Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered - Chapter 7

**Episode 007: The Martial Arts Scholar Trainee (2)**

Suddenly, unhyeon ’s voice echoed in Il Chung-hyun’s ears.

“Excuse me… May I ask a question in the middle?”

Golden Army instructor Il Chung-hyun nodded.

In a situation where he was letting things slide, what harm could a question do?

“It’s fine. Do you have a question?”

“Ah, not right now, I’ll ask later.”

Seeing unhyeon ’s smile, Il Chung-hyun felt something strange.

If he spoke harshly, he had the feeling that he would become the bad guy.

“Ahem, then I’ll continue. The reason that your training isn’t everything in martial arts is because other factors are essential to becoming a master.”

unhyeon waited eagerly for Il Chung-hyun’s next words, his eyes sparkling.

The brush in his hand seemed ready to dance at any moment.

“The masters of the martial world are those skilled in internal energy.”

Il Chung-hyun continued without hesitation.

“Martial arts are broadly divided into external and internal techniques. External techniques refer to the maximization of bones and muscles, while internal techniques refer to gathering energy in the dantian through breathing to form true energy.”

As Il Chung-hyun’s words quickened, unhyeon ’s hand movements became busier.

“Although external techniques bring fast results and can be immediately effective, they will soon reach a limit without the support of internal energy. On the other hand, internal techniques have a long training process and are not easy to master, but once a certain level is reached, the achievements are incomparable to those of external techniques.”

Il Chung-hyun continued with a determined look.

“Moreover, it’s not always the case that external techniques bring quick success. Depending on one’s physical condition, external training may be completely impossible. Therefore, it’s natural to say that the masters of the martial world are all masters of internal energy. Compared to the infinite potential of internal training, focusing on external techniques does not offer many advantages…”

“Hold on a moment.”

Il Chung-hyun’s words were interrupted by unhyeon ’s voice.

Even so, unhyeon was still busy finishing his notes with his brush.

“Do you have a question?”

Il Chung-hyun asked, and unhyeon nodded.

In the meantime, he had finished his writing.

Perhaps because he had written so quickly, unhyeon asked with a slightly flushed face.

“I can roughly understand external techniques, but internal techniques… Didn’t you mention breathing?”

unhyeon glanced at what he had written and continued speaking.

He was checking if he had heard correctly.

By that time, Il Chung-hyun had already guessed what unhyeon was going to ask.

“But how does one become a martial arts master through breathing…?”

“It’s like this.”

Swish.

A flash of a sword gleamed from Il Chung-hyun’s waist.

When he suddenly drew his sword, unhyeon flinched in surprise.

However, Il Chung-hyun continued to speak, undisturbed.

“Watch carefully.”

Golden Army instructor Il Chung-hyun naturally lowered the arm holding the sword. And in the next moment…

“Ha!”

Whoosh.

With a single sharp cry, Il Chung-hyun’s figure suddenly vanished.

When the person in front of him suddenly disappeared, unhyeon was startled.

“Il Instructor…”

It was at that moment.

Something sharp swept down from above, engulfing unhyeon .

unhyeon instinctively raised his head.

“Gasp!”

There was Il Chung-hyun.

High above unhyeon ’s head, like a bird, Il Chung-hyun was soaring.

‘How can a person…’

unhyeon couldn’t find the words.

But that wasn’t all Il Chung-hyun wanted to show.

Swish.

As Il Chung-hyun twisted his body, the sword in his hand gleamed for an instant.

It wasn’t sunlight reflecting off the blade.

Slash.

A sharp force cut through the air and brushed past unhyeon .

Although unhyeon didn’t know what it was, he could clearly feel that something had passed by.

**Pababak.**

Dust rose from the ground beside unhyeon , leaving a long sword mark etched into the earth. It was clear evidence that unhyeon ’s earlier sensation was no mere illusion.

**Tak.**

Instructor Il Chung-hyun lightly landed on the ground, a sight so incredible it seemed weightless.

“Did you see that?” Il Chung-hyun spoke without a single breath out of place.

It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had just leaped so high.

unhyeon , stammering, finally managed to speak.
“H-How…”

“If someone were naturally strong in the legs, they might be able to leap as high as I did. But no matter how strong someone’s arms are, they wouldn’t be able to leave a mark like this in mid-air.” Il Chung-hyun looked down at the sword mark on the ground.

unhyeon nodded. Leaping might be difficult, but leaving such a mark on the ground would be even more impossible, no matter how strong one’s arms were.

“Of course, compared to the true masters of the martial world, this is just a mere amusement.” Il Chung-hyun’s voice held a hint of bitterness, though unhyeon didn’t notice.

“So, this is possible through breathing training?”

“Breathing is just the beginning of internal energy training.” Il Chung-hyun continued calmly.

“Breathing is about absorbing the energy of nature into your body and returning it. It’s part of a grand cycle and signifies unity between yourself and nature. Qi is something that fills the world, the origin of the universe, and the force of existence itself.”

unhyeon blinked, staring blankly at Il Chung-hyun. He hadn’t expected such profound words to come from him.

Seeing unhyeon ’s expression, Il Chung-hyun tried to change the mood.
“Now, let’s move on to the training of forms…”

“Wait, hold on!” unhyeon urgently interrupted.

“Please, could you repeat that? I didn’t catch it all.”

He quickly opened his book and grabbed his brush.

Il Chung-hyun let out a small sigh.
“Breathing is the start of internal energy training…”

“And, if possible, a bit slower…” unhyeon pleaded with a forced smile.

