Chapter 145
Episode 145
Perhaps it was due to the many tension-relieving herbs. So-hye didn't wake up until the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).
For someone who never skipped her dawn training, sleeping in until this hour suggested she had accumulated a lot of fatigue.
I wonder if the inn has any fish. I should get some crucian carp today and boil it for her.
My mind was restless, making it hard to concentrate. I was about to call it quits for today's training and gather the scattered Hidden Weapons when someone clapped and spoke to me.
"Ooh. I've never seen a Martial Artist use Hidden Weapons before."
Instinctively, I was about to throw a Flying Dagger, but I was startled and stopped myself.
Yang Gyo-jin was hanging upside down from a tree, looking at me.
"What? Why are you peeking at someone else's training?"
"Huh? I thought it was okay to watch since you didn't say anything."
"Would it be?"
I replied coldly, glaring at Yang Gyo-jin.
When did he get here? To miss his presence, he's no ordinary person either.
I pouted, feeling somewhat offended, when he opened his mouth with a look of wonder.
"So-hye, you're stronger than you look. I've never seen anyone split rocks with Hidden Weapons without using Inner Energy."
"I know."
"But do you have to use them like that?"
"Huh?"
"Overpowering with brute force is tiring. Unless you can end it in one blow, it'll be hard to last more than ten seconds that way. It doesn't look very good."
Is he picking a fight?
As my expression turned subtle, Yang Gyo-jin hurriedly waved his hands.
"Uh, uh, no. I'm not being sarcastic."
"I get it, so explain properly. Exactly what's wrong with it?"
"If you lose strength, your center will waver. That means more openings. If I were you, I'd stall until you run out of strength. It'd be much easier to take you down if I attacked when you show a weakness."
Yang Gyo-jin's criticism made me blink. I had never considered how a Swordmaster would see me.
"I understand what you're saying. But if you stall, you'll be poisoned before I fall."
"Ah. I forgot about the Poison. Then I'd be done for."
He stuck out his tongue as if he had forgotten, then grinned and slid down the tree.
Yang Gyo-jin landed lightly on the ground and stretched.
"Anyway, that's how it looks to me. You're putting in too much strength. Wouldn't it be better to let it flow more smoothly? Or is it different for Hidden Weapons than for swords?"
"Hidden Weapons aren't meant for head-on fights in the first place. You have to aim accurately at the opponent's vitals from a distance, and if you reduce the force, the trajectory will be off."
"That's true too. You have to control the Hidden Weapons. But you seem to be controlling them rather crudely."
Yang Gyo-jin nodded in agreement, smiling innocently as he looked at me.
It feels a bit unfair to be called crude by him.
...Wait a minute. Control?
My eyes narrowed at the familiar word, and I realized that his words were similar to what Grandfather had said.
'Hidden Weapon techniques are not just about throwing Poison Needles. Our ultimate goal is to control the many variables.'
Huh. Am I missing something?
"Yang Gyo-jin. Explain further."
"About what?"
"You said I was putting in too much strength. How am I supposed to let it flow?"
"That? Hmm, I can't aim as accurately as you, so keep that in mind. I don't know much about Hidden Weapons, but..."
Yang Gyo-jin picked up a frozen pine cone from the ground.
The somewhat hazy look in his eyes sharpened, and his blank expression turned serious.
He extended his arm, and the pine cone flew through the air.
Rolling. Tap. Pat.
The pine cone rolled and stopped at my feet.
"Wouldn't it be better to hide your presence like this, even if you reduce the force a bit?"
Yang Gyo-jin turned to me and shrugged.
The pine cone didn't fly even a foot. It wasn't a good throwing motion, nor did it accurately hit anything.
But something was different.
For that fleeting moment when the pine cone seemed to float in the air as if riding the wind, it resembled the coins Grandfather used to throw.
"Hey, Yang Gyo-jin!"
"Yeah?"
"How did you do that! Do it again!"
I widened my eyes, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him back and forth.
\ \ \
Confucius's saying that one of three people walking together will surely be my teacher was not wrong.
Yang Gyo-jin was a genius.
The guy who was always clueless, when it came to Martial Arts Technique, he answered as clearly as someone who had drunk a Clarity elixir.
I grabbed Yang Gyo-jin and bombarded him with questions.
"Gyo-jin. Listen. I once had to cross swords with a Swordmaster, right? And that Swordmaster deflected my Flying Dagger like this, and then he returned my strength to me with his sword. Do you know what that is?"
"I know! It has a name. Shifting Flowers... Shifting Flowers Grafting Meat?"
"...Even without knowing, that doesn't sound right. It sounds like a meat dish."
Yang Gyo-jin scratched his cheek with a blank look, then furrowed his brow as if squeezing his brain.
"I really know it. Just a minute. Hmm... Ah, I remember! Shifting Flowers Grafting Tree! It's like grafting a tree, adding my Martial art move to the opponent's Martial art move and returning it."
"Isn't it grafting?"
"Ah, maybe that's it."
Yang Gyo-jin nodded and picked up two fallen branches, pretending to twist them together like swords.
"Deflect like this... like this. Hmm. It's not working. I can deflect attacks, but returning them is still difficult for me. Who was it? Someone our age? You met a master. I want to meet them too."
"They probably just passed their coming-of-age ceremony. They were a Wudang Taoist. Then, if a master were to return your Martial art move, how would you break through it?"
"Hmm, I don't know. I'd have to fight them to know, but if it were me..."
