"Kuaaak!"
A dark cave.
A bandaged hand, covered in tattered cloth, pulled itself up to the lightless cave's entrance.
"Achhhh…"
Soon after, a face which couldn't be more distorted suddenly appeared.
"Ahhhh!"
Tak! Tak!
Chung Myung, who reached out and grabbed the floor with both hands, crawled into the cave.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Plum Blossom Sword Saint, my ass!"
What was he thinking hiding in such a place? Did his head go mad after all that training in the mountains?
'Ah, right, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint is me.'
"Ahhhh, I'm dying."
Chung Myung, lying flat on the floor, began to curse. When he realized that he had somehow made it into the cave, he strangely felt as if he would cry.
'It was really close.'
Climbing up a cliff with broken wrists wasn't an easy task. Any person with common sense would have known how dangerous it would be and given up.
Unfortunately, Chung Myung was a man who had a brain but no thoughts.
"Right! If I didn't climb up now, it would have just wasted more time!"
Chung Myung yelled as he kept trying to make excuses for what he did as he lay on the floor, suffering and shifting around.
"Ah, this old man is dying."
Actually, he is a child now. He gets so confused at times.
Still, somehow, he managed to live. He made a stronger rope this time; if the rope had broken again this time, he would have really gone to see the King of the Underworld.
If that happened, he was sure that the King of the Underworld would have a hard time holding back his laughter. Now he felt glad he didn't die.
"Kuak!"
Chung Myung, who forced himself to straighten his crooked waist, looked around.
He couldn't see anything.
Not because his body hurt that much, but because it was too dark to see anything.
"Tch. This is probably…."
He stretched out his hands and caught on to some form of fabric.
"Right."
Pulling the cloth held in his fingertips, it was easily swept away, revealing a light that brightened the inside of the cave. Looking at the glowing light, Chung Myung smiled.
"Really, I was something else."
The light was clear and brilliantly shining.
One cannot light a fire inside a cave. Since the cave inclined with the entrance at the bottom, it would quickly fill with smoke if a fire was ignited. No one could drink alcohol with such acrid smoke permeating the air.
To be precise, it would be possible for Chung Myung, but who would want to drink in such a place?
'Which is why I brought night light lamps and put them here.'
How costly they were.
'It's one of the offerings I slipped away from Mount Hua.'
In the past, so many things came in and out of the sect; even if one or two things went missing, nobody would notice.
Of course, his sahyung and the finance minister, who had to settle the book-keeping, would have vomited blood if they'd heard his thoughts.
"What good would remembering the past do?"
Once again, with a calm feeling, he realized how ruthless the Plum Blossom Sword Saint was.
'Ah, that's me. I keep forgetting that.'
Chung Myung looked around at the brightly lit cave.
"Hmmm."
Inside, which was neither large nor small, there was only one bed to lie down on, a small tea table, and a chest.
Something felt wrong. It was weird how these things stayed the same despite the years that had passed.
"Ehh. Is this how things end up?"
Suddenly, he came to a realization.
What if he had died without being revived? And someone from Mount Hua discovered this place in the future? Wouldn't it have caused an uproar, thinking this was a secret master practitioner's hideout?
What if someone fell off the cliff and stumbled into it?
"Ugh! The bloody cliff!"
All Chung Myung wanted was to hang out in a quiet place and drink, but the people of the later generations wouldn't understand that and might think there was some secret hidden here.
They would think that the hidden cave was the personal hideout of a man going against the principles of Mount Hua.
"But aren't all cliffs used for such purposes?"
Chung Myung walked towards the chest. With his hurting hands, he carefully opened the lid. The dust, which had accumulated over a hundred years, scattered through the cave as the lid was lifted.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Waving away the dust, Chung Myung looked inside the chest.
The first thing which caught his eye was a bottle of alcohol. When he saw various liquor bottles stored inside, he began to salivate.
'No, no! Alcohol isn't important right now!'
He despairingly pushed the bottles out of his sight and then looked at the small box remaining in the chest.
'This is it!'
Chung Myung quickly grabbed the box and pulled it out. It was a bit heavier than he remembered.
"Pheww."
Taking a deep breath, Chung Myung carefully opened the lid. At the same time, the strong scent of the Plum Blossom Pills spread throughout the cave.
It felt as if Plum Blossom trees in full bloom filled the surroundings.
Click!
When the lid opened completely, he could see round objects filling the box. From the bottom, the box was filled to the brim with pills and sitting on top we five perfectly round snow-white items.
"Wow!"
An overwhelming sense of excitement caused tears to flood Chung Myung's eyes.
What was filling the box wasn't just some random cushioning materials, but actual Plum Blossom Pills!
"So crazy!"
No matter how common the Plum Blossom Pills were, who would use them as cushioning? How greedy can a person be to covet them and use them like this? If Sahyung had seen this, he would have grabbed Chung Myung by the neck.
"Be grateful I didn't use the truly precious pills. Sahyung!"
Chung Myung was making excuses to his dead peers from embarrassment.
But he couldn't touch the most precious pill, the Supreme Pill. Like any other sect, it was a treasured pill that could only be handled by the highest-level authority in Mount Hua.
The Supreme Pill can only be taken out with the permission of a medical practitioner and the Sect elder.
On the other hand, any of the elders in the sect can take out the plum blossom pill. Of course, there were other pills more precious than plum blossom pills, and those too could only be handled by powerful elders.
Elders like Chung Myung! The strongest and most powerful in the sect!
-The strongest troublemaker of Mount Hua!
It felt like he was hallucinating and hearing voices from somewhere.
For now, Chung Myung needed to get these things. With this, he would be able to heal his body.
