Book 26 Chapter 13

Clash of the titans! Most expensive tie vs. deepest misunderstanding

-shaman extreme will

Three years ago.

Shortly after the events at Mudang Mountain, where the attack on Galhyo Peak took place, Hyun-woon took a moment to stop by the Mudang Sect. He wanted to see his master.

The reason was simple. When the attack on Mount Wudang happened, he had done almost nothing. His training in infusing his mind into his sword and spinning water in a jar with his will hadn't helped much. It was Mo Yonghui, a junior, who stood toe-to-toe with the returning Galhyo Feng. And it was unexpectedly the grand elder brother, Bi Ryuyeon, who delivered the final blow to Gal Hyo Feng that even the so-called genius boy, Mo Yonghui, could not handle.

He was dealing with fish.

He thought, "This can't go on," so he climbed the shaman mountain again. He recounted his training and the attack. He asked his master to teach him.

"I want to be strong……. This master has already taught you everything. Even the essence of the Taijiquan Sword has been imparted to you, so what more is left?"

The master, Cheng Yun, said he had nothing more to teach, but the words were not enough to comfort him.

"But……."

The Taijiquan Hye Sword was the final key to the Taijiquan Sword, the highest sword of the Wudang Sect. However, the problem was that the Taijiquan sword was not a sword that could be mastered just by knowing its key points.

"The disciple has not yet realized the auspiciousness of the Tai Chi sword. His attainment is still only at the Five Star level."

I was still only halfway there.

"The Taijiquan Sword is an intangible sword with no form and no substance. To have mastered it to such an extent at your age is a feat."

"But……."

"To be free from herbivory is as difficult as it is to be free from the conventions that bind you. If it were possible for everyone, no one would have to struggle."

It is said that the Taijiquan sword is so profound that one can spend a lifetime practicing it and never see the end of it.

"Disciple, I still feel like I'm wandering in a fog."

What he needed now was a guide to help him navigate through the fog.

"Well, you still have a wall to climb."

This meant that Hyun-woon had a weakness.

"If you say wall, what is…… it?"

"I can't take the heat right now."

It turned out to be a wall.

"A five-star taijiquan sword cannot defeat the Extreme Pleasure. Therefore, if you encounter someone who wields a martial art of extreme pleasure, do not use a taijiquan sword."

The taijiquan underlying the sword was the power of gentleness over strength. But just as everything has its opposite, the taijiquan also had a natural enemy, and that enemy was speed. Gentleness could hold down strength, but speed could cut through it.

"It's like rock-paper-scissors."

"Rock, paper, scissors, you mean?"

"Yes. Yu (柔: softness) is furoshiki. A furoshiki can subdue a rock, that is, a strong man. But qi is scissors. The furoshiki can wrap around the rock, but the scissors will cut it."

"So what can I do to deal with the extremes?"

I didn't think that encountering an extremely powerful martial artist would automatically neutralize the Taijiquan. There must be a way. Otherwise, how could it have been passed down for hundreds of years as the greatest swordsmanship of the Wudang Sect? As Shen Yun had suspected, his master had an answer.

"It becomes an intangible furoshiki."

But it wasn't an easy answer to understand.

"Intangibles?"

"Yes, even the sharpest scissors can't cut through shapeless furoshiki, can they?"

It should be, but somehow it seemed like a pun.

"The intangible Bodhisattva… to a disciple it is no more comprehensible than the sutra of no invitation."

There was no contact with the pot.

"That means that the Tai Chi Master should reach the level of the Eight Elements and attain the level of the Feng Wu Man Gong."

"Feng Shui, I've never heard of such a thing."

"Of course. It is a path that does not even give its name to those who do not deserve it."

Hyun-woon hadn't realized such a thing existed until now. No wonder. She hadn't taught him because she didn't think it was time yet. It was impossible to inject false winds into someone who was not qualified to climb the mountain, which meant that from then on, it was a true vision. A non-personal, non-publicized vision.

"Follow me."

Shen Yun followed Cheng Yun to a secret training center deep in the heart of Shaman Mountain. It was hidden by trees and off-limits to ordinary disciples. On one side of the training grounds, an object that looked like a giant beehive sat on a large iron wheel. Upon closer inspection, sharp arrowheads poked their heads out of each hole.

"What the hell is this……."

"A weapon called a 'windstorm killer'. It's a device that uses the power of an engine to send dozens of arrows flying at once."

It looked more like something an army would use in a war than something a powerhouse would use. Hyun-woon couldn't believe that such a monstrous object could be found in the midst of a clean Taoist sect.

"Why is this stuff here……?"

"Shoot it at this master."

The master's sudden order startled Hyun-woon.

"Are you asking me to take the blame for the murder of my master?"

"Do you think that's enough to kill this master? Feel free to shoot him."

"Well, at least……."

