Surviving as a Cripple in Murim – Chapter 18

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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He unleashed the qi he had been concealing, knowing that holding back now meant death. Exhaling and inhaling, he circulated the internal energy from his dantian throughout his body, enhancing his physical abilities.

“In a world like this, I won’t tell you not to kill,” he said.

“■■■■■-!!”

“The grudges and circumstances in the martial world are complex. But if you’re going to kill, at least do it in human form.”

The half-dragon watched as ‘something’ approached, limping, emanating qi from its core. It was a mere creature walking the earth, possessing insignificant qi, yet it advanced in a straight line without a moment’s hesitation.

It was unsettling, repulsive.

‘Something’ raised a staff. It was an ordinary wooden staff, nothing special. Yet, his instincts screamed.

Danger. Kill it now.

“■■■-!!”

Following her instincts, she kicked off the ground, extending her arm to eliminate the unidentified ‘something’ that posed a threat.

The dragon’s claws, capable of easily tearing flesh and breaking bones, struck from the front. But the ‘something’ didn’t flinch.

He took another step forward. He needed to be within range.

Dog Beating Staff Technique – Pressing Dog’s Shoulder and Back – Pin the dog’s shoulder and back with the staff.

He quickly switched the staff from his right hand to his left and struck the area between Gwahae’s neck and shoulder. Immediately after, putting his weight behind it like a hammer striking an anvil, he brought the staff down with his right hand.

Thud!

The half-dragon couldn’t comprehend the feeling of cold earth against her cheek. Why was she, a dragon, on the ground, being looked down upon by ‘something’?

It was incomprehensible. It shouldn’t be happening.

“If a human kills a human, at least there’s a reason to ask. But if an animal kills a human, it’s put down immediately. So, quickly return to your human form.”

Bang! Bang!!

A thick, black tail struck the ground repeatedly, expressing fury. She braced himself with her arms and legs, preparing to rip apart the insolent ‘something’ that dared to look down on a dragon.

Dog Beating Staff Technique – Forcing Dog’s Head Down – Press down on the dog’s nape with the staff.

…Originally intended to snap the neck, he adjusted the point of pressure to Gwahae’s back.

“■■■-!?”

The half-dragon, attempting to rise, fell back down. She thrashed and roared in frustration, but the staff pressing down on his back remained unyielding, as if rooted to the ground. It was agonizing.

“Does it hurt? I hurt too.”

“■■■■■■-!!”

“I worked so hard to make you human, after you were nothing but a stray. And you don’t even recognize your master? It hurts my heart. So, quickly return to your human form.”

“■■■■■■-!!”

His hands trembled. The staff trembled. A powerful surge of energy, like a wave, emanated from Gwahae’s body, forcibly repelling the Dog Beating Staff Technique.

A net may startle a dragon, but it cannot contain it.

Why couldn’t she just be caught quietly?

He released the technique and kicked off the ground with his left foot, creating distance. As he did, Gwahae swung her arm, aiming for his leg.

Had he been even a fraction of a second slower, both his legs would have been crippled.

“You seem quite angry. But what can you do? I have no intention of stopping.”

“■■■■■■-!!”

“I will keep doing this until you tire yourself out and return to your human form. There will be no negotiation. So, quickly return to your human form.”

He had suspected it, but today’s events confirmed it. Gwahae was a half-dragon, a hybrid of human and dragon. She carried within her both a human life and a dragon’s.

He recalled Gwahae, isolated, neglected, and abused within the Jegal Clan estate.

Perhaps Gwahae was more suited to a dragon’s life than a human one. Perhaps he was just meddling unnecessarily.

But Gwahae had smiled at him during the festival. She had told him she was happy. She had found happiness as a human.

So, he would continue to interfere, to meddle as he pleased. He would never give up.

“■■■■■■-!!”

As if refusing to tolerate his antics any longer, a dark blue aura emanated from Gwahae, enveloping her body. Protective qi.

Damn… she’s growing strong way too fast.

Cursing inwardly, he aimed his staff at his now superior student.

Dog Beating Staff Technique – Vicious Dog Blocking the Path – What to do when a vicious dog blocks the road.

From this point on, it was time for improvisation.

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From afar, it resembled a dance; up close, a bloody battle.

