Chapter 13: Why Is It Like This From the Start (2)
The martial arts shown at the Baek Family Escort were the martial arts of the Wudang Sect from start to finish.
The gentleness of Wudang.
Although it was still immature, it clearly revealed the essence of the Wudang Sect.
What is needed now is a martial art that springs forward and crushes the enemy.
A technique that runs wild like a fierce tiger.
Although it is not as familiar to the body as Wudang Fist, the teachings that Master Bodhidharma has engraved in my body are vivid.
The strength and fierceness of Shaolin began to move in my body.
‘Listening Force.’
Although I was not unfolding Wudang Fist, the sensation of unfolding Wudang Fist still remained in my body.
Having defeated one in an instant, I read the entity rushing at me in succession.
Just as a bat reads objects, the sensation of Listening Force extending in all directions scraped various pieces of information about the rushing opponent.
His footsteps, his movements, even his breath.
All of it clashed like incoming waves.
Real combat is not a collision of only flesh and blood bodies.
Before bodies collide, something difficult to express in words collides first.
The mind collides.
Hatred, hostility, instinct.
Killing intent.
To sum it up in one word.
‘Momentum!’
If we have to name the collective term of everything that collides before exchanging blows, it can be expressed in this single word.
It is something I feel once again following the fight at the escort agency, but no matter how good one’s strength is and no matter how outstanding one’s senses are, if one cannot overcome this intangible clash, it means nothing.
If momentum is broken, the mind is broken, and if the mind is broken, one cannot display their skills.
It is more common than thought that someone who flies and runs in sparring does nothing but tremble in real combat.
‘I won’t lose.’
I still remember Master Bodhidharma’s sharp admonition.
Cultivating the self lies in rectifying the mind.
Although I know my experience is not deep enough to be skilled in real combat, I kept this one thing clearly and saw the opponent before my eyes clearly.
Amidst the crossing of gazes, the colliding mind grew stronger.
Whether he was angry that his companion who stepped forward fell victim, he raised his momentum and lifted his sword high with both hands.
But it was too large.
Raising his momentum was good, but his movement was large.
The vicinity of his solar plexus was wide open.
‘I can strike.’
The opponent was in a posture as if he would bring down the sword like lightning at any moment.
Although the movement was large, it meant it had that much destructive power. It was to the extent that I wondered if my head would be split the moment I penetrated inside.
But sense said.
That I could do it.
Right now, my senses were clear and transparent. Even during real combat, my mind was not disrupted.
Then, the voice shouted by senses was correct.
I can do it!
The moment thought moved the mind, the body followed.
There is something in Shaolin Fist different from Wudang Fist.
Explosiveness!
A vigorously springing elasticity extended downward through the lower body and kicked the ground.
A single step closing the distance at once.
At a distance closed enough for my figure to be reflected in his pupils, the eyes wide open in shock were fully visible.
He belatedly swung the sword he had lifted, but my fist was already touching his solar plexus.
Thud!
“Keuk!”
The sound of the lungs being squeezed and spat out through the mouth was heard. There was already no consciousness in the eyes of the opponent whose body bent like a right angle.
Having defeated two people in an instant, when I scanned the surroundings, the remaining two enemies nearby halted their rushing bodies.
They stopped merely because they met my eyes.
‘They’re scared.’
It was the appearance shown when momentum is broken and the mind is disrupted.
A spectacle that can finally be seen when showing and proving that I am stronger.
Since I also had a time when my mind was disrupted when competing with the escort warrior named Nam Dong-bak, I could understand that state.
And how unsightly it was.
It wasn’t for nothing that Master Zhang Sanfeng scolded me harshly.
This time was different.
I was superior.
Excitement surged.
The sensation as if I could do anything ran through my entire body.
The moment I sprang forward as instinct led.
[How immature!]
Along with a tongue-clicking sound, a word from Master Zhang Sanfeng reached my head.
He caught my ankle as I rushed forward without hesitation.
