Did you learn martial arts from a woman?
No way do I look like someone who seduces women to steal their martial arts. Believe it or not, I formally learned from my wife, childhood friend, fiancée, and girlfriend.
“How did you know that?”
I couldn’t bear to answer and asked in astonishment, my expression frozen.
“Really?”
The Three-Eyed Sword looked dumbfounded and couldn’t close his mouth.
“Do I act feminine while using martial arts?”
I signed up for a Japanese class to boost my grades, and when I confidently did free talking, Cheol-hyung asked why I spoke like a high school girl. Is it a similar situation?
“If you don’t suspect and look closely, you wouldn’t know. It isn’t a major problem, after all.”
Cheol-hyung shook his head.
“Then how did you notice?”
“All martial arts are played out separately, yet there’s a unified will that I can feel.”
“A unified will?”
With a serious expression, Cheol-hyung examined me up and down, bringing out an unexpected answer.
“This man must not be harmed.”
“Huh?”
Must not be harmed? What does that mean?
As I looked at him in confusion, Cheol-hyung continued to explain.
“Even when using self-defense techniques, it’s not about total domination; it’s about fully avoiding a potential counterattack. When using agility techniques, it’s better to create distance and avoid close combat, even if the opponent shows a weakness. Always able to escape, always safe. Focus on safety rather than elimination. I can feel that will in all the martial arts you use.”
“I suppose that’s because my martial arts are lacking, and that’s how I was taught.”
“Typically, you start by learning how to firmly dominate your opponent, not how to survive. They rarely teach you how to run away or avoid crises.”
Thinking about it, that makes sense. If you look at martial arts training, it involves the correct way to wield a sword, practice techniques, the footwork needed for attacks, and so on.
“Actually, I learned focusing on what you mentioned. But can you really tell that from it?”
It wasn’t to become a renowned master in the Martial Arts World. Perhaps everyone taught me martial arts like self-defense.
“The reason I noticed is due to the direction.”
“Direction?”
“Usually, when you learn a new martial art, there will be clashes with previously learned ones because the intricacies contained in the martial arts are different. Yet what you’ve learned isn’t that. Your masters must have understood the direction of your martial arts, yet they added it as if agreeing with the previous master’s will. It’s like even if the teachers are different, their feelings for you are the same.”
There was no need to worry about the mindset they had while teaching me.
“Haha…”
Now that I think about it, So-hee had a strangely dissatisfied attitude when she modified the Small Wheel Mental Image Technique, but she properly transformed the Tonaap method into a legitimate mental method without a word.
Hayeon-soja also sighed once with an unsatisfactory expression when she first saw my martial arts, then taught me.
I guess even without having met, there might have been a strange tacit agreement among them.
“Even though the martial arts are a hodgepodge, each one seems exceptional, and yet the person isn’t someone with tremendous talent or ambition in martial arts. But the one who taught you doesn’t want to harm you… I began to wonder.”
He really is a top-tier instructor in the Ronin world. He catches on to students quickly regarding martial arts.
“I simply learned hard; I never thought it would have such meaning.”
I learned to survive hard.
“Except for your feigned injury at the end, you maintained a strange degree of calm throughout the duel. Is it perhaps due to the powers of your mental technique?”
“What I learned is a martial art derived from a non-Buddhist source.”
The mental technique So-hee learned is Suratal Myung-gong. Like a spirit that has returned to Buddhism, it was a technique that could control the burning killing intent of the Heavenly Killing Star.
Since I also learned the modified Small Wheel Mental Image Technique with the mental technique So-hee learned, I could maintain my usual calm in life-threatening situations.
“Non-Buddhist mental techniques may progress slowly, but they can build incredibly pure inner strength. And now there’s even a function included. You’ve acquired a good mental technique.”
“I’m always grateful for it.”
In fact, it’s based on the direct lineage secret technique of the Murong Family. It also has the effect of training the five senses and physique through seasonal influences.
“The secret technique is also extraordinary; it’s not ordinary martial arts.”
“I only know it follows the lineage of Kunlun.”
“What?! It’s from the Nine Great Sects & One Alliance? I mean, the external combat method is just like a typical payment for some medicine, weighing the same as silver, and their self-defense techniques aren’t common either…”
“Haha. It somehow turned out that way.”
Hyung, please don’t look at me with that shocked expression. It’s quite embarrassing.
Cheol-hyung looked at me with an awe-filled expression, similar to seeing a fellow RPG gamer who doesn’t engage in raids and instead enjoys the game with life skills while holding fancy cash items.
“Brother, a martial artist wouldn’t share the martial arts they cherish more than their own lives so readily.”
“Because we have promised a future together.”
“Not just one, but all…?”
Cheol-hyung glanced slyly towards the inner chamber where Miss Zhuge was likely to be and asked.
“Yes, all of them…”
“No way. Brother! It’s certain that you have something with the Zhuge Family. Is that even possible?”
Cheol-hyung’s eyes widened more than I have ever seen today.
“Somehow, it happened.”
I couldn’t lift my head. Somehow, I felt like a marriage scammer now.
“Did you maybe send an assassin from your in-laws?”
“…….”
“It’s normally not easy to learn martial arts when you’re not from this background…”
Cheol-hyung’s hair is also black. The martial arts he learned is also of dubious background. A sense of resignation borne from long experience washed over me.
What should I say as comfort?
“Ah…! The stealth techniques I learned were from the Tang Family.”
“Now the world feels terribly unfair….”
That had no effect.
———
“Since we don’t know when another assassin might show up, I’ll teach you urgent life-saving techniques right away.”
Cheol-hyung’s training was like a fusion of harshness from the very first day.
“Haaah!”
