I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

Maybe it was because some strange sense of challenge had been ignited in me, but for nearly three days, I had gotten so absorbed in training that I lost track of time for the first time in a while.

It seemed I’d unknowingly fallen into a slump.
Who knew learning something new could be this fun?
And then, on the morning of the fourth day.

After finishing our dawn workout and eating an early breakfast, Li Mei Ling said to me,
“Today, I’d like us to go somewhere farther away.”
“All of a sudden?”

“Mangho Gwanchang is a secret technique of our sect. Even if I’ve agreed to teach it to you, there’s no need to expose the technique to too many eyes.”
Because of that reason, we decided to take a train and go quite a distance for the first time in a while.
Specifically, we chose Mt. Fuji—the most iconic name that comes to mind when you think of famous mountains in Japan.

Thanks to how convenient things are nowadays, it only takes about two hours to get from Shinjuku Station to Lake Kawaguchi at Mt. Fuji via the express train.
Of course, the ticket was pricey, but I had enough allowance saved up to cover it.
Mei Ling said she’d pay me back properly once her reissued card arrived in the mail.

So after scarfing down our breakfast, we headed straight to Shibuya Station by subway.
***
Personally, when I think of Japanese train stations, the first thing that comes to mind is bento.

Each station sells a different variety, and since they’re made using local specialties, they’re practically guaranteed to be good.
As they say, even Mt. Geumgang comes after a meal… or in this case, Mt. Fuji after a meal, so despite having just eaten, we bought and ate some bento as snacks on the train.
I wasn’t sure if it was okay for a broke high schooler like me to indulge like this, but I’d already made up my mind to spend this money, so I decided to go all out.

Truth be told, it was also my first time going to Mt. Fuji.
Choosing it as our training location had plenty of personal motives mixed in.
On the way there, Li Mei Ling listened to music on her phone, and surprisingly, most of the songs on her playlist were K-pop.
Curious, I asked her about it, and it turns out K-pop is trending among teenagers and people in their twenties in China lately.

She started listening because of a university friend’s recommendation, and she found it better than expected—so now she listens often.
…So all that hype on TV wasn’t just nationalistic propaganda?
It was truly a shocking revelation.

“Wanna listen together?”
She caught me glancing at her phone screen, and maybe she misunderstood my intent, because she held out one of her wireless earbuds.
It was too late to say no, so I accepted her offer.

Given her profession, I thought she’d listen to high-BPM tracks like rap or dance music, but surprisingly, her taste leaned toward ballads.
…Why is Butter Prince-hyung coming out here?
***

We got off at Kawaguchiko Station, the last stop on the express train.
Lake Kawaguchi is a massive volcanic lake located 800 meters above sea level on Mt. Fuji.
It’s the second-largest of the five lakes around Mt. Fuji, and true to its reputation as a famous tourist spot, the area around the station was bustling with shops and climbers preparing to ascend the mountain.

Having switched to full-on tourist mode, Li Mei Ling read a pamphlet at the tourist center and said,
“It says here this place is famous for its sulfur hot springs formed from volcanic activity.”
“Don’t we not have time for hot springs?”

“Tch—”
She clicked her tongue regretfully, but the prices here were outrageous—several tens of thousands of yen per night at a hot spring inn.
No matter how you looked at it, I couldn’t just lend her that much money.

Instead of heading toward the well-trodden mountain paths used by most climbers, we went in through a back route that no one used.
Honestly, doing something like this in a national park is the easiest way to get lost, but since she requested secrecy, we didn’t have a choice.
After walking for about ten minutes, we reached a clearing deep in the forest, completely cut off from the tourist area, and unpacked our bags.

Though calling it “luggage” was a stretch—just some water, towels, and a change of clothes stuffed into a travel backpack.
I swung my bag off and rotated my now-lighter shoulders, slowly walking to the center of the clearing. Li Mei Ling, dressed in clothes as easy to move in as mine, stood across from me and said,
“Then, let’s begin the transmission of the secret technique.”

“Yes.”
Seeing the unusually serious look on her face, I tensed and looked at her.
She stood on her tiptoes and drew a circle around herself with her foot.

