Chapter 36

Chapter 36

After finishing breakfast.

“…What do you think?”

At Seonwoo Gang’s question with a heavy expression, all the Muryeon Hall trainees gathered shook their heads side to side.

“A hundred downward strikes.”

Finally, in earnest, they would receive guidance from the master who overwhelmingly crushed them. Moreover, when they learned that the opponent was that Senior Un, the Muryeon Hall trainees inwardly cheered.

It couldn’t be helped. To the Murim Alliance, especially to the Muryeon Hall trainees, Baek Riyun was no different from a legend. Not only during his time as a Muryeon Hall trainee but also after being assigned to Changcheon Corps, it was the same.

The one who turned Changcheon Corps, which had remained at the bottom for many years, into a military unit that everyone admired in just ten years was Baek Riyun. There was no doubt that he had sufficient educational qualities.

But.

“A hundred downward strikes.”

“…I got a hundred thrusts.”

“Mine was a hundred grabs. Just how much grabbing do you think I’ve done while using whip techniques?”

At Oh Ryeong’s grumbling words, everyone sighed and shook their heads as if in agreement.

“I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

They would have followed without question if he had given them difficult training. To them, Baek Riyun was a respected senior and a martial artist who had shown power worthy of awe. But the current situation is the opposite.

It’s too easy, that’s the problem. Even if they do this training as it is, it won’t be any training for them.

“Maybe he has no intention of teaching us properly because we’re pathetic…”

At Oh Ryeong’s dejected words with drooping spirits, everyone’s atmosphere sank heavily. And at that moment, Seomun Cheok spoke heavily.

“No.”

“…”

“That can’t be.”

“Why are you so sure?”

“Because my feeling was that way.”

What’s important on the battlefield?

Comrades more than enemies. On the battlefield, nothing is more dangerous than comrades who are swept up in the madness of battle or succumb to that madness and go wild.

Seomun Cheok, who had survived several times in that, had somewhat of an eye for people. And when he looked at Baek Riyun with those eyes, the point he felt was one.

That he’s upright.

“If he had no intention of teaching, he would say precisely that he won’t teach. The Sect Master is that kind of person.”

“Then, what meaning does this training have…!”

“It must have some meaning. We just haven’t realized it.”

Thinking conventionally, it’s truly insignificant training. But has there been even one thing that’s gone conventionally in this training camp so far?

“There’s no need to wait any longer.”

At Seomun Cheok’s sudden rise, Seonwoo Gang raised his head.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’ll confront it first. There was no mention that we can’t retry the assignment. If something’s wrong, he’ll at least say something about that part.”

“…”

“I’m going.”

As Seomun Cheok slung the spear shaft across his back and disappeared toward the training ground where Baek Riyun was waiting, the remaining Muryeon Hall trainees exchanged glances and rose one by one. The Muryeon Hall trainees rising one after another like that.

“Eiing. I’ll also go! Even if I sit here like this, it’s not like I can figure anything out.”

“Me too… I think confronting it first is right.”

“M-me too.”

“…”

After confirming that the trainees who rose one by one were turning their steps toward the training ground, Seonwoo Gang tightly closed his eyes.

‘I’m scared.’

He knows that if he was going to reveal his identity, he would have revealed it earlier. But he can’t erase the lingering suspicion.

He’s afraid to face Baek Riyun. Wouldn’t it be strange if he wasn’t trembling about facing someone who knows his identity?

Even so.

‘I can’t avoid it.’

He’s already been dragged into the tiger’s den.

Seonwoo Gang who bit down hard clenched his fist, rose from his seat, and headed to the training ground. And.

The moment Seonwoo Gang arrived at the training ground, what he saw was.

“Welcome! Junior! One more customer here!”

“…Junior. This is embarrassing…”

The figures of a girl and a giant man standing rowdily, the club stuck to her hand as she smacked it.

Two days before taking the entrance exam.

“…Pardon?”

Seohwa, who asked back with a bewildered expression, carefully asked again.

“We’re training together with the Muryeon Hall trainees?”

“That’s right.”

I answered lightly and loosely dangled the wooden sword while looking at the window that appeared before my eyes. Then the status window that entered my view.

Kill Two Birds with One Stone

Raising the sect’s reputation is important, but the growth of sect members is also an important element that must not be neglected.

Before the training camp ends, work on the martial arts of Seohwa or Wangpal to pull them up to a higher realm!

*Rewards will be determined according to the disciples’ level of improvement.

I let out a chuckle while looking at the request’s contents and shook my head. Then Seohwa, who looked at me and tilted her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I just thought it’s interesting.”

“Pardon?”

I shook my head briefly and stroked my chin. The status window was probably worried that I might neglect my main work while teaching the Muryeon Hall trainees.

Thinking conventionally, that’s right. Teaching someone with concentration conversely also means you can’t concentrate on someone else. It’s natural that teaching five people is more efficient than looking after ten people simultaneously, and teaching two people is much more efficient than looking after five people simultaneously.

But that’s when teaching ordinarily.

I never intended to neglect Seohwa and Wangpal in the first place.

“Sect Master, I’m sorry, but the level between the trainees and us is…”

“The difference is quite large.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Looking at Wangpal, who bowed his head with an apologetic expression, I smiled faintly and shook my head.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s natural.”

Seohwa and Wangpal both have outstanding talent, that’s true. But what kind of people are the Muryeon Hall trainees?

At least in that age group, Muryeon Hall and Mujeong Hall are places where talents that can be counted on one hand throughout the entire orthodox martial world gather. They’re not selected by talent alone either. If they had neglected training, they wouldn’t even be given the qualification to enter Muryeon Hall.