Chung Myung took the white pills, the snow plum blossom pills, from the box very carefully. He used these as hangover pills in the past, but now they were precious medicine for him. To Chung Myung, these pills were more precious than money.
"Ah! I am nervous!"
Chung Myung placed the box in the chest and looked at the snow plum blossom pill in his hand.
A pure scent constantly flowed from this white pill. Just smelling it made his body feel more comfortable.
"It is said that people don't know the importance of things until they're gone."
When Mount Hua stood at the top of the world, no one would even look at these pills. Only higher-tiered pills held value then.
Wasn't that why Chung Myung was able to bring so many plum blossom pills with him?
Not just Chung Myung, it happened all over Mount Hua. It was a natural thing. There was no shortage of pills in Mount Hua, so who would pay attention to the lesser valued ones?
But now, he's in such a precarious situation. The pills he regarded so lightly have come back with a crushing weight.
"Oh, my God. How did my life come to this?"
He'd rather die than suffer like this.
Chung Myung gathered his thoughts and sat down quickly. He would surely have enough time to lament over things once the task was done. Now, he had to recover his weak body and build more strength.
He crossed his legs as he sat down and threw a snow plum blossom pill into his mouth. The moment it entered his mouth, it melted without even giving him a chance to chew.
A fresh scent filled Chung Myung's mouth as he began to meditate without letting such thoughts distract him.
Merely eating a pill doesn't automatically increase your strength. Your strength can only be improved if the qi in the pills is properly absorbed into the body.
So, a subtle problem arises here.
When you're young, you can't fully absorb the energy even if you eat a powerful pill. This is because children lack the ability to properly operate their qi.
On the other hand, what about once you're old enough to manage your qi?
The effects would be weakened because your body had already developed and created its own energy reserves.
Pills are only made to fill in the qi lacking in the body, not to add to what's already full.
'If people could get stronger from pills, then the Shaolin sect bastards would have been at it and become the best in the world.'
A young body couldn't absorb the full extent of the qi in the pills, so what about Chung Myung?
'I will suck it deep into the core!'
He knew how to perfectly manage his qi.
He knew the teachings of the past and had experience.
"Phew."
Once the pill entered the stomach, the qi began to release.
Woong!
The energy was pulsating within Chung Myung's body. He felt the great flow of qi which he hadn't felt in a long time.
'Nervous!'
Fill the dantian with qi and prevent the excess qi from breaking out? That shouldn't be difficult for Chung Myung. However, what Chung Myung had to do now wasn't so simple.
He had to fill the qi into his body to repair his innate true qi.
Chung Myung's thick and dull mind had to act sharp like a blade. But he decided to go a step further, sharpening his mind like a needle; he perfectly controlled the pill's qi and pushed it into the dantian.
'Carefully. Slowly.'
Soft and delicate, as if he was handling a baby.
Inside Chung Myung's mind, he held the qi in his hands and guided it.
However, the goal wasn't just his dantian. It was the deepest core of the dantian. Where a pure internal qi is held in every human since birth.
'No, I can't!'
Chung Myung, who was about to push it into the dantian, suddenly pulled it back.
'It's impure.'
Pills were created by refining the excellent energy of spirit medicines found in nature. In other words, it can be said that these pills seek to extract and concentrate pure qi.
However, although this pill was Mount Hua's pride, it was too impure to be used in Chung Myung's dantian. If the qi inside his dantian was like pure water coming from the mountains, then the snow plum blossom pill would be akin to stagnant water.
So, he decided.
"I'll filter it!"
If he could filter the qi, most of the impure qi could be discarded. Accepting the qi as it was, seemed meaningless. Hadn't he come a long way to create the most complete and perfect foundation? He couldn't ruin his progress by being hasty now.
'Keep what's pure and discard the rest!"
Qi circulated through his body. Gradually, it was shaved off little by little. Impurities in the pill mixed with impurities within his body and were slowly pushed out of him.
Soon, thick, dark sweat began to seep out of Chung Myung's body.
'I am really going to die!'
The qi was chipped away. Chung Myung tried to make the most of what he could use, but there was nothing that could be used.
It was like trying to cut out the edible part of a completely rotten radish. The qi couldn't reach the required standards and was pushed out of the body.
Wasn't a pill something one used to improve the qi in their body? But now, Chung Myung was throwing it all out.
If the person who made the pill had seen it, they would have died frothing at the mouth.
'Do you want me to lose everything!?'
This damned foundation!
Chung Myung gathered only the purest qi into his dantian, but it was far less than he had hoped for. Even a pill that was refined repeatedly to improve its quality was deemed impure by Chung Myung's foundation.
Only a tiny portion of the qi could be used. Desperately leading the handful of pure qi, he pushed it into the dantian.
Woong!
Soon, the remaining essence merged with Chung Myung's qi within his dantian and circulated throughout his body.
In an instant, everything changed. Chung Myung, who was sitting cross-legged, began to float.
Normally, it would be impossible for this to happen, even with a greater level of internal strength. However, because Chung Myung's qi was so pure, this phenomenon, which transcended the amount of inner strength he had, began to occur.
Woong!
A clear, diaphanous qi went around the whole body, circulating once and again. It then began to filter out the impure energy.
'No!'
This wasn't what Chung Myung intended. He was thinking of recovering his lost qi, but the qi went against his will and started to regenerate his body.
Both his broken wrists instantly reset and attached as the bruises covering his body were restored entirely like they had never been there.
Shhh!
Sweat and impurities flowed from his pores like a cloud of steam. The dantian and even the blood vessels in his body began to open wider and wider.
Chung Myung titled his head.
"He-Heavenly Opening?"
The bottom dantian.
