Chapter 307. The One on the Watch List.
By the time we had finished eating the wild boar meat, Im Sobaek looked at us.
“Sword Demon, Yukhap, Mongrang, Sect Leader. I would like to speak to you about martial arts, for the first and last time. I hope you will listen.”
We moved a little closer to the bonfire and looked at Im Sobaek. His air was so solemn that, for a while, nothing could be heard but the crackling of the fire.
The Lust Demon spoke in a grave tone.
“We are ready to listen, Alliance Leader.”
Im Sobaek said,
“This is my personal opinion. Each of you will take my words differently after hearing them. In truth, if your level is not high enough, or if your thoughts on martial studies are very different, these words may be useless. But it does not matter if your thoughts differ. Our stomachs are full, the wind is cool, and all of you are rare masters, so I am ready to speak.”
We held our breath and looked at Im Sobaek.
I had no idea what sort of story he was about to tell.
Im Sobaek said,
“For reference, there are many subordinates in the Alliance whom I cherish, but I have yet to discuss this matter deeply with anyone. They are not at the level for it. If I were to summarize what I wish to tell the four of you, it is this: if you cannot overcome the gap in internal energy, you cannot rise higher.”
Even after hearing that much, I did not know what he meant.
The Sword Demon, who had been listening, immediately asked,
“What do you mean? It does not sound as though you are telling us to accumulate internal energy.”
In truth, it was not easy for a man of the Sword Demon’s caliber to ask a question about martial studies, but Eldest Brother asked with a completely unbothered attitude.
Im Sobaek said,
“Fundamentally, the Three Calamities possess deeper internal energy than the five of us. Do you acknowledge that?”
The Lust Demon replied,
“Yes. But is it deeper even than yours, Alliance Leader?”
Im Sobaek nodded.
“It is. I once asked Senior Divine Beggar to compete with me purely in internal energy, and he was not at a level I dared to contend with. Through him, I could roughly infer the level of the other Three Calamities’ internal energy as well. The words I use from now on are only expressions, not absolutes. Keep that in mind as you listen.”
“Yes.”
“The Three Calamities have already gone beyond the realm of Luhuo Chunqing. To explain it simply, it is a level at which one’s internal energy overflows, leaving nothing to be desired. No matter how much they pour out, they still have plenty. Does that seem like a human realm to you?”
The Lust Demon shook his head.
“It does not.”
“By ordinary standards, it means that if I fought the Cult Leader ten times, I would lose all ten. I could imagine that clearly enough through Senior Divine Beggar. However, as the one who leads the Alliance, I cannot die like that. If at all possible, I intend to avoid the fight. The problem lies here. We five have less internal energy than the Cult Leader. If one day we are forced into an unavoidable battle with him, are we to offer up our necks?”
“We cannot do that.”
“Indeed, we cannot. But if I were to set everything aside and devote myself solely to internal energy training for the next ten years, would I be able to catch up to the Three Calamities’ internal energy? That, too, is impossible. It is the same for the four of you.”
At that moment, Im Sobaek looked at me.
“As for the Sect Leader, I will withhold judgment.”
I answered briefly.
“Why?”
“There are people like that from time to time. Those who are difficult to comprehend through common sense. Let us move on for now.”
“Yes.”
Was he saying I was that far outside common sense?
In any case, I listened to Im Sobaek.
“If I gathered every spiritual medicine in the gangho and claimed them all for myself, would I be able to catch up to the Three Calamities’ internal energy? That is also impossible. What I mean is that even after consuming all that, I might still be lacking compared to the Three Calamities.”
Was the gap truly that distant?
Suddenly, the Alliance Leader lightly took hold of his sword, grasped the hilt, and drew the blade a little.
The blade, lit by the crimson glow of the bonfire, slowly revealed itself.
“But there is the sword.”
Im Sobaek stroked the blade with his finger.