In short, Seohwa and Wangpal are talents that haven’t bloomed yet, while the trainees are talents that have already begun to sprout. It’s natural that there’s a level difference.

“You’re trying to say you can’t do the same training because there’s a level difference?”

“If you tell us to do it, we will. But we’re worried we’ll hold them back.”

“You don’t need to worry about holding them back. The training you’ll do isn’t the same training as the trainees.”

“…Pardon? But didn’t you just say we’d train together?”

“Training together is correct. To be precise, you’ll take on the role of opponents for the trainees.”

“Opponents?”

“That’s right.”

If we were to pick what inspires human learning motivation, we could pick several things.

The first is greed for achievement. Most martial artists rely on this to train their martial arts. And the second is fear of failure. This can be sufficient motivation in the short term, but it’s poison when viewed long-term.

And the third is precisely.

“Competition.”

“…Us, with the Muryeon Hall trainees?”

“That’s right.”

“But you just said we’re no match…”

“You won’t be a match. In a normal situation.”

Even if they don’t use internal energy, even if they only defend, the difference between the Muryeon Hall trainees and Seohwa is clear. Wangpal could endure to some degree, but that too is only to some degree. Because there’s accumulated education and years.

However, what if these conditions are set?

“The opponent can only take one motion.”

“…Pardon?”

“It means they must defeat you with only one motion without using internal energy. And in a two-on-one situation.”

What’s at stake is the limit of a hundred times.

They must perform both defense and offense with only one motion. If they can complete all hundred motions without falling apart, the Muryeon Hall trainee wins. Otherwise, if the flow breaks or they allow even one attack, it’s the Uicheon disciples’ victory.

“This training will proceed for two weeks. You two must not give the trainees even a single victory during those two weeks. Do you understand what I mean?”

“Even so, aren’t the conditions too harsh? To attack and defend simultaneously with only one motion a hundred times…”

“Don’t underestimate them.”

I hardened my face and stared directly at Seohwa.

“The opponents are those with talent that exists in only a handful among the hundreds of thousands of martial artists in the orthodox path. Such people have trained martial arts for over ten years with a good environment and good teachers. Do you know what that means?”

“The fact that attacking is possible means you two could also be struck down before a hundred seconds pass. No matter how much they don’t use internal energy, you’ll be struck down quickly if you let your guard down.”

The reason I deliberately set the condition of two-on-one is also for that reason. Even if they somehow manage the stamina issue with Uicheon Manor’s function, if Seohwa or Wangpal were alone, they would definitely be broken through in less than a day.

“…Yes.”

Seeing Seohwa, who seemed to imagine something at my words and had a completely tense expression, I smiled faintly.

“Even so, you don’t need to be too scared. At that level, it’s difficult but a fairly doable condition.”

“Is… that so?”

“Yes. So you don’t need to be too discouraged.”

“…Yes.”

Looking at Seohwa, whose spirit had completely deflated, I stroked my chin. It seems I scared her too much.

Hmm, what should I do?

“I was planning to take more time, but let’s do it this way.”

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you hear that when Muryeon Hall’s training camp ends, we also have to go to the Murim Alliance to watch the competition?”

“Yes. You told us last time.”

“Near there, there’s a blacksmith who made my sword. There were a total of sixteen Muryeon Hall trainees. If you two keep the number of passers during these two weeks to eight or fewer.”

I looked at Seohwa and lightly tapped Uicheon Sword. Then Seohwa’s eyes gradually grew larger.

“Let’s go have a legendary weapon made.”

And so it comes to now.

“A hundred times, you say.”

“That’s right. A hundred times.”

Seomun Cheok, who heard the rules from me, quietly looked at Seohwa and Wangpal, then pulled out the spear slung on his back. At the same time, the wooden spear revealed itself.

“To exchange a full hundred bouts with only push strikes…”

People commonly know that the basics and core of spearmanship are thrust, strike, and scrape, but that’s only knowing half the story.

In the first place, there’s no way martial arts can be organized into just three motions. Even the Samjae Sword Technique, though it espouses the Three Powers, has more than three forms. Likewise, spearmanship also has numerous techniques, and one of them is push strike.

Pushing away.

“I’ll try.”

“You get one challenge opportunity per day. That means you can only challenge fifteen times over the next two weeks. Will you still do it now?”

“I’ll have to experience it to know, but I’m confident. If it’s okay to knock them down.”

“Is that so? Then prepare.”

Seomun Cheok, who gave his gaze to Seohwa, quietly grasped the middle of the spear shaft and dangled it obliquely while twisting the corner of his mouth slightly. He seemed to have good eyes, so he must have realized Seohwa’s current level.

Certainly, Seohwa’s level isn’t very high. Although she won at the Baekgeom Competition, that was only after thoroughly studying her opponent and succeeding by catching them off guard. If they fought again, she would probably lose with a ninety percent probability.

“Both sides prepare.”

I wore a small smile while watching the three figures walking step by step to both sides.

Certainly, Seomun Cheok’s judgment wasn’t wrong. Seohwa is weak. Wangpal is worth being wary of, but rather, Seohwa might become Wangpal’s burden. Two-on-one isn’t necessarily an advantage.

But well.

Will it really turn out that way?

“Begin.”

As soon as the words ended, Seomun Cheok swung the spear shaft to draw a semicircle and leaped forward. And.

“I’m sorry. I’m in a position where I can’t yield.”

The moment the spear shaft struck Seohwa’s side.

Unique Trait ‘Mirror-Like Mind’ manifests!

Kwadeudeudeuk!

“—That.”

One step forward.

Seohwa, who had dug in and grasped the center point of the spear while exhaling cold breath, opened her eyes coldly and grinned.

“Seems like something I should be saying.”