“Just call me Unknown. It’s perfect for an old man suffering in his later years due to disciples who lack insight.”
With that simple title sorted out, Unknown immediately began training me.
“Your legs need some recovery, so let’s start by fixing that upper body and your brain.”
He said this while strapping weights to my arms and waist.
“…May I ask how much this weighs, Unknown Elder?”
Bam!
A spark flew right onto my forehead.
“Tsk, tsk. Your brain must be rotten. Why? Are you trying to set a limit in your head by knowing the weight? If it’s ten pounds, can you overcome it, and if it’s fifty, does that mean you can’t?”
“Well, that’s not…!”
“Shut up. There’s a pull-up bar outside, so go hang from it quickly!”
Hanging from the pull-up bar with what looked like at least twenty pounds strapped to me already made my shoulders sore.
While doing pull-ups, my master’s nagging continued.
“You’re imbalanced when it comes to the harmony of your form, qi, and spirit. Talking about physical training is one thing, but your mental training is just a total mess!”
To be honest, I had no idea what Unknown Elder meant by “mental training.”
I had only ever understood this martial world through a monitor. All I knew were the numbers and letters that appeared on the screen. I realized there were countless things beyond what I knew when I learned about sword aura, but…
I merely accepted the unknown and acknowledged my ignorance.
I looked at Unknown in front of me.
If I was a veteran who conquered the martial world game, this person could be considered a veteran who conquered martial arts itself.
Indeed, Unknown might be able to teach me about that unknown domain.
With trembling arms doing the pull-ups, I asked, “So how do I train my spirit?”
“The method of training the spirit isn’t much different from training the form. The right path is to not shy away from the hardships and to make efforts. However, your current state requires a foundation first.”
“Then how can I build that foundation?”
“Of course, the foundation of the form is physical strength. So what do you think the foundation of the spirit is?”
“Is it mental strength?”
“It’s resilience.”
Huh? What?
Caught off guard by the unexpected response, I inadvertently stopped my pull-ups and looked at Unknown.
“Hmm.”
Of course, I started moving my arms immediately out of fear.
“Gooorrrk! Wait, you mean the foundation of the spirit is resilience?”
“That’s right. The body has material limitations, but the spirit does not. As long as you can endure, the spirit can expand infinitely.”
This doesn’t sound good at all.
Sitting back with a chuckle, Master said, “So I’ll personally beat your spirit to widen your horizons.”
“….Master, what exactly does that mean…?”
“Everything that’s possible!”
Unknown cut off my words.
“Let’s start by developing a spirit that doesn’t succumb to the pain of the body right now!”
Oh.
I think I’m starting to understand why that guy ran away after burying the secret text.
“Move quickly. There’s a mountain of upper body exercises to complete before lunch!”
My master seems to truly be a crazy guy.
*
Ho Cheon-an and his group looked at Unknown, rolling Ho Cheon-an with a peculiar expression.
There were many urgent matters they needed to handle.
Hyeok Gi-rin was in contact with Jeokgwi Daebyeol and had to proceed with follow-up actions related to Odokmun, while the Black Cat needed to figure out where the surveillance net on Jeong Cheol had broken and gather information related to Sadoryeon to predict how Jeong Cheol would react to this incident.
But oddly enough, Unknown was busy rolling Ho Cheon-an!
Consequently, the group found themselves stuck, unable to proceed in any direction.
They appreciated Unknown for treating and healing their internal injuries but found it difficult to say they were busy and would leave, and even leaving Ho Cheon-an behind felt challenging given the urgency of the situation.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, they watched Ho Cheon-an being rolled around with inscrutable expressions.
“Let’s eat something.”
With Unknown’s words marking the end of Ho Cheon-an’s hellish morning training.
Thud!
Ho Cheon-an, who had been pushed hard in just the upper body due to his injured legs, collapsed and lay still.
Looking at him, Unknown muttered, “He’s dead.”
‘…Dead!?’
The whole group was taken aback, looking at Unknown, who simply tossed Ho Cheon-an onto the floor and turned to the others.
“Aren’t you hungry? If you have any favorite food, just say it. I can take care of it all.”
Unlike with Ho Cheon-an, Unknown’s voice was warm and inviting, prompting awkward smiles from everyone.
Hyeok Gi-rin, who was the most sociable, wanted to break the tension and spoke up.
“No, we should humbly prepare a modest meal for you, if you’ll permit us. If that’s alright, may we use the kitchen?”
“Ho ho, that’s quite thoughtful! Of course, it’s only right for a host to treat their guest, so don’t hesitate to speak!”
“Due to years of travel, I’ve grown accustomed to accepting whatever food is offered. I’m just grateful for a meal.”
With continuous chuckles, Unknown nodded and entered the kitchen. As he left, Tang So-yeol sighed and opened her mouth.
“What will everyone do moving forward?”
“Hmm…”
The group hesitated to respond, recalling the abilities Unknown had shown. It was quite a distance from the kitchen, but Unknown would surely be able to hear them.
“There are indeed many tasks we must handle.”
“We also need to recover the Bicheongmacha, which is concerning.”
