The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 33

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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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33
Woo Geom-san Contends
The needle, threaded with string, played across the wide fabric as if sporting with it.
Every time the needle passed through, the plain cloth gradually began to take the shape of clothing.
Held in a rugged hand covered in large and small scars, the tiny needle moved with unbelievable delicacy.
The one spreading the cloth on the floor and focusing intently on sewing was none other than Woo Geom-san.
By now, if Woo Geom-san tried ten times, he could guide the thread through the eye of the needle all ten times.
Even in tasks requiring meticulous control of force, his fingers no longer trembled.
From this point onward, training to thread the needle became meaningless. However, because he had spent so long holding onto the needle and thread, he felt it a waste to just let go. Thus, Woo Geom-san began to sew.
Sewing required a high level of concentration and delicate hand movements, just like threading a needle.
Winter in Cheonbaeksan was long, and the nights were longer still.
No matter how extraordinary Woo Geom-san was, he could not practice martial arts until late at night. Therefore, making clothes was his choice.
When he sewed, he lost track of time, and his hand movements grew smoother, which helped him learn the Choyen Sword Technique.
The clothes Woo Geom-san was making right now were for Baek Ho-yang.
Just like Woo Geom-san, Baek Ho-yang did not care about clothing.
His clothes were completely worn out and riddled with holes, making them unsightly. That was why he was making clothes for Baek Ho-yang.
There was no way his first attempt at sewing would go well.
It was crooked and unevenly spaced, making it impossible to form a proper garment. Even so, Woo Geom-san did not give up and steadily practiced his needlework.
Thanks to that, his sewing skills had now reached a decent level.
Once he gained some confidence in sewing, he began to make Baek Ho-yang’s clothes in earnest.
The garment Woo Geom-san was making now was a comfortable top.
It was tailored to the preferences of Baek Ho-yang, who liked loose-fitting clothes that were easy to move in.
Woo Geom-san sewed late into the night before falling asleep.
It was two Shijin later when he woke from his slumber.
Though he had only slept for two Shijin, he did not feel tired.
This was because, after entering the stage of Muwi Eonggi, the third phase of the Choyeon Simgyeol, external Qi naturally flowed in to cleanse his body.
Thanks to this, Woo Geom-san could start his day in peak physical condition despite getting very little sleep.
The very first thing Woo Geom-san did upon opening his eyes was to wash up briefly and learn the Choyeon Simgyeol beneath the dead tree.
After his cultivation training, he immediately took up his sword and went up the mountain.
Since it was not the farming season, there was nothing to do even if he went to the rice paddies or the tea plantation. Because of that, he went straight up the mountain to practice the Choyen Sword Technique in earnest.
The snow-covered forest was Woo Geom-san’s private training ground.
This was because the people of the village did not approach it at all.
After sweating here all morning, he would return home to find Baek Ho-yang waiting for him.
Under Baek Ho-yang’s watchful eye, Woo Geom-san demonstrated the results of his morning practice. Then, Baek Ho-yang would meticulously point out the flawed or lacking areas.
Thanks to this, Woo Geom-san’s skills grew rapidly.
When training like that, the afternoon passed by in a flash. Yet, just because the sun went down did not mean he could rest.
This was because Baek Ho-yang’s lectures on martial arts would begin.
He shared the meaning, direction, and achievements of martial arts that he had realized throughout his life, showing Woo Geom-san the path ahead.
After Baek Ho-yang’s lectures ended, he spent his remaining time sewing again.
Others might think such a simple and arduous routine would be boring, but to Woo Geom-san, this simple daily schedule felt incredibly precious and enjoyable.
As he spent every day identical to the last, turning like a wheel, a warm breeze finally began to blow across Cheonbaeksan.
Spring had arrived at last.
As the snow, which had piled up higher than a person’s height, began to melt, the people who had been confined to their homes all winter came outside.
“It really snowed dreadfully too much this winter.”
“I spent the whole time worrying if the house would collapse, and now I’m just a year older.”
“Still, seeing that everyone is safe and sound makes me feel good.”
The village people exchanged greetings, asking about each other’s well-being.
Under the direction of Baek Do-gyeong, they cleared the remaining snow from the village or inspected their farming tools.
A few young men from the village went toward the canyon.
This was to resume the work of building the plank road, which had been halted throughout the winter.
Fortunately, the area where the plank road was being built received plenty of sunlight, so most of the snow had melted.
Baek Wol-sang spoke to the young men.
“There’s still snow and ice left, so be careful not to slip.”
“Make sure everyone’s paths don’t overlap.”
“Shall we put some strength into this?”
The faces of the young men who had been trapped indoors all winter were plump with weight. However, no one teased them about gaining weight.
This was because this much weight would drop off quickly after a few days of work.
Among the young men, Woo Geom-san was there too.
He worked alongside the young men.
Clang!
Every time Woo Geom-san struck the chisel with his hammer, the stone broke away like crackers.
By applying the subtle principles of the Choyen Sword Technique and Chaeuolsu to his hammering, he could split stones much faster and easier than anyone else.
It was to the point that the young men working beside him watched Woo Geom-san and marveled.
“Wow! That’s amazing. How do you split stones so easily?”
“I guess learning martial arts really makes a difference; your hammering is incredible.”
“He’s doing the work of two people by himself. Give Geom-san the food of the guy who can’t work properly. Haha!”
Woo Geom-san laughed along with the young men’s jokes.
Woo Geom-san liked this time.
Although his time spent honing his martial arts had decreased, he was still happy to mingle with people like this.
When he returned home after finishing the morning work, the Nam family siblings were waiting for him.
“Brother!”
“Oppa!”
Embracing the twins who clung to him like leeches, Woo Geom-san said.
“It seems like you both grew a bit taller during the winter?”
“Really?”
“Yeah! You both grew a lot.”
“Heehee! All I did was eat and sleep.”
At Nam Mu-rin’s words, Nam I-yeon chided him.
“Ugh! You have no idea how much he eats, he’s basically a pig.”
“You ate right along with me! If I’m a pig, you’re a pig too.”
“Calling a girl a pig? How rude!”
“What do you mean rude?”
“I won’t let you get away with this.”
Nam I-yeon tried to hit him, but Nam Mu-rin dodged by circling around Woo Geom-san.
Watching the twin siblings’ chase, Woo Geom-san shook his head.
He felt like his spirit was being drained, but it did not put him in a bad mood.
After playing a round with the twin siblings, Woo Geom-san went up the mountain.
The twin siblings held onto him, asking if they could play more, but he could not skip his training.
Entering the forest with his sword, Woo Geom-san briefly surveyed his surroundings.
While snow was still piled up in other places, no snow existed in the spot where he had trained all winter.
This was because the snow scattered every time he practiced the Choyen Sword Technique.
“Phew!”
Closing his eyes to catch his breath for a moment, Woo Geom-san immediately began to unleash Cheongryugyeol, the first stance of the Choyen Sword Technique.
Swish, swish, swish!
Every time he brandished his sword, blue waves rippled through the empty air.
He had not yet perfectly mastered the Cheongryugyeol.
His achievement was also minimal.
Nevertheless, he executed the Cheongryugyeol flawlessly without a single hitch.
This was because the Choyeon Simgyeol and Flowing Void Steps supported the Choyen Sword Technique.
Woo Geom-san fell deeper into the Choyen Sword Technique.
At this moment, the only things that existed were him and the sword.
Imbuing his will into a single blade, he brandished it, and brandished it again.
In that manner, Woo Geom-san’s afternoon was passing by.
***
After his training ended, Woo Geom-san sat on a boulder to cool his sweat.
Intense heat was rising from his entire body.
This was because he had pushed his physical body to its absolute limit.
Even so, it was fine.
Even without him consciously intending it, external energy flowed into his body to make him comfortable.
Since some point, he had become able to draw upon and use external energy just as he willed.
He could use Qi without having to accumulate it inside his Dantian.
Since the heaven and earth were completely filled with Qi, there was no reason to trap it inside a narrow Dantian.
The Dantian was merely a pathway through which Qi passed.
