0031 : Jinyiwei (锦衣卫)
Sssss…
The wooden sword of the War Sword Ghost, Wei Zhong, moved slowly, casting a shadow that resembled mirage. I found it difficult to track his movements with my dynamic vision because the mirage near the sword was an illusion created by Qi. I had never faced someone who utilized such martial arts, causing me to blink in surprise.
‘What is this? Ah.’
In that moment, I realized the distance between Wei Zhong and myself had narrowed unexpectedly. There had been no warning, yet the distance that had been at least two spans suddenly felt much less than one. This was likely a technique to disturb the opponent’s sense of distance using his big toe.
I recognized that falling into Wei Zhong’s footwork would be troublesome, so I swung my dagger.
Clang!
Wei Zhong’s wooden sword collided with my dagger in midair, releasing a wave of intangible energy like a thunderclap. Normally, it would be daunting for an ordinary child to block an attack from someone like the War Sword Ghost, a first-class expert.
Stagger
However, due to the rebound force, Wei Zhong’s grip was nearly torn, and he almost lost his wooden sword. While it didn’t break, it slightly bent inward, and blood began to trickle from Wei Zhong’s mouth.
“Ugh…!!”
Although he barely managed to maintain his grip on the sword, his arm was now raised high into the air, leaving him in a vulnerable position. Backing away awkwardly, he eventually found balance and gasped for air.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh…!! Wh-what kind of internal energy is this…?!”
“Did you just attack with your full power?”
“……”
I teased him, but Wei Zhong, his forehead glistening with sweat, had no rebuttal to offer. He seemed frozen in place, merely waiting for an opