Chapter 6
A brilliant radiance…
For a moment, a profound depth filled So-ah’s eyes.
The form of Wi-ji Chan’s sword draw was truly classic and elegant.
Although So-ah was a layman when it came to the sword, he couldn’t help but be amazed, as Wi-ji Chan’s posture was the very model of perfection, without a single flaw.
But that was only for a moment.
Soon, So-ah had to be even more surprised than before.
—Swish!
Wi-ji Chan swung his sword.
Suddenly, So-ah was bewildered.
The distance between Wi-ji Chan and the white tiger was at least five zhang.
Wasn’t it obvious that swinging a sword from this distance would be useless?
But that was a misconception.
‘The world is wide, and there are many strange and extraordinary people.’
His grandpa had once said that.
Only today did So-ah realize the truth of those words.
Thud…
The white tiger that had ruled Mount Daeak as its lord.
The head of that king of beasts, the hero of the mountains, was severed in an instant and rolled on the ground.
“How…”
So-ah couldn’t finish his sentence.
He was completely dumbfounded.
But over the past three years, without even realizing it, So-ah had honed his vision, ki sense, and stamina to a level close to that of a supreme master, so he could see it clearly.
The trace of the sharp sword shadow scattered from Wi-ji Chan’s sword.
It was the very sword ki that martial artists so desperately yearned for.
If someone were to say that a boy of only fifteen or sixteen had drawn out sword ki without a single preliminary motion, they would surely be called a madman.
So-ah was not ignorant of sword ki.
That was why he couldn’t help but be astonished.
And he realized just how incredible this boy named Wi-ji Chan was.
“Hyung… you’re truly amazing!”
“Huh?”
But Wi-ji Chan himself didn’t seem to feel much excitement.
In fact, this was Wi-ji Chan’s first venture into the martial world.
Through systematic martial arts training and the consumption of spiritual medicines within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, he had become a young master of a heaven-shaking level, but he himself could not gauge the actual extent of his abilities.
Of course, he had already achieved the manifestation of sword ki two years ago, so he couldn’t quite understand why So-ah was so surprised.
Just then.
—Whimper… whimper…!
A pitiful sound brushed past the ears of So-ah and Wi-ji Chan.
‘Huh?’
‘What’s that?’
The sound was coming from the direction where the white tiger’s head was rolling.
So-ah and Wi-ji Chan met each other’s eyes.
Then,
“Hyung… I think…”
“It must be a cub.”
The two boys immediately flew towards the source of the sound.
***
—Whimper…!
As expected, the source of the sound was a tiger cub.
So-ah and Wi-ji Chan discovered a small cave there, and inside the cave, they found a female white tiger and another tiger cub dead.
It seemed she had died during childbirth.
“How pitiful…”
So-ah thought as he looked at the remaining tiger cub.
Sure enough, it was a newborn cub that couldn’t even open its eyes properly.
“Hyung, what should we do?”
“About what?”
“The tiger. If we leave it like this, it’ll become food for other animals.”
“That’s the way of nature, isn’t it?”
“Ugh… but it still bothers me.”
“Then you can take it and raise it.”
“That’s… a bit.”
So-ah’s words trailed off.
At this, Wi-ji Chan tilted his head and asked.
“You said it bothers you? Then there’s no reason you can’t raise it, right?”
“Well… you see.”
“Yeah?”
“If I take the tiger cub, my grandpa will fatten it up and butcher it.”
“Gasp… why?”
“I bathe in medicinal water with tiger bones in it once a day.”
“Aha.”
“Can’t you take it and raise it, hyung?”
“I think it would be a bit difficult for me too.”
“Sigh… then there’s no other way.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What else, I’ll have to face it head-on.”
So-ah grinned.
He was planning to throw a tantrum at his grandpa for once.
***
Moyong Cheon and Wi-ji Un, emptying their wine cups one after another.
Leaving aside the conflicting interests of the righteous and unorthodox factions of the martial world, a drink between old friends meeting after a long time was so good that even the finest delicacies of the world could not compare.
Just then, So-ah and Wi-ji Chan entered the estate.
They were holding something like a white bundle in their arms.
“So-ah, is that…”
“Grandpa.”
“…”
“I’ll get straight to the point.”
For some reason, Moyong Cheon felt like he knew what So-ah was about to say.
“Please let me raise the tiger cub!”
Moyong Cheon chuckled.
He could roughly grasp the situation.
So-ah had always been a soft-hearted child.
He didn’t hunt unless he was hungry, and whenever he saw baby animals, he wanted to raise them so badly.
Of course, every time, Moyong Cheon would firmly refuse, saying it was a hassle, but looking at So-ah’s expression, it seemed he had no intention of easily giving up his stubbornness today.
“So-ah, taking in a family member requires a corresponding sense of responsibility. Can you, who is engrossed in training all day, feed, wash, and put a tiger cub to sleep and take care of it?”
“Yes! I will. Even if it means cutting down on sleep and not eating!”
“But…”
As Moyong Cheon hesitated.
This time, Wi-ji Un, who was next to him, burst into a hearty laugh and came to So-ah’s aid.
“Hahaha! Why don’t you just give him permission? How lonely must this little one be, stuck in this desolate, deep mountain valley?”
At this point, Moyong Cheon had no choice.
Finally, he nodded and said,
“Give it a name.”
Only then could So-ah and Wi-ji Chan look at each other and smile brightly.
***
“Kuaaaargh!”
A groan close to a scream filled the estate.
“Chan-hyung…”
So-ah was looking at Wi-ji Chan with eyes full of worry.
“Chan. If you really can’t bear it, tell me. My Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Dislocating Art is so painful that even adults can’t handle it. You don’t have to force yourself to endure it.”
