Chapter 88

In the backyard of a hidden accommodation, unnoticed by others.

Following the arrogant disciple’s words, the Martial Alliance leader, Jaro, who had been busy with trivial tasks, delegated some work to his secretary.

“Alright, from now on, I’ll teach you the essence of Taoist martial arts, Taijiquan (太極拳).”

Stretching his stiff body from the tedious paperwork, he stepped forward.

“No! I asked to learn the Nine Yin True Classic! What’s with Taijiquan?!”

“Hmm… Even though the Jeonjin Sect exists, you call Taijiquan, which has a short history, the essence of Taoist martial arts? That’s uncomfortable.”

Mantian and Wang Miaoyang each grumbled for different reasons.

“Hey! Taijiquan is good too! Don’t be so picky, you brat!!”

“…And if you came to watch others’ martial arts, just watch quietly.”

Jaro’s face naturally twisted in annoyance at the absurd attitude.

He was so bothered.

He thought he’d teach one martial art to the junior his master couldn’t finish teaching and keep him quiet, but…

The kid even brought his little master, making it even noisier.

With tired eyes, he looked at the arrogant brat, Mantian, who lived as if he were the best.

“So, you don’t want to learn?”

“No, new martial arts are always welcome. Please teach me.”

Honestly, the Nine Yin True Classic, known as a divine technique, was more appealing.

But if I threw a tantrum here, I’d get nothing, and I was quite interested in Taijiquan, the representative martial art of the Wudang Sect, so I quickly asked for the lesson.

“Master, may I learn it? It’ll help the revival of the Jeonjin Sect.”

“If you think of it as learning Taoist teachings… it should be fine…”

Wang Miaoyang also nodded, secretly interested in the martial arts of the Wudang Sect, which had taken the lead among Taoist schools.

With the little master’s permission, there was no more issue.

Now, all I had to do was diligently learn Taijiquan.

The chosen guardian of the martial world by Jesus, a genius who plays with Taiji and inscribes his name on the Immovable King’s plaque, deceiving even the heavens.

All I had to do was awaken as Sima Mantian (司馬瞞天).

“……”

Though it was my own thought, it got too long. When did it get this long? Am I some generous Persian emperor?

I’ll have to trim a few titles later, like pruning a tree.

Before seriously starting to learn martial arts.

To loosen up and clear my mind, I did some simple stretches while thinking random thoughts.

“It seems you’ve decided to learn. But there’s a condition.”

Jaro, with a tired face, finally got to the point.

“…Huh? A condition?”

“Yes, until you make Taijiquan your own, don’t cause any ‘trouble’ and just train here.”

My eyebrow twitched at the emphasized word.

Damn senior… There was a reason he agreed so easily to my request to teach martial arts.

“By the time the Dragon and Phoenix Association ends, Sososo’s condition will fully recover.”

“Even if you don’t step forward, if Sososo shows her true strength, Mo Dan won’t be able to beat her with his current skills.”

It’s not an overestimation because she’s the child of a deceased disciple and a cherished child.

She just doesn’t show it because she dislikes attention, but Sososo’s skills are already beyond the late-stage masters.

Among the current righteous faction’s late-stage masters, the only one who could beat Sososo is…

The little brat from the Jiegal Family, Guhae (過海).

Anyway, from Mantian’s perspective, it was like this.

Stuffing candy (Taijiquan) into the mouth of a child who wants cake (beating Seol Mo Dan to a pulp).

It was a scheme to prevent him from causing trouble during the festival period when all the big names of the righteous faction gather.

I laughed. I was really underestimated.

“Alright, senior. I’ll quietly train here ‘until’ I master Taijiquan.”

…So I nodded obediently and made the promise, preparing to learn Taijiquan.

There was no need to argue.

Because that statement meant that if I could use Taijiquan to my liking before the Dragon and Phoenix Association ended, I could cause trouble.

Sorry, senior, but I’m a greedy kid.

I’ll eat both the candy and the cake.

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Just moments after declaring my bold ambition.

My eyes blinked at the series of ‘Taijiquan’ demonstrations unfolding before me.

