However, there were several other aspects to consider.
Master Un-jong had just ascended the Hyeong-gyeong yesterday. It was unreasonable to say he had fully adapted to the realm of Hyeong-gyeong. If it were a proper Hyeong-gyeong, the results could have been different.
It seemed that before a master of Hyeong-gyeong, I had to stay silent like a mouse.
“Yeah. It’s a real eye-opener, isn’t it? Thank you for enlightening me that merely reaching Hyeong-gyeong isn’t the end.”
“No, it’s my honor to participate in the game, even in this modest manner. Where else would I get to gamble with a master of Hyeong-gyeong?”
“Hahaha.”
I realized something anew: in this Martial World, having high martial arts prowess is truly king. Just by observing, one can anticipate another’s intentions—what a ridiculous ability! It’s no wonder martial artists fall into the belief that martial arts can do everything.
“Now that I’ve learned a thing or two, I’ll make sure to teach you diligently this afternoon.”
“Yes, I look forward to it.”
In any case, confirming Master Un-jong’s abilities was motivating for me as well. Understanding someone’s heart is inevitably a source of motivation. Additionally, the fact that such a master of Hyeong-gyeong would teach me was another significant motivator.
I had a feeling that today’s afternoon training would go exceptionally well.
* *
Lunchtime.
Lately, the Jeomchang faction’s masters had been quite busy. On top of their regular workloads, they had to take turns observing Ho Cheon-an’s martial arts, commit half a day to learning craftsmanship, and keep an eye on the children, which was the root cause of their increased busyness.
For the masters who often replaced meals with tea, lunchtime was a moment of mental relaxation, chatting with fellow masters about various topics.
Today’s theme was news about Miss Yeo Il-ye, which had reached them after a long time.
“I hear that the guy known as Bandit Wolya-do has been disabled.”
“Hoo, Il-ye seems to be managing well enough on her own.”
To the masters, Yeo Il-ye was a sensitive subject. It was a matter to be glad about that she had escaped the chain of hatred, but during that process, she lost her sight and was still navigating the treacherous Martial World to settle old resentments, so they couldn’t rejoice entirely.
They could only sigh in relief at the news that she was doing well.
“The Outcast’s Helper seems to have deep connections with Jeomchang.”
“It must be the Holy One’s caring.”
After briefly discussing Yeo Il-ye’s whereabouts, the masters naturally shifted their focus to Ho Cheon-an, specifically his hand technique classes.
“Learning something new at this age feels like torture!”
“I really didn’t get it when it was just theory, but now that we’re doing practicals, it’s somewhat better.”
The masters complained about Ho Cheon-an’s gambling techniques, but their faces revealed a sense of pride. By showcasing various tricks and getting closer to the children, the kids also started to warm up to the masters.
The children, who used to freeze in place whenever a master approached, now interacted naturally. They shared their daily lives in detail and hesitantly sought advice on their worries and thoughts.
They felt the reward of learning something new at an old age.
“Still, it seems the teaching methods have changed to something more understandable lately.”
“One learns by doing as a martial artist.”
Having spent their lives wielding swords, the masters retained more from a single practice than from lengthy theories.
Ho Cheon-an realized this as well and gradually shifted towards practical-oriented teaching, which reduced the burden on the masters.
“It’s definitely a sad physical condition.”
“Considering how your body is finding its balance, it’s usable. But controlling Qi is…”
The conversation returned to Ho Cheon-an’s classes, his martial arts achievements, and how diligently he conveyed his hand skills. The masters also wanted to resolve Ho Cheon-an’s issues but found no sharp solutions.
“You all.”
When Master Un-jong spoke, the other masters focused their attention on him.
“May I have your attention for a moment?”
While it was an unexpected comment from Master Un-jong, the other masters nodded. This was a discussion led by a master of a higher caliber regarding martial arts.
“The Outcast’s Helper’s martial arts achievements are at a level that no one can guarantee.”
“Um… that’s true.”
Difficulty in mastering Qi stemmed from inherent issues related to one’s physical condition, so there wasn’t much the masters could do about it. However, it was equally true that, given the current state, achievements were a distant prospect.
“So I think a decision needs to be made. At this rate, when will any achievement be made or when will the Jeomchang faction part ways? It’s like waiting indefinitely. Extraordinary measures are needed.”