Qi, which started below the navel where the dantian is commonly located, forcibly opened the middle dantian in the chest; and even the upper dantian had opened now.
It was terrifying.
Everything in the world must follow a proper process. A child should first learn to crawl; maybe they could walk with some effort. But if a child learning to crawl suddenly tried to run, they would surely stumble and fail.
'Need to stop it….'
The qi was thrashing about inside Chung Myung's body. If he couldn't control it, it would continue to rage and destroy his body.
The situation was quickly turning sour. Even if the process was helping his body heal, no one could be sure what the end result would be.
Chung Myung struggled to block the qi. However, it rebelled against his will and moved along its own path.
'Shit, listen and stop already! You're my energy, damn it!'
Chung Myung cursed in his mind, and the qi slowed down. It seemed like it realized who its master was.
But after a while, the qi began to run wild again.
'Stop!'
Even if blocking the qi would hurt his body, he had to stop it as soon as possible.
Then, right when he gathered all of his will to suppress it.
-So, are you a Taoist or a martial artist?
'Sahyung?'
It was the voice of his Sahyung echoing in his mind. Why?
No! This was something he had heard in his past life.
-Martial artists try to oppress and control the flow. But those who follow the path of Dao, let it be. You idiot. Where did your sense of logic come from? If you build a dam to stop the flowing water, it will simply flow over it.
Chung Myung's body twitched.
-Let it be. If you leave it alone, everything will flow naturally. You wish to twist the rules of nature with the will of man? Stupid bastard. Humans are also a part of nature. How can a man compete with the all-encompassing nature?
Remembering his sahyung's words, Chung Myung gave permission for the qi to flow freely. The moment he released control, the energy, which had been violently raging, began to flow smoothly and softly through his body.
As it circulated, the flowing stream grew larger and thicker, soon becoming a river that cascaded throughout his body.
How long had it been?
Blink!
Chung Myung suddenly opened his eyes. A supremely crystalline glare.
And…
Thud!
"Ouch!"
Chung Myung, who dropped from the air to the ground, touched his hips.
"What? Why was I floating?"
He never imagined that his body would float. He got up, rubbing his tingling butt.
"Phew. I was almost done for."
It was dangerous. The slightest deviation would have paralyzed him or taken away his life. Falling off that cliff didn't seem so scary now.
But the reward could be felt.
"Hmm."
Chung Myung waved his wrist. The broken wrist was fully attached. Rather, it felt more robust than before.
It wasn't just the wrist, either.
'The impure qi.'
Chung Myung thought that his body had already washed away all impurities, but it was even more efficient and clean now. This was his second time removing the impure qi from his body. If he could do it again in the future, his body could reach unparalleled levels.
But the most significant changes were the meridians. It felt like his entire body was open.
Originally, his meridians were a small, thin stream flowing into a creak, but now they were wide like a river surging into the ocean.
"The internal qi has also increased."
Considering that a year of accumulation would only increase his qi by a fingernail-sized margin, it was encouraging to improve so much overnight.
'The pure innate qi has also recovered.'
All together.
"My dantian grew."
For Chung Myung, the body is a vessel for his martial arts. If the dantian is small, then it will be limited. As he overcame a new wall, the dantian has grown and what it can withstand has expanded.
Right now, it was like a rat's tail, but still, this was the foundation Chung Myung aimed to surpass his past with.
With a satisfied smile, he thought.
'If it wasn't for Sahyung, it would have been a disaster.'
Maybe he finally attained enlightenment after dying once. The words of Sahyung, which he always regarded as nagging, took on a new meaning and helped him when he needed it.
"I was just a swordsman."
Not a Taoist.
Mount Hua was home to both Taoism and martial arts. But Chung Myung couldn't call himself a Taoist.
Could he really help the current Mount Hua?
"Uhh."
Chung Myung scratched his head. Such concerns would do him no good.
First, let's just try something!
"If that doesn't work, then try something else."
Chung Myung was flustered as he walked. With each step, he was moving farther than expected but, thanks to his past experience, he adapted to it quite quickly.
Click!
Chung Myung took out the box of pills and pushed it into his sleeve.
"Tch. How unfortunate."
Now, this was meaningless to him.
He could repair and grow his body, but the pill's energy was only a catalyst serving as a medium for him; the pill itself did not contribute to his growth.
Compared to Chung Myung's unique qi, it was nothing more than a lump of impurities. Things might have been better if it was the Supreme Pill.
It felt terrible to just use the pills as a medium. Anyone other than him would have experienced a much greater effect.
"Tch."
Chung Myung hated how things were always tricky for him.
"Ehh!"
He closed his eyes to contemplate.
He didn't need to feel bad; although he didn't get much energy out of the snow plum blossom pill, he managed to achieve a result he couldn't normally get no matter how many pills he took.
"I'm being greedy. Ah, Chung Myung, let's only eat as much as you can handle."
Chung Myung turned around…
Clank!
A couple of alcohol bottles that were in the chest were wrapped around his waist.
It's not like he wanted to drink it. It was an action that stemmed from innocent curiosity; he simply wanted to know what alcohol aged for a hundred years would taste like.
Chung Myung, who finished taking the alcohol, stood at the entrance of the cave and glanced back.
"It feels weird."
Traces of the past.
Mount Hua had changed so much, yet this cave remained the same. When Chung Myung was in this cave, it felt like he was taken back in time.
He missed it.
And more.
Chung Myung, who was silently looking into the cave, smiled.
'I need to come here again some time.'
Not for drinking and playing around like in the past, but it was still a good place to come and rest.
"Well, not too often either. The past needs to stay in the past."
He was Chung Myung, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint. However, that wasn't who he was anymore. Now, he was Chung Myung, the third-class disciple.