“If contact is cut off, there are people who will cause a ruckus.”
If they continued to avoid contacting Jeokgwi Daebyeol, who knows what trouble Hyeok Cheon-ru would stir up, claiming that the princess had gone missing?
As the group pondered this, a delicious scent wafted through their noses.
“Hm…?”
“What is that smell…?”
Tang Do-yeon unconsciously tilted her head up, taking a whiff. What was this smell? She didn’t know what it was, but it definitely smelled delicious.
Gulp.
Everyone swallowed their saliva in unison, their eyes drawn naturally toward the kitchen.
“Alright, alright, there’s not much prepared, but everyone, eat up!”
The group’s eyes widened at the table filled with food. Each dish looked amazing, not just from the aroma, but they could tell just by looking that they would taste great!
As Unknown picked up chopsticks, everyone rushed to stuff their mouths.
‘Delicious…!’
Hyeok Gi-rin’s eyes widened at the explosion of flavor in the fried rice. The aroma of green onions blended in the oil cut through the richness while providing a delicate sharpness to the taste. The rice, perfectly wrapped in that blend.
The egg providing a fluffy texture and even though dried meat was used, the savory flavor was still intact.
Even Hyeok Gi-rin, who had tasted every dish imaginable in the royal palace, couldn’t help but exclaim over the flavor of the food!
From the use of various sauces adding splendid taste to the simply fried vegetables, not one dish was lacking, each boasting their unique flavors, and the group ate mindlessly.
“Ho ho, it’s nice to see you all enjoy yourselves.”
“Hmm, hmm…”
“Unknown Elder’s skills are truly extraordinary…”
When they finally snapped out of it, the entire table was cleared to the point that it felt like it could break. Flushing with embarrassment over showing such a gluttonous side in front of someone they had just met, they lowered their heads.
Unknown watched them with a hearty laugh before bringing up the main topic.
“Now that we’re all full, let’s talk a bit.”
The group exchanged glances, excluding Ho Cheon-an.
“I’ve put that brat to sleep so you can make decisions without feeling burdened.”
“…Without feeling burdened, you say?”
“Do you know about the Array Formation here?”
The group nodded.
“Then things will go quickly. For me to remain here, maintaining the Array Formation is essential. However, the defenses here have fundamental issues.”
“If we open the stone gate, this place will be exposed, and if we close it, we won’t be able to know who attacks it, right?”
At Tang So-yeol’s point, Unknown nodded.
“Precisely. Therefore, I intend to deploy an Array Formation to defend the stone gate. An Array that completely seals off this place from the outside.”
‘Array Formation.’
The Black Cat thought it was a reasonable judgment. Surely, Jeong Cheol wouldn’t just sit still, so there was a possibility he would try to uncover the secret of the Array Formation laid here.
If the place had structural issues, blocking it off with an Array would indeed be better.
Unknown continued.
“The Array Formation I intend to deploy is a fully solid Array that I can guarantee nobody can easily invade. However, once it’s set up, unless it’s removed from inside, nobody can enter. In other words, for those who wish to stay with that brat, it means you’ll have to remain here until his training is complete.”
“Hmm.”
“Once you enter the Array, you might end up being trapped for years without end, so think carefully. I might allow some martial arts practice here and there, but I will never entertain requests to open the Array midway.”
It was certainly a difficult decision to make, especially for those directly involved.
“Details regarding the Array Formation will be discussed after that brat wakes up, so for now, I’m just letting you know to think it over.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Ho ho, yes. Take your time deciding.”
As Unknown walked away, Tang So-yeol turned back to the group with an intrigued expression.
The trio of the Black Cat, Miss Yeo Il-ye, and Hyeok Gi-rin held a very peculiar air!
Miss Yeo Il-ye glanced at Hyeok Gi-rin, contemplating.
‘So… the stage is set.’
It truly was a big deal if Hyeok Gi-rin had feelings for Ho Cheon-an. Since Hyeok Gi-rin joined, she had been brooding over this question without arriving at a conclusion.
Maybe it was better to find out about Hyeok Gi-rin’s feelings this time! If the princess, who had been captured for years, stays put in the Array, it would be a significant burden. There had to be a strong reason for remaining despite that burden…
*Cough*, “Big Brother, what do you think we should do? Staying might be somewhat burdensome, wouldn’t it?”
Please, just say you want to leave.
While all sorts of thoughts cluttered Hyeok Gi-rin’s mind, he couldn’t catch onto Miss Yeo Il-ye’s earnest wish and casually replied.
“I should stay as long as I can handle the matter. I can’t just leave Ho Cheon-an as he is, and this is an opportunity to learn from a Qi Person.”
“T-That so…”
Miss Yeo Il-ye’s eyes widened, thrown into a shock. Hyeok Gi-rin, lost in thought, completely missed her reaction, while the others looked on with sparkling eyes.
‘Yikes.’
Seeing the group, the Black Cat sighed and clapped to gather everyone’s attention.
“Guys, it’s alright to make a decision after we see exactly how the Array will be formed! So let’s just watch for now!”
The group nodded, each holding their own thoughts.
