Chapter 13: Hand-to-Hand Combat
After awakening in Yul Han’s body, there was a martial art among those I had learned in my previous life called Hand Striking.
It was a form of hand-focused combat derived from the Eastern lands and passed down across regions.
That Hand Striking unfolded from Yul Han’s body as if it were a painting come to life.
Movements that I had not even known carried such meanings in my previous life were now performed as naturally as if they had been ingrained into my body for decades.
Compared to my previous life, an immeasurable amount of internal power, an endlessly profound understanding of martial arts, and boundless attainment burst forth through Yul Han’s body.
Striking aside the arm of an opponent wielding a blade, then smashing the chest laid open to bring him down in a single blow, or coiling around the arm of someone charging in, yanking them forward and striking the back of their neck—such actions flowed continuously like running water.
That did not mean the martial arts of the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s warrior monks were of a low level. If they had been, the Heavenly Dragon Temple would never have held the second position in Western Tibet.
And yet, the fierce and imposing attacks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s warrior monks collapsed with absurd ease at the gestures of Yul Han’s hands.
It was not that they were weak, but that Yul Han was simply too strong.
All thirty warrior monks were completely defeated. To defeat them—yes, defeat them—took no more than the time needed to draw three or four breaths. Yul Han’s movements were concise and devastating.
The shock on Cold Blade Blood’s face as he stared with wide eyes was just as great.
“Did the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult even master hand-to-hand combat?”
“Well….”
Even Flashing Light Blood, who prided himself on having watched Yul Han closely for quite a long time since the days of the Blood Sword Unit, could not give a proper answer.
He had seen him use swords, blades, spears, and even maces on the battlefield, but those had all been weapon techniques. This was the first time even he had seen Yul Han use hand-to-hand combat.
Moreover, the martial art being used was unfamiliar. It followed a completely different path from any martial art known to the Bright Cult or the demonic sects of the surrounding regions.
After felling all of the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s warrior monks with such hand-to-hand combat that even his companions could not hide their astonishment, Yul Han turned his gaze to the monk who had sparked the entire incident.
“Then why did you grab the blade hilt in the first place?”
From Yul Han’s words, stripped of all courtesy, the monk sensed that Yul Han knew his reason for clutching the hilt had not been to fight. With widened eyes, he asked,
“Y-you knew, then why…?”
“Was I supposed to die under the blades of those who charged at me intent on killing?”
“That is not it. One could still show restraint with one’s hands—”
“I did. That’s why they’re still alive over there. If I hadn’t, who among them would still be breathing?”
At Yul Han’s words, the monk looked over and saw that while his fallen comrades were all groaning in pain, not a single one had lost his life.
Considering that their opponent was a warrior of the Bright Cult, notorious for his brutality and ferocity, the claim that he had shown restraint was not false.
Even so, he could not simply acknowledge that and let things end.
No matter what happened to him, he was the leader of those now writhing on the ground in pain, and he was responsible for the outer defenses of the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
Having steeled his resolve, the monk finally drew his blade, and Yul Han spoke to him.
“I understand your thoughts, but it’s not a good decision.”
“Enough talk!”
Shouting angrily as he charged, the monk unleashed Ascending Heavenly Dragon, said to be the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s signature technique.
Created by the founding ancestor of the Heavenly Dragon Temple after witnessing a dragon ascending to the heavens, this blade technique was grand and overflowing with power.
The problem was that his opponent was an expert in heavy-blade styles.
Whether sword or blade, when it came to wielding heavy weapons, no one could match Yul Han.
In short, it was like showing off wrinkles in front of a silkworm.
Naturally, the moment Ascending Heavenly Dragon was unleashed, its shortcomings, flaws, and weaknesses were laid bare before Yul Han’s eyes.
Riding straight into those gaps, Yul Han’s hand darted in like a ghost, struck the monk’s chest, and withdrew.
Guhk.
