The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 65

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

Chapter 65

 

What Geomma had just demonstrated was something that felt disconnected from what could be called martial arts.

 

Perhaps Geomma and Cheongun had similar aspects to each other.

 

What he had just shown could not be called Geomma’s technique.

 

More precisely, it would be one of the methods of utilizing internal energy.

 

Pokdanma had also gained inspiration from Thunder Orbs to awaken a new method of internal energy utilization, and Geomma was of the same category.

 

However, if there was one difference, it would be the difference in their level.

 

“What. Does it seem difficult?”

 

“….”

 

Cheongun did not answer.

 

It was not something that could be easily judged.

 

“If you’re thinking ‘what use would this be,’ I’d like to tell you that’s a gravely mistaken thought.”

 

When Geomma extended one finger and swept it through the air, a single leaf gently flew over and settled on it.

 

Then, the leaf that had risen headed toward the sword energy still remaining in the air, and as soon as the leaf touched it, it was sliced clean through.

 

No sound of something being cut could be heard.

 

It was as if the space where that sword energy existed would not allow anything else to intrude, showing such determination.

 

“I call this the lingering fragrance of sword energy.”

 

Lingering fragrance.

 

To attach the name ‘fragrance’ to something colorless and odorless.

 

However, knowing that only the scent of blood would remain after passing through this, perhaps ‘lingering fragrance’ was the most fitting name.

 

‘…Beautiful.’

 

It was internal energy utilization beautiful enough to warrant such words.

 

If this utilization method were incorporated into techniques.

 

Where that sword energy had passed, the lingering fragrance of sword energy would remain, requiring Cheongun’s permission even to pass over it.

 

He coveted it.

 

After being able to live another life, Cheongun had let go of many things.

 

Without even realizing it himself.

 

For such a Cheongun, something he coveted had appeared for the first time in a very long while.

 

Something that didn’t require harming others, didn’t require taking from them.

 

Nothing could be better than this.

 

Something coveted that would be possible if only Cheongun’s abilities could follow through.

 

“You’re silent.”

 

“This is not something to be done with words.”

 

“Hehe, yes. That’s also true. Does that mean you can do it?”

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

Cheongun carefully approached the front of the lingering fragrance.

 

Then, he slowly extended his hand and brought it close.

 

Structures that were difficult to understand just by looking were being felt, and naturally the best method to solve this was to feel it directly with his body.

 

“Oh ho…”

 

Geomma looked at such a Cheongun with eyes full of curiosity and interest.

 

He had already possessed curiosity and interest, but the actions Cheongun was showing now were amplifying them further.

 

This was no ordinary child.

 

Each word and action was absolutely not light.

 

While such people were abundant throughout the current Martial World, wasn’t this an extremely personal standard?

 

Considering Geomma’s standards, there probably weren’t many such figures under heaven.

 

The reason Geomma felt curiosity and interest was singular.

 

Cheongun’s finger was approaching the lingering fragrance of sword energy.

 

He had wondered if it might be possible, but without the slightest hesitation, he pushed his finger into that lingering fragrance.

 

Sizzle.

 

It was an alien sound.

 

The sound of skin being torn away by something.

 

Sword or spear, bow or fist.

 

A sound that could not be made by any of these things continued to be heard.

 

Usually, the more such strange sounds were heard, the more the pain felt would not be ordinary either.

 

Yet Cheongun’s expression remained emotionless.

 

As if he were looking at someone else’s finger rather than his own.

 

“Can he not feel pain?”

 

“That probably isn’t it.”

 

“Then I’ll also…”

 

When Cheongsoso tried to approach the lingering fragrance of sword energy, Geomma stopped her.

 

“No. If you don’t want your hand cut off, don’t touch it.”

 

“Is Wun alright?”

 

Cheongsoso’s voice didn’t particularly contain worry either.

 

Just pure curiosity.

 

“How would I know?”

 

The answer that came back was natural in a way.

 

How could Geomma know?

 

If it were cut off, it would be regrettable, and if not, it would simply be remarkable.

 

Meanwhile, the lingering fragrance of sword energy had penetrated to about half the depth of one joint of Cheongun’s finger.

 

Drip, drip.

 

Blood drops began falling to the floor in a regular rhythm.

 

While it wasn’t a cruel sight to Geomma or Cheongsoso, pushing one’s hand in while knowing the finger would be torn was quite a strange spectacle.

 

The frequency of the previously regular blood drops began to quicken.

 

Finally, Cheongun, who had been pushing his finger in, withdrew his hand.

 

‘Amazing.’

 

Feeling it directly with his body made this internal energy utilization method even more astonishing.

 

The very fact of maintaining internal energy in a tangible state outside the body was at a miraculous level.

 

Sword energy or sword force.

 

What were called protective energy techniques were not much different from materializing internal energy in a tangible state outside the body, but this was on a different trajectory.

 

To create such a thing in the air in a state completely separated from the body.

 

“Do you need more time?”

 

“If I accomplish this as is, what do I gain?”

 

“Hehe… that sounds like you’re saying you can do it.”

 

Asking what he would give.

 

Wasn’t that bold?

 

Those who were bold without skill didn’t know their place, but being bold with such skill was both confidence and a right.

 

‘This is it.’

 

What he had seen with his eyes and what he had felt directly with his body.

 

The common points between them began to slowly mesh together.

 

The lingering fragrance of sword energy.

 

Now he could truly understand why it was called lingering fragrance.

 

This lingering fragrance left by Geomma was naturally composed of internal energy.

 

And that internal energy was already in a state of having been cut.

