Chapter 92

Chapter 92

It’s something to say again, but the strategy one can employ in consecutive victory battles is extremely limited.

In some ways, this was natural. After all, consecutive victory battles are a gate where one side fights one-on-one until they’re all defeated. The only strategy you can devise is the order of appearance, isn’t it?

A mere change in order can’t overturn an overwhelming difference in strength. That much is a fact no one can deny.

However, that doesn’t mean strategy isn’t important. There are plenty of cases where a slight difference creates a reversal, aren’t there?

“Muryeongwando Unjin. Hahaha.”

“Ch-Cheonggyeong.”

That’s why Cheonggyeong couldn’t understand the situation where Unjin was now standing before him.

“Hmm.”

On the training ground.

Looking at Unjin who had walked out, Cheonggyeong let out a contemplative sound and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before opening his mouth.

“I didn’t expect you to come out already.”

“Haha.”

Unjin, who laughed awkwardly, raised his hand to scratch his cheek and answered.

“You don’t need to put it indirectly. You’re saying that with my skills, I’m not your match, right?”

“Not to that extent…….”

At the words that weren’t wrong, Cheonggyeong silently closed his mouth. Because facts were facts.

Unjin is no match for Cheonggyeong.

It’s not simply about discussing the level of martial arts. Of course, in terms of martial arts level, Cheonggyeong would have the advantage, but does victory and defeat get decided solely by martial arts level?

It’s commonplace in the martial world for someone one or two moves behind to defeat a master. Naturally, even if martial arts are inferior, if you fight ten or a hundred times, there’s a possibility of winning once.

But what about Unjin and Cheonggyeong?

‘The compatibility doesn’t match.’

Right. That would be the perfect way to put it.

Despite his smooth manner of speech, Unjin’s rather impatient nature had very poor compatibility with Cheonggyeong, who catches openings by deflecting the opponent’s attacks. If Oh Ryeong could win once or twice out of ten fights against Cheonggyeong, Unjin would need to fight twenty times to win even once.

“……Unjin. If this was decided hastily, I’ll give you a chance to change. The match hasn’t started yet.”

Victory through the opponent’s mistake would be meaningless. Having finished his contemplation, Cheonggyeong carefully spoke, and Unjin wore a small smile. And the answer that followed.

“It’s fine.”

“Are you really fine with this? Though it’s awkward to say this, I think you could demonstrate your skills more reliably against someone else.”

“Haha. I think so too, but I have someone I trust more than myself.”

Having let out a quiet laugh, Unjin stepped back two paces and aimed his Buddhist staff forward. A clear will not to withdraw from the fight, visible to anyone.

“……If that’s what you think.”

Accepting Unjin’s will, Cheonggyeong let out a light sigh and took his stance in turn.

“May we begin?”

“Yes.”

“Then…… assume stance!”

At the referee’s signal, both sides took their starting positions, and after a brief silence.

“Begin—!!!”

The match commenced.

“I’m sorry about this.”

Simultaneously, Cheonggyeong’s fist struck Unjin.

Kwaang—!!!

—This time I’ll win! I’ll definitely win!

From long ago, Unjin had thought that willpower was a type of talent.

—Aak! Those damn Mujeong Hall bastards, next year I’ll gather them all up and beat them down.

—Haha. Your dreams are grand, Oh Ryeong. If only that were possible.

—What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t you even have the will to win?

—What can I do about the difference in skill? Empty-handed we come, empty-handed we go —I came with empty hands, so I’ll go without great greed.

Three years ago.

When Oh Ryeong burned with fighting spirit against the Mujeongwando after losing the first Grand Competition, Unjin didn’t join in and maintained the attitude that such things could happen. And naturally so, because he had keenly felt the difference in skill.

—I hope we can put up a better fight next time. Haha…….

The Mujeongwando he’d thought were rivals were seriously strong. To the degree where it seemed impossible to narrow that gap right now.

He thought his effort was lacking.

Though he spoke to the fired-up Oh Ryeong as if it didn’t matter, he woke up at dawn every day and devoted himself to martial arts training.

However, at the next, second Grand Competition, when he faced Cheonggyeong and lost, Unjin lost the will to make effort.

Because Cheonggyeong had defeated Unjin in just thirty exchanges.

—……I’m sorry. I’m sorry my martial arts are weak, Unjin.

—What are you saying, Abbot? No. It’s because I’m insufficient.

He’d made sufficient effort. But he didn’t want to blame it on martial arts either.

So he attributed it to difference in talent. That the opponent wasn’t good, that the talent one was born with was different from the start.

He’d been evading it that way.

—I’ll make you defeat him.

So, that was something that happened in the past.

Kung!

“Hup!”

At the sound of stepping and the fist Cheonggyeong extended, Unjin, who met it with his Buddhist staff, reflexively turned his body to create distance. Simultaneously, a strong impact transmitted through his forearm.

‘Heavy.’

Gritting his teeth, Unjin struggled to maintain his smiling expression while dispersing the residual force and responding. An impact heavier than imagined shook his entire body. A heaviness unbefitting Wudang , which specializes in softness.

But even so, he wasn’t flustered. 

Because this was an anticipated situation.

—Since ancient times, Wudang’s martial learning has been called ‘yielding controls the strong’ . That softness is Wudang’s essence, that Wudang martial arts’ characteristic lies in that softness, they say. Do you think this is true?

—Amitabha. Isn’t that so?

—It’s not entirely wrong. But it’s not entirely right either. Half correct, you could say.

Baek Riyun’s words flashing through his mind.

—After all, soft techniques ultimately amount to softly beating down your opponent. Martial arts that don’t harm the opponent are just empty words, actually no different from half-measures.

