In the midst of a clear water flow,
where a serene blue breathes and a cold chill swims through,
stood Bi Ryu-yeon, at the heart of this vast liquid tapestry.
His silence was a natural consequence of the special location –
directly under a waterfall, where sounds were scarce.
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Despite the cold engulfing him, Bi Ryu-yeon, the sole disciple and successor of the Flying Lightning School, was unfazed. In his hand was a Flying Lightning Knife, poised for action. He focused intently on a rock about 5 jang (approximately 16.5 meters) away – a rock annoyingly resembling his tiresome master's face.
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This particular rock, being as large as his master's face, fueled Bi Ryu-yeon's desire to destroy it twofold. He extended his arm forward, not quickly, as the resistance of water still hindered swift movement like on land. Yet, his arm moved smoothly and naturally, despite the intense water pressure and resistance.
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The Flying Lightning Knife in his hand swiftly swam through the water, piercing the distant rock that was the size of his master's head. Despite being deep underwater, where immense pressure weighed down on him, the sword managed to defy the laws of nature and impale the rock. However, even this heroic feat against nature's laws didn't please Bi Ryu-yeon.
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"Tch, a mere scratch… It didn't split in half."
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A flicker of disappointment crossed Bi Ryu-yeon's face. What others would have considered an incredible feat was merely a bitter failure for him. He tugged at the Spirit Lightning Silk to retrieve the Flying Lightning Knife. On land, the sword would have unquestionably returned to his hand, but underwater, amidst invisible currents, it only half-returned before losing momentum and sinking.
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His endeavor underwater was a testament to his skill but also highlighted the challenge of working against the elements – a reality even Bi Ryu-yeon could not easily overcome.
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At this moment, the water spirit stirred violently. The Flying Lightning Knife, swept by the current, swam erratically through the water, beyond Bi Ryu-yeon's control. It was a clear sign of his insufficient training.
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What could be the weakness of the Flying Lightning Knife? It likely lay in underwater combat. Under water's resistance and intense pressure, the body slows down, and the sword loses its ability to fly. Add to that the invisible, formless currents, and the difficulty increases exponentially. The force behind the sword also diminishes significantly, along with its speed. For a Flying Lightning Knife, whose essence is swiftness, losing speed equates to death.
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The same was true for the Silk Sword. Controlling a thread thinner than hair in water, with its unpredictable, wave-like currents, was next to impossible. While the Flying Lightning Knife might manage to move at a snail's pace underwater, the nearly weightless and delicate Silk Sword would be utterly unmanageable. Anyone attempting to wield it underwater would surely be deemed insane. Try putting a thread in water, and it will immediately lose strength and follow the water's flow – a basic truth.
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Thus, throwing a Flying Lightning Knife underwater was as difficult as shooting an arrow into the center of a target 100 meters away during a violent storm. Simply put, it was deemed impossible.
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However, the previous masters of the Flying Lightning School did not give up. They challenged the insurmountable barriers, shattered the impossibilities believed by others, and overturned conventional wisdom. The advanced training method known as 'Flying Water Lightning,' was developed to address these weaknesses. It was not a martial art technique per se, but a training process to overcome the shortcomings of the Flying Lightning Knife.
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The training principle of Flying Water Lightning was:
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"Become one with the water. Erase the distinction between self and object. Forget oneself, do not go against nature, become one with it."
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That was the only clue provided for this training stage.
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Bi Ryu-yeon had almost completed the first stage but still lacked sufficient power and speed in his sword. His ability to control true energy was also deficient, making it impossible to manage the Silk Sword, or Spirit Lightning Silk. For now, all he could manage was to throw the Flying Lightning Knife with minimal resistance from the water.
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Having laboriously retrieved the wayward Bi-Rae Sword, Bi Ryu-yeon was seething with anger. Frustrated at his own shortcomings, he felt a surge of heat from deep within. Nearby, a watermelon-sized rock lay beside his foot. In a burst of irritation, he picked up the rock and, with a silent roar of 'Uaaaah!' in his mind, he steadied himself and hurled the rock forcefully out of the water. The rock, propelled with great force, narrowly missed crashing against the cliff and flew off into another world where air existed. This was possible thanks to his training in Flying Water Lightning. The question was where the rock went and what chaos it might have caused.
