hand.”
Hesitating for a moment, she extended her hand. Grasping her wrist, Jang Geon took her pulse. Surprisingly minute and fine true qi probed Bi-rang’s blood vessels through that wrist.
“Hmm.”
Probing her qi and blood like that, Jang Geon was able to understand the meaning of the open chest she spoke of. Her Danzhong point, the important blood meridian in the center of her chest, was wide open. That place wasn’t simply a path for qi being open, but gaping open like a hole, inhaling and exhaling nature’s qi together with breathing.
Probing that, what Jang Geon recalled was the term Middle Dantian. Here, a term where even in sects based on Daoism only traces barely remained. The realm of drawing the vast qi of nature at will and using it as one’s own.
Simultaneously, Jang Geon realized that this gaping Danzhong point was impossible for himself. He had already created a dantian and stored internal energy inside it. If he opened blood points like Bi-rang, how such a shape was possible he couldn’t even guess, his internal energy would slowly scatter due to the wide open blood meridians.
If internal energy scattered like that, the martial arts he had achieved until now would all be in vain. That could not be. He cleanly abandoned lingering regret. In the first place, he hadn’t helped them desiring such a thing.
“…How is it? Can you see well?”
Jang Geon could see Bi-rang asking cautiously while watching his reaction. Releasing her wrist, he spoke roughly.
“Hmm. I can’t see well. And in the future, if a martial artist tries to grab your wrist, don’t let them grab it.”
“Why?”
“Though very few, some experts can neutralize an opponent by grabbing the wrist pulse.”
“Then that means Jang Geon is such an expert?”
“I’m a bit different. Unlike them, I comprehended it alone.”
Tilting her head, Bi-rang smiled.
“Isn’t that even more impressive? At any rate, don’t let them grab the wrist, right? Except Jang Geon.”
“…Why exclude me?”
Looking at Jang Geon, she laughed ‘Hehe’ playfully, picked up her quiver, and ran off into the forest. Watching her receding back, Jang Geon organized his thoughts.
From the wide open Danzhong point, it wasn’t completely without gain. Through Mountain-Riding Bear’s figure when attacking him and Bi-rang’s blood meridians inspected just now, he seemed able to gain a clue. Just thinking of the open blood meridian instantly drawing qi strongly, many things came to mind right away.
What he would gain at the end of it he would have to ponder more, but in the first place his martial arts always started with small clues and imagination. Jang Geon was able to wear a satisfying smile.
Afterwards, Jang Geon stayed in the tribe village for several days.
Red Wind and One-Eyed Cloud expressed gratitude upon realizing that beyond simply giving help, he intended to fight together with them. Immediately, Red Wind handed over all the coins he had collected himself on top of the silver coins he had received to Jang Geon.
One-Eyed Cloud even held rituals in his tent day and night saying he would make it so Jang Geon could meet a spirit. When that spirit had no answer, later he held rituals saying it was for good luck in the future.
Mountain-Riding Bear, who had been hit hard by him, came to greet him later. Compared to his first impression, he was a very easygoing friend. He told Jang Geon to call him San-ung in the Central Plains way in the future and gifted him high-quality deer hide. Jang Geon did not refuse. Natives’ hides could fetch a decent price among Central Plains people.
Thus, on the fourth day as numerous traps were being installed on the path leading up to the tribe. Bi-rang, who was in ambush with Red Wind in the forest, ran into the tribe alone.
“They’ve come! That Central Plains person is bringing a whole bunch of people holding swords up!”
“Why did you come alone?”
“Uncle is continuously watching them. Hurry!”
At that shout, the village became busy. The tribe’s warriors who were already prepared quickly left the village. One-Eyed Cloud would lead the old, children, and sick people deeper into the valley to hide.
Now what the warriors had to do was use this forest, traps, and individual martial prowess to drive away the Central Plains person thrusting out unfair contracts. At least to make them not even think of crossing the valley holding swords again.
Exercising lightness art, Jang Geon charged out at the very front among them. Because he had something to confirm meeting those Central Plains people before the tribe warriors.