Perhaps the blow had been no small one, as the monk spat out a mouthful of blood and stared at Yul Han, who stood there calmly, with eyes full of shock.
“He broke Ascending Heavenly Dragon with just a single hand movement?”
“I don’t know whether it’s Ascending Heavenly Dragon or something else, but your breathing is one beat slow, and your movements are half a step ahead of your breath. With that, how could power possibly be delivered properly? A heavy blade lacking power is neither heavy nor destructive. Did you not know that?”
At Yul Han’s critique, the monk’s eyes widened even further. It was because he had pinpointed with uncanny precision the very mismatch the monk himself was experiencing.
“H-how did you…?”
“How could I not know what I can see?”
“You-you can see that? That?”
The monk looked utterly unable to believe it, and Yul Han shrugged his shoulders.
“Otherwise, how would I have broken it?”
“W-well….”
Unable to raise a counterargument, the hesitant monk carefully asked,
“D-do you perhaps know the solution as well?”
The tone that had been filled with casual speech instantly softened. Seeing that, Yul Han let out a small chuckle and replied,
“Your breathing is slow because you take short breaths. Breathe long, and reduce the amount of internal power used at one time as much as possible. You are using more internal power than you can handle, so it strains you and naturally leaves you short of breath. You must understand that forcing in more internal power does not make a blade heavier.”
Perhaps having been struck at an unexpected point, the monk could not hide his astonished expression as he asked,
“Then what should I do about the movement being half a step too fast?”
“You become impatient because you know your own shortcomings. If you reduce the internal power you use and your breathing lengthens, handling your martial art will become easier. Once you gain confidence, composure will naturally follow, and that impatience will disappear.”
“Then…?”
“Excess is as bad as deficiency. That principle applies to the use of internal power as well. If you keep it in mind, you will improve.”
As if he had felt something from Yul Han’s answer, the monk soon began to move. He was trying to put what he had just heard into practice.
With the blood he had just spat still staining the corner of his mouth, the monk moved without hesitation according to the words of the one he had faced as an enemy only moments ago. Yul Han liked that passion.
So that was why.
I gave the moving monk additional advice here and there.
About the time that such conversation and movement had continued for roughly two incense sticks’ worth of time…….
Seeing the monk now displaying movements incomparably smoother yet fiercer than before, I let out a small laugh.
The monk, who seemed satisfied even with himself, stopped moving, unable to hide his joy.
Then, the monk who had been so delighted suddenly straightened his robes, brought his palms together respectfully, and bowed his head to me.
“Amitabha. Miru of the Heavenly Dragon Temple has received great virtue from an honored benefactor. I will not forget this grace.”
As the monk, Venerable Miru, came forth with such courtesy, I too returned my response—coldly sunken before—back to how it had been earlier.
“Virtue is far too much. I only wish that when people of the Bright Cult pass along this road, you will observe proper courtesy and let them pass without incident.”
“This poor monk will report it to the abbot and ensure it is done so. Please forget today’s discourtesy, benefactor.”
“Thank you.”
Unlike the process of striking and clashing, the ending was good.
Leaving behind such a clear good karmic bond, my carriage slowly continued its southward journey.
Watching the carriage grow distant, Venerable Miru joined his palms respectfully from behind.
It was like the bearing of a disciple seeing off his master.
Thus concluded the incident that marked the beginning of the bond between Venerable Miru—who would later elevate the Heavenly Dragon Temple to the foremost martial sect of Western Tibet as the Martial God of Western Tibet—and myself.
Even as hundreds of lay disciples and more than a hundred core disciples scoured frantically, no trace of the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult’s party—said to have departed from Mount Kunlun—was found on any route passing through Sichuan and reaching Yunnan.
Because of that, the Mount Dian assault unit found itself unable to even leave Yunnan, becoming bogged down at a place called Yejiang, not far from Mount Mount Dian.
After all, it was impossible to rush out blindly without even knowing where the target was.
