Chapter 53. Where the Wind Blows (3)
"Burp! Ah, that was a good meal."
"Would, would you like some more?"
"Huh? Ah, no thanks. Overeating isn't good for you."
Cheolgon'gae (Iron Rod Beggar) had to hold back tears as he looked at the pile of chicken bones on the floor.
Although they live the life of beggars, the Beggars' Sect is a martial arts clan and a major player in the information industry, possessing unimaginable financial power. Naturally, a branch leader would have a considerable amount of money to use privately.
However, Cheolgon'gae had often used his own money for the people's welfare, but he had never indulged in luxury. This was true not only for Cheolgon'gae but for all the beggars of the Beggars' Sect.
And yet, Cheolgon'gae had, for the first time, spent a fortune to get three chickens. Not just any chickens, but hens.
And all those treasures had disappeared into Hugae's stomach.
"Huh? But why does the branch leader's face look so sour? Are you upset?"
"Yes? Ah, no! How could that be!"
"Right? I thought you might be heartbroken about the chickens."
It wasn't that he was heartbroken about the chickens. He was just resentful of Hugae, who had devoured everything without leaving even a single chicken neck.
"But..."
"Hmm?"
Cheolgon'gae tilted his head.
"Your face is gleaming with oil. Did you find a good patron?"
Gadeuksang grinned.
Between his even teeth, pieces of boiled chicken were stuck.
"I've found a very interesting patron. Well, he seems a bit dangerous at times."
"Surely, it's not the Yeon Family Head, is it?"
"Are you crazy? That man is beyond dangerous; he's terrifying. He's the first person besides my master that I found overwhelming to even face. I don't know what kind of jewels he has embedded in his eyes, but they were sparkling all over."
"Then...?"
"Not the Yeon Family Head, but his son."
"Gasp!"
Cheolgon'gae inhaled sharply without realizing it.
"Could it be the Gwangpungsa (Mad Wind Lion)?"
"What 'sa'?"
"Gwangpungsa..."
"Who's Gwangpungsa?"
"The eldest son of the Yeon family."
Gadeuksang tilted his head.
"That's right, but did he get a nickname?"
"Yes. It's quite famous. It spread to this Jiangsu Province a couple of months ago."
"Oh?"
It was understandable.
The martial arts Yeon Ho-jeong had displayed at the gathering of the rising stars were shocking. He was not only the best among the rising stars but also the way he mercilessly drove Chuseong, the Thunderous, was incredibly fierce.
The martial world is sensitive to rumors. Moreover, those rumors were spread by the rising stars of the Seven Great Families.
Naturally, a nickname with a lot of embellishments would have spread.
"But still, Gwangpungsa, that's a bit much."
A lion that calls the fierce wind, or a lion that creates a mad wind.
It could be interpreted in different ways, but it didn't sound very good. It was too aggressive for the nickname of the eldest son of the Yeon family, a prestigious family of the righteous path.
'Well.'
Except for his background and environment, it was a fitting nickname. He might not be a lion, but he was definitely half-mad.
"To take Gwangpungsa as a patron, as expected of Hugae."
"Is he very famous?"
"It's a rumor spread by the rising stars, who are known for their pride. I'm sure everyone knows about it by now."
Gadeuksang snorted.
"It's always that damn pride that's the problem. Look at the Nine Great Sects. The kids trained there are all humble."
"Because they inherited the lineage of the Seonga (Immortal Family). But not all of them were humble, were they?"
"Better than the Seven Great Families. Oh, you should have seen it at the gathering. The kids were all full of pride and so young."
"They are actually young."
"But they are descendants of prestigious families."
"Frogs in a well."
"Well said."
"I'm Cheolgon'gae, Cheolgon'gae."
Gadeuksang stretched.
"Kneel! Anyway, that was a good meal. I think I should get going too."
A look of disappointment appeared on Cheolgon'gae's face. But his eyes became brighter than the sun.
"Are you leaving already?"
"Should I stay longer?"
"..."
