Chapter 29

Jigu and Jin (琴)

That day, after a fierce sparring session, Gukgwang said to Okhang,

"Now your movements are starting to come together."

"Really?"

"Yes, but your sword use is still too random."

"Huh? But Master said not to pay much attention to the forms..."

"That's not what I mean. You're not thinking about the sword at all. You just swing it however you feel. Hold the sword quietly and think about it. Find the part you want to pierce with the sword. Then, follow the sword to stab or cut that part. Without the sword and your mind becoming one, you can't make a good attack."

"Do you mean 'Shinjeomhapil' (身劍合一)?"

"If you want to put it that way, yes. Anyway, you're not thinking about it at all. Be more careful from now on."

"It's easy to say, but how do I achieve 'Shinjeomhapil'?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

Gukgwang lifted the cudgel he had been using to beat Okhang, raising it to a position where Okhang could strike it.

"Try cutting it with all your might."

Okhang swung his sword with all his strength, but it felt as if something was blocking it, and the cudgel didn't break. Not even a scratch appeared. It just bounced back, giving Okhang's hands a tremendous shock. Confused, Okhang put down his sword, rubbed his hands, and said to Gukgwang,

"Why won't this cudgel break?"

"I became one with the cudgel and blocked your strength, while you just relied on your grip and swung it like a piece of metal. How could it break?"

"..."

"Whenever you use a sword, your mind must move with each movement, and your qi must follow your mind. The movement of qi is the movement of the mind. The sword and qi must extend together."

"Then, why didn't you just tell me to use my inner strength from the beginning, talking about the mind and all?"

"Hey! What are you going to do with this thing on top of your body if you don't use it?"

As he said this, Gukgwang hit Okhang on the head.

"You'll feel it as you gain more skills. If you decide to use your inner strength and then use it, that's not much. When your mind and body move unconsciously, your qi should also arise. This is a fairly high level in martial arts. Whether you can master this depends on your effort. Always remember to move as one with the sword when using it and work hard."

Okhang rubbed his head, embarrassed.

"Yes, thank you for the lesson. But Master..."

"What is it?"

"Grandfather said to prepare for a trip."

"Prepare? What do I need to prepare? I only have this one set of clothes..."

"Just wait a moment."

Okhang ran off and returned with a set of light blue silk clothes, which looked very luxurious at first glance.

"What's this?"

"After training, Grandfather said to dress well and go where he is. It seems there's a place we're going together."

"Is that so?"

Okhang had been trying to persuade Gukgwang to go to a pleasure house with him. The capital, Chongqing, had countless impressive pleasure houses, some of which were famous far and wide. Okyeongjin, moved by his grandson's request, decided to take Gukgwang, who had been teaching his grandson, to a pleasant pleasure house.

Since the day Gukgwang regained his senses, this was the first time he was dressed in the most luxurious attire, and he left the house with Okyeongjin. The place Okyeongjin led Gukgwang to was one of the largest pleasure houses in Chongqing. A large signboard with the characters "Qingcheng Tower (請成樓)" was hung at the entrance of the magnificent and grand building.

"Where are we?"

"A pleasure house with a very peculiar rule."

"Peculiar?"

"This pleasure house has been a topic of conversation since it was first built because of its grandeur. As the signboard suggests, it's a place where accomplished people are invited. The drinks are expensive, and it's famous for being selective about its guests. Just having a lot of money doesn't guarantee good treatment. There are many fine drinks and beautiful women here, and even high-ranking officials try to get better treatment by relying on their power, but it's very picky."

"What makes it so picky?"

"The conditions for accepting guests. As I said earlier, you must have accomplished something. They test the guest's outstanding skills, and the women who serve the drinks come in according to their abilities. Very few people have met the best women here, and no one has ever met the owner."

"Does it matter what kind of skill it is?"

"No, it doesn't. Poetry, calligraphy, painting, music, martial arts, and formations... almost any skill can be considered, except for flattery. How about it, do you want to go in?"

