Chapter 6: Chapter 6

The chubby gatekeeper seemed flustered as he hurriedly went inside, and the man standing next to him appeared awkward. Both seemed unsure how to handle the unexpected situation. Fortunately, they didn’t exacerbate matters by refusing to accept their defeat.

Soon after, the chubby gatekeeper returned and said, “Follow me for a moment.”

“Are we going to meet the Headmaster?”

“No, you need to clean yourself up a bit before you meet the Instructor.”

At first, I thought he was going to take me to some secluded place to beat me up. However, we soon left for the city center and entered an inn for women, where I was made to bathe in warm water. As I was bewildered, the chubby gatekeeper fetched some clothes from somewhere and tossed them to me.

“Clean yourself up properly; otherwise, I might get into trouble too.”

The clothes fit me reasonably well. Although they were a bit loose on my skinny frame, they were acceptable white garments. After drying myself off, I followed the chubby gatekeeper back to Azure Dragon Martial Hall, and this time I noticed many junior disciples appearing here and there.

Curiosity shone clearly in the eyes of the junior disciples. They would occasionally glance at me, and some were even snickering. The chubby gatekeeper, named Bang-il, looked at me and spoke.

“From now on, you’ll have an audience with an instructor. Mind your manners and words, or you’ll lose your hands. Be careful with your words and actions.”

“What? We’re not meeting the Headmaster?”

“The Headmaster is busy. The Chief Instructor will determine whether or not to accept you as a junior disciple.”

It made sense. For a martial arts academy as large as the Azure Dragon, it would be challenging for the Headmaster to assess every new disciple. Likely, the Chief Instructor screens potential candidates first, and later the Headmaster decides whether to accept them formally.

“Master, he’s here.”

“Come in.”

Squeak—

I opened the door of the wooden building, which emitted a tranquil fragrance, and stepped inside. A young man with dark hair was sitting inside, drinking tea. He looked like he was in his mid-20s. I was a bit surprised that an ‘Instructor’ could be so young.

The ‘Instructor’ looked at me and chuckled, “So you defeated Bang-il in an arm-wrestling match? That’s quite impressive.

“…”

“Come, sit. Let’s talk comfortably.”

Thud—

As Bang-il closed the door behind him and left, I sat down in front of the instructor without hesitation. A glint of interest crossed the instructor’s eyes; my confidence probably intrigued him.

He soon spoke, “I am Jin So-cheong1, an instructor of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. And you are?”

“….!!”

What did he just say?!

However, as if my composed demeanor had been a lie, I froze stiff upon hearing his name. I couldn’t help but be bewildered by this out-of-nowhere name.

‘Wait, what? Jin So-cheong? Why is that name appearing here?’

Stammering, I replied, “I, I am Baek-woong from a village near Maehwa region… Do you, by any chance, specialize in spear techniques, Master Jin So-cheong?”

Jin So-cheong nodded, seemingly surprised by my question.

“Yes, my master was versed in the ‘Three Arts,’ mastering three types of weapons, but I could only master the spear due to my lack of talent.”

“…”

I knew his words were a modest understatement. He is already a top-level expert who could proudly stand in the martial world.

However, the reason for my bewilderment was different.

Jin So-cheong.

That name will be known 30 years from now as one of the ‘Ten Experts under the Heavens’, an absolute master of spear techniques. He was often called the Central Plains’ Greatest Spear and was a righteous warrior who has eliminated more than a hundred evildoers from the world. His reputation was so great that he was considered among the very top of the Ten Experts martial artists.

To think that such an incomparable figure was now sitting in front of me, a low-ranking courier scraping by for a living. It’s a stark contrast to the would-be future me.

Jin So-cheong curiously asked,

“But Baek-woong, why did you think my main weapon is a spear? As you can see, this training hall has various weapons, including spears.”

What should I say in response?

After a moment’s thought, I sidestepped the question.

“It’s because of the calluses on your hand.”

“Oh?”

At my words, Jin So-cheong glanced at his hand and burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha… what a talent! Bang-il truly brought in an interesting big fish this time.”

