Chapter 325
Maeng Gwang-gae is constantly admiring my body, unable to contain his amazement.
In fact, the reason he is so surprised is probably not just because my level is high.
It is probably because I have made a remarkable development that is worthy of being called a great improvement compared to when we met in Zhejiang Province before.
"Did you eat some amazing elixir? How can you change so much in such a short time?"
The tone of Maeng Gwang-gae, who asked that, sounded like, 'If there's such a good method, let me know too!', so I almost chuckled, but I said in a deliberately gentle tone, "I've been lucky. The Alliance Leader also gave me an elixir, and I've had many fortuitous encounters. As my internal energy increased, my perspective on the world changed. As I saw the world differently, I also gained enlightenment."
"Heh... it seems you encounter fortuitous encounters, which others may or may not encounter once in their lifetime, as if you were eating a meal."
"I guess I'm lucky. Come to think of it, isn't meeting Elder Maeng Gwang-gae also a kind of fortuitous encounter? You're even going to teach me an amazing technique called Formless Heaven Creation today."
As I said with a shrug of my shoulders, Maeng Gwang-gae chuckles.
He didn't seem to dislike being called a fortuitous encounter.
"You're like a cunning old snake. You're trying not to teach me the secret by calling it a fortuitous encounter. Although I can see right through you, I'll let it slide today."
As expected, Maeng Gwang-gae accurately grasped my intention.
I, just smiling at him, didn't need to add any more words since he said he would let it slide.
"I get it. For now, come here. You have to learn something quickly to go to the gambling house, don't you?"
"Yes, elder."
I sat in front of Maeng Gwang-gae again and entrusted my body to him.
He, as if he had calmed his surprised heart to some extent, calmly began to push the true qi containing the operation method of the Formless Heaven Creation into me.
In fact, learning martial arts like this is a very unfamiliar method.
For now, two conditions must overlap, and the first is that the person teaching must be skilled in controlling their energy to the extent that they can freely move their energy in another person's body as if it were their own.
Because only then can they naturally perform the martial art as if they were performing it alone.
And the second is the aptitude and sense of the person learning.
Having someone else operate a martial art in one's own body is an extremely foreign thing.
In order to accept it not just as a sense of foreignness, but as a martial art, one must have a high overall understanding of internal energy and martial arts, and the sense to feel it.
I, feeling Maeng Gwang-gae's energy entering my body, was relieved inwardly.
Fortunately, I have the aptitude to learn that level of martial arts.
Someone might not believe me if I say I'm thinking this.
Because other people would think that I belong to the genius category.
To be honest, even when I was asked to evaluate myself, I think it's true that I have talent.
Because there are many things that other people find difficult to understand at once, but I can understand them at once, and if I have a rough idea of how to perform a martial art, I can just perform it as it is.
But, I always doubt my own aptitude. I always guard myself so that I don't become complacent.
Because only by doing so can I not become loose on my own.
'But this martial art... old man Maeng Gwang-gae might be teaching me something more amazing than I thought.'
Apart from my doubts about myself, thanks to Maeng Gwang-gae's energy dancing in my body now, I'm already beginning to understand to some extent how he uses the hidden force.
Usually, you should never have idle thoughts when learning martial arts, but I'm starting to get goosebumps on my forearms at the thought that what I'm learning will not only be used for gambling.
'Although I know well that old man Maeng Gwang-gae will apply this martial art to combat later...'
As I am actually experiencing it with my body, dozens of application methods come to mind at once.
At the same time, I also thought about what martial art I should ask my master to teach me when I return to the Wudang Sect.
'I should ask my master if there is a martial art that can sprinkle dozens, hundreds of sword qi at once.'
It's not necessary for all of that sword qi to be invisible.
In any case, whether one sword qi hits or a hundred sword qi hits, if it hits a vital point, it's the same thing as dying.
If you shoot dozens of sword qi at once, and mix in a few sword qi with their presence hidden by the Formless Heaven Creation and send them together?
Unless their qi sense is exceptionally outstanding, they will surely be pierced without even noticing the formless sword qi.
While my heart was pounding with such thoughts, Maeng Gwang-gae took his hand off my body.
"Huu. It's hard. To think that teaching five people a martial art is this hard. Have I gotten old?"
In fact, teaching martial arts in this way is an unbelievably difficult thing.
No matter how simple the principle is, it is a great thing in itself to teach five people a martial art in a row.
"Thank you, sir."
"Thank you!"
"I will surely repay this favor in the future."
My senior brothers, with a polite appearance, greeted Maeng Gwang-gae.
Maeng Gwang-gae, as if this situation were embarrassing, waved his two arms and said, "That's enough. What's with all the fuss over teaching one martial art to be used for gambling. Come here one by one again. I have to test if you've done it properly."
He took out a die from his pocket and rolled it on the table.
"Use the hidden force I taught you to roll this without anyone knowing. Originally, you have to make the number you want come out, but for now, you pass if you just make it move. Who wants to try first?"
