Chapter 45 Training

Chapter 45: Training

Nancheongung.

The headquarters of the Southern Martial World and a major powerhouse of this era, boasting strength equivalent to one-fifth of Nine Dragon City.

What sets them apart from other factions is that they were founded as a state-owned enterprise under the patronage of the ancient kingdom that once ruled the Southern Wilderness, the Southern Five Kingdom.

It was likely a hobby of the successive kings of the Nam-O Kingdom, who loved martial arts and were masters themselves.

Initially, they did much good—leading the defense against foreign invasions and being the first to eliminate bandits when they appeared.

But one day, specifically the day the Nam-O Kingdom was defeated in war against the Empire and its capital was besieged.

Namcheongung’s attitude changed completely.

He betrayed his homeland and sided with the Empire.

Thanks to this, the Southern Five Kingdoms collapsed from within, unable to even attempt resistance, and perished like dogs.

The problem didn’t end there.

The Empire, which had conquered the Southern Five Kingdoms, also began to decline and lost its control over the Southern Man region.

The emperor, just as he had done with the Lord of Guryongseong, bestowed a title upon the Lord of Namcheongung and entrusted him with administrative authority over the southern regions of Yunnan Province.

In other words, the entire Nanman region became Namcheongung’s domain.

Thus, Namcheongung reigned as the overlord of Nanman, growing by sucking the lifeblood from the tribal people.

Just as ten thousand Nanman tribesmen were dragged out during the Jianchang War not long ago.

And these Southern Barbarian tribes became the greatest obstacle to the Nine Dragons City’s campaign to subdue the Southern Heavenly Palace.

But what if those very Southern Barbarian tribes were to raise a rebellion against the Southern Heavenly Palace?

That would mean an unparalleled opportunity for the Nine Dragons City to subdue the Southern Heavenly Palace.

It would also mean a ten-to-one probability of war breaking out.

‘Should I jump ship?’

He pondered briefly, but soon shook his head.

‘No. Re-employment is a dead end.’

The money I’ve saved so far won’t let me live comfortably for the rest of my life.

Ultimately, I’d have to join somewhere else, and that’s not a good choice.

To get a job matching my salary, I’d have to join the sword fanatics’ group, the Muheung Fortress.

‘Just thinking about it is terrifying.’

In the end, there was only one answer left.

Preparing to survive the war.

* * *

“Hmm…”

The first thing I did was sort my items.

I sat perched on the bed, inspecting my belongings.

The first thing that caught my eye was the Dragon Scale Armor.

When I first received it, I thought it was completely useless.

When I confirmed it was a rare item, I was thrilled at the thought of selling it for a high price.

But if war breaks out, that changes everything.

Forget selling it—I’d need to wear it all day and still it wouldn’t be enough.

‘This is practically a spare life.’

The second item I examined was the Black Lotus Gauntlets.

“They’re badly damaged.”

From all the fierce battles, they were torn and cracked in places.

If I kept wearing them like this, they’d surely tear apart before I could use them much longer.

‘I’ll have to get it repaired.’

I suppose I’ll have to take it to the blacksmith in the castle.

Lastly, the black long coat.

It was the prize Baek Muha had put up when he suddenly declared a duel at the Cheonryong Association, trying to humiliate me.

I hadn’t gone to claim it, dreading the chance of seeing that unlucky face again. But with war looming, what’s there to be shy about?

I must gather every last thing to survive.

His impression of the robe he’d retrieved?

‘Not bad.’

He didn’t know what kind of leather it was made from, but its protective strength was sufficient to block even a sword without a qi charge. It was also quite light, making it comfortable to wear.

Being a long coat meant it covered a large area, which was another plus.

‘This is only third grade? How much better are second and first grade?’

Guess there’s a reason the well-off kids do so well.

Thinking of the wealthy White Dragon Hall, the increasingly open Black Dragon Hall naturally came to mind.

‘I wonder if the Black Dragon Martial Academy is okay, though.’

They need to do well for the dividends to come down…

‘I suppose I’ll have to request a shareholders’ meeting.’

Under the pretext of an emergency management review.

* * *

After spending a fortune to have the Black Lotus Armor repaired, I clutched my aching stomach and stepped outside.

‘Gah! The repair cost is too expensive.”

How am I ever going to achieve the dream of the Three Treasures and Four Scrolls like this?

