Chapter 113: The Fire Enters the Stage

Before long—

Only Yama Blade and I remained in the training hall.

It was now private training time. Yama Blade had driven out everyone, including the Pavilion Master of the Thousand-Day Pass and even my subordinates.

Thankfully, my subordinates didn’t disappear completely—they just kept a watchful distance… but still.

“Heh heh heh, I was hesitant at first, but now I’m definitely intrigued.”

“It’s an honor to be trained by you, Elder.”

“With your level of skill, you could’ve just let it pass, but you parried on purpose. Was that your way of expressing your desire to learn ‘saber techniques’?”

“To some extent, yes.”

“Master level, huh…”

As expected of a top master of the Demonic Faction, Yama Blade had grasped my level in a single day.

“I don’t know why you want to learn saber techniques. I don’t give a damn about internal cult affairs.”

He was right, of course.

Even in Cheon Yura’s time, he had held a seat among the elders. He was one of the few who never turned traitor and upheld loyalty to the end.

But just as he said, he was so indifferent to power that we had given up trying to recruit him by force.

Who would’ve thought we’d cross paths like this?

“But if you need recognition from the Pa Clan, my help is essential. I’ll consider my promise to the Great Elder fulfilled by training you for one week. Do you agree?”

“I agree.”

“Good!”

Indeed, excluding the members of the Extreme Pa Clan, he was considered the foremost saber expert in the cult.

Then Yama Blade asked me directly,

“What is a saber?”

I answered without hesitation.

“I don’t know.”

“Honest.”

“There’s still no clear distinction between swords and sabers in the Central Plains. If you had to compare, I suppose the main difference is between double-edged and single-edged blades, but even that’s not clearly defined.”

“Right. What is a saber, what are saber techniques—none of it has ever been clearly defined.”

They say if thrusting is the main technique, it’s swordsmanship, and if slashing dominates, it’s saber techniques.

But many saber styles rely on thrusting, and many sword techniques focus on slashing.

“However, there is one element that must be present in any saber technique, as defined by the Extreme Pa Clan.”

“What is it?”

“Weight!”

Yama Blade declared firmly.

“It doesn’t matter whether you use a straight saber, curved saber, fast saber, or ring-pommel saber. But any saber technique pursued by the Pa Clan must include the principle of weight.”

“What if you use a heavy sword?”

“If you tried that in the Pa Clan, you’d be lucky to return with your head still on your shoulders.”

The Extreme Pa Clan did not acknowledge the principle of heavy swords.

Their stance was that if you were going to wield something that heavy, you’d be far more efficient using a saber instead.

“That’s why the Extreme Pa Clan especially hates the Zhongnan Sect and Namgung Clan among the Orthodox factions.”

Zhongnan’s signature sword technique, The Thirty-Six Swords of the World, and Namgung’s secret legacy technique, The Imperial Sword Form, are both considered classic examples of heavy sword techniques in Murim.

“Heh heh. In truth, it’s impossible to declare one martial path absolutely correct. Whether it’s long or short, you only know after testing it. Every martial artist has a different philosophy.”

I was rather surprised to hear this coming from Yama Blade.

The Yama Blade I imagined wouldn’t have been shy to say, “Zhongnan or Namgung, they’re all just dumbasses!”

“That’s unexpected.”

“Ah, what I just said is off the record. If First Elder hears about it, he’ll be severely disappointed.”

It was widely known that the Pa Clan’s patriarch once tried to make Yama Blade his son-in-law.

Though it was said the plan fizzled out to preserve balance among the Six Great Demonic Clans, maybe Yama Blade rejected the offer because of their ideological differences.

“In any case… I initially planned to just give you a half-hearted lesson and be done with it.”

“Did you?”

“The Pa Clan’s standards for saber techniques are clear, but one week is too short a time to meet those standards.”

That much was certainly true.

“It’s not a matter of reaching a certain realm. It’s relative. At the very least, you’ll have to demonstrate the same level of skill with the saber as you do with the sword to pass the Pa Clan’s standards—whether you adapt your sword techniques or learn a new saber style.”

“Is that so?”

“…You’re surprisingly unfazed?”

“I don’t think it’s an impossible goal.”

Yama Blade gave me a curious look.

“Really? Even putting aside whether someone your age could reach that level, assuming it’s possible, you’d have had to start wielding a saber before you could walk. Can you really undo a lifetime’s worth of habits?”

If someone really had trained for that long, maybe.

But—

‘It’s only been two years since I began training properly with the sword…’

Counting the messy training from my past life would be dishonest.

In truth, I had only seriously trained in the Heaven-Flying Boundless Divine Art for just over two years.

And even that was self-taught through secret manuals. I had only recently learned the true essence of swordsmanship from Yoo So at the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden Tomb a few months ago.

Even so, I had achieved this much solely because of the talent and instincts I had built up in my first life.

“It seems possible to me.”

“Hmph. If that’s what you think, I won’t stop you.”

In an instant, Yama Blade’s gaze turned razor-sharp.

“But I hope you won’t disappoint my expectations.”

* * *

And so began my training with Yama Blade.

As for whether to modify my existing sword techniques or learn a completely new saber technique, we decided to go with modifying the existing sword techniques.

Since the Heaven-Flying Boundless Divine Art was such a complete sword style, adapting it into saber form was relatively easy. More importantly, there simply wasn’t enough time to master a saber technique of equal caliber from scratch.

However—

I couldn’t devote the entire week solely to training.

Even setting aside the affairs of the Pa Clan, I had already stirred up far too many matters.

And right now, there was something even more important than the Pa Clan’s affairs.

