Chapter 509

Linked Quest [Fake Martial Artist – Stage 2] has begun!
– This quest will proceed regardless of acceptance!
– The quest has been forcibly accepted!

‘What the hell, seriously?’

It must have shown on my face because Moon Kyung’s eyebrow twitched as he looked at me.

“I told you there would be another training session. Don’t tell me you forgot?”

“…Huh?”

No, what the hell would I forget? Is he messing with me?

I looked at Moon Kyung, completely dumbfounded.

“After all the times I nearly spat blood, how could I forget? Even now, just thinking about it makes my ass clench.”

“…Enough. That’s disgusting.”

“Hah, seriously.”

Even if my head forgot, my body wouldn’t.

If I close my eyes, I can still vividly recall those sleepless nights spent suffering.

To exaggerate a little, if I had collected all the blood I lost over the past seven days, every mosquito in Hubei could have had a feast.

‘That was hell.’

Some memories just don’t fade, and neither did the linked quest announcement from the last time I fought Moon Kyung.

There’s no way I’d forget something that important in such a short time.

“Regardless, I remember everything clearly. Every single word you said back then.”

“Do you?”

Moon Kyung stared at me with an unreadable expression.

“If that’s the case, then your reaction makes even less sense. I even gave you a heads-up. So why do you look like someone just smacked you in the back of the head?”

“…Oh.”

Because it feels like I just got smacked in the back of the head.

I knew there was another training session, but I was sure it wouldn’t be now.

There’s barely any space on this ship to train properly.

‘At most, he could teach me a new internal technique?’

But a martial artist’s internal technique isn’t something that can be swapped out like a spare part.

‘Especially not for me.’

The Flame Transformation Art is the very foundation of Yeolhwa Sect.

It alters internal energy into fire qi, amplifying its power. Since the sect relies on this art more than any other, switching it would be nearly impossible.

Someone as skilled as Moon Kyung would surely know that.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I asked cautiously,

“You’re not planning to teach me a new internal technique, are you?”

Swoosh—shaaa!

I barely tilted my head in time as a throwing dagger whizzed past, slicing through the air and splitting the water behind me.

“…Got it. Loud and clear.”

“Don’t waste my time with nonsense.”

“Of course. I was just checking, you know.”

Then what the hell is he planning? Another poison-tasting session?

I felt a mix of unease and curiosity, but I decided to push those thoughts aside for now.

Because Moon Kyung was already far ahead.

Shwaaah!

The wind and the rhythmic rowing of the crew kept the ship moving at an absurd speed, far faster than any normal vessel.

We had barely exchanged a few sentences, yet the distance between us had widened significantly.

‘What the hell? Did those Yangtze River Waterway League bastards install a motor on this thing?’

Even the smartest students have weak subjects. For me, that weakness was movement techniques.

Though I could keep up using Water Striding Technique, it wasn’t my specialty, and the energy consumption was ridiculous.

Unlike last time at Dongting Lake, there was nothing solid to step on.

“I’ll get up there first. I can’t stay like this forever.”

Moon Kyung nodded nonchalantly.

“Do as you wish.”

“You’re not planning a surprise attack, are you?”

“Just hurry up and get up here.”

“Yes, sir.”

I gathered internal energy into my feet.

The biggest advantage of the Flame Transformation Art was its ability to unleash explosive power. One strong leap would be more than enough to return to the ship.

One, two—

‘Now!’

Boom!

The force from my kick sent a shockwave across the river, creating a massive water wall behind me. A violent gust swept past my body.

In the blink of an eye, I cleared the distance and landed on—

Thwack!

‘What the hell?!’

Before I could regain my footing, I was launched back at an even faster speed than when I first jumped.

I instinctively redirected my internal energy into my feet, flipping midair and barely managing to land on the water.

‘Is this… déjà vu?’

I shot Moon Kyung, who stood firmly on the stern, an unimpressed glare.

“What was that just now?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The thing in your hand. You hit me with it.”

“Oh, this?”

Moon Kyung casually lifted the large wooden object in his grip.

“This is an oar. It’s used for rowing.”

“That’s not what I was asking.”

“I thought that was what you were asking.”

“Didn’t you promise not to pull weird stunts anymore?”

“I only promised not to throw projectiles at you. This isn’t a projectile.”

“Oh, I see. So instead of a small weapon, you just used a blunt weapon instead.”

“Exactly.”

Is this guy insane?

Before I could say anything, Moon Kyung gazed at the water beneath my feet.

“The Yangtze River remains as calm as ever. But everywhere you step, chaos follows.”

“If you keep messing with me, I’m going to cause real chaos.”

“Do you know why that happens only to you?”

“I don’t care. What I do care about is why you’re doing this.”

Ignoring me, Moon Kyung continued,

“It’s not because your movements are rough or unpolished.”

“You’re seriously testing my patience.”

“Every master’s movements have a reason behind them. In your case, the issue is the nature of your internal energy. Your power is naturally explosive. This is one of the fundamental flaws of Yeolhwa Sect’s martial arts.”

“Ah, I see. So you’re saying I need to calm my energy down—”

I cut myself off mid-sentence.

Because I realized something.

This wasn’t just Moon Kyung messing around.

This wasn’t a joke or a prank.

This was training.

“Wait, what did you just say?”

“It seems your ears have finally opened. I said the reason your movements are rough on water is due to a fundamental flaw in Yeolhwa Sect’s martial arts.”

