Chapter 155: Murim Travelogue - 3

The group gathered alone in a small rented martial arts hall. This was their temporary training ground.

“So there was an Imoogi living under Heavenly Mirror Lake! There have been many stories about seeing suspicious shadows around the lake, and it seems that Imoogi was the protagonist of those stories!”

“It’s fine that there’s an Imoogi. But why... do we have to spar in this state?”

Tap tap tap.

Namgung Seungah complained while looking at the stick attached to her waist. It was a makeshift tail made by tying a long stick near her tailbone with cloth.

Every time she swayed her hips left and right, the stick tail also swung back and forth, scraping the floor as it passed. It was a ridiculous sight, but Cheonghwi spoke seriously.

“I learned in the Tower of Trials that thorough preparation is truly powerful. I realized that if you make a plan and find weak points, you can win even against a superior opponent.”

“...And so?”

“But no one here has fought an Imoogi before. So, we need to predict how an Imoogi will fight and come up with countermeasures.”

The shape of the Imoogi living in Heavenly Mirror Lake was close to that of a salamander. It had front and hind legs, and a tail about half the length of its body stretched out.

Cheonghwi lay flat on the ground, imitating that form.

Then, tap tap tap tap. He crawled on the ground, alternating hands and feet like a salamander.

“Eek?!”

Namgung Seungah was startled and stepped back. Namgung Myeong clapped his hands in admiration at the highly accurate imitation.

“Wow! You really look like a salamander, Daoist Cheonghwi!”

“Look. In this posture, the types of attacks are limited. If we were to explore all human movements, there would be no end, but if it is a salamander, we can make a plan before we go in.”

“...So, are you saying we should create a way to break down the basic movements of a salamander? Like creating a martial arts breakdown?”

“Exactly.”

It sounds like nonsense... but it’s not unconvincing!

Namgung Seungah covered her mouth with her hand, taking time to understand Cheonghwi’s proposal in her own way.

“There are martial arts that imitate animal movements... called the Imitative-Style Fist. If we think of it as practicing Salamander Fist rather than imitating a salamander, it might not be such an ugly thing...” �

“Let us have a light sparring match. This time, I shall take the role of the salamander, so explore efficient movements.”

“...Right now?”

Thud. Thud.

Swish swish swish swish swish!

Cheonghwi the salamander came rushing in like an arrow. Namgung Myeong and Namgung Seungah hurriedly took out wooden sticks. And focused.

According to Cheonghwi, the Imoogi down there was as tall as a person. Since there was no Gigantification Martial Art or anything like that, they couldn’t recreate that size, so they would have to use the power of imagination for this part.

The first impression of seeing the charging salamander was...

“...It’s low. And heavy.”

“Indeed, its center of gravity is low, Noonim!”

Against humans, disrupting the opponent’s center of gravity works effectively. Since they stand on the ground relying on two legs, just tripping or pushing can disperse most of their power.

However, since the salamander keeps its belly close to the ground, such techniques wouldn’t work well.

Tap!

Cheonghwi the Salamander sprang up from the ground, spreading his arms wide and then closing them. This was mimicking a biting action.

In their imagination, a giant Imoogi opened its mouth wide, trying to swallow them whole with its sharp teeth. How should they respond?

Block it? That wouldn’t work. For a creature the size of a giant Imoogi, it would be difficult to overcome its bite force with human strength, and it wouldn’t be light enough to knock away.

They had to dodge. Namgung Seungah stepped back using footwork. However.

“...!!”

The giant Imoogi followed all the way with its mouth open. Since its front and hind legs were free during the biting attack, it could accelerate sufficiently even while attacking.

Namgung Seungah’s back, who was retreating, touched the wall of the training hall. Retreating backward was a bad move!

“Oh shit...!!”

Chomp.

Namgung Seungah was bitten by the giant Imoogi. She should have dodged to the side, not backward. She closed her eyes tightly, slowly accepting death in regret...

No, it was just imagination.

Namgung Seungah opened her eyes. If it had been real, she would have been bitten to death right there. Although the method was ridiculous, it wasn’t a bad way to reduce mistakes.

As she came to terms with it and decided to take this animal-imitating martial arts training seriously, she was startled by the hot breath blown into her chest and began to grasp the reality of the situation.

She was being tightly embraced by Daoist Cheonghwi, and Cheonghwi had his face buried in her cleavage.

Namgung Seungah’s face turned bright red.

“...Are you not going to let go?!”

“Uht, it was not intentional. I became too immersed...”

“I said let go!”

Namgung Seungah repeatedly struck Cheonghwi’s crown with her palm. Cheonghwi covered his head with both arms and ran away hurriedly. There was a brief chase.

