It Wasn’t a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 91: Closed-Door Training (2)

“It’s so damn noisy, can’t you just get lost?”

I decided to hold back my surprise for a moment and observe the situation.

As Lü Bu, looking bored, picked her ear and spoke, the bandits began laughing crudely, pulling out their axes and swords.

“And who the hell are you? Judging by your looks, you seem like some beggar woman.”

“Well, isn’t this a lucky find, like a rice cake rolling in!”

“Yeah, that’s right. Hey there, woman, don’t waste your strength and just drop your weapon already. We’re a bit busy, you see.”

“Damn it.”

– Boom!

As Lü Bu slammed the ground with her halberd, the surrounding trees shook slightly.

“I don’t care what kind of nonsense you guys are up to, but don’t make noise in front of me.”

“Oh?”

The man who had been speaking rudely stroked his chin, finding Lü Bu amusing as he approached.

Behind him, I could see a woman still crying, her hair clutched in his grasp.

I clenched my fist.

It was a kind of anger directed at myself for not stepping in directly.

“You’re a bold woman, aren’t you? How about showing us that pretty face of yours?”

Just as Lü Bu was about to lift the veil that covered her face—

“…?”

Before I knew it, the arm of the man who had been reaching toward Lü Bu had rolled onto the ground.

“…Aaaaah! Damn it!”

“What a damn bother. Why am I even doing this…?”

“You crazy bitch…! How dare you, how dare you…!”

It was at that moment.

The man raised his arm.

I couldn’t help but gape at the sight that unfolded before my eyes.

I could see it.

I could see where his energy was aimed and where his movements would lead.

It wasn’t just predicting his movements. It felt almost like I could see the future.

He was about to swing his axe at Lü Bu’s right side, and in response, Lü Bu would strike upwards with her halberd from his groin, slicing him in half.

– Swoosh!

And my prediction became reality.

The man was cleaved in two by Lü Bu and collapsed on the spot.

“Brotherrrrr!”

A loud voice pierced my ears.

But there was no time to care about that.

The more I focused my gaze, the clearer I could see not just the energy of the bandits, but also Lü Bu’s energy.

Eventually, a sharp pain gathered around my eyes.

I couldn’t help but let out a small groan, “Gah!”

The bandits’ gazes turned toward me.

A brief moment of silence.

Perhaps because I appeared as nothing more than a feeble patient barely able to support himself and had emerged from the spot where Lü Bu made her entrance, the bandits seemed to think I was her weak point.

“…You crazy bastard! Why’d you crawl out here…!”

As Lü Bu looked at me in shock, two of the remaining four bandits charged at her, while the other two rushed at me.

Lü Bu easily dealt with the two coming at her but couldn’t handle the other two.

“Run!”

I heard Lü Bu’s shout as the two bandits simultaneously lunged at me, trying to tie me down.

If I got caught, I’d cause an unbelievable amount of trouble.

Then.

‘That is…’

I could see 81 points where energy was concentrated.

With trembling fingers, I reached out and touched one of them.

“Ugh…?!”

When I jabbed a bandit’s shoulder, he clutched his arm and tumbled down.

Immediately, the other bandit sensed something was wrong and tried to swing his sword at me.

I’d heard of it before. Every pressure point has a designated role, like pathways.

They enable voices, allow bodies to move, and even life and death are determined by these pathways, called acupoints.

I struck an acupoint located 3 cm above the center of his chest.

My trembling fingers pressed into his chest, and though he smirked viciously at first, he quickly found himself unable to control his own body and slumped to the ground.

“…W-What the hell?”

He looked utterly confused.

Judging by his face, he was trying desperately to move his body, but it wasn’t responding.

“…Hey, can’t you really not move?”

“What the hell did you do to my body?!”

Geez, why is he answering a question with another question?

I’m just as baffled right now.

“Hey, answer me. Can you really not move?”

“…You cowardly bastard… Did you poison me or something?”

This guy was impossible to communicate with.

I left him alone and spoke to the bandit who was writhing on the ground, clutching his shoulder.

“How about you?”

“…Our Noklimdan leader will never forgive you.”

“Sigh… You’re all useless.”

As I sighed, Lü Bu slung the sobbing, frantic woman over her shoulder and slowly walked toward me.

Then, without hesitation, she swiftly beheaded the two bandits who were still barely clinging to life.

“You piece of shit! Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”

“Yeo.”

“You wanna die for real?”

“…I have nothing to say.”

I really had nothing to say, so I grabbed a stick lying on the ground and used it as a crutch to get myself up.

It was only by gripping the stick with both hands like a cane that I managed to stand completely.

“By the way, is that woman okay?”

“Is this the time to worry about someone else? Why are you getting involved when you’re already half-dead?”

“I swear, I had no intention of getting involved. Even though I’m a fool, I know when to meddle and when not to. I was just observing how things were unfolding… when I saw something strange…”

“Something strange?”

