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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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“Who am I, you ask? That’s a strange question. I’m simply a passing commoner, and Sima Mancheon’s master.”
“You’ve shown me far too much for me to accept such a simple answer.”
Despite my ignorance of the martial world, I realized something. I realized it far too late.
The Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method and the Seven Star Formation that Master taught me were Taoist techniques. And the Dog Beating Staff Technique was a beggar’s technique, from the Beggars’ Sect. They were from different sects.
Unless one had separate masters from both Taoist and Beggars’ Sect lineages, learning two techniques from such disparate sects simultaneously was incredibly rare.
It was the same even in fantasy stories. Usually, a character used techniques from only one sect. Well, if the protagonist had multiple masters, they might mix and match, but generally, to maximize training efficiency, they would choose one powerful, compatible sect and focus solely on it.
Someone like Master, who knew various martial arts and could wield them perfectly… While I couldn’t be certain, as fantasy and martial arts were similar yet distinct genres, I doubted there were many such individuals.
“The reason I conceal my identity is for both my sake and yours. That’s all I can tell you for now.”
Master’s uncharacteristically evasive words only deepened my curiosity, but I knew I couldn’t press him further about his identity.
If I pestered him any more, he might just disappear without a word. I still had much to learn. That wouldn’t do. Still, I had to take this opportunity to ask something that had been on my mind.
I cautiously voiced the question that had lingered since the day Master accepted the bundle of dried meat and took me as his disciple.
“I understand you wish to keep your identity hidden, Master. But please, tell me just this much. Why did you accept me as your disciple?”
If he truly wanted to remain anonymous, he shouldn’t have taken on a disciple in the first place. Yet, Master had accepted me and taught me with utmost sincerity. It didn’t make sense.
“Because you possess talent.”
While I was pleased to have my talent recognized by Master, it wasn’t a satisfying answer. After all, what talent could he possibly see in a child who got his ass handed to him by a dog while showing off, then rolled around on the ground begging for his life?
And on top of that, I was crippled. My body wasn’t suited for martial arts. What talent could Master possibly have seen in me? I couldn’t understand.
Seeing my unconvinced silence, Master smiled wryly. It was an expression I’d never seen before.
“Mancheon, you may not realize it yet, but you possess a remarkable talent. It is righteousness and chivalry.”
“Righteousness and chivalry, sir?”
My dumbfounded voice echoed his unexpected words. Master looked up at the sky, exhaling deeply with a sigh.
“Martial arts can be taught. But righteousness and chivalry cannot. They cannot be instilled.”
I had intended to argue that righteousness and chivalry weren’t talents, but Master’s sorrowful expression silenced me.
“How many people can consider the well-being of others when their own lives are in danger? It is an incredibly difficult thing to do. Not even righteous masters of the orthodox sects, nor the free-spirited experts of the unorthodox sects can easily achieve this.”
Master bent his large frame, kneeling on one knee to meet my gaze. I saw an old man’s face, etched with wrinkles that spoke of age and regret.
“And yet, a crippled child managed to do just that.”
“I appreciate you seeing it that way, but I couldn’t even run, so… you know…”
I had only helped that child escape and faced the dog myself because I had no other choice. It wasn’t because I was filled with righteousness and chivalry. In fact, words like “righteous” or “kind” didn’t suit me. They felt alien.
“Mancheon, you are a clever child. If you had wanted to survive, you could have tripped that frightened child and used him as a bait to escape.”
“……”
“Even if the child survived and revealed what you did, your family’s wealth could have easily smoothed things over. But you didn’t do that.”
Master’s thick, large hand gently grasped my shoulder.
“You chose the difficult path over the easy one. It was because of that choice that I wanted to empower you. That’s why I accepted you as my disciple and taught you martial arts.”
It was troublesome that this old man was getting such strange ideas. What happened that day was purely circumstantial. If anything, I had learned my lesson and would never act so recklessly again. So, please, don’t look at me with such warm eyes… it’s uncomfortable.
Since I wasn’t feeling well that day, I gave Master the chicken porridge and returned home. And then I got scolded by Mother for sneaking out.
