Became a God-Level Martial Artist

Chapter 227 : Flawless Martial Arts

"Let's have you assist only during the busiest hours—noon (O-si) and evening (Yu-si)—and be in charge of the accounting for the rest of the time."Moyong Hyeon gave a gentle smile, seemingly satisfied with Lee Seowon’s proposal.

Since he had already decided to stay at the inn, it was only natural to blend in somewhat if he wanted to make his life easier.

‘Jin Seong-un has left everything to the Chief Steward, and Seo Yu-gyeom has no interest at all.’

In other words, the only one who’d be annoyed or displeased by this decision was that madman, Seomun Ak.

That fact made Moyong Hyeon all the more pleased.

With their agreement reached in an instant, Moyong Hyeon and Lee Seowon nodded at each other with strangely resolute expressions.

Moyong Hyeon asked,

"Does the Chief Steward believe he can control his insight?"

"Well, I suppose…"

"That’s arrogance."

Moyong Hyeon dismissed it firmly.

"Let’s say this. Imagine someone spreads damaging rumors about Seong-un Inn and even opens a rival inn nearby, blatantly imitating us. It’s a clear crisis and something the Chief Steward must resolve. Can you picture the scenario?"

Lee Seowon nodded.

Moyong Hyeon continued,

"How many solutions do you currently have in mind?"

"Thirteen definitive ones, seven uncertain but worth trying, and two that are risky but could turn into opportunities if they succeed…"

"Then let me ask you again. Did the Chief Steward truly come up with those solutions intentionally?"

Lee Seowon’s eyes widened.

Moyong Hyeon was right. Those solutions hadn’t come from deliberate thought. As soon as the situation came to mind, his insight naturally produced the answers.

Moyong Hyeon said,

"Then why is it that when it comes to swinging a saber, you can’t reach a clear conclusion and are instead trapped in countless stray thoughts?"

"…I don’t know. If I did, I would’ve fixed it already."

Moyong Hyeon nodded knowingly, as if he’d expected that answer.

"It’s because it’s too simple. The act of a blade starting at one point and ending at another is so basic that your insight calculates hundreds or thousands of possible paths—how much to tense and relax each muscle, how to angle each joint, how to control your breathing... It generates every possible combination."

Only then did Lee Seowon feel like he clearly grasped the true nature of the 'stray thoughts' he had been trying to rid himself of.

So, he asked,

"Then how do I fix it? I’ve heard that some Taoist and monk training methods focus on clearing the mind..."

"Do the opposite. Don’t try to eliminate the stray thoughts. Instead, calculate every possibility."

Lee Seowon looked puzzled.

Until now, stray thoughts were the problem—and now he was being told to dive straight into them?

Moyong Hyeon continued,

"Even if a single swing takes half a day, it’s fine. Calculate truly every possibility."

With that, he suddenly drew his sword and lightly slashed the air.

"Did you see? Now imagine a single slash that can counter this strike. Eliminate the wrong answers and find the one correct solution."

Lee Seowon held his saber low and began replaying Moyong Hyeon’s strike in his mind. As expected, his exceptional insight naturally formed countless possible responses in his head.

This one failed for this reason. That one failed for that reason.

Lee Seowon stood motionless for quite a while.

During that process, he felt a significant sense of liberation. The frustration he had felt while trying to focus on 'one simple slash' by forcibly suppressing stray thoughts—now completely dissipated.

Just like that, half a shichen passed.

Moyong Hyeon said nothing and silently waited in that same posture.

Suddenly, Lee Seowon’s eyes changed.

At that exact moment, Moyong Hyeon delivered the same sword strike as before.

Chang—!

Lee Seowon’s saber blocked it.

His saber followed an unerring path and completely neutralized Moyong Hyeon’s strike.

Seo Yu-gyeom, who had been watching, was wide-eyed. Even Lee Seowon himself was surprised.

Moyong Hyeon grinned and said,

"That saber strike just now—that was your answer."

Lee Seowon was deeply moved, yet at the same time, he felt an overwhelming sense of despair. If a single saber swing took this long, how could he possibly fight?

As if reading his thoughts—like someone who had walked this path before—Moyong Hyeon swung his sword again. It was identical in path and force to the two previous strikes.

Chang—!

This time, Lee Seowon blocked it immediately.

No more need for half a shichen of contemplation.

Lee Seowon’s eyes trembled in surprise, and Moyong Hyeon chuckled quietly.

"Now that your insight has already done all the calculations and knows the correct answer, do you think it would foolishly go through all that inefficiency again?"

"……."

"From now on, you’ll be able to block this kind of strike with ease. Keep adding more correct answers each day. That’s the Chief Steward’s martial technique. And the accumulated sheet of correct answers—that will become your martial art. The most logically flawless martial art in the world."

Lee Seowon felt his heart surge.

Though he was usually indifferent—bordering on apathetic—this moment stirred countless emotions within him.

He was reminded anew that he was not only the descendant of the greatest merchant in history, but also the descendant of a bladesman who had once reigned over his era.

With a curiously cool expression, Moyong Hyeon sheathed his sword and spoke calmly.

“This is the path I’ve walked, and the one I still walk. I believe without a doubt that one day, I will see its end. Fortunately for this Chief Steward, a trailblazer named Moyong Hyeon walks ahead of him, so follow me well.”

A trailblazer of life, of martial arts.

