Chapter 56: Decision Win
Determination was felt in Aunt Han San-wol’s voice.
She would surely do as she had said.
If necessary, she would take action in a way that did not care if I died.
Was she serious, or was her intention to stimulate me to more clearly verify what was contained inside me?
[It seems she thinks you are playing the role of a dog for some mysterious faction. And she is in a hostile relationship with that mysterious faction.]
It seemed so. There also seemed to be parts entangled with that person named Ximen Dacheng whom she mentioned earlier.
[In the midst of that, that fellow Baek Mu-ho, who went out with you, came back having learned something strange of unknown origin.]
‘Ah…….’
It could look as if the hostile side had approached Baek Mu-ho through me.
Putting such an assumption in place, Aunt Han San-wol’s words and deeds became understandable. I almost nodded unconsciously at Master Zhang Sanfeng’s deduction.
[Just listen. Do not give any strange signs.]
‘Yes.’
If not for Master Zhang Sanfeng’s warning, I would have nodded.
If it were when Baek Mu-ho was by my side, I would have had a conversation while talking to myself appropriately, but in a situation like this, it would only grow the misunderstanding instead.
[Since she is still in the stage of doubting, she will show some leniency, but even so, that power, the Yin Cold Qi, cannot be controlled, so you must not let your guard down.]
A blade can be controlled according to the handler’s will. It can just cut the skin slightly, or cut it off completely.
However, he said Yin Cold Qi was different.
[Most of a person’s body is composed of moisture. That is why defense is impossible. Yin Cold Qi at its peak freezes the opponent just by lightly touching them.]
It freezes the moment it touches. Of course, if there is sufficient internal energy, one can withstand it, but the advantage in compatibility against a human body does not disappear.
Such was the dreadfulness of Yin Cold Qi.
[For that reason, in my era, martial arts that handle Yin Cold Qi were classified as unorthodox. This was because cases of killing people unintentionally occurred frequently, and it was indeed a martial art with high lethality.]
‘That is the case even now.’
Most of the martial arts of the Nine Great Sects, which can be called the center of the orthodox factions, are of the Yang-strong lineage.
‘I had guessed, but…….’
I had seen this immense chill once in the past.
‘At that time, it was a scene I just thought was beautiful.’
[Still, if it is you, there is no need to worry as you will not be greatly hurt against Yin Cold Qi.]
‘Yes?’
[Your expression!]
It was hard to understand what on earth Master Bodhidharma was talking about.
[Of course, if a child of that level does her best, it would be a different story, but if she holds back appropriately like now, it will be fully possible to at least endure it.]
‘Excuse me, Master? It is good that you trust your disciple, but…… I will die?’
Among those I had faced so far, the strongest expert was the Divine Monk Gong-ryo, but that felt like he was half-indulging my antics, so I would pass, and if I had to choose the opponent I thought was the most hopeless among those I had actually fought, it was Taoist Jabu, who had brandished a sword at me out of nowhere at the Mount Hua Sect.
An elder of the Mount Hua Sect, which occupies a corner of that great Nine Great Sects.
Yet Aunt Han San-wol was displaying a pressure greater than Taoist Jabu.
‘If this is what she revealed while holding back, the reality must be immense.’
Indeed, it was worth Master Zhang Sanfeng’s warning.
The depth of martial arts achieved by the middle-aged beautiful woman, who was still at an age to grow, exceeded that of the Nine Great Sects’ elders.
[It is coming. Pull yourself together!]
At Master Zhang Sanfeng’s shout, my distracted mind steeled itself.
My senses, which had become sharp like a blade ground on a whetstone, felt the encroaching energy. Master Zhang Sanfeng’s Listening Jin and Master Heavenly Demon’s synesthesia quickly took position to prepare for a response.
‘Oh no!’
The perceived presence was already close at hand.
‘Fast!’
I barely managed to react, but avoiding it was difficult.