One day, two days, four days, six days— as time passed and impatience grew, Mount Dian mobilized nearly all of its lay disciples to comb the official roads and mountain paths connecting Kunlun through Sichuan and onward to Mount Dian as if searching for lice, yet it remained utterly unclear.
In the end, they sought help from the Beggars’ Sect.
Having long maintained close ties with the Nine Sects, the Beggars’ Sect readily responded to Mount Dian’s request for information.
By the time that information came into Mount Dian’s hands, my carriage was already passing through Western Tibet and entering Yunnan.
Since the meeting with Venerable Miru, my carriage had enjoyed an undisturbed and comfortable journey while passing through the eastern regions of Western Tibet, the territory of the Heavenly Dragon Temple.
Because of that, Cold Blade Blood said it truly seemed that the monk named Miru had kept his promise to ensure that members of the Bright Cult could pass safely through the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s domain.
Flashing Light Blood nodded in agreement, and I merely smiled faintly.
Of course, to others’ eyes, it looked no more than a thin crease forming at the corner of my mouth.
In any case, after safely entering Yunnan, our group set up a campsite for the night on the slope of a low wild hill, with the border city called Deokhong close at hand.
And just like the past few days, we divided up the tasks of preparing food, lighting the fire, and tending to the horses and carriage.
Unlike at the beginning, I was now quite adept at hunting alongside the Blood Wolf. Today as well, I brought back one plump rabbit and two pheasants—more than enough for dinner.
Just as the prepared evening fare began to cook appetizingly over the bonfire that Cold Blade Blood had lit, they arrived.
The first to notice was me, as I slightly furrowed my brow.
Seeing that, Cold Blade Blood asked,
“Why… is something the matter?”
“Killing intent. There are many of them, and they’re approaching quickly.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood also began to sharply sense the killing intents surging and rapidly drawing near.
It had happened the moment we entered Yunnan. And on top of that, we had even told Kunlun that we were heading to Mount Dian…….
Because of that, it wasn’t difficult to guess who the opponents were.
“What shall we do?”
To Cold Blade Blood’s question, I answered,
“As envoys of the Bright Cult in name, we can’t exactly run away.”
At my words, spoken with a faint smile, Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood looked at each other, nodded, and slowly rose to take their stances.
And then they stormed in.
The opening move was made by the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators, who charged in using the Flowing Cloud Movement Art, said to be as fast as flying clouds.
They had been tasked with pressuring our group so we couldn’t flee, sweeping past to cut off our retreat.
But…….
Thud-thud-thud. Bam-bam-bam.
Loud impact sounds rang out, and just as fast as they had flown in, the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators were sent flying in all directions, flung away and smashed to the ground.
The Hand Striking that had been perfectly ingrained into my body during the clash with the Heavenly Dragon Temple’s warrior monks struck true.
The twelve Flying Heaven Twelve Predators, who had planned to threaten us by brushing past closely as if to crash into us and prevent any thought of escape, were instead drawn into my offensive and collapsed uselessly, contrary to their intentions.
The plan had gone awry from the very start, but there was no turning back now.
In the end, Mount Dian’s assault force chose to press on in a continuous wave.
The second to arrive were the Red Dragon Eighteen Blades, drawing their crimson blades.
Taking advantage of the moment when I had stepped slightly away from the bonfire while dealing with the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators using Hand Striking, they occupied all directions around me and descended, forming a perfect encirclement.
Having witnessed the fate of the Flying Heaven Twelve Predators, they did not commit the folly of charging in recklessly.
They surrounded me to prevent my escape and waited for their strongest expert, the Taiyi Hall Master, to arrive.
The moment Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood saw this and tried to kick off the ground to rush out, thirty Sun-Shooting Sword practitioners stormed in and blocked the two of them.
Stopping just because the way was blocked was not the way of a Bright Cult warrior.
Drawing their sword and blade at once, Cold Blade Blood and Flashing Light Blood were just about to break through the Sun-Shooting Sword practitioners of Mount Dian who barred their way.