I Obtained Guan Yu's Martial Arts - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Obtaining Guan Yu’s martial arts 020
Palace of Cunning (5)
“Family head! You’ve returned!”
Chief steward Guan Namcheon rushed barefoot to greet Guan Hui as he arrived back at the Guan Family Estate.
Guan Namcheon, who had been fretting constantly about whether something might befall Guan Hui, let out a sigh of relief the moment he saw his nephew returning unscathed.
The tension drained from his shoulders as he confirmed that all four of Guan Hui’s limbs were intact.
“Chief steward. What are you doing out here? You should be resting.”
“I heard you’d gone to fight the Blood River Gate. How could I rest easy?”
Guan Hui was undoubtedly the family head of the Guan Family Estate, and a martial artist superior even to Guan Namcheon himself.
Yet Guan Namcheon could not shake the worry and anxiety that gripped him whenever he thought of his nephew.
How could he not fret over a young man who had sacrificed everything for the family’s sake since childhood?
“There’s no need to worry. I’m not weak enough to fall to those Black Way dogs.”
Guan Hui’s realm was at the tail end of the second-rate tier.
But realm alone did not determine victory or defeat.
Moreover, with the Cheon-mu-ji-che combined with the teachings of Guan Yu, Guan Hui held his own against first-rate martial artists without breaking stride.
Judging by his record so far, he dominated them outright.
For this reason, Guan Hui no longer feared the Black Way dogs.
The greatest masters spoken of in Yunsung were Gwang Sa-hun of the Soul-Poison Blade and Noh Hae-sang of the Black Phantom—two names whispered with dread.
He had killed one of them, and also slain Baek Seok, the Red-Hooked Sword, a first-rate master and military commander of the Blood River Gate—so Guan Hui’s level could now rightfully be called first-rate.
“What? You killed… whom?”
“The Blood River Gate master. Baek Seok of the Red-Hooked Sword.”
“…! You… you’re truly serious?”
Guan Namcheon could not hide his shock.
“Good heavens, how can you speak so calmly about achieving such an extraordinary feat? Family head!?”
Who was Baek Seok of the Red-Hooked Sword?
A prodigy who, despite the rootless martial arts of the Black Way, had achieved enlightenment and reached the first-rate realm—a genius of rare talent.
Such a level was counted among the finest talents in Shanxi Province itself.
This man was a true master, a rarity even in the Black Way.
Moreover, though both were called first-rate, there was a gap as vast as heaven and earth between Gwang Sa-hun, whose realm had been forcibly elevated through pills, and Baek Seok, who had attained his realm through genuine mastery of the heart.
And that Guan Hui had slain such a monster meant only one thing.
Guan Hui had grown far stronger in the span of a single month.
“That’s nothing. Jang Ryu of the Shadowless Blade is dead anyway.”
“…?!”
Unable to bear the shock, Guan Namcheon’s legs buckled and he sank to the ground.
Struck by one revelation after another, he could barely maintain his footing.
“J-Jang Ryu… surely you don’t mean the Jang Ryu of the An Moon Family…?”
“That’s the one.”
“Did you… did you kill him, Family head?”
“No. Not directly, but in a sense…”
Guan Hui gave Guan Namcheon, who was plainly overwhelmed, a brief account of everything that had transpired.
From the moment they became entangled with the An Moon Family to the tale of taking Hwang Soso in as a guest fighter, Guan Namcheon’s shock deepened with each detail until he seemed almost delirious.
“That’s… extraordinary.”
Truthfully, everything astounded him.
From the very existence of Hwang Soso with her remarkable martial arts to the tales of battles against monsters like Jang Ryu and Baek Seok—all of it left him reeling.
But most astonishing of all was Guan Hui himself.
‘To unfurl such cunning in that desperate situation and create an opening for victory…’
Truly, it was wit and strategic thinking of the highest caliber.
Unless Zhuge Liang himself rose from his grave, there was no one in the Central Plains capable of such brilliant, flickering insight.
‘The family head continues to grow stronger.’
It was not merely a matter of martial prowess.
Strength in martial arts alone could win battles, but not wars.
That Guan Hui achieved victory in this engagement was possible only because he possessed both cunning wit and martial skill.
Had either been absent, both Guan Hui and Hwang Soso would have met their deaths.
‘The family head’s realm is, objectively speaking, second-rate. But if one day he breaks through the barrier of the peak realm…’
There is a saying that a true martial artist begins only at the peak realm.