“…Un-jong, what do you mean by that?”
The expressions of the masters grew serious at his alarming words. Master Un-jong slowly opened his mouth after observing their faces.
The expressions of the masters listening to Master Un-jong’s words were rigid.
“Do you think… this is the right method?”
“It’s a path for everyone. If one person sacrifices, everything will become tidy.”
While the masters remained silent, Un-jong rose from his seat.
“If it’s a long-term solution, I hope you understand. I’ll handle everything, so don’t worry.”
“Um….”
Master Yeong-yul stared at the retreating figure of Master Un-jong, a mix of emotions etched on his face.
“Primordial Heavenly Lord.”
* *
“Senior, I’m off!”
“Oh, okay. Eat lots of delicious food!”
The Black Cat, along with Hyeok Gi-rin, was heading down the mountain, saying all the rice cakes were gone. Hyeok Gi-rin also appeared slightly excited about this rare outing. It was almost three weeks since she had been living with Jeomchang. Despite her bag being stuffed with rice cakes, it seemed they had already run out due to sharing with the adorable kids and Hyeok Gi-rin.
The children received the rice cakes with quite puzzled expressions, but the Black Cat seemed thrilled just by that. While rice cakes aren’t awful, they’re not necessarily the kids’ preferred taste. Considering the kids’ nuanced expressions while chewing, one might think they accepted them just out of fondness for the Black Cat.
In any case, it might indicate that the Black Cat’s socialization skills had developed since she was sharing the rice cakes that she used to eat alone.
Well, setting aside this unnecessary analysis, both the Black Cat and Hyeok Gi-rin needed a break. They had diligently trained in martial arts for three weeks straight, so taking a few days to rest was reasonable.
“Phew.”
The Black Cat had been growing by leaps and bounds. When we discussed her earlier, Master Un-jong mentioned that she seemed close to entering the Peak Stage…
On the other hand, my own progress was stagnant. Daily balancing my body through exercises like the Dragon Split and such had shown results. When I practiced the Myungwol Sword Technique, Half-Yugok Sword, and One Thousand Sword Techniques for cooldowns, I could execute the basics much more stably.
However, my Qi manipulation wasn’t progressing much at all.
While my understanding of the mysteries the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword spoke about had improved, I had reached a level where I could provide some answers in discourse with the masters.
Though I was capable of picturing the flow of Qi in my head, the moment I tried to manifest that in techniques, chaos ensued.
I had mastered all twelve forms of the First Swing of the Azure Cloud Sword, but the symptoms of having my power and speed control drastically wavering when trying to consecutively yield the mysteries still persisted.
Since I hadn’t seen any progress, I didn’t even think about resting. It wasn’t like I was overworking my body or mind to the point of harm, so I decided to keep pushing myself.
“Outcast-nim. You were here?”
“Oh, what brings you here?”
I encountered Chang-min on the way down as I saw the two off.
“The masters have requested that I escort you.”
“Hmm?”
“You should move out as we have to go to the mountainside of Unjeong-bong.”
It was an unexpected mountain hike, but I nodded nonetheless. The masters had been providing various variations for my martial arts achievements lately. Thinking back, I’d never trained in a place full of energy like the mountains, so it might be effective.
Chang-min lightly spread his Qi technique, and I followed suit behind him.
“You’ve managed to balance your body quite well. Compared to how you were just arriving at Jeomchang, you’ve made considerable progress.”
“Well, I had to develop somehow.”
“Then I’ll increase the speed a bit.”
“Hey, hey! Slow down a bit!”
Chang-min was set to be one of the next Ten Prodigies, possessing enough talent to earn such a title. Though he was younger than I was, in terms of overall capability, he was several levels above me. Despite rushing through the rugged mountain path, he maintained a stable posture as if his feet were glued to the ground.
Meanwhile, I was just trying to hop along in pursuit of Chang-min.
After around an hour of climbing in silence, Chang-min came to a stop.
“Whew, whew… is this it?”
A flatland in the mountains, the scene was picturesque enough for any Qi Person to carve out a cabin and live comfortably.
It felt like training in a place like this could yield better results. As I was looking around, wiping off my sweat and catching my breath, a sudden question arose.
“When will the master arrive?”
