Ho Cheon-an greeted a refreshing morning after a long time.
It was a fatigue he hadn’t felt in ages. A nice dinner with Nab-in, a good night’s sleep, and the satisfaction of having cleaned up the remnants of the Blood Sect from the Martial World.
With all these pleasant events, it was only natural that Ho Cheon-an’s mood was good.
And with that good feeling, Ho Cheon-an quickly prepared porridge for breakfast.
“Teach me martial arts!”
“Martial arts?”
Ho Cheon-an couldn’t help but show a baffled expression at Nab-in’s request.
“Hmm. All of a sudden?”
Ho Cheon-an’s words weren’t just for show.
He was known as the Thunder Name Zhonja and had immense fame throughout the Martial World. If someone got the chance to learn martial arts from a figure with such renown, even those without a desire for martial arts would suddenly find that desire blooming.
However, for the past two weeks, Nab-in had only been focused on eating, sleeping, and playing, with absolutely no interest in martial arts.
Therefore, Ho Cheon-an had been planning to postpone teaching martial arts to Nab-in for as long as possible…
“Yes!”
Nab-in suddenly became eager about martial arts.
“Hmm.”
Ho Cheon-an looked at Nab-in with a complicated gaze.
In fact, if Nab-in were an average martial artist, it wouldn’t even be worth considering. The sooner they began training, the younger they could start learning martial arts, allowing them to reach a higher level.
However, Ho Cheon-an had no desire or compulsion to start training immediately. Rather, he felt a burden in teaching martial arts to young Nab-in.
The reason was that most of the nurturing knowledge in Ho Cheon-an’s head was geared towards a starting point of 15 years old in the game world of the Martial Realm.
While it was possible to take on disciples starting from a younger age in the game, the point at which one could properly train a disciple began at 15. They could take in younger disciples, but it would only enable basic intervention, which couldn’t be called training at all.
For Ho Cheon-an, teaching martial arts to young Nab-in felt like an encounter with the unknown.
In an instant, his head became a whirlwind of confusion.
Should I teach him basic physical fitness or a stable internal energy technique?
Just when he thought of these plain options, another side of Ho Cheon-an quickly countered.
– So you think you know what “basic physical fitness” looks like for a ten-year-old? And what would training not affect his growth?
– Plus, he would need to improve his Three Yin constitution too. Wouldn’t it be a disaster if you meddled without knowing anything?
– Even if he learns internal energy techniques, no matter how light the technique, it will take root deep in his body. Are you able to perfectly calculate its influences?
– If he learns a martial art based on Yin…
– Then what about the Enlightened Cloud Thunder Technique and Thunder Name techniques? A disciple of the Thunder Name Zhonja who hasn’t practiced Thunder arts?
– What will Nab-in think when he grows up and realizes he learned Yin energy instead of Thunder arts?
“Damn it.”
The more he thought, the more he realized he was too ignorant to take care of Nab-in at that moment.
“What? What?? Grandfather~ I wanna learn~”
As Ho Cheon-an fell into contemplation, Nab-in pestered him for martial arts lessons. Seeing that, Ho Cheon-an couldn’t help but smile, but he quickly cleared his throat.
“Ahem. Let’s start after Nab-in gets a bit healthier.”
“…Hmph.”
Nab-in pouted, making Ho Cheon-an feel a sudden urge to take back what he just said, but he controlled himself.
The foundation of Thunder arts is a solidly trained body. To withstand explosive power, you needed a robust physique and well-maintained Qi meridians.
However, learning Thunder arts with the meridians blocked by Yin energy was tantamount to suicide.
In the end, to teach Nab-in proper martial arts, fixing his Three Yin constitution was the utmost priority.
‘So, it seems we have a destination.’
Ho Cheon-an gently patted Nab-in’s head and gazed westward.
What group knows best about children suffering from broken meridians in this world?
The answer was already determined.
The group that would study and analyze everything about the Yin meridians to save Rano Sara, who suffered from Nine Yin Absolute Pulse, before taking the Goryeong Yeokcheon Yanmilyeomguk.
