How I Miss the Freedom of Craziness

"Wrong again! Did you lie about memorizing the path?!"

A fist struck my back as I continued to meditate on the ground. The pain I felt was worse than anything I felt in my previous life, but had somehow become numb compared to the blows I've received in this one.

For the first time in this life, I've had time to ponder at my best. Internal energy, when not corrupted by the ways of martial arts, is a tool to help the body. 

Pain, when supplemented with thought, often spurs the best ideas of the century. 

So with uncorrupted qi, and endless pain from the oaf I call father, my mind is finally capable of thinking.

'Why is it that martial arts, a way of protecting oneself, was brought down to being a petty way of dividing people?'

"You little shit, are you even listening to what I'm saying! Fix it before I fix it for you!"

'Why did something as pure as internal energy, a way of bringing people together, get diluted with toxicity like martial arts and greed?'

"That's it, I give up trying to teach you. Have fun going through Qi Deviation."

"That's what I'm trying to achieve here."

Oops, I let my thoughts slip again.

"You stupid little shit!"

Thwack!

Punched in the head again, I fell face first into the dirt.

Despite literally eating dirt, I felt ease within myself. Circulating my qi while suffering is the best way to think after all.

Without even spitting the dirt out of my mouth, I sat up to my original position to continue circulating my qi.

Despite what that oaf was saying, I was following the path he had shown me. Although he wasn't too happy that I was performing it perfectly from the start, hence why he's punching me so often.

"Damn it, why are monsters always so stubborn? Brat, quit circulating your qi for now and bring out that sword you used a while back."

'You think I can do that in my current state? The Sword Will is there, but it's become rusted and dull since I haven't used it.'

I thought, spitting out dirt and standing up. His punches hurt, and thinking is good; but too much pain isn't very good for my body.

"Have I raised a mute? Where's that snappy comeback you had moments ago? C'mon, bring out that sword!"

'Should I try to hide it? Make it seem like I can't use it? Or should I just use it and get it over with?'

The former is always the best.

I replied with a confused tone,

"What do you mean, father?"

"Bullshit! I know you're hiding it, I've seen the marks in your room. We don't have any swords in this house, yet there are sword marks all over the walls of your room. Bring it out, now!"

Damn oaf, always intruding on my privacy. I lied earlier, I had been practicing the Unified Sword the past few years. Like hell would I let my best weapon get dull just because I would be forced to learn martial arts a few years later.

Harmonizing the Two Wills, Sword and Human, a small sword began to materialize in my hands from the grip upward.

The Oaf unveiled a devious grin as the sword finished materializing, despite the sword being nigh invisible, it felt like he could see it.

"There's that sword, how does a kid, barely even 10 years of age, figure out how to use Sword Unification?"

"..."

I refuse to respond.

Giving out your secrets in Murim, even to your family, can lead to your downfall.

"What, lost your tongue again?"

"I won't tell you."

Since the Oaf knows about sword unification, he most likely can use it for himself as well. He's had ten years to figure out how to after seeing me use it at such a young age.

I fortified my Unified Sword, pouring more Human and Sword Will into its edges.

However,

That Oaf started laughing.

"Hahahaha!"

He's not the crazy one, so why is he laughing?

Seeing no reason not to, I joined him.

But maybe it was because I'd known about Sword Unification for longer than he had. Or maybe it was because of that weird elixir I took in my previous life, which had settled firmly in the center of my dantian.

But I felt something with Will imbued in it coming.

Heiiiiik!

An invisible force hailed down from above, without much time to react I used my Unified Sword to block the force.

As the two stopped each other in their tracks, I could feel the shape of the invisible force.

An axe.

The Human Will, the force behind a Unified Sword's strength. The Sword Will, the shape and balance of a Unified Sword's composition. While one is interchangeable, the other is not.

"So you can sense them too! Such a weird but powerful monster I've raised!"

My feet dug deep into the ground and my hands were burning red from the amount of force my Unified Sword was exerting on them.

The Axe Will that enveloped the Unified Axe pressing down on my Unified Sword was far stronger than my current Sword Will. And the Human Will from a martial artist at the pinnacle of internal energy was enough to make my nose bleed.

I could feel with each passing second the strain my Human Will was receiving, if I didn't free myself soon I'd lose a limb.

Forcing qi down from my dantian into my legs, I leapt out from the hole I had dug myself into. Leaving behind my Unified Sword to take the brunt of the Unified Axe pressing down on it.

Thud!

The ground shook from the impact of the Unified Axe destroying my sword, so much Sword and Human Will was wasted because that oaf wanted to play around…

"Good instincts too! I shouldn't even let you into the world, if I did, you'd be an outcast in mere seconds!"

Should I get a little revenge for the stupidity he's putting me through? Of course I should, he's too caught up in being a proud father.

As Lee Seok began laughing for the second time, I began my assault.

Charging him without giving him a chance to respond, that was the tactic I would employ.

Just before I reached him, I brought out the remaining of the Two Wills left in my body. Only being enough to form a small dagger, I poured all my strength into my arms and thrust the dagger toward that oaf.

It's often I wonder why I was crazy.

If it was only the voices in my head that made me crazy, am I still the Crazed Unifier?

I guess I never was truly crazy…

The moment I thought the dagger pierced Lee Seok's chest, I felt an extreme amount of resistance. And only the bellows of that oaf followed.

Instead of dodging, instead of blocking, instead of stopping me with qi, Lee Seok did the unimaginable.

He used his arm to stop my dagger.

Only then it dawned on me, that I never was truly crazy…

Only imitating what I thought was crazy.

True craziness, is Lee Seok…