Number One In Sichuan (7)

No separate stories leaked out about the tragedy that had taken place on Manguwi Street. There were only rumors that something unusual had happened because Sichuan Branch troops had been walking through the streets from early morning.

Surprisingly, the one who contributed greatly to eliminating the rumors was Gyeong Hang.

Gyeong Hang was someone who, while running the Merchant House, had keenly felt the importance of rumors and information. At the same time, he also knew how anxiously the common people would live if they learned that a battle had taken place in their own home ground.

He immediately sent the smiths out to spread countless stories in which truth and lies were mixed together. Some said thieves had come to Manguwi Street, others said wild boars had appeared from the mountain, and still others spread the story that drunkards had caused a disturbance.

There were so many stories mixed and tangled together that now there was no one who knew what had happened on Manguwi Street.

Furthermore, Gyeong Hang actively promoted Jin-hyeon’s clan. He released rumors that a young master who had inherited the true legacy of a certain expert once revered as a legend had been about to retire for certain reasons, but could no longer bear to watch the various incidents happening in Sichuan and had personally stepped forward to resolve them.

He had such stories spread through the businesses as well, and especially arranged for Jin-hyeon’s righteous deeds to be emphasized on Manguwi Street, which could be called the front yard of their house.

People were half in doubt, but when they heard that the young Patriarch was a wealthy man who had still released funds for the common people, and that he was rumored to be close with the Patriarch of the White Sword Seol Clan, who was said to be foremost in Sichuan when it came to the people’s hearts, they were greatly impressed.

Seol Hong-baek, Patriarch of the White Sword Seol Clan, was a righteous hero praised by all. He was known to have a gentle nature, yet to be as decisive as a blade toward the wicked. The fact that Jin-hyeon was on friendly terms with such a man was proof that the young Patriarch’s character was true.

Within three or four days, the rumors spread like a snowball, and before long, stories about the young Patriarch named Jin-hyeon flowed even into the areas surrounding Ziyang County.

Judging that central Sichuan had been heated up to an appropriate degree, Gyeong Hang also released rumors about the Cheongyang Association.

The rumor was that the Cheongyang Association, harboring an ambition to unify Sichuan, had committed countless corrupt acts and tried to murder many people, but the young Patriarch, who had learned of that fact in advance, had taken only a few masters under him and smashed Cheongyang apart.

It was such a heroic course of action that suspicious people would have found it hard to believe easily.

But the local people, who had come to perceive Jin-hyeon as a master, a wealthy man, and someone filled with a chivalrous heart, were able to accept somewhat easily that he had brought down the Cheongyang Association.

Of course, among them, there were quite a few people who thought, surely not. From a common-sense perspective, it made no sense that fewer than five masters had rushed in and brought down Sichuan’s number one sect.

However.

A few days later, Mun Jung, Branch Leader of the Sichuan Branch, together with the Deputy Court Head of the Investigation and Defense Court, exposed the Cheongyang Association’s corruption and ambitions, and announced that a small number of masters had joined forces to stop them.

At that moment, the young Patriarch of Ziyang County gained a reputation great enough to stir all of Sichuan.

Ziyang County overflowed with people who wanted to see Jin-hyeon’s face, and as a result, those doing business on Manguwi Street grinned from ear to ear at the unexpected boom.

While central Sichuan was in an uproar.

After returning, Jin-hyeon did not take a single step out of his house for well over half a month.

As a result, his actions helped make the young Patriarch of Ziyang County seem like an even more mysterious noble figure.

And so time passed.

Paaaang!

Jin-hyeon’s face, as he swung his fists powerfully with his upper body bare, was seriousness itself.

The series of movements, striking down, pushing forward, and at times twisting, hooking, and kicking, could almost be called a single physical art.

Even without mixing in internal energy, a booming sound like a bursting drum rang out in the air. He had reached a free and unobstructed realm where true qi filled his entire body, so even without deliberately burning true qi, he could produce enough power to split rock.