Master Qingyun let out a deep sigh.

"That indecisiveness is still there."

At the sight of Cheong-woon kicking her tongue, Hyun-woon felt sorry for her.

"…It's disrespectful, Master."

It's a trait that has been pointed out to me in the past, and it hasn't changed much.

"Trust this master a little more. Now, shoot. I have something to show you. What are you doing, not shooting?"

I couldn't say, "I still don't trust you," when he was talking to me like that.

"Oh, I see."

The answer was yes, but there was still hesitation in his hand as he pulled the trigger on the machine gun.

Bam!

With a dull thud, Feng Wu Killing Shot was activated, and dozens of arrows shot toward Qing Yun. Hyun-woon wanted to close his eyes tightly, but his master's command to keep his eyes open prevented him from doing so.

But even in the face of a hail of arrows, Qing Shui remained calm.

Swoosh!

Qing Shui's sword drew concentric circles in the air.

And……

"Oh, my God!"

Hyun-woon couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"How on earth?!"

Under the hail of arrows, Qing Yun remained unharmed. Not a single arrow had touched him, not a single one had broken or severed his body. The arrows had scattered in all directions in a circle around him.

"Have you seen?"

"Yes, I saw that."

"How could I have known?"

"About halfway to……."

Hyun-woon replied, his voice trailing off. Maybe even less.

"Did you get it?"

It's a question that comes out of the blue, and it's pretty bottomless. But Hyunwoon answered.

"I've got a clue."

"That's it."

Qing Shui nodded, seemingly satisfied with that, and continued.

"That's what you saw just a moment ago, the Feng Wu Manchu cultivation, the cultivation of the Eight Swords."

He added

"Wind Bending is the art of bending the wind with the sword, and the wind bending the arrow. It is the ability to stir the air around you as if you had extended limbs, allowing you to move things around you. Your Driftlessness is its ultimate form. I have yet to reach that level. For while I can only control the wind around my sword, he can control the wind many miles away with a snap of his fingers."

"What do I need to do to get there?"

"The power of rotation. Realize the power of rotation."

"You mean the force of rotation?"

Hyun-woon's eyes narrowed. It was a force that made him feel like he needed to dig.

"That's right. This training camp will give you great strength. Do not forget. It is not the sword that moves the wind, but your will, your will that moves the wind and rain. Remember the 'jar training' you received, for the jar is the entrance to the Realm of Wind and Rain."

He couldn't believe it. The jar training was an exercise that Bi Ryuyeon had forced the Zhu Zichen to do during the training on Mount Wudang, using the power of qi and will to rotate the water in the jar without touching it. Only those who could break the jar with the power of the rotating water could escape the exercise. I can't tell you how many of my friends died one after another from that pointless and futile exercise, and I still shudder just thinking about it, even though I didn't feel much stronger after completing it.

"That seemingly pointless exercise is the gateway to the Feng Shui world?

The master must have seen something he didn't. But Hyun-woon wasn't about to tell him that his master had a black eye.

"Continue your training, and you may be able to see the end of the sword. You may be able to reach a state that only the great Master Zhang Sambong has achieved, a state that most of us can only dream of."

This meant that there was a higher realm above the realm of Fengwumanggong.

"What kind of trance is that dream trance?"

Just as he had taught and demonstrated the art of Feng Wumanggok, so too had he qualified as a challenger by merely stating that such an art existed. In other words, he had been recognized by his master. However, Shen Yun was oblivious to this fact.

"You said that the highest state of Feng Wumanggok is driftlessness. Do you have a higher state than that?"

Qing Shui nodded without hesitation. ''This is the Eighth Level of the Feng Wumang Song, and there are higher levels of the Tenth and Twelfth Levels.

"Yes. It is indeed a realm worthy of being called the realm of the sword. Even in our shamanic circles, it's only a legend."

In other words, not only had his master's Qingyun failed to attain it, but "he," the shamanic first master, had also failed to attain it.

"What is that sage?"

Hyunwoon asked with excitement.

"Gong (空).interval (間).bay (彎).song (曲)."

Qing Yun spoke in a deep voice, as if he wanted him to take in every single character. To Shen Yun's ears, it sounded like a lion's whistle.

"So the legends say. But even I don't know what it's like."

And the last thing his master said to him was something he still holds dear to his heart.

"Go deep!"

* * *

"It's a windy song……."

It was unfortunate that it was so soon after practicing, but it had to be done now. Hyun-woon thrust his sword pole forward and began to focus his awareness on the tip.

"Turn [回]!!

The source of the Taijiquan's power is the power of rotation.

Focus, focus, focus, focus your consciousness.

I think about the training that my godfather had me do at Mudang Mountain to turn the water in a jar. When the water in the jar swirled, they were unable to overcome its power, and in the end, the jar broke. Among the men, Namgungsang and Hyunwoon were the only ones who succeeded. Afterward, of course, they were exhausted. What did Daeyang say to them when they collapsed from exhaustion?

