Chapter 32
“Start with a lead-leg middle kick, then Dragon-Advancing Elbow, Rising Dragon Elbow, and Turning Dragon Elbow.”
“Yes! Here I go!”
Crack! Crack! Bam! Ba-ba-bam!
Not far from our mountain stronghold, which looked perfect for banditry, there was a thick forest filled with trees that were convenient to destroy.
A dark-skinned man was throwing his body around without hesitation.
At every command I gave, he performed another movement.
One after another, the trees around him split open and collapsed.
The “middle kick” was exactly what it sounded like.
And any technique with the word “elbow” in its name was an elbow strike.
Through Na-gak, I had learned how the techniques of Muay Boran were named in martial-world terminology.
To anyone else, this would have looked like ordinary Muay Thai training.
But here, it had another name.
We were training the Nine Divine Hands.
“Stamping Kick. Elephant-Slaying Flying Strike. Retreat.”
Step. Tap tap. Crack!
Rustle.
“Fierce Tiger Consecutive Claw Kicks.”
Whoosh! Crack! Crack!
“Ape King Ascends to Heaven.”
BOOM!
Na-gak finished with a powerful push kick unique to the Nine Divine Hands.
Then he leaped high and drove his elbow down onto a tree.
At my next command, he stepped back and performed the spinning-kick technique he had shown during the first test.
There was one difference from back then.
This time, the combination did not stop midway.
He finished the entire sequence.
He brought both hands close to his chest, launched himself forward, and thrust both fists upward toward the sky.
By the time he completed all the techniques, an uncountable number of trees had fallen.
Adding the internal-energy formula of the Seomra Sect to the forms made the power of the Nine Divine Hands much greater than I had expected.
“Haa... haa... ha...”
Only after finishing the sequence did Na-gak finally catch his breath.
He did not look dissatisfied with the destruction he had caused.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
“Much better than at the start. You’re getting used to it, right?”
“It’s all thanks to Young Master’s guidance. Thank you. But I still have a long way to go. The new postures still feel awkward.”
I had not taught Na-gak only the original Nine Divine Hands, or Muay Boran.
I felt a little guilty saying it, but I had modified it.
It was true that Muay Boran had greater destructive and killing power than modern Muay Thai.
However, every martial art evolved with time.
Muay Thai was no exception.
One obvious example was the clinch.
Techniques involving controlling the opponent’s neck and striking from the clinch had developed after the introduction of Western wrestling.
They did not exist in traditional Muay Boran.
The same applied to punching.
The original posture of Muay Boran, like many old Chinese martial arts, used a lower stance and lower guard.
I raised Na-gak’s guard and changed it toward a modern stance before teaching it to him.
Naturally, he was still not used to it.
“It’s only been ten days. Don’t rush.”
“I’ll keep working.”
“Your sparring with Myeonghwa is going well too, right?”
“She’s becoming much better at fist and palm techniques. Her kicking skill is impressive as well. She seems naturally talented.”
“Yeah. She seems that way. Her lightness skill is good too.”
“Are you going out together today?”
“I should. We always do. She’ll probably be here soon.”
Every morning, we woke up, ran together, and did physical training.
After working up a sweat, we moved on to group training and personal training.
Simple but busy days.
Ten days had already passed.
Everyone was becoming accustomed to this routine.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
“To the side! Push!”
“Pushing!”
“You think that’ll work on me?!”
CLANG!
“Again! This time, left and right!”
“Here we go!”
“Come!”
Clang! Clang!
From the nearby stronghold came familiar noises.
It was the sound of Ma Cheonho sparring with Jintae and Jinsu.
As if on cue, Myeonghwa walked toward us from the camp.
“You’re here. How are the others? It sounds noisy.”
“Same as always. Sparks are flying. They know each other pretty well now, so the attacks and defenses go back and forth properly.”
“Hmm. Really? Faster than I expected.”
“Real combat is always the best practice. I’ve improved a lot thanks to Na-gak too. Though technically, it’s all thanks to you, Young Master.”
“No need to flatter me. Everyone worked hard. Na-gak, don’t forget the leg conditioning.”
“Yes. Have a safe trip.”
Every three days, Myeonghwa and I circled the mountain to scout the surroundings.
She had been the first person to explore these mountain paths, and her lightness skill was faster than everyone else’s.
She was the perfect partner for reconnaissance.
Even when I used Black Thunder Divine Steps, she could follow without falling behind.
Her movement technique was impressive.
“Where are we checking today?”
“Cheon Gangwol’s side.”
“I’ll guide you.”
Tap. Tap tap tap.
Unlike Black Thunder Divine Steps, which exploded forward with fierce lightning energy to overwhelm the opponent, Myeonghwa’s lightness skill was extremely light.
Flexible and smooth, almost like she was flying.
Still, it seemed she had not yet reached a high level in the technique.
There was only one conclusion I could draw.
“Did you learn that movement technique in Amgyeong Pavilion?”
“You’re sharp. Yes.”
“That’s strange. I don’t remember seeing you in the footwork section. I stayed there for quite a while.”
“To be exact, it’s a lightness skill included in a kicking art called Flying Heaven Kicks. The lightness technique is called Flying Heaven Traverse. It belongs more to the kicking art than the footwork section.”
“I see. Flying Heaven Kicks...”
While running through the forest, Myeonghwa smiled brightly as she explained her martial art.
But I could not smile as easily.
Her explanation was too smooth.
It sounded as if she had already known Flying Heaven Kicks existed in Amgyeong Pavilion.
And as if she already knew Flying Heaven Traverse was included inside it.
Something...
She still had not told me everything.
“We’re almost there. Lower yourself.”
After running for a while, we reached the area where Cheon Gangwol’s group had settled.
Myeonghwa immediately hid herself in the bushes.
Our purpose every three days was always the same.
We were observing the other groups.
“There.”
We concealed ourselves and looked downward.
Cheon Gangwol’s campsite was clearly visible.
Myeonghwa, who had grown up hunting with her tribe, was excellent at finding observation points like this.
I slowly scanned the entire camp.
It looked almost the same as the first time we saw it.