Those bound by the past cannot advance into the future.
The past was a milestone that would lead his life to the right place.
"Then."
Chung Myung walked out of the cave.
Swosh!
His body felt incomparably lighter than before, and he was able to move with far more proficiency and agility than before. His light feet slammed the cliff as he accelerated upwards.
"Ugh!"
Making multiple leaps and ascending quickly, Chung Myung made it to the top of the cliff.
"Not bad."
A deep breath.
The fresh air on the summit lightly caressed him, then as it brushed his nose…
"Ugh!"
He felt nauseous.
It was then that he realized that his clothes were thick with filth. Chung Myung's face frowned as he took off the clothes.
"What the hell is coming out of this body!"
Chung Myung removed his clothes, lifted them up with his fingertips, and took a deep breath.
"Oh, my god! Nothing makes sense! Where is the nearest stream?"
He would have to wash the clothes before heading back to the dorm.
Chung Myung turned and trudged down the mountain.
On that day, the innocent animals which had come to happily cool their throats in the stream had no way of knowing they would suffer a tragedy lasting several days to come.
----
"Ahh. It's cold!"
Dawn on the mountain is distinctly different from dawn on the plains.
When cold air meets the humidity of dawn, it creates a chill that penetrates the bones.
Walking through the early morning air, the third-class disciples left the dorm and headed to the training hall.
"I'm wide awake now."
"I'm awake too, but my body doesn't wake up at all. So tired…"
"You should have mediated."
"Who does that at night?"
"Ah, right."
While exchanging idle conversation, the third-class disciples took out their sandbags and stone bags from the hut prepared at the side of the gymnasium.
"By the way, how long do we have to do this?"
"Well, maybe until we are asked to stop?"
"Who will ask that?"
"You don't know?"
All the disciples thought of one face.
'That monster-like bastard.'
'A scary jerk.'
Although they were all disciples of the same class, Chung Myung had completely subjugated them.
Since the training was difficult, some rebelled occasionally. However, once they were knocked into the ceiling of the dorms, they quickly settled down.
Jo Gul, the first to go against Chung Myung, and even Yoon Jong weren't complaining, so how could the others rebel?
The disciples couldn't even think about surpassing Jo Gul and Yoon Jong, who were better than them. From their point of view, even those two were monsters.
"But isn't he a bit weird these days?"
"What?"
"He doesn't look well, and he doesn't come to train either."
"… right!"
In the beginning, Chung Myung would participate in the training and torment the others, but he didn't even show his face in recent days.
"Then, is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"The rumors that he had overloaded his internal qi."
"Ah! No way!"
"No, no. Think about it. He is getting thinner and weaker each day, and he doesn't seem to be in good health either, so he keeps skipping the training."
"Well…"
"Maybe it would be different if he was lazy, but he isn't. Isn't it strange that a guy who trains three times as much as any of us suddenly stopped coming to train?"
"When you put it like that, it makes sense."
All the disciples present were listening to the exchange.
"Then…"
Someone said something that shouldn't have been said.
"Do we even still have to train?"
"…"
The faces of the third-class disciples suddenly hardened.
Actually, their feelings were no longer the same as they were at the start. In the beginning, they went to train because they were forced to, leaving them with aching bodies and discontent.
But now, they realized that they were getting stronger through the training. Although it was unfamiliar to physically train the body rather than cultivate their qi, they could clearly see their growing results.
Their lower body had become more stable.
Is there any greater joy for a martial artist than growing stronger? Although their bodies were tired and weary, they began to appreciate and enjoy the training.
But as soon as they heard that, the feelings they had been holding back began to take over.
'I can't take a leave every day, but….'
'No, just once….'
'Excessive training isn't good either. I don't think it would be bad to reduce it….'
Everyone's thoughts changed.
'Maybe, if Chung Myung isn't here!'
Their poisonous thoughts continued until they reached the training hall. The early morning training, which was taken for granted, suddenly felt more annoying with these thoughts seducing their minds.
Well, they were children, so it was inevitable.
"Look, he isn't here today either."
"Is he really badly hurt?"
"Then… can't we just back out?"
The decisive blow.
There were precisely three reasons why the disciples followed Chung Myung.
First, even if all the disciples rushed in, no one could take down Chung Myung.
Second, Chung Myung had the support of Un Geom, the overseer of their dorm. If a disciple steps out of line and can't be controlled, you should bring it up with a superior, but what can you do when the superior is on their side?
And finally, Chung Myung was weirdly reasonable. When it came to training, he was a demon that would attack others and crush dissent; but he didn't bully the others or make them do anything unreasonable to benefit himself just because he was stronger.
Because of that, they preferred how things were now rather than when they were disciplined under Jo Gul.
But now, the first of the three reasons collapsed.
'Can't we back out?'
'He is already just skin and bones.'
'Wouldn't we win if we all work together?'
Their eyes began to shine with determination. Seeing that, Jo Gul sighed.
"Sahyung."
"Let them be."
Yoon Jong smiled.
"They'll see the truth soon enough."
It was then.
Kiiik!
Everyone's heads turned to the side as the door to the White Blossom training hall opened. Only Chung Myung was missing. In other words, it had to be Chung Myung coming.
No one other than him could be coming here to train!
The door opened wide.
All the third-class disciples turned their heads.
"Eh! What!'
"It's so dazzling!"
Something was shining brilliantly. Those who fought against the light and glanced at what was hidden within opened their eyes wide in shock.
Chung Myung was coming. Yep, it was definitely him.
But the man they were seeing wasn't the same as yesterday. Clearly, Chung Myung was…
'What is with him?'
'Did he put oil on his face?'
'Did he pick up some wild ginseng and eat it?'