"You're making me feel subtly unwelcome. Ah, never mind! I'm busy too!"
"Hehehe."
Cheolgon'gae, who was grinning, tilted his head.
"By the way, where are you going?"
"Where else would I go? I'm going to meet the mad lion. I'm going to be wandering around aimlessly for a while again."
"It's Gwangpungsa, not Gwangs."
"Who cares? Ah! And..."
Gadeuksang's eyes turned cold.
"Help the Yeon Family Head for a while. The Tongcheon Group won't be able to function properly, so it'll be a bit tough."
* * *
Whoosh!
The sound of the axe cutting through the air was heavy, even overwhelming.
"Huff."
One misstep and his breathing would falter. The power of each strike was so strong and extreme that, even though he had increased his stamina this much, it was difficult to execute the martial arts.
But it was okay.
Byeokrajingi was a rare and divine skill. The stability of Byeokrajin'gyeok was not limited to just internal energy; it affected the entire body.
Stronger, faster, more extreme.
It was a divine skill that stably prevented the body from breaking down even when exceeding its limits. Moreover, with the infinite power of Hyeonmugi (Mystic Martial Energy), he would soon get used to it.
Just as he was contemplating picking up the axe, he received a gift. He was once again grateful to his father.
Whoosh! Swooosh!
After swinging the geobyeong (giant weapon) for a while, it felt like all his joints were being pulled out.
'One last time.'
A determined look appeared on Yeon Ho-jeong's sweat-soaked face.
'Baekho.'
Thump!
His energy changed abruptly.
The aggressive and explosive energy instantly transformed into a majestic and spirited energy.
The axe, held with both hands, created a tremendous wind.
Flap flap flap! Thud!
The huge axe blade struck the ground. The wide buin (axe blade) dug halfway into the ground.
It was an incredible power, but Yeon Ho-jeong's face was filled with only disappointment.
"It's still not working."
Without generating Baekhogi (White Tiger Energy), it was difficult to draw out the true essence of Baekho.
He could imitate the hyeong (form), but it was difficult to bring out its true power. Each form of the Sashinmu contained profound and intricate principles, and without the corresponding directional energy, its power would not manifest.
'For now, I have to be satisfied with the Yasu Spear (Wild Beast Spear).'
The Yasu Spear Technique was a simplified martial art based on the form of Baekho. Because of this, it was compatible with any internal energy, but its level was far below that of Baekho's martial arts.
Of course, it was still a first-rate martial art in itself and was sufficient to use.
Yeon Ho-jeong pulled the axe stuck in the ground and took a deep breath.
'Don't be impatient. You have to be fast, but not hasty.'
He recalled his master's words.
'People say that only by letting go of greed can you truly gain something. That is nothing but wordplay. Greed breeds desire, and desire fuels passion. The only thing a person who abandons greed can gain is regression. However, you need to be careful about haste. Being fast and being hasty are different. You must understand the difference to gain momentum in your growth.'
He had never forgotten a single word his master had said.
He was a divine being (God-man). He was a martial god (Wushen) who possessed countless lost ultimate techniques of the martial world, not just the Sashinmu (Four Gods Martial Arts).
Among them, there was no doubt that Sashinmu was the most outstanding ultimate technique. He also evaluated Sashinmu as the most ideal from the perspective of martial arts.
However, even though he had mastered Sashinmu, he was not satisfied with it.
'Sashinmu was created during a time of turmoil, a hellish period when wars never ceased. Its very birth was a martial art for the destruction of enemies. It is close to perfection in terms of martial arts, but it does not seek to be more than human. That's why I cherish Sashinmu and, at the same time, despise it.'
His master was a descendant of the Seonga (Immortal Family). He aimed to transcend the human body and ascend to immortality, so it must have been difficult for him to view Sashinmu favorably.
'Well, my master was also a bit of an eccentric. He pursued muwi-jayeon (non-action and naturalness), but he was also overly human.'
He wondered.
'Where is my master now?'
He was a person who wandered the world, following the wind and clouds. Even if he went to the place where he had met him in the past, his master would probably not be there.
