The Farmer Who Ended Up Teaching the World’s Greatest Martial Artist - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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| Chapter 14

“Do you now understand what it means that weapons are meaningless?”

Yoo Eun-hyun nodded at So Bi-won’s words.

From the beginning, So Bi-won hadn’t cut trees and carved rocks with just a tree branch. He had made the tree branch into an intangible weapon. That’s why, as Sa Un-sik had said, he could execute the same techniques regardless of what weapon he held.

And Explosive Cross Strike wasn’t simply a basic technique of swinging crosswise either. The powerful force generated at the intersecting points—that seemed to be the core of Explosive Cross Strike. Of course, Yoo Eun-hyun couldn’t understand how to use internal energy to achieve such effects.

“But if weapons are meaningless, why does Dosa-nim carry a sword and saber around?”

Yoo Eun-hyun asked with a puzzled expression while looking at the sword and saber hanging at So Bi-won’s waist.

Then So Bi-won let out his usual hearty laugh and drew his sword and saber.

“These? Hehe. No matter how much martial artists don’t rely solely on sight, visual information is still very important. And in combat situations where split-second decisions must be made, that importance only grows.”

“You mix intangible and tangible forms to confuse them.”

At Yoo Eun-hyun’s muttering, So Bi-won exclaimed with mild surprise.

“Exactly. In such situations, if you can create confusion, naturally the power of martial arts becomes more threatening, doesn’t it? This is the basic principle of Mu Dong-hwan-mu. Mixing tangible and intangible weapons according to the situation.”

Yoo Eun-hyun nodded at So Bi-won’s words.

Indeed, the sword and saber he carried looked extraordinary even to Yoo Eun-hyun, who was an outsider to martial arts.

When something like that is clearly visible, you can’t completely ignore it while fighting. Of course, nodding didn’t mean he could actually do it.

Just from hearing it, the method So Bi-won described seemed to require extensive experience, but the problem was that Yoo Eun-hyun had absolutely no such experience.

As Yoo Eun-hyun nodded, So Bi-won continued his explanation of Explosive Cross Strike.

“The first technique, Explosive Cross Strike, creates intangible collisions by crossing tangible trajectories, generating greater force.”

“Is that possible? Do you just swing really fast?”

While So Bi-won’s movements were indeed fast as Yoo Eun-hyun said, he had clearly swung twice. How could you make them intersect when swinging twice?

‘The movements were certainly fast enough to be barely visible. But no matter how fast, it’s still two separate swings, isn’t it? Unless you swing both simultaneously… But wouldn’t they collide if swung at the same time?’

And as if explaining Yoo Eun-hyun’s curiosity, So Bi-won answered.

“Generally, internal energy cannot exist outside the body for very long. It quickly dissipates.”

“Yes, I know that.”

Yoo Eun-hyun, now having learned internal energy himself, understood its properties well enough.

Internal energy is nature’s energy converted to suit the body for absorption, so when it leaves the body and returns to nature, it rapidly disperses.

“Basically, to maintain the power of internal energy when projecting it outward, you need to be at least what people commonly call a first-rate martial artist. But even that lasts only a fleeting moment. It’s hardly enough to say it lingers outside the body.”

Indeed, using abilities like sword energy or saber energy that project internal energy requires considerable internal power and speed combined.

“So you need special internal energy?”

“Your understanding is quick indeed. If you’ve learned Hwandong Heart Technique, the time internal energy can remain outside while retaining its power becomes longer. That’s why you don’t learn Hwandong Heart Technique to use Mu Dong-hwan-mu. Rather, Mu Dong-hwan-mu is simply the most suitable martial art for using internal energy cultivated through Hwandong Heart Technique.”

Yoo Eun-hyun, who had been nodding admiringly at So Bi-won’s explanation, suddenly realized something and asked in surprise.

“Then it’s useless for me to learn it, isn’t it?”

“Not necessarily. Didn’t I just say? Even ordinary internal energy can linger outside. It just doesn’t last very long and the power weakens. But that should be sufficient.”

“That’s true.”

So Bi-won’s explanation was understandable even for Yoo Eun-hyun. Ultimately, Mu Dong-hwan-mu could be characterized as martial arts featuring freely transforming internal energy that could remain outside for extended periods.

Seeing that Yoo Eun-hyun showed signs of not understanding, So Bi-won put down the tree branch he was holding and drew his sword.

“If we develop this further, something like this becomes possible.”

Unlike before, So Bi-won took a stance with his sword, and powerful energy began emanating from his body.

The energy that had been like a heat shimmer when he demonstrated with the tree branch transformed back into intangible form. The transformed energy then began blazing like flames, swirling fiercely.

“Ah…”

Yoo Eun-hyun unconsciously exclaimed in admiration. The flame-like form resembled the blazing sun itself.

A few years ago in summer, Yoo Eun-hyun remembered clearly. During the midsummer heat wave when drought made farming difficult, he had newly realized the greatness of the sun.

“Hup!”

At that moment, with So Bi-won’s short battle cry, the atmosphere flashed. Countless trajectories spread through the air in an instant.

The trajectories were so intertwined they looked like a net. And nets necessarily have intersecting points, which were also countless in number. Seeing this, Yoo Eun-hyun could instantly grasp what would happen.

Kuuuuu.

Countless explosions occurred along the intersecting sword trajectories, and the atmosphere rumbled like thunder.

As the sound subsided, So Bi-won sheathed his sword again and spoke.

“Explosive Cross Strike – Chaotic Net. Just watching is fine. This cannot be executed without learning Hwandong Heart Technique.”