“He won’t.”
“What? Today’s self-study?”
Wait, these masters… after putting in all that effort to teach me tricks… now say today’s class is self-study? Isn’t that educational neglect?!
Thinking this, I turned my body around.
I spotted Chang-min drawing his sword.
Swooosh.
Without thinking, I instinctively drew my own sword and assumed a defensive stance, the Half-Yugok Sword technique.
“…What’s going on?”
“Oh, I thought you were an empty noodle… but you’re still the Sacheon Outcast, huh?”
Killing intent.
The killing intent oozed from Chang-min’s eyes and the tip of his sword.
Thus, I instinctively drew my sword and took a defensive posture. It must be an instinct honed through living as an outlaw.
“Do the masters know you’re doing this?”
“They probably don’t. But Outcast-nim, Jeomchang isn’t just the domain of the masters, is it?”
What could this mean? No, that wasn’t important right now. The killing intent from Chang-min was too thick and sticky to be mere theatrics.
“Stop it, kid. It’s true that my martial arts level is inferior to yours, but have you ever killed someone? Just back off now.”
“Not to boast, but I can kill… just about. At least I have enough experience to take a life without hesitation.”
“…Why are you doing this? Is this your own decision?”
“It may be a personal decision, or it may not.”
Chang-min continued calmly.
“Outcast-nim, you should have played your cards right.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Leaving aside others, I’ve had a bit of a connection with you. Hand skills? Quite exceptional. But you aren’t the kind of person who can enlighten Miss Yeo Il-ye or Master Un-jong. No matter how I think about it, it just isn’t you.”
“That was just luck…!”
“Yes, it must have been luck. Of course, it was luck. But… if you grab a stroke of fortune, you should play it wisely instead of placing unreasonable conditions that obstruct Jeomchang’s path.”
A crooked smile appeared on Chang-min’s face.
“You’re enjoying the title of benefactor to Jeomchang, aren’t you? One could say that’s quite shameless of you. You, as the Sacheon Outcast, witnessed the incident in Sacheon, didn’t you? You saw how Jeomchang was close to facing a crisis, didn’t you? Had it not been for Master Yeo Il-ye and Sacheon Governor implementing justice, our Jeomchang might have been completely ousted from the power dynamics of Sacheon.”
“….”
I couldn’t respond. Or rather, I couldn’t find the words to express my feelings.
Chang-min’s killing intent was sharpening and honing. It was fierce enough to make me wonder if he could slice through me with Jeomchang’s signature Four-Finger Saber Technique in a moment’s distraction.
This was a level of intensity that was hard to believe was coming from a sect disciple. Could this guy have his own backstory too? This was getting maddening.
“Is that all? A scandal had arisen when the merchants of Sacheon talked ill of Miss Yeo Il-ye. And then, Big Brother Hyeok Gi-rin went one by one to persuade those merchants and bowed his head, right? Hearing that made me feel outrage.”
Chang-min adjusted his posture. He lowered his stance and pulled his sword to hold it horizontally in front of his chest. The stance of the Four-Finger Saber Technique seemed poised to thrust out at any moment.
“If Master Un-jong’s ascension to Hyeong-gyeong spreads through the Central Plains, the perspectives people hold towards Jeomchang will change. It could break free from the stigma of barely scraping by among the Nine Great Sects and propel towards becoming the greatest sect in the world.”
“Yet, as time passed, the main sect hasn’t made a mention of Master Un-jong’s ascension to Hyeong-gyeong. They’re merely immersed in training you. Observing them, I realized… it’s because of you that Master Un-jong hasn’t announced his ascension.”
The tips of Chang-min’s feet began to move. I unleashed all my strength and deployed the Floating Feather Technique to escape that spot.
Wham!
The sound of air slicing resonated, and I felt a sharp prick on my neck.
“Whew!”
I managed to catch my breath just in time. The blade hadn’t touched me, but the sharp gust from it whisked past my neck.
It was a close shave that barely spared my life.
“The masters won’t come here. All they know is that Outcast-nim went down the mountain with Miss Yeo Il-ye and Hyeok Gi-rin. Other disciples will probably create enough work to keep the masters too busy to notice.”
Chang-min said calmly.
“So just die quietly.”
Chang-min’s sword shot like an arrow.
