****
Early morning.
Someone was already running in the training hall.
Regular footsteps and constant breathing were heard repeatedly.
“Hoo-woo…….”
How long did he run?
Sweat formed in beads.
Only when his breath rose to the tip of his chin did he stop running and stand.
Before anyone knew it, Cheon Muryang, whose flabby flesh seemed to have reduced a little, was seen.
“It is two sijin (four hours)!”
“Really? It increased a little compared to yesterday.”
“Yes!”
Cheon Muryang, who heard from Wolyeong how long he ran, sat cross-legged in the corner of the training hall.
He observed the inside of his body.
‘With merely 5-star Cheon Yang Divine Art, it seems this is the limit.’
Cheon Yang Divine Art was a Yang martial art.
Therefore, it was somewhat effective in melting the Yin energy inside Cheon Muryang, but it was less effective in melting the Yang energy which possessed the same nature.
‘Because the balance must not be broken. Even if it is late, I have no choice but to go like this.’
The task of melting the energy of the spiritual elixirs inside the body had to be done within the line where the balance of Yin and Yang was maintained no matter what.
Cheon Muryang smacked his lips as if it was regretful but couldn't be helped.
“If I could enter the Cheonryong Library and learn a higher-level mental cultivation method, it would have been different. Tsk.”
What could I do?
It was the karma Cheon Muryang accumulated.
‘I have no choice but to be satisfied with this much.’
Beon-tteuk!
Cheon Muryang opened his eyes.
Thanks to accumulating internal energy, even though it was as small as a rat’s tail, when he finished breathing exercises, it felt like his muscles were relaxing.
“Shall I start again?”
Cheon Muryang got up from his seat.
With a reverent heart, he lifted Cheon Gwang.
The sword blade soaring high into the sky.
It was maintained so well that sunlight reflected on it.
Hoo-ung!
A sharp sword cry rang out.
Was the wound made when he swung the sword against Neung Ryeo-un turning into a callus now? There was no pain.
‘Is it tomorrow now?’
The bet with Cheon Seon-hak.
That was the bet of winning in a duel with the head trainee put forward by Cheon Seon-hak.
For the past month, he immersed himself in training tenaciously.
‘Did I do my best?’
He almost lived in the training hall.
He increased the intensity of training daily, and he did not know how many times he vomited in that process.
Even so, Cheon Muryang felt insufficiency.
‘I tried to have composure, but I might have been impatient.’
Fifteen years later, the Cheon Family collapsed futilely due to the Demonic Cult’s scheme.
Because Cheon Muryang knew this, it seemed he became impatient without realizing it.
‘They said Gwa-yu-bul-geup (Too much is as bad as too little). A gentleman’s revenge is not late even after ten years.’
Like that, he braced himself.
Because there was nothing good about being hasty.
‘Let’s just do what I can focus on right now.’
First, the bet with Cheon Seon-hak came first.
“Ah, I don't know who will be chosen, but it must be really good. Isn't it gaining an opportunity to punish the Eldest Gongja legally?”
It seemed rumors had already spread widely inside the Cheon Family.
Even this must have been intended by Cheon Seon-hak.
It meant if you are afraid, give up early.
‘It seems they have nothing to do quite a bit. They should rather polish their swords in that time. Tsk.’
This small commotion was the best entertainment for those who were stuck in the Cheon Family and only training.
Therefore, there was already a lot of talk regarding this duel.
‘Of course, most of it is about how unsightly I will be defeated, though.’
Although it was a very small minority opinion.
There were opinions that the Eldest Gongja seemed to have changed, although really very few.
It was a great development.
‘Whoever comes out…….’
It did not matter.
Because winning and losing did not hold any meaning.
What he wanted to gain through this bet was enough with Cheon Seon-hak’s small acknowledgment.
“Kik-kik! It is still the same. Did you not learn any sword techniques? To think it is just cutting continuously.”
Sarcastic sounds were heard.
Although Wolyeong was seen flaring up, Cheon Muryang restrained her with his eyes.
‘Still, Eldest Gongja, isn't it fortunate that there is one person cheering for you?’
Cheon Muryang suddenly laughed kil-kil together.