“In the end, this is all there is. The one and only thing that can overturn the match. Let me return to what I was saying. If we are to survive, we must be able to kill masters whose internal energy is deeper than ours. The four of you would do well to accept reality from now on. It is impossible for you to surpass the Three Calamities in internal energy.”
“Mm.”
“Whether through fortuitous encounters or the power of their factions, the Three Calamities have gone beyond Luhuo Chunqing and reached, or come near, the state of Fanpu Guizhen. That is how I understand it.”
Im Sobaek pointed at the Lust Demon.
“You have no sword, but you have ice arts, so interpret it for yourself.”
“Yes.”
“There is a limit to the greatest speed the body can produce. That is because of breathing. It means that catching up to the Three Calamities’ speed is faster than catching up to their internal energy.”
Im Sobaek raised his hand upward.
“It means the peak is not as high as that of internal energy.”
“Yes.”
“Then there is no choice but to continuously evade attacks poured out with tremendous internal energy, and cut them down with the sword. It is absurd, but there is no other way. If a master can seize such an opportunity, he can measure his skill against the kings of the age. He would deserve to be called one of the Ten Great Masters of the gangho. Of course, that list of ten excludes the Three Calamities. Why do I bother saying this? In a way, it is obvious.”
Im Sobaek looked at me, so I answered.
“Is it because people of the gangho are too obsessed with internal energy?”
“To some extent, yes. That obsession is making them forget the essence.”
“You mean that only by learning for oneself how to kill a master with deeper internal energy than one’s own can one rise higher.”
Im Sobaek nodded.
“Correct. Usually, when faced with a master one cannot defeat… people generally think they should build deeper internal energy than that bastard and take revenge. I am saying there is a limit to that.”
The Sword Demon asked,
“Are you saying that those who have reached that limit are, to some extent, the four of us?”
“Either you are facing it now, or you will face it in the future. When you feel that wall, the mindset of trying to break through it with internal energy will obstruct other growth.”
Im Sobaek looked at the Sword Demon.
“Sword Demon, you must instead go deeper into the sword.”
The Sword Demon gave a slight nod.
Im Sobaek continued.
“That is how my Six Battles Great Sword was born. In other words, when I was young, the method by which I avenged myself against the kings who defeated me was not by overwhelming them with internal energy. My internal energy was lacking even then, but I repaid them with the sword. Even now, some of those kings have deeper internal energy than I do.”
The Ghost Demon replied with a startled expression.
“Truly?”
“That is why they get so excited and make a fuss about challenging me every time.”
The news that some of the kings had deeper internal energy than the Alliance Leader was truly unexpected.
Im Sobaek said,
“If you want to become stronger than you are now, think of the Cult Leader. Even if you build up your internal energy, it’s impossible to overwhelm his. Then what should you train further? Do you intend to go roaming through remote mountains and deep valleys in search of miraculous elixirs instead of cultivating? That is not right. Pondering how to use the sword, how to make use of ice arts—such considerations are what advance martial learning…… Waiting for elixirs like pigs in a sty will never raise your level. And Sword Demon, you already know this, but the specters of the old main headquarters will all have greater internal energy than we do. I do not know how many have survived, but in the past, that was certainly the case.”
After sheathing his sword, Im Sobaek said,
“I will summarize. All of you still lack in the level of your swordsmanship. Lack can mean many things. It also means you have not completed it in your own way. By my standards, your bodily movements are still slow. Your utilization of the body, and its level, also fall behind. Your footwork training is lacking as well. After raising the level of such fundamentals much higher, if fortune favors you and a fortuitous encounter comes, you add internal energy on top of that. Do the four of you understand what I mean?”
We nodded.
Im Sobaek said,
“It is difficult to express internal energy in numbers, but if I must say it for the sake of understanding, I have trained so that I can kill with my sword even those whose cultivation is ten to twenty years deeper than mine. To survive, I had no choice but to do so.”
Ghost Demon, who had been listening silently until now, answered.
“……Alliance Leader.”
“Hm?”
“In truth, the Number One of the Evil Path’s internal energy was far too deep. Moreover, swords would not pierce him. Even Eldest Brother’s sword did not sink in.”
