Chapter 101

Chapter 101

What is the Right Path , the correct way?

Since ancient times, countless wise men and scholars have tried to define those words, but none have been able to present a clear definition of “this is it.” That’s because defining the Right Path so definitively is fundamentally the same as the arrogance of saying that you are absolutely correct.

In learning and martial arts, techniques, military strategy, and commerce, each Right Path  differs by field and varies by person, so it cannot be clearly defined. That’s why you can’t say definitively what the Right Path is. Unless you’re a sage who has awakened to all things in creation, it’s impossible.

Nevertheless, if you were to ask what the Right Path of martial arts is, I would answer like this.

A path that constantly demands effort, and precisely gives you power equal to the effort you put in—that is the Right Path.

Pyaaang—!!!

Violently erupting flames.

I watched for a moment the appearance of the white flames  burning so intensely they seemed ready to incinerate the world, then closed my eyes. The heat felt on my skin had taken on a different aspect from the beginning of the sparring match.

“The momentum has shifted.”

“……What?”

At my words, spoken while watching the training ground with folded arms, Seohwa , who was standing in the same place as the Muryeon Hall disciples watching the match nervously, looked at me with a puzzled expression before turning her gaze back to the match. The sight of Baek Risan  still pressing Seonwoo Gang .

“Isn’t she still being pushed back? The momentum hasn’t decreased……”

“For now, yes.”

“For now?”

“Right. It’s only for now.”

I continued speaking while looking at Seohwa, who was tilting her head as if she didn’t quite understand.

“Do you know when flames burn most intensely?”

“Um, when there’s a lot to burn……?”

“An environment with a lot to burn is a good environment for flames to grow, not an environment where they burn most intensely. Rather, you could say they burn most intensely when there’s nothing left to burn.”

“When there’s nothing to burn?”

“Right.”

Flames burn most intensely just before they go out. The nature and essence of flames is to burn everything that has grown and sustained them to produce heat and light.

And conversely, this also means that when a flame’s power reaches its peak, it’s just before going out. Even though White Flame  operates in a different way from ordinary flames, it cannot erase the fundamental nature of fire.

“Did you see the sword energy  explode earlier?”

“Yes. That technique that seemed to carve letters in the air?”

“Right. That’s the supreme technique  of the True Flame White Fire Art , Hundred Flowers in Chaos .”

“Hundred Flowers in Chaos?”

“Mm.”

I nodded at Seohwa’s puzzled expression and continued the explanation.

“The supreme technique of the True Flame White Fire Art, Hundred Flowers in Chaos , adds more brand marks according to the practitioner’s proficiency. When first entering the True Flame White Fire Art, you start with one stroke  and are designed to draw up to ten strokes  of brand marks.”

“Ten strokes…… but that one was six strokes. Is it weak?”

“No. Even ten strokes only applies to absolute masters, and six strokes is sufficiently powerful at the level of late-stage masters. I myself have never drawn more than nine strokes to reach ten.”

“Then…….”

“But that’s only the story at the general late-stage master level. San’s—Muinbaek Risan’s  limit is definitely not six strokes.”

Before the first competition began.

Baek Risan showed me Hundred Flowers in Chaos with seven strokes. It wasn’t even a secret supreme technique to defeat me, just used as a checking technique to exchange damage.

In other words, Baek Risan’s proficiency in the True Flame White Fire Art has already risen to the point where she can use Hundred Flowers in Chaos with seven strokes skillfully. But what she just showed was six strokes.

What could that mean?

“The limit has started to arrive.”

“The…… limit?”

“Right. The limit.”

I affirmed and turned my gaze to the sparring platform, directly observing Baek Risan, whose exhaustion was evident. When you think about it, it was a very simple story.

About one gak  since the match began.

No matter how much full power she used, as the legitimate heir of the Baek Ri Family  who consumed large quantities of elixirs , it’s not time for Baek Risan’s internal energy to run out. Her stamina also shows no signs of declining.

Yet if there’s a reason she must reduce her power, there must be another reason.

And in this case, that reason is clear. The limitation inherent in the True Flame White Fire Art.

“It’s the overheating of the blood channels .”

“Overheating……?”

“Right. The blood channels have become too hot and can’t endure it.”

Since ancient times, the Baek Ri Family’s martial arts have divided people into four constitutions: Greater Yang , Greater Yin , Lesser Yang , Lesser Yin , and each gender separately. This is because the Baek Ri Family’s martial arts are martial arts that have developed with the differentiation of Yin and Yang  as their core martial theory.

