34 – 03# The Awl in a Sack (5)

Honing one’s martial skills was fundamental for a martial artist. However, if asked whether I was a good master, alas, I couldn’t answer with certainty.

Because my knowledge was limited to the basic Three-Essence Swordplay. Of course, there were martial arts I had received from the Moryong Clan, but strictly speaking, I only had a grasp of them.

I was far from mastering the Moryong Clan’s martial arts. It was only because I had that much that I could pretend to teach Sua. If I didn’t even have that,

I probably wouldn’t have been able to maintain the facade of being a capable master for long. Repeating impressive lines from martial arts novels eventually has its limits.

From that perspective, the past month had been very comfortable. Under the pretext of preparing for the move, I could pay less attention. But sweet days pass quickly.

Now, forced to settle down due to Yang Miyeon, I could no longer postpone it. I faced Sua, desperately trying to recall an impressive line from a martial arts novel.

“I will begin.”

“Come then.”

Barely had the words left my lips, Sua closed the distance in an instant. Her speed was at least twice as fast as the last time I saw her. It was the result of her diligent training.

However, Sua’s wooden sword, aimed like lightning at my right shoulder, failed to reach its target, blocked by my own, hastily interposing wooden sword. But as if she had anticipated it,

Sua didn’t even show a hint of surprise and calmly transitioned into a continuous attack. Unlike before, her swordplay was undeniably calm and experienced, regardless of her age.

‘She’s certainly at a similar level to Moryong Hyun now. A remarkable achievement considering her age.’

I heard that Moryong Hyun was a martial artist who had a foot in the door of First-Rate mastery. Considering that the usual age for reaching First-Rate was around thirty, she was ahead by a full decade.

But Sua was already flirting with First-Rate at the very young age of sixteen. Of course, once she entered the later stages, Transcendent or even Metamorphic masters were abundant, but still.

However, Sua’s fiercely relentless attack didn’t last long. She exposed a tiny gap during the fight, and I seized that opportunity to exploit it directly.

Before she knew it, my wooden sword was halted just before touching Sua’s neck. Realizing this, Sua had no choice but to retreat, wearing a look of defeat. I nodded and said,

“You’ve improved immensely.”

“I am still far from proficient.”

“Those are not empty words. With skill of this caliber, you could likely put up a fine match against Young Master Mo Yong-hyun.”

“If you say so, Master…”

“But one must not be complacent with merely that level. Strive to improve further.”

I offered the advice to Su-ah with utter sincerity. It was a fact that Su-ah’s talent was outstanding. But could she be satisfied with just reaching the level of a first-rate expert? She had to become a supreme master at minimum.

Even as Su-ah and I were sparring, Seol-hwa had settled herself and was performing meditative breathing exercises through the Sword Mind Technique. At least Seol-hwa was easier to instruct than Su-ah.

Because she was truly a blank slate. All I had to do was teach her the Sword Mind Technique, along with the Three Talents Sword Style. But still, the greatest hurdle remained none other than Su-ah.

“Master, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What do you believe to be the true essence of the Flash Cloud Sword?”

“…”

Unlike Seol-hwa, who could be considered to be in the beginner class, Su-ah was a student closer to advanced level. Because of this, even the level of her questions was extremely high. So much so that it was even a struggle to answer.

‘What essence would there be to the Flash Cloud Sword? Isn’t it just ridiculously fast?’

Could it be because I am only at the level of an expert? When I thought about the essence of the Flash Cloud Sword Technique, nothing particularly came to mind. That was why I had no choice but to try and give a plausible roundabout answer.

“Do you believe there is a definitive answer in the martial arts?”

“Shouldn’t there be a correct answer?”

“You are mistaken. Even when using the same sword style, each person pursues a different martial path, so it is sometimes important to reflect upon oneself without relying on others for an answer.”

I did my best to say something as plausible as possible, but when you broke it down, it was closer to meaning, ‘Even I don’t really know, so figure it out yourself.’ Even to my own ears, it sounded quite inadequate.

Surprisingly, Su-ah wore an expression of dawning comprehension, and right then and there, she suddenly sat in a lotus position and began to circulate her energy. Did she understand perfectly even though I spoke clumsily?

A light, almost pure white, began to circulate through her entire body. Eventually, it was all absorbed into her lower abdomen. Then, Su-ah opened her eyes once again.

