The Unfinished Battle (3)
Yunheo Zhenren sometimes used the Songmun Antique Sword to pressure Hyun-gwang from a distance, unleashing sword energy and sword aura. Other times, he moved directly, attacking from the left and right with the Songmun Antique Sword, or surrounding and assaulting from the front and back.
Thanks to the combined capabilities of the Liangyi Divine Technique and Sword Control Technique, Yunheo Zhenren was performing a perfect combination technique alone.
However, even with such relentless ferocity, he could not bring Hyun-gwang down.
Hyun-gwang used natural qi to block or deflect Yunheo Zhenren’s attacks, occasionally evading the Songmun Antique Sword and directing natural qi at Yunheo Zhenren.
Sword energy, sword aura, sword control technique, qi blast, natural qi, and more.
The ultimate techniques used by the two elders continued to fill the air, making it hard to tell if this was reality or a dream.
It felt like watching a battle between immortals.
Watching their duel, one couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.
‘Could I ever reach that level?’When watching Hye-gwan and the Paedobangju fight, Mu-jin felt he might reach that level if he worked hard enough, but today’s duel was on an entirely different level.
However.
‘I must reach it. No, even if I can’t, I must at least pave the way for others to reach it.’
Mu-jin repeatedly reminded himself. This was not about whether it could be done; it was a matter of necessity.
The reason was clear: one of the Three Swords of the World was deeply connected to the hidden forces. This meant that they would inevitably clash in the future.
While Mu-jin focused on the duel, thinking about the future, time passed, and as with any duel, no matter how evenly matched, a winner would eventually emerge.
“Hoo.”
Yunheo Zhenren, who had been filling the air with countless sword energies and auras, retrieved the Songmun Antique Sword with his Sword Control Technique and took a deep breath.
Although Mu-jin did not notice, Yunheo Zhenren’s arm was trembling very slightly.
Suppressing the symptom with effort, Yunheo Zhenren spoke in a calm tone.
“Indeed, natural qi. Its limits are nowhere in sight.”
With those words, Mu-jin realized why Yunheo Zhenren had suddenly stopped moving.
‘He’s exhausted his internal energy!’
Indeed, no matter how abundant his internal energy, it would be strange if anything was left after using such massive amounts of sword aura and Sword Control Technique so recklessly.
On the other hand, since Hyun-gwang was using natural qi, his usable energy could be considered limitless.
Understanding the meaning behind Yunheo Zhenren’s words, Hyun-gwang responded with a gentle smile.
“Hehehe. It is merely that what I understood with my mind has touched my heart.”
“Your nonchalant attitude, then and now, still gets on people’s nerves, you damned monk.”
“What can I do when it’s the truth?”
At Hyun-gwang’s words, Yunheo Zhenren clicked his tongue lightly and asked.
“Then, has your body recovered because you have surpassed the barrier?”
“Hahaha. The reason my body is healed is thanks to our Mu-jin here.”
Hyun-gwang, pointing to Mu-jin who had been watching the duel from the back, gave a lengthy speech about Mu-jin’s healing methods, almost as if boasting about his grandchild.
Hearing Hyun-gwang’s praise, Yunheo Zhenren’s eyes surprisingly showed astonishment.
“Huh. A healing and training method that corrects damaged muscles and bones and develops them into the desired form.”
If what he said was true, it would indeed be knowledge that could bring about significant changes in the martial arts world.
Even someone like Yunheo Zhenren, one of the Three Swords of the World, coveted that knowledge, so there was no need to say more.
‘Khm.’
As Yunheo Zhenren struggled to ignore the aching pain in his wrist and organized his thoughts, Hyun-gwang unexpectedly made a suggestion.
“Hahaha. It seems you have some discomfort. How about showing it to Mu-jin?”
“…You knew?”
“There’s a saying, ‘Those who suffer together understand each other.’ A person who has experienced pain knows the feelings of another in pain. Hahaha.”
With a light laugh, Hyun-gwang turned to look at Mu-jin.
“Mu-jin, why don’t you take a look at Master Yunheo’s condition?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
Mu-jin responded to Hyun-gwang and cautiously approached Yunheo Zhenren.
As Yunheo Zhenren watched Mu-jin with a complicated expression, he handed the sword he was holding back to the young master and extended his right hand forward.
“My right hand isn’t in good condition. Can you treat it?”
“Let me check it first.”
Mu-jin replied and started to press around Yunheo Zhenren’s wrist little by little.
“How does it feel when I press here?”
“……”
“It’s difficult to diagnose accurately if you endure the pain.”
These martial artists seemed to consider enduring pain as a virtue, and Yunheo Zhenren was also stubbornly enduring the pain.
“Do you perhaps feel a tingling numbness along with the pain at the fingertips?”
“…Yes.”
Looking at Yunheo Zhenren, who answered as if admitting to a weakness, Mu-jin sighed inwardly.
‘It’s carpal tunnel syndrome.’
Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as wrist tunnel syndrome.
After a few words of conversation and pressing here and there, it seemed certain.
“Now, extend your arm forward like me, fold your thumb in first, and then grasp your thumb with the remaining four fingers.”
Following Mu-jin’s instructions, Yunheo Zhenren moved his hand, and Mu-jin added more instructions.
“In that state, move your wrist to bend your hand downward.”
As Yunheo Zhenren bent his hand downward following Mu-jin’s instructions, Mu-jin did not miss the cold sweat on Yunheo Zhenren’s forehead and the momentarily furrowed eyebrows.
‘Wow. Tendinitis in the wrist too. How did he even wield a sword with a wrist like that?’
What Mu-jin performed was the most commonly used self-diagnostic method for wrist tendinitis, known as the ‘Finkelstein test.’
“How is it?”
