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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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“Oh.”
The Yang Family Tai Chi Sect was a large sect, as was fitting for its name and tradition. Unlike other sects, it was located in the middle of the city, creating a strange presence, and elderly men, who didn’t seem to have learned martial arts properly, were gathered in the training grounds past the gates, practicing Tai Chi.
It was usually young disciples who occupied the front gates of sects, so the sight of the Tai Chi Sect that was filled with elderly men felt strange to me.
“What brings you here?”
A man in uniform, who had been guarding the gate, asked when I stood there. He was a middle-aged man with a kind impression, and he was at a similar level to me. I politely greeted him before pulling out the recommendation letter that I had folded and kept, and said,
“I am Do-cheol of the Hongryun Sect in Shaanxi Province. I have come to be enlightened, after realizing the shortcomings in my martial arts. This is a letter of recommendation from the Jegal Clan.”
The middle-aged man was surprised. He burst out laughing and received the letter.
“Hahaha, we have an important guest. Come this way. I’ll take you to the Grandmaster.”
They seemed welcoming to new faces because of the sheer number of people who came and went. The middle-aged man seemed very enthusiastic, and the people who were training inside also didn’t pay any attention to the new face.
The training hall that I had vaguely thought was big when I was outside, was even bigger than I expected. There was another training ground where younger disciples were training besides where the elderly men were, and there were also two buildings where the disciples were staying.
I reached the room where the Grandmaster of the Tai Chi Sect was staying, after walking down a long hallway.
The middle-aged man smiled after seeing my expression, and said,
“Haha, people who come here for the first time are always shocked.”
“…I was surprised since it was bigger than I thought.”
“It’s nothing compared to the Nine Sects, but it’s sometimes a hassle to clean and manage this large area.
“Is there a reason it’s this big?”
“Since there are many elderly men who are training in Tai Chi for rehabilitation purposes, we needed a larger area for them to rest comfortably and train comfortably. That’s why, by the order of the Grandmaster, we’ve expanded the sect by buying the surrounding buildings.
So it also functioned as a nursing home.
“Grandmaster. We have a guest.”
The middle-aged man gestured to me before bowing his head. I followed his actions, turned around, and bowed respectfully to the Grandmaster.
“I am Do-cheol of the Hongryun Sect in Shaanxi Province. After realizing the shortcomings in my martial arts, I have come to ask the renowned Grandmaster of the Tai Chi Sect for guidance.”
“The Hongryun Sect of Shaanxi Province? I’ve never heard of that name. How did you even come to know of this old man and find him?”
The old man’s voice was as clear as the sound of birds chirping. When I raised my head, there was an elderly man with his long, white beard trimmed short and his long hair neatly swept back. His wrinkled face was full of kindness as if he had never known anger, and his deep eyes seemed like they had never seen any evil intentions from anyone.
It didn’t seem like there was any inner energy emanating from his body, but his steps and each of his movements were firm and carried weight, and despite his small frame, an overwhelming aura that I couldn’t deny, emanated from him.
For a moment, I felt like I was facing Mount Tai and was speechless.
The Grandmaster of the Tai Chi Sect was patiently staring at me even while I was stammering before him. Although he was just blinking, I felt my throat dry up from the tension.
“…I had initially trained in a martial art called the Mount Tai Ax, a technique that focuses on swiftness. However, I came to believe that one cannot encompass everything with just swiftness, and so I wanted to learn softness. I decided to ask the Yang Family Tai Chi Sect for guidance, since I had no one nearby who knew softness properly.”
The Grandmaster nodded. With his eyes closed, he smacked his lips as if he had just tasted something delicious and exhaled as he nodded.
“Swiftness and softness are a good and a bad combination. If one is excessively swift, they cannot understand softness, and if one is excessively soft, they cannot wield swiftness. Because it is difficult to learn both principles, it’s easy for one to be absorbed in just a single side.”
The Grandmaster put a hand on my shoulder. His fingers were unexpectedly thin, and his arms that were peeking out from under his sleeves were also very bony. He said,
“Even if you learn Tai Chi, it’s not going to be easy to connect it with what you already have and create your own path. It will not be easy to even grasp that principle.”