Gathering all the strength I could pull up, I concentrated it in my arms.
‘This is the power that freezes a person in an instant……’
If I recalled Master Zhang Sanfeng’s advice, avoiding it at all costs was the best plan. Direct contact must be avoided.
It had gone awry from the start.
‘I can only hope the Heavy Earth Divine Art holds……!’
Boom!
A dizzying shock came in through my arms and struck my torso.
It felt as if I had been hammered down, in a way that would flatten even a lump of iron like paper.
“……!”
For a moment, I could not breathe. A shock, for which even coughing seemed a luxury, passed through my body.
‘Ugh! The chill is……’
Experiencing a breath-taking shock was not the first time.
However, a blow by Yin Cold Qi was a first.
It felt as if I had been thrown naked into freezing cold.
The trembling, which escaped control, did not stop. Although I sent the will to stay still from my head, my shivering body did not know how to cease.
However.
‘Huh? More than I thought…… it is bearable.’
Considering the magnitude of the Yin Cold Qi that was felt, my current condition was rather favorable.
It was said that the reason one knows the moon is bright is because the darkness of the night is that deep. Because I could measure the size of the Yin Cold Qi that seeped into my body, the energies inside me that moved actively in response to the Yin Cold Qi were felt more clearly.
[Earth overcomes Water.]
Master Bodhidharma’s voice awakened me.
Earth overcomes Water.
The way a person controls water is to borrow the power of the earth.
[Although the chill of the Yin Cold Qi Art differs in form or property, its essence is the same as Water Qi.]
As energy, the largest and strongest things inside me were the Heavy Earth Divine Art and the divine power of the earth.
It was a part I had also felt when obtaining the divine power of metal, but this force called divine power surpassed the energy of the present world itself in its energy.
The divine power of the earth, which harmonized with the Heavy Earth Divine Art, was as steadfast in its temperament as the foundation of the atmosphere.
‘Endure…… No, push it out!’
Although the chill that seeped into the marrow of my bones reached to my joints and tried to freeze my body, it began to be pushed away by the power of the Heavy Earth Divine Art instead.
My stiffly freezing body was finding its softness before I knew it.
“To think you can move your body, quite impressive.”
At the sight of me moving my limbs despite being struck by the Yin Cold Qi, Aunt Han San-wol’s eyes flashed.
“That makes it even more suspicious.”
Martial power unfitting for my age. And that rate of development.
It seemed those appearances reminded her even more of the look that the person named Ximen Dacheng had shown in the past.
An emotion like a shred of certainty was felt in the voice that followed.
Although I managed to handle it somehow, the situation became even worse.
‘Dammit……’
I understood. If she recognized that what was contained in Baek Mu-ho’s Snow Plum Sword was not Buddhist martial arts, and if many unnatural things were found in other parts entangled with it, she could misunderstand.
However, understanding and accepting were separate matters.
It felt as if something snapped with a pop in my stomach.
[There must be something being stimulated. Fire spreads greatly when it meets wind. That is how it is when energies of mutual generation and overcoming meet.]
According to Master Bodhidharma’s words, the wriggling felt inside me was apparently not simply due to the movement of emotions.
Master Bodhidharma’s voice was heavy and serious.
Something was happening inside me.
[During this time, you have contained many things in a short period.]
‘Yes.’
Master Zhang Sanfeng’s martial arts. Master Bodhidharma’s martial arts. Master Heavenly Demon’s martial arts.
The divine power of the earth left by the Gold-furred Ape, and the faint divine power of metal settled inside me. And the Divine Shaking Iron that had taken place in a corner of my body as if it were an inner core.
Each and every one of them was not ordinary.
[The earth contains and converges. And when the time comes, it radiates and releases what it has contained.]
It was Master Bodhidharma speaking of the nature of the Five Elements mentioned when talking about the divine power of metal, specifically the nature of Earth among them.
[Now is that time.]
The time to release what has been contained.
