Chapter 13
But in the next moment, Pacheon Gong wiped the smile from his lips.
Without showing any emotion, he scolded Jaseong with a blank expression.
"Did you challenge me to cross swords with such meager skill?"
At that question, Jaseong responded as he pulled the sword embedded upside down in the floor of the training hall.
"Still, I lasted twenty-three seconds."
"What...?"
"You said earlier that you could kill me in under ten seconds, didn't you?"
Pacheon Gong's eyebrows twitched slightly.
He was inwardly a bit stung.
Yet he soon roared, brushing it off.
"If I'd used my full strength, you wouldn't have survived even a single blow, let alone ten seconds! And where did you even learn that footwork? Your swordplay is just barely passable, but your steps are incredibly sloppy. It's as if some kind of beast is charging..."
"I've never learned footwork."
Jaseong's curt answer cut off Pacheon Gong.
At that moment, Pacheon Gong's pupils twitched once more.
'... He found an escape route without even knowing footwork?'
A strange chill ran down his spine.
He had not imagined there would still be things left to surprise him.
"... In any case, focus on training your footwork."
"Footwork?"
"Martial arts are more about the feet than the hands. If your foundation isn't anchored by your feet, no matter how quick your hands are, it's all meaningless."
With those words, Pacheon Gong was the first to leave the training hall.
'Footwork, huh...'
Watching Pacheon Gong walk away, Jaseong engraved those last words deep into his mind.
He realized, in that instant, that this was the insight won from a lifelong journey in the martial world by a true master.
'My Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique are still sorely lacking. I've learned a lot from Baek Cheon-gwang, but the training period was just too short. From now on, I need to keep accumulating energy through the Heaven Evading Breathing Technique, and when I master the Three Talents Sword Technique, I should be able to reach the leader of Fierce Sky Faction before long...
But according to his advice, I need to learn footwork too...'
* * *
Lost in thought, Jaseong left the Golden Hall.
Even though it was well past midnight, the street adorned with red lanterns was still alive with dazzling light.
Laughter from drunken revelers could be heard drifting through the night air.
Hearing that laughter, Jaseong's spirits lightened as well.
It was thanks to remembering the bulging pouch of silver nestled inside his robe.
"Well, whatever else, I managed to earn enough today to buy an entire brothel... If I return and use this money to expand the Ansun branch, I'll probably be able to achieve the second Heaven's Mandate..."
It was then, while Jaseong was muttering to himself and moving down the street—
Ssshaaa—
Suddenly, a dense white mist appeared in front of Jaseong, and a majestic voice rang in his mind.
〈You have completed the second Heaven's Mandate... Two levels of restrictions upon the Celestial Realm have been unlocked.〉
Upon hearing this, Jaseong was puzzled.
The second Heaven's Mandate was "expanding influence".
But at this point, he only had funds in hand—he hadn't actually expanded anything, and had even lost his one-hundred-seconds wager with Mengcheon Bangju.
Then why was it that the second Heaven's Mandate was marked as complete?
Swish!
Before the question could even fade, a translucent manual unfolded before his eyes.
It was the manual of the Sword Immortal: the Heaven Evading Way.
With the Celestial Realm's restrictions unlocked, a new chapter, one that Jaseong had never seen before, was revealed.
[Third Chapter: Footwork]
The moment he read this, Jaseong was dumbstruck.
'The Fierce Sky Faction leader had just pointed out my lack of footwork. But to be able to learn it so quickly like this...!'
Jaseong immediately left the Red Light District behind and headed for a secluded mountain at the outskirts of town.
There, he drew out the manual—the Heaven Evading Way—which only he could see.
At that moment,
Whooosh!!
An unusual wind suddenly whipped around Jaseong.
'This is....'
He had encountered this strange phenomenon once before.
When the 7th executor of the Heaven's Mandate, Baek Cheon-gwang, had appeared to him.
Soon, just as before, his crown of the head grew hot, and the Samadhi Eyes activated automatically.
Ssshaaa—
As Jaseong's consciousness entered the Samadhi State, he saw the void split open and rays of light pour forth.
Within that light, a figure gradually began to take shape.
'Could it be... will I meet Baek Cheon-gwang, who passed on the Three Sword Techniques, again?'
Jaseong secretly hoped so.
Although the time spent had been short as a flicker, he'd formed a decent connection with Baek Cheon-gwang.
