“Stepping on empty air!”
Upon witnessing Cheonma Nguyen racing through the void, one of the people on the cruise ship exclaimed in astonishment.
It’s no wonder, as stepping on empty air is considered one of the pinnacle techniques among countless martial arts, along with the technique of equal footing.
Just his ability to use it indirectly advertised that he was an incredible master.
Eventually, Cheonma landed on what appeared to be the enemy’s flagship, but upon seeing him fall from the sky, the enemy soldiers began to murmur.
“W-what! Who is this guy?!”
“Bro! He seems to be an immensely powerful master?!”
“He’s flying through the air!”
As his subordinates shouted in surprise, a man wearing a red rag tied around his head, likely the leader, yelled out.
“Hey! It’s just one guy! Attack him all at once!”
Perhaps feeling a sense of desperation, the enemy soldiers, without a care, began to charge at Cheonma.
Cheonma, who stared at the rushing soldiers with a blank expression, slowly raised both hands.
Swish, swish, swish!
At that moment, the silhouettes of his arms were etched into the air itself.
The sight was so ethereal it resembled that of Avalokitesvara, causing the attacking soldiers to flinch momentarily before they clenched their teeth and swung their swords.
In that split second, Cheonma muttered.
“One Speed” (일속)
Boom!!
With a loud sound of air bursting, the foremost enemy soldier was sent flying backward.
The other soldiers who had just swung their swords at him realized the situation too late and recoiled in shock.
Yet, Cheonma remained standing still with his arms outstretched.
“What just happened?”
“I didn’t see any signs of an attack.”
The enemies murmured to each other with puzzled expressions.
In contrast, Cheonma stood silently like a statue, not a word escaping his lips.
Seeing this, the enemy commander behind them, feeling exasperated, clutched his chest and said,
“Are you guys really just standing there because you’re scared of dealing with just one guy?!”
Provoked by his words, the soldiers suddenly snapped back to their senses and surrounded Cheonma.
“Hehe— I don’t know what he just did, but if we all attack at once, he won’t be able to pull off that trick again!”
Immediately following, the encircled soldiers swung their swords in unison.
“Die!”
At that moment, Cheonma muttered once more.
“Two Speed” (이신)
Bang, bang, bang!!
This time, accompanied by a similar sound of air bursting, the eight soldiers surrounding Cheonma were sent flying backward all at once.
Since they hadn’t seen him move, to the soldiers, it felt as if ghosts were playing tricks on them.
However, one of the fallen soldiers, while helping his comrades back up, exclaimed in disbelief.
“Th-that was a punch!”
“What?”
“That guy is swinging his fists at a speed we can’t even see!”
Upon hearing this, the soldiers turned pale, realizing the absurdity of the truth.
After all, the armors of their fallen comrades bore clear impressions of fists.
Not only could he crush steel with his bare hands, but he did so at an untraceable speed.
From the moment he took to the air, I suspected he was an extraordinary martial artist, but I never imagined he would be this powerful, causing the soldiers to retreat cautiously with frightened expressions.
Seeing their reaction, the enemy commander, still startled, barked, “W-what are you doing?! Attack him already!?” but his voice fell on deaf ears as the soldiers were paralyzed with fear.
As Cheonma slowly walked toward the commander, the soldiers instinctively parted to create a path.
“D-don’t come any closer!”
The enemy commander brandished his sword with trembling hands but couldn’t bring himself to strike.
He had already witnessed how powerful the man standing before him was.
Finally, upon reaching him, the man with black skin and dazzling white teeth looked down at the commander and said,
“Do you want to try again?”
Overcome with fear, the quaking enemy commander dropped his sword and prostrated himself on the deck.
“Master! Please just spare my life!”
What began as a grand but futile ambush ended in a pitiful surrender.
*
As Cheonma, now covered in sweat, returned to the cruise ship after single-handedly defeating the enemy fleet, the people erupted into thunderous applause.
“You’re the best!”
“Thank you! Master!”