“You should feel like you’re about to die now so that you won’t die later. Get up!”
Is this the cruelest training I’ve ever received?
“Yes!”
I jumped up energetically.
For some reason, the newbie seems to be holding cash items.
I could do more. I could endure more. I could deal more damage, couldn’t I? Is that all you can do while holding cash items? I felt like being pushed to my limits.
At least, I managed to squeeze out some compressed honey tips.
“Let’s call it a day. Reflect on what you learned today. I will focus on your lacking parts for a while.”
“Th-thank you.”
My legs felt heavy. I didn’t even have the strength to speak. I bowed my head while seeing Cheol-hyung off.
“Keep the ideas in mind, even while you sleep for a while.”
Cheol-hyung advised me with a serious expression.
“Memories?”
“You’re not an ordinary person. Until you give up, you won’t know when or where you’ll be attacked.”
“…….”
“Don’t be too tense. They won’t be able to breach the mansion; it basically means don’t let your guard down until the problem is resolved.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
“Stay safe.”
Seeing my firm expression, Cheol-hyung patted my shoulder as if encouraging me and then left.
———
Could this assassination attempt not end with just one?
Since they are searching for the perpetrator in the Man Geum Battlefield, it looks like I’ll have to live in tension for the time being.
“Focus on your mission!!!”
“Huh?”
Just as I was about to re-enter the inner chamber, I heard a shout from the outer chamber where the guards and servants were staying.
What on earth is happening?
“Is it a failed guard who is yelling right now?”
“The mansion is under our jurisdiction! If you’re an outsider, just stick to your external guard duties!”
“They’re hired too, just like us!”
“What did you say?!!!”
“What I mean is, if I mess up the job, I’ll carry the blame myself. I need to back my authority a bit more….”
“What’s going on?”
I opened the door of the room where the sound was coming from to ask.
“Master Kang!”
Inside the room were familiar guards mingling with faces I didn’t recognize.
Who are they?
When I looked at the unfamiliar face with a cautious gaze, the man who appeared to have clashed with the guards until just recently took stock of the atmosphere and approached me with a cheerful smile.
“Black-haired? Ah! You’re the target of the request! Nice to meet you. I’m Tak Go-jeok. I’m known as the Blue Robe Swordsman in the world.”
“Blue Robe Swordsman?”
“You know me, after all!”
No, I don’t. Who are you?
As if needing an explanation, I glanced at the guards, who looked utterly despondent, and the guard captain answered me with a pained expression.
“He’s the newly hired guard from the Man Geum Battlefield, and we were just discussing a small matter.”
“Were you talking about an assassin? Don’t worry. Even though I’m considered a spinster, I can guard like the emperor if the money is there.”
“What disrespect to Master Kang! Maintain your manners!”
“It’s just how I talk. Can’t a joke be made?”
Did they hire martial artists to reinforce the guards in the Man Geum Battlefield?
Even though the Man Geum Battlefield has a lot of money, it’s still a battlefield. They aren’t a group that cultivates warriors separately. If an immediate draft of strength is needed, they’ll compensate by hiring martial artists from outside.
‘The atmosphere seems to suggest the existing guards are already diminished.’
I guess the martial artist introducing himself as the Blue Robe Swordsman has more renown than the guards.
“Please take care of everything without any faults.”
“See? We’re supposed to keep everything without any deficiencies! Not just when going out, but ensure the inner chamber is also guarded!”
“Ugggh!”
This isn’t a matter I should meddle in. After greeting, I turned to leave. I’ve been awake all night without sleep and after a day of training, I’m exhausted.
I should get some rest.
———
I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.
‘What is it? Why am I so alert?’
I’ve had a hard day. Why am I awake? I didn’t even have a nightmare.
I thought once I closed my eyes, I would wake up the next morning. My body is tired, but my mind is alert. Is there some tension still lingering?
I closed my eyes again to fall asleep. A cool autumn breeze brushed my cheek. Is that window far away open?
No, wait.
‘The window should be closed!’
Why is it open? It’s strange. Why is it eerily quiet? If the window is open, the guards’ voices should be audible.
I squinted sleepily towards the window.
‘Assassin…!’
Damn it.
The darkness was moving.
‘I have the memory.’
Just like how I left my phone beside me to snooze for five more minutes after dismissing the alarm, I’ve hidden memories all around.
The problem is, I didn’t leave exceptionally dangerous memories since I might accidentally mess up in my sleep.
‘Only one chance.’
If I shoot too quickly, it’s the end. If it’s the same guy as yesterday, there won’t be a second chance. The first chance could be the last.
I have to inflict significant damage when he gets as close as possible. Thanks to my heightened senses warning me, I have time to prepare.
The darkness approached neither quickly nor slowly.
‘Three.’
The presence gets closer.
‘Two.’
I’d shoot and escape using the Shadowless Body Technique immediately.
‘One…’
SHUUUUU!!!
Suddenly, a sound that didn’t originate from either the darkness or me echoed.
‘…Huh?’
Something black shot from the bed.
“Cough!”
The darkness twisted its body in surprise. I didn’t know what it was, but now was my chance. I had to get up and attack. As I opened my eyes, I saw something flying in succession.
“Steel balls?”
The large iron balls were being shot from the bed. What the heck? There are letters written on it.
What’s written is.
“Alliance?”
“Cough!”
The darkness was hit somewhere in the end. But that’s not the end.
A hole opened somewhere in the room, and long spears shot out one after another.
The letters on them were.
[Dear sister, the second time will not be forgiven.]
[If you betray, Kang Dong-soo!]
SHIKANG! KAGA-GAGA-GANG!!!
This scene. I’ve seen it recently.
No way. This trap is.
“Miss Zhuge?”