Feeling frustrated, I considered grabbing a drink somewhere but dismissed the idea.

With war imminent, I needed to check my martial arts skills.

Training after nearly two years.

A wave of reluctance surged up.

‘No. A single hair’s breadth could mean defeat.’

My will to live dragged me to the training ground.

And so, the training began.

Thump.

Stepping in a zigzag pattern, I moved my arms and legs.

With each movement—extending my hands, bending my knees—my inner energy surged, erupting in a crackling sound.

Crack. Crack.

The sand scattered across the training ground swirled around my body and shot skyward.

Whoosh. Swoosh.

As I thrust my fist forward again, the tree ahead shook, shedding its aged leaves.

I trained like this for a single cycle.

“Huff.”

I paused my movements to catch my breath.

This was the ‘Single Cycle’ mentioned in the Zong Gong teachings.

Even after just one practice session, vitality overflowed through my body.

Simultaneously, he sensed a slight increase in his internal energy.

“It’s been a while… Ugh! …So it’s tough… I’m dying.”

Just as he was about to collapse onto the ground, complaining.

Whoosh.

A fiery killing intent flared right beside him.

Crack.

The moment he turned his head, he saw a hand slicing through the air, hurtling toward him.

“Hmph!”

He swiftly deployed the Three Yang Palm to strike the hand away.

Clang clang clang.

After several clashes, he barely managed to redirect the hand’s trajectory.

Whoosh!

A bone-chilling whistling sound erupted from the hand that had just passed by my ear.

The sheer force of it could have blown my head clean off if it had connected.

Only one person in the Outer Hall possessed such formidable martial prowess.

“……Master?”

“You’ve improved a bit.”

“Are you trying to kill a subordinate you haven’t seen in ages? “

”I was merely assessing the martial arts of a subordinate I haven’t seen in a while.“

”And what did you find?“

”I don’t know what happened, but your internal energy has deepened. Your movements have also become faster.”

Bukgung Baek’s words made him choke up momentarily.

That was it.

This man had given him the order to escort Yi Jeokha and then paid him no mind whatsoever.

Even after I reported everything that happened in writing.

“…I see.”

He barely suppressed his rising anger and answered.

“Seems you have some grievance.”

“Not at all. How could this subordinate harbor grievances against the Heavenly Lord? I know very well that even if I follow orders to the letter and end up dead, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“···Why does that sound like it has a hidden meaning?”

“Not at all. I need to practice my martial arts. Could you please move aside?”

“I thought this was a training ground for everyone to use···”

“Then I’ll go somewhere else.”

Just as he was about to move, Baek’s voice reached him.

“At your level, training alone won’t get you anywhere.”

“Didn’t you see earlier? When I moved with a whoosh! it was like heaven and earth were split open!”

“······Heaven and earth split open? I don’t know about that, but it looked like some sand moved a bit.”

“That’s because you weren’t paying attention. A strong wind blew and a tree snapped.”

“Wasn’t that just the wind blowing? The trees are perfectly fine.”

“Huh, the head of the North Palace, one of the top ten masters in Sichuan Province, has such limited insight? What is my martial art? It’s the Divine Art of the Sword, created and bestowed by the Lord of the Province. Naturally, it’s beyond the perception of ordinary mortals.”

“Do you want to die?”

“······No.”

Bukgung Baek chuckled softly and continued.

“I’ll help you.”

“With my training?”

“Yes. Wouldn’t that be better than doing it alone?”

It was obvious.

No matter how vast the world, those who reached the pinnacle of human limits did not become gods.

Those who stepped into the transcendent realm called superhuman did not become immortals.

Those who reached the state of Hua Jing, where one’s martial prowess reached the heavens, numbered less than ten.

Amidst this, receiving guidance from a peerless master was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something money couldn’t buy.

If forced to compare, it was like receiving MMA training from a fighter ranked around 7th in the UFC.

And for free!

What was there to think about?

“The grace of the Sect Leader, I shall never forget until my dying day!”

Of course I must learn.

“Your attitude seems different from earlier?”

“How could that be? Your servant! Not for a single moment have I ever forgotten my respect for the Sect Leader.”

“······Understood. Then let the training begin.”

I stepped forward to stand before him, ready to listen to the legendary instructor Baek’s Introduction to Martial Arts Theory.

And then.

Thud.

