Beastly and Fearlessly - Chapter 13
Only Noblemtl
Episode 13
The inner part of the poisonous net that passed through the throat seemed alive.
He settled down as if it were his own territory.
Not willing to give up his power easily.
That moment!
Something awakened in the depths of my heart.
Something that I didn’t even know existed inside me.
As soon as the inner part of the poisonous net entered my body, it slowly opened its eyes.
what?
The internal organs are different from the elixir.
The inner altar is a crystal that a living spirit has collected its energy for hundreds of years.
Of course, it is not easy to melt that power.
That is why sophisticated mental operation is necessary.
But when this unidentified power opened its eyes, the inner circle of the once proud Dokgakhwamang became terrified.
It lowered its head and shrank like a baby snake, then gave up its strength on its own.
Srrrr.
Like a glass of wine being poured into the ocean, the inner layer of the poisonous net was melting away.
And the huge energy spreading out.
I am drawn towards that unknown being at the edge of my heart.
As if going back to the place where it should have been.
no!
I don’t know what that thing is, but it looks like I’ll lose everything if I keep doing this.
I recited the Gyeongha Shin Gong Mantra like crazy and turned my true energy with all my might.
This piece is mine.
It feels like my small danjeon is going to burst.
If it hadn’t been for a properly formed danjeon, I wouldn’t have been able to endure it.
My lower abdomen felt heavy as if it would burst at any moment, and the blood vessels in my entire body were racing wildly, but the more it felt like that, the more I calmed my mind.
Now my entire body must become a vessel to receive that power.
Phew.
How much time has passed?
The inner part of the poisonous net was completely absorbed into my body.
I thought that if I could just do the work of the power within me, it would be a success.
Now, not a single drop of power has been wasted, it has all been absorbed.
Of course, seventy percent of that was taken by that unidentified energy.
Perhaps it is the energy that seeped into me from the cave in Myorim.
All this time, I didn’t even know it was inside me.
This thought occurred to me.
The man depicted as a formidable being in the mural is the owner of the cave.
He left his power in the cave, and I accepted it.
The fact that a giant tiger gave me the entrance to the cave, and that an unknown energy of black, white, red, and blue permeated me, all meant that I was chosen.
What kind of power is this… … .
In return for sacrificing the power of the Dokkaebi Net, I can now feel its vague presence.
But it exists only within me and does not give out its power.
It means that there are still qualifications that need to be proven.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, I saw two people.
Nosawa and mother.
“Did you get anything?”
Originally, we planned to meet Nosa at Mujangbong and take the power of Naedan.
Since I ate before the appointed time, it was like asking the old man to protect me.
But the union did not get angry.
“I got more than I expected.”
I was worried about what to say when asked about the mind method, but it was all unnecessary.
Because I don’t ask anything.
“It’s been two days. Next time, at least give me some words.”
The same goes for mother.
They must have felt the difference in me, but neither of them asked any questions.
“All right.”
I followed the two people ahead and slowly observed my inner self.
‘Two fortresses have already been built… … .’
This is truly an unexpected income.
He rose to the rank of second lieutenant in one breath.
This is truly an incredible result, compared to the half a year it took to make one piece in my previous life.
Not only did he gain enough internal strength to master the martial arts of the Beast Palace, but he could also break down two treasures and unleash explosive power if necessary.
Of course, you have to be careful because if you use all your strength at once, you will temporarily become exhausted.
“Labor and management.”
“why?”
“Let’s go practice.”
* * *
Today, too, in the corner of the training ground, a guy named Damwangsu was training.
The one next to him is, of course, the elder brother.
“Come on, come on!”
He was practicing a fancy martial art while swinging a sword, and the elders were looking at him with a pleased expression.
The sword’s trajectory, filled with a gentle aura, brilliantly cuts through the air, and a dazzling sword light flashes all around.
At first glance, it is a rising sword technique.
The enlightenment of the guy named Damwangsu is also not small.
But it’s too dark to be considered a martial art of the Beast Palace.
I don’t know if it’s because of the martial arts he’s learned or because of his natural personality.
“Tsk tsk.”
The old man clicked his tongue as he watched the boy practicing.
Judging from the way he’s frowning so much, it seems like he’s not happy about something either.
My mother, who had followed me to the training ground, turned around without saying a word telling me to train hard.
I asked her as she turned around.
“I have a question.”
My only son opened his eyes after two days and said he wanted to start training, so it’s worth watching for a while.
There is also an important battle coming up soon that will determine the position of Sodongju.
But my mother always has a calm expression.
“Tell me.”
“Aren’t you worried that I might lose the match and take away your position as Sodongju?”
Could it be because the time I lived as a person from Jungwon was much longer than the time I lived as a Sodongju of Namcheon Damdong?