"Wasn't that the plan?"

"Hehe, the treatment here is quite good. The women aren't overly lascivious, and there are quite a few talented ones. With my name alone, I can meet some decent women. I also had to pass a test to reach my current position... Come, let's go in."

As they entered the door, a man with a long sword, who seemed to be a guard, blocked their way.

"Sir, you cannot bring a sword inside."

As he spoke, Gukgwang turned around and said to Okyeongjin,

"I can't relax without this sword. Let's go somewhere where I can drink with it."

At this moment, a man who recognized General Okyeongjin came running out.

"Why is that, General?"

"There's a bit of a problem with my companion... Is there a good solution?"

"What kind of problem?"

"He needs to bring his sword inside."

"In that case, you can't enter the main building, but there's a separate building over there. How about going there and enjoying yourselves?"

"That sounds good. Please lead the way."

Gukgwang and Okyeongjin entered the room, and Gukgwang unsheathed his Muhun Sword and placed it in a corner. Gukgwang always carried the Muhun Sword on his waist, but he rarely carried the dagger called Mukyung. When Okyeongjin occasionally took Gukgwang hunting, he brought the Mukyung, but Okyeongjin didn't like using the fine dagger for skinning deer, though he didn't say anything.

After they settled in, two beautiful women entered. Gukgwang immediately noticed that the woman sitting next to him was several levels below the others in terms of her speech, service, and musical skills. However, since Okyeongjin was his superior, Gukgwang, who was a newcomer, couldn't complain. Instead, he decided to enjoy the well-prepared and delicious food and the flavorful drinks to the fullest.

Gukgwang felt awkward with the woman sitting next to him and asked her to play the zither. While she played, Gukgwang kept drinking. As Gukgwang drank hurriedly without speaking, the woman, who introduced herself as Juyue, looked at him mockingly. Okyeongjin, feeling embarrassed, scolded Gukgwang.

"Drinking is about savoring the aroma and taste slowly, not gulping it down like that."

"Drinking should be done heartily. Why drink it so miserably?"

"Indeed, this man..."

"This drink is deep in flavor and has a strong aroma, indicating that it was made from crops grown in a sunny place."

"Why do you say it was made in a sunny place?"

"If the sun doesn't shine well, the grains won't ripen properly, making it difficult to achieve this level of flavor. However, it seems that the nobleman didn't get to taste it properly because it was harvested in the wrong season, which is a pity."

"Harvested in the wrong season?"

"It's summer now, and chrysanthemums are growing rapidly, making it unbearably hot day and night. This drink..."

Gukgwang took a sip of the drink and continued.

"Even if it's stored in a cool place underground, it will warm up over time and lose its flavor. It's best to drink it slightly chilled."

"How do you know that?"

"I tried it both heated and chilled. After trying various methods, I found that it tastes best when slightly chilled. Would the nobleman like to try it that way?"

"Sure."

"Then, let's empty the glass."

Gukgwang poured the drink himself.

"Drink it before the chill wears off."

"Indeed... The taste is even more excellent. Excellent."

Juyue, who had been holding the bottle in front of Gukgwang, was surprised to find it very cold. She looked at Gukgwang with astonishment.

"I see, you have mastered Yin Gong (陰功)."

"Not really, I just chilled the bottle. So, we need to drink it quickly before it warms up. It's too much trouble to chill it again. Hey, why don't you come over and have a drink?"

The woman who had been playing the zither, named Hye-yeong, came and sat next to him. Gukgwang poured her a drink.

"Thanks for playing the zither. Drink up."

"Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. The nobleman will pay the bill..."

His blunt words made Hye-yeong frown slightly, but she drank it without a word.

"How is the taste of the drink?"

"Yes."

"Drinking is about getting drunk, so why did you sprinkle jiu fen (解酒粉) on the food?"