Im Sobaek narrowed his brow.
“Is that so? Unexpected.”
Ghost Demon looked at me.
“……I don’t know what the Sect Leader was thinking, but he grabbed hold of him while engaging in a contest of internal energy. We joined in as well. After that, his head was smashed by Eldest Brother’s attack. So the four of us killed him, in a manner of speaking. If we had faced him one-on-one, I doubt we could have narrowed the gap in internal energy even more.”
Im Sobaek nodded.
“So what you mean is that, because of the gap in internal energy, it felt as though he were impervious to blades and swords. In reality, he was not perfectly blade-proof.”
“That is so.”
Im Sobaek looked at me.
“Sect Leader, what were you thinking when you engaged him in a contest of internal energy?”
I answered in an indifferent tone.
“If we exhausted each other’s internal energy, I believed Yukhap, the Lust Demon, or Eldest Brother would be able to deal with him somehow.”
“And……?”
“In any case, I did it intending to win the contest of internal energy.”
In truth, it had been a contest of complicated states of mind. I did trust the Four Great Villains, but in fact, beneath it lay the gambler’s belief that if every attack failed, the Heavenly Jade within my body would respond somehow in order to survive. In other words, there was no small part of me that had driven myself into an extreme situation.
Because that is how I always am.
Im Sobaek let out a short sigh.
“That was no ordinary fight. Since you said so little about it, I thought the four of you had killed him easily with a joint attack.”
Before we knew it, the discussion of martial arts had become a review of the fight against the Number One of the Evil Path.
The Lust Demon asked,
“Alliance Leader, how would you have dealt with him?”
Im Sobaek looked around at us and said,
“As you know, my internal energy is somewhat higher than yours. I do not say this to boast; that is simply the reality.”
“Yes.”
“Are you asking about a situation where even so, I could not cut down the Number One of the Evil Path?”
The Lust Demon nodded.
“That is correct.”
“Well. To be honest, it is somewhat regrettable. Hearing the story makes me want to face him myself all the more. Did that fellow have a weapon?”
“He did not.”
“Then the first thought that comes to mind is that I would have struck him with my sword and buried him in the ground somehow.”
The Lust Demon answered with a startled expression.
“Pardon?”
“Why are you surprised? I would have to kill him that way if nothing else.”
“If one’s internal energy is lacking, would it be possible to bury him?”
Im Sobaek laughed.
“It is you who lacks confidence. The Six-Battle Greatsword is heavy. If he receives it barehanded, without a weapon, the ground’s strength is weaker than the internal energy of the two people involved, so he cannot help but be buried. When experts clash with the force of a single exchange, the earth often sinks. But I would not have struck down with the simple thought of burying him.”
The Lust Demon answered,
“Then?”
Im Sobaek spoke while glaring into the campfire.
“……I would have struck down with the thought that I would split him in two no matter what. If I cannot cut him, I die. A swordsman must fight with the resolve of one stroke, two halves (一刀兩斷). Sword Demon, is that not so?”
Sword Demon nodded.
“That is right.”
Im Sobaek looked at me.
“Sect Leader, is that not so?”
“It is.”
Im Sobaek looked at Ghost Demon.
“You, too, should train with one stroke, two halves in your heart. More fiercely than you do now.”
Ghost Demon nodded.
“I will engrave it in my heart.”
Im Sobaek looked at the Lust Demon.
“I have not watched you for long, so I still do not know how far you can grow. If you achieve the great completion Sword Demon spoke of, will all your enemies freeze to death?”
The Lust Demon thought about something for a moment, then looked at Im Sobaek.
“Yes. They will all freeze solid.”
Im Sobaek smiled faintly.
“I hope you achieve great completion.”
“Yes.”
Then, as though suddenly declaring the start of a war, Im Sobaek spoke in a clear, forceful tone.