[The path will be opened by the Three Talents One Qi Art.]
The contained things were released.
Carving out a new domain.
The Heavy Earth Divine Art throbbed.
It ran wild like a wild horse along the path made by the Three Talents One Qi Art.
Everything contained within me wriggled and gathered in one place.
Thump!
Like bamboo shoots breaking through the earth in the energy of spring, that which stretched out under the earth’s grace sprouted under the sunlight.
That which surged up broke through my limits all at once and stretched out.
‘Second Stage? No…… beyond that!’
The achievement that had stopped at the First Stage of the Heavy Earth Divine Art crossed over that in a single bound. The width of growth surpassed my imagination.
Although Master Bodhidharma did not teach me, I instinctively realized where the expanding realm had reached.
‘Third Stage?!’
It was a monstrous growth. A progress that ran to the end of a leap, for which even the word growth did not fit, produced a force converging on a single point.
“Show me your everything.”
Feeling that my momentum was changing, Aunt Han San-wol raised her energy again as if it were a good thing.
The tips of Aunt Han San-wol’s hair were dyed white, albeit slightly.
Although it was not an appearance of going all out, she was more serious than at first.
‘If I do not do my best, I will die.’
Somehow, it felt like risking my life was a frequent occurrence lately.
However, if it was something that had to be done, I did not avoid it.
Did she say she must see my true limit?
I shall show you!
‘If you can see it!’
The Heavy Earth Divine Art took the central framework where energy gathered.
The path extending outward was handled by the Three Talents One Qi Art.
[That is it.]
Releasing the gathered force was with Master Bodhidharma’s secret technique, the Extreme Might Strike!
[Erect it like a spear and stretch it out as if to pierce through!]
Spear and Halberd Piercing Strike.
On the Extreme Might Strike, where all energies overlapped and condensed, a vortex, a swirling current converging at a single point, was loaded.
A fierce flow was loaded onto my fist and stretched toward the center of the cold air that rushed at me.
Ka-boom!
With a roaring sound, a shockwave to the extent of making the ground heave pushed out in all directions.
Among those pushed back by that shockwave was my body.
“Ugh!”
Blood drops flowing from my tightly shut mouth met with the cold air raging in all directions, freezing like rubies, and then scattered like water mist.
Inside the flow where red gems shattered and scattered finely, my body rolled like a scattering autumn leaf.
I was pushed back.
Having had a direct contest of strength with an expert who was immeasurably higher, it was a natural outcome if natural.
“Haha!”
However, looking at the result, I sneered.
[This much can count as a decision win.]
[Good.]
Despite contesting strength against an overwhelming existence, I did not lose.
The energy I stretched out penetrated the terrible cold air for a moment and shook the inside.
The sensation of having achieved that remained clearly in my hand.
The fact that Aunt Han San-wol’s brow, which had been relaxed all along, was narrowed was the proof.
“For now…… it seems I have shown you everything I could show, but are you satisfied?”
Even breathing was overwhelming. It felt as if someone was clutching and twisting my lungs. Having to speak in such a situation felt like dying.
Even in the midst of that, I poured out everything I had to say.
Aunt Han San-wol looked at me with furrowed eyes.
“You are hiding many things.”
“I have revealed everything for now.”
“……Do you see this hand?”
Aunt Han San-wol reached out her hand to me as if showing off. A small tremor, like the surface of a temple bell producing a grand sound, was situated in that hand.
“I thought the martial arts that could handle my Bright Jade True Qi would not exceed ten in the world, but what kind of martial art is it that penetrates my forty percent power and shakes it with that level of energy?”
“hahaha!”
Although opening my mouth was painful, and it felt like my lungs were being twisted, I laughed heartily.
I heard words that made the trouble worthwhile.
Most of all.
“Since you said you do not know the martial art, can I take it to mean it is also different from the martial art of that person named Ximen Dacheng?”
Just as Master Zhang Sanfeng said, I had won at least a decision win.