Chapter 30
Disciple - 3
The well-organized room featured luxurious furniture that spoke to the status of its owner. The room was divided into two sections, separated by a curtain. In front of the curtain knelt two men and three beautiful women. One of the men, positioned slightly forward, looked toward the curtain and spoke.
"We've obtained information from the secret investigation by the Jin Yi Guard, and we've uncovered some intriguing facts."
A refreshing female voice came from behind the curtain.
"The Jin Yi Guard usually investigates royal conspiracies. What could they have found of interest?"
"No, that's not it. For the past year, the Jin Yi Guard has been secretly searching for a martial artist in the martial world."
"What kind of individual?"
"He's an extraordinary master, nearly reaching the level of a Profound Realm master, but he either disappeared or was killed."
The voice behind the curtain grew more lively, showing interest.
"Did they find him?"
"Yes, and that's why I am reporting it. In the martial world, masters of such a level are few and far between. We thought it would be easy to trace if he had died suddenly, but it proved more difficult than expected."
"So, who is he?"
"He's known as Mookhyang, the vice leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect."
"Mookhyang? I've never heard of him…"
"Yes, very little about the Heavenly Demon Sect reaches the outside world. However, with some recent unrest within the sect, we've been able to gather more information. As you may know, the sect leader and the craftsman Zang Ingeol, who is also the other vice leader, are currently in a power struggle."
The figure behind the curtain grew irritated by the needless rambling.
"Get to the point."
"Of course. According to our sources, Mookhyang is said to be the strongest martial artist in the history of the sect."
"How could someone like that have remained hidden?"
"Because of his background. He was originally an assassin, the last disciple of the Phantom Sword Yoo Baek. Although he surpassed his master and became a supreme martial artist, due to his assassin origins, he didn't study the swordsmanship of the Heavenly Demon Sect but rather techniques from the orthodox sects. That's likely why he remained hidden."
"So, he's somewhat of an outcast. How powerful is he for the Jin Yi Guard to be interested?"
"He is a Profound Realm master."
The woman's voice behind the curtain responded in shock.
"A Profound Realm master? That can't be right… It's nearly impossible for someone trained in orthodox martial arts their whole life to reach such a level. How could someone from the Heavenly Demon Sect, having only learned bits and pieces of orthodox techniques, possibly achieve the Profound Realm? I've never even heard of this Phantom Sword Yoo Baek."
"The reason Mookhyang is suspected of being a Profound Realm master is that he killed the Thunder Sword Emperor of the Jeryeong Sect."
"Then…"
"Mookhyang's master may have been known as Phantom Sword in the Heavenly Demon Sect, but he was also famous for wandering the martial world for three years after retiring from active duty. You might know him by the title 'Dokgogu Pae,' the Undefeated Solitary Master."
"So, he's the disciple of that man? The one who suddenly appeared one day, defeated many renowned martial artists, and then disappeared just as suddenly?"
"Yes. According to my investigation, Mookhyang was the last disciple Phantom Sword trained before retiring. Afterward, Mookhyang was said to have been murdered and vanished from the Heavenly Demon Sect."
"Murdered? Who could possibly kill a Profound Realm master?"
"Apparently, the sect leader himself saw Mookhyang's overwhelming power as a threat and had him eliminated. Though this is unverified, some say even the head of the Martial Alliance was involved in his assassination."
"But why would the Jin Yi Guard still be interested in a dead man?"
"That's what led me to investigate further. And I found something fascinating—Mookhyang is still alive."
A voice full of intrigue responded, "He's alive?"
"Yes, he is currently residing at the estate of General Ok Youngjin, serving as a guest. He's being called Gukkwang because of his fondness for chrysanthemums. When they found him, he was severely injured—not just from martial combat but also from being swept away by a powerful current. His meridians were completely destroyed, and he had lost all his memories."
The voice behind the curtain sounded disappointed. "If he's a broken man, he's of no use to us."
"But he's not a broken man."
"Not a broken man?"
"All his wounds healed suddenly."
The woman behind the curtain asked in shock, "Completely?"
"Yes, and what's more astonishing is that while his memories are gone, his body hasn't forgotten the martial arts he learned. Thanks to General Ok's support, he entered the Royal Palace Martial Competition, and now he's nearly recovered to the level of a Peak Realm master."
"Now that sounds promising…"
There was a brief silence as she pondered before speaking again.
"Do you think we could sway him to our side? If we could recruit him, it would be a huge victory."
"There's no clear way to approach him. How could we lure away someone who's indebted to General Ok for saving his life?"
"What if we offered him information about his past as bait?"
"That's also difficult. In less than a month, the Jin Yi Guard will have uncovered everything I've learned."
"Is there any way to hinder the Jin Yi Guard's investigation?"
"We can delay them for a month or two, but not longer than that."
"Such a waste… He's a rare and tempting catch."
The Brothel and the Zither (琴) - 1
That day, after an intense sparring session, Gukgwang spoke to Okhang.
"You're finally starting to move properly."
"Really?"
"Yes, but the way you use the sword is still completely unrefined."
"Huh? But Master told me not to worry too much about the techniques..."
"That's not what I mean. You're not thinking about the sword at all. You're just swinging it however you like. Calmly hold your sword and think. Find the point where the sword wants to thrust. Then follow the sword to strike or cut that spot. Without merging your mind with the sword, your attacks can't be effective."
"Are you talking about 'body and sword as one'?"
"If you want to put it that way, sure. But either way, you're not even considering that right now. You need to focus on it from now on."
"It's easy to say, but how am I supposed to achieve that oneness?"
"Didn't I just tell you?"
Gukgwang lifted the club he had been using to beat Okhang into a position where Okhang could easily strike it.
"Swing with all your might."
