At the top are the Chief Instructor and the Head Master, and below them are two masters with exceptional skill. The more lines there are beneath them, the more senior and skilled the disciples are. Seeing such a large structure, not inferior to a major martial sect, I realized anew the prestige and power of Cheongryong Martial Hall.
"Then finally, let's briefly evaluate your mastery of the Okhap Sword Technique and end the interview."
"Yes, sir."
"Bring that wooden sword over there and face me."
Ssshhh…
After a moment, I took out a slightly pinkish wooden sword stored on the training hall wall and got into stance. Seeing my posture, Jin So-cheong chuckled in amusement.
"Haha… Where did you learn that stance?"
"The bodyguard master taught me."
"Interesting, that's a sword stance used for saber techniques…"
This was something I had no idea about. Bodyguards generally learn their martial arts from the head of the escort bureau, and the rest from mid-ranking officers. My stance had been taught by the escort master, who said it was practical, so I hadn't realized whether it belonged to sword techniques or saber techniques.
"Now, give it your best and attack."
"Haahp!!"
I shouted a battle cry and launched into the Liuhe Sword Technique, charging at Jin So-cheong. The first move was the most basic form of the Liuhe technique, Taesan Apjeong ("Mount Tai Crushing a Nail"), and I could feel the muscles in my forearms shaking. Stepping forward in a steady rhythm, I executed each move of the Liuhe Sword Technique in sequence.
Swish, swish, swish!
Just as I had gone through nearly all the forms of the Wooden Sword Technique, Jin So-cheong, who had been calmly dodging the whole time, suddenly caught my wooden sword with just his fingers. It was a finishing strike, one strong enough to break a log with three hits, but he caught it effortlessly!
Letting go of the wooden sword, Jin So-cheong spoke.
"Impressive. I can sense a level of skill honed through actual combat. Tell me—have you ever cut down a person?"
My chest burned with unease. Could a true master really tell everything just by watching someone perform a technique? I calmed myself and replied.
"Yes. I used it to protect myself from bandits and thieves."
It wasn't a lie.
It was true—I had fought countless battles with bandits and thieves during my time as an escort warrior.
Jin So-cheong seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, then spoke.
"Hmm… in that case…"
What he said next hit me like a bolt from the blue.
"I take back what I said about accepting you as a first-line disciple. Instead, I will personally train you for one month from now on."
"What?!"
"But if… you don't improve properly during that time, I will expel you."
Improve? What did he mean by that?
Jin So-cheong didn't elaborate. He simply said,
"Bang-il! Are you there?"
Clack—the door opened, and the chubby gatekeeper Bang-il walked in. On closer inspection, I noticed two horizontal threads sewn across his training uniform, identifying him as a second-line disciple.
"Yes, sir?"
"This kid—I'll be personally training him for the next month. Make sure no other disciples cause trouble for him. It's your responsibility to manage the atmosphere."
"…!!"
Bang-il looked genuinely shocked. His eyes briefly flashed with something heavy—resentment, maybe—but he quickly composed himself and replied,
"Understood."
"You're excused for today. Go to your quarters and rest well. Report to the training hall at the time of myo tomorrow."
"Yes, sir."
And so, guided by Bang-il, I headed to my assigned quarters. Compared to the stables where I had been eating and sleeping until now, this was a clean and comfortable room beyond comparison. As I looked around in amazement, Bang-il spoke.
"Personal instruction from the Head Master… What the hell did you do to deserve that?"
When I turned around, his eyes were filled with barely concealed jealousy—and hostility. Having lived over fifty years, I could recognize such looks instinctively. He was clearly bitter that a newcomer, who had just entered, was already receiving direct instruction from Jin So-cheong.
But I was just as bewildered myself. I had thought I'd quietly begin training as a first-line disciple and gradually learn top-tier martial arts. This sudden development… it was too abrupt. And if I drew too much jealousy from other disciples, my life at Cheongryong Martial Hall would definitely become difficult. It wasn't something I had hoped for.
"I'm not really sure myself…"
"Hmph… whatever."
Spit.
Bang-il spat on the ground and gave me a warning.
"Listen carefully. There's order in this place. If you act all high and mighty like some ignorant brute, we won't sit quietly! Got it?!"
I was dumbfounded. Just as I thought—no matter where you go, people are the same. There's always one guy like this everywhere. In the past, I would've just bowed my head and gone along with someone like him to keep the peace, but things are different now. I had already died once and come back to life—there's no way I'm going to live again with a hunched back and cowering heart.
So instead, I just chuckled with a relaxed smile.
"Haha, if a senior acts like a true senior, of course I'll show my respect!"
"Senior Bang-il, you must be tired too. Why don't you head in and get some sleep?"
Bang-il spat on the ground again and walked off.