It seems that my vague answer hit the mark. The truth is, by looking at the calluses on a person’s hand, you can get an idea of their training level. However, I couldn’t distinguish whether it’s due to spear techniques or sword techniques. I just blurted out some wisdom I had gathered over years of being a courier, and it happened to work.

As I internally breathed a sigh of relief, Jin So-cheong spoke again.

“Let’s talk about your internal cultivation. You seem to possess considerable internal energy; how did you acquire it? And why do you wish to join our Azure Dragon Martial Hall?”

This was an expected question. I took a deep breath and responded calmly.

“I lost my parents when I was young and was living under the care of the village chief. During that time, By chance, I was taught the [Six Harmonies Sword Technique] and [Three Talents Heart Method] by a passing courier. I have been diligently training for several years. However, I wanted to delve deeper into the path of martial arts, so I came to seek guidance from the largest and most famous Azure Dragon Martial Hall.”

It was a well-considered response that I had thought of throughout my journey here. There’s no room for any mistakes or catching me in a lie.

After hearing my words, Jin So-cheong seemed to ponder before speaking.

“Extend your arm.”

“Yes.”

As I extended my arm, Jin So-cheong placed his finger on my forearm and began to probe. After focusing for a while, he spoke, “You indeed have considerable internal cultivation. How long have you been training?”

“About 4 years.”

“4 years!! Hmm… You must have been practicing day and night with courage and diligence. Impressive.”

“……”

At that moment, I felt a little deflated.

‘He’s convinced…’

I had worried that my unusually high internal energy for my age would raise suspicions. I even allowed him to measure my internal energy as a last resort. But upon hearing the four-year excuse, he readily accepted it, making me feel bittersweet.

The martial skills that I had accumulated over 40 years of life as a courier were truly negligible. Jin So-cheong genuinely believed that this much internal energy could be acquired with four years of diligent training.

Jin So-cheong continued, “Fortunately, the [Three Talents Heart Method] are basic internal cultivation techniques. So, there’s no risk of Qi deviation if you learn another form of internal cultivation techniques. Starting today, you will be a low-tier

(1-stripe) disciple and will be learning Azure Dragon Martial Hall’s martial arts techniques.”

“What is ‘low-tier’?”

“In Azure Dragon Martial Hall, under the headmaster, I oversee the disciples, followed by two instructors. The oldest and most senior disciples are upper-tier (3-stripes), and the ones below them are mid-tier (2 stripes). Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jin So-cheong briefly explained the hierarchy within Azure Dragon Martial Hall.

At the top, there’s the Headmaster and the Chief Instructor, followed by two skilled instructors. Below them, the more senior one is in terms of their ‘lines,’ the more experienced and skilled they are as a disciple. Considering the scale, which rivals that of any major martial arts faction, I now have a newfound understanding of the magnitude of Azure Dragon Martial Hall.”

“Lastly, let’s briefly discuss your achievements in the [Six Harmonies Sword Technique] before concluding this meeting.”

“Yes.”

“Grab that wooden sword over there and face me.”

Swooosh…

Moments later, I took out a large wooden sword stored against the training hall wall, and took my stance. Jin So-cheong looked at my stance and chuckled with interest.

“Haha… where did you learn that stance?”

“A courier taught me.”

“Interesting. That’s a Daoist stance for wielding swords…”

“……”

I had no idea. As a courier, we were taught general martial arts by the Escort Captain, while the rest is taught by intermediate-level couriers. My stance was something the Escort Captain taught me as being practical, so I didn’t even know if it was meant for swordplay or Daoist techniques.

“Now, attack with all you have.”

“Haah!”

I yelled and lunged at Jin So-cheong using the [Six Harmonies Sword Technique]. My initial move was [Grand Peak Pinning]2, the most basic movement of the [Six Harmonies Sword Technique], and I could feel my arm muscles quiver. I proceeded to step and unfold the sword movements I knew in [Six Harmonies Sword Technique], one by one.

Shoo-shoo-shoo-shwick!!