The cripple and the half-dragon circled each other, gauging the distance, clashing with a single staff between them.

Minor attacks were no longer effective due to Gwahae’s protective qi. Their physical abilities were also vastly different.

However, the Dog Beating Staff Technique was an incredibly profound set of techniques, and the Seventy-Two Emptiness Illumination Fist was a Taoist art that channeled the energy of firmness.

Mancheon switched between the two martial arts strategically, occasionally incorporating the Golden Goose, to counter Gwahae’s brute force and deplete her energy.

The dark blue protective qi surrounding Gwahae visibly weakened. However, Mancheon was also reaching his limit.

He was out of breath, his legs trembling, and his body covered in cuts bleeding profusely.

Damn… I’m going to die trying to take care of one student… If I ever take another student, I’ll… No. Never again.

Gritting his teeth, he aimed his staff at Gwahae, who continued to charge at him relentlessly, seemingly inexhaustible.

Dog Beati-?!

As he attempted to block Gwahae’s attack with a technique, his right leg, weakened by his congenital disability, buckled beneath him, disrupting his balance.

He wanted to curse, but honestly, he was surprised he’d lasted this long.

With the flow of his technique broken, his staff swung awkwardly. Gwahae seized the opportunity and bit down on the staff with her sharp, pointed shark teeth. She seemed to instinctively understand that without his staff, his combat prowess would drastically decrease.

Naturally, the Dog Beating Staff Technique included methods to deal with a dog biting or an opponent grabbing the staff.

Dog Beating Staff Technique – Snatching the Staff from the Dog’s Mouth – Retrieving the staff from a dog’s bite.

It was a technique that involved gouging out the opponent’s eyes and then striking their hand with the staff to retrieve it.

As a technique designed to attack a vital point, it could easily be lethal. The Dog Beating Staff Technique was, after all, a martial art meant for beating dogs. It treated the opponent like a dog and attacked ruthlessly.

In other words, if you couldn’t treat your opponent like a dog, the technique’s power diminished.

Reflected in Gwahae’s rage-filled, blue eyes, he saw himself. For some reason, a memory surfaced amidst this urgent situation.

That day, Gwahae had been playing with Chippy in her room. He had been watching her play, when a playful thought struck him, and he asked Gwahae a teasing question.

“Who do you like more, Chippy or me?”

It was a question with no right answer, like asking a child to choose between their mother and father, meant to tease Gwahae.

As expected, Gwahae was flustered by the question, looking like Bonobono, before quietly approaching him and whispering in his ear. (Bonobono: a character of Sea Otter in Japanese manga)

“I like Mancheon more.”

Then, blushing slightly, she had given him a shy smile.

He returned to the present. If he didn’t act now, the staff would break. He had to strike Gwahae’s eyes.

But he couldn’t. He had grown too attached to her.

Crack! Snap!!

The already cracked staff shattered into pieces. Taegu Staff cried out in despair.

Tae-goo! Taegoo Taegoo! Tae-goo! (Why?! Partner! You said we’d be together forever! Why?! Why are you abandoning me?!)

Sorry, Taegu Staff. But common sense dictates that a cute Gwahae is more precious than a worn-out staff.

“■■■-!!”

Unable to use the Dog Beating Staff Technique any longer, he used the Seventy-Two Emptiness Illumination Fist to block Gwahae’s incoming attack.

Gwahae suddenly stomped her foot and spun 360 degrees. A tail attack… a feint with her arms.

Her thick tail, as wide as a log, struck him directly in the side. His body was sent flying, rolling across the ground. He managed to lessen the impact with a breakfall technique, but it hardly mattered. He couldn’t breathe. Nausea welled up, and when he vomited, blood splattered onto the ground.

“Ugh- cough”

He tried to recover using his internal energy cultivation method. The effects were minimal, but better than nothing.

“Calm the mind, forget emotions… If the body is weak, strengthen the Qi…”

A pure energy spread through his body, easing his breathing slightly.

“When the heart dies, the spirit lives… When Yang prospers, Yin dissipates…”

“■■■■■■-!!”

Gwahae cried out, not in a roar of rage, but in a pained wail, as if trying to suppress something.

At the center of the dark blue qi, a small, pure energy began to spread, like ink diffusing in water, disrupting the negative energy.