"I'll go first."
Starting with Senior Brother Un Cheol, who stepped forward boldly, all my senior brothers began to move the die.
The formless qi of the Formless Heaven Creation is not actually an invisible energy.
To be honest, it's closer to a trick of the eye than a real hidden force.
Because the principle was to cut the energy thinner, thinner, and thinner, and then have it travel from the Yongcheon point on the sole of the foot, through the ground, up the table, and move the die.
While a real formless qi has no major restrictions on direction and strength, the Formless Heaven Creation has the disadvantage that it can only move things that are connected to the ground.
Of course, although I don't know how Maeng Gwang-gae did it, he overcomes this limitation later.
"Good. You're all doing well."
Fortunately, my senior brothers succeeded in moving the die without much difficulty.
When I first met my senior brothers, to be honest, I didn't really think they were martial arts prodigies.
But now that I've raised them like this, it seems they all had more amazing talents than I thought.
Moreover, the fact that they can follow my training method so perfectly means that their perseverance is also amazing.
Talent and perseverance. There is no reason for their martial arts not to develop.
"Then, lastly, Unhwi. You try it."
I did not walk to where my senior brothers were.
I just stood there with my arms crossed and a calm expression, looking at Maeng Gwang-gae.
The impatient Maeng Gwang-gae frowned.
"Unhwi-ya. Can't you hear me? I said come and try it quickly."
Although his voice was slightly raised, I still didn't answer.
My senior brothers are also looking at me with a puzzled eye, wondering why I'm doing this.
Soon, when Maeng Gwang-gae's patience ran out and he was about to say one more thing to me.
De-gu-reu-reu— Do-reu-reuk— Do-reu-reuk.
The die on the table begins to move on its own.
Of course, that's a natural thing.
Because I am moving the die with the Formless Heaven Creation.
I was not satisfied with just rolling the die. I also began to practice rolling it to get the number of eyes I wanted to come out at the same time.
"No... you just learned it today, and already from that distance...?"
The distance I am standing at is about three times farther than the distance my senior brothers had challenged.
I thought it would only be three times harder, but in fact, it wasn't.
It feels like it gets exponentially harder each time the distance increases by one.
Since I'm doing it with such difficulty, I can understand why Maeng Gwang-gae is surprised.
Do-ro-rok—
"Huu..."
I, who had stopped rolling the die, let out the breath I had been holding all at once.
It's still very lacking. It seems a considerable amount of practice will be needed to use it in a real gamble.
"Now... I don't even have the strength to be surprised."
As Maeng Gwang-gae said in a weak voice, my senior brothers nodded their heads next to him.
As if they were saying with their expressions that they had already experienced it all.
"But for now, you have to practice more to go to the gambling house."
He took out dice from his sleeve and, after sprinkling one to each of my senior brothers and me, said, "Until I say it's done, only do special training on the Formless Heaven Creation. If it's you guys, you'll be able to develop to a level where you won't be caught by others in a few days."
"Yes, elder."
"I'll be out for a while."
And he, after telling us to practice, left the room.
My senior brothers and I began to diligently train the Formless Heaven Creation.
Because whatever the martial art, training is something that is like our specialty.
***
About 2 hours passed?
Maeng Gwang-gae, with his hands full of luggage, returned to the inn again.
"What... is this?"
"Unwrap it."
When I unwrapped the bundle, on one side, there were various clothes, and on the other side, there were accessories such as fans and pipes.
"We're going to the gambling house starting tonight. You all shouldn't show that you're Taoists, and you shouldn't show that you're a group. You all should wear the clothes you like and, pretending to be people from different places, observe the atmosphere of the gambling house."
"But, elder. We still haven't fully learned the Formless Heaven Creation."
"It doesn't matter. Because today, we're going to lose anyway. Take it."
Maeng Gwang-gae threw us a bunch of silver coins.
"Today's goal is to lose all of this money. You can do that much, right?"
"Yes. If it's just losing..."
"Go and, while observing the atmosphere, figure out how many people are guarding the gambling house, and what their martial arts level is. And we'll spend money like this for a few days and make them think we're easy marks. Then they'll gradually lead us to a big game, and the time for us to make a big score is right then. Do you all understand?"
"Yes. We understand, elder."
We all nodded our heads at the same time.
Maeng Gwang-gae's plan is very simple, but it seems to be a very effective plan.
Especially, I originally have no talent for things like gambling.
Losing to the bastards will not be much of a problem.
"We're planning to leave at the end of 9 PM, so keep practicing until then. And if you get hungry in the middle, tell the waiter and eat what you want."
"Thank you, sir."
"What's there to thank me for. I'm making you work, so I should at least give you a meal. Even a beggar gives a guest who comes to our hovel some stale rice."
He said that and left the room.
It's only been a while since I saw him looking so clean, but I had already forgotten for a moment that he was a beggar.
We, as if we had all thought the same thing at the same time, looked at each other and burst out laughing, and then began to practice the Formless Heaven Creation again.