Chapter 140 – Fateful Encounter (5)

Despite her initial flustered state, Sama Mang quickly regained her composure as we began our journey.

Perhaps it was due to her mastery of the Chojuljeong technique or her proficiency in manipulating the Nae-gi energy, but Sama Mang’s martial arts skills were at an incredible level.

In contrast, the only martial arts technique I had learned was the Samryong-style Unju Cheonmu Dong, which was somewhere between third-rate and second-rate.

While it had the ability to run for a long time without getting tired, its speed was only slightly better than running normally.

However, it seemed that Sama Mang found it strange that I was using such a slow technique.

Slowing down our pace, Sama Mang asked me as she stood next to me, “So Hyup? It’s nice to see that you never forget to practice, but isn’t it important to go as fast as possible right now?”

“This isn’t a martial arts technique,” I replied.

“What?”

“The martial arts technique I learned has a slower speed. I’m running at the fastest speed possible right now.”

“…What?”

Sama Mang seemed completely confused, but she didn’t ask any further questions, probably thinking that there was a reason for it.

Well, now that we’ve completely left the village, it should be okay to speed up a bit.

“Don’t worry, Noh Hon-ma-nyeo. There’s another way.”

Most martial arts techniques use the center of the foot to emit Nae-gi energy. This allows for explosive speed.

Unju Cheonmu Dong also emits Nae-gi energy through the Yongcheon blood vessels, but the next step is different.

Instead of igniting the Nae-gi energy like a propellant, it is used to envelop the foot and the surrounding space.

At first, I didn’t feel much of a difference, but now that I’ve achieved a higher level of proficiency, I can clearly see the benefits.

The use of Unju Cheonmu Dong absorbs the shock every time the foot touches the ground and generates a rebound effect.

This reduces the consumption of stamina and Nae-gi energy, making it perfect for long-distance running.

So, if you have an abundance of Nae-gi energy and a good martial arts technique for long-distance running, what should you do?

As always, the solution is simple.

I scraped off the excess Nae-gi energy that was inflated by the Muryeong Shin-gong and hit it with the Unju Cheonmu Dong’s technique.

Bang!

With a loud explosion, the surrounding scenery was pushed back.

Although there was a loud noise every time I took a step, I was able to run at least twice as fast as before.

The amount of Nae-gi energy consumed was surprisingly low, thanks to the massive amount of Nae-gi energy rotating through my blood vessels.

If we keep up this speed, we could run for three days and nights straight.

As we ran, the distance between us and the village grew further and further away. I glanced back and caught Sama Mang staring at me with her mouth slightly agape.

“How’s this? Is this fast enough?” I asked.

“Huh…”

Sama Mang still had her eyes closed, but her head was facing my direction.

She probably noticed how I was running, given her sharp senses.

Sama Mang nodded in admiration and soon after, I heard a faint sound.

Phick.

With a static sound, the distance that was once far away suddenly became closer.

Sama Mang had caught up to me, running diagonally behind me with a smooth acceleration.

She smiled at me, indicating that she would follow my pace.

“You’re amazing. I heard you’re around the same age as Yeoryeong, but…”

“Well, I’ve been lucky in many ways.”

This wasn’t just an empty statement. The Muryeong Shin-gong, the Unju Cheonmu Dong that was tailored for me, and my strengthened blood vessels after the Yeonghwa’s trial – if I didn’t have any of these, what we just did wouldn’t have been possible.

But Sama Mang shook her head and firmly denied my words.

“You can’t explain such great achievements with just luck. In the end, it’s because of the depth of your training that you’ve accumulated until now.”

“Uh…thank you. Why does it feel like you’re constantly praising me, Noh Hon-ma-nyeo?”

“Hehe. It’s not praise. I just acknowledged that you’re really amazing.”

It’s getting hot, but I feel good.

Anyway, we continued to run without rest, occasionally chatting with each other. When it was time for a meal, we stopped at a roadside inn.

After tirelessly running, we finally arrived at our destination when a day and night had passed.

***

A narrow path that continued from the lower village. As we climbed up the mountain along the cramped path, we soon saw a stone wall in the distance.

“Is that where Sohyeop used to live?”

“Yes. It’s been a while.”

It’s been over a year.

The house where I lived with my master was still the same as I remembered it, at least from a distance.

As we entered the yard, we were greeted by overgrown weeds. It was expected since no one had taken care of it.

This much was expected. The problem was that this wasn’t the end.

“Oh, the condition of the house is quite serious.”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. A house that no one takes care of is bound to fall apart quickly.”

Once, I had a fight with Cheokan Geumgwi, and a door flew off. Of course, I had repaired it roughly before leaving the house, but it had broken again. Did a strong wind blow or something?

In addition to the mold on the walls, spider webs in the corners, a wardrobe that wouldn’t open because the latch was broken, a kitchen that looked like a wild animal had passed through it, window frames with holes, and an unusual number of ants, there was a small beehive at the edge of the roof.

It’s a complete mess. The only good thing is that there were no signs that anyone else had been here, right?

Well, it’s not like I’m unknown to the people in the lower village, and above all, they’ve heard the story of how I defeated a top-notch master, Baek Ho-dae, so they probably didn’t dare to touch anything here.

I want to clean up right away, but…there’s something I need to do first. I’ll clean up when Hong Yeon-hwa and Paeng Soso come with me.

“Let’s go straight to where my master’s grave is. Do you only install the Jinbeop there?”

“The villagers know the location of this place, right? If there’s nothing where it should be, it raises suspicion, and that weakens the effectiveness of the Jinbeop.”

“I understand. Then I’ll guide you right away.”

I passed by the house as it was and climbed up the mountain path a little more with Sama Mang.

We arrived at the open space in no time. It wasn’t a famous place, but it was a place where I could overlook the house where I used to live.

In the center of the open space, there was a tall tombstone and a small tombstone standing side by side.

There was no altar according to the will, and the modest tombstone only had the name “Gyeongam” written on it, without any grandiose phrases.

There were weeds here too, but there was no sign of any wild animals or humans passing by.

When I stopped, Sama Mang looked around and asked.

“Can we install it here?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll start right away. It’ll take a while, so please rest for a while, Sohyeop.”

I took out a jade bead that I had prepared in advance from my bag and Sama Mang walked confidently to a corner.

She said she would rest, but it’s a bit strange to do nothing. Since we’re here, I might as well weed the area.

Shring.

Someone said that you can tell a swordsman’s skill just by the sound of drawing a sword.

Even I think my sword sounds pretty clear now. It’s grown a lot compared to before. There’s still a long way to go, though.

By the way, even though I used it quite roughly, the blade is still in perfect condition.

I protected the blade with the sheath, and the quality of the materials might have something to do with it.

I still remember the test I took for the Yongbong Association preliminaries with the Fungnyeon Stone Cut. Even though it was just a simple rock, it was imbued with the power of the earth, making it as hard as steel.

You are sending and receiving too many words in a short period of time.

You are sending and receiving too many words in a short period of time.