Chapter 46. Journey to Shaanxi (3)
Deep within Daemang Mountain, there lies the ancient corpse of what appears to be a martial master, alongside tattered and decayed fragments of a martial manual and an extraordinary elixir.
It's easy to tell others about such a discovery, but convincing them to believe it and embark on the search together is an entirely different challenge.
Even to me, it sounds like a highly suspicious tale—something you'd expect to find in a cheap novel rather than reality.
To make matters worse, due to a certain mental restriction imposed upon me by the nature of my regression, I cannot reveal the fact that I have returned to the past.
If anyone were to ask how I knew about it or who told me, I'd have no answer, leaving me in an awkward situation.
Of course, I had considered sneaking off at night to search for it alone…
But honestly, trying to find a path I've only ever heard about in the pitch-black darkness? I wasn't confident. On top of that, there was no way I could completely deceive the Blood Venom Unit leader, who had been assigned to guard me.
I could suppress my aura enough to keep it from leaking out, but hiding my presence entirely like a seasoned assassin? That was beyond my abilities.
As I was pondering how to reach the cave naturally, I happened to see the Blood Venom Unit leader sharing tales of his younger days, with Tang Sowol listening intently.
That's when it hit me—I could do the same.
Fortunately, as embarrassing as it was, I had just the right story to tell.
So, at the break of dawn, as Tang Sowol was tying her hair in preparation for a light morning exercise, I approached her with a question.
"Shall we stay here for another day?"
"Hm? Why the sudden change of plans?"
"I want to explore the mountains nearby. Also, there's something I'd like to share with you."
"Hmm… I'm not sure what story you want to tell, but if that's what you wish, I suppose staying an extra day wouldn't hurt. It's not like we're in any hurry."
Good. That was the first step.
***
After breakfast, we set off on a mountain path. It wasn't particularly treacherous, so Tang Sowol and the Blood Venom Unit leader climbed at a leisurely pace.
Since the unit leader rarely spoke unless necessary, Tang Sowol was the first to break the silence.
"So? What's this story that made you drag us up a mountain?"
"If I had to put it simply, it's about my childhood."
"Well… you still look like a child to me."
"Then let's say it's a story from when I was even younger."
"Heheh! I was just teasing. It's just surprising since you never talk about yourself."
Tang Sowol chuckled as she gently stroked my arm, as if soothing a sulking child. I had plenty of retorts ready, but since it was true that I was still young, I let it slide.
Besides, the story I was about to tell was from my past life, when I was around my current age.
I sighed lightly before continuing.
"Where should I start…? Ah, right. First, I should mention that I had a master."
"Well, that's to be expected, isn't it? With your skills at such a young age, talent alone wouldn't have been enough."
"But my swordsmanship and internal energy techniques didn't come from my master. I pieced them together from various martial arts I picked up along the way."
"…What?"
Tang Sowol widened her eyes in disbelief, but it was the truth.
The Ironblood Hall leader had been something akin to a master to me, teaching me literature and many other things, but when it came to martial arts, she had only taught me movement techniques and basic combat strategies.
Sure, she had pointed out dangerous flaws in my crude swordsmanship and internal techniques, but that was about it.
She never truly passed down her martial arts to me. Even the movement technique she "taught" was something I developed out of necessity during my training.
That was why, until the day she breathed her last, I had never openly called her my master.
Because I had never inherited her true martial arts.
Lost in old memories, I fell silent for a moment. Tang Sowol, patiently waiting for me to continue, blinked at me curiously. Seeing her reaction, I smirked and resumed my story.
"My internal technique is a modified version of Blood Wolf Art—a third-rate demonic technique—refined using other internal arts I either bought or stole. As for my swordsmanship, I started with the basic Three Talents Sword Art, then experimented with countless styles, ultimately creating something that's neither here nor there."
"…Did you just say you modified and created your own techniques?"
"It's not as impressive as it sounds. I had someone to correct me when I strayed too far, and I wasn't inventing something new—I was merely adjusting existing techniques to suit myself. If someone else were to learn my martial arts, at best, they'd reach the level of a first-rate expert… maybe second-rate."
The true power of Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art depended entirely on my personal insights.
Anyone lacking similar experiences or realizations would be consumed by its murderous aura and fall into deviation.
No matter how powerful it was, a technique was meaningless if one couldn't wield it with a clear mind.
The same applied to my swordsmanship. My style had no formal techniques. It was a patchwork of moves taken from various schools, used as needed.
However, each strike was executed at the precise moment, in the precise manner, with the precise intent required.
If I failed to do so, my swordsmanship would be nothing more than flailing.
After hearing my story, Tang Sowol shook her head in disbelief.
"To me, that sounds even more impressive. So when you rejected my father's offer and spoke of 'your own mountain to climb,' this is what you meant?"
"That's right. Though, I wouldn't say it's particularly impressive. It's simply a matter of perspective. I don't know much about orthodox martial arts, but I've heard that each technique carries a deeper meaning."
But to me, techniques—no matter how refined—were merely methods of killing.
While others pursued martial arts as a way of life, passing them down through generations to elevate their lineage, I approached it differently.
That's why I dismantled techniques.
Even though my swordsmanship was nothing more than first-rate at best, all martial arts contained a true essence (眞, jin).
The quality of a technique depended on how well it embodied that essence, but no technique was entirely devoid of meaning.
Rather than trying to understand or embrace meanings that didn't resonate with me, I broke them down until nothing remained but their core movements—the smallest units of action that produced specific effects.
In the end, my sword was merely an assortment of these essential movements, wielded as the situation demanded.
If there was any underlying intent, it was simply to kill my enemy.