 

To the eye, it simply looked like sword energy floating in the air, but the actual feeling was completely different.

 

Cheongun also drew his sword.

 

Unlike Geomma’s sword, the black blade seemed to absorb even the surrounding light.

 

Cheongun’s internal energy began gathering around the tip of that sword.

 

And seeing this, a smile began to spread across Geomma’s lips.

 

It was the first complete smile he had shown.

 

Geomma, showing a smile filled purely with exhilaration, was now urging with his eyes as if asking to see what came next.

 

Cheongun’s sword tip, just as Geomma had done, very slowly.

 

Began to cut through the void at a leisurely pace.

 

The feeling at this moment was somewhat different.

 

If Geomma’s sword felt like drawing a picture, Cheongun’s truly felt like cutting.

 

This point stimulated Geomma’s interest even more.

 

What he had demanded.

 

Even though it deviated slightly from making it exactly the same.

 

When Cheongun’s sword tip finally drew a diagonal line, traces that could be called afterimages appeared in the void.

 

“…It’s not perfect, but it seems to be done like this.”

 

At the words “not perfect,” Geomma showed a hollow laugh.

 

Yes, it wasn’t wrong to say that.

 

However, he had achieved the same result through a different process.

 

‘What a talent.’

 

Wasn’t this a talent that made his body tingle?

 

Geomma barely covered the laughter that was trying to burst out with his hand.

 

When he heard that Cheongun had perfectly replicated Pokdanma’s technique after seeing it only a few times, he had shown some bewilderment.

 

However, after confirming it directly like this, he thought that perhaps Pokdanma’s technique might have felt easy to him.

 

‘Where on earth did such a child appear from?’

 

From where.

 

And whose child could he be?

 

A child from some nameless, secluded place?

 

No, Geomma’s experience was telling him.

 

That this was definitely not an ordinary household.

 

His own childhood.

 

A household that had nothing.

 

All they possessed was resentment about this and talent that could be called overwhelming.

 

Though Geomma stopped reminiscing since he didn’t particularly like his shabby past, he couldn’t help but compare.

 

Usually, people say this.

 

That even if one receives all kinds of Yeongyak and Naedan, medicinal herbs and honey-like elixirs, there exists a limit.

 

However, Geomma knew that the opposite case also existed.

 

Those realms that could never be reached with talent alone.

 

It was the result of overwhelming talent and overwhelming environment coming together.

 

Including all of this as talent, even if one looked throughout all of Hwan, there would be no one with talent superior to Cheongun’s.

 

“You. You’re similar to me.”

 

“It seems so.”

 

How long had he waited for such talent?

 

Geomma had always been waiting for such talent to come.

 

Countless people had come to Geomma asking to be accepted as his disciple.

 

Saying they could work harder than anyone else.

 

Each time, Geomma would say.

 

That the talent you possess is so trivial it’s insufficient to even be called talent.

 

Some said that effort was also a talent.

 

Saying they would shed blood and sweat, and grind their bones.

 

Geomma found such people pathetic.

 

Talent was originally something judged by others.

 

Someone had appeared who satisfied Geomma’s standards, which no one had been able to meet, for the first time beyond sufficiency.

 

“Well made.”

 

Geomma erased the afterimage Cheongun had left with his own sword.

 

Since he was someone who could create freely, erasing would also not be difficult.

 

Still, he hadn’t expected it to be eliminated so easily.

 

“If I can’t handle it freely, it wouldn’t be useful to me.”

 

“Huhu… Yes. That would be the case.”

 

Cheongun was saying exactly what he himself had said.

 

“What is your purpose in taking Mawi?”

 

“To protect what I want to protect, I need more things than I thought.”

 

“More things than you thought…”

 

So many things that Mawi would be necessary.

 

What could that be?

 

Even if it couldn’t be defined as one thing, he could tell it wouldn’t end with just Mawi.

 

“Simply obtaining Mawi wasn’t your purpose.”

 

“That’s correct.”

 

“Yes, then what more do you have in your hands?”

 

At the question of whose trust he had gained more, Cheongun hesitated for a moment.

 

Because he couldn’t understand Geomma’s intention.

 

He wasn’t the type of person to be wary of, but the power this person possessed was power that required wariness.

 

“You’re hesitating. Unlike yourself.”

 

“I believe this is the first time we’ve met today.”

 

“Time isn’t important between people.”

 

“I agree with that as well.”

 

At those words, Geomma smiled again.

 

“Yes. You and I have many similarities. So, Young Disciple.”

 

Geomma extended his sword toward Cheongun and continued speaking.

 

“Don’t you have any thoughts of becoming my disciple?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

A disciple?

 

Geomma’s disciple?

 

Until now, Cheongun had never called anyone Master.

 

In his previous life, there was no one who would accept his wretched self, and in this life, he hadn’t felt the necessity due to his talent and environment being superior to anyone else’s.

 

Occasionally receiving advice or exchanging techniques was all there had been.

 

“I am a person of the Righteous Sect.”

 

“Young Disciple. If someone had called me a sword sage, I would have been a sword sage, and if they had called me a sword lord, I would have been a sword lord.”

 

He couldn’t deny it.

 

Geomma was too different a person to be called someone of the Demonic Sect.

 

“In all of Hwan, you would be the only one who could inherit the true teachings of my sword.”

 

“Do you know that I must return?”

 

“How could I not know that? Is returning because of the situation?”

 

“It’s a natural course if I’m to take Mawi with me.”

 

At those words, Geomma smiled.

 

“I think I can solve that problem.”

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