The third-class disciples doubted their eyes.
Until yesterday, he was withered and weak; even dying wouldn't have seemed strange, right? But now, he looked healthy, and there was a weird oil-like glow on his face.
'We're done for.'
'We'll have to train now.'
'It was a nice dream.'
The disciples thought their dreams had flown away just as quickly as they arrived.
"Hmm."
Chung Myung, who walked in, stood in front of them and spoke.
"Gentlemen."
"…"
"This instructor of yours can't help but feel sorry for you. I have been so ill that I neglected your training these days. I feel deeply responsible for this.'
"Ah. No."
"It is fine. Things happen!"
"We are fine! We are fine too!"
They all desperately screamed at the weird words Chung Myung was saying, but he shook his head and continued with a somber look.
"No. You practiced so hard even in my absence, but I couldn't live up to your expectations. This is definitely a mistake on my part."
The atmosphere kept getting weirder.
'He shouldn't be acting like this.'
'Is he really saying such things?'
Hearing it felt quite ominous.
"However!"
"…"
Chung Myung made a decisive declaration.
"Even if I can't undo past mistakes, I can make up for what I did! If the training was lacking, then we need to practice more!"
"That bastard…"
"I'd rather die covered in shit…."
"I'd rather try and kill him!"
Curses quietly poured from the surroundings, but Chung Myung didn't care.
"So, I hope that you too, do not forget that the future of Mount Hua lies in your hands, and work diligently. So."
Chung Myung pointed up, which made everyone look where he pointed.
He showed Lotus Peak standing proudly.
"…"
"Start."
"…"
"First come, first serve. The half who arrives last will do it again."
"…"
"Aren't you going to go?"
At that moment, someone shot out of the crowd like a bolt of lightning. The faces of the disciples who confirmed the person's identity were shocked.
"Great Sahyung?"
Yoon Jong.
He was running onto the Lotus peak as if the soles of his feet had caught fire, and someone was following right behind him.
It was Jo Gul.
"No! Great Sahyung!"
"Hey! Run! Hurry!"
"If we are late, we need to run again! Run!"
With that, the rest of the disciples began to run at full speed.
"How can he recover like that overnight!"
"How could I know!"
"Sahyung! Didn't you say we should all try going at him?"
"A gentleman should know how to embrace the right timing! Now isn't the time!"
"Well, I am freezing to death!"
"What?"
"Sahyung! Sahyung! Run! Please!"
All the disciples began to run. Only when they did their training right would they be able to eat their meals. They would have to run on their arms instead of their legs if they had to run a second lap.
Which was why everyone struggled to get there first!
Everyone ran with tears of blood streaming down their faces. They didn't know what happened, but Chung Myung was healthy, which meant there was no hope for them.
Their rebellion was suppressed before it even started. Looking at the backs of the running disciples, Chung Myung smiled.
"What cute bastards."
They dare dream of rebelling?
His body had become more sensitive as he reached a higher level, so he heard everything they had said.
"Well, this is good."
There's a limit to what a submissive person, who only knows how to listen, can accomplish independently. Mount Hua never accepted such people. But that didn't mean they took in overly rebellious ones either.
There was nothing worse than people who constantly complained about everything. In Mount Hua, you needed to have the ability to match your confidence if you wanted to speak freely.
"That ability, I will create it for them."
Chung Myung smiled.
It was important to be as strong as he was in the past, but he alone wouldn't be able to bring back the lost glory of Mount Hua. It was because Murim wasn't influenced by a single person.
Countless people rose to the top of the world through their own strength. But their names would fade if their successors didn't manage to carry on their legacy.
In the end, for a sect to maintain its reputation and be famous, all members of the sect need to be strong.
The reason the Shaolin sect is known to be the best isn't because of any individual person in it. Even the sect with the strongest warrior cannot defeat the Shaolin sect alone if his allies are weak.
Even Mount Hua in the past couldn't stand against it.
'But not this time.'
Chung Myung's eyes shone.
In the past, he had to follow the methods of his Sahyungs and Sasuks, but this time he could rebuild Mount Hua in his colors. It will be a long and difficult journey, but in the end, it will be grander than in the past.
Of course, his Sahyung wouldn't like this.
"If it makes you sad, then come back to life!"
After giggling, Chung Myung put his hands around his mouth and shouted.
"The last person back has to skip breakfast today!"
A viciousness that even a devil may cry over.
----
A raspy gasp that scattered dust into the wind echoed.
Jo Gul's body wriggled and writhed about on the ground as he struggled to catch his breath.
'That was crazy.'
There was no strength in his body. The sky was shining yellow as his consciousness seemed ready to drift away at any moment. If he was like this, what about the others?
He lifted his head and looked around.
A total defeat.
Not a single person could stand. No, it wasn't that they couldn't stand, but they were all motionless on the floor like corpses and gasping for air. Only Yoon Jong was sitting on the floor with his back held straight.
'Sahyung.'
Respect welled up in Jo Gul's heart.
In fact, in terms of martial arts, Jo Gul was a little better than Yoon Jong. Jo Gul was definitely ahead of Yoon Jong in swordsmanship too.
However, at this moment, Jo Gul realized why Yoon Jong was the Great Sahyung.
It was hard for Jo Gul to lift even a single finger, but Yoon Jong, who had persevered through the same training, was sitting calmly and catching his breath. It wasn't a matter of skill but of mental strength.
How could he not respect such a sahyung?
On the other hand…
Jo Gul turned his gaze to the other side.
"Ugh! Okay! More!"
"…"
In Jo Gul's eyes, he saw the figure of Chung Myung constantly squatting with sandbags three times his size.