The Grandmaster removed his hand from my shoulder. And then, pointing towards where the young disciples were training, he said,
“Are you after some basic techniques to add to your martial arts?”
It was a thief’s mentality to ask for secret techniques.
It would take considerable time to master the basics of a single martial art, and the disciples in this sect would be devoting their whole lives to understanding its principles. There was no way that I would be able to learn everything about Tai Chi in a short amount of time, and there was no way for them to teach me everything as an outsider.
But still.
I had come all the way to this sect after acting all mighty in front of Sanyeo and Jegal Yeong-yu. I needed to learn at least something about the principles of Tai Chi. He looked kind, perhaps he might teach me if I asked him for guidance?
Feeling a bit greedy, I answered,
“I wish to understand softness.”
The Grandmaster made a disappointed face. He smacked his lips again before shaking his head and saying,
“If that’s the case, then I have nothing to teach you. The Yang Family Tai Chi Sect teaches Tai Chi to anyone who comes here, but what we teach them are only the basic forms for self-defense. The secrets of the Tai Chi Sect are only passed down to the disciples of the sect.”
In a way, that was only natural. Tai Chi also had a deep history, so there was no way that they would share its secrets so easily.
Although I tried since he seemed kind, if it was a no, then it was a no.
I pushed my disappointment aside, and bowed to the Grandmaster again and said,
“That was an unreasonable request. Grandmaster.”
“I understand that you want to learn new things. Don’t think too much about it.”
The Grandmaster didn’t seem to be angry. I lowered my waist a little bit more and said,
“Then, could I just learn the basic techniques?”
If I removed my greed from the equation, it would still be a great benefit for me just to learn the basic techniques of Tai Chi. Since it meant that I would be able to diversify the techniques I could use with my left hand, which would otherwise simply be connected with the Seizing Hand.
The Grandmaster readily nodded. He was now holding a recommendation letter that the middle-aged man had apparently given him.
“I read the letter of recommendation, and it says that the Jegal Clan wishes for me to look after you. How did you become connected to the Jegal Clan?”
“It’s a long story. They had contacted me after seeing me fight in a duel competition.”
The Grandmaster nodded and said,
“That’s an interesting story. I have some history with the Jegal Clan, so I cannot ignore such a letter. You want to learn the techniques to be used in martial arts, so I’ll be making an exception for you, you’ll be able to have private lessons.”
The Grandmaster said that and then extended his hand.
This time, he was pointing to the place where the elderly men were diligently training. They were slowly moving, connecting the Tai Chi forms like they were dancing. And in front of the elderly, a woman with tanned skin, wearing the uniform of the Tai Chi Sect, was seriously demonstrating the forms from a platform.
Her face and expressions were sharp, giving off a wild aura, and the muscles that were visible under her uniform were firm, as if she had been training for a long time. Her chest would rise and fall with every breath, and that ample bosom, which could be seen even through the loose-fitting uniform, aroused me.
I averted my gaze to hide my lust, and the Grandmaster said,
“She’s my adopted daughter. She has some Southern Barbarian blood, so her skin color is a bit different. But she’s very skilled, and she’ll be more than enough to teach you.”
Just by the aura that I felt, she was a master who was more skilled than me. She didn’t seem to notice me looking and was focused on teaching the elderly men. She was demonstrating the movements very slowly, having them follow her, and unlike the trembling elderly, her arms and legs were still and perfectly positioned even after she finished her movement.
I was momentarily lost in thought.
If I seduce her while she’s teaching me, wouldn’t I be able to learn Tai Chi to a deeper level?
If that’s the case, then not only will her breasts be mine, I’ll be able to learn as much as she had learned. Isn’t that a definite win?
I came to a conclusion in my heart.
First, I’ll search for her weaknesses while learning Tai Chi.
Create an opening, find a way to infiltrate,
and make her mine.
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oh boy here we go. Thanks Vine!