Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Where There Is Change, There Is That Which Does Not Change (Part 2)

Dam Ho emerged from his quarters.

His face had grown noticeably pale over the past few days. He had been consumed by the Heavy Heaven Heart Method, refusing to leave his room.

He had memorized the Heavy Heaven Heart Method perfectly after reading it only twice. But Dam Ho did not stop there—he read it over and over again.

While Dam Ho was immersed in the Heavy Heaven Heart Method, Sage Hyeon-so had not opened his door even once. He knew that Dam Ho had fallen into a meditation trance.

When Dam Ho finally emerged, his expression was noticeably refreshed. He had glimpsed in the Heavy Heaven Heart Method the very possibility he had been searching for.

Nothing was yet clear. There was no guarantee he would achieve what he desired. But the mere existence of that slim possibility set his heart racing.

"Hah!"

Dam Ho inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air—

"Junior Brother!"

A clear, bright voice rang out suddenly.

He turned to find a woman of refined elegance. On Mount Hua, there was only one woman who carried herself with such an air.

"Martial Sister."

It was Han So-yu.

She approached him.

"Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Then why have you not shown yourself? I was worried. You climb the mountain every single day, and then suddenly you disappear for days."

"Ah, I had matters to attend to."

"Truly? You are not ill, are you?"

"No."

Han So-yu peered into Dam Ho's eyes. Dam Ho did not avoid her gaze. Seeing this, she smiled.

"That appears to be the truth. What a relief."

"Is that why you came?"

"I had something to tell you as well, so it served as an excuse. You have not heard yet, have you?"

"Heard what?"

"So no one has told you after all."

A slight furrow appeared between Han So-yu's brows. She looked toward Lotus Peak with a mildly dissatisfied expression.

"Martial Sister?"

"Ah, forgive me. All of the First Generation Disciples will soon be gathered at True Martial Palace."

"True Martial Palace?"

True Martial Palace was the symbol of the Mount Hua Sect's martial might. Any disciple who bore the sect's name aspired to enter it. But its threshold was high and narrow, admitting no one easily.

Even among the First Generation Disciples, only a select few were permitted to come and go from True Martial Palace. Naturally, Dam Ho was not yet among them.

"But why True Martial Palace?"

"Martial Uncle Hyeon-geom has finally emerged from seclusion. He has ordered all First Generation Disciples to assemble."

Han So-yu's cheeks flushed slightly. Her excitement was palpable.

Sage Hyeon-geom was the Palace Master of True Martial Palace. He was also universally acknowledged as the greatest martial artist of the current era on Mount Hua.

Six years ago, he had entered closed cultivation to consolidate his insights—before Dam Ho had even joined the Mount Hua Sect. Because of this, Dam Ho had heard of Sage Hyeon-geom but never seen him in person.

The man who had realized the ultimate depths of Mount Hua's sword.

It was said that when his sword unfurled, plum blossoms bloomed in profusion.

Some went so far as to say:

The current Sage Hyeon-geom possessed martial power comparable to the Heaven Vault Master of old.

Such was the esteem in which he was held.

"He is the one who summoned the disciples?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

"I imagine he wishes to share his insights with the disciples."

Han So-yu's face was flushed with excitement.

To receive instruction from Sage Hyeon-geom—the greatest swordsman of Mount Hua—was akin to a tremendous stroke of fortune. The entire Mount Hua Sect was abuzz.

"Not just the First Generation Disciples. Eventually, he intends to see the Second Generation Disciples and the outer disciples as well."

"Hmm!"

"So prepare yourself well, Junior Brother. Who knows? If you catch his eye, he might impart insights suited to you."

The words carried many layers of meaning.

Dam Ho nodded silently. Han So-yu smiled at his stoic demeanor.

"You truly are the most taciturn person… Well, I shall be going. I will send word when it is time, and we shall meet then."

"Thank you, Martial Sister."

Han So-yu waved and departed.

Dam Ho watched her retreating figure for a long while.

Han So-yu was one of the very few people in the Mount Hua Sect who looked at him as he truly was. Her eyes held neither pity nor condescension. She regarded him simply as a fellow disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. For that, he was grateful.

"Sage Hyeon-geom, then…"

Dam Ho looked toward the summit of Cloud Peak. Hidden by the trees, True Martial Palace would be somewhere near the top—and Sage Hyeon-geom would be there.

He did not know what instruction Sage Hyeon-geom would offer, but Dam Ho had no energy to spare for worrying about it just yet.

His meeting with Sage Hyeon-geom was an event yet to come. There was no need to grow excited prematurely.

Dam Ho first strapped the sandbag to his left ankle. Having unexpectedly obtained the Heavy Heaven Heart Method, he had paused his routine—but now he intended to resume climbing Mount Hua.