Opening the Ren-Du dual meridians—the three vessels most crucial—enables the great heavenly circulation and grants one’s eyes the sight to perceive the flow of vital energy that divides the world.
A common iron blade becomes a precious treasure, blazing with exceptional power; the vital force radiating from one’s body can paralyze the mind and spirit of ordinary people.
Scholars call this realm the superhuman stage.
Already, Guan Hui had displayed remarkable martial prowess and feats even as a second-rate master.
What terrible brilliance might such a genius display should he truly ascend to the peak realm!?
‘…Then we might finally be called the Guan Family Clan.’
Among the families outside the Cheon O Great Families, few possessed what the Guan lacked: a master in the peak realm.
Even the An Moon Family had only one peak-realm expert—their family head, Jang Baek-gyeong.
If Guan Hui became a peak-realm master, then perhaps the faded name-plaque of the Guan Family Clan could be wiped clean and hung with pride.
Then the world would finally acknowledge them.
“Truly magnificent, Family Head.”
“Ah. I was simply fortunate.”
“Your will was known to heaven, and so heaven aided you.”
As the saying goes: sincere devotion moves heaven itself.
To sacrifice one’s own life for the sake of the clan—how could heaven not answer such devotion?
“I am forever grateful, Family Head. I too shall stake my life on serving you faithfully.”
“Th-thank you?”
Guan Hui felt a flicker of surprise watching the steward’s eyes suddenly blaze with resolve.
Yet he didn’t press for an explanation.
A man had set his heart—there was no need to ask why.
“Hwang Soso, is it? Thank you for coming to the Guan Family Estate.”
“Not at all. It’s all thanks to your kindness.”
Hwang Soso glanced at Guan Hui through the veil of her blush, her cheeks flushed crimson.
“…!”
The steward caught the unmistakable light in her eyes and felt a smile tug at his lips.
‘Youth. Still burning bright.’
Now that he thought of it, the Family Head himself was barely past his youthful years.
It was high time he took a wife.
As the eldest daughter of the Hwang Family Estate—a house with a legacy stretching back generations—she would make a fitting consort.
“Come, I shall show you to the Family Head’s quarters—”
“…!?”
Guan Hui’s eyes widened in alarm.
“I mean, the adjacent room shall be prepared for you instead.”
The steward smiled knowingly and guided Hwang Soso into the manor.
“My, thank you ever so much, Steward.”
“Hehe. Please, call me Uncle casually.”
“Hoho. It would be an honor.”
Watching the two exchange an unspoken conversation behind their laughter, Guan Hui felt an inexplicable shiver run through his frame.
Something felt profoundly amiss.
It was as if someone were plotting behind his back, or speaking ill of him in hushed tones.
“You.”
Guan Hui struck Gu Man hard across the back of his skull.
“You were cursing me.”
“Oof! H-how did you know?”
Gu Man’s eyes went wide with shock.
He had been silently seething—after all, Guan Hui had ransacked the Blood River Gate disciples’ belongings, handed the contraband over to the magistrate’s office, and forced him to surrender every last coin of the proceeds, treating him like nothing more than a pack mule.
“Your face says it all. I can tell when you’re cursing.”
“Oh! Next time I’ll hide my expression before I curse you.”
Crack!—
Guan Hui brought the heel of his hand down hard against Gu Man’s forehead.
“Don’t curse at all, you bastard.”
“Ugh… Is that even possible?”
Had he spent too long under the Black Way’s influence?
Gu Man’s wits seemed to dull with each passing day.

* * *
Yunsung. Guan Family Estate.
Moonlight filtered through clouds, casting a pale glow over the sleeping world.
Guan Hui and Hwang Soso stood facing each other in the Bamboo Grove behind the estate, both poised in the mounted-horse stance.
“Are you certain about this?”
Concern darkened Hwang Soso’s features.
Archery, among all martial disciplines, was uniquely ill-suited for sparring—its lethality was impossible to restrain.
While one could refrain from killing, avoiding injury altogether was near impossible.
“It’s fine. Besides, I need to see what you can truly do.”
Guan Hui had brought Hwang Soso to this secluded grove for one reason: to witness her prowess firsthand.
Using the guest martial artists lodged at the estate in their rightful place was itself a skill of family leadership.
To wield her strength properly, he felt he needed to test himself against her once, fully.