And he walked with long strides toward the trainee ridiculing him.
“By any chance, are you the head trainee?”
Cheon Seon-hak clearly said.
Fight with the ‘head’ trainee.
“Ah. That is correct, Eldest Gongja. I am the head trainee.”
“Is that so.”
“Do not worry, Gongja-nim. I will finish it moderately gently for you.”
Laughing while snickering was cunning, I did not like it.
Suddenly, a face came to mind, but it was strangely different from the face in memory.
‘Come to think of it…….’
Therefore, I asked.
“Right, head trainee. What is your name?”
“I am called Lee Seok-gi.”
“Ah!”
Lee Seok-gi.
I remembered.
Although I couldn't recognize him because his face changed, how could I forget that name?
‘Traitor bastard.’
He was Cheon Muryang’s close aide in the past.
After entering the Cheonryong Sword Unit, he was a person who stood as the closest aide to power by connecting with Cheon Muryang through politics rather than the sword.
In the past, Cheon Muryang favored Lee Seok-gi, who only said flattering words, more than Mumyeong, who spoke right words.
‘At this time, he had a quite agile face.’
The reason I couldn't recognize him was because by that time, greed would dwell in his face, and he would become a pig bastard with flabby flesh like the current Cheon Muryang.
However, Lee Seok-gi fell for the Demonic Cult’s temptation and began to siphon off all sorts of information.
‘Although it was late when I realized it.’
It was already late then.
Kka-deu-deuk.
Cheon Muryang gritted his teeth.
Anger rose.
‘I thought anything was fine…… but my thoughts have changed.’
Whoever the head was.
Cheon Muryang just intended to show his sword to Cheon Seon-hak.
However, it was different now.
‘The opportunity to kill that traitor prematurely has come.’
Looking at Lee Seok-gi making a cunning smile, Cheon Muryang also smiled.
“Is that so. Lee Seok-gi, I will remember.”
“Then I will see you tomorrow.”
“Right. Let’s do that. Let’s fight fair and square.”
“Yes, Gongja-nim.”
Lee Seok-gi disappeared leaving a faint sneer.
It was a cunning laugh that he wouldn't have noticed if he was the past Cheon Muryang.
“Tsk. Another reason to swing the sword desperately has appeared.”
The punishment I couldn't do in the previous life.
Of course, the current Lee Seok-gi did not commit a crime, but it felt like I should pay him back instead.
Like that, Cheon Muryang swung the sword again.
Hoo-ung!
He was still only repeating cutting.
How long did he swing?
Suddenly, Cheon Muryang recalled the teaching of the past Cheon Seon-hak.
『What do you intend to cut?』
『Yes?』
『As expected. Just swinging the sword is not everything.』
『Please give me a teaching.』
『There is nothing to be called a teaching. In the end, the essence of sword technique lies in cutting. What you cut determines the value of that sword.』
『What do I cut……?』
『Right. Look at the sky. What you must cut is not this mere scarecrow.』
Hoo-woong!
Cheon Seon-hak’s sword moved.
The sword soaring into the sky was like an ascending dragon, and the angry dragon cut the sky as it was.
It was the Sword of Cham-cheon (Cutting the Sky).
『……!』
『It is the sky. Cut the sky.』
Since that day.
Cheon Seon-hak’s sword became a goal to reach someday and a milestone indicating the direction to go.
‘What I must cut is the sky.’
Cheon Muryang closed his eyes.
The key was the mental image (Sim-sang).
Fortunately, Cheon Muryang remembered Cheon Seon-hak’s sword that cut the sky.
He entered the state of selflessness advancing infinitely.
Woo-woo-woong!
A part of that sword dwelled vaguely in Cheon Muryang’s sword.
The sword was not felt.
When that weight disappeared completely.
Cheon Gwang became a part of Cheon Muryang.
A part of that mental image that cut the sky overlapped with Cheon Gwang.
Pa-a-at!
Intense rays of light, enough to dazzle the closed eyes of Cheon Muryang, scattered in all directions.
And in Cheon Muryang’s imagination, the sky split.
‘Ah…….’
At that moment, the state of selflessness broke.
Cheon Muryang, feeling exhaustion all over his body, sat down on the spot as if collapsing.