How much time had passed?

“Huu.”

Jin-hyeon steadied his breathing and immediately sat cross-legged on the bare ground.

Unless he intended to deliberately accumulate qi, Jin-hyeon no longer needed to sit cross-legged. It meant that even if he simply stood still and circulated qi, there would be no great difference in the speed of recovery.

The reason he still sat cross-legged was partly habit, and partly because there was something he wanted to think about in a familiar posture.

‘The Ten-Finger Soul-Slaughter Art is definitely too good a martial art to let rot as a mere foundation.’

The Ten-Finger Soul-Slaughter Art had been created to maximize the power of ultimate personal techniques based on strong grip strength and power.

Within the Ten-Finger Soul-Slaughter Art, there was Snake-Shark Hand for grip strength, Eagle Killing Strike for claw technique, Force-Breaking Hammer for fist arts, Air-Shattering Shock for palm arts, and Iron Pillar Kick for leg techniques.

Of course, each form consisted of only one technique, but the movements were appropriately subdivided, making them martial arts that could respond flexibly to any situation. To put it positively, they were extremely free. To put it negatively, the completion of their forms was lacking.

Jin-hyeon did not feel the need to change those five martial arts.

Right now, if he mixed Moonlit Pack-Wolf True Qi with five qi arts from the Six-Character True Art, the power produced would not be lacking even against a martial art unparalleled in Kangho. As long as the practitioner’s ability supported it, it could fully produce the result of certain death in one strike.

However, there were plenty of ways to preserve only the power without changing the form.

‘North Wind Sword Art.’

Pierce Art and Rebound Art, which had opened after he reached the Moonlit Pack-Wolf Path, were studies with a clear purpose of killing, unlike the earlier qi arts of Engage, Unbind, and Rouse.

In other words, even without reaching Detonate Art, the final qi art that only opened when the Heavenly Wolf True Art reached the fourth path, he could produce power close to perfection when it came to qi arts.

But while creating the North Wind Sword Art, he had obtained ruthless silk-reeling force as another qi art.

‘I can mix the Six-Character True Art into the Ten-Finger Soul-Slaughter Art as well. But in practice, I would have to mix in Pierce Art and Rebound Art for it to show its proper power, and since the mnemonics are complicated, I will need quite a bit of training to use it in an emergency.’

Jin-hyeon extended his hand into the air.

‘What if I draw the North Wind Sword’s silk-reeling force into Force-Breaking Hammer?’

Paang!

A fierce sound burst through the air once again.

Jin-hyeon gave a bitter smile.

‘It doesn’t work.’

More precisely, it was difficult with fist arts.

Force-Breaking Hammer was a hard fist that entered directly and smashed an object apart. There was neither reason nor room for silk-reeling force to enter it.

After thinking for a moment, Jin-hyeon nodded inwardly.

‘It’s difficult to mix it into a fist art where the range of explosive force condenses into one point. If I want to mix it in, I would have to change the basic mnemonics of Force-Breaking Hammer first. That would be putting the cart before the horse.’

There was no need to change a highly useful fist strike from its roots. To begin with, the Ten-Finger Soul-Slaughter Art was not even his main martial art.

As long as he could preserve the power while guaranteeing the same freedom as before, that would be enough. Even that much would be a great help in an emergency.

‘Palm arts.’

Air-Shattering Shock.

Unlike the other martial arts within the Ten-Finger Soul-Slaughter Art, Air-Shattering Shock could not produce its proper power unless explosive-force technique was mixed in properly.

In the case of Air-Shattering Shock, it had been a palm art modeled after Split-Air Palm from the start. Its range was shorter and its power lower, but its execution speed was fast and the flow of air was free, making it difficult to block in an instant.

‘In theory, if I bind Pierce Art and Rebound Art together and fire them out, the power of one shot will surpass even Split-Air Palm. But that too requires time to create the explosive force.’

Jin-hyeon pulled his right arm back.