“Until now, the Baek Ri Family’s martial arts have taken the form of choosing one of the two—Yin or Yang—to develop. Among them, the True Flame White Fire Art is particularly strong in Yang energy, so it’s recommended martial art that can be learned by Greater Yang types, Lesser Yang types, and male Lesser Yin types who can easily adapt to Yang energy due to being male.”

But Baek Risan, my younger sister, is inherently a woman with strong Yin energy, and moreover has the constitution of a Greater Yin type that conflicts with Yang energy. Even though it’s not as completely incompatible as Seohwa’s Extreme Yin Body , it means she lacks resistance to and aptitude for Yang energy.

Therefore, originally Baek Risan would not have been able to demonstrate the full power of the True Flame White Fire Art.

Only originally, that is.

“Why is it difficult for Greater Yin types to learn the True Flame White Fire Art?”

“Because their blood channels can’t adapt to Yang energy.”

“That’s correct. Then let me ask in return. If you don’t think about the blood channels’ durability, couldn’t Greater Yin types also learn the True Flame White Fire Art?”

“That would be true, but people don’t normally do that.”

“Why?”

“If you keep overworking the blood channels, later they might become blocked or severed. Unless someone’s a fool, they wouldn’t do such a thing……?”

Seohwa’s words trailed off mid-sentence as she thought for a moment, then suddenly raised her head as if realizing something. Seohwa hastily turned her gaze toward Baek Risan.

“Don’t tell me?”

“Right.”

That’s exactly it. Because.

Baek Risan is using the True Flame White Fire Art while overworking her blood channels.

“……Didn’t her instructor or master say anything?”

“There’s no way they didn’t. San’s master is none other than one of the Ten Heavens , the Baek Ri Family Head.”

I smiled bitterly at Seohwa, who asked as if incredulous.

“However, her own will is so firm and she’s such a clever one that until now she probably used her martial arts in ways that put the least strain possible. She was skilled enough compared to other late-stage masters that she could finish most matches in short decisive battles. It’s not strange to take a wait-and-see approach for a while.”

At Seohwa’s silent appearance, I quietly closed and opened my eyes before turning my gaze back to the sparring platform. The sight of Baek Risan now being pushed into a defensive position.

“……Until now.”

“That method only worked until now. Because her opponents were at most academy disciples. Because there were instructors who would stop her if she overheated. But if she graduates from Muryeon Hall and enters the Martial Force Corps , the story is different.”

The duties of the Murim Alliance Martial Force Corps are never easy. There may be cases where she must draw out her limits and even exceed them when that’s still not enough.

And if she faces her limits multiple times like that, the ending Baek Risan will face is only one.

“San’s insistence on the True Flame White Fire Art is nothing but obstinacy. Because it’s martial arts that fundamentally doesn’t suit her.”

The Right Path  is properly a path where you receive power equal to your effort.

“If despite effort after effort only destruction awaits at the end, that can’t be called the Right Path. I can’t support someone who walks a thorny path recklessly without presenting a proper answer.”

It’s cruel and merciless. But it’s something someone must do.

“Today, her obstinacy will be broken.”

Not that it’s being broken. It must be broken. Because.

Only then can Baek Risan live as a martial artist .

She’s being pushed back.

Syugak!

“Kuk……!”

At the sight of her shoulder clothing fluttering after being shallowly cut, Baek Risan unconsciously let out a groan and violently scattered white flames to create distance. But Seonwoo Gang didn’t give her time to regroup and continued pressing.

“Get away……!”

“I can’t. If not this, there won’t be another chance.”

Kagagagagak!

At Seonwoo Gang’s serious response between sword strikes that clashed and spewed sparks, Baek Risan ground her teeth and gripped her sword hilt tightly. Just as Cheongryoo  had predicted, she couldn’t see any opening for victory anywhere.

—If things continue like this, you will inevitably be defeated. Baek Risan.

One week ago.

Cheongryoo, who came to find Baek Risan, declared this. That there was no way to defeat Baek Riyun  with earnest effort using orthodox methods.

—In strategy, the most important thing is information. If you know your opponent and know yourself, there is no greater advantage.

—Conversely, it means there’s no way to defeat Baek Riyun, who has all your information.

Who is Baek Riyun?

Baek Riyun is someone with martial talent  counted among the best in all the martial world, a genius from the Jegal Family, and someone who was directly taught the schemes of wisdom  by Jegal Pyeong . It means Baek Riyun is someone with talent counted in both the literary and martial worlds.