“The Heaven-Crushing Six-Harmonies Grand Bajiquan I learned is a unique martial art invented in his youth by my master, known in the world as the ‘Undefeated East.’ It’s a practical style that combines the best elements of Xinyi Liuhe Quan, Bajiquan, and countless other Chinese martial arts. Because the movements look almost like dancing, it’s also called the Heaven-Crushing Dance.”
“Heaven-Crushing Dance!”
It sounded like the name of some ultimate martial art straight out of a wuxia novel.

Eventually, the drawing she completed wasn’t just a circle.
It was the shape known as Eight Trigrams, used in our own country’s Taegukgi flag.
“And the core principle of Bajiquan is this Eight Trigrams. These lines represent eight forms of nature. If we go deeper, it gets pretty profound, but since you’re only going to scratch the surface anyway, I’ll give ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) you the short version.”

With that, she extended her right arm forward.
“The martial principle behind the Mangho Gwanchang technique you’ll learn comes from Li and Sun. In other words, you must strike fiercely like fire and swiftly like wind.”
“Fiercely like fire, swiftly like wind?”

What kind of vague nonsense is this?
“Just now, you thought, ‘What kind of vague nonsense is this?’ didn’t you?”
“No, ma’am.”

“Really?”
“Really.”
I was startled inside, but I kept a poker face.

She still looked at me with suspicion, but perhaps because there wasn’t time to explain everything, she let it slide.
“Anyway, that’s as much advice as I can give. Now that you’ve mastered Jin’gak and Chongchui, it’s important you figure out how to use them on your own. You already have all the necessary conditions.”
As I listened, I slowly clenched and unclenched my fists.

I had the faint sense that I was starting to understand… maybe.
Honestly, I wished she’d just give me a straight answer, but I figured she had her reasons for holding back.
“So then, am I just supposed to practice alone again today?”

Li Mei Ling shook her head.
“No, today I’ll spar with you.”
“…Sorry, what?”

Surprised by her sudden declaration, I looked at her.
But she didn’t seem to be joking.
“To inherit our sect’s secret technique, enlightenment is crucial. And to reach enlightenment, putting your body under extreme stress is the best way.”

“You said you’re only the second generation.”
“…This is how I learned.”
In other words, shut up and fight.

Unlike the bout I had at Yaguchi’s dojo the other day, her demeanor had completely changed, and I swallowed nervously.
This is the presence of a top-tier martial artist…
It couldn’t compare to the overwhelming pressure I felt when I first fought Ivan, but still, the sincerity she exuded was that of a true master.

With how I am now, I probably can’t beat her.
But just because I can’t win doesn’t mean I’d give up.
After all, I came here seeking to learn.

I slowly shifted my stance.
It was the same preparatory stance she showed me before.
One hand resting loosely at the waist, the other extended in front of the chest.

Different from the boxing or combat sambo stances I often copied.
At last, the two of us began the fight in perfectly mirrored stances.
“Half-step Bengquan—strike across the world.”

Pang!!
It happened in an instant.
Before I could even react, she closed the distance and, right in front of me, stomped with Jin’gak and delivered a spinning punch into my gut.

Unlike before, even though I had qi circulating through my whole body, I was blown back like a lie.
A sharp pain radiated from the gut where I’d been hit.
Logically speaking, it made no sense.

“With just a half-step Bengquan, one can conquer the world.”
With one hand behind her back, she motioned me forward with her palm.
“I won’t use a knifehand. If I mess up, you might die.”

Then she added with a provocative smile,
“So come at me like your life depends on it.”
I clenched my teeth and charged at her.

***
A thick pine tree fell backward, split by the edge of my hand.
Thunk!

Our endless spar, which began at 11 a.m., finally ended at 7 p.m.
In the life-or-death extremity of combat, I had finally learned Mangho Gwanchang, the secret of the Heaven-Crushing Dance that she had mastered.
Even though we were on a plateau 800 meters above sea level, where cool winds blew even in midsummer, by the time the technique transmission was over, we were both drenched in sweat.

I was the one who got beaten down the whole time, but judging from her fatigue, using such large techniques repeatedly had taken a toll on her too.
Covered in sweat from head to toe, we returned to the station where we’d arrived that morning.
It was late, but we still intended to head back to Tokyo.

But what we heard at the ticket booth in front of the station was nothing short of shocking.
“The last train’s long gone. There are only two trains to Tokyo a day. You should’ve come earlier.”
“…Excuse me?”

Just like that, we were stuck spending the night at Mt. Fuji.
Just the two of us—an adult man and woman.