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After venting his frustration, Bi Ryu-yeon felt slightly calmer, but then a different sensation overwhelmed him – a tightness in his chest, a lack of air. He could only endure about half an hour underwater, especially when practicing martial arts. Realizing the need for air, Bi Ryu-yeon knew he must climb out of the water, not swim. The reason was the four Steel Dragon Bracelet, each weighing 140 geun (approx. 56 kg), fastened around his wrists and ankles, totaling 560 geun (approx. 224 kg). Initially not thinking of this, Bi Ryu-yeon had to tediously remove and throw each Mok-Ryong-Hwan out of the water, one by one.
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Now, he found it easier to train underwater with the Mok-Ryong-Hwan. Initially, these rings nearly cost him his life, but without them, maintaining balance underwater, especially beneath a waterfall with strong currents, was extremely challenging. Therefore, he always wore them during underwater training.
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Breathing deeply, Bi Ryu-yeon filled his lungs with fresh air. The cool breeze dried the water on his body, a refreshing sensation he couldn't experience underwater.
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Suddenly, he noticed something unusual. On the ground lay an old man with white hair, stretched out, looking up at the sky. The old man's face was swollen blue, suggesting a severe impact, but Bi Ryu-yeon couldn't guess what caused it. Foam bubbled from the old man's mouth, indicating he was unconscious. Approaching the fallen man, Bi Ryu-yeon checked his pulse and assessed his condition, only to shake his head in resignation.
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"Tsk, tsk, he's dead," Bi Ryu-yeon noted regretfully. The man's breath had ceased, his pulse no longer beat, his heart was silent, and the blood in his veins had stopped flowing. The old man lying there was no longer among the living.
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"What a pity to die so absurdly in such a remote place," Bi Ryu-yeon remarked, feeling sorry for the unfortunate fate that had befallen the stranger.
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The cause of death seemed to be a concussion. Although Bi Ryu-yeon hadn't witnessed the event, he deduced from various circumstances that the direct cause of the old man's death was likely due to a sharp, malicious-looking rock jutting out behind his head. The old man might have slipped on the slippery rocks, fallen backward, and unfortunately hit his head on this pointed rock, causing the concussion. Particularly, the pointed cone-shaped rock seemed to have struck a fatal blow.
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However, no matter how much he pondered, Bi Ryu-yeon couldn't fathom why the old man's face had turned blue. There were no traces or remnants around the corpse. Despite his sharp and analytical mind, Bi Ryu-yeon couldn't find any weapon that could have caused such damage to the old man's face.
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Convinced of his own logic, Bi Ryu-yeon concluded that the old man must have tragically died from a concussion after slipping and hitting his head on the rock. However, he couldn't ascertain the cause of the stimulus on the old man's face.
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It never crossed his mind, even in his wildest dreams, that the stimulus on the old man's face was from the rock he had thrown in a fit of rage from the water. That rock had already vanished into the water. Resigning himself from further speculation, Bi Ryu-yeon firmly believed his deduction was accurate. The truth remained known only to the heavens.
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Feeling it inappropriate to leave the corpse in such a remote location, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to prepare the body (according to folk and feng shui traditions, ensuring the corpse is in an ideal state for burial) and bury it in a sunny spot.
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Before preparing the body, Bi Ryu-yeon searched the old man's pockets. Following the teaching of Bi-roe Moon* – 'come empty-handed, leave empty-handed' – he took out any valuables that could still be useful in the mortal world, including weapons.
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According to Bi-Rae-Mun's teachings, the only thing to take to the afterlife is a single set of clothes, considered the ideal state for a corpse. The items removed would now belong to Bi Ryu-yeon, as per the law.
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He found several intriguing items in the old man's possession: eight heavy walnut-sized iron balls, twelve razor-thin bracelet-sized flying rings, a delicately crafted human skin mask, a letter, and a surprisingly heavy pouch.
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"Ah, the pouch is quite heavy, wow!" exclaimed Bi Ryu-yeon joyfully.
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After ensuring no one was around, he slowly opened the pouch, revealing its contents. Inside were ten dazzling gold lumps and an additional thirty silver coins – an unexpected and substantial sum of money. It was an unforeseen windfall, to find such a large amount of money.
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"Shiny, shiny, gold coins, glittering so beautifully, lalala!"