“Hu-uk, Hu-uk!”
He let out rough breaths.
Cheon Muryang, who opened his eyes like that, realized that the surroundings had turned dark.
“Ah…….”
It was deep night.
Such a night when no one would be around.
However, Wolyeong was there at least.
Because she was the shadow of the moon.
“Gong, Gongja-nim?”
It was Wolyeong who always cheered for him, but today was different.
“J, just now, what on earth…… was that?”
The appearance of being surprised with two eyes opened roundly was an expression Cheon Muryang was also seeing for the first time.
At this, he smiled brightly and asked.
He was curious about Wolyeong’s impression.
“Why? How was it?”
“N, no, that is…… although I do not know well about swords…….”
“Just tell me what you felt.”
“I received a feeling as if the sky split for an instant.”
At those words.
Rather, Cheon Muryang was surprised.
The sky he cut was merely a sky in imagination.
‘She saw that?’
How did she see this?
Cheon Muryang laughed.
‘Did no one recognize such a talent? Even me?’
Wolyeong was a talent he hadn't even thought of.
A talent wasteful to simply keep as a sibi.
“Wolyeong, about the duel tomorrow.”
“Yes?”
“Do not turn your eyes away absolutely and watch well. And tell me your thoughts later.”
It was an out-of-the-blue request for Wolyeong.
They were talking about the impression of the sword, but to mention the duel tomorrow.
“Yes. I will do so.”
“As expected, Deung-ha-bul-myeong (It is dark under the lamp).”
“Gong, Gongja-nim?”
Although Cheon Muryang showed clear signs of exhaustion, he laughed loud enough for the sky to leave.
Deung-ha-bul-myeong, under the lamp, was dark.
<><><>
Trainee training hall.
A large crowd had gathered from early morning.
However, everyone was just hovering around the training hall.
They did not go up on it.
“He comes!”
Someone walked from far away.
Although it was Cheon Muryang who had been in the training hall until dawn, he was on his way back from going there due to Wolyeong’s nagging to change clothes and come out neatly at least.
Everyone’s attention was focused.
“Did he…… lose weight?”
“It seems so too?”
He did lose weight noticeably.
How many years has it been since a contour appeared on his jaw?
Those who saw Cheon Muryang after a long time were surprised in their own way.
“Even if he did that, where would his true nature go?”
“That is right. What is the use if he loses weight, the mangnani temperament must be lost. And does doing that make past mistakes disappear?”
However, it was still negative.
Cheon Muryang also did not fail to know this.
He just silently accepted the gazes focused on him.
“Did you come?”
Cheon Seon-hak also came up to the training hall.
“Yes, Uncle.”
“Courtesy is done. You must be ready.”
“Anytime.”
“Good. Come up, Head.”
“Yes! General Unit Leader-nim!”
Lee Seok-gi came up as if he had waited.
It was a face harboring conviction as if he could absolutely never be defeated.
‘Right. He must be contemplating even now how to cook for me.’
This place was a venue of opportunity.
Cheon Seon-hak came here.
It meant the Cheonryong Sword Unit Leader and Cheonbong Sword Unit Leader under him also came to this place.
Since it was an opportunity to look good to those two, Lee Seok-gi would naturally be contemplating.
‘But what to do. I have not even a speck of intention to let him do that.’
Cheon Muryang intended to destroy that venue of opportunity entirely.
“Until I say stop. Do you understand?”
Kkeu-deok.
Two people nodded.
“Grasp the wooden swords.”
“…….”
Cheon Muryang and Lee Seok-gi received wooden swords.
A real sword fight was not permitted.
Because the status of Eldest Gongja meant the Gaju of the next generation anyway.
Isn't it the rule that he must not get hurt?
Cheon Seon-hak went down the training hall.
Then, he shouted as if declaring to everyone.
“Begin!”
He announced the start.
Lee Seok-gi was letting his guard down to the fullest.
Even now, he must be contemplating only with what cool picture he would knock down the Eldest Gongja.
“X-sin (Retard).”
“Hm?”
Therefore, Lee Seok-gi could not react in time.
Cheon Muryang’s sword, which soared high into the sky, struck down like lightning.