“I should mention again — archery has strong practical application, so even in a sparring match, someone could be seriously injured.”
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be hurt by.”
“Well then. If you insist, my benefactor.”
With a sigh that brushed away her misgivings, Hwang Soso drew back the bowstring.
The moment her right hand’s fingertips touched her ear as she pulled the string taut, her expression transformed entirely.
Whistle—
An arrow whistled through the air with a sharp, cutting sound, aimed straight at Guan Hui’s brow.
“……!”
Guan Hui, channeling Chi-hwa-gwang-mu, arched his back and slipped beneath the arrow, then used its rebound force to surge forward.
Whistle!—Whistle!—
Five arrows streaked toward the charging Guan Hui.
What was remarkable was that all five arrows followed completely different trajectories and directions.
Though he’d seen her release them from one spot, it seemed as though five different archers had fired from different positions.
‘Impressive.’
Clang!—
Without breaking stride, Guan Hui swept his Eun-wol-do through the air, striking the arrows aside.
But from a certain point onward, even that became difficult.
Hwang Soso, watching him deflect each arrow, had begun targeting awkward angles.
‘Each next arrow aims only where it’s hardest to swing the Eun-wol-do.’
To transition from a vertical swing to a horizontal one required a directional shift, and that shift depended on a pivot point at the core.
Her arrows targeted that axis alone, forcing his movements and exploiting the gaps that opened.
A technique sharp enough to deserve the word cunning.
Now he understood why the Blood River Gate had failed to pin her down.
‘So that’s why she earned the title Archer Demon.’
Guan Hui, reconsidering Hwang Soso’s nickname, launched himself skyward.
It was to close the distance between them, drawing steadily nearer.
“Faster than I expected.”
Standing precariously atop a swaying bamboo stalk, Hwang Soso leapt and executed a graceful somersault through the air.
Beneath the full moon that flooded the sky, her body bent with such fluid grace that she resembled a single stroke of ink wash painted by a master artist.
“But you won’t be able to catch me.”
For an archer, lightness skill mattered more than archery itself.
For an archer, creating distance was a matter of life and death.
Snap!—
She unleashed the Gung-hong-bi-bo technique and sought to flee.
Arcing her body like a drawn bow in midair, then snapping forward and using that rebound to propel herself—a peak-level footwork technique meant to open a vast gulf between them.
And yet.
Thud!—
Guan Hui cut off her path first.
“……!?”
Hwang Soso’s eyes widened in shock.
She had never imagined he could deploy lightness skill faster than she could and block her way ahead.
“I don’t fall behind in raw speed either.”
The Chi-hwa-gwang-mu, which accelerated the body itself, was faster than any lightness skill in short-range bursts.
It required neither the stance needed to deploy lightness skill nor the regulation of inner energy.
“You really are remarkable—kyaah!”
Unable to halt her lightness skill in the shock of the moment, Hwang Soso’s body collided with Guan Hui’s.
The elastic rebound of the Gung-hong-bi-bo sent both their bodies flying backward.
Tumble—thud-thud—
They rolled across the ground locked in each other’s arms before coming to rest.
“…….”
Lying on the ground and facing Guan Hui, Hwang Soso’s face flushed the color of a ripe persimmon.
In catching her to protect her, Guan Hui had wrapped his arms around her, leaving them face-to-face in an embrace.
“Are you hurt?”
“N-no, I’m fine.”
Hwang Soso answered desperately while avoiding his gaze.
“……?”
Seeing her awkward posture, as if she were in pain, Guan Hui tilted his head in puzzlement.
“You seem off. Did you sustain an internal injury?”
Guan Hui brought his hand to her forehead, feeling the warmth radiating from her skin.
Whoosh!—
Hwang Soso unfurled a palm technique and hastily extracted herself from Guan Hui’s embrace.
“…… Really, I’m fine.”
Her hair disheveled, her face flushed crimson, her breathing ragged—she watched Guan Hui approaching and cried out urgently.
“I’m truly all right, so I’ll head back now. Have a good evening yourself, benefactor!”
Tap-tap-tap—
Hwang Soso deployed the Gung-hong-bi-bo and vanished like an arrow.
“……?”
Guan Hui watched her retreating figure, tilting his head in bewilderment.
-Truly, what a dull successor I have.
Guan Yu exhaled a sigh of exasperation.
“Why the sudden lecture…… Oh! My Eun-wol-do!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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