But when the light cleared, it was not Baek Cheon-gwang who stood there, but someone entirely different.
"Hic!"
A middle-aged beggar, face flushed red from drink, stumbled into view.
He was holding a broken bottle, and drool was running down the corners of his mouth.
Of course, seeing this, Jaseong couldn't believe his eyes.
"Who are you...?"
Jaseong asked in a bewildered voice.
The beggar cracked open a heavy-lidded eye and responded.
"Who else would I be? I'm the transmitter who's come to instruct you."
... This beggar is to teach me celestial footwork?
Jaseong felt his enthusiasm drain away.
The last time, the one who had passed on swordsmanship, Baek Cheon-gwang—the last scion of the Baek Clan—had appeared as a child, but at least he was neatly dressed in white.
And he exuded a true master's aura.
But this middle-aged man looked nothing but a drunk vagrant.
His following words only enhanced that impression.
"More importantly..."
"?"
"Don't you have any liquor on you?"
"... What?"
* * *
A short while later, the middle-aged beggar tipped up the wine bottle he held, exclaiming with delight.
"Ahh~! That's the stuff!"
Jaseong, who had fetched a bottle from a nearby brothel, watched as the man's face glowed with a drunken flush.
A deeply satisfied smile spread as the drink went down, and a few drops dribbled from his lips onto his ragged clothes.
Jaseong frowned slightly at the sight but said nothing outwardly.
"Must've been aging a long time—rich aroma, smooth down the throat. You've got good taste."
"... Thank you. But, would the transmitter perhaps share his alias?"
"Ah, did I not introduce myself?"
"... No."
"Then let me introduce myself. I am Hong Gukyul, 5th executor of the Heaven's Mandate."
... Gukyul?
At that, Jaseong's eyes grew wide with surprise.
'Gukyul' was a title given to the leader of the Beggar's Union.
In other words, he'd led the Beggar's Union during his life.
Moreover, all the leaders of the Beggar's Union through history had always ranked among the ten greatest martial artists in the world.
Could this drunken vagrant before him truly have been an incredible master who once shook the world?
Whatever the outer appearance, his inner cultivation was unmistakably that of a executor of Heaven's Mandate.
Thud—
At that moment, Hong Gukyul set his wine-cup down and suddenly looked at Jaseong with a serious face.
"I hear you're building your forces from a branch of the Hao Sect?"
"That's right."
"You walk a path similar to mine."
"... A similar path?"
"Yes. During my days on earth, I expanded the Beggar's Union's strength."
... How could a gang of beggars living by panhandling be similar to leading a Hao Sect branch?
"Especially, your knack for sowing seeds matches my own younger days exactly."
"...'Sowing seeds'?"
"With the seeds you sowed just now, you achieved your second Heaven's Mandate in one stroke, did you not?"
The seeds I just sowed...?
What could he possibly mean by that?
The words were cryptic, but Hong Gukyul only smiled lazily, offering no further explanation.
"In any case, the martial art I'm to teach you... hmm, what was it again?"
"... Footwork."
"Right, right. You've learned the sword, so it's time for the footwork."
"Yes."
"As you might guess, what I'll teach you is the basic footwork of the Heaven Evading Way. You're not ready to learn the advanced techniques yet, so you must begin from the basics."
"......."
"Of course, even though it's 'basic', since it contains the insight of the Sword Immortal, it's nothing short of extraordinary."
Though Hong Gukyul's words wandered, anticipation steadily grew in Jaseong's eyes.
Previously, when he'd learned the Heaven Evading Three Talents Sword Technique, he had been initially disappointed by how basic they seemed—until he witnessed their true power.
Hong Gukyul spoke again.
"As you may have guessed, I cannot stay by your side and teach you footwork indefinitely."
"I understand. Your time manifesting on the earthly realm is limited."
"Correct. I've been allotted sixteen days and nights. After that, you must gain enlightenment on your own. Heh heh heh."
"Sixteen days and nights?"
"Why so surprised?"
"The last performer only taught me for four days before returning. This is far longer...."
At this, Hong Gukyul's lips curled up slightly.
"That means I've been blessed. I get to enjoy my time here on earth for four times longer than Baek Cheon-gwang, that scoundrel. Heh heh heh!"
... Somehow it feels like he'll just keep drinking until time is up.
Jaseong felt uneasy about that, but he also understood Hong Gukyul's sentiment.