—As far as I’ve heard, the number of evildoers Wudang has killed easily exceeds several thousand, and the number of yokai they’ve dispatched likewise exceeds several thousand. To face monsters and demons, you need not soft techniques  but solid techniques .

Just because they specialize in softness doesn’t mean it’s only soft martial arts. What’s truly important is the solid technique that comes after the soft technique, so be careful of that.

That’s what Baek Riyun advised.

“If you won’t come, I’ll go.”

Unjin was now thoroughly feeling what those words meant.

Kung!

Like a signal to begin, with a stepping sound, a palm strike of heavy power struck the Buddhist staff. Simultaneously, Cheonggyeong closed in one step and struck with a shoulder ram .

Evading to the side one step to create distance. It was close to common knowledge that someone wielding a long weapon would struggle if they yielded distance to an unarmed martial artist. However, unconcerned, Cheonggyeong closed in again.

“How long do you plan to just run away?”

And immediately.

Yuyuhyeoncheongijang

Cheongrimphunglae

An endless barrage of strikes began pouring down.

Tung! Tudung!

“Urk……!”

A dull sound like beating a drum, and with the transmitted shock, Unjin let out a groan and repeatedly stepped backward. Each time he deflected an attack, it returned at the same speed as if nothing had happened.

The consecutive strikes weren’t flashy. They weren’t fast either. Simply each strike steadily drove attacks into Unjin’s body, and the connection to the next attack flowed like water.

‘I can’t break through……!’

Why are slow attacks still consecutive strikes?

There are no gaps between attacks. As if it were one motion, the deflected hand loosely circles through the air and strikes the Buddhist staff. Like how water cannot be cut with a blade, it cannot be severed.

Then what should he do?

How could he win?

—Hold out.

“U…… Aaaak—!!!”

Ttadadadadadang!

Having let out a scream-like shout, Unjin swung his Buddhist staff as if he had four hands and deflected all of Cheonggyeong’s consecutive strikes. Unlike the merciful Buddhist martial arts, the Buddhist staff drew countless afterimages as if it were a Vajra Yaksha  determined to accomplish the destruction of evil .

“Hup……!”

At Unjin’s sudden struggle, Cheonggyeong, wearing a flustered expression, stepped back. However, not letting go of the captured opening, the Buddhist staff continued striking.

Gimen , Geulgwol , Cheonchu , Gokgol , and even Hwagae . In an instant, the Buddhist staff flew toward vital points in numerous places. Barely succeeding in deflecting them, Cheonggyeong revealed a great opening. 

“This is……!”

“End……!”

In time slowed by concentration.

Watching Cheonggyeong’s flustered expression, the moment Unjin thrust his Buddhist staff into the revealed opening.

—Don’t do that.

At the voice flashing through his mind, Unjin turned his gaze from the tip of the Buddhist staff where his focus had been concentrated.

“……Hu.”

Looking at his extended Buddhist staff.

Cheonggyeong was quietly smiling.

Swaeeaek!

“……Heok!”

Instinctively twisting his body to evade Cheonggyeong’s attack, Unjin broke out in cold sweat and stepped back. And watching that, Cheonggyeong wore a surprised expression.

“It was an intentionally created opening?”

“……Well, I can’t deny it. Impressive. I didn’t expect you to see through this.”

His hands trembled. From just the fist energy  gathered in Cheonggyeong’s hand, the situation was clear.

‘I almost lost……!’

If he’d been hit, it would have been the decisive blow. At minimum, his ribs would have broken and he’d have sustained serious internal injuries that would greatly hinder his internal energy circulation. After that, he wouldn’t be able to fight properly.

He would have lost that way.

“The gap has narrowed considerably. I didn’t underestimate you from the start, but…… you exceed expectations.”

“May I come in again?”

At Cheonggyeong quietly raising his hands to chest level and speaking, Unjin gritted his teeth and nodded. And immediately Cheonggyeong charged in again.

‘The Sect Master’s words were right.’

That he, Unjin, had extremely little chance of winning against Cheonggyeong in a battle of wits.

That’s what Baek Riyun had said. From the start, Cheonggyeong’s specialty lay in battles of wits. That distinguishing what’s false  and what’s real  would be difficult for Unjin.

The compatibility wasn’t good. He knew that, so he accepted it. However, in a situation where he was being sent against Cheonggyeong, he couldn’t understand why those words were said.

—Then how can I win?

So he asked. How should he defeat Cheonggyeong?

—How to win.

The answer was simple.

—Draw the opponent into your domain.

An opening is revealed.

Unlike the earlier watertight consecutive strikes, attacks that were rough but had reliable offensive power struck Unjin’s entire body.

However, he couldn’t recklessly strike at the openings. Because he couldn’t distinguish what was false and what was real.

‘Hold out.’

Hold out and hold out. If he held out, an opportunity would come.

Gritting his teeth, Unjin’s eyes caught another huge opening. An opening so large anyone could call it one.

‘I have to attack.’

That one is real.

His intuition screamed. He’d already passed over a dozen openings. An opening where if the attack landed as a valid hit, it could change the entire situation in one blow.

—What is my domain……?

He had to go in now. He had to attack.

—Your domain is simple.

Thinking that, Unjin reflexively examined Cheonggyeong’s opening.

—Solidity. Stamina. Your stamina is far superior to your other comrades, isn’t it?

The moment he confirmed the opening’s location.

—What you need to do is simple.

Cheonggyeong gave a bitter smile.

—The body’s centerline. Openings large enough to overturn the situation in one blow have an extremely high probability of being deception tactics. 

An opening was greatly exposed.

—Don’t attack the body’s centerline. Then you’ll be able to win.

In the body’s centerline, the abdomen.