“The five of us. Once we enter the Murim Alliance, let us call the Sovereigns and have a bout. What does it matter if we are defeated in sparring by the experts of the righteous path? We can train and go back again. If I can use it as fertilizer to become stronger, even I can accept defeat as many times as needed. Sparring has the meaning of sparring. But there is something else I always tell my subordinates.”
Killing intent lingered in Im Sobaek’s eyes as he gazed at the campfire.
“……If I face the Cult Leader in a fight to the death, killing and being killed, I will not fight as though it were sparring. No matter how lacking my internal energy may be, I intend to cut off one of his arms. After that, the Murim Alliance will sever the Cult Leader’s life. I am training them so that even if I lose, the Murim Alliance will not be defeated. Or else…….”
Im Sobaek looked around at us once.
“You take over and finish him.”
It did not seem like a request, nor like a last will, but the moment I confirmed the Alliance Leader’s mindset, chills ran down my spine.
So, in summary, Im Sobaek was truly a terrifying man.
Im Sobaek said to the Lust Demon,
“Is there any liquor left?”
“Yes.”
“Let us finish it.”
After that, little was said at the drinking party. Everyone had fallen into thought and forgotten to speak.
* * *
We arrived at the Murim Alliance.
The Alliance Leader introduced us as honored guests to a man named Hall Master Song, who was in charge of hospitality. He seemed to understand at once and guided us to our lodgings. As we followed Hall Master Song, Im Sobaek said to someone:
“……Call those bastards who keep pestering me every time.”
“Whom shall I call? There are quite a lot of them.”
“Tell every last one of them who’s dissatisfied with my reappointment to come.”
“Understood.”
From a little distance away, Im Sobaek said to us:
“I have reports to receive and matters to handle, so rest at ease. If anything is inconvenient, tell the hall master.”
The youngest answered on our behalf.
“Understood, Alliance Leader.”
I paused for a moment and looked over the full view of the Murim Alliance. The splendor of the pavilions and the clean paths without a trace of litter caught my eye, but more than that, when I thought that the position encompassing all the alliance members who lived here was that of the Alliance Leader, I could feel the heavy burden on Im Sobaek’s shoulders.
Well, I wasn’t the Alliance Leader, so it was none of my business. I placed both hands on my waist and offered a greeting to the Murim Alliance.
“The waiter of Ilyang County has entered the Murim Alliance.”
The three of them moved away at the same time and followed Hall Master Song.
“…….”
“Let’s go together, at least.”
The three gave no answer.
I belatedly followed after them and made eye contact with passing alliance members. Alliance members I had never seen before suddenly gave me a cupped-fist salute and said:
“Sect Leader, welcome.”
“We welcome your visit.”
I silently returned the courtesy, passed by, then looked back at the alliance members. Had a likeness and description of me been circulated? I was certain I had never seen them before, yet all of them seemed to recognize me easily.
I deliberately called the people passing by to a stop.
“Look here a moment.”
“Yes?”
I asked the alliance members who turned around.
“How did you recognize me?”
The alliance members looked slightly flustered, then glanced at one another. One man scratched his head and answered:
“We just knew.”
“How can you just know when you’ve never seen me before?”
One man spoke to me frankly.
“Sect Leader, you are on the list of people to be cautious of, so everyone in the Murim Alliance knows you.”
“List of people to be cautious of?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly are they supposed to be cautious about?”
“That your temper is like fire……”
Another alliance member rebuked him.
“Enough. What kind of reckless remark is that to make to a guest? My apologies, Sect Leader. Ever since you severely injured Family Head Sima Hak, most people have known of you. It is not meant in a negative sense, so please understand.”
“Ah, Family Head Sima Hak. I remember him. What has he been doing lately?”
The alliance members answered:
“He has retired.”
“Oh dear, what a shame. These things can happen in a duel. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Yes.”
I sent the alliance members off with a nod, then headed toward the lodging while thinking this: saying my temper was like fire was a little inaccurate.
To be precise, my personality was one that didn’t care whether it was water or fire.
Ilwol Gwangcheon hadn’t come about for nothing.