Chapter 103

Chapter 103

—Cheongryoo wins!

For Cheongryoo, the world was something to live through alone.

—Cheongryoo won again.

—Hehe. It’s Wudang’s good fortune.

—It seems there’s no one left among the younger generation who can match that child.

A genius that appears once in a hundred years.

The elders of Wudang evaluated Cheongryoo that way. They said he was material who could aim not only for Wudang’s Number One Sword but also the Jianghu’s Number One Sword in the future.

Even in Wudang, the Taoist peak of Jianghu where geniuses gather, there was no one who could compare talent with Cheongryoo. Everyone either envied or revered Cheongryoo and followed him.

There’s no one who can walk alongside me. I must lead everyone. Because I’m superior to others.

Even when he came of age and arrived at Mujeong Hall, that thought didn’t change. Because even in a place where outstanding geniuses gathered, there was no one who could match him.

Then. One year later, at the Grand Competition . When he first met the Muryeon Hall disciples.

That thought had no choice but to shatter.

—You need a beating.

Because there was someone superior to him right before his eyes.

Tuk!

“Two Minds……?”

Mujeong Hall waiting room.

Those watching the match widened their eyes at Seonwoo Gang’s voice and observed Baek Risan’s martial arts. Yin art flowing out right after using Yang art.

The level is weak. Compared to the white flames that burned fiercely like the sun earlier, the falling moonlight is too weak and frail, seeming ready to fade at any moment.

Yet it doesn’t fade. The cool moonlight maintains its existence clearly even within the flames. What does this mean?

Baek Risan is clumsily handling two energies.

Doesn’t it mean she’s handling Two Minds ?

Teok!

“Stop.”

At Cheongryoo’s suddenly quiet words, the Mujeong Hall disciples who had been staring with wide eyes looked around. Blue robes  surrounding them without them noticing.

“I have no intention of running. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on the children.”

“I’d like to do that too, sajyeong.”

With those words, a Taoist with a relaxed impression emerged from among the robes—Cheongcheon  looked at Cheongryoo with a hardened expression. Even for Cheongryoo, this matter couldn’t be easily overlooked.

“I’ll ask just one thing, sajyeong.”

“Ask.”

“Did you transmit the Two Minds Heart Art?”

“Do you think I transmitted it?”

At Cheongryoo’s evasive deflection, Cheongcheon sighed and spoke firmly.

“Don’t you know that if you transmitted it, this can’t be easily overlooked?”

Taiji Fist  represents Wudang.

But Taiji Fist alone doesn’t represent Wudang. In Wudang, which has developed over hundreds of years, there are countless divine arts and supreme techniques.

Wudang’s martial arts in the world are called the Three Absolutes . The sword art derived from Taiji Fist that reached the Wisdom Sword  is the First Absolute , and martial arts using hands like the long-established Cotton Palm and the Ten段Brocade created by a genius who inherited Wudang’s spirit are the Second Absolute .

And the Two Minds Heart Art is the last Third Absolute , a mind technique ranked at the peak even among internal energy arts. It’s not lacking to call it a secret of the sect.

“Speak clearly. Depending on the seriousness of the matter, not only sajyeong but that child too…….”

If the leak is true, even Cheongryoo, who is being discussed as Wudang’s next sect leader, can’t avoid calamity. Even being very lenient, it would be over ten years in solitary confinement, and he might even have his dantian destroyed and be expelled.

At Cheongcheon’s pitying gaze, Cheongryoo, who had maintained a calm expression throughout, asked quietly.

“Sajye .”

“Yes, sajyeong.”

“What do you think a true master is?”

“……Is that important in this situation?”

“Yes. More than anything else.”

At Cheongryoo’s sudden question, Cheongcheon, who wore a bewildered expression for a moment, thought briefly and answered carefully.

“I think a pioneer.”

“A pioneer.”

“Yes. Isn’t a true master’s role to present the path to following students more easily by having walked it first?”

“Is that so?”

Cheongcheon answered as if it were obvious, and Cheongryoo, who had been listening silently, nodded expressionlessly.

“Do you think so?”

“Yes.”

“But I think a bit differently.”

“……What?”

“Because I think not only those who lead can be masters.”

Having finished speaking, Cheongryoo closed his eyes. Memories freshly rising as he traced back time.

—Doing everything alone.

Once upon a time, there was a boy blessed with talent who was arrogant beyond measure.

—That’s good. I have no intention of opposing it. If you can do everything alone, that’s the best.

He thought he could do anything alone, and actually solved everything by himself. Training, missions, and even bringing honor to his sect—he thought he could do it all alone.

However.

—But did you really think carefully before deciding?

At the Grand Competition, when the boy.

Encountered Baek Riyun.

—Look carefully and decide.

Cheongryoo realized he was wrong.

“Cheongcheon, to me a true master is a lamp.”

To people, the future is darkness. Because no one can clearly observe their own future.

“If there’s somewhere you want to go, you must follow a path. You should also be able to scold sharply if they enter the wrong path without even knowing where they want to go.”

Life is a path you can’t walk twice. A path you can only choose carefully.

Baek Riyun never once said Cheongryoo was wrong. He said there could be such a life, so he could understand.

However, his past self was caught in momentary prejudice and didn’t look around. It wasn’t an answer obtained through much anguish and deep realization but self-abandonment, arbitrarily concluding and giving up in disappointment.

So Baek Riyun shattered it.