With the sandbag secured, he descended the mountain. Going down the sheer cliffs of Mount Hua was harder than going up. One misstep meant a fatal fall.

On paths that even healthy people found exhausting, Dam Ho descended with remarkable speed. His crippled leg was no hindrance.

Five years of grueling effort had sharpened his sense of balance to an extraordinary degree. Thanks to this, Dam Ho made it safely down the mountain.

He paused to catch his breath. When it had settled, he began to climb again.

Going down required extraordinary balance; climbing demanded formidable leg strength and cardiovascular endurance. Dam Ho gritted his teeth and ascended, step by painstaking step.

Time passed. Dam Ho's entire body was drenched in sweat. The sandbag on his left ankle made the climb even harder, but he did not stop.

When he finally reached his quarters, Dam Ho was on the verge of collapse. He flopped onto the ground, gasping for breath.

"Hah… hah…"

A sweet, metallic taste filled his mouth, and his heart felt as though it might burst. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest. But Dam Ho forced himself upright.

After a brief pause to steady his breathing, he began to move his body in various directions, loosening up. He intended to train even in this state of utter exhaustion.

The first technique he executed was the Bamboo Leaf Technique. It was the first martial art that anyone who aspired to Mount Hua's techniques would learn.

He began with Bamboo Leaf Sky Break.

Shhhk!

The Bamboo Leaf Technique as Dam Ho performed it was razor-sharp. His hands cut through the air, and his waist spun like a top.

Next came the second form—Flying Leaf Thousand Miles.

His hands rippled like waves, yet the momentum they generated was piercingly sharp.

Whooosh!

The final form of the Bamboo Leaf Technique was Leaf Piercing Sun. Dam Ho's hand flashed through the air like lightning.

Dam Ho's movements while executing the Bamboo Leaf Technique were graceful. Yet from them emanated a keen, blade-like intensity.

His movements returned to the beginning. He executed Bamboo Leaf Sky Break once more.

The air shimmered as the second form, Flying Leaf Thousand Miles, and the third, Leaf Piercing Sun, followed in rapid succession.

Dam Ho forgot the passage of time and repeated the Bamboo Leaf Technique ceaselessly.

The greatest feature of the Bamboo Leaf Technique was that it could be performed without any special footwork. At first, Dam Ho kept both feet planted on the ground, perfectly still, as he executed the forms.

When the Bamboo Leaf Technique reached its peak, Dam Ho cautiously began to move his feet.

One step forward. Then one step back.

A monotonous, back-and-forth movement—no one would call it refined footwork. Using his crippled left leg as a pivot, he stepped forward with his right. If the Elders of the Mount Hua Sect had seen it, they would have erupted in fury at such wretched footwork. But for Dam Ho, this was the best he could do.

Thud!

Each time his left foot landed, Dam Ho's face contorted slightly.

The outward wounds might have healed, but the pain remained. Yet Dam Ho deliberately ignored the pain radiating from below his knee.

'This much pain will not stop me.'

Dam Ho stamped his left foot down with greater force.

Thud!

In that instant, his momentum shifted.

The Bamboo Leaf Technique transformed into Crouching Tiger Fist. The sharp, keen energy became heavy and weighty.

Crouching Tiger Fist was a technique modeled on the movements of a tiger. Though it was now known merely as a basic exercise practiced by outer disciples, in truth it was an exceptionally well-crafted fist technique.

Dam Ho harbored a question.

'Are a tiger's weapons truly only its sharp teeth and claws? Is biting and scratching truly a tiger's greatest method of attack?'

Dam Ho believed not.

'That massive body is a tiger's greatest weapon. It is the crushing weight of that body as it flies through the air—the dizziness and overwhelming pressure—that leaves prey frozen and unable to move. If that is so, then Crouching Tiger Fist, too, must not merely involve swinging the limbs but must utilize the human body to its fullest potential.'

Shhhk!

Dam Ho's fist split the air.

To maintain the fierce momentum of Crouching Tiger Fist, one needed powerful leg strength. The stronger the technique, the greater the recoil one had to endure.

Dam Ho's footwork remained unchanged: step forward, then retreat quickly.

When Crouching Tiger Fist reached its peak, Dam Ho's movement suddenly shifted. His fists exploded outward in every direction.

Six Harmonies Fist.

Like the Bamboo Leaf Technique and Crouching Tiger Fist, it was one of the Mount Hua Sect's most fundamental fist techniques. Like the others, its variations were simple—but it carried a savage, devastating force.

Dam Ho, lost to all sense of fatigue, entered a trance-like state as he executed the three techniques in rapid succession.

Among the countless martial arts of the Mount Hua Sect, the three fundamental techniques Dam Ho was most devoted to were precisely these.

Having practiced them every day for the past five years, he could now perform them with his eyes closed. Yet Dam Ho executed them with painstaking care and precision.