I would have preferred her anger and a beating. Her tears and apologies made me feel worse.
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Autumn arrived, painting the leaves in shades of red.
I practiced the Seven Star Formation, now a familiar routine, amidst the falling leaves in the abandoned house.
The Seven Star Formation was a combined attack formation utilizing the seven stars: Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang, to corner an opponent. The most crucial star was Tianquan. It wasn’t simply because it was the leader of the formation.
The Seven Star Formation mimicked the Big Dipper constellation to confront external enemies. This meant that if the enemy occupied Tianquan, the center and core of the formation, the formation would crumble. It would be easily broken.
Therefore, the person in the Tianquan position had to skillfully maneuver the formation to prevent the enemy from penetrating.
It would have been ideal to practice with others, but since I was alone, I imagined martial artists wielding the Quanzhen method and practiced coordinating the formation with them.
I had memorized the theory Master taught me perfectly. I was confident I could ace any written exam on the Seven Star Formation. First, I took the Tianquan position, leading the formation against imaginary foes. Then, I moved to each of the other star positions, practicing the corresponding techniques.
The commanding role of Tianquan was manageable, but the other positions required swift transitions and coordinated attacks, especially Tianshu and Yaoguang at the ends of the Big Dipper, which demanded a lot of movement, making them particularly challenging for a cripple like me. I was already out of breath.
If this were a real unique monster raid party in a game, I would have been kicked out long ago. And after being kicked out, I would awaken a legendary skill by chance, leaving the party members who expelled me to wallow in regret, despair, and obsession.
But their regret and obsession would be too late. I would be enjoying passionate, pure love-making with the Saintess, the only one who believed in me.
Enough nonsense. Back to practice.
As I wiped away my sweat and prepared to resume practicing the Seven Star Formation, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Something strange was happening with Master’s hands.
At first, I thought he was simply clapping. But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t that at all. His left and right hands were attacking each other, striking and blocking as if they were separate entities. And not just any fighting, each hand was utilizing a completely different martial art.
W-What is this??
His right hand unleashed a fierce and swift, powerful style of fist techniques, pushing his left hand back, while his left hand countered with a gentle yet firm, yielding style, deflecting and blocking the right hand’s attacks.
His right and left hands clashed, literally sparking. A fierce battle unfolded, a clash of titans, with neither side gaining an advantage.
“M-Master is using sorcery! What is that?!”
Startled by the appearance of this unknown martial art, I demanded an explanation. Master, as always, responded calmly.
“Ah… this is called Twin Hand Combat. As the name suggests, it’s a technique where both hands fight each other, each wielding a different martial art, allowing one person to exert the power of two… no, even more.”
Wasn’t this like the Kaio-ken from Dragon Ball, doubling one’s fighting power?! Infuriated that Master had kept such a powerful technique hidden while teaching me the useless Seven Star Formation, a technique where seven people could only tie with one, I threw my staff to the ground.
“Hey! If you have something this good, you should teach it to me! You taught me that garbage Seven Star Formation where it takes seven people to tie with one, while you’re practicing this cheat skill that doubles your power! Does this make any sense?! Cough up all the dried meat I gave you!!”
Master seemed taken aback by my outburst, clearing his throat as he tried to calm me down.
“Ahem… It’s not that I didn’t want to teach you. As I said before, everyone has a different constitution, and some techniques simply aren’t compatible.”
“…Are you saying you didn’t teach me because you thought I couldn’t learn Twin Hand Combat?”
Hah! That’s absurd! I, Sima Mancheon, the genius who deceives the heavens, unable to learn something? To think Master would underestimate me like that… I had to show him I was still alive and kicking.
I ran a hand through my hair and declared confidently.
“Master, I am Sima Mancheon, the genius who deceives the heavens. Don’t worry and just teach me.”
Master looked at me with a pleased smile, then answered in his usual benevolent voice.
“And that’s precisely why you can’t learn it. Twin Hand Combat is a technique that cannot be learned by those who are too clever, those who think too much, or, to put it bluntly, those who are plagued by distracting thoughts.”
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It means you gotta be dumb🤣🤣
Truly suffering from success.