She was initially shocked but then said seriously,

"That's... because if we get drunk, we can't serve properly. It's for us to sober up, not for the nobleman to drink."

"Is that so? I'll keep that in mind."

Gukgwang drank another glass, and Juyue said,

"Nobleman, if Hye-yeong doesn't suit you, we can bring another..."

"No, I'm fine with this one. Hye-yeong, give me the zither."

"Here it is."

When Gukgwang suddenly asked for the zither, Okyeongjin, curious, asked,

"Did you learn the zither in the meantime?"

"No, I just want to try it."

Gukgwang plucked the strings casually. Unable to bear it, Hye-yeong taught him a bit about how to handle the zither. After a while, Gukgwang began to pluck the strings naturally. He experimented with different sounds, and as time passed, his playing began to form a melody.

At first, the two women thought Gukgwang was just playing around, pretending not to know how to play the zither. But as time went on, they were amazed. After about an hour, his skills had reached the level of a rare master. As Gukgwang poured out his emotions through the strings, Hye-yeong's eyes began to well up with tears. Suddenly, Gukgwang stopped playing. Everyone, who had been absorbed in the music, looked at him curiously. Gukgwang returned the zither to Hye-yeong and said,

"It really makes a beautiful sound."

"I didn't know you could play so well. I'll get you a better zither next time."

"That's not necessary."

At this moment, a woman's voice came from outside.

"Excuse me."

The door opened, and a beautiful woman entered with a zither.

"Hye-yeong, go out."

The woman bowed deeply to Gukgwang.

"I apologize for not recognizing a great person and failing to welcome you properly. My name is..."

"My name is not important. Why are you sending this girl away?"

"It's not that Hye-yeong did something wrong, but her skills are not enough to serve you, so I..."

"I'm fine with Hye-yeong. You can go back."

"But this is the rule of our tower..."

"Is it a rule that you must serve me?"

"It's not a rule, but..."

"I don't like it when the person next to me changes during a drinking session. Bring her back."

"But I'm better at the zither than Hye-yeong. Would you like to listen to me play?"

"I don't want to hear the zither. Hye-yeong knows only footwork, which makes it almost impossible for me to be ambushed. But if someone like you is next to me, I might not be able to handle it."

The woman's face turned red. Okyeongjin, surprised, asked,

"Does this girl know martial arts?"

"Yes, that's why I didn't want to unsheathe my sword. There are many experts here, and if something happens, I might not be able to protect the nobleman without my sword. Here, it's easier to escape outside, so I came in with it."

"I didn't know. I didn't suspect there were experts here at all..."

"That's not your fault. Men who practice martial arts have a prominent temple point, but women don't. Besides, there are many ways to hide one's internal strength and martial arts level. Hye-yeong, for example, deliberately didn't learn palm techniques or other hand-based martial arts, making it hard to tell just by looking at her hands, face, or eyes."

"What about you?"

"Me? It's hard to explain. I just have a feeling... I felt there were many experts here from the moment I entered. When the girls came in, I felt they also knew martial arts. Especially the one sitting next to me, who only knew footwork..."

"Hey, you can go now. I like the zither, but I also want to drink in peace."

The woman left without another word, and Hye-yeong returned. She felt both grateful for being called back and uneasy about the mysterious man who seemed to be a great expert. Many people had drunk here, but no one had noticed that this place was run by martial artists. Hye-yeong gathered her courage and said to Gukgwang,

"You are truly a mysterious person. At first, I thought you were a military official brought by General Ok."

"Why do you think I'm not a military official?"

"An official in the government doesn't have such high martial arts skills."

"Then, who do you think I am?"

"Perhaps... from some sect in the martial world?"

"No, I'm just a subordinate of General Ok. I'm not from any sect. But why did you only learn footwork?"

"In our tower, everyone starts by learning footwork. When you learn footwork from a young age, your legs become slim and strong, which guests like."

"Oh... So, you start learning hand techniques when your internal strength is sufficient and your hands won't be deformed. Why do the women in the pleasure house learn martial arts?"