Perhaps it was the bright sunlight, but Il Chung-hyun’s eyes seemed to narrow slightly. However, unhyeon didn’t notice, focused entirely on diligently writing with his brush.

***

After unhyeon finished taking notes, Il Chung-hyun had the writing materials cleared away and began the actual training.

“The first thing to practice from the 18 classical weapons is bare-handed fighting, known as Baekta.”

unhyeon stood awkwardly in front of Instructor Il Chung-hyun.

“Baekta?”

unhyeon ’s eyes lit up at the mention of a new term.

“Yes. It literally means techniques of fighting without weapons, using only your bare hands.”

“Baekta, Baekta…” unhyeon muttered quietly, as if trying to remember the term.

Il Chung-hyun pretended not to notice and continued speaking.

“Baekta mainly consists of *ta* (strikes) using your hands and *toe* (kicks) using your feet. There are also techniques like grappling and throwing, but these two are the basics.”

“Ta, toe, ta, toe…” unhyeon listened intently, muttering to himself.

He seemed eager to write these words down immediately, frequently glancing at the writing materials that had been put away. Finally, Il Chung-hyun, who had tried to overlook it, couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Scholar Un, could you please stop muttering?” Il Chung-hyun asked.

unhyeon , who had been mumbling continuously, flinched and looked at Il Chung-hyun.
“I was worried I might forget… Could you perhaps repeat it later?”

“Certainly.” Il Chung-hyun nodded, and unhyeon sighed in relief, feeling reassured.

unhyeon perked up and focused on Il Chung-hyun’s voice again.

“We will now train in the basic forms of the Imperial Palace’s 18 classical weapons. Although these are basic forms, they will not be easy for you, Scholar Un. I hope you’ll prepare yourself and follow along closely. Let’s start with the standing posture.”

Il Chung-hyun’s eyes gleamed, and his voice boomed like thunder.
“First stance! Stand like a mountain, Jeongnipyeosan!”

***

In a quiet corner of the Forbidden City, a small pavilion stood serenely. Occasionally, a breeze would shake the wind chimes hanging from the eaves, and the soft sound would drift like incense through the air.

But for unhyeon , standing beneath, this peaceful time was pure torment.

He had only slightly lowered his body from a normal standing position, but it was already becoming more difficult than he expected.

Standing in front of him, Il Chung-hyun had his eyes closed and arms crossed, saying nothing, which made unhyeon feel even more uneasy.

“E-excuse me…” unhyeon awkwardly broke the silence with a strained voice. Sweat was already beading and running down his forehead.

“H-how long do we have to stay like this?”

Il Chung-hyun slowly opened his eyes.
“Standing is the foundation of all martial arts training. If you cannot stand properly, you cannot move properly. So, endure a little longer.”

Il Chung-hyun spoke in a heavy tone, then closed his eyes again. He made it clear that there was no need for further discussion.

But unhyeon couldn’t let it go.
“I’ve been standing here for a while, but what kind of training is this?”

“It didn’t seem too hard at first, but now it feels like I’m going to collapse before I even get to move.”

At first, it didn’t seem like much, but the longer he held out, the more it became a significant burden. His arms had begun to ache, and now even his legs were trembling.

But Il Chung-hyun, without opening his eyes, responded.
“The old military texts say, ‘Stand like a mountain, move like a thunderbolt.’ If you cannot root yourself firmly to the ground like a mountain, you will never achieve movements as swift as lightning.”

Il Chung-hyun’s voice was stern.
“To move with all your might is not so different from standing with all your might. So, do your best to stand firm.”

If unhyeon had been a soldier of the Golden Guard, a fist or a kick would have come first instead of an explanation. Who would dare question the teachings of their instructor? Even asking for an explanation was unthinkable.

“E-excuse me…” unhyeon ’s voice trembled as it reached Il Chung-hyun’s ears, who opened his eyes. Faced with Il Chung-hyun’s fierce gaze, unhyeon stammered, his voice shrinking.
“I’m sorry, but could you please… repeat what you just said later?”

The stern look in Il Chung-hyun’s eyes softened for a moment. He sighed inwardly.

“Very well.”

When Il Chung-hyun agreed to repeat it, unhyeon felt reassured. He then tried his best to maintain his posture, though drenched in sweat.

Il Chung-hyun suddenly noticed the sweat covering unhyeon ’s forehead.

“If it’s uncomfortable, why not take off your robe? There’s no one here to see, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Oh, no. It’s fine. I can still manage… Ha, ha.”

unhyeon forced a smile, but he didn’t look fine to Il Chung-hyun.

“Is that so? But are you breathing as I taught you, Scholar Un?”

“Oh! Sorry about that. Huuup.” unhyeon quickly corrected his breathing, taking a deep breath.

Though this was supposed to be the breathing technique for cultivating internal energy, it seemed to be draining him of strength rather than giving him any.

Watching unhyeon struggle with his awkward breathing, Il Chung-hyun inwardly clicked his tongue. Despite saying he could manage, unhyeon was already soaked in sweat.

‘Enduring the discomfort without removing his robe is probably a matter of pride as a scholar.’

Just as martial arts training begins with form, scholarly discipline starts with a strict mindset and the proper attire that reflects it. Traditionally, scholars wouldn’t even step on their teacher’s shadow, so perhaps the most rigorous place in terms of discipline isn’t the martial world but the Confucian academies.

Instructor Il Chung-hyun said nothing more to unhyeon . He simply closed his eyes again and added one stern word.

“Your posture is faltering, Scholar Un.”

unhyeon , who had been relaxing a bit, immediately tensed up again.