The martial art for breaking down the Imoogi’s movements improved in completeness as time passed.

“This tail, it’s more useful than I thought. So if I swing it like this...”

“Why are you avoiding eye contact... Look at the tail, the tail!”

The method of striking with the tail.

And in response, the method of grabbing onto the tail.

“If you strike here, wouldn’t this area become a blind spot?”

“I’m starting to get tired──!!”

It seemed Namgung Seungah, who had been buying time by flinging herself around, was also reaching her limit. Envers reached the Imoogi’s nape and gripped an awl, gathering his strength.

He had to kill it in one move to avoid complications. If the battle dragged on any longer, the humans would tire before the Imoogi.

He needed to inflict maximum damage.

He recalled numerous movements he could make while sitting astride. Among these, there must surely be the right answer. He raised his arm high and pulled. He recalled everything he had learned and seen so far.

The curves Luna had gracefully drawn..

The straight lines Bennett had rigidly extended.

The tyrannical Sword of Namgung shown by Namgung Seungah.

And, the Heavenly Demon’s gestures.

That subtle trajectory that exerted surprising force even with the lightest touch.

“Ignition (爆

He wove them all together and struck.

In that moment, he felt as if the sky was pressing down on him.

Thud.

It went in with a slick sound.

Despite piercing through thick scales, there was no resistance, as if parting water.

It felt as if Cheonghwi had become a nail, and the sky a hammer.

KUOOOOOOO──.

The Imoogi let out one last sorrowful cry, then breathed its last. Namgung Seungah collapsed from exhaustion, and Namgung Myeong ran to check on his sister.

Cheonghwi was clenching and unclenching his fist with a strange expression. What... did he just do?

He felt like he couldn’t do it again if asked. It was as if he had received some divine inspiration. He had briefly glimpsed a realm one level higher and come back down.

While Cheonghwi was dazed...

“We survived...!”

“Daoist Cheonghwi, Noonim is safe! Are you alright?!”

Hearing the voices of the Namgung siblings, Cheonghwi came to his senses.

“Ah, yes. I am fine too. Let us hurry and get the Elixir first!”

He quickly descended to under the Imoogi’s corpse.

===============================================================

A blue Sacred Herb.

Cheonghwi carefully dug out the soil and lifted it. Its root shape closely resembled a human, and just the faint fragrance spreading from it made him feel invigorated.

Gulp.

Namgung Myeong swallowed dryly. Then he spoke with a solemn expression.

“...I’ve heard there are cases where people go wrong from not being able to digest the Elixir. So, I’ll say this in advance. If I don’t wake up, please don’t resent–”

“Why are you saying such ominous things? Just open your mouth.”

“One should not say such inauspicious things at crucial moments.”

Namgung Seungah and Cheonghwi cut off Namgung Myeong’s death flag and popped the Human-Shaped Ginseng into the boy’s mouth.

“Ugh.”

It must have tasted bitter.

Namgung Myeong frowned and chewed the Human-Shaped Ginseng for a while, then swallowed it and tried to sit cross-legged to circulate his qi, but after a moment, he closed his eyes and collapsed.

“...?!”

“D-Did something go wrong?!”

“Wait. And do not touch him carelessly!”

Namgung Seungah, greatly startled, checked Namgung Myeong’s pulse, but his heart was beating properly and his breathing was normal. She said there was an enormous amount of Inner Arts circulating inside his body. She concluded:

“It seems the energy of the Elixir is healing Myeong’s body. He naturally fell asleep for his body to heal. It doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong.”

“...That’s a relief.”

The two let out sighs of relief simultaneously. Then, in a more relaxed atmosphere, they sat down to rest.

“...If you had taken all this Inner Qi for yourself, you could have even used the True Fire of Samadhi. Don’t you regret it? Daoist Cheonghwi.”

“I thought I might regret it a little, but I only feel refreshed. I feel extremely good.”

He had succeeded. He had set his mind to it and achieved it.

Now, if he could just return to the Namgung Clan and see Namgung Myeong moving around energetically, that would be enough. After that...

“Since I saved his son, do you suppose they might teach me some martial arts? What do you think?”

“I think so too. The Clan Lord is a generous person, so he might even reveal some of the clan’s esoteric doctrines. Then, we’d be training together at that time too.”

“That would be enjoyable...”

Although he would have done it even without a reward, he had no intention of declining if they offered. Cheonghwi was imagining what kind of gift he might receive when he casually joked.

“Now if only the return journey is safe, it would be perfect! Incidents like Green Forest bandits or Demonic Cult forces chasing after Myeong, for example.”

“...!!”

It was the moment when future hardships were all but determined.