He mixed the mnemonic of the North Wind Sword’s silk-reeling force over the mnemonic of Air-Shattering Shock, then lightly pushed the air with his palm.

Whiiiiing!

In that instant, the air twisted, and he saw dust swirl in a circle before spreading outward.

Jin-hyeon grinned.

“As expected, it works.”

It was still lacking. The mnemonics also needed to be organized.

But that organization would not take long. The mnemonics of Air-Shattering Shock itself were simple, and creating silk-reeling force was already as perfect to him as breathing.

‘If I adjust it little by little, it should be completed at some point. With this, my barehanded fighting should be finished.’

Jin-hyeon unfolded his cross-legged posture, stood, and looked up at the sky.

“I need a sword soon…”

There was a limit to training with iron rods or iron swords. He was in the process of creating martial arts themselves, so all kinds of explosive force and forms emerged, and ordinary iron could not endure that power.

‘The clan’s smiths are good too, but I already made a promise.’

It was time to visit Yeo Bang.

Or he could invite Yeo Bang. Perhaps, by forming ties with the smiths from Divine Iron, his skill could develop further.

Just as he was repeatedly thinking about martial arts.

“You are working hard.”

“You’re here.”

Jin-hyeon bowed his head. Even though he was the Patriarch, he could only be respectful before the Supreme Patriarch.

Gyeong Hang looked at Jin-hyeon’s upper body with admiring eyes.

“What a fine body. Even I have never seen a body with such good balance.”

Even now, he had not neglected physical training at dawn, and the Body-Refining Art had been added on top of that. Afterward, his dense true qi constantly removed impurities from his body, so naturally his body could only become well refined.

“By the way, have you eaten?”

“I ate long ago. It is already past the hour of the Goat.”

“Ah, I see.”

He had been so focused on training that he had not realized time was passing.

Gyeong Hang gestured toward the house with his chin.

“They say there are dumplings left that were made for you. Steward Han apparently put in some effort for the first time in a while, though I have no idea what that means.”

Jin-hyeon gave a small laugh.

“That man’s skill at making dumplings is tremendous. Please eat with me.”

“You must be hungry, so you eat plenty.”

“Understood.”

It was a clean attitude, as if one polite invitation was enough.

Gyeong Hang, who had been smiling, soon hardened his expression.

“I came because there is one thing I need to say.”

“Please speak.”

Jin-hyeon knew perfectly well that while he had been immersed in training, Gyeong Hang had actively stepped forward for the clan.

There was no need to look into it. Though he held the position of Supreme Patriarch, Gyeong Hang had personally told Jin-hyeon in detail how he would handle matters, and had also said that now was a time when the Patriarch needed to be strong, so he should focus on training for the time being.

Jin-hyeon was grateful to Gyeong Hang, but he did not feel sorry. It was because he knew that this kind of work itself gave strength to Gyeong Hang’s life.

So this time as well, he guessed that Gyeong Hang had come for clan matters, and that guess was correct.

Only, it was something he had not expected.

“The countless organizations in this world each have clear characteristics. That is no different for sects or clans.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Those traits and characteristics are created by the members themselves. Of course, they may also be created by the leader. Whatever the case, depending on its characteristics, that organization develops uniquely, and the world’s perception changes accordingly.”

Gyeong Hang’s eyes shone.

“Our clan is a martial family. Because of the existence of you, Steward Han, and the others, and because of what you have done until now, an identity has formed on its own. I suspect that from now on as well, it will overcome matters as a martial family and develop through that. Would it not?”

“It will.”

“Yes, the characteristic of being a martial family has already formed. But our clan still lacks the most important thing.”

“What is that?”

“A family name.”

“!”

“The thing that can prove what kind of clan our clan is. That is the family name.”

Jin-hyeon’s eyes shook.

“You abandoned the family name Gyeong and define yourself with a name that has no family name. But from now on, that must change. You, and those who will stand with you, need a family name.”

“…”

“Have you thought of one?”