Basically, Master Zhang Sanfeng and Master Bodhidharma did not give advice on what form to use at what moment.
Unlike when I first received advice from Master Zhang Sanfeng, there was no such thing afterward. They merely pointed out the general flow.
For him to speak in that manner meant there was a problem.
While I could not immediately understand what the problem was, a single voice awakened my stopped thinking.
“Don’t rush forward too much! The formation is breaking!”
Baek Mu-ho’s shout.
With my sharp senses capable of widely detecting the surroundings, I immediately grasped the problem upon hearing those words.
The place where the raid was being made was not only here where I was blocking. Attacks were being made in all directions.
If it were a fight between individuals, there would be no need to care about the rear.
If it were a collision of formation against formation, when I alone disrupted the opponent’s formation, other colleagues could widen that gap and divide and wipe out the enemy at once.
But right now, we have escort goods to protect. If I rush out excessively, others must also come out to support me, which meant the defense of the escort goods would weaken.
Therefore, in this kind of fight, one must read the entire board.
It was a somewhat unfamiliar concept to me, who had no such experience.
[If you try to see the fist, only the fist is seen, and if you try to see the movement, only the movement is seen. If you try to see the situation, the situation is seen. Look widely and observe deeply. Do not create blind spots in your vision and thinking on your own.]
If Master Zhang Sanfeng pointed out the problem, Master Bodhidharma pointed at my lacking part and advised me.
It was content to be deeply engraved in my head.
The part where the problem lay was visible.
‘Backward.’
Certainly, the primary goal of the escort agency is the protection of the escort goods.
In a situation where there is no one using weapons like bows, there is no need to rush out and wipe out all the enemies.
First, back off.
But this led to an unexpected situation.
Seeing my movement of backing off, the raiders seemed to think they could rescue their companion lying on the ground.
Certainly, it was possible if they pushed me back just a bit more.
“Haah!”
“Hyaah!”
The two rushing while raising their momentum.
The head-on destructive power shown first was what came out when rushing forward. It was true that when backing off, it became difficult to exert strong power.
However.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Deflecting the sword slash swung to push me back further, I snatched the opponent’s wrist.
Even in this situation, Listening Force was still clear like a calm lake.
The part the raiders overlooked.
That the martial arts I boasted were not only Shaolin Fist.
Wudang Fist, which I had trained in much more deeply than Shaolin Fist, was unfolded.
Although there was no strong power, with the talent of borrowing force to overcome force and deflecting a thousand catties with four ounces, I could easily devour the ones launching preemptive attacks even while backing off.
I easily snatched one and slammed him onto the ground, and then laughed as I watched the next one launching attacks in succession.
The moment the tip of the sword he had already drawn cut through the air sharply.
Whoosh!
Thud!
His body was likewise slammed onto the ground.
Shaolin Fist when rushing forward.
Wudang Fist when backing off.
I felt that offense and defense had found their places.
Watching the enemies devoured by me as I backed off, Baek Mu-ho clicked his tongue.
“That’s not how you use a sword……”
“Whatever.”
It seemed he thought I could have just wiped them all out even if he hadn’t told me to back off.
At Baek Mu-ho grumbling and clicking his tongue as if making an excuse, I also shrugged my shoulders and replied lightly.
***
Baek Jin-seong was a person who was skilled in keeping a wide field of view. Being in a position to lead the escort mission as the Chief of the Baek Family Escort, he naturally came to have eyes that looked at situations from a wide perspective.
It was an ability a capable leader naturally possessed.
Shhh!
A sword strike that split a person in two.
It looked like he was just lightly drawing it, but the power loaded in that light sword strike was fierce.
Baek Jin-seong, who easily split the enemy before his eyes without getting a single drop of blood on his sword, clicked his tongue.
“It’s a mess already. The Bright Fate Escort Agency didn’t ask for help for nothing. We’ve taken on a troublesome task.”
A request that wouldn’t have been accepted if not for the past grudges and gratitude.