"Ugh! Hah! Ugh! Hey! Why are they so light! Hey, if you are done training, come give me your weights… what? Why are you all lying down?"
'What a monstrous bastard.'
Jo Gul grunted. The training they were being made to endure was unreasonably extreme. Chung Myung must have felt too excited after recovering from the recent days of rest as he pushed the third-class disciples into this new training.
However, there wasn't a single person who objected to him. This was because Chung Myung was training five times harder than anyone else, right before their eyes.
Anyone with common sense would keep their complaints to themselves. Even if they were full of dissatisfaction, they would keep their mouth shut to avoid looking like an idiot in front of others.
Chung Myung, who was training more than others, continued to train without showing any signs of hardship.
"Ah, is it that time already?"
Thud!
He threw the sandbags on the floor and then said.
"What is all this? Kids these days are so weak; you lack determination. It wasn't like that when I was a kid."
'You are the youngest one here!'
How can the youngest one call the other disciples kids?
"Today's training ends here. All you have to do for today is eat and attend afternoon training. Those who doze off or do something else during the training will be made to do twice as much tomorrow."
'Devil!'
'Demon!'
'Bastard!'
Everyone cursed him in their minds but nodded their heads, nonetheless.
"Then, let's go in. Organize the training equipment properly."
As they watched Chung Myung walk into the White Plum Blossom dorms, the third-class disciples sighed in unison.
Meat.
Meat was visible.
These days, Mount Hua is awash with money. Meat can be seen at every meal and, seeing the new chef, it looked like the sect had even hired new staff.
All of them were looking at the meat served on the table, but not a single person touched it.
"… eat."
Yoon Jong said weakly, but no one raised their chopsticks.
"… I feel like I will vomit if I eat."
"To think that I would want to puke when seeing meat on the table, is this my time to die?"
No one could bring themselves to eat.
"Great Sahyung."
"… What?"
"Isn't this just too much?"
Yoon Jong didn't answer, but that didn't make the others stop.
"This… no, I mean, it is good for us to practice. Actually, it's true that we haven't been concentrating on training ever since we first came up Mount Hua, and I understand it is better to train properly than waste time clumsily."
"But?"
"However, this new training is too much. There isn't a single part of my body that's unhurt."
It seemed like the others felt the same way.
"… we might die at this rate, Sahyung."
"I was able to hold out before, but these days I feel like I would die for sure."
"When I enter my room, I fall asleep like a corpse. Every time I lay down, I'm afraid I might die in my sleep!"
"I can't even lift my chopsticks. My hands keep trembling."
Yoon Jong sighed.
"Why tell—"
"But wouldn't Chung Myung listen if Great Sahyung is the one speaking?"
"You are the Great Sahyung."
Yoon Jong frowned.
'You aren't entirely wrong.'
In the past, Yoon Jong and Jo Gul spoke about this. But right now, he couldn't hold back. Yoon Jong was reaching his limit too.
Fatigue builds up during training; in order for the next training to be effective, you need to rest and relieve that fatigue. Recently though, Chung Myung pushed everyone without giving them a chance to recover from their fatigue.
Yoon Jong felt like he was pushing his body to the limit every day. At the very least, didn't he go to the morning practice in fear?
Yoon Jong glanced at Jo Gul.
"Gul."
"Yes. Sahyung."
"What do you think?"
"Well…"
As Jo Gul was asked, everyone focused on him. Among the third-class disciples, Jo Gul was the second in rank.
"Honestly, it is a bit unreasonable."
"Right?"
"My body is struggling to continue. The problem is that it's getting more intense each day. I welcome intense training, but this is too harsh."
"… Hmm."
"Steel gets stronger the more you hammer it, but the human body breaks when beaten."
"Then, what should we do?"
"The problem is…."
Jo Gul took a moment to compose his thoughts.
"That basta—no, Chung Myung should know this too."
"Ugh."
Yoon Jong groaned.
He had the same thought. The training right now made no sense. However, Chung Myung should know that this sort of training is overdoing it for them.
Because it's Chung Myung.
"For now, I think it would be better to hold on a little longer. If nothing changes after a while, then we will talk to him about it."
"Let's do that."
When the conversation between Yoon Jong and Gul ended, everyone agreed. First of all, it was necessary to calm down the protesters.
"Let's eat now. Even if you can't eat, push it down your throat. We have practice in the afternoon too, and if you give a weak performance, Sasuk will punish you."
"Yes."
"Thank you for the food."
Everyone picked up their chopsticks with weak hands. Seeing their faces, Jo Gul felt bad.
"Kuak."
Jo Gul struggled as he went to bed that night.
'I think I'm going to die like this.'
It was tough to bathe. Whether he was covered in grime or not, he just wanted to rush to bed and stretch out his body, but he praised himself for washing his body and clothes despite feeling that weak.
Thanks to this, his eyes felt heavy, and there was no strength left in his body. It was amazing that he was able to walk.
Slump!
Jo Gul, who fell on the bed, sighed.
'It's back to training again once I wake up.'
In fact, Jo Gul wasn't dissatisfied with the training. He thought that he could endure it no matter how harsh it was. Because in the end, all this training would make him stronger.
But lately, he was growing doubtful.
What if his body broke down first? Will his body be able to survive this training?
Before the question deepened, Jo Gul felt ashamed. He quickly forced himself to stop thinking and let his fatigue drift him off to sleep.
"Sahyung."
"… ummmm"
"Sahyung. Get up. Sahyung."
"Hm?"
Jo Gul opened his eyes. A human figure hazily entered his vision.
"Who!"
A heavy hand was pressing down on Jo Gul, who was about to get up.
"Don't make a fuss and get up silently."
"Chung Myung?"
"Hm."