It was none other than Podalap Palace.
*
The Emperor’s wrath swept across Yunnan and the entire Martial World.
Among those most directly hit were the sects of Sadoryeon. Not only was Sadoryeon dismantled, but the Emperor vowed to eradicate everything related to it, leaving not a single stone or a lowly martial artist standing.
The representatives of Yunnan’s Outcast Faction, Sadoryeon’s martial artists, fled to Western Zhang.
Following that, excessive Martial World repression led to significant losses in the Huang Nation’s military and administrative power, and the Blood Sect wreaked havoc, causing chaos.
Many Yunnan martial artists who had sought refuge in Western Zhang secretly returned to the Central Plains. However, many also decided to live a second life in Western Zhang rather than return to a life of being hunted by the Imperial Army.
Gakdo was one of those who chose the latter.
“Older Brother, have you heard the news?”
“What?”
“In the Central Plains, a guy called Thunder Name Zhonja has wiped out the Blood Sect’s power.”
“What? So, what about that Beast King?”
“Older Brother, your news is pretty slow. That guy called Beast King is actually Thunder Name Zhonja. I thought he was just managing Spirits, but it turns out he was the one who smashed everything!”
Gakdo glared at his subordinate as if in disbelief. Managing a group of Spirits was already shocking, but being a noble martial artist who used them as a shield?
“Do you believe that? Huh? Do you?”
“I swear it’s true! Gu Mo-seol and Black Forest Room were wiped out in front of the Martial Forest Alliance and the Imperial Army all at once!”
Gakdo clicked his tongue. Even considering that rumors wouldn’t travel properly to a distant land like this, it was still too outrageous.
“You moron! The Imperial Army and Martial Forest Alliance were in the same place? And what? Amidst the Imperial Army, Black Forest Isle came crawling out? What? In that situation, what? Thunder Name Zhonja wiped out Black Forest Isle?”
“Well, that’s…”
Only after receiving a lecture did his subordinate seem to realize how absurd the rumors were and looked down sheepishly.
“Stop spreading that nonsense, and what about news on our prey?”
“Hehe. They’ll appear soon. The nearby pastures near Rasa have been depleted for a while now. The bigger beasts have no choice but to come out.”
So, did you manage to gather information on what big group would pop out from which direction?
Just as Gakdo was about to reprimand him, a herd of sheep caught his eye. From a martial artist’s perspective, the distance was considerable, but he could at least confirm that a group of nomads had gathered.
“Boys! Let’s go! It’s hunting time!”
About ten subordinates cheered and galloped off on their horses. Gakdo rode at the front, thinking, “The Central Plains? What’s there to return to that bustling place?”
He had to constantly watch for the Imperial Army, deal with overzealous wandering heroes, and then face the demands of the Outcast Faction’s experts whenever they set their sights on any potential profits.
Refusing? If he had acted so recklessly, Gakdo would have lost something essential, like his neck.
On the other hand, what of Western Zhang?
In this vast grassland, there were no Imperial soldiers or renowned martial artists to run into.
Here, Gakdo himself was a predator.
As he watched the approaching horses and the frantic nomads, a ferocious smile emerged on his face.
But that ferocious smile soon turned into confusion.
The feet of the nomads, who had been frantically driving their livestock away, suddenly froze in place. They exchanged bewildered glances between Gakdo and the horizon.
Gakdo’s gaze followed theirs.
“Huh…?”
He too found himself in shock.
A giant bear, approaching with such size it shattered the sense of perspective. Along with an even larger wild boar. And stretching his senses with internal energy, he could even see deer and foxes larger than typical combat beasts. But that wasn’t the real problem.
The problem was that there were people riding on that gigantic wild boar.
…Riding Spirits?
The rumors about the Beast King darted through Gakdo’s mind. His subordinate said that lately, he was known as Thunder Name, but that wasn’t what mattered right now.
Why was the one who was smashing the Blood Sect in the Central Plains here in Western Zhang?
An intense question stirred in Gakdo’s mind.
But that question wasn’t particularly significant for him.
What really mattered was that Nab-in’s finger pointed toward Gakdo’s group, and Ho Cheon-an nodded in acknowledgment.
Gwaaarrrgh!!
Gwaaaah!!
With loud roars, the herd of Spirits began charging toward Gakdo’s group.
Without realizing it, Gakdo tugged on the reins and shouted.
“Run! Run away!”
It was the day his life as a bandit came to a close.
*
Nuru Buchi, the leader monk of Podalap Palace, sighed heavily.
It felt like just yesterday when he was happy to inherit Nima Galchen’s position, but suddenly, martial artists from the Central Plains began pouring into Western Zhang, and the sweet job of managing monks turned into a tough gig dealing with countless nomads.
This too shall pass, he thought.
Yet, as he busily dealt with the oncoming issues, more and more nomads continued to flock toward Rasa. The pressure from the Huang Nation forced many martial artists from the Central Plains to grab a piece of territory in Western Zhang, significantly reducing the area for nomads.
Because of this, Rasa had been in constant uproar lately. With more people around, conflicts were bound to arise, especially over the nearby pastures.
The grass in the nearby pastures was limited, yet many people needed it, leading to inevitable consequences.
Nima Galchen pressed his fingers against his temples and asked the other monks.
“Have you found the whereabouts of the nearby bandit group?”
“Sorry. Not yet.”
“Tsk. What a headache.”
With nomads continuously flooding in, the pastures near Rasa had long exceeded their capacities. Bandits targeting those unable to endure the influx of nomads had become increasingly bold.
They couldn’t leave the bandits alone, yet managing the chaos in Rasa, which grew worse day by day, left them overwhelmed, making it impossible to send monks too far away.
Especially since the provocations from the Trench Faction were escalating.
“Good grief, working like a beast in my retirement years is rough.”
Just when Nuru Buchi sighed heavily, a monk burst in, flailing about.
“Big trouble! Big trouble!”
With the monk’s panic, Nuru Buchi couldn’t help but yell, “What the hell!? What now?!”
But upon hearing the monk’s subsequent words, Nuru Buchi’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Spirits! A group of Spirits has appeared! And… it looks like that person is riding one… could it be the Thunder Name Zhonja?!”
“What?”
Thunder Name Zhonja? Why would the one who has been sweeping through the Blood Sect appear here?
“Is that certain?”
“I saw it with my own eyes, riding the Spirits!”
After all, was there anyone else in the world capable of commanding Spirits?
“Immediately prepare Surahana-hanjin and declare a state of emergency! All the monk leaders are to dispatch and calm the residents of Rasa to prevent any commotion!”
Nuru Buchi shot up from his seat.
“And you! You’ll lead the way!”
“W-Where to?”
“Where else? We’re going to meet Thunder Name Zhonja! We’ll gauge the intentions of that individual.”
Nuru Buchi recalled the rumors surrounding Thunder Name Zhonja. If one judged merely by rumors, he was a wandering hero, but one couldn’t afford to let their guard down, knowing nothing of his intentions as he approached Rasa.
Especially a person who commanded Spirits!
Moreover, ever since the Huang Nation’s Martial World repression began, the influx of martial artists from the Central Plains had been something Nuru Buchi had fought against his entire life—they were always a matter of caution.
Nuru Buchi recalled this fact and put on a wry smile.
“If it weren’t for them, I might have been consumed by hatred.”
He remembered the figures that had vanished from the stage, leaving behind only a thousand letters. It was a memory from decades ago, one he had never forgotten.
Even now, he felt it.
As he watched the one presumed to be Thunder Name Zhonja riding a massive wild boar, painted in black,
“Wait, Black Rib…?”
While rummaging through memories, Nuru Buchi unearthed a recollection. Even after so many years, Black Rib felt familiar.
Could it be…?
Just when Nuru Buchi became wrapped in such doubt and stared intently at Black Rib,
Ho Cheon-an spoke.
“It’s been a long time, Nuru Buchi.”
“You… really…”
Ho Cheon-an smiled brightly.
“Though it’s quite embarrassing to return after being gone for so long, I’ve come back.”
The magician who vanished had returned.
