Chapter 26. A Chance for Revenge
When Jaha performed techniques while using the Hoejeolgyeol, his movements looked slightly ridiculous.
So he began shaping the movements around the Cheongun Sword.
Once he used the Hoejeolgyeol together with the old-fashioned Cheongun Sword, the sword art took on a strangely unique feeling.
As Jaha adjusted the angles of the Cheongun Sword techniques little by little, even a mysterious aura began to surround his movements.
Just because his arms and legs could now rotate without ordinary limits did not mean he should swing them around however he pleased.
If he did that, he would look no different from a monkey.
That was why he layered the forms of the Cheongun Sword over the Hoejeolgyeol.
Strangely enough, the two fit together extremely well.
In the first place, Goeui had not possessed a martial art specifically designed for the flexible joints and the Hoejeolgyeol either.
He had simply fused them with martial arts that suited him.
Before Jaha realized it, he became completely absorbed in the Cheongun Sword techniques he had fused with the Hoejeolgyeol and continued performing one form after another.
Then he suddenly sensed someone watching him.
Jaha immediately withdrew his sword.
“Master.”
He saw Haseonbaek standing there with Jo Unryong supporting him.
Haseonbaek looked shocked by the Cheongun Sword Jaha had just demonstrated.
Suddenly, Jaha wondered if Haseonbaek might have been offended because he had arbitrarily fused the Hoejeolgyeol with the Cheongun Sword.
“I’m sorry, Master.”
And so, he said words he had never spoken even once in his previous life.
Technically, it was Byeokho’s Baekryeong that had made him say them.
Even so, those words felt more unnatural than almost anything else.
Haseonbaek looked at Jaha.
“What are you apologizing for?”
“This disciple damaged our school’s sword art.”
Even while saying that, Jaha was screaming inwardly.
If we’re being accurate, I improved the Cheongun Sword!
However, he knew that the stubborn people of the Orthodox Path sometimes expelled disciples simply for modifying martial arts without permission.
So he could not help feeling slightly nervous.
Haseonbaek shook his head.
“No. I simply never realized the Cheongun Sword could become such a mysterious sword art. I was surprised because I only understood that just now.”
He continued,
“Byeokho, you did nothing wrong. But what exactly happened?”
Jaha tilted his head at Haseonbaek’s unexpected response.
The Haseonbaek in Byeokho’s memories was more likely to scold someone in a situation like this than praise them.
Did he gain some sort of enlightenment after nearly dying?
Just as Jaha suspected, Haseonbaek’s values had changed considerably after lying unconscious for such a long time.
Even the way he viewed ordinary things had changed.
Why would martial arts be any different?
Jaha explained,
“Elder Goeui helped me use my joints through a much wider range of motion. Because of that, I can defend and attack from directions that are difficult to predict.”
“It is called the Hoejeolgyeol. I tried combining it with our school’s Cheongun Sword, and surprisingly, they fit together extremely well.”
Haseonbaek nodded slowly.
“I see.”
Then he smiled.
“Martial arts must also develop and be corrected as the times change.”
“In the past, I believed it was best to preserve their original forms exactly as they were. But now that I think about it again, I don’t believe that anymore.”
“Everything must change and develop. Martial arts are no exception.”
He looked at Jaha with deep satisfaction.
“You have brought the Cheongun Sword to another level.”
“That is why this master could not be happier. Our Byeokho has grown this much.”
For some reason, Jaha felt as happy as when his father, Jagang, had praised him during his childhood.
His father had praised him so rarely that Jaha still remembered every single occasion.
“Thank you, Master.”
This time, Jaha answered sincerely.
Haseonbaek watched him with a pleased expression before speaking again.
“But Byeokho, when are we going to leave this place and return home?”
“We cannot stay here forever, can we?”
“Yes, Master. I was planning to leave once you were able to move around again.”
“I can move well enough now. Even if I need to rest, I would rather rest at our Cheongun Martial Hall.”
It seemed Haseonbaek was worried about having left the Cheongun Martial Hall unattended for so long.
Jaha nodded.
“Understood, Master. It is already late today, so we will leave early tomorrow morning.”
“Let us do that.”
Supported by his youngest disciple, who had now grown taller than him, Haseonbaek returned to his room.
In truth, even if Haseonbaek had said nothing, Jaha had already been planning to leave the abandoned house soon.
But now that his master had brought it up, he decided they would leave tomorrow.
“We will leave for Yeongje County early tomorrow morning.”
When Jaha told Goeui, a faint trace of disappointment appeared in the old man’s eyes.
Jaha noticed it.
“Elder, if you ever need a place to stay, please come to the Cheongun Martial Hall.”
“It may only be a small martial hall in the countryside, but we have more than enough room to accommodate one elder.”
Jaha was grateful to Goeui.
The old man had saved Haseonbaek’s life and even passed down his secret techniques to Jaha.
Goeui might be self-centered and eccentric, but Jaha owed him a debt.
He also knew that Goeui viewed him favorably.
I can still make plenty of use of him.
Jaha’s kindness certainly did not come purely from goodwill.
Nevertheless, Goeui was deeply touched by the offer.
Of course, he was not the kind of person who would show that openly.
“Forget it. What would this old man possibly go to some backwater village for?”
Jaha smiled.
“Even so, if you ever travel toward Shaanxi or Sichuan, please stop by.”
“You have to pass through Yeongje County to reach those places anyway.”
“Fine. If I happen to have business in that direction, I’ll stop by.”
Goeui paused.
“And before you leave, I should examine your master once more.”
With that, Goeui headed toward Haseonbaek’s room.
Jaha watched the old man’s retreating back and found himself overcome with a strange feeling.
Ever since he had begun living in Byeokho’s body, there were moments when he surprised himself.
He had once been domineering and selfish.
Yet now, strange sides of himself kept appearing.
Sometimes, he even wondered whether he had originally possessed a kind and polite personality like this.
Perhaps it had simply been buried while he grew up and lived within the Demonic Cult.
Of course, Jaha knew perfectly well that without Byeokho’s Baekryeong, he would never have been able to imitate the well-mannered young martial artists of the Orthodox Path.
He also knew that Byeokho’s Baekryeong was suppressing and controlling his natural tendencies from the Demonic Path.
That was why there were times when he unknowingly acted or spoke according to Byeokho’s will.
At first, behaving so properly had felt so awkward that it practically made his entire body itch.
But perhaps it was true that people could get used to anything.
After doing it repeatedly, Jaha realized it was not actually that unbearable.
Bowing his head to others, giving a fist-and-palm salute, and thanking people sincerely had only been difficult the first few times.
Once he became accustomed to it, it was not so hard.
More than anything, Jaha was pleased that he had finally taken his first real step toward revenge.
Through his connection with Goeui, he had learned Yugwanjeol and the Hoejeolgyeol, techniques unlike anything ever seen in the history of martial arts.
Now, he could defend and attack from practically any direction.
Even with this one technique alone, he felt as though he had already moved one step closer to revenge.
After learning Yugwanjeol and the Hoejeolgyeol, Jaha became convinced that if they were supported by sufficient internal energy, they could become martial arts of the highest level.
Father had every reason to praise these techniques so highly.
Humans have many blind spots.
Being able to attack those blind spots is what makes this technique so dangerous.
His thoughts suddenly became far too complicated.