In all the Mount Hua Sect, there was no one else who trained these basic techniques with such dedication. Most people desired higher-level arts, and the Mount Hua Sect possessed no shortage of such supreme techniques.

"Hah!"

The training ground echoed only with Dam Ho's harsh breathing and the sound of air splitting.

And so Dam Ho's time flowed on.

***

When Sage Hyeon-so returned to their quarters that night, he found Dam Ho collapsed on the wooden platform, having fallen into a sleep so deep it bordered on unconsciousness.

Sage Hyeon-so was not surprised. He had witnessed this scene every day for the past five years. Instead, he looked at the marks left on the ground.

On the training ground, Dam Ho's footprints remained—a perfectly straight line, tracing an unbroken path.

Sage Hyeon-so regarded Dam Ho with a look of quiet admiration. Dam Ho remained deep in sleep.

Sage Hyeon-so sat down beside him and began to massage his legs.

"A routine may bring tedium, but the training that overcomes that tedium is what forges a man into something unbreakable, Ho-ya."

Sage Hyeon-so massaged Dam Ho's legs with devoted care.

Through five years of repetition, his Meridian Massage had reached a considerable level of mastery. He kneaded the hardened muscles and gently worked the joints.

The area he paid the most attention to was Dam Ho's left foot. It was not in a normal state, and the muscles there were knotted far more severely.

The warmth in Sage Hyeon-so's hands as he worked on Dam Ho's left foot was palpable. Perhaps he felt it, for even in his deep, exhausted sleep, a faint smile touched Dam Ho's lips.

Only after confirming that Dam Ho's knotted muscles had softened did Sage Hyeon-so withdraw his hands.

"Hah!"

He exhaled deeply and rose to his feet.

The night was deep, but his work was not yet done. From within his robes, he produced a text.

Heavenly Yin Elixir Scripture.

It was a text that had lain gathering dust in Spirit Treasure Palace.

He had read it long ago. Now, for Dam Ho's sake, he took it out once more.

Sage Hyeon-so studied the Heavenly Yin Elixir Scripture until dawn. Beside him, Dam Ho slept on, deep and undisturbed.

***

Dam Ho stirred.

"Mmm!"

His entire body felt refreshed, as though he had just emerged from a hot bath. After a brief stretch, he noticed Sage Hyeon-so sleeping beside him.

"Master has done it again…"

He did not need to check to know. Sage Hyeon-so had performed Meridian Massage on him once more.

Beside Sage Hyeon-so lay an unfamiliar text, left open. Dam Ho closed the book and carefully carried Sage Hyeon-so inside.

Only after ensuring that Sage Hyeon-so was resting comfortably did Dam Ho step outside. The night sky was still strewn with stars.

The wind carried the scent of plum blossoms. Dam Ho settled onto the platform, fragrant with the scent, and began to circulate his energy. For the past several days, he had been studying the Heavy Heaven Heart Method, but this was his first time actually circulating it.

It was his first attempt, and nervousness would have been understandable. But Dam Ho hesitated not at all, falling into the meditation trance of energy circulation.

Before him stretched an untrodden path, one that no one had walked for centuries.

Dam Ho did not know what lay at its end.

The plum-scented breeze brushed gently against his body, but Dam Ho was unaware of even that.

The Heavy Heaven Heart Method was not a technique that could rapidly build internal energy. Nor was it mercurial and dazzling like the Lesser Clarity Heart Method practiced by the Main Mountain Disciples.

True to its name, the Heavy Heaven Heart Method was heavy. If the Lesser Clarity Heart Method circulated energy light and free as the wind, then the energy circulated by the Heavy Heaven Heart Method was thick and slow, like mud in a swamp. This made it exceedingly difficult to operate.

Beads of sweat formed on Dam Ho's brow. But the cool breeze quickly dried them.

Dam Ho forgot the passage of time and lost himself in the Heavy Heaven Heart Method.

When he opened his eyes again, the sun hung over Lotus Peak. He had begun circulating his energy in the early hours of dawn, and already morning had come.

Dam Ho shook his head after completing his circulation.

"This will not be easy."

With another heart method, three weeks of this work would have yielded the equivalent of one week's progress here. It meant that building internal energy with the Heavy Heaven Heart Method was three times slower than with other techniques. But because it was denser, the power produced at any given level would be far more intense.

The question was: how could he build internal energy to the same level—or beyond—of others?

Dam Ho shook his head.

"I will have to cut back on sleep."

Sleep less than others. Train harder. That was the conclusion Dam Ho had reached.

From that day forward, Dam Ho reduced his sleep further.

He allowed himself only one two-hour rest, then spent the rest of the night in meditation. Mornings he devoted to climbing Mount Hua, strengthening his body. Afternoons and evenings he spent polishing the Mount Hua techniques he knew.

And so Dam Ho's time continued to flow.