“Huh… Aren’t they all the same Taijiquan?”

“Sigh… This is why amateurs…”

Jaro sighed deeply and demonstrated the seemingly identical Taijiquan forms again.

“This is the Zhen Family Taijiquan, created by Zhen Wangzheng, who was called the Fist Master for his exceptional skill.”

Whoosh whoosh- Shwabak-!!

“This is the Yang Family Taijiquan, modified by the martial artist Yang Laoxian from the Zhen Family Taijiquan.”

Flutter flutter~ Shiver shiver~!!

Wang Miaoyang also nodded, as if seeing something, and chimed in.

“Each one… is of a high level.”

‘…Is that so? They’re high level?!’

I didn’t know because Taijiquan is associated with the Wudang Sect, but in reality, there were quite a few varieties.

Since Taiji is an important concept in Taoism, each person’s understanding and realization of Taiji’s principles differed.

Like the factional politics of the Joseon Dynasty, various Taijiquan styles were created.

At first glance, they all looked the same, but…

Now, looking closely, I could see the differences.

First, the Zhen Family Taijiquan was fast.

Like Yin turning into Yang and Yang turning into Yin, offense and defense switched in an instant, leaving no gaps.

In contrast, the Yang Family Taijiquan was loose.

More like stretching exercises than martial arts, but the movements were concise and gentle, gradually building up like a massive, sturdy wall.

If the Zhen Family Taijiquan was a spear and shield, the Yang Family Taijiquan was a double shield.

As I analyzed the techniques shown so far…

“Carry Taiji above your head, hold the Eight Trigrams in your arms, and step on the Five Elements with your feet.”

Jaro slightly bent his knees, stretched his arms forward, and demonstrated the final Taijiquan.

Before my eyes, serene and smooth movements unfolded. Circles were drawn on the ground with the movement of his feet.

Neither spear nor shield. Like flowing water, the movements naturally connected, overwhelming the opponent.

“Zhang Family Taijiquan (張家 太極拳).”

The protagonist always appears last, right?

The masterpiece of Wudang Sect’s founder, Zhang Sanfeng, reveals itself.

“……”

“Zhen Family, Yang Family, Zhang Family. At first glance, they seem similar, but each has its unique characteristics. Which one do you want to learn?”

Jaro, who had finished the demonstration, asked me, who had been silent while concentrating, and I chose without hesitation.

“Zhang Family Taijiquan.”

“Ha! You chose the hardest one. How about thinking a bit more?”

Foolish senior. I smiled back at Jaro’s scoff.

“That’s why I chose it. It’ll look the coolest when I show off in front of others.”

“Brat… You really have the best mouth in the world. Get into position.”

Yijing Zhuangshui (意境狀水) – Mind like flowing water.

Yijing Zhidong (以靜制動) – Use stillness to control movement.

Rouneng Zhigang (柔能制剛) – Softness can overcome hardness.

“These are the three most important things in learning Taijiquan.”

Though I feel bad for Mantian.

Jaro was confident that with this, Mantian would quietly train here with Wang Miaoyang until the Dragon and Phoenix Association ended.

After all, Taijiquan isn’t a martial art you can perform just by memorizing the forms.

***

The peony is said to be a beautiful flower without fragrance.

…Thus, the eleven-year-old young lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.

Seol Mo Dan disliked his name.

He didn’t know why his late mother had given him such a name, but…

“Did you hear? Lady Wolhwa has already reached the level of creating ice.”

“Only nine years old, but amazing. …What about the young lord?”

The annoying whispers of the maids reached his ears.

“You know. Just pretty.”

“Sigh~ What a waste of looks. If only half of her appearance had talent in martial arts, it would’ve been great.”

…Like a scentless ornamental flower.

It felt like they were branding him as a hollow shell, only good for his looks.

Feeling depressed, he was about to return to his room when…

A fluffy ball of white hair tied like a dumpling came running towards him.

“Brother! Brother!”

His younger sister, Seol Wolhwa, proudly showed off her creation with sparkling eyes.

“Look at this! It’s an ice seal!”