So Bi-won wasn’t originally the type to show off martial arts. Though Yoo Eun-hyun didn’t know, he was someone any martial artist would recognize without need for boasting.

But showing the level a master had reached when teaching someone was one of So Bi-won’s teaching philosophies.

Though not a formal disciple, since he was teaching his techniques, he had no intention of doing it half-heartedly.

“Wow…”

And Yoo Eun-hyun was left gaping at the technique So Bi-won had displayed.

Though he couldn’t yet grasp the technique’s power, precision, or underlying principles, wasn’t it a magnificent sight like a natural landscape?

Yoo Eun-hyun’s eyes were shining. He had momentarily forgotten. Martial arts were about recreating nature. And wasn’t nature what Yoo Eun-hyun himself knew best?

“If you can feel anything at all, that alone is sufficient. Now, let me show you more.”

So So Bi-won demonstrated Explosive Cross Strike several more times. Finally, when he explained how to circulate internal energy, Yoo Eun-hyun was able to learn the first technique, Explosive Cross Strike.

After that, Yoo Eun-hyun was able to receive instruction from So Bi-won in the second technique, Hidden Leader’s Thrust, and the third technique, Wave-Shattering Mist Strike.

Strictly speaking, rather than receiving full instruction, he could only imitate what he saw, but it was enough to engrave in his memory.

With the sudden influx of knowledge and information, Yoo Eun-hyun was actually half out of his mind. Fortunately, knowledge and action were separate matters, or he might not have remembered everything if overwhelmed by both.

“Simply moving won’t do. You must learn to operate internal energy simultaneously with movement. Normally I should teach the method of operating internal energy while directly observing each movement, but there doesn’t seem to be time for that. I’ll directly correct your posture and teach you the method of infusing internal energy through verbal instructions. The rest you can practice on your own.”

“Ah… yes.”

So Bi-won saying this somehow looked like someone being chased.

*

The next day. So Bi-won, who had risen early to check Yoo Eun-hyun’s techniques one last time, spoke.

“Then this old man must depart.”

“Already?”

Compared to the time Sa Un-sik had stayed, it was only about half as long.

Though Yoo Eun-hyun inwardly wanted to learn more from So Bi-won, unlike before, he couldn’t bring himself to detain So Bi-won who seemed urgent.

But So Bi-won, who had said he was leaving, lingered in place unable to depart.

It seemed he had something more to say but was debating whether to say it or not.

“Young Master. Perhaps…”

“You were about to say something yesterday too, weren’t you? Is there some reason?”

When Yoo Eun-hyun asked about So Bi-won’s apparent desire to say something, So Bi-won ultimately couldn’t continue his words.

In fact, it was certain that Cheonhwangpaeundae was heading toward this place. Of course, if it were So Bi-won, stopping Cheonhwangpaeundae wouldn’t be difficult.

But So Bi-won had more important matters.

He had to monitor the movements of Sa Un-sik, the Thousand-Year Demon, and respond according to his actions.

Without So Bi-won, there was no one who could stop him when he began moving directly. If this were a deception, too much would be lost.

“…No, nothing. I hope you train diligently.”

In the end, So Bi-won worried about Yoo Eun-hyun but couldn’t say anything until the end.

‘Fifty members of Jeongeumtae should be able to stop Cheonhwangpaeundae. At least the Thousand-Year Demon won’t directly target the Young Master, so there shouldn’t be great danger. I should order Jeongeumtae to prioritize protecting and securing the Young Master for now.’

It pained him that this field with such beautiful scenery might be ruined, but how could it compare to human life? Of course, Yoo Eun-hyun might be considered more important than life itself.

For a moment he thought Sa Un-sik might have anticipated even this, but So Bi-won soon shook his head.

Starting to worry like this would be endless. Sometimes you need to push forward forcefully.

For Yoo Eun-hyun who might get caught up in events, So Bi-won could only advise him to train as diligently as possible.

‘No… I might want to see it too. The Young Master who seems insignificant at first glance but harbors infinite potential entering the martial world…’

Chuckling inwardly with light self-mockery, So Bi-won departed while praying for Yoo Eun-hyun’s safety and anticipating the future that would come if that were achieved.

*

Ten more days passed after So Bi-won’s departure. Yoo Eun-hyun was still farming while practicing martial arts, but as time went on, the time spent training martial arts was gradually increasing over farming time.

For Yoo Eun-hyun, who had farmed all his life, martial arts were quite interesting and enjoyable.

But decisively, the more he learned martial arts, the more he understood what Sa Un-sik and So Bi-won had said about similarities with farming.

“But… I don’t have a decent weapon.”

Yoo Eun-hyun muttered as he stopped swinging his axe. So Bi-won had said Mu Dong-hwan-mu wasn’t constrained by weapons, but naturally Yoo Eun-hyun wasn’t at that level yet.

However, the only bladed tools farmer Yoo Eun-hyun had were a sickle and kitchen knife, so he was training by swinging the axe that looked most threatening.

“Should I search the house more? Might there be something useful among what father and grandfather used?”

Yoo Eun-hyun threw down the axe he was holding and went into the house to rummage around, but all that came out were more well-worn farming tools.

“The other storehouse wouldn’t have farming tools, so I guess there’s no choice…”

In the end, Yoo Eun-hyun picked up the axe that was most familiar to his hands and resumed training.

“I have no choice but to practice until I’m as familiar as possible.”

About a month later, dozens of people stopped their steps at the edge of Mount Taishan.

“Is this the right place?”

The ominous aura flowing from them was gradually tightening around Mount Taishan as it circled the mountainside.

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