“Try to get your stance right from the beginning.”
At my words, Sowol raised her sword again and adjusted her stance.
I crossed my arms and watched her for a while before slowly approaching.
“Sowol.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
“Your front foot is out of place. If your weight is shifted too far back, it turns your stance into a defensive one, not an offensive one. Try again.”
Sowol bit her lip slightly and corrected her stance.
But the balance still felt a little off.
I sighed and gently pressed down on her shoulder.
“Loosen up. It’s not your body that should lead, but the sword finding its path.”
Sowol nodded and adjusted her stance again, but this time, her arms tensed up.
I gently pushed the tip of her sword and said, “See? When you put strength into the sword, the flow is cut off like this. When wielding a sword, the flow is what matters. Relax and let it move smoothly.”
But the correction wasn’t easy.
Every time she swung the sword, it still felt stiff and rigid.
I lightly grabbed her wrist and changed the direction of her movement.
“How about now?”
Sowol hesitated for a moment, then tilted her head.
“It feels… a little awkward.”
“It’s because you’re not used to it. Keep practicing slowly.”
I stepped back and watched her repeat the motion.
But then, I felt eyes on me from the side.
I turned my head slightly, and the other disciples were glancing over at us secretly.
Seorin was pretending to be indifferent, but she was clearly paying attention.
Chohee was standing with her arms crossed, watching with interest.
Hwaran, quietly drinking tea, threw a subtle glance my way, and when I glanced back at her, she quickly turned her head.
I smiled faintly and turned my attention back to Sowol.
“Alright, one more time. This time, completely relax, and let it flow naturally.”
Sowol frowned slightly and raised her sword, taking her stance again, but it still felt unnatural.
I scratched my head and sighed.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
They say it’s hard to break a bad habit, and Sowol… I never expected this.
It’s really harder than I thought.
If the movements are this stiff, it might not just be a matter of correcting her stance.
There’s a chance that I might have to give up on teaching her the Azure Wind Sword Technique altogether.
I spent the entire morning trying to help Sowol, but I couldn’t find a way to correct her movements.
Normally, I wouldn’t want to ruin her free-spirited nature, but this situation is serious.
Maybe I can fix it slowly, but if I can’t correct it completely…
When things get this frustrating, it’s time to find someone to talk to.
I sighed deeply and turned my steps toward the main sect of Wudang.
For some reason, Elder Zhangmun was serving tea on the verandah.
I approached him casually and sat down.
“Elder.”
Zhangmun glanced at me and smiled lightly.
“Jin Un, you’re the one coming to see me first? Is the sun rising in the west today?”
“I’m not exactly a frequent visitor. But, there’s a problem.”
Zhangmun took a sip of his tea and leisurely asked,
“Alright, what kind of trouble did you get into this time?”
“I don’t cause trouble every day, you know. This time, it’s a problem with my disciples.”
Zhangmun nodded, then casually responded,
“That’s odd. No matter how strange your disciples are, they should still be better than you, right?”
I squinted and asked in return, “What do you mean?”
“Think about all the messes you’ve caused. One day you split a mountain in half,
another time, you burned down half of a temple during training.”
I opened my mouth but stopped, then closed my eyes tightly.
“…That was an unavoidable situation.”
“Yeah, you always say ‘it was unavoidable,’ don’t you?”
Zhangmun leisurely took another sip of tea.
I sighed and got to the point.
“Anyway, something is off with my disciples. They suddenly seem more calm than usual, and there’s this feeling of distance between us.”
Zhangmun listened with interest, then tilted his head and asked, “Is that necessarily a bad thing?”
I fell silent for a moment, unable to answer.
It definitely feels awkward.
But it’s hard to say for sure that it’s a problem.
Zhangmun saw my expression and smiled lightly.
“You’re quite something, aren’t you? As a teacher, you’re getting flustered just because your disciples have changed a bit? Aren’t you the one who’s more unpredictable?”
I scratched my head and muttered.
“Maybe you’re right. But…”
I sighed and looked at Elder Zhangmun.
“After they experienced real combat, they picked up some strange habits.”
Elder Zhangmun took a sip of tea and nodded slowly, as if interested.
“So?”
“Because of those habits, everything they were learning properly has fallen apart. It’s not that they’ve developed a real combat sense, it’s more that the flow of their techniques has gotten all tangled up.”
Elder Zhangmun slowly stroked his beard and said, “Why is that a bad thing?”
I was momentarily speechless.
“What?”
“Bad habits? That’s your view. Those disciples’ bodies reacted to real combat. It’s just a result of trying to survive.”
I opened my mouth but closed it again.
Elder Zhangmun watched my reaction with a relaxed expression.
“So, you’re saying that’s the wrong direction? The Azure Wind Sword Technique isn’t meant to be used that way?”
“Well, you created the Azure Wind Sword Technique, so of course you’d think that. But your disciples, the ones you taught, probably feel that it doesn’t quite fit them, so they’re making changes to adapt.”