A fundamental flaw…

This wasn’t something I could just brush off.

After a moment of thought, I asked again,

“What does that have to do with Water Striding Technique? Isn’t it just a matter of getting used to it? Aren’t you jumping to conclusions too quickly?”

“You fool. It’s not that simple.”

“Then what do you mean…?”

“The stability and precision of your internal energy.”

“Stability and precision…”

“Water Striding Technique is just one of many ways to measure those two factors. The more stable and precise a person’s internal energy flow is, the more freely they can utilize the technique.

Though it is a high-level movement technique, any supreme master with deep comprehension can execute it without much difficulty.”

Without pausing, Moon Kyung suddenly leapt from the stern of the ship.

For an ordinary person, he would have been too far away to see clearly, but my sharpened senses allowed me to see and hear him perfectly.

Swoosh.

He landed on the water’s surface as if he were weightless.

And not a single ripple formed beneath his feet.

His cold gaze turned to me.

“Now, look at yourself.”

I instinctively looked down at my own feet, though I already knew what I would see.

The path I had taken to chase after the ship looked as if another ship had plowed through—a sea of white foam and turbulence.

Splash.

Even with careful steps, countless ripples spread outward, stacking in chaotic waves.

The difference between Moon Kyung and me was too drastic.

“You already know the answer, don’t you?”

If he had said it with mockery or contempt, I might have found it less humiliating.

But his flat, indifferent tone, as if to say, Yes, this is all you amount to, made my face heat up in shame.

“Now, do you understand what I meant?”

“…I think I do, to some extent.”

Just as Moon Kyung had said, Water Striding Technique was a crucial indicator of one’s ability to control their internal energy with stability and precision.

Depending on how well one distributes and regulates their energy, stepping onto water could either create chaotic waves or be as still as an untouched lake.

“Then tell me, in your own words—what should you gain from this?”

“Um… I should be able to handle my energy more efficiently.”

“Unacceptable answer.”

“Not only will I improve stability and precision, but I’ll also be able to exert the same power while reducing energy consumption.”

“Better, but still lacking.”

Seconds stretched into minutes as I racked my brain, and then—

“Amplification.”

“Explain further.”

“The things you mentioned are about being able to apply the right amount of power at the right moment. If I can fine-tune my energy control, that means…”

I exhaled and spoke firmly.

“I can amplify my energy output even more than before.”

“And?”

“It’s not just about stability and precision. By mastering this, the martial arts techniques I’ve already learned will become even stronger. Am I right?”

Moon Kyung remained silent, staring at me. Then, he spoke.

“…At least you’re not a complete idiot.”

I got it right.

But the satisfaction I felt wasn’t because I had earned Moon Kyung’s approval.

It was because—

If I succeed in this training… I can become even stronger.

Right now, I was stagnant.

Maybe I had grown too quickly—but at some point, my martial arts progression had slowed, and I had started feeling an invisible wall blocking my way forward.

But if I mastered this technique, even without achieving enlightenment, I could still make technical improvements.

So I still had room to grow, even without breakthroughs.

For too long, I had been looking for something new, instead of fully refining what I already had.

‘How foolish of me.’

It was like having a 1TB external hard drive and only filling it with 500GB of porn, then complaining about running out of space.

Moon Kyung had just pointed out that I still had 500GB left—that there was no need to buy a new hard drive when I hadn’t even used all the storage I already had.

Ah… Moon Kyung, my wise master.

For a moment, I swear I saw a divine aura radiating from behind him.

But then he spoke again.

“Keep your eyes straight before I smash them shut.”

“…Yes, sir.”

“At least now, you’ve finally grasped the basics.”

“Yeah. I think I get it now.”

“Then you should also know what kind of training comes next.”

Of course.

I answered exactly as expected.

“Water Striding Technique. Am I right?”

“Correct. Thinking about it won’t do you any good—you need to experience it firsthand.

And since we’re right in the middle of the Yangtze River, this is the perfect place.

Start immediately.”

So that’s why he threw me into the river earlier.

It had been his plan from the beginning.

But I wasn’t annoyed or frustrated.

Because nothing in this world comes for free.

This entire river is my training ground. It feels overwhelming… but I’ll get used to it.

Without hesitation, I answered,

“Understood.”

“You’re surprisingly obedient. Keep that attitude.”

If I could become stronger, I would do whatever it took.

I bowed my head to Moon Kyung, but in that moment, I realized—

I forgot to ask the most important question.

“Uh, by the way.”

“Hm?”

“How long am I supposed to do this?”

“What a foolish question.”

Moon Kyung spread his hands as if wondering why I would even ask.

Ten stars—wait, no… ten shichen?

“W-Wait a second. No matter how strong I am, ten shichen is insane! You know I have to use Water Striding Technique to keep up with the ship, right? If I do that, my energy consumption will—”

“What are you talking about? It’s ten days.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Not ten shichen—ten days.

You’ll be doing this until we reach Henan.”

“…What?”

At that moment, as if mocking my shock, a familiar notification rang in my ears.

Ding!

– [Fake Martial Artist – Stage 2] training method has been newly set!
– The instructor has set the training period to [10 days]!
– This period may shorten or extend depending on travel time!
– The countdown begins now! Keep up, maggot!

Time limit: 9 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.

…

I was speechless.