Now, his imperfect Dantian no longer weighed on his mind.
Rather, he felt a sense of gratitude toward the person who had inflicted that deep wound upon his Dantian.
If his Dantian had not been imperfect, he would not have been able to master the Choyeon Simgyeol at such a rapid pace.
“Should I call this a blessing in disguise?”
The blessing was so immense that it made him wonder if this was truly alright. Meeting Baek Ho-yang was the greatest blessing of his life.
It was just as Woo Geom-san rose from the rock, resolving to treat Baek Ho-yang even better.
Rustle!
Suddenly, the nearby thicket shook violently.
“Uh?”
Woo Geom-san wore a puzzled expression.
Since no wind was blowing, it was strange for the bushes to shake.
At that moment, something massive burst through the thicket and suddenly appeared.
“A bear?”
Woo Geom-san frowned involuntarily.
The massive animal that appeared before him was a giant male bear.
With a shoulder height exceeding half a Zhang, the huge bear was gaunt and thin from having eaten nothing during its winter hibernation.
Even so, its presence had not weakened.
Rather, the bloodshot glint in its eyes made it look even more ferocious.
The bear glared at Woo Geom-san with eyes filled with blood.
Having slept through the winter, the bear was currently famished. Therefore, even though the snow had not fully melted, it left its den to search for prey.
Growl!
As soon as the bear saw Woo Geom-san, it let out a menacing growl.
It had recognized Woo Geom-san as prey.
The creature stood up on its hind legs.
It was a monster that stood over one Zhang from head to toe.
“Oh dear!”
Woo Geom-san wore a troubled expression.
He was not afraid of the bear.
It was a terrifying beast to ordinary people, but to those who had mastered martial arts above a certain level like Woo Geom-san, it did not pose a great threat.
On top of that, Woo Geom-san had mastered the Flowing Void Steps.
If he put his mind to it, he could escape the bear’s threat whenever he wanted.
Nevertheless, the reason he hesitated was that if he left the bear like this, the village people could be in danger.
A bear starved through the winter would not pick and choose its food.
A bear right after its hibernation would devour anything that moved.
The place where the bear appeared was not very far from the village.
If Woo Geom-san fled, there was a high probability that the beast’s steps would head toward the village.
“Can’t you just head up the mountain like this?”
Roar!
At the bear’s bloodthirsty roar, Woo Geom-san flashed a bitter smile.
There was no way a hungry bear could understand his words, and even if it did, it had no reason to obey.
If he left the creature as it was, a great disaster would surely strike the village.
“Phew!”
Woo Geom-san let out a deep sigh and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.
At that moment, the bear charged toward Woo Geom-san.
Its massive frame closed in on Woo Geom-san at a frightening speed.
Gigantic fangs, looking as though they could rip fragile human flesh to shreds like paper, were clearly visible.
The bear intended to tear Woo Geom-san’s throat apart with its large fangs.
At that moment, Woo Geom-san stepped back lightly.
He had deployed the Flowing Void Steps.
Failing to end Woo Geom-san’s breath in a single strike, the bear roared even more savagely and lunged.
Even after that, Woo Geom-san deployed the Flowing Void Steps to evade the bear’s attacks.
Whether his dodging like a slippery loach irritated the bear’s nerves, it grew even more ferocious.
The bear charged at Woo Geom-san, leading with its massive head.
It felt as if a giant boulder were hurtling toward him.
At that moment, Woo Geom-san drew his sword.
Flash!
As his sword cleaved through the air, a blue line appeared.
He had unleashed the Cheongryugyeol.
Thwack!
The sword pierced into the bear’s skull as smoothly as if it were tofu.
That was the end.
Vitality and focus vanished from the massive bear’s eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
The moment Woo Geom-san apologized, the bear toppled over like a log.
Thud!
With a booming sound, the entire forest vibrated.
Sheathing his sword, Woo Geom-san stared blankly at the bear’s corpse.
It was his first kill.
Although he had not killed a human, the fact that he had killed a living creature with intent weighed heavily on his heart.
It felt as if a large boulder had been placed upon his chest.
“Phew!”
He let out a deep sigh.

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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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