When I had demonstrated each initial move of the [Six Harmonies Sword Technique] at least once, Jin So-cheong, who had been dodging leisurely until then, suddenly caught my wooden sword with his fingers. Despite the attack being as powerful as to fell a tree with three strikes, he caught it effortlessly!

Jin So-cheong let go of the wooden sword and spoke.

“Quite intriguing. Your techniques seem to have been honed in real battle. Have you ever killed someone?”

My heart skipped a beat. Even if he’s a master, could he have deduced all that just by watching my initial moves?

I calmed my heart and said, “Yes. I’ve used it to protect myself from bandits and thieves.”

It wasn’t a lie.

I had fought countless bandits and thieves during my time as a courier.

Jin So-cheong then seemed to be pondering for a moment before saying, “Hmm… in that case…”

Then, out of the blue, Jin So-cheong made a startling declaration.

“I’m retracting my earlier statement about accepting you as a lower-tier disciple. Starting now, I will personally guide you for a month.”

“What?!”

“However, if you don’t improve by then… you’ll be expelled.”

Improve? What does he mean?

However, Jin So-cheong made no further comment and yelled, “Bang-il! Are you there?”

The door opened with a creak, and a chubby gatekeeper named Bang-il entered. Upon closer look, there were two lines sewn horizontally on his uniform, indicating that he was a mid-tier disciple.

“Yes.”

“This child will be under my direct guidance for a month. Make sure the other disciples don’t stir up any trouble. You’re responsible for setting the mood.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“……!!”

Bang-il looked startled, a trace of grievance flashing in his eyes. However, he quickly composed himself and responded.

“Yes, understood.”

“You must be tired today, so get some rest at your quarters. Come to this training hall tomorrow at dawn.”

“Yes.”

Guided by Bang-il, I made my way to my living quarters. The room was incomparably clean and comfortable, a stark contrast to the barn I had been sleeping in. As I marveled at the neat room, Bang-il spoke.

“To think you got the Chief Instructor’s personal guidance… What kind of favor have you curried?”

Turning around, I saw unmistakable jealousy and hostility in Bang-il’s eyes. My past life experience of over 50 years enabled me to sense this. It seemed that he was quite resentful that I would be receiving instruction from Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong.

But I was equally dumbfounded. I had intended to train quietly from the grassroots level, but now things were progressing rapidly. Moreover, inciting jealousy among other disciples would make life at Azure Dragon Martial Hall hard, which I certainly didn’t wish for.

“I honestly don’t know.”

“Hmph… nevermind!”

Ptuui!

Bang-il spat on the ground as if warning me.

“Listen well, there’s an order here. Don’t act recklessly like a bumpkin, or you won’t be left alone. Got it?!”

I was taken aback. No matter where you go, there’s always someone like this. Normally, I’d curry favor to avoid conflict, but things were different now. I didn’t want to live with my chest constricted in needless fear.

So I chuckled.

“Haha. If you’re a senior, I will, of course, show you the respect you deserve!”

“……”

“Senior Bang-il, you must be tired too. Why don’t you go get some rest?”

“Tch!”

Bang-il spat on the ground and left.

I laid down on the bed with a faint smile. It felt good to be on a proper bed with a warm blanket. I even thought that living here forever wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

‘Anyway, I haven’t even seen the Headmaster of Azure Dragon Martial Hall, Threefold Expert, Lee Gwang. Well, he’s probably busy since he’s at the same level as a clan’s family head…’

Shortly afterward, a grassroots disciple came to fetch me for dinner. We ate in a large dining hall. Bang-il must have spread some rumors, as I could feel the sharp glances directed at me.

‘Ah, life is going to be tough from now on.’

The food was good, but I had concerns. I knew well how cruel people could be when they try to torment someone else.

Nevertheless, I made up my mind internally.

My life at Azure Dragon Martial Hall begins now.

Before mastering the highest martial arts, I will grit my teeth and persevere!

So-cheong’s name is derived from the chinese characters; Sū (蘇) = Revive, Vitality and Qīng (淸) = Pure, Clean, Clarity[↩]

泰山壓丁, literal translation would be ‘Great Mountain Suppresses the Nail/Stake?’[↩]