"So, to brag a little—I am good with a sword. I can confidently say that there aren't many in all of the Central Plains who can match me. But… if you ask whether my sword has depth, the answer is no."
That was why the Ironblood Hall leader had always told me…
That she hoped I wouldn't live my life solely to survive.
That she wanted me to see the world, experience more, and realize that there were other paths besides the one I walked.
She had always tried to teach me a way to live, not just how to fight.
Ironically, it was only after losing everything once that I finally understood her words.
"Oh, now that I think about it, I heard something similar not too long ago."
I glanced playfully at Tang Sowol, and she averted her gaze, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Ahem. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"If I have spent my whole life walking this path simply because I knew no other, then someone wanted to show me that there are different roads to take… and that this one isn't so bad either. Even if you don't remember saying it, Tang Sowol, I do. That's enough."
"Kyaaah! Why are you suddenly bringing that up? And in front of other people, no less…!"
Flustered, Tang Sowol trailed off as she turned around.
There stood the Blood Venom Unit leader, looking away as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Of course, the slight twitch at the corner of his lips suggested he had been listening quite intently.
Tang Sowol shot me a glare full of resentment, but I simply chuckled and shrugged.
"The conversation may have veered off track a little, but the point is this—I once thought I was a genius."
"…I don't quite follow how that's your conclusion."
"Why not? Even if my martial arts lack depth, I handle a sword well, don't I? Now, imagine a younger version of me—one who just picked up a sword and hadn't yet realized the importance of depth. What kind of thoughts do you think I had?"
"…Ah."
At last, Tang Sowol seemed to grasp something, her lips parting slightly in realization.
Now, I knew that my lack of depth was the greatest obstacle preventing me from reaching the Flowering Stage.
I also knew that in this vast world, there existed a monster known as the Heavenly Demon.
But back when I was nothing more than a frog in a well, I genuinely believed that I was a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy.
"A genius born once in a thousand years. A hero whose name would go down in the annals of the martial world. A grandmaster who would single-handedly build a force to rival the Five Great Clans and the Nine Sects. …I actually thought I might be that person."
"Th-That much?!"
Tang Sowol looked at me as if I had lost my mind.
But shockingly, before my regression, the fifteen-year-old Cheon Hwi-da had truly believed such nonsense.
"Do you know why I have such extensive knowledge about special physiques?"
"Now that you mention it… that is rather strange."
I knew an unusual amount about Poison Spirit Physique and Pure Yin Physique, mostly because I had heard firsthand accounts from those who possessed them.
But my knowledge extended beyond just those—I understood many rare constitutions, their abilities, their drawbacks, how to overcome them, where to go, and what martial arts to learn to make full use of them.
For an ordinary martial artist, such knowledge was entirely unnecessary.
And the reason I knew all this was simple.
"I thought I had one of those rare physiques."
"…Excuse me???"
"To be honest, I figured that was the only explanation for my genius."
Once again, I'll say it—I was utterly convinced that I was special.
And why wouldn't I?
I was newly enamored with martial arts, and I had reached a level where I was confident I could defeat every Red Sand Gang bastard except their leader.
That kind of arrogance stuck with me for quite some time.
"Thinking about it now, it's so embarrassing I could dig a hole and hide in it. But back then, I was dead serious. Even when I was simply gathering firewood, I would deliberately venture deep into the mountains, looking for unusual terrain."
"…I don't quite understand. Why would you do that?"
"Because I figured someone like me was bound to stumble upon a great opportunity sooner or later."
By now, Tang Sowol didn't even have the energy to be surprised—she just gaped at me.
I fought the urge to poke her cheek and continued. This part was important.
"So, whenever I saw a tree with an unusual shape, I would investigate the area, wondering if something was hidden there."
I casually pointed toward a tree in the distance, one that grew sideways in a shape eerily reminiscent of a snake with its mouth open.
As I stepped off the trail toward it, Tang Sowol and the Blood Venom Unit leader hesitated for a moment before following.
Good. I just needed to repeat this a few times.
We continued on, passing a toad-shaped boulder, a valley where the wind howled like wailing ghosts, and a waterfall that split into two streams.
And eventually, hidden behind thick foliage, we found a small cave.
I had heard of this place before my regression, so I had a vague idea of its location.
Though I wandered a bit, it didn't take long to find.
At first, Tang Sowol had been skeptical, but as the search went on, she started to enjoy herself, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
At last, we arrived at the cave entrance, and I paused before speaking.
"This is it. Back then, I thought this would be the final place—the one that held a true opportunity.
A sacred herb of unmatched power.
A slumbering mystical beast.
A hidden chamber where an ancient master had left behind a martial manual and a legendary elixir."
"Hah. That's the classic story, isn't it? But… well, every now and then, things like that really do happen."
Tang Sowol exhaled sharply, clearly enjoying the little adventure. I smirked and nodded.
"Well then, let's go inside. Just… don't get your hopes up too much."
"Heh. At this point, something has to be here. Didn't you find the Purple Flower Poison Enhancing Grass in a similar manner?"
"…I suppose you could say that."
After all, I had found it based on information I remembered from my past life.
"Alright, that's enough talk. Stand beside me. We're going in together."
"Got it."
With Tang Sowol standing next to me, I pushed aside the overgrown foliage covering the entrance and stepped inside.
Just as expected, at the center of the cave lay a single martial manual and a wooden box emitting an ominous aura.
And sitting cross-legged before them…
A gaunt old man silently watched us.
The moment I sensed the concealed killing intent, my body reacted instinctively.
I drew my sword.
…I hadn't expected him to still be alive.
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[TL]
Happy Christmas! <*~*>