"Just for self-defense and beauty."

"For self-defense, it seems a bit excessive, but let's leave it at that. Speaking of which, drinking makes me think of chrysanthemums. Do you have any chrysanthemums here? Even one branch would be nice. If not, a painting of chrysanthemums would be good too."

"That's not a problem."

Hye-yeong went out and returned with a chrysanthemum in a vase. She placed the vase on the table, and Gukgwang looked at the chrysanthemum with a peaceful gaze, lost in thought, while drinking. As Gukgwang drank, Hye-yeong offered him some food.

"Drinking too much is bad for your health. You should also eat some..."

"I don't eat snacks... Tell the guy on the roof that if he doesn't disappear now, he might lose his head."

"Huh?"

"Ah, he just ran away, so there's no need to tell him. This place is really hard to drink in peace."

Gukgwang kept drinking. Hye-yeong and the other women there had never seen such a heavy drinker. Gukgwang drank almost ten bottles of wine by himself. The wine he was drinking was very fragrant and delicious but also very strong, called Miokju (迷玉酒). Drinking it would usually make one lose consciousness. However, Gukgwang didn't expel the alcohol through his internal strength like most martial artists; he just kept drinking. They were surprised to see him drink so much of a drink that even a strong martial artist would find hard to handle more than six bottles. Hye-yeong said,

"Drink slowly. Miokju is a very strong drink."

"It's fine. With the nobleman who will pay the bill, a close friend, and good wine, why hesitate? Besides, when else will I get to drink such wine?"

"You seem to like this wine. I'll get a few bottles and bring them home."

"No, that's not necessary. Any wine will do. The best is not to drink at all. Drinking is only bad for your health."

"You say that, but you don't need to drink so much."

"What do you think of this?"

"He's really a great expert. We must do whatever it takes to make him join our sect."

"I'll try, but it's almost impossible. He's under General Okyeongjin because of a debt of gratitude. To separate him from Okyeongjin, we'd have to eliminate Okyeongjin, which is not easy."

"Try anyway."

"I already did. I sent a first-class assassin from our sect."

"Yet Okyeongjin is still alive?"

"Yes, when the assassin sneaked in at night, he suddenly felt a strong killing intent from behind, and a cold sword was at his throat. He was so shocked that he fainted. The low voice told him to disappear immediately or his head would be in danger, so he ran away without thinking."

"Did you pursue him?"

"No, I just chased the assassin away. I didn't take any further action."

"He has senses almost like an animal."

"Yes, he's the hardest type to deal with if he becomes an enemy. That's probably why the leader of the Devil Sect wants to eliminate him."

"Anyway, keep an eye on him for any changes. Send someone to offer him information about his past in exchange for joining our sect. Tell him we will fully support his revenge. How is the Devil Sect doing?"

"Yes, the tension continues, and it seems an incident will happen soon."

"Who has the advantage?"

"Deputy Leader Zhang Rengel. He used a very despicable method to eliminate the great expert Muhun, so many core experts in the sect have turned against the leader or taken a neutral stance. Zhang Rengel, who fought Muhun head-on from the beginning to the end, didn't suffer much damage to his reputation due to this assassination. The most influential key holders are the elders. The outcome will depend on whether the elders remain neutral or support someone."

"Is there a possibility of the former leader interfering?"

"The former leader announced that he would remain neutral, as the current crisis was caused by the leader's despicable assassination. Based on his subordinates' judgment, he won't intervene. He might depose the leader and elevate the current deputy leader, but the deputy leader's martial arts are far from sufficient to compete with the other deputy leaders."

"Whoever becomes the leader will determine the current martial world's situation. Based on the information so far, Zhang Rengel is the worst-case scenario. He is known to be quite aggressive and has a precedent of absorbing the Blood Sect's martial arts, so he won't hesitate to use any means to achieve his goals."

"I will keep that in mind."