Discussing how to break through other Martial Artist's Martial art move together was a new pleasure. We shared the Martial art move we had experienced and chatted for a long time.
Ah. This is fun. This is really fun.
Unlike me, who was getting more and more excited, Yang Gyo-jin seemed to be running out of energy, opening and closing his mouth before slumping down.
"So-hye. Can't we eat and continue later? I'm hungry."
I followed his finger pointing to the sky and looked up, only to realize that the sun was already high in the sky.
"Oh, when did it get so late? Brother must be awake. Let's go eat... Brother, when did you get here?"
I was startled and jumped up, seeing Yeon-ryang leaning against a tree and smiling.
"I got here a while ago. Was it fun? You both seemed to be using your heads a lot, so I ordered roast duck, thinking you'd be hungry. Let's go in."
"Duck! I was so hungry!"
Yang Gyo-jin shouted cheerfully, looking at me with an excited face. I waved my hand, telling him to go quickly, and he ran excitedly toward the inn.
Yeon-ryang chuckled and approached, stroking my hair.
"So engrossed in Sword debate that you didn't even notice the time. Our sister is really becoming a Martial Artist."
"Brother. He's like a genius. Isn't his family's secret technique the spear? But he applies that principle to the sword? He didn't even learn the sword separately. How is that possible?"
"Is that so? You must have had a lot to learn."
Yeon-ryang, amused by my excited appearance, patted my back with a smile.
"Alright, alright, you can have Sword debate again later. Let's eat first. Your friend already left."
"Yeah. But you know, if you were a Martial Artist using the Dao..."
"Haha, So-hye. That's enough. Let's eat. Let's eat."
Yeon-ryang cut me off firmly. I swallowed my disappointment and nodded, obediently moving my feet.
\ \ \
Unlike Yang Gyo-jin, who was constantly putting food in his mouth, Yeon-ryang didn't even eat half of his usual amount.
Ju-ryeong, who was sitting on Yeon-ryang's lap and being fed pieces of meat, tilted her head and glanced around, sensing something was wrong.
His poor condition made me lose my appetite as well.
It seems like he can't circulate Energy circulation, so his stamina isn't recovering...
I can't let this continue. I need to boil that crucian carp first.
I put down my chopsticks and called the Jeomsoi.
"Excuse me, is it possible to get some crucian carp? A big one that I can boil thoroughly."
"Ah, I'm sorry, Maid. It's winter, so fishermen don't come often. We don't have any fish at the inn."
"Then is there a river nearby where I can fish?"
"There's a small river west of the inn, Maid. But it's frozen, so I don't know if you'll be able to catch any fish."
"Thank you."
Yeon-ryang, who had been watching my conversation with the Jeomsoi, looked puzzled.
"Why the crucian carp?"
"Why else? To feed Brother, of course. Let's dissolve the Blood clot before going to Yueyang."
Yeon-ryang looked like he didn't think it was necessary, but he didn't stop me.
"Don't push yourself if you can't catch any. It's cold."
"I'll catch the biggest one. Ju-ryeong, let's go fishing."
"Kit."
As I got up, Ju-ryeong scurried over and climbed onto my shoulder.
Yang Gyo-jin, who was tearing apart a duck leg, looked at me with regret.
"Aren't we going to play more? It was fun."
"Later. I haven't found a way to break through your three Martial art move yet. I'll think about it and try again later."
"I'll be waiting. Catch a big one."
Yang Gyo-jin smiled brightly and waved goodbye with both hands.
I took the basket and some bait that I borrowed from the Jeomsoi and left the inn.
There was a guest on the icy riverbank. It was an Old man wearing a deeply pressed bamboo hat.
I was immediately puzzled by the sight of him fishing without even a blanket in this cold weather.
Is he a commoner? He looks like an ordinary Grandfather, but something feels off.
I glanced at the Old man and settled down far away from him, examining the river.
Fortunately, there was a place where the ice hadn't formed. I planned to scatter some bait there and catch the biggest fish that gathered.
I put down the basket and was about to take out the bait when Ju-ryeong, who had jumped out of my arms in a hurry, bristled and growled.
"Hoo, a beast that knows how to greet guests."
The voice from behind made my spine tingle.
I turned around hesitantly, and the Old man, who had approached silently, was staring at me.
"Green Robe suits you well, young lady."
"Oh... Thank you?"
I answered awkwardly, but I didn't think it was a compliment.
The Old man, who was chuckling and fiddling with the fishing rod on his shoulder, had a sinister air about him.
The hairs on my body stood on end involuntarily. He's no ordinary Old man.
I swallowed hard and slipped my hand into my sleeve, inching backward.
The Old man, who had been fiddling with the handle of the fishing rod for a while, seemed to have made up his mind and let the fishing rod hang down like a sword.
"I have no personal grudge against you, young lady... But this Old man has a long-standing grudge against the Tang Clan."
"Huh? What on earth does that..."
Before my question could finish, the fishing line cut through the wind and flew toward me.
"Why, why are you doing this!"
I screamed and jumped up, and a deep pit formed where I had been standing.
"So bear with it, even if it's unfair. This Old man must resolve his resentment against that Green Robe before he dies."
The Old man muttered in a chilling voice, gathering his momentum.
"Huh? O-Old man? W-Wait a minute. There's some kind of misunderstanding... Ugh!"
I rolled across the snowy riverbank, dodging the fishing line, and wanted to shout toward Sichuan.
Uncle Geun-myeong! You said the Green Robe would protect me!