When Mu-jin, who had been performing strange actions with his hand, closed his mouth, Yunheo Zhenren asked in a calm tone.
“The condition is very serious.”
“……You mean it can’t be cured.”
“It can be cured, but it will take some time. Honestly, seeing your wrist reminds me of when I first met Grandfather Hyun-gwang.”
“Huh. Are you saying you can fix this wrist?”
Yunheo Zhenren asked in a slightly skeptical tone.
‘Well, he did say that he healed that friend Hyun-gwang, who was rumored to have become a cripple.’
Yunheo Zhenren quickly concluded that there was no need to doubt Mu-jin’s words.
He knew how crippled Hyun-gwang had become just from the rumors at the time.
Shaolin had tried to cure Hyun-gwang even if it meant uprooting its foundation, but they eventually gave up after five years.
This boy had succeeded in a treatment that even Shaolin had given up on.
Reaching this point in his thoughts, Yunheo Zhenren spoke in a composed tone.
“Then, can you treat this old man’s hand? No, can you teach me the treatment method? If you do, I will grant you one favor, anything within my power.”
It was an incredibly generous offer.
However, Yunheo Zhenren’s reason for proposing such conditions was not simply for the sake of his wrist.
‘If I can learn the treatment method, Wudang can make significant progress.’
In fact, the symptoms Yunheo Zhenren was experiencing were not unique to him alone.
The majority of Wudang’s swordsmen, regardless of age, faced this issue.
Wudang’s swordsmanship was fundamentally based on the principle of softness.
Commonly known as ‘softness overcoming hardness,’ this principle, while seemingly excellent, had one major flaw.
To reach the level where strong forces were redirected through the technique of softness, the wrist had to be excessively strained.
Rather than directly clashing, redirecting powerful forces softly placed enormous stress on the wrist if the technique was lacking.
Especially during their early years as third-class disciples when their internal energy was still insufficient, the burden was even greater.
Eventually, by the time they perfected the technique through such strenuous processes, nine out of ten would have damaged wrists.
Despite their damaged wrists, Wudang swordsmen could freely wield their soft swordsmanship because, ironically, anyone who had perfected the technique to that level had considerable internal energy.
To compensate for the damaged wrist muscles, he wielded the sword using the power of his internal energy.
In fact, Yunheo Zhenren had also sparred with Hyun-gwang using that method, and at the end of the duel, intense pain started to rise from his wrist as his internal energy depleted.
However, whether Yunheo Zhenren knew the true intentions or not, Mu-jin responded in a calm tone.
“I can help with the treatment, but teaching the method might be difficult. It’s due to a contract with Cheonryu Sangdan.”
“Cheonryu Sangdan? Are you referring to the Cheonryu Sangdan, known as one of the Five Great Merchant Groups?”
Shaolin, which practically severed ties with the mundane world, had entered into a contract with a merchant group?
Likewise, Yunheo Zhenren, who had also severed ties with the mundane world, couldn’t easily understand Mu-jin’s words.
To Yunheo Zhenren’s question, Mu-jin briefly explained the contract between Shaolin and Cheonryu Sangdan and the Musculoskeletal Treatment Clinic.
“I understand that you cannot teach the method. Then, can you perhaps teach me a training method to strengthen the wrist? If you do, as promised earlier, I will fulfill any request you have, within my ability.”
At Yunheo Zhenren’s words, Mu-jin sensed some unease.
‘Why is he so obsessed?’
He had already reached the peak of martial arts, and he was an old man. What was he missing that made him cling to the treatment method or the training method despite being offered treatment?
Since guessing alone wouldn’t provide any answers, Mu-jin just asked outright.
“I don’t understand why the Taiji Sword Immortal, who has already reached such heights, is placing such great conditions on my modest training method.”
Yunheo Zhenren pondered for a moment at Mu-jin’s question.
Most Wudang swordsmen suffered from wrist pain, which could be considered a weakness of Wudang.
Would it be right to reveal such a weakness of Wudang to this young monk?
In his contemplation, Yunheo Zhenren glanced at Hyun-gwang.
Once his greatest rival and the wall he had to overcome, but now a crippled friend.
Turning back, Yunheo Zhenren looked at Mu-jin.
The young monk who had cured his completely crippled friend with mysterious medical skills.
Hyun-gwang, his old rival, wasn’t someone who would lie, so there was no reason to doubt the treatment method or training method of this boy.
Having reached this conclusion, Yunheo Zhenren looked at the young Taoist who had been silently watching the situation unfold.
The young prodigy who would shoulder the future of Wudang after his departure.
‘What does it matter about our current weakness? If I can learn the training method, there will be no match for Wudang when this boy matures.’
Having sorted out his thoughts, Yunheo Zhenren turned his gaze back to Mu-jin and spoke.
“In truth, I am not the only one suffering from this condition. Our Wudang’s swordsmanship is so profound that it can only be mastered through rigorous training. And many who undergo this rigorous training end up damaging their wrists.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Mu-jin grasp the situation.
‘This is a bigger deal than I thought.’
Initially, he thought it was just about treating Yunheo Zhenren’s wrist. He intended to just help with the treatment and be done with it.
‘How can I take advantage of this?’
If it meant granting a favor to the entire Wudang, the calculations changed.
After a moment of deliberation, Mu-jin calmly opened his mouth.
“If that is the case, I will gladly teach you. But before that, may I ask a question?”
“Speak.”
“You said you would grant any request within your ability. Could you punish Hyeok Jin-gang?”
Hyeok Jin-gang, known as the Breaker of Swords, also had the moniker of the Heavenly Sword Emperor and was one of the Three Swords of the World, just like the Taiji Sword Immortal.
He was deeply involved with hidden forces and was someone who must be eliminated.
Thus, Mu-jin thought of using a stratagem to kill with a borrowed knife.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter