Episode 269. In Sacheon (3)
Could this be a consideration for those who regard frugality as a virtue?
The room is not fancy, but it is neatly decorated.
In a quiet atmosphere, three people were sitting with teacups in front of them. Judging from their clothes and appearance, two of them were Taoist priests and one was a monk.
Horok━ The sound of someone sipping tea echoed faintly. The oldest monk among the three took a sip of the tea first. A look of satisfaction soon appeared on his face.
“It’s Seoho Yongjeong (West Lake Dragon Well).”
“… … .”
“… … .”
The other two looked surprised and were silent for a moment. It wasn’t just because they were impressed by the monk’s insight into the superb Longjing tea. It was a well-known fact that the royal family mainly gave famous teas such as Biluochun (碧螺春), Yuan Gua Pian (六安瓜片), and Longjing (龍井) to the Buddhist Shaolin, which avoided luxury. Since the old monks who were very high in the Shaolin distribution would have come across such teas on a daily basis, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to distinguish the West Lake Longjing just by taking a sip and savoring the tea’s fragrance.
Kunlun sect’s great disciple Gu Jin and Gongdong sect’s Hyeon So were surprised for different reasons.
Old monk – Because Shaolin’s Ja-un was lifting the teacup and drinking it without using his hands, just with his strength.
A thing taken from thin air!
The same word was engraved on the minds of the two people like a Chinese character. Originally, Heo Gong Seop Mool was a general term for the art of moving distant objects with qi. When you learn the internal qi technique called breathing method or mind method and your achievement becomes profound, you can freely send and receive qi, and eventually you can even send it out of your body. The sword qi (劍氣) that kendo masters use to kill enemies from a distance or to increase their killing power by covering their swords is an example of this.
As can be seen from the phrase “Naegagi Gong (內家氣功)”, internal energy refers to the energy accumulated in the body through special breathing. The free flow of energy means that the energy inside the body can move freely as desired, and its release can also be said to be an extension of this.
But what happens when this ability to receive and control true energy reaches its peak? You can control not only the energy inside your body, but also the energy outside your body as you wish. In other words, you can use energy to exert influence from a distance. It has some similarities to the martial arts that allow for long-distance killing, but it is a more direct and fundamental skill, namely, Heogongseopmul.
Since it was not a skill that was usually directly used for killing, it felt like the Heogongseop technique was just a way for experts to show off their martial arts skills, but swordsmen from prestigious schools were quite familiar with its utility.
There is a technique called Igi-eo-geom (以氣馭劍) that only the best swordsmen of the ascendant can perform. Simply put, it is using the sword with qi (氣), and the basis of this is the Heogongseopmul.
There are inevitably vulnerabilities in swordsmanship and sword techniques that people wield and swing. This is true even for the stance taken before full-scale swordsmanship, the Gi-su-sik. The moment you take the Gi-su-sik, the sword techniques and sword paths that can be used are greatly compressed.
Swordsmen who have been swinging their swords for a long time can predict to some extent what kind of swordsmanship will come out the next moment just by looking at their opponent’s posture. What about those who have also mastered the art of eye technique? They can even tell the trajectory of the sword and the difference between a real and a false sword just by looking at the movement of their muscles.
That is why swordsmen train to be able to immediately drop their swords in any stance, and those who have mastered their swordsmanship to the extreme often have stances that appear arrogant at first glance, but when you look closely, you will find that there are almost no weaknesses.
In any case, even if it was aimed at a teacup rather than a sword, the very fact that it showed off its empty swordsmanship was a sight that swordsmen who were unable to perform it could not help but look upon with admiration.
Of course, in Jawoon’s case, it was not for the purpose of showing off, but because he really had no hands to lift the teacup, he spread out the empty cup.
Hmm━
Finally, Jawoon put down his teacup and coughed, and only then did the two come to their senses. They looked at him as if they were trying to see through how he was using his power, and then they opened their mouths with embarrassed expressions.
“I have been rude. Please forgive me, Ambassador.”
“I apologize as well. It has been so long since I have seen such exquisite skill… … .”
“No, it’s okay.”
Jawoon shook his head and smiled kindly as he spoke slowly.
“How are the two of you? I heard that you briefly regained consciousness last night.”
Among the people in Kunlun and Gongdong, only two were worthy of examining the road, as Ziyun called them ‘Yongtae’. Gukun and Taeheo – the rest, with the consideration of Dangga, received intensive treatment from Yigak and were able to recover quickly.
Gok-un and Tae-heo were also moved to the separate building to receive treatment, and Dangga Sogaju Dang Ho-yeol, the head of the household, said that there was nothing special to do about the poison, as the poisoning was so cleanly treated by Dangga Sogaju. In the end, it seemed that the acupoints and internal organs that had been damaged during the poisoning were the problem, but under Danggaju’s instructions, various medicinal herbs were mobilized and they were quickly recovering.
Then, finally, last night, I heard that both Gokwoon and Taeheo had regained consciousness. It was a great blessing for Kunlun and the others. In the current state of martial arts, which is extremely chaotic due to the Battle of Jeongma, if we lose the most powerful person in our sect, we don’t know what will happen in the future. I heard that the Changcheonga (蒼天家) that had ruled Anhui for hundreds of years, Namgung Family, was destroyed overnight.
In particular, the Kunlun sect members who had to abandon Kunlun Mountain, the sect’s stronghold, and flee were greatly relieved. If the Jangmun had been wrong, they would have inevitably gone down the path of decline, not to mention suffering a near-destructive blow. They had lost all the martial arts that had been passed down for a long time. If only Jangmun, who was learning the martial arts of the highest order, could be saved, there would be hope for a revival.
Kunlun School’s great disciple, Gu Jin, opened his mouth with a bright face.
“Thanks to the ambassador’s concern, Jang Moon will likely recover without any major aftereffects. He is not unconscious now, but rather immersed in meditation. He is said to be contemplating his inner self and personally directing the medicinal energy to the right places to hasten his recovery. We will be able to talk soon.”
“The same goes for our Lord Sa-baek. As soon as he opened his eyes, he asked me about the situation and said that he could focus on recovering his internal injuries without any worries. Oh, and after hearing about the ambassador’s affairs, he asked me to convey his thanks and words of comfort on his behalf. He said that he would never forget the kindness of Shaolin.”
Hyunso said that and nodded to Gujin. It was because they had kissed beforehand.
As Gu Jin, who had been receiving attention, nodded slightly, the two people stood up, clasped their hands together, and spoke.
“I would like to express my gratitude to you formally now. If the leader and the ambassador had not come forward, we would have certainly been left stranded on the spot.”
“Oh, of course. Sit down first. The tea is getting cold.”
Jawoon tried to stop the two by lifting his arm, which was still hanging on. However, the forearm had already been eaten by the Salbulgwi, so only the hem of his yellow robe was weakly fluttering.
Hyun So bit his lips when he saw that. After entering the Dang family, he treated the disciples and took care of Sa Baek Tae Heo, while also learning about the current state of affairs in the martial arts world—especially what had happened after he went to Xingang. In order to decide what to do after Tae Heo recovered, he had to figure out the situation first.
Of course, the one who had the authority to command the people in the Gongdongpa was Sa Baek-in Tae-heo, but in the end, he tended to act based on Hyun-so’s judgment. Knowing this, the Gongdongpa leader also assigned Hyun-so to Tae-heo.
Hyun So quickly realized that, unlike the peaceful atmosphere of Sacheon, the current state of the martial arts world was not simple. The Great Battle of Jeongma started with the destruction of the Anhui Namgung Family, the imperial family declared that official duties were inviolable, and the Hebei Peng Family was naturally excluded from the power of the Jeongdo forces…
‘I understand why only Sogaju and the ambassador came.’
Hyunso was smart and insightful. This was because he had developed the habit of thinking from various perspectives while working closely with Sa-baek, who had a quirky personality.
By the time the Kunlun Sect disciple with outstanding lightness ran to Jeongcheonmeng to ask for help, there was a high probability that news of the destruction of Namgung Sega had already been delivered.
‘Obviously, opinions were divided. Those who said that Kunlun and Gongdong should be saved, and those who said that it could not be done.’