“Yeah… well made.”

He reached out and patted his sister’s head, who wanted praise in place of their busy father.

…But unconsciously, he didn’t properly look at Wolhwa’s ice creation.

He should have been purely happy for her, but he felt jealous of her talent.

Unaware, his sister smiled brightly at his touch, making him feel guilty.

“Hehe~ Brother! Let’s go see the baby seals!!”

Last time, when their father didn’t play with her, Wolhwa had been down, so he secretly took her out of the palace to see the seals. She must have liked it.

“…Let’s go.”

He smiled weakly and indulged his sister’s whims. The only thing his incompetent self could do.

That’s all he had.

They watched the baby seals rolling in the snow near the frozen lake.

“Oo- oo- oofufu-!!”

“Wow~ wow~ wow!!”

“Aw~ it’s so cute!! Just like me!!”

Wolhwa imitated the seals’ cries, and watching her, he felt proud for bringing her here.

“Oo-!!”

…But soon, a different animal’s cry echoed loudly.

A pack of wolves had come to hunt the immature seals.

Completely unexpected, Mo Dan’s mind went blank. His legs gave out, and he almost collapsed.

“B, brother…”

His sister’s trembling voice calling him somehow kept him conscious, and he hid Wolhwa behind him.

Mo Dan had strong pride. The option of abandoning his sister and running away alone was something his pride wouldn’t allow.

That would no longer be living. It would be killing himself.

…So he drew a carving knife from his waist and stepped forward.

“Wolhwa, when the wolves charge at me, run.”

“……?!”

From the start, their father and others would want Wolhwa, not the talentless him, to survive.

He wanted to face death more resolutely, but…

Tears welled up in his eyes. His body trembled at the wolves’ breaths as they approached.

…Was that why?

Amid the swirling snow, he saw an illusion.

A giant, over eight feet tall, wearing a tattered gray cloak, confidently approached the wolf pack with a white sword.

And when the giant swung his sword, a scene he had never seen before unfolded.

Plum Blossom Sword Technique (梅花劍法) – Full Bloom of Plum Blossoms (梅花滿開)

Red plum blossoms bloomed in the barren North Sea, where only white snow existed.

The wolves fled instantly, and as the technique ended, the giant’s white sword scattered in the wind.

It was just snow molded into the shape of a sword, not an actual sword.

Even to a child who hadn’t properly learned martial arts, it was a divine technique.

Mo Dan, with trembling eyes, looked at the giant’s face as he approached.

He was an ugly old man, far from handsome. But…

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

…He was the most impressive person he had ever seen.

That was his first meeting with his master.

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‧

Mo Dan woke up and opened the window, looking at the dark night sky where clouds covered the moon.

‘Mantian (瞞天)… What a fate.’

His master occasionally told stories about Mantian, who had become a disciple before him.

It wasn’t a comparison of talent, but the master’s joyful expression made the young Mo Dan jealous.

Even when he asked his master to take him along on his travels again…

“Mo Dan, you’re still young. See more, learn more. Go to the Central Plains.”

“…What’s in the Central Plains that you say that?”

The master smiled with a proud expression at the unconvinced Mo Dan.

“There’s a genius who deceives even the heavens, Sima Mantian (司馬瞞天).”

He couldn’t find him before, but now, of all times, he appears.

Mo Dan looked up at the night sky and quietly muttered to himself.

“Master… are you scolding me?”

…But without this, I can’t win.

I can’t become the Martial Alliance leader using the dragon as a stepping stone and restore the master’s honor.

Suddenly, Mo Dan’s head drooped weakly.

“No… it’s all excuses…”

He had no confidence against real monsters born with true talent.

…So he abandoned the master’s teachings and used cowardly methods to secure victory.

He betrayed his family and his sister’s expectations.

The jade dice he played with as a child sparkled on the table.

He picked it up and rolled it. It tumbled and landed on six dots, the number six (六).

Seeing the result, Mo Dan prepared for tomorrow’s Dragon and Phoenix Association without hesitation.

The dice had been rolled, and now there was no turning back.