Okhang struck the club with all his strength, but it didn't cut through. In fact, it didn't even leave a scratch. The sword simply bounced off, sending a tremendous shock through Okhang's hands. Startled, Okhang put down the sword and rubbed his hands, asking Gukgwang.
"Why won't this club cut?"
"I became one with the club and blocked your power. You, on the other hand, were only relying on the strength of your grip, swinging a piece of metal. How could you expect to cut it?"
"..."
"When using a sword, each movement should be driven by your mind, and that mind should move your inner energy. The flow of energy is the flow of the mind. The sword and the energy must extend outward together."
"So you're just telling me to use my power from the beginning. Why all this talk about the mind?"
"Silence! What's that thing sitting on top of your body for, if not to use it?"
Gukgwang smacked Okhang on the head.
"You'll understand more as your skills improve. If you consciously decide to use your inner energy and then use it, that's nothing special. It's when your mind and body move unconsciously, and the energy flows along with it, that's the real deal. It's a very advanced stage in martial arts. Whether or not you can achieve this depends on your effort. Always remember, when using a sword, you need to move as one with it."
Okhang, feeling embarrassed, exaggeratedly rubbed his head where he'd been hit.
"Thank you for your teaching, Master. But, Master..."
"What is it?"
"My grandfather said he has a place for us to go, so he asked me to prepare a bit."
"Prepare? Is there anything to prepare? This is the only outfit I have..."
"Please wait a moment."
Okhang dashed off and quickly returned with a set of clothing. It was a light blue silk outfit that looked luxurious at first glance.
"What is this?"
"After training, I was told to dress nicely and come to where my grandfather is. He probably has a place for us to go together."
"Really?"
Okhang persuaded Ok Yeongjin to go to a brothel with Gukgwang. Since the capital, Chongqing, had numerous impressive brothel, some of which were famous even from afar, Ok Yeongjin accepted his grandson's request and decided to take Gukgwang to a pleasant brothel.
One day, Gukgwang, dressed in the most splendid attire since regaining his consciousness, left the house with Ok Yeongjin. The place Ok Yeongjin guided him to was one of the largest brothel in Chongqing. At the door of that lavish and enormous house hung a large plaque inscribed with the formal characters "청성루 (Cheongseongru)."
"What is this place?"
"This brothel follows a very peculiar rule."
"What do you mean by peculiar?"
"This brothel was quite the topic since it was first built, given its grandeur and size. As the plaque says, Cheongseongru is a place that requests something from those who have achieved something. While the drinks are expensive, it's famous for being selective about its guests. You can't simply receive good treatment just because you have a lot of money. This place has excellent drinks and beautiful women, and even high-ranking officials, believing in their power, try to receive better treatment, but the standards are exceptionally high..."
"What do you mean by high standards?"
"The conditions for receiving guests. Didn't I mention earlier? You have to achieve something. The outstanding skills of the guest are tested, and based on their abilities, the women serving drinks come in. Very few people can say they have met the best women here, and no one has ever met the madam."
"Does it matter what skill it is?"
"Exactly. Poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, martial arts, formations, and so on... Except for sycophantic skills, there are hardly any skills that are not applicable. So, how about it? Are you going to give it a try?"
"Isn't that why we came here?"
"Haha, yes, the treatment here is quite good. The women aren't excessively lewd, and there are many talented girls. With just my name, I can meet quite decent women. Even I, an old man, had to go through a test before achieving my current position... Now, let's go inside."
As they entered through the door, a man, apparently a guard wielding a longsword, blocked their way.
"Guests, you cannot bring your swords inside."
As soon as he spoke, Gukgwang turned back and said to Ok Yeongjin, "If I don't have this sword, I can't relax. Let's go to a place where I can drink with my sword."
At this moment, a man who recognized General Ok Yeongjin came running out.
"What's wrong, General?"
"There's a bit of an issue with my companion... Do you have any good ideas?"
"What kind of issue?"
"It's about needing to bring a sword inside."
"In that case, how about this? You can't enter the main building, but there's a separate room over there where you can enjoy yourselves."
"Sounds good, lead the way."
Gukgwang entered the room with Ok Yeongjin and set his Mukhon sword aside in a corner. Gukgwang always wore the Mukhon sword at his waist, but he rarely carried the dagger known as Mukeong. Occasionally, when Ok Yeongjin took Gukgwang hunting, he would bring the Mukeong along, but Ok Yeongjin considered using such a fine dagger for skinning deer rather unsatisfactory, although he never voiced his thoughts.
After they settled in and waited for a moment, two beautiful women entered. Gukgwang quickly realized that the woman sitting next to him was several grades below in terms of mannerisms, serving posture, and the quality of the drinks she poured. However, since Ok Yeongjin was his superior, Gukgwang, being new, couldn't voice any complaints. Instead, he decided to enjoy the neatly arranged delicacies and flavorful wine to his heart's content.
Feeling strangely awkward with the woman sitting next to him, Gukgwang asked her to pour him some wine. While she poured, he drank continuously without stopping. As Gukgwang hurriedly drank without speaking, the woman introduced herself as Jiuyue (취월) and glanced at him mockingly. Ok Yeongjin, feeling embarrassed, scolded Gukgwang.
"Wine should be savored slowly, enjoying its aroma and taste, not guzzled down like that."
"Wine should be drunk heartily; why drink it so cautiously?"
"Ah, this person..."
"This wine has a deep flavor... From its rich aroma, you can tell it was made from crops harvested in well-sunned lands."
"How can you tell it was made from well-sunned lands?"
"If there's not enough sunlight, the grains won't ripen sufficiently, making it difficult to achieve this level of flavor. However, it seems this excellent wine has met the wrong season, so it's a pity you aren't able to fully appreciate it, my lord."