Right now, we need to be on guard against the east of Sacheon – the Hubei area where Magwangcheon is located. Even if we send troops to the east, it’s not enough. We send a relief force in the opposite direction to the west to rescue Kunlun and the people in the alliance, whose survival is uncertain… … ?
‘The leaders of the Meng sect must have been present at the meeting. Even if others were unaware, Hwasan and Jongnam, whose temples were located in Shaanxi, must have been reluctant to save the main sect.’
Hyunso knew the tendencies of the six factions well. On the outside, they seemed to value the cause, but inside, there were many who only considered the safety of their faction as their top priority. This tendency was particularly evident when three of the old factions were destroyed and fell into decline, becoming the Six Factions. Didn’t they just watch as Ma Gwang-cheon expanded his power due to the pride struggle between the Five Great Factions and concerns about and restraints against the Black Lotus?
That is why it was so touching that Shaolin’s Ja-un came to rescue him. The leader of Jeongcheon, Dang-myeong, had relatively more time since his family, the Tang family, was in Sacheon, and as the leader, he would not have wanted to give up the Hwagyeong masters, Gok-un and Tae-heo.
But Shaolin is in Hanam.
It is close to Hubei, where Ma Guangcheon is located. The Anhui Namgung family, who had been keeping Ma Guangcheon in check along with Hubei, was destroyed, so in some ways, it could be said that the situation is even more urgent than Shaanxi. Nevertheless, rather than looking after the safety of the monks, they came to rescue him for the greater good, so I cannot help but be grateful.
‘If only the cattle had come, we would not have been able to avoid annihilation.’
Hyunso remembered. It was because Jawoon had stopped the Demonic Cult Left and Right to some extent, buying time for Dangsangmyeong to finish detoxifying. Was that all? It was Dangsangmyeong’s incredible secret technique accompanied by Umochim that directly defeated hundreds of Demonic Cult elite troops, but it was also possible because Jawoon had given him a moment of leeway.
If Dang-Myeong had come to rescue him alone, without Zhao Yun, would he have been able to protect Kun-Lun and the others while dealing with the left and right demonic cult members at the same time?
‘Impossible.’
So it would be right to see her as a lifesaver━Hyeonso thought so. And when she relayed this thought to Gujin, he also agreed. Besides, didn’t Jawoon lose three of his limbs while trying to save them?
The two agreed that they had to somehow repay Shaolin. So when Gokun and Taeheo woke up last night, they told them this and received a promise of support for Shaolin. Of course, it was questionable whether Kunlun, which had already suffered a blow close to destruction, and Gongdong, which had suffered a loss of power, could significantly help Shaolin… … .
‘……wait.’
Suddenly, Hyun-so felt a sense of unease. He found out that the imperial family had recently declared inviolability of official duties. And he heard that after the Namgung family was destroyed, Ma Gwang-cheon had not made any significant moves.
As if waiting for something.
‘If that was because they were waiting for the royal family’s declaration of non-violence on official duties… … No, if the idea of non-violence on official duties itself came from Ma Gwang-cheon’s side… … ?’
That was when Hyunso’s thoughts reached that point.
“Ambassador. Are you there?”
It was the voice of Dang Ji-hye, the daughter of the head of the family. Her voice was extremely serious. It was enough to tell that she had come to deliver bad news.
“What’s going on? Go.”
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There was no need to call for them to come in. Dang Ji-hye, who had already guessed the presence of Jawoon through her senses, opened the door right away. It could be considered rude, but there was no one here to question that.
Above all, Dang Ji-hye’s expression was extremely serious.
“I’m really, really sorry, but… … .”
“Please speak at your convenience. What on earth is going on… … Did the headquarters collapse or something?”
It’s the Thousand-Year Shaolin. – Jawoon tried to lighten the mood by joking as he spoke, but Dang Ji-hye’s expression only hardened even more.
“no way…….”
Hyunso, who can’t bring herself to say the thought that came to mind.
Gujin looks bewildered, not knowing what to say.
But all it took was one word for all three of them to share the same expression as Dang Ji-hye.
“Shaolin has been destroyed.”