Because that wasn’t his decision but merely giving up.

“When three people walk together, one of them must be my teacher .”

An ancient sage said this. If there are three travelers walking, one of them will surely be my teacher.

“There’s a saying, the student surpasses the master.'”

Do you want to defeat Baek Riyun in martial arts?

No, what he learned from Baek Riyun wasn’t martial arts. This match also isn’t a place to compete in martial arts with Baek Riyun, so martial arts don’t matter.

“To surpass your master, you must surpass your master with what you learned from your master.”

Not all destinations have paths.

If a disciple tries to walk a path no one has walked, the master can’t illuminate ahead. Because it’s impossible to present answers for a path even if they haven’t walked. 

“It’s fine if it’s not the answer. It’s fine if I don’t provide the answer.”

If it’s just walking beside them. If it’s just illuminating their feet so they don’t fall.

That much is possible. M

Because in the myriad paths , sado   don’t exist.

“Now I should give you the answer you want.”

Having quietly finished speaking, Cheongryoo turned his gaze to the sparring platform. Seonwoo Gang and Baek Risan in a lull, facing each other directly.

“I didn’t transmit the mind technique completely.”

“……What do you mean?”

“If I transmit it completely, that wouldn’t be her path, would it?”

The Two Minds is originally Wudang’s, which pursues harmony. It’s different from the path Baek Risan is taking.

“There was no need.”

What he transmitted wasn’t the Two Minds Heart Art, but only the mental realization that forms Two Minds.

Cheongcheon, who had been wiping the sweat from his hands while watching Baek Risan gradually build up her flames with the help of cold energy cooling her blood channels, suddenly showed an expression of shock at the scene.

“What’s needed is just a small clue to see paths you couldn’t see before.”

Twenty years.

Cheongryoo, who had never shown a smiling face even once while together with Cheongcheon.

“Isn’t that right, Baek Riyun?”

Was quietly smiling.

Like a disciple acknowledged by a stubborn master.

***

It was obstinacy.

—You’re chasing Baek Riyun’s back.

She knew it was wrong. She, the martial artist Baek Risan, wasn’t Baek Riyun.

A moth that yearns for flames leaps into them. Foolishly craving flames without even knowing its whole body will burn up.

That’s going against providence. Because a living being’s providence is to sustain life, and leaping into fire is nothing more than choosing death.

However.

—This story has been passed down in our Wudang.

Cheongryoo said.

—A martial artist without greed can’t grow.

He said it’s natural for martial artists to be moths, since the beginning of martial arts is yearning and envy for what one doesn’t have.

Tens, hundreds.

Perhaps thousands of moths leapt in, and finally seizing the flame—that’s the essence of martial arts.

“The conditions are met.”

Sparring platform.

Having raised her sword, Baek Risan looked at her gradually cooling blood channels and spoke casually.

“I won’t burn up.”

She exceeded her limits.

Even so, limits aren’t infinite. There are limits to internal energy, and the period she extracted clues from the mental realization Cheongryoo provided was extremely short.

Later perhaps, but right now it’s nothing more than reducing the burden. It won’t be permanent damage, but after this match ends, she might be bedridden for several days. However.

One thing is certain.

Even after this match ends, the martial artist Baek Risan won’t burn up completely.

She won’t become ash.

“I kept my promise.”

At first she didn’t know, but as she continued clashing swords, she realized.

“You use your full strength too.”

Seonwoo Gang’s full strength isn’t at this level. Though it’s a faint sense of dissonance, Baek Risan can be certain.

Seonwoo Gang’s full strength definitely doesn’t fall behind her flames.

‘Full strength…….’

Looking at the sword casually extended toward him, Seonwoo Gang quietly lowered his gaze to look at his hand gripping his sword. The hand that had been trembling with faint guilt and self-loathing until just before.

‘Full strength, you say.’

He thought winning like this wasn’t right.

He couldn’t use full strength. Not because he looked down on Baek Risan. Simply because he lacked confidence.

It’s not about being cowardly by hearing weaknesses and entering the match. Seonwoo Gang was raised with the education to use anything available, and his opponent must have used all means to gather information about him too.

‘In the end, I only received help from the sect master.’

It wasn’t his own power.

‘Both the corrections and showing the path were the sect master.’

All he did himself was make decisions. How to walk the path, what lies at the end of that path—he simply followed Baek Riyun’s back.

Even now he lacks confidence. Whether he can do well after abandoning Baek Riyun’s teachings, whether this judgment is correct.

—What truth are you pursuing?

What comes to mind is the conversation he shared with Baek Riyun.

—Do you raise your sword to win?

Inhale.

With each inhale, his heart settles. The heart excited by battle gradually settled and cooled his head.

Exhale.

He exhales doubts. He exhales suspicion too. Doubts about himself, guilt toward Baek Riyun.

He exhales everything, leaving only one thing. What remains isn’t half-baked confidence or a strategy for how to win.

He raises his sword.

“You said to use full strength?”

“Do it.”

“You might get hurt.”

“Then should I leave the platform?”

Looking at Baek Risan, who glared at him with a slightly angry expression as if asking what he was talking about now, Seonwoo Gang smiled bitterly and shook his head. 

“No.”

The moment Seonwoo Gang put strength into his hand gripping the sword.

“Don’t resent me even if you get hurt.”

Blood Sea Asura Sword

Yaksha Kill

Not blood-red.

Golden sword energy bisected the training ground.