I grinned and lay down on the bed. It was a proper bed, with real blankets—so soft and warm it lifted my spirits. I even thought: If I could live in a place like this forever, that wouldn't be so bad at all.
'Come to think of it, I haven't even seen the head of the hall yet—the famed "Three Perfections" Lee Gwang. But then again, as the head of a martial hall rivaling even the great sects, he's probably extremely busy…'
A little later, I was led to dinner by a first-line disciple who had come to fetch me. Meals were eaten communally in a large building, like a cafeteria. Perhaps Bang-il had already spread the word—everywhere I went, I felt eyes on me, whispering and murmuring. The stares were sharp, unmistakable.
'Damn, this is going to be a pain…'
The food was delicious, but I couldn't relax. I knew all too well how cruel people could become when they decide to target someone.
But I made a vow to myself.
My life in Cheongryong Martial Hall starts now. Until I master top-tier martial arts, I will grit my teeth and endure whatever comes.
The next day, after finishing breakfast, I went to see Instructor Jin So-cheong.
He sat me down and began to explain.
"The martial arts taught here at Cheongryong Martial Hall are divided into three main categories:
Weapon Techniques , Internal Energy Methods , and Movement Arts. You understand what those are, right?"
"Yes."
Weapon Techniques are the ways to use weapons. Simbeop refers to building internal energy. And Gyeongsinsul includes everything that makes your body light and agile, including footwork. When I nodded, Jin So-cheong continued.
"Among those three, which do you think is the most important?"
"Simbeop."
"And your reason?"
"Weapon skills can be acquired through real combat, but internal energy methods are nearly impossible to learn even if you paid a fortune for them."
"You understand well."
Instructor Jin So-cheong spoke with what sounded like admiration. It might not seem like a big deal, but it was something you only truly grasp after spending decades in the field, like as a bodyguard. For most inexperienced martial artists, it's hard to come to that realization—because in their eyes, flashy weapon techniques and movement skills seem far more impressive.
"That's why, since Simbeop (Internal Energy Methods) is the most important and the deepest secret, we teach it last. If something goes wrong during internal energy training, it can leave irreversible internal injuries. So normally, it's only taught at least a year after someone becomes a first-line disciple."
Then Jin So-cheong placed his hand on my head.
"But in your case, I've decided to teach Internal Energy Methods first."
"Why is that?"
"Because now is the optimal time to spread the internal energy of the Samjae Simbeop throughout your entire meridian system."
"…?"
I didn't quite understand what he meant. Tilting my head in confusion, Jin So-cheong gave a small chuckle.
"You have an incredibly dense amount of internal energy from the Samjae Simbeop stored in your body—so much that it's hard to believe you're still this young. But the problem is, all that internal energy is packed tightly into your lower dantian and hasn't circulated. That's why your energy flow is slow throughout your body. In battle, you're always half a beat behind other masters. That's the hidden flaw of the Samjae Simbeop."
"Ah…!"
Slow speed!
I was stunned to learn about such a fatal weakness in the Samjae Simbeop. Back when I was a bodyguard, I never had the time or luxury to study internal cultivation in depth—I was too busy just surviving each day. But now I learned that the very method I had relied on had this critical flaw: it transmitted internal energy too slowly.
"Fortunately, your body is still young, and the fiery qi hasn't penetrated deeply yet. That makes it easier to alter the nature of your internal energy. Once you start practicing Cheongryong Martial Hall's secret technique, the Lightning Dragon Unified Qi Method , the dense energy you've stored will begin to melt away, and you'll achieve internal cultivation at an incredibly fast rate."
"And how fast are we talking?"
"Hmm… If the energy completely melts and integrates, you'll be able to secure at least 20 years' worth of internal power in a short time. Even advanced disciples of the major sects would struggle to match that."
"…!!"
Melt down the energy from Samjae Simbeop with Lightning Dragon Unified Qi?
If I could fully convert it, I'd gain the equivalent of 20 years of internal cultivation—and that level would rival the late-stage disciples of great sects!
Realizing I had just been handed an extraordinary opportunity, I trembled with excitement. I started to feel like I might finally be able to release the pent-up resentment from my past life, where I had lived as a lowly bodyguard all my life.
Jin So-cheong then spoke in a calm but firm tone.
"Today, I'll teach you three cultivation methods. You are to repeat and practice them consistently over the next month."
"Yes, sir."
"The first is Seated Cultivation (Jwagong). You build internal energy through seated meditation. It's the most efficient posture for doing so. The second is Walking Cultivation (Haenggong), where light movements in daily life help circulate your internal energy throughout your body."
At that point, Jin So-cheong crossed his arms and said,
"And the last is Combat Training (Daeryeon)."
"C-Combat training?"