His hand, enveloped in a black current, swept toward me.

“······!”

A strike unlike the one before.

There was no time to think. No, my body reacted first to the palpable killing intent.

Thump.

Instinctively, I used the rebound force from a downward strike to execute the Zhen Wang Bo, barely escaping his attack range.

“It’s not over yet.”

His assault continued.

Boom!

An 81mm mortar shell exploded, sending a kick flying toward me.

I rolled swiftly, dodging the kick’s trajectory.

So what if my form looks a bit off?

My head was about to be blown off.

After barely dodging, I raised my head to see North Palace Baek wearing a peculiar smile.

“Are you insane?”

“Only real combat makes a master.”

“Who came up with that bullshit theory?”

We’ve entered the era of advanced martial arts, yet he’s still spouting mental theory.

Whoever it was, they were undoubtedly a complete fool.

“My father.”

Oh my god.

“The dog I mentioned wasn’t a regular mutt, but the legendary Haetae… Oh my god!”

Thud.

As North Palace White’s hand flew toward me again, I immediately deployed the Zhen Wang Step and vanished from the spot.

Thud.

He too stepped on the true path and caught up to me.

“Huh!”

The Zhenwangbo, faster than any other footwork for short distances, was being caught up to.

His reflexes were astonishing.

Staying still would surely turn me into mincemeat.

To shake off Bukgungbaek, I slammed the LITE version of the Explosive Mirror into the air.

Kwoong, Kwang!

With an explosion that felt like I should have shouted “Front grenade!”, the energy burst out.

I bought a moment to try deploying the Zhenwang Step once more, but.

Crackle.

As North Palace White waved his hand, the exploding energy was instantly neutralized.

And then.

Thud.

His hand touched my chest.

“······!”

BOOM!

As I deployed my protective barrier, the simultaneous explosion sent my body flying like an ICBM.

Thud. Rumble.

I smashed through a wall, rolled three times, and barely came to a stop.

“Gulp.”

Barely getting up, I looked around. It was Iljo’s territory.

Startled by the sudden commotion, Iljo’s members hurried out.

“Team… Team Leader!”

“What the hell just happened!”

“Everyone, grab your weapons!”

“It’s an ambush!”

There was no greater humiliation than this.

“Who the hell is it? I’ll tear them to shreds.”

Woo Je-jun, who had admirably run Team One in my absence, drew his sword and stood beside me.

“……That guy over there.”

Thud. Thud.

I pointed a finger at Beokgung Baek, who was slowly walking toward us, and he quietly backed away.

“Ahem, you were in the middle of a sparring match. I’m swamped with work, so I’ll take my leave.”

A wave of betrayal washed over me, making my eyes widen involuntarily.

But disciplining the traitor could wait.

First, I needed to land a blow on the approaching Baekgung Baek. I rose from my seat.

“As if the operating costs weren’t already tight enough, and now you’re breaking walls? The head of the Garip Bu-dang must be thrilled.”

“I didn’t break it.”

“…?”

“You broke it with your back.”

As expected, this guy isn’t normal either, I thought.

Thud.

I stepped forward, lunging toward him.

As expected, Baekgong Baek’s hand flew toward me.

There was no need to block or parry.

I knew I’d be sent flying the moment I blocked.

“Hmph!”

Instant acceleration.

To make him miss his strike point and prevent his attack.

Piiing!

With a spine-chilling piercing sound, I passed through Baekgong Baek’s hand.

“Die! You bastard!”

I unleashed the Exploding Fire Fist with all my might.

I thought my fist, packed with even stronger internal energy than when I faced Mak Joo-kwang before, would drive into his abdomen…

Thud.

It was caught far too easily.

“You don’t harness the energy as it is; you build up the energy and explode it to gain power… Impressive.”

Then he raised his arm and waved his hand.

Boom.

The energy trapped within his hand dispersed into the air, exploding with a loud bang.

What? Am I dreaming?

As he rubbed his eyes at the unreal scene, Baek of the North Palace spoke with a faint smile.

“You have room for growth. I’ll help you train for a while.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“No need to refuse. Your growth benefits the entire Outer Sect.”

“But you’re already so busy…”

“I happen to have nothing else to do. Perfect timing.”

Watching Baek’s expression, as if he’d just acquired an entertaining toy, he thought.

This feels like I’ve gotten myself into trouble.