What was this crazy guy trying to do by breaking into Jo Gul's room? How did he open the door?
"… what is it?"
Jo Gul struggled to get up. He felt like he had slept quite a bit, but the fatigue didn't disappear. His body was still heavy.
At that moment, Chung Myung offered him something.
"Here."
Seeing the small pill placed in Chung Myung's hand, he frowned.
"What is this?"
"Vitality pill."
"What!?"
"Shhh!"
Jo Gul, who made a loud noise, shut his mouth.
"It wasn't easy to get this. I am giving it to you because you are Sahyung."
"R-really?"
"You think I'm deceiving you? You'll know it's real just by smelling it."
It is real.
A little while ago, the pure scent pricked his nose. Yet, the reason he questioned it was because he couldn't believe it.
Vitality Pill? It was a pill that enhanced internal qi and purified the body. It was said that in the Murim world, people would even kill sects and families for it.
Even if this pill wasn't the best, it would be more valuable than gold if it could even slightly increase the body's qi.
But such a pill was being given to someone else?
"It isn't poisoned."
"No! I didn't think that!"
Jo Gul took a deep breath.
"Why give this to me? Why don't you use it?"
"Because Sahyung needs it."
"…"
"Hurry up and eat it before anyone else finds out. Also, it is absolutely secret that I gave this to you. It is only for Sahyung."
"… You."
Jo Gul couldn't speak.
Could he really have it?
If it was the normal Jo Gul, he might have questioned it more, but now he was struggling with fatigue and fighting to keep his mind awake. The pill appeared to be real as well, so he reacted on instinct and accepted it from Chung Myung.
"Just eat it. I will help guide you."
"… can I really have this?"
"I am giving it to Sahyung."
Chung Myung tossed the pill in his hand, and before Jo Gul could react, the pill went down his throat. As soon as it entered his mouth, he could feel it melt and fill his body with pure energy.
He could instinctively tell that this was a real vitality pill.
"You should guide it, but don't absorb it in a hurry. You should take your time and slowly absorb it over a month's duration."
"Ah- I get it."
"Turn around. I'll take it from here."
Jo Gul felt moved and looked at Chung Myung with slightly watering eyes as he turned around.
Looking at Jo Gul's back, Chung Myung smiled a wicked grin.
'You have to give water to a thirsty person to make them feel grateful!'
He was already curious about what kind of eyes his Sahyungs would show him at the training tomorrow.
----
The next morning.
No, it was embarrassing to call it morning.
The door to the dorms opened wide.
"It's morning."
"Ah, so tired."
"Ohh."
"I'm dying!"
It was the beginning of a day that was not so different from usual, and nothing seemed strange.
But obviously, something was different.
There was a subtle strength in the steps of those who were dragging their feet like corpses. What's more, the fatigue-filled voices complaining weren't the same as before.
And…
There were unfamiliar emotions in the eyes of those around.
"Come on, I should practice hard today."
"Well, right. It will be hard."
"It may be hard, but you have to work hard."
Everyone went to the warehouse without a word and brought back the equipment they trained with.
'Phew. It's light.'
'I seem to have a lot more energy in my body!'
'Is it fine for me to be the only one to receive it? I feel bad for the Sahyungs.'
'Huhuhu. Sajae Chung Myung must like me a lot to give up such a precious vitality pill.'
All the Sahyungs warily looked around.
'If the others find out that I received a vitality pill and ate it without them, wouldn't they be disappointed?'
'I feel bad, but a vitality pill isn't something that can be shared.'
'Did anyone else get one too?'
Each of them kept thinking. Since Chung Myung told them to keep it a secret, they wouldn't even think of saying it by mistake.
Although they all had awkward expressions on their faces, the third-class disciples of Mount Hua never thought that all the disciples had gotten a pill each.
Why?
It's simple. Vitality pills aren't something that can be obtained in large quantities. It would take more than a thousand gold to feed all the disciples a vitality pill. Even if you have the money, there's no guarantee that you'd be able to find someone willing to sell so many pills.
And why would Chung Myung buy so much just to give it away to others?
'Such a precious vitality pill was given to me.'
'Kuah! I feel hot!'
Moreover, those who had taken the vitality pills realized the efficacy of the medicine. Warm energy constantly rose within their bodies.
The qi hasn't even been fully absorbed yet, but just a little was enough to blow away some of their fatigue and improve their internal qi.
Their motivation was revived.
Thud!
The door to the training hall opened, and Chung Myung walked out. Seeing him arrive, the disciples lined up.
"Hmm."
Seeing that, Chung Myung smiled.
'Nice.'
Bright and vigorous eyes. The eyes of the disciples, which were staring at him, sparkled with a light that shone brighter than dawn stars twinkling in the sky.
Why wouldn't they be?
For Chung Myung, it was useless to eat the vitality pills himself and selling them would be a waste. From their point of view, though, it was a priceless treasure they would normally never be able to obtain.
If the disciples knew that the vitality pill given by Chung Myung wasn't some generic purchasable pill. But was instead made by Mount Hua in the past, the reaction would have been even more intense.
'He turned out to be such a good guy.'
'Kuak. The effect is so great. Such a precious vitality pill.'
'Loyalty!'
The disciples looked at Chung Myung with warm eyes. So warm that even Chung Myung felt a bit embarrassed.
'So, this was why my Sahyung occasionally gave out vitality pills to the ones who didn't listen to him?'
He realized that handling people required more than just a whip.
"Now, should we get a clean start today?"
"Oh!"
Chung Myung pointed to the Lotus peak.
"Go there."
"wuahhhh!"
"I will be number one today!"
"Move it! I am coming through!"