Actually, I don’t understand the current situation.
The Dammuheun I saw was a great warrior and a Dongju who led his family well.
He is still leading Namcheon Damdong, and he is fighting with a guy who the old chieftain brought in from somewhere for the position of Sodongju?
She looked into my eyes for a long time and then answered.
“What do you think is the position of leading a family?”
“… … .”
I couldn’t answer because I’ve never thought about it.
“Even now, Dongju can put you in the position of Sodongju. He can even cut off the heads of those who have done dirty things. He has the power to do that.”
Dirty talk.
I guess you’re talking about the incident in Myorim where I lured away a pack of wolves that attacked me.
A dirty deed committed in pursuit of Sodongju’s position.
It would be like poisoning and sending a murderer to the heir who will lead a family, so it would be okay even if I cut off his head right away like my mother said.
The problem of legitimacy will also be completely resolved.
“The reason I don’t do that is to give you a chance.”
“Are you talking to them?”
He asked, pointing to the Damwangsu and Wonrowonju in the distance.
“No. To you. To everyone, a chance to be recognized as qualified.”
This is an opportunity for me… … .
“The important thing is not the position of Sodongju. That is just a shell. You have to prove yourself, not inherit it. Only then, when you become Dongju one day, all the warriors of Namcheon Damdong will follow you.”
She turned around and added a word.
With a warm smile.
“Remember, what you are trying to earn is not a position, but a qualification… … .”
It’s not a position, it’s a qualification.
* * *
After my mother passed away, only Nosa and I were left on one side of the training ground.
“I want to learn the swordsmanship of the Beast Palace.”
As she said, what I have to get is qualification.
Even if I were to stick to him right now, I could easily handle that guy.
It’s simple if you awaken the Dark Soul and use the martial arts of the assassin you learned in your past life.
The guy will probably feel the cold of the blade on his neck without even knowing what happened.
But even so, all you get is victory.
What I need to obtain is the qualification of Namcheon Damdong Sodongju.
To do that, you must win confidently with the martial arts of the Beast Palace.
“The swordsmanship of the Beast Palace? Something like that?”
The old man answered, pointing to the damwangsu.
Spreading out a splendid sword path while scattering flashes of sword light… … .
“Isn’t that just a fake imitation? I want to learn the real Beast Palace swordsmanship.”
“A sword… … . Couldn’t you also choose other heavy weapons? For example, an axe, a staff, or a club… … .”
“I will take up the sword.”
He was silent for a long time.
“The black path is difficult. It is even more so for you, who are about to face the battle. Light movements must contain heavy power, and softness must contain firmness. Speed and slowness, and changelessness in all changes must coexist. They are called the King of All Armies, but no one has reached the end.”
The old man was looking straight into my eyes and speaking.
It’s as if he’s threatening me by asking if I’d still choose the sword.
He didn’t avoid those eyes.
“The swordsmanship of the Central Plains is fast and smooth. Like an arrow, sometimes like flowing water. Some are so flashy that they make flowers bloom from the tip of their swords. Like that guy over there is doing now. I don’t know why that old master of Namcheon Damdong is teaching such a swordsmanship.”
The old man’s two eyes were turned towards the elder brother and the king’s son.
I know it too well.
Because I have lived my life learning the fast, smooth, and splendid swordsmanship of the Central Plains.
But the sword’s end was always distant.
“On the other hand, the swordsmanship of the Beast Palace has neither the dazzling flashiness nor the lightning-quickness. It is simple, crude, and rough. Would you still choose the sword?”
He answered in a soft but firm voice.
“I will take up the sword.”
The immediate situation is not important.
A mountain that is easy to climb is not high.
I will climb the highest mountain, the highest peak.
“Good! I will teach you swordsmanship. It is rough and crude, but it is the swordsmanship of the Beast Palace that can compete with any swordsmanship of the Central Plains. Haha.”
* * *
Maybe Nosa wanted me to take up the sword.
Seeing him running towards the sword with such a happy expression on his face.
“It’s old. It’ll be usable.”
After a while, the old man returned and handed over a sword.
It is not as long as the great sword hanging from my father’s waist, but it is much longer and wider than the sword of the Central Plains.
“It would be good to start with something like this. Of course, later on, you will probably end up using a bigger sword.”
It feels heavy when you listen to it.
It’s a training sword, so the blade doesn’t stand still.
“There is only one swordsmanship of Namcheon Damdong. From the time you first hold a sword until the day you put it down, there won’t be enough time to learn just this one. It is the Gyeongcheon Sword Unlock. It is the only swordsmanship among the many martial arts created by the first Beast King!”
The astonishing sword of heaven.
You’re going to surprise the heavens.
I think I know why the swordsmanship of the Beast Palace is given this name.