Thinking that grudges and gratitude must be clear, he accepted it, but Baek Jin-seong clicked his tongue again, saying it had indeed become a troublesome matter.
“By the way, did you also see it?”
Baek Jin-seong asked Escort Leader Jeong Il-sang beside him.
“You mean Cheong-un.”
“I’m obviously not asking about the sly rascal who was keeping his hands off in the back and just watching his friend’s martial arts.”
At Baek Jin-seong’s words turning to knock Baek Mu-ho down, Escort Leader Jeong Il-sang swung his sword in the air to shake off the blood and let out a silent small laugh.
Since he was the Escort Leader in charge of leading the escort mission when Baek Jin-seong was absent, Jeong Il-sang also had a fairly wide field of view. Therefore, he could see the same thing as Baek Jin-seong.
That Baek Mu-ho was keeping quite an eye on Yeon Cheong-un.
“It seems Mu-ho has a lot of interest in Cheong-un’s martial arts.”
“Because there is something drawing him. Honestly, my interest is also being piqued.”
“Even you, Chief?”
Escort Leader Jeong Il-sang made a somewhat surprised face.
Although Baek Jin-seong was the Chief of a single escort agency, his martial arts were at a level that could not be treated as those of a mere escort agency Chief. Even calling him a lay disciple of the Mount Hua Sect was just a cover that lowered him.
Since he was such a person, he could also be connected to that family which ‘could not be mentioned carelessly’.
Before Escort Leader Jeong Il-sang’s surprise could fully vanish, Baek Jin-seong’s murmur quietly drifted out.
“Shaolin……”
All martial arts under heaven originate from Shaolin.
It was also a phrase expressing Shaolin’s pride.
No one could contradict those words, as the characteristics of Shaolin’s martial arts were well known.
It meant they were martial arts whose characteristics were clearly revealed, no less than Wudang Fist.
In a way, they were more distinct than Wudang Fist.
Even if we accept that the boy kicked out of the Wudang Sect could use Wudang Fist deeply, what on earth was the case with him using Shaolin Fist?
“Could it be……”
While thinking about something in his head, as if he caught onto something, Baek Jin-seong let his words trail off and showed signs of setting up some deduction.
Of course, there was no possibility he thought he was directly receiving martial arts from Taoist Master Zhang Sanfeng and Great Master Bodhidharma through connection with heaven, so it would be a deduction that was nothing but a misunderstanding.
***
After receiving a raid once, Baek Jin-seong increased the speed of the escort mission.
Because he judged that there could be additional attacks if we dilly-dallied.
Thanks to that, my buttocks sitting on the baggage wagon had to suffer.
I felt like vomiting as my stomach churned, but fortunately, each time, the breath of the Clear Brightness Mind Method came up and quieted my churning stomach.
Baek Mu-ho watched me from time to time with a subtle gaze.
The reason was quickly known.
“If you’ve never experienced a running baggage wagon, it’s about time you spilled your guts?”
“……Follow me later.”
This guy has been beaten too little.
Why does this guy keep looking for trouble?
I seriously contemplated how it would be good to slam him down this time.
[Cheong-un, steel your heart.]
[Haha! The world is still in chaos.]
Suddenly, my two masters said strange things.
As if a terrible sight was spread out ahead.
I had already seen people dying.
What on earth lay ahead?
The answer to that question was quickly known.
“Whew……”
A moment later, looking at the sight before my eyes, I had to take a deep breath and compose myself.
The breath of the Clear Brightness Mind Method helped me once again.
This time, I almost spilled my guts.
A tragedy of that scale was unfolding before my eyes.
Broken baggage wagons and a flag fluttering lonely on the flagpole stuck in those wagons, embroidered with the character Bright Fate.
Under that flag, countless corpses were scattered.
There was not a single intact corpse. Most had their torsos excavated.
It meant their bellies were split and their organs were pulled out.
It meant they had searched even inside their bellies.
The cruel aspect of the Martial World. The blood-filled aspect stood before me, a novice who just entered the Martial World.