CLS-Chapter 192

Chapter 192

That sword was like an illusion.

Moving yet not moving, flowing yet not flowing. It was impossible to distinguish whether the master was moving the sword or the sword was moving by itself.

Natural.

It’s a commonly used word.

But seeing that sword, Wei Yan-ho realized how hollow the word “naturalness” he had been using all along truly was. It wasn’t a word meant to express things like “the sword moves with life” or “overflowing with vitality.”

It simply was.

The sword naturally existed where it should be. Accordingly, the world seemed to adjust itself to match the sword.

Countless words and sentences floated through his mind, but there wasn’t a single word that could accurately express that sword.

‘This is really cheating.’

The sword moved smoothly without losing even a trace of internal energy, yet not a single gap or weakness could be seen anywhere.

What would happen if Sima Cheonse’s First Fist touched that sword?

Wei Yan-ho couldn’t help but chuckle.

The moment it touched that sword, Sima Cheonse’s First Fist would be torn apart like silk meeting a sharp blade, and Sima Cheonse’s body would suffer the same fate.

A sword where spirit, energy, and mind became one, moving most naturally in the world.

That sword was rather terrifying.

The master, who had slowly drawn the sword from bottom to top, retrieved his sword and asked:

“Did you see?”

“…Yes.”

“What did you see?”

“I don’t know.”

When Wei Yan-ho shook his head vigorously, Baek Mu-han clicked his tongue.

“Dull fool!”

“Ugh.”

Wei Yan-ho trembled and shouted:

“I’m barely even twenty yet! I can’t instantly catch up to the realm that Master has reached after living with a sword your whole life!”

“I reached this realm at your age though?”

“…There are exceptions in this world.”

Wei Yan-ho let out a deep sigh.

‘This is really ridiculous.’

The more he experienced the world, the more he realized what an extraordinary being Baek Mu-han was. No matter how boldly Wei Yan-ho acted—his liver practically living outside his body, practically left at home—if he had met him knowing the extent of Baek Mu-han’s martial prowess, he wouldn’t have been able to act so recklessly as he did when they first met.

‘Isn’t he really the greatest of all time?’

What he felt after seeing the secret manual of that Sword Emperor fellow was the depth of his master’s martial learning, and what he felt after exchanging moves with Sima Cheonse was his master’s greatness.

Sometimes such things made Wei Yan-ho’s shoulders rise with pride, but sometimes they also made him feel an insurmountable wall.

“Master.”

“What?”

“Will I really be able to surpass you?”

Baek Mu-han smiled brightly.

“Don’t even dream of it, you lazy brat!”

“Ugh.”

Wei Yan-ho trembled.

‘That’s an illusion. Not the real master.’

He knew it, he knew it well enough… but why was everything he said so annoying and irritating?

Baek Mu-han looked at the trembling Wei Yan-ho and smiled gently.

“Do you want to surpass me?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

Wei Yan-ho felt his words stuck.

Why?

Why did he want to surpass his master?

Even if he couldn’t surpass his master, there would be no inconvenience his life would have to endure. Yet why should someone who could be called the laziest under heaven put forth countless efforts for something that wouldn’t cause any inconvenience?

Seeing Wei Yan-ho seemingly fall into confusion, Baek Mu-han provided the answer:

“It’s natural for a martial artist.”

“…Martial artist.”

Wei Yan-ho couldn’t help but question.

Was he a martial artist?

If someone who learned martial arts is called a martial artist, then he was certainly a martial artist. But if martial artists are those who dedicate everything to martial arts and make pursuing higher realms their life’s goal, then Wei Yan-ho couldn’t be called a martial artist.

Was he a martial artist or not?

Thwack!

But before his thoughts could deepen, Baek Mu-han’s sword flat struck Wei Yan-ho’s head.

“Ow!”

Wei Yan-ho clutched his head and sat down.

“Why did you hit me!”

“Tsk tsk, what a foolish fellow.”

Baek Mu-han clicked his tongue looking at Wei Yan-ho glaring at him.

“What’s so special about being a martial artist? Pick up a sword and swing it around—you’re a martial artist.”

“What about spears? Fists? Legs?”

“If you don’t want to get beaten by all the things you mentioned, shut your mouth.”

“Yes sir.”

Wei Yan-ho quietly closed his mouth and neatly folded his hands. His master was someone who did what he said he’d do.

“If there’s one regrettable thing about you, it’s that your head is too good.”

“Oh!”

A compliment? Seems like a compliment?

“Those with good heads tend to try to solve everything with their heads before experiencing it directly with their bodies. Just like you right now. Instead of trying to feel with your heart what a martial artist is, you define it within yourself and try to fit into that framework.”

“…Isn’t that what everyone does?”

“You’re particularly severe about it.”

Baek Mu-han looked at Wei Yan-ho with a frowning face.

“A fellow who’s already smart by nature and even lazy on top of that tries to move minimally and find only the path that requires the least effort.”

“Isn’t that efficient?”

“What would you do if there’s a river in front of you?”

“I’d have to go around it.”

“What if there’s a mountain behind it?”

“I’d have to take a detour.”

“Right, that’s what you’d do. But what happens if you keep avoiding mountains and rivers like that? Going around and around, you’d have to circle around the place you originally wanted to go. Wouldn’t someone who struggles but climbs mountains and crosses rivers arrive faster than you?”

“Hmm…”

“That’s what efficiency is. If you try to easily solve what’s immediately in front of you, it may seem like you’re going fast for the moment, but in the end you’ll be taking the long way around. You must know how to look far ahead rather than just at the immediate present, and be willing to endure a somewhat difficult path for now.”