“…I didn’t really expect you to come.”

The place was lined with ten massive pavilions.

With a baseline staff of over a thousand, this was one of the five highest institutions within the Heavenly Demon Cult.

Heavenly Thunder Corps.

On the surface, it was a department responsible for drafting strategy for the cult and handling matters that didn’t reach the Elder Council.

In truth, it had been established to assist Cheon Yura, the future Cult Leader, and to check the Elder Council—the real seat of power.

“You knew I would come?”

It wasn’t even at the top floor of the grand hall—he was standing right at the entrance, waiting for me.

Cheon Jumyeong, the elegant middle-aged man and Lord of the Heavenly Thunder Corps, gave a faint smile as he lightly patted my shoulder.

“You made such a bold declaration to the entire cult. Of course I knew.”

“…”

Not to the entire cult… damn it, does it even matter at this point?

Right then and there, I submitted my application to join the Heavenly Thunder Corps.

Cheon Jumyeong took the document from me, smiled with a curious expression, and nodded.

“Welcome to the Heavenly Thunder Corps. I look forward to your great contributions.”

Though I had applied for membership and the corps leader Cheon Jumyeong had accepted it immediately—

That didn’t mean I had officially become a member just yet.

“Once the schedule is coordinated with the Thousand-Day Pass, your formal induction will be in about a month.”

A month.

I needed to settle as much as I could before then.

“To be honest, I have high hopes for you.”

Cheon Jumyeong quietly closed the distance between us.

Then he whispered very softly.

“The insight of yours that the Cult Leader himself acknowledged… I’m curious to see how it will bloom within the Heavenly Thunder Corps.”

“…You can expect a lot.”

This was a place I had chosen to enter even at the cost of temporarily distancing myself from Cheon Yura.

There’s no way I’d back out before squeezing every last drop of value from it.

“Good. But there’s one thing you must remember.”

“What is it?”

“The Heavenly Thunder Corps is hard to enter—but even harder to leave.”

“…”

“Quitting the Heavenly Thunder Corps is no different from declaring that you want to leave as a corpse.”

Considering the secrets and purposes the corps hid, that wasn’t exactly an exaggeration.

Cheon Jumyeong stepped back again and gave his signature subtle smile.

“I hope you’ll do your best to avoid any clashes with the Jin Clan.”

“…I’ll do what I can.”

“Then I’ll see you again in a month.”

Cheon Jumyeong smiled brightly and disappeared into the building.

I stared at his back with a heavy expression.

‘Cheon Jumyeong…’

Truthfully, I still hadn’t let go of my suspicions about him.

He had always walked a path aligned with Cheon Yura and had reached the peak of influence in the next generation of power.

‘But how could a civil war break out within the Cheon Clan while he was still around?’

No matter how massive the Cheon Clan’s hidden strength was—far beyond my imagination—

If he was truly the Cheon Jumyeong I knew, he should’ve had complete control over it and handed power over to Cheon Yura without chaos.

‘That guy is still acting in secret, faithfully carrying out the Cult Leader’s commands.’

Such a person wouldn’t idly stand by while signs of rebellion stirred within the Cheon Clan.

After everything I had gone through recently, I had come to a firm realization.

‘The civil war in the Cheon Clan definitely wasn’t part of the Cult Leader’s plan.’

It may have been part of the Cult Leader’s strategy to gradually chip away at the power of the Six Great Clans, but weakening the Cheon Clan too was clearly overkill.

‘At some point, things spiraled out of the Cult Leader’s control and even led to the Cheon Clan’s civil war!’

And among the causes behind that, Cheon Jumyeong was definitely involved—whether greatly or subtly.

My instincts screamed it.

* * *

“The foundational sword technique is excellent. Honestly, it almost seems like it was designed to be adapted into saber techniques.”

I held a straight saber that wasn’t all that different from the sword I usually used.

In terms of destructive power when slashing, curved sabers were better, but I couldn’t completely abandon the stabbing techniques characteristic of swordplay. Hence, the compromise.

What was different from usual, though, was that I gripped the hilt with both hands—typical of saber techniques.

Yama Blade pointed his massive saber at me and spoke.

“‘Weight’ is a very ambiguous and difficult principle to grasp.”

Those who hadn’t reached the proper realm often confused heavy swords with powerful swords.

Many had ended up dead, foolishly swinging around so-called heavy swords, only to be too slow and lose their lives in vain.

“The essence of ‘weight’ is not in channeling strength into the saber.”

Suddenly, Yama Blade’s saber swung viciously at my entire body.

“…Kuh!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“It’s not about the weapon—it starts with anchoring your body! You have to align your center of gravity.”

I desperately blocked Yama Blade’s attacks.

Each strike was heavy.

I wanted to dodge right away, but I couldn’t.

Yama Blade had forbidden me from using footwork or movement techniques.

Though he was holding back his own strength for that very reason, receiving those blows while maintaining perfect balance between my upper and lower body was far from easy.

Perfect balance.

The heavy saber begins with forging a body as strong as a deeply rooted tree.

“In that regard, your body is quite well-tempered. This isn’t talent—it’s the result of hard work. Admirable.”

“Ghhrrrk!”

I barely suppressed the curse that wanted to burst out and blocked Yama Blade’s saber.

“First, you must become a mountain. A man who can’t find his center and swings his saber recklessly has no right to call himself a saberman.”

This principle was, in a way, similar to a swordsman’s mindset.

I gritted my teeth as I blocked Yama Blade’s attacks.

‘Six days left. I’ll make the essence of saber techniques my own—no matter what.’

“Haaaah!”

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