It was a faint energy, but he recognized it. It was the energy cultivated through the Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method, the energy that Gwahae accumulated when she practiced… Could it be that the Taoist internal energy was repelling the demonic energy?

He didn’t have the time to analyze the situation. If there was even a sliver of a chance, he had to take it.

His plan was simple. Get on top of Gwahae. Whisper the verses of the Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method in her ear. And cover her mouth to prevent her from biting him.

It was a desperate gamble. Do or die.

He struggled to his feet and looked at Gwahae. Now was his chance. He couldn’t hesitate.

For Gwahae, he would even risk his life… well, almost.

He looked at his left arm.

Alright, I can give you my left arm.

He removed his outer robe and wrapped it around his left arm. It probably wouldn’t help much, but it was better than nothing.

Focusing his internal energy into his left leg, he executed the Golden Goose. He leaped, aiming for a branch above Gwahae.

Shifting his weight, he twisted his body 180 degrees. Kicking off the branch, he used the momentum to propel himself downwards, landing on Gwahae.

“■■■■■-!?”

“I’m not trying to hurt you! Just stay still!!”

He managed to secure a position on Gwahae’s back.

Now, it was time for resolve.

He shoved his robe-wrapped left arm into Gwahae’s snapping jaws.

The fabric tore, and sharp teeth sank into his flesh. It felt like red-hot nails being hammered into his arm. It was excruciating, beyond words.

But he couldn’t scream. If he did, all his efforts to cover Gwahae’s mouth would be wasted. He had to endure.

“Calm the mind… forget emotions… If the body is weak, strengthen the Qi…”

“!!!!!”

“When the heart dies… the spirit lives… When Yang prospers… Yin dissipates!”

Thwack!

His back slammed against a tree. Gwahae thrashed, bucked, and clawed at him, trying to throw him off.

Yeah, go ahead and throw a fit. Die if you want. I’ve already made up my mind.

“Calm the mind… forget emotions… If the body is weak, strengthen the Qi…”

“When the heart dies… the spirit lives… When Yang prospers… Yin dissipates…”

He continued to chant, enduring the pain, hoping his words would reach her.

I… like… you… you said you liked me the most… So please… come back to your senses… quickly…

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When she regained consciousness, she was in a forest. Her body ached, and her head throbbed. She felt as if she had just woken from a terrible nightmare.

Gwahae looked around, turning her head this way and that, and then… she saw him.

No, she saw Mancheon. He was slumped against a tree trunk.

His silk robes were torn to shreds, his body covered in wounds. And his left arm… his left arm…

Everything came flooding back.

Chippy’s death. The black serpent’s laughter. And Mancheon, appearing to protect her.

She had done this. She had hurt him.

She didn’t deserve to cry, to grieve, yet tears streamed down her face. She wanted to go to Mancheon, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

What should I do? How do I apologize? Please, tell me. Teach me what I don’t know, like you always do. Praise me. Scold me. Pat my head.

A thousand words welled up inside her, but her throat was constricted, and she couldn’t utter a single sound.

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He blinked, his consciousness returning. He must have passed out.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a girl with clear, blue eyes, crying silently.

She had finally calmed down, and now she was crying again. Honestly, what a handful.

He lifted his good right hand, beckoning her closer.

Gwahae’s eyes widened. Hesitantly, carefully, she approached him. As she drew nearer, the extent of his injuries became more apparent, her face darkening with each step.

Through his blurry vision, he saw Gwahae looking down at him, her expression filled with concern. He met her gaze. Her blue eyes darted between his left arm and the various wounds on his body, unable to settle on a single point.

If he let her continue like this, she’d burst into tears again. He was already in enough pain to die, and if she started wailing, the throbbing in his head would surely finish him off.

He pulled Gwahae’s head down to his chest, hiding his gruesome injuries from her sight.

He wrapped his right arm around her trembling body. He wished he could use his left arm as well, but it was unresponsive, numb. It was still attached to his body, but he couldn’t feel it.

With his right arm, he held Gwahae tightly, as if trying to crush her, until her trembling subsided. Then, he uttered the iconic line.

“Nothing happened.”

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Dayum, what was that?! the disabled guy trying to act cool 🤣your arm in danger bruh!