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At this moment, Bi Ryu-yeon was out of his mind, losing his reason to the sight of gold. It was the first time in his life he had seen such an amount of gold at once. As someone who always lived by the principles of thrift and saving, when would he ever have had the chance to handle such a sum?
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"One gold coin equals twenty silver coins. Ten gold coins make two hundred silver coins. Add the extra thirty, and that makes two hundred and thirty silver coins. That's my salary for two years and three months! The money I could only earn by working my bones off in the hot, harsh forge for such a long period just fell from the sky! What a windfall! The heavens have blessed me with this fortune."
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He was overjoyed. To earn such a large amount all at once, how could he not be happy?
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"It really pays to live a good life!"
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Such gratifying thoughts crossed his mind.
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As Bi Ryu-yeon jumped around excitedly, shouting "Hooray, hooray, hoorah!" repeatedly, his eyes fell on a white letter. The envelope read, "Personal letter to Steel Orb Silver Bracelet Jin Jo-woon."
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"Personal letter" meant the letter was intended to be opened by the recipient themselves, but since the intended recipient was now in no state to do so, Bi Ryu-yeon decided to open it himself, perhaps to justify receiving the money… Even then, he thought of himself as too conscientious and moral, always at a loss.
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[Letter]
Personal letter to Steel Orb Silver Bracelet, Old Master Jin
I cordially invite Jin Jo-Woon, the Old Master, to be the instructor for our Heavenly Academy annual and most important tradition, the summer training camp. This is a crucial time for these children, a period of boundless development. I have high expectations for them. Therefore, I humbly request that you generously impart your wisdom to these promising talents who will lead our righteous path in the future. Your renowned skills are well-trusted; please teach them as you see fit. All actions necessary for instructing the children are permitted. I trust there will be fair treatment without bias towards blood or social connections. Personal feelings should not result in favoritism. Talent and skill will prove themselves.
The location is the Heavenly Academy Emei's Training Center at Mountain Emei, with the arrival scheduled for July 15. A support fund of ten gold coins is enclosed; please use it wisely. If more funds are needed, request additional support from the Martial Alliance's Silver Bank. Please remember to bring your badge. The duration is three months. I entrust the sixteen children to your capable hands.
[End of Letter]
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"Ma Jin-ga? What an odd name!"
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[TL/N: MC is making fun of the name, since the latter hanja characters for Jin-ga can be translated as Genuine House/School.]
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Musing over the three characters that graced the end of the letter, Bi Ryu-yeon muttered to himself. The content of the letter wasn't particularly atmospheric. It was a strictly business-like communication, disregarding any formalities or etiquette. Given the name of the writer, Ma Jin-ga, it seemed unlikely that he was much for ambiance. Ma Jin-ga! No matter how many times he pondered over it, the name continued to feel strange. But despite the lack of mood in the letter, its content piqued Bi Ryu-yeon's interest.
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"Hmm, this could be interesting!"
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The words that caught his eye were 'impart teachings,' 'support fund of ten gold coins,' and 'additional support.' Although the latter seemed thrice as appealing as the former two, Bi Ryu-yeon was not uninterested in the teaching opportunity. It seemed like it could be fun. Recently, his life had been dull, dry, and tediously monotonous. This opportunity was a welcome breath of fresh air, plus he had been paid, so he felt obliged to reciprocate.
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'To teach… Haha, hehe. Alright, I'll teach them. Just as my master taught me – thoroughly and painfully… Finally, a chance for payback. I'll teach them what it truly means to learn – the bone-aching, excruciating part of it. And then, one by one, I'll turn them into experts. Kekeke.'
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Bi Ryu-yeon reflected on his past, the relentless grind he endured under the guise of training and practice. He had sworn to the heavens:
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'Never be the one who learns. Be the one who teaches.'
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That was a fiery vow he made under the twinkling stars. Bi Ryu-yeon decided to teach them. It seemed like it would be entertaining. He didn't know who they were, but he was sure to find out soon.
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However, to actualize this decision, he needed a concrete plan. Bi Ryu-yeon's brain whirred into action. Now that he had decided to teach, he needed to figure out how. And how to avoid revealing his identity. His eyes caught sight of the meticulously crafted human skin mask he had taken from the body. An idea began to form in his mind, crystallizing into a plan. It seemed he would need a substantial amount of money for this venture, not to mention time. While somewhat regretful, he decided to invest in his amusing venture. The resolve was made and all that was left was to execute it.