Moyong Hyeon subtly defined his relationship with Lee Seowon in such a way. He had decided that in order to live comfortably at Seong-un Inn, he needed to first win over Lee Seowon.

Had it been the usual Lee Seowon, he wouldn’t have fallen for such a sham. However, overwhelmed with emotion from resolving a long-standing concern, he repeatedly nodded and then shouted,

“Trailblazer!”

“Hoho, indeed.”

Moyong Hyeon suddenly smiled kindly and nodded.

In Lee Seowon’s eyes, looking at Moyong Hyeon, there was a faint glimmer of deep gratitude, respect, and even reverence.

Moyong Hyeon grinned and spoke.

“Of course, you must consistently train your outer arts as well. No matter how perfect the path, it’s meaningless if your body can’t keep up. Fortunately, I also know an outer arts training method perfectly suited for people like us. Let’s begin training together starting tomorrow.”

“...Moyong Sohyeop.”

The more magnificent Moyong Hyeon’s expression became, the more overwhelmed Lee Seowon grew.

‘This place is full of lunatics.’

Seo Yu-gyeom, who had been watching from the side, found it hard to shake off the thought that Seong-un Inn was gradually filling up with strange people.

Clicking his tongue softly, Seo Yu-gyeom resumed his training.

Moyong Hyeon's life at the inn grew more comfortable by the day.

He only helped out lazily during the busiest hours of lunch and dinner, and during other times, he would lounge near the entrance, yawning endlessly.

Seomun Ak would occasionally come to scold him, but Moyong Hyeon invented a method of raising his inner qi to block out the noise.

Yet even Moyong Hyeon had one particular concern.

The phrase “Welcome in!”—a signature of any inn waiter—just wouldn’t come out of his mouth.

Having been born and raised with privilege all his life, uttering such words felt somehow disgraceful.

Seomun Ak, who accurately noticed this, persistently prodded at it. He also realized that Moyong Hyeon was doing something strange to ignore his words. So, to prevent being ignored, he deliberately targeted times when Jin Seong-un or Lee Seowon came down to the inn.

It was a truly majestic battle of wits between the two.

Just then, Lee Seowon came down to the inn as part of managing the food supplies. Like a predator spotting an opportunity, Seomun Ak pounced.

“Moyong Hyeon, why don’t you greet the guests? Are you perhaps ashamed of this job?”

At that, Lee Seowon looked at Moyong Hyeon. A rare sense of pressure washed over Moyong Hyeon.

Being a half-step Peak Master Level martial artist, Seomun Ak had no intention of letting go of his advantage.

“What, are you saying wielding a sword is noble, but working in a business is lowly?”

Moyong Hyeon cursed inwardly.

That damned thug was trying to frame him with a bizarre prejudice.

It was a classic intimidation tactic used by scoundrels to pressure others—proof that old habits die hard.

The Chief Steward was squinting at him.

– Which of the two is a trivial matter?

– There is no such thing as a trivial business.

These were words Moyong Hyeon had heard just a few days ago from the Chief Steward himself. So this thug’s attack landed more critically than expected.

At that moment, someone entered the inn.

To clear himself of the false accusation of looking down on the lives of the inn waiters, Moyong Hyeon had no choice but to shout with force.

“Welcome...!”

But the moment he saw the guest’s face, he closed his mouth. A man who looked to be in his thirties. A face even Moyong Hyeon recognized well.

“Ha Joo-myeong?”

Ha Joo-myeong, the eldest son of Myriad Gold Manor.

He had personally come to Seong-un Inn.

Ha Joo-myeong laughed heartily and said,

“So the Sword Dragon Sohyeop has also become part of Seong-un Inn!”

Whatever he found so delightful, he smiled broadly at Moyong Hyeon.

Moyong Hyeon was already well aware that Myriad Gold Manor had now become an enemy of Seong-un Inn.

Instinctively, Moyong Hyeon reached for the sword hidden beneath the counter. As he began drawing the blade in the signature, no-frills motion of the Moyong Clan—

Clack—!

Before he could draw even half the blade, something blocked it.

Moyong Hyeon's eyes widened like lanterns.

Ha Joo-myeong, who had been standing over ten steps away, was now in front of him, gently pressing down on the blade with his palm.

And yet, Ha Joo-myeong still wore a smile.

“You’ll scare the customers. A waiter should never make a guest feel uneasy. That’s just the basics of business.”

Ha Joo-myeong spoke as if he were teaching him.

At that, Moyong Hyeon’s expression twisted.

It wasn’t because of the insult.

It was the sheer discomfort and dread of not noticing the other man’s approach until he had closed the distance and made contact.

Had the man intended to stab him with a dagger, he would have had no way to evade it.

Though known as the Sword Dragon and unmatched in swordplay among peers, Moyong Hyeon found the shock overwhelming.

Even Seomun Ak, who had rushed over, was stunned. He froze on the spot, staring blankly at Ha Joo-myeong and Moyong Hyeon.

‘I can’t see his realm.’

Seomun Ak’s expression stiffened.

He couldn’t sense Ha Joo-myeong’s cultivation level.

Considering that he himself was half a step into Peak Master Level, this was inexplicable.

A heavy tension fell over the inn.

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, the customers who had been eating quickly picked up on the atmosphere and quietly fled the inn.

Watching this, Ha Joo-myeong said in feigned regret,

“I wonder if they paid. Be sure to tell Jin Seong-un it was Moyong Sohyeop’s fault, not mine. After all, I came here today to befriend him and needed to make a good impression.”