“That’s difficult.”

“Yes. It won’t be easy for you in particular. You try to live in this world too easily.”

“Are you saying I can’t catch up to you that way?”

“That’s hard to say.”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

“I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

Baek Mu-han smiled brightly and said:

“It has to be hard to know. A person’s realm isn’t something that rises according to set rules. If ten people climb a mountain, the paths all ten take are different, and which one reaches the summit first is something no one can know.”

Wei Yan-ho puffed out his lips.

“So can I surpass you or can’t I? Since your disciple has trouble interpreting, it would be easy to understand if you gave a clean and concise answer.”

“…Would getting beaten help you understand?”

“Your disciple will try harder to understand.”

Baek Mu-han chuckled and said:

“My path is not your path.”

“…”

“You must find your own sword. Isn’t that why you’re looking at the world now?”

“Yes.”

This time Wei Yan-ho nodded with a serious expression.

His master’s sword was invincible.

If he followed his master’s path, Wei Yan-ho might be able to reach halfway to the realm of invincibility.

But…

That way he could never surpass his master for life.

There was a path that could bring him somewhat close to his master’s realm, but that path could never surpass the master. On the other hand, there was a path where reaching his master’s realm seemed distant, but that path held a sliver of possibility to surpass the master.

Wei Yan-ho chose the latter without hesitation.

Even if that path was a journey filled only with hardship, he couldn’t predetermine his own possibilities.

‘Nine hundred ninety-nine out of a thousand would fail.’

Though the result seemed obvious.

“Yan-ho.”

Baek Mu-han called Wei Yan-ho in a gentle voice.

“Yes, Master.”

“Don’t become obsessed with surpassing me.”

“Hmm…”

“What’s important isn’t surpassing me, but establishing your own sword.”

“That seems harder. I don’t really understand what you mean. I don’t even know what kind of person I am, so asking me to know what my sword is seems too difficult.”

“No, everyone else knows what kind of person you are, so why don’t you know? Are you really saying that because you don’t know?”

“Th-that’s not what’s important.”

“Boring fellow.”

Baek Mu-han quietly walked toward Wei Yan-ho and patted his head.

“…This is kind of ticklish?”

“Isn’t it better than pain?”

“Your disciple considers being good at enduring ticklishness one of his strengths.”

“Tsk tsk.”

Baek Mu-han quietly looked at Wei Yan-ho and opened his mouth.

“You don’t find your own sword.”

“Just a moment ago you seemed to be telling me to find it? Are you being wishy-washy because of your age?”

“Should I make you wishy-washy at your young age?”

“Hehe, just joking, just joking.”

When Baek Mu-han glared at him, Wei Yan-ho shrank.

‘Ignorantly strong old geezer!’

Shameless—even in dreams he’s strong. If this is his own dream, shouldn’t he conscientiously let him win sometimes in the dream as human nature dictates? What kind of old man barges into someone else’s dream and beats people up?

“You build your own sword.”

“…What?”

“Draw the sword you desire within yourself. And think about what’s needed to achieve that sword.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Baek Mu-han with a completely confused expression.

“Hmm.”

Baek Mu-han sighed lowly and tapped Wei Yan-ho’s head.

“It might still be a bit early for you. After a bit more time passes and your realm rises a bit higher, you’ll understand. You’ll learn that a sword is another way of defining yourself.”

“What you’re saying now sounds like the cloud-chasing nonsense of Shaolin or Wudang that you so despised, Master.”

“What did you say?”

“Your disciple will always keep it in mind.”

“In that spirit, let’s go at it vigorously today too.”

“…Today too?”

Baek Mu-han nodded vigorously.

“You were honestly a bit scared when you fought that young fellow recently, weren’t you?”

That young fellow…

Is he talking about Sima Cheonse?

Certainly compared to Baek Mu-han, Sima Cheonse is a bit young.

“Wh-who was scared?”

“This Baek Mu-han shed tears of blood internally watching a fellow who received this Baek Mu-han’s guidance and sparred with this Baek Mu-han get scared by such a pathetic fellow and not even display half his true ability.”

“…Master, please calm down. Master has already passed away. No, to be precise, you had already passed away before meeting me.”

“I think I’ve been too lenient with you all this time.”

Crack crack crack.

The sound of bones clashing echoed from Baek Mu-han’s hand gripping his sword.

“If I had properly faced you a few times, you wouldn’t have been overwhelmed in spirit by such a fellow… It’s not a matter of realm but attitude, which makes my heart ache even more.”

“…Damn Dream Training Technique.”

Wei Yan-ho looked up at the sky with a tearful expression.

This was a dream world created by Baek Mu-han. Since it was made based on his consciousness, nothing could be hidden and there was nowhere to escape.

And the higher Wei Yan-ho’s realm became, the more his understanding of martial arts rose, the martial arts of Baek Mu-han he experienced became as vast as the ocean and as high as the sky.

In other words, the Baek Mu-han created by Wei Yan-ho’s illusion was getting stronger as Wei Yan-ho came to know the real Baek Mu-han’s essence.

“I’ll show you hell so you never cower in real combat again… no, I’ll train you!”

“It seems your true feelings slipped out there, Master? Master?”

“Shut up!”

Baek Mu-han’s sword covered the entire world and fell toward Wei Yan-ho.

Wei Yan-ho muttered as he watched the scene:

“Really hopeless…”

CRASH!