Of course, if that were all, there wouldn’t have been the conclusion ‘you can’t win.’ However, Baek Riyun’s most fearsome point isn’t that brilliant mind, broad perspective, or excellent martial arts.

Eyes.

Eyes that measure people—that’s Baek Riyun’s true worth.

—He sees through people’s capabilities with eerie accuracy. You could call him a master of the art of using people .

Properly placing people in the right positions means having excellent ability to clearly measure that person’s limits.

If you respond in the ordinary way, or the way you’ve done until now, you’ll just be playing in the palm of Baek Riyun’s hand. Only by devising a stratagem can you move outside Baek Riyun’s intentions.

—There are two ways you can win.

—Two…… ways?

—That’s right.

Cheongryoo affirmed Baek Risan’s question and continued.

—One is to abandon Yang arts  even now and change your martial arts to Yin arts . Even if proficiency drops somewhat, it should increase your chances of winning more than now.

—You just need to abandon your obstinacy. Can you do that?

—That’s…….

—You can’t, I see.

At Baek Risan’s inability to answer, Cheongryoo bluntly spoke.

—Obstinacy is called obstinacy because it can’t be easily abandoned. If it’s obstinacy you could abandon now, you would have abandoned it long ago.

—Even if you win that way, it’s hard to see it as you winning. Isn’t that right?

It’s correct. Why did she learn Yang arts in the first place?

It’s because she admired Baek Riyun and wanted to resemble Baek Riyun.

During the fifteen years Baek Riyun was gone, the only connection Baek Risan had to Baek Riyun was the True Flame White Fire Art. Even knowing it was wrong, denying it would be the same as denying all of herself for the past fifteen years.

—So here’s the second method. The only way you can win.

Above Baek Risan, lost in thought, Cheongryoo’s cold gaze fell. And.

—Disregard your body and abandon your life as a martial artist. Burn all your blood channels to annihilate the enemy.

And now it comes to this.

Kang! Kaaaang—!!!

While clashing and being pushed back by the overwhelming force, Baek Risan bit her lip and forcefully pushed away the sword strike to create distance. The heat that had already risen to her throat.

‘My output has…… dropped significantly.’

Power dropping with each sword exchange.

If her full power is twelve, her firepower has dropped to seven. She’s still barely holding on, but if it drops further, even enduring will be difficult.

‘The limit….’

Abandon the obstinacy? Or abandon life as a martial artist?

“Ah, aaaah—!!!”

Recalling Cheongryoo’s voice asking if she could stake her life on momentary stubbornness, Baek Risan gripped her trembling arm tightly with pain and forcibly drew up her internal energy as she rushed at Seonwoo Gang. But soon Seonwoo Gang received Baek Risan’s sword strike without difficulty and forcefully pushed her away.

Kwaang!

“……Kulreok!”

Baek Risan staggered back leaving deep footprints, coughed up dead blood, and clutched at herself. The limit drawing closer.

‘I have to choose…….’

She must choose.

The option of losing here doesn’t exist. Not choosing and deferring doesn’t fit Baek Risan’s temperament. However.

What choice should she make?

Jeobeok.

“……Uk.”

At the sight of Seonwoo Gang gradually approaching, Baek Risan gritted her teeth and raised her sword to prepare for the attack. But instead of attacking, Seonwoo Gang approached to a certain distance and spoke.

“Let’s stop now.”

“……What?”

“I’m saying let’s stop. You know. There’s no point in going further.”

“No…… point?”

“Right.”

At Seonwoo Gang’s calm gaze, Baek Risan let out an empty laugh and gripped her sword hilt so tightly blood came out.

“Who are you?”

“Who are you to decide what has meaning……!”

The only memory left was warm flames. There was nothing else to cling to besides the flames.

So she clung to them. Relying on vague childhood memories, she walked the martial path for fifteen years. For Baek Risan, her master was Baek Riyun, and who she wanted to resemble was also Baek Riyun.

Why does everyone say you’re wrong?

Why do they conclude that all of it was meaningless?

“Raise your sword.”

“……Baek Risan. The sect master…….”

“I said raise your sword.”

Unacceptable.

Baek Risan, who shut down Seonwoo Gang’s attempt to say something, ground her teeth and put strength into her sword. And.

“Fine.”

The next moment.

—Can you not abandon that obstinacy?

“……Alright, I’ll play along with your intentions. Instructor.”

Baek Risan glanced once toward Cheongryoo and exhaled deeply.

—You’re like me, then. In that case.

At the same time.

—I’ll help you.

An unrestrained Fire Demon  descended.