"Okay, remember that sensation you just had, because that's basic, and also remember this. Do you want the wind to be lighter or the water to be lighter?"

That last statement was a complete surprise, and I couldn't understand why I said it at the time. But now, it seemed to make sense.

Light wind or light water.

Obviously, the wind is light. So is it easier to move something heavy or something light? The answer was already known.

'I was stupid, I'd already learned everything by then…….'

Everything was there for Feng Wumang, but he hadn't even seen what he had. The clue was already in his hands, but he had traveled a long way to find it elsewhere.

'The center of gravity of a rotation. Fixing the axis is the basis of rotation.'

One of the hardest parts of his jar training had been to visualize this axis, but now he had the perfect object for it in his hand.

Hyun-woon began to spin the world on the axis of his outstretched sword.

The wind began to spin around his sword, slowly, slowly.

"Turned!

Hyun-woon cheered inwardly. It wasn't as clear as water, but it was definitely wind. All he had to do now was to increase his spin and expand his territory.

'……!

The King of Namhae must have sensed the momentum, for his expression relaxed. It was as if Hyun-woon was becoming more and more vulnerable.

"Come on in. I'm always ready."

Hyun-woon said, sending a calm gaze toward his ex-husband.

"Ho-ho, you're feeling pretty confident, aren't you?"

"Today I will show you the true nature of the shaman's taijiquan, and this is all I have to show you right now."

Hyun-woon's sword pole leaned forward slightly. It was a provocative stance, as if it could come at any moment.

"If that's all you've got, I'll have to show you some skills of my own. I assure you, this technology is more expensive than anything I have."

"Most expensive technology?"

This means that…….

"As I said before, I don't take back the money that ends a man's life; I send it away to be spent on the road to the afterlife. That's why I put my life and soul into it the day before. To save money. But for this one blow, I'm willing to pay a particularly high price. I must see if I can't still save your life. Yes, this is my strongest skill."

"I wonder what the technology is. I'll make sure I have the skills to match."

It was the ex-wife who made the first move.

Bargain for Life (奪命買魂錢)

Final tricks of the trade

Dehorned Skyfall (奪魂飛天落)

Declare bankruptcy (破产宣告)

Bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom!

All the silver coins in the pouch shot out like a torrential downpour toward the contrail. Not all of them flew straight; some flew straight, some flew and fell, some curved and curled, but all of them landed at Hyun-woon. There was nowhere to go but up as the money poured in from all directions.

It was a desperate move with a huge deficit. At this rate, he was going to be turned into a hedgehog by a torrential downpour.

"Now!

Shen Yun's sword stirred the air in front of him. Like stirring a pot with a ladle, his sword stirred the air and the wind began to bend and swirl. Lin Yun's sword energy was interfering with nature. He didn't rebel against nature, but instead, he adapted to it and moved it naturally.

Good luck!

This was the true power of the shaman's taijiquan: to create big things with little effort.

Wudang Taijiquan Taijiquan Sword

Eightfold Extreme Will

Wind Chimes (風雨彎曲)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Then, to his surprise, the dozens of light bolts flying toward him bent and twisted in their trajectories.

Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft!

Dozens of beams of light pierced through the wall behind him. But there was not a single wound on Hyun-woon's body.

"No way, the orbit is warped?!"

King Namhae couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes. The wind was still swirling furiously between Hyun Yun and his ex-wife.

Shen Yun's sword made several concentric circles, sending a whirlwind of wind around the hilt. Then, in a spiraling trajectory, he sent it flying toward his former soul.

Wind in the sails!

Pah-bah-bah-bah-bah!

A swirling blade of wind dug into the hard bluestone floor with terrifying force, slicing through the air toward the former soul. The power of the winds had shifted from defense to offense.

"You're gonna lose!"

The previous technique had emptied his silver pouch, but he still had a coin pouch. She hastily pulled out the coins to ward off the flying winds.

Kwagua Kwagua Kwagua Kwagua!

But the coins in his hand were caught in the whirlwind of flying wind and scattered in all directions, and his arm was not spared. His sleeves and clothes were tattered and torn. Blood splashed everywhere.

"Kaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

A scream erupted from her mouth, unable to contain the pain. The blade of the wind that had dismembered him didn't slow down and shattered the expensive rosewood desk behind him. The rosewood desk that the fake South Sea King Fatty was so desperate to protect had just turned into a pile of firewood. Feng Yinqiang was so shocked that he couldn't move his fingers.

And before he knew it, Hyun-woon's sword was at the nape of his mangled neck. "I'm going to kill you," Hyun-woon declared to the dazed ex-spirit.

"In the end, you could not save my life, and this fight is mine to win."