I crossed my arms and sighed deeply.
“So, you’re saying I should just leave it be?”
“No. But why do you see it as wrong?”
I couldn’t answer and furrowed my brows.
Elder Zhangmun chuckled and shook his head.
“Maybe you’re the one putting them into a box. Maybe your disciples are actually adapting the technique you created into a form that’s more suited for them.”
“…If that were the case, the foundation would be all wrong from the start.”
“Well, well, you stubborn fool!”
Elder Zhangmun suddenly yelled out, then shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of tea.
“Have you ever taught any other martial arts?”
I hesitated for a moment before replying in a low voice.
“I’ve taught the Three Strikes Sword Technique before.”
Zhangmun snorted and shook his head.
“That’s just the basics to teach the Azure Wind Sword Technique. It’s natural. Have you ever taught a completely different martial art?”
I was momentarily speechless.
Come to think of it… no, I haven’t.
“No, I haven’t.”
Zhangmun nodded as if he had been expecting that answer.
“That’s the problem. Just because something fits you perfectly doesn’t mean it will fit your disciples. You’ve been teaching them without realizing that, so it’s natural for them to seek something that suits them better.”
I fell into deep thought without saying anything.
Have I been doing this wrong all this time? Am I ruining the disciples with my own selfishness?
Zhangmun glanced at me and chuckled, adding, “Think about it carefully. How long are you going to stubbornly stick to your own thoughts?”
I was still lost in thought, unable to sort things out. Then Zhangmun sighed quietly and said, “Have a cup of tea before you leave. Tch, these days, no one comes to have tea with this old man.”
I stared blankly for a moment, then smiled faintly and muttered, “Well, that’s because you’re so stubborn, Elder…”
“Hey, you brat!”
Zhangmun’s knuckles lightly flicked my forehead.
I jerked my head back and grabbed my face with both hands.
“Ugh! How old am I, and you’re still hitting me!”
Zhangmun chuckled and took another sip of tea.
“Don’t do things that deserve a slap. You used to be such a cute kid… sigh.”
As we took a break and had tea, I suddenly felt a presence from afar.
I absentmindedly put down my teacup and turned my head.
Someone was approaching us.
Their footsteps were orderly, but there was a hesitation for a moment.
When they saw me, their expression immediately stiffened.
I quietly placed my teacup down and stood up.
“Mm. Thank you for the tea.”
I slowly turned and began to walk away.
From behind, I heard Elder Zhangmun’s voice.
“Don’t be like that. You’re not the only one living trapped in the past. At your age now, you should understand.”
I didn’t stop. I pretended not to hear and continued walking.
A silence hung over the quiet courtyard.
The figure who had been watching Jin Un’s retreating figure carefully opened his mouth. His voice was laced with hesitation.
“Is Elder Jin Un still…?”
Elder Zhangmun lifted his teacup, then slowly set it down with a bitter smile.
He gently traced the edge of the teacup with his fingertip, his expression reminiscent of someone lost in a distant memory.
“It’s just the greed of this old man.”
He sighed as he gazed at the empty air. It was a deep and heavy sigh.
“That great Peng (mythical bird) should have soared and flown freely long ago, but it’s still trapped in this tiny cage.”
A moment of silence passed.
The wind blew softly, shaking the leaves in the courtyard.
The figure spoke cautiously again.
“Is that how you truly feel, Elder Zhangmun?”
Zhangmun didn’t answer right away.
He raised the teacup again, but this time, he didn’t drink from it; instead, he set it back down.
“Jin Un is a free spirit. He’s always been like that. But…”
Zhangmun cast his gaze out the window.
It seemed as though the shadow of Jin Un leaving was still lingering in his sight.
“A Peng that can’t fly on its own will only blame the cage. That’s the saddest thing.”
He raised his teacup again, then let out a slight chuckle.
“Anyway, what brings Elder Jibeop to this old man’s humble abode? If there were no reason, you wouldn’t have come all the way here.”
Without hesitation, Elder Jibeop responded.
“There’s a letter from the Martial Alliance.”
Zhangmun rolled the teacup between his fingers and let out a faint chuckle.
“Oh, how unfortunate. I didn’t want to see that.”
Despite Zhangmun’s dismissive attitude, Elder Jibeop didn’t mind and continued with the business at hand.
“There seems to be a major event happening within the Martial Alliance.”
Zhangmun slowly unfolded the letter and began reading.
His eyes scanned the letter a few times before he raised his teacup again.
Then, with a sudden click of his tongue, he smiled.
“Hmm, if things go well, maybe Jin Un can help resolve this problem.”
Zhangmun slowly folded the letter and set it down.
His gaze drifted beyond the courtyard, towards the direction where Jin Un had already disappeared.
“I wonder what Jin Un will do in the end.”
He raised his teacup again, smiling faintly.
The wind grew colder.