As promised with the Heavenly Demon Wi-ji Un, Moyong Cheon performed the Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Dislocating Art and massage on Wi-ji Chan.
In So-ah’s case, he had been receiving the treatment for three years, so he could now endure the pain without much trouble, but Wi-ji Chan must have been feeling a pain comparable to death.
“I-I’m fine. This junior will endure!”
Wi-ji Chan, sweating like rain, bit his lip and held on.
Despite the terrifying pain of all his bones twisting and his ligaments and skin temporarily deforming, Wi-ji Chan did not yield.
“Yes! That’s right, Chan. You must endure. The War Fiend’s massage is a fortuitous opportunity you couldn’t get even for a thousand gold pieces. You must endure it no matter what.”
Wi-ji Un also stepped up to encourage his grandson.
‘Even if I die, I will endure!’
Wi-ji Chan gritted his teeth and threw his mind into the pain.
Half a shichen passed like that…
—Kk-deuk!
With the sound of a deformed joint, Moyong Cheon removed his hands from Wi-ji Chan’s body.
“It is done.”
“S-Senior.”
“You endured well. You are the first person I have seen who has not fainted after receiving the Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Dislocating Art and massage, aside from my So-ah.”
“Thank… you…”
Wi-ji Chan couldn’t finish his words and lost consciousness.
***
“Kekeke, War Fiend. I’ll come again. Stay alive until then and don’t die.”
“You wicked Demonic Lord…”
It was two days later that the Heavenly Demon Wi-ji Un left the estate.
During that time, Wi-ji Chan received two more massages and focused on recovery, soaking in medicinal water just like So-ah.
“Chan.”
“Yes, Senior God of War.”
“To complete the shaping of your skeleton and muscles to some extent, you must receive at least five or six more sessions of the Tendon-Splitting and Bone-Dislocating Art and massage. Visit the estate around this time every year.”
“I will not forget your grace. I will come again next autumn.”
“Ho ho, alright.”
Moyong Cheon patted Wi-ji Chan’s shoulder.
At that, Wi-ji Un also approached So-ah, stroked his head, and spoke.
“So-ah. Did you say you are twelve this year?”
“Yes, Grandpa Wi-ji.”
“In a few years, you will have grown up so much that you’ll be unrecognizable.”
“Haha, no I won’t.”
“When I come again, I’ll give you an even better gift than this time.”
“Aha. That… the thing you gave me, the Minor Restoration Pill. Do I just eat it?”
“Hahaha! You don’t know what a Minor Restoration Pill is?”
“No…”
“Yes, you eat it. But you can’t just eat it. The War Fiend has a knack for that sort of thing, so be sure to ask him before you eat it.”
“Okay.”
So-ah gave Wi-ji Un a cupped fist salute just like when they first met, then approached Wi-ji Chan.
“Chan-hyung. Be careful on your way.”
“Okay, So-ah.”
“You’ll come again next year, right?”
“Yeah, by then the tiger will be huge too, right? Haha.”
The two boys shook hands.
Watching them, Moyong Cheon and Wi-ji Un smiled warmly.
‘Someday…’
‘Will those children become another God of War and Heavenly Demon?’
Of course, it was still impossible to know.
***
As the saying goes, you don’t notice an empty seat until someone leaves.
The aftermath of Wi-ji Chan’s departure left So-ah wrapped in solitude for several days.
Though he didn’t say it, it was because his life in the mountains had been so quiet and lonely.
Most of all, the reason So-ah still thought of Wi-ji Chan was that the sword ki he had shown was still vividly etched in his mind.
So-ah approached Moyong Cheon first thing in the morning and spoke in a serious tone.
“Grandpa.”
“Yes?”
“Chan-hyung, you know.”
“Yes.”
“He used sword ki, is that normally possible? Chan-hyung is only a few years older than me.”
At that, Moyong Cheon’s eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth lifted.
He felt pleased to see So-ah seriously contemplating the realm of martial arts for the first time.
“So-ah.”
“Yes, Grandpa.”
“Chan is an outstanding child, worthy of the phrase ‘a dragon among men.’ From the moment I first saw him, I thought he was a prodigy among prodigies, but after actually watching him for a few days, he far exceeded my expectations. I have lived a long time, but I have rarely seen such a genius of martial learning.”
“So, Chan-hyung really is amazing.”
“Ho ho! But there is one person in this world who can be said to be even more amazing than Chan.”
“Who’s that?”
“It is you, So-ah.”
At Moyong Cheon’s words, So-ah snorted.
“Hmph! Grandpa. How can I be compared to Chan-hyung? I can’t even dream of something like sword ki.”
“That is because you have not learned a single one of the ten techniques of the Ten-Second Invincible Arts in the past three years.”
“Aha!”
“There are many paths to becoming a supreme master. Do you know which one is the best among them?”
“No.”
“It is Ubo-manri (An ox’s pace for ten thousand li).”
“Ubo-manri… to walk ten thousand li at an ox’s pace?”
“That’s right. That path can be said to be slow and arduous at first. That is why no one chooses it.”
So-ah listened intently to his grandpa’s words.
“But that is the only path.”
“Huh?”
“That is the only path to becoming a God of War.”
In that moment, an unknown emotion and anguish swirled in So-ah’s mind.
“A tower built quickly may at first glance seem like an impregnable fortress, but one day it will crumble like a sandcastle. But a tower built with the patience and perseverance of Ubo-manri will never collapse.”
“Grandpa…”
“For the past three years, I have been building you up like that.”
Moyong Cheon patted So-ah’s shoulder.
“Now, I will build your golden pagoda.”
“…”
“From today, I will officially pass down the Ten-Second Invincible Arts.”
(End of Chapter)