“Thank you, Master.”

“If you are satisfied, then that is enough.”

“I will strive to improve further, and I will certainly become a disciple who is helpful to Master.”

So, it seemed that the grand words, that she was an unprecedented genius in the history of the Mo Yong clan, were not empty boasts. To realize something immediately after I spoke a few words, I felt anew how exceptional she was.

Just by looking, it was obvious that the total amount of her inner energy had greatly increased. It had increased by at least double compared to before. On top of that, the way her inner energy circulated through her body was as natural as flowing water.

However, since she still could not use sword energy, it was slightly debatable whether she had risen to the realm of a perfect first-rate expert. Still, to have achieved this much at such a young age was certainly remarkable.

“Senior Sister! You seem to have changed a lot!”

“Thank you for noticing, Junior Sister.”

‘Besides, I feel as though she has become subtly more mature. Is it because her spirit has grown through enlightenment? Whatever the reason, this is a good thing for Su-ah.’

I nodded. It was hard to believe the petulant girl who, only months prior, had seethed with envy, was the same person. She had changed so much, it was almost unrecognizable.

“I’ve chopped the firewood.”

“Good, well done.”

“Now that you’ve finished with the wood, there’s other work to be done. What are you doing, just standing there, all vacant-like?”

…Or perhaps not? Maybe she’s still the same.

◇

It felt as if someone was clamping their hand over her air passage.

She felt like, with just a bit more effort, a little more struggling, she could finally reach the top. And yet, she never quite made it, always falling back down.

This kept repeating, and after a while, she even began to fear trying to rise again. What was the point? She’d only fail again anyway. Was there really any meaning in honing her martial skills?

Was she doomed to stagnate, never able to ascend for the rest of her days? She didn’t show it to her master, but anxiety was steadily accumulating within Su-Ah’s heart.

“Master, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What do you believe is the true essence of the Flash Cloud Sword Technique?”

Unable to bear her impatience any longer, Su-Ah blurted out the question to the master she served. Lately, her master had been focusing more on sparring than directly teaching.

Of course, she didn’t doubt her master. Surely, he had his reasons. But because she was so dull, she couldn’t find the answer herself, and so she ended up asking.

“Do you believe there is an answer within martial prowess?”

“Shouldn’t there be a correct one?”

“Wrong. Even with the same sword technique, everyone pursues a different martial path. Therefore, sometimes it’s important not to rely on others for the answer, but to look inward.”

Not seeking the answer from others, but looking within oneself.

If it were someone else, they might have become even more confused. But Su-Ah’s comprehension allowed her to grasp the hidden meaning (or at least, that’s what she believed) within her master’s words.

Thanks to this, Su-Ah realized the truth she had been desperately avoiding all along. She clearly believed that there was a right answer on the path she was taking, and she was wandering around, constantly searching for that answer.

But sadly, it was closer to the remnants of her past that were still lingering. Yes, that damn father who, even before she met her master, had already determined the answer for her and taught her accordingly.

Mo-Yong Kang.

That man still lingered subtly within her.

He always forced her to accept the answer he wanted.

And so, at some point, Su-Ah began to rely on the answers of others rather than deciding for herself. But could it be that everything she had discarded as not being the answer wasn’t the answer after all?

‘Relying on others cannot be called first-rate. Believing in the path one has chosen and forging ahead. That is what truly makes one first-rate.’

A small realization began to change everything. In fact, considering Su-Ah’s talent, it wouldn’t have been strange if she had reached the first-rate level a long time ago. But there is a reason for everything.

Until now, Su-Ah had been bound by the shackles of the name Mo-Yong Kang. But no longer. Su-Ah finally drew her sword without hesitation and severed the shackles that bound her.

The arrogant and presumptuous girl who judged others by their appearance no longer existed in this place. And the moment a completely new person Su-Ah opened her eyes again, what she saw was.

“I’ve chopped the firewood.”

“Good, you’ve done well.”

It was a girl in disguise, an odd sight, wagging her tail at Master’s side.

“If you’re finished with the firewood, you must have other tasks to attend to. What are you doing, standing there gawking?”

At first, I was half-inclined to doubt it. But my gut feeling was right. She was a woman, after all.

This sly fox, trying to get close to Master while dressed as a man?

Master might not care and would simply accept her, but I was different.