Seeing strangers express extreme reverence and gratitude toward Cheonma, I couldn’t help but think that martial prowess commands respect.
Among the crowd, a wealthy-looking merchant pushed through, bowing his head as he spoke.
“Thank you, Master. I am the owner of this ship, and thanks to you, we made it through without any casualties. If you don’t mind, may I invite you to dinner tonight?”
Instead of answering the shipowner, Cheonma turned to Baek Yujin beside him.
Realizing the situation, Baek Yujin made a lighthearted response.
“I’m sorry. He’s my escort and isn’t familiar with your language. Thank you for the offer, but as you can see, we are traveling with companions.”
“Oh… I see.”
The shipowner backed away, looking rather disappointed.
It seemed he wanted to forge a connection with the powerful warrior but was denied due to her intervention.
“Well then, at the very least, please allow me to treat the two heroes to a good meal. I will give my staff a heads-up.”
“If that’s all…,”
When Baek Yujin replied with a reluctant expression, the shipowner said, “Then please enjoy yourselves.” and bowed before departing.
I remarked while watching his retreating figure.
“I had no idea the ship’s owner was aboard.”
“It seems he enjoys boat trips. Normally, these cruise ships are bought by wealthy merchants for their own pleasure.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Baek Yujin then addressed Cheonma.
“So, it’s all settled now, right?”
Cheonma nodded and replied,
“I doubt they’ll have the courage to commit more piracy around here for a while. I’ve instilled a sense of fear.”
After glancing at Cheonma, I turned to Baek Yujin and asked,
“Can I ask you something?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Did Nguyen… I mean, did you use any specific martial arts during the fight earlier?”
From what I briefly saw, it didn’t look like he was emitting any kind of demonic energy.
But typically, when one thinks of Cheonma, wouldn’t the Cheonma martial arts naturally come to mind?
So, I was half-expecting to witness the real Cheonma martial art technique, but it seemed he didn’t use it.
“Hehe, is that all you were curious about? How adorable.”
Baek Yujin suddenly reverted to her usual tone.
“I was trying to gather my courage to ask…”
As I timidly protested, Baek Yujin chuckled and replied, “That’s precisely what makes it adorable.” Then she answered my question.
“It’s the Cheonma Meteor Fist.”
“Cheonma Meteor Fist…?”
“It’s an extraordinary martial art created by the fifth generation Cheonma, a figure from two hundred years ago.”
Saying that, Baek Yujin extended her right fist.
“I taught it to Kan as part of my self-defense training.”
“I see.”
“What’s with that expression? You look disappointed.”
“Oh no, I just expected you’d use something cooler.”
Like the Cheonma Divine Art, or the Cheonma Divine Art, or the Cheonma Divine Art.
Baek Yujin shot me a look that seemed to say, ‘What’s your deal?’ and remarked,
“Though it may seem subdued on the surface, the Cheonma Meteor Fist is a rising technique that no ordinary talent can learn. At its peak, you can swing your fists nearly a hundred times in one second, so the speed of your movements becomes overwhelming.”
So that’s why it appeared as if the soldiers were flying off without Cheonma even moving; it must’ve been the incredible speed at which he was throwing punches.
“If you consider yourself a martial artist, you should know the importance of the first strike. The mastered Cheonma Meteor Fist ensures absolute priority in attacks, allowing you to dominate most one-on-one fights.”
Indeed, if Baek Yujin’s words held true, the Cheonma Meteor Fist would be an astounding martial art.
The mere idea of a person capable of throwing nearly a hundred punches in a second sounds wholly ludicrous.
“If you’d like to see the full technique, I could demonstrate it for you when we reach the capital.”
“Really?!”
“I have no intention of being stingy with knowledge now that we’ve decided to form an alliance.”
And with that, Baek Yujin chuckled softly.
Regardless of anything else, having the chance to witness the martial art created by Cheonma, the Cheonma Meteor Fist, right before my eyes felt like a dream come true.