Seeing the Sahyungs rush for the peak, Chung Myung laughed.
'It's gonna be comfortable for a while.'
'It's strange.'
Un Geom's eyes narrowed.
In front of him, the third-class disciples were wielding wooden swords as usual. It wasn't any different from what he had seen so far.
However, Un Geom's sharp eyes noticed a subtle difference.
'The sword is stable.'
It was the same swordplay, but the sharpness and stability were different.
Un Geom's eyes, looking at the disciples, narrowed further.
'The lower body has changed.'
There is strength in the feet. Because greater force in the feet was applied, the upper body became more stable. Since the upper body was under better control, they could place more weight on the tip of the sword.
A good thing.
If the tip of the sword is steady, doesn't that mean they were accurately deploying the technique? It was a significant change considering that the reason for practicing and honing the same technique countless times was to develop perfect control of their swordsmanship.
But there was one thing bothering Un Geom.
'Is it possible for such a significant change in such a short period?'
According to Un Geom's calculations, it should have taken more than a year for them to reach this level. It's really short, considering they did this in a month's time. Realistically, it wouldn't be strange even if they took two or three years.
But…
"Ta!"
The swords cut through the air.
'What?'
"And now!"
The advancing step on the floor was cleanly executed.
"Uh?"
Un Geom exclaimed.
It was a good thing that the disciples' achievements had increased. But he couldn't understand how it had happened.
'Was it the morning training?'
Un Geom's eyes turned to Chung Myung, who wielded his sword in the back.
"…"
That was the only reason he could think of.
He didn't even have to think too deeply. It was after Chung Myung's arrival that the disciples began training more. To be precise, it was after Chung Myung started the morning training.
Un Geom's frown deepened.
'Was the training that effective?'
Un Geom allowed the training because the third-class disciples were willing to practice on their own.
Of course, Un Geom also wanting some training time for himself was a more realistic reason.
'I thought it would be a little more motivation for them.'
Was the effect too great? It was too extreme.
Moreover, the disciples also realized that their skills were increasing, so they were more excited than ever to engage in training.
"Hahaha."
It felt strange.
How long had he been looking after the kids of the White Plum Blossom dorms? To finally see the disciples' eyes shining so brilliantly?
'This is embarrassing.'
The disciples trained so enthusiastically, but did Un Geom ever have such passion when he taught them?
Didn't he constantly feel bothered by the work placed on him?
Un Geom sighed.
'Even though I knew that they were Mount Hua's disciples and that they would determine our future, I was negligent in caring for them.'
The more he thought about it, the more ashamed he felt.
Ashamed for not being the pillar the disciples needed him to be.
"Ahhh!"
The disciples' swords all pointed to the sky in unison.
Seeing that, Un Geom nodded his head.
"Great!"
A word resonating from his heart.
"Your swords look so lively!"
He didn't know what more to say. Un Geom's gaze turned to Chung Myung.
It was weird.
Mount Hua hadn't changed much in the past. But since Chung Myung arrived, constant changes have been occurring.
The financial problem plaguing the sect was solved without any fuss, and the disciples were practicing with a passion. Besides, didn't he see that their skills were improving?
Was this all a coincidence? Or…?
Un Geom opened his mouth.
"As you all know. According to the rules, you are supposed to learn the Taiyi Flummox Sword. After seeing you all work hard, I think that I should break the rules and pass on the technique in advance."
"Ohh!"
"Taiyi Flummox Sword!"
Un Geom smiled, seeing the disciples cheer. Rewards were given to those who worked hard, and those who received rewards worked even harder. If this cycle can be encouraged, these children would grow well to represent the Mount Hua Sect.
"So, don't be lazy and keep practicing."
"Yes, Sir!"
"Okay then, back to training!"
The lively words resounded through the hall, and Un Geom smiled.
It was then.
Someone approached the hall with quick steps.
"Is Un Geom here?"
Un Geom turned his head in surprise.
"S-sect leader?"
Un Geom adjusted his expression and looked at Hyun Jong with curious eyes. It was rare for the sect leader to visit the training hall.
"You've worked hard. I have something to speak with you about; could you spare some time?"
"Yes, Sect leader!"
Un Geom turned to the disciples and spoke.
"As for your swordplay…."
"Do it again."
"…"
Seeing Hyun Jong arrive so suddenly, Un Geom was puzzled.
Leaving the children behind to continue their training, the two elders went to the other side of the hall, where Un Geom waited for Hyun Jong to speak.
"Un Geom."
"Yes! Sect leader."
"A problem has come up."
"Huh?"
Hyun Jong took a book from his sleeve and handed it to Un Geom. Un Geom, who received it, asked.
"This is…?"
"It came out of that chest we found."
"Ah…"
Un Geom, who noticed that Hyun Jong was beckoning him to read it, began to read in haste.
"Sect leader this… Equilibrium of Six technique?"
"Yes, it is."
Un Geom frowned.
Equilibrium of Six was the foundational technique of Mount Hua. However, it was replaced with the True Equilibrium of Six.
"But why are you…."
"Did you see everything?"
"Yes."
"When I read it the first time, I also hastily glanced through it because it was a hectic situation."
"… Huh?"
"Check the last chapter. There is something written there."
"Ah?"
Un Geom hurriedly opened it. Soon, his face contorted upon seeing what was written there.
Un Geom's hands trembled.
A letter.
To the successors,
It isn't wrong for one to develop and transform the martial arts of Mount Hua. Martial arts need to constantly change and develop to be effective.
But the Equilibrium of Six is the basis of Mount Hua, the backbone of Mount Hua. Transforming or changing the Equilibrium of Six is no different from changing the essence of Mount Hua.
One should keep this fact in mind.
My dear successor.