Yeon Ho-jeong's eyes deepened.
'Will I be able to meet him? In this lifetime?'
He didn't know how he had returned to the past. But since he had returned to the past, shouldn't he be able to meet his master?
'I want to see him at least once.'
His master, who had trained him in Hongcheongi and Sashinmu for several years, suddenly left one day. Without a word, without a letter.
He was that kind of person. But even if he understood, he couldn't help but feel sad.
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
"If fate allows, I will see him."
At that moment, a playful voice was heard.
"Who? Do you have a pretty lady hidden somewhere?"
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
"Would a pretty lady even give me a glance?"
"Bullshit. Don't say that anywhere else. Are you teasing me or what?"
"I'm a madman carrying an axe the size of a human body. Would a normal woman flirt with me?"
"Hehe, well, that's true."
Gadeuksang whistled.
"Looking at it like this, it's really enormous. How many geun does that weigh?"
"It must be eighty geun."
"It's no different from grabbing and swinging a human body. You'll break all your bones when you get old."
"I don't care."
"Anyway, what kind of martial arts are you practicing? No matter how I look at it, it's not the Yeon family's martial arts."
"There is such a thing."
"Huh! What's with all the secrets for a young person?"
"There are places where the whole family is trying to deceive others."
Gadeuksang's eyes deepened.
He realized that he was talking about the Murong family.
"You should be leaving soon, right?"
"That's right."
"I'm bored, so let's go together to your destination."
"Aren't you busy?"
"Can you be so stiff? You've benefited a lot from me lately. You should be bowing and saying thank you, but instead..."
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
"I don't like bowing, but thank you."
"Ah, never mind! Just don't refuse when I need your help later if I get into some dog-like trouble."
"Of course."
Gadeuksang chuckled.
As the sun set, the forest behind Goyangru was already dim.
"Well, let's go."
"Let's go."
It was then.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Gadeuksang's eyes flashed.
"Danger!"
Clang!
A sharp longsword collided with the wide bu-sin (axe blade).
Ting!
The mysterious attacker retreated at a terrifying speed and then approached again, swinging his sword.
It was a fast and fierce swordsmanship. The amount of internal energy was not great, but the elasticity of the internal energy on the sword was admirable.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung his axe vigorously.
Clang clang clang clang!
The eighty-geun heavy weapon moved like a quick sword, blocking the sword strikes.
After deflecting all the incoming sword strikes, Yeon Ho-jeong unleashed a storm-like blow.
Boom!
With a loud explosion, the branches piled on the ground scattered in all directions.
Whoosh.
The attacker holding the sword flew away and gracefully regained his posture.
Gadeuksang's eyes widened.
"Huh? What? Second Young Master?!"
The swordsman, Yeon Ji-pyeong, straightened his body.
His eyes were clear and calm.
"You are indeed amazing, Brother."
Yeon Ho-jeong stroked the shaft of his axe.
"You were also great. I haven't seen your martial arts for a while, but I didn't know you had grown so much in such a short time."
"There's someone I have to chase after urgently. If my brother is too great, it becomes tiring for his younger brother."
Swoosh.
Yeon Ji-pyeong, sheathing his sword, respectfully clasped his hands.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes, I'm leaving."
There was no sadness or regret in Yeon Ji-pyeong's eyes. It was probably because he had already washed them away.
Yeon Ho-jeong felt proud as he looked at his younger brother's eyes.
"You should have said something before leaving."
"I'll be back soon, so why bother."
"Just like you, Brother."
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who was smiling at Yeon Ho-jeong, gradually began to waver. He thought he had controlled his emotions, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
Yeon Ji-pyeong bowed his head and respectfully cupped his fist.
"Have a safe trip, Brother."
There was no reply.
Yeon Ji-pyeong, who had been bowing his head for a long time, straightened his body.
Yeon Ho-jeong and Gadeuksang were already gone.
"...It seems Brother is indeed the eldest son. He's as cold as Father."