The Beast King who rules over the South is called by a different name in the Central Plains.
“The warriors of the Central Plains call the Beast King the ‘Cheon-oe-ya-wang (天外野王)’. It means ‘a wild king who exists outside the sky.’ It means that they do not recognize him as a warrior under the same sky. To them, the sky only means the Central Plains.”
To them, the world and the sky are only the Central Plains.
They spend their whole lives chasing a tiny bit of power and fame within it.
A huge well.
“He left these words on the stele containing the Gyeongcheongeomhae.”
“The strong will be tested by heaven, and the weak will be mocked. But do not fear.
That sky is not our sky.
If you stand firm on the land of the South, you will be able to look down on the sky.
They will be able to astonish their heavens.
What a crazy statement this is.
Standing on the ground and looking down at the sky.
“For hundreds of years, many warriors have taken up the sword, but none have achieved greatness. Only a handful of warriors have achieved ten of the twelve. However, your father and uncle earned the title of the best warriors of the Beast Palace simply by achieving ten.”
This means that no one has been able to fully carry out the will of the first Beast King.
That high a mountain.
“The Gyeongcheon Swordsmanship unfolds in different ways for each person who practices it. Dongju, I, and your uncle have each climbed their own mountains.”
As Nosa spoke, he looked at the training sword in his hand, fiddling with it.
Which mountain will I climb?
“Take up your sword. Now is the time to climb your own mountain.”
* * *
Elder Moon Il-ji was looking at Dam-myeong’s sword-wielding figure from afar.
‘Hehehe. I guess Mujinbaek is old now. What are you going to do by making him take up a sword now?’
Besides, judging from the way Dam-myeong swings his sword, it is clearly the Gyeongcheon Sword.
It is a sword technique that no one has mastered, even though it is only eight types.
It wouldn’t take even ten years to understand the meaning contained in each and every sword.
‘Those idiots are taking away my last qualms.’
Damwangsu, who had come before we knew it, asked.
“What is that? It’s similar to the swordsmanship I’m learning, but different?”
“It’s the same swordsmanship. But what you’re learning now is much more practical. It’s something I personally improved. The moment that guy picked up the sword, your victory was certain. You just need to keep training like you’ve been doing.”
“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”
“What else?”
“Even if I beat that stupid Sodongju in a duel, of course I would win, but then it would all be over, right? Are you sure that Dongju recognizes me as the real Sodongju?”
“The important thing is the justification. Dongju is not one to change his words. If you win the battle, he will put you in the position of Sodongju as promised. He will not try to take you down by using shallow tricks. That’s why he is like that.”
“Hehe. He’s the complete opposite of you. I’m starting to respect him a little bit.”
“Since there is a foolish Dong-ju who will keep his word even once he spit it out, even a guy like you will have a chance. Since this will be your only chance in life, you should think about winning overwhelmingly. Then, won’t those eyes looking at you soften a little?”
When Damwangsu looked around, the eyes of the other warriors were not kind.
It seems that he dislikes the damwangsu that came from nowhere more than the lazy dammyeong.
Even so, once they officially ascend to the position of Sodongju, they are the kind of guys who won’t be able to say anything.
“So you’re training hard, right? By the way, this sword technique you taught me. Is it really the Jingcheon Sword of the Beast Palace? This is so full of life and death. Hehe.”
The Gyeongcheon Sword Technique he taught me was like the sword technique of the Central Plains.
Swords that are flashy, versatile, and only target the opponent’s vital points.
The kind that can be mastered by even a blacksmith.
“The Kyungcheon Sword Technique appears in different forms depending on who is learning it. It is too much for you, so learn it properly. There is only a month left until the Bimu, so it is impossible for that guy Dammyeong to learn all eight styles. Even so, he will probably learn the first one or two styles.”
“Haven’t I mastered the six basics? The other two… … .”
“That’s enough. Do you think you’ll win overwhelmingly?”
“Hehe. That’s only natural… … .”
Damwangsu’s eyes turned fierce as he continued speaking.
“I’m thinking of just killing you like I said last time.”
The elder’s eyes sparkled.
What if Dam-myeong dies from this guy’s sword in the rain?
It could actually be organized more neatly.
How could Dongju, who lost his child, control his anger?
‘I’ll jump up onto the stage and cut off that damn king’s head.’
Then, Dong-ju can be brought down under the pretext of being swayed by personal feelings.
A perhaps cleaner way than the plan to slowly take over the East by putting that guy in the Sodongju position.
I’m talking about eliminating the cause of trouble while doing it.
The elder’s gaze alternated between Dam-myeong and Dam-wang-su.
* * *
And a month later.
All the warriors of Namcheon Damdong gathered in Daeyeonmujang.
To see with my own eyes who will be qualified to become a sodongju.