Baek Cheon-gwang had said it himself—those who failed to complete Heaven's Mandate would wander eternally between the Celestial and Mortal Realms, caught in the flow of time.
Spending endless ages alone in the darkness, belonging nowhere.
So this time on earth must be incredibly sweet to Hong Gukyul.
"Well, as for footwork, since the difficulty is high, I've been allotted extended instruction time. Even sixteen days and nights may not be enough..."
... Footwork is harder than swordplay?
"Anyway, let's get on with what you're after."
"?"
"The basic footwork of the Heaven Evading Way: Heaven Evading Phantom Step."
"......!"
"I will now impart it to you."
Jaseong's eyes twitched as he heard the name of the footwork he was to learn.
'... Heaven Evading Phantom Step?'
Unlike before, it didn't sound at all like a mere basic technique.
The term 'phantom' was reserved for only the very highest-level footwork in the Central Plains.
Hong Gukyul, face red from drink, wobbled as he prepared to demonstrate.
"Ahem! Let's see... When was the last time I performed this footwork...?"
It was hard to believe this drunken man would properly demonstrate the steps, but still, Jaseong couldn't hide his anticipation.
If the footwork had been created by Sword Immortal Lü Dongbin, how amazing must it be?
Sshk—
Hong Gukyul stepped diagonally with one leg.
He then began to demonstrate the Heaven Evading Phantom Step—and for the first five steps, it looked like ordinary footwork.
But then, suddenly—
Ssssh—
Hong Gukyul's speed accelerated rapidly.
With each step he picked up more momentum, and very soon his figure appeared in multiple places at once.
In the end—
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!
Just like he'd performed a Clone Technique, twelve distinct forms of Hong Gukyul appeared around Jaseong—front, back, left, right, and at the diagonals.
Each was in a different pose, so it became impossible to tell which was real.
"......!"
Jaseong's eyes grew wide at this astonishing sight.
If he mastered this footwork, his enemies would never know which was the real Jaseong.
Maybe he'd even be able to win against Fierce Sky Faction Leader's hundred-second wager in an instant.
'Is this really supposed to be a basic step...? If even the beginner techniques are like this, what must the advanced ones be like...?'
* * *
Not long after, having finished his demonstration, Hong Gukyul picked up his wine bottle and spoke.
"More important than the hands are the feet in martial arts. And swordsmanship without footwork is just a pointless needle. If you can't master this, you'll never reach the peak. Heh heh heh."
Since he'd now heard this twice, first from Fierce Sky Faction Leader and now here, Jaseong simply nodded silently.
"... It's so mysterious, it's hard to believe this is basic footwork."
"I told you: every step holds the insights of the Sword Immortal."
"It seems like it'll take forever to master... Am I right?"
"To reach the state where you can create phantoms, it takes at least several years of training. It took me three years just to make one phantom. As for twelve... let's see, maybe fifteen years?"
... So it might take years to truly master Heaven Evading Phantom Step?
For Jaseong, who wanted to become stronger right away to settle his vendettas, that was a painfully long time.
"But you only have sixteen days and nights manifest here, right?"
"That's right."
"But how can I master a skill that takes years in just sixteen days?"
"Of course, it's impossible to completely master the Heaven Evading Phantom Step in sixteen days and nights. What you must focus on is the true essence of the Heaven Evading Phantom Step."
"The true essence?"
"All you could see was the phantoms I created, I suppose. But that's not what matters. Even if you don't create phantoms, Heaven Evading Phantom Step is still an incredibly powerful technique. Heh heh heh."
With this basic explanation concluded, Hong Gukyul immediately led Jaseong further into a secluded spot behind the mountain.
As the two of them passed through a lush forest, the air became progressively dank.
Among mossy trees, Hong Gukyul hunted for something.
"What are you looking for?"
"There it is."
"?"
Hong Gukyul suddenly stopped in the middle of the woods.
Before them was a giant swamp, spanning at least thirty paces across.
Dense, dark green aquatic plants floated on the surface, here and there the mud lay exposed.
"This will be a perfect place to practice Heaven Evading Phantom Step."
Satisfied, Hong Gukyul nodded.
Then, without warning, he said something shocking.
"Go in."
"... Excuse me?"
"Go in."
"In the swamp?"
"You're quite the talker, aren't you?"
In the next instant, Hong Gukyul's foot shot out like lightning.
Thud!
Hong Gukyul kicked Jaseong in the back and sent him flying into the swamp.