“It’s complicated to explain. More importantly, put that woman down. She’s going to pass out from crying like that.”

The woman, seemingly paralyzed by fear, looked at us as if we were bandits too.

“S-Save me, please!”

“…Phew.”

Lü Bu took a deep breath, then unceremoniously tossed the woman onto the ground.

Considering Lü Bu’s temperament, I thought she had thrown her down rather gently.

Leaning on the stick, I approached the woman.

“Are you alright?”

“Eek!”

“You ungrateful bitch, I saved your life.”

“Yeo, calm down. This is a helpless woman who was captured by those thugs. Do you think she’s in her right mind?”

“…Hmph.”

“Now, don’t mind us and get up quickly. That’s the only way you can get back home.”

“…”

“We mean no harm. Look at me. I can barely hold a sword, can’t you tell?”

“T-Thank you…”

The woman nodded cautiously at my words and tried to stand.

“…Ah!”

She immediately clutched her ankle and fell back on her bottom with a thud.

I bent down and carefully touched her ankle.

“Are you hurt?”

“…Yes, it seems so…”

“Did you really need to touch her?”

Lü Bu always had to nitpick, even over things like this.

Well, she’s always been like that.

Sighing, I focused on the woman’s ankle.

I could feel a faint flow of qi, but there was a clearly blocked area.

With a small tap.

I poked it with my finger.

“Kya?!”

Startled, the woman flinched and jerked her shoulder, and Lü Bu yelled at me.

“You perverted bastard!”

I shrugged my shoulders calmly and spoke to the woman.

“Now try moving.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said, try moving.”

“…Oh, really?”

The woman looked at me with suspicion, but soon covered her mouth with her hands and widened her eyes.

“I-It’s better now.”

“So it is…”

Like the woman, I widened my eyes in surprise. Then I pulled the ragged cloth on my head down further and leaned on my stick.

“Well, off you go. Be more careful when walking through the mountains next time.”

“I don’t know how I can ever repay this kindness…”

“Repay it someday if you must. For now, just take care of yourself.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!”

The woman bowed so deeply it looked like her back would snap.

I chuckled and waved my hand dismissively.

Soon, the woman disappeared into the distance.

I tapped my stick rhythmically on the ground and began walking back toward the house.

“…Did you know how to perform medical techniques too?”

“If I knew, would I be in this condition?”

“Then how… No, come to think of it, those guys were acting strange too. You’re in no shape to even throw a punch, so how did you manage to subdue them?”

“Hmm.”

I stroked my chin and let out a long breath.

“I could see.”

“…See?”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it now.”

“What?”

“More than that, I might really be able to achieve a complete transformation.”

“…I don’t understand. Explain it so I can understand.”

“The day I fell into qi deviation, I reached a level that didn’t suit me. It must be because of that. Yeo, there’s qi flowing in all things. And now, I can see it with my own eyes.”

Lü Bu furrowed her brows, still unable to comprehend.

While the gap between Third-rate and Second-rate might be unclear, the gap between Second-rate and First-rate is vast and indescribable.

First-rate martial artists can wield sword qi.

In other words, only upon reaching the First-rate level does one’s body become capable of accurately utilizing qi.

So, what about the gap between First-rate and Peak?

First-rate can be achieved through hard work, but Peak is a realm that cannot be attained without innate talent.

Even the sword qi that was once so difficult to manifest could be freely drawn once reaching the Peak level.

Simply put, those who reach Peak can manipulate qi in a way fundamentally different from Third-rate, Second-rate, and First-rate practitioners.

To achieve this, one must first have an accurate understanding of their own inner qi and the qi embedded in all things.

Exactly.

I have forcibly set foot into the Peak level.

Thanks to that, I can freely see the qi of those whose levels are significantly lower than mine.

Now, I can precisely identify which of my blocked meridians are damaged.

I might even be able to perform self-healing by pressing the right points.

I stared intently at Lü Bu.

“…W-What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

Lü Bu stiffened, standing awkwardly, but I couldn’t care less.

As expected, even someone like Lü Bu couldn’t see it unconsciously.

And it’s not like concentrating would make it any clearer.

But more than that, did qi truly exist in this world?

It felt as if a long-standing knot inside me had suddenly unraveled.

“We should head inside and talk. Let’s discuss this in more detail inside.”

“…Yeah, sure.”

I walked slowly, leaning on my stick.

However, Lü Bu, who should have been ahead, was nowhere to be seen.

I sighed and looked back.

“Hey, why are you frozen like that? What are you doing moving slower than a patient?”

“I-I’m coming! I said I’m coming! Stop rushing me, damn it…”

Tsk tsk, I clicked my tongue and leaned on the stick again.

From behind, I could hear her muttering, “Damn it, why is my chest…,” or something along those lines.

Honestly, for someone who seemed tough, she sure was noisy to be around.