I was taken aback by the sudden mention. I had expected that since I'd be learning internal methods first, I wouldn't be moving around much. But combat training? That sounded like I'd just get beaten senseless by Jin So-cheong. Fear clearly showed in my eyes.
But Jin So-cheong spoke calmly.
"Your Liuhe Sword Technique carries a fierce killing intent—there's a sharpness to it that feels like it was forged in real battles. However, that kind of technique ends up being crude, almost like a dogfight. It's something that becomes a fatal flaw the higher you rise in martial skill."
Though Jin So-cheong said it gently, I understood exactly what he was pointing out, and my face grew hot with embarrassment.
He was right.
The Liuhe Sword Technique I had trained as a bodyguard was ultimately made for brawling and killing. When you're caught in life-or-death battles against bandits and thugs, you inevitably resort to grappling, throwing punches or kicks when the blade isn't enough. If there's an opening, you hurl dirt or whatever's on hand to blind your enemy before stabbing them. After decades of such fights, your swordplay inevitably devolves into survival instincts—messy, close-range chaos where keeping proper distance from your opponent becomes nearly impossible.
Then Jin So-cheong spoke with stern authority.
"Do you know why a master is called a gosu? It means someone with a high number of techniques. A true master doesn't allow even a single opening to someone weaker. As you rise in level, every movement must become precise and intentional, like playing a game of chess. I've decided to personally train you because I believe you have the potential to become a true master."
"But remember this well—I'll be training you intensively through daily sparring for the next month to break that bad habit. If it doesn't work…"
Gulp.
As I swallowed nervously, Jin So-cheong's eyes gleamed sharply.
"Baekmong, I'll take back the Lightning Dragon Unified Qi Method and expel you. That technique is too precious to give to someone who can't become a true master."
"…!!"
It was only then that I realized: Jin So-cheong wasn't someone who could be taken lightly.
He had taken me in with meticulous calculation.
As soon as he learned I possessed the internal energy of the Samjae Simbeop, he had made a plan to cultivate me into a late-stage elite disciple. But when he saw that the crude habits of my Liuhe Sword Technique were in the way, he decided to either train me out of it—or discard me altogether if I failed. Because a martial sect's internal methods are its most guarded secret, its very lifeblood.
But I couldn't accept it, so I spoke up.
"Even if I can't become a master, can't I still remain as a disciple? Expelling me seems far too harsh. Besides, even Senior Bang-il and the other disciples are practicing the Lightning Dragon Unified Qi Method, aren't they?"
"What they're practicing isn't Lightning Dragon Unified Qi."
"…Pardon?"
"They're learning the foundational method of Lightning Dragon Qi, called Cheongun Simbeop (Clear Cloud Internal Method). Those disciples train with Cheongun Simbeop and other techniques until they reach the third-tier rank. Only a select few with exceptional talent are then granted Lightning Dragon Unified Qi."
At that moment, I realized I had misunderstood something.
Of course. Lightning Dragon Unified Qi wasn't just any method—it was Cheongryong Martial Hall's ultimate secret art. The only ones practicing it were the Hall Master, the Head Instructor in front of me, and two other top-level instructors.
They used the general disciples to build influence and bring in money, but they never taught them the true pinnacle arts. Instead, they gave them a "compatible but inferior" version—Cheongun Simbeop—and used them as leverage. There might even be disciples who had trained at Cheongryong Martial Hall for decades, only to end up with martial skill no better than that of a basic escort warrior.
After processing everything, I spoke calmly.
"The reason you're passing Lightning Dragon Unified Qi to me instead of Cheongun Simbeop must be because the more advanced the method, the easier it is to melt away the Samjae Simbeop energy I've built up, right?"
"Exactly. Even the disciples learning Cheongun Simbeop go through a similar process. Cheongun Simbeop shares similar circulation patterns with Lightning Dragon Qi and the Zhoutian Method (Meridian Cycle Method), making it easier to absorb. But…"
"But you're only giving me a month… If this were trained over years, I could likely overcome the issue. Why are you rushing things?"
When I pushed back firmly, Jin So-cheong's expression turned strange. Then suddenly, he let out a huge laugh.
"Khahaha! You're an amusing one, aren't you? Talking to you doesn't feel like I'm speaking with a young man—it's more like conversing with a veteran who's lived for decades."
"…"
"The thing is," he continued, "if after sparring with me dozens, even hundreds of times, you still can't fix that habit—then it simply means you were never a prodigy to begin with."
And if you're not a prodigy, I won't waste my time teaching you.
It was crystal clear—he was dealing with me through pure calculation.
Shff…
Jin So-cheong turned his head, signaling he had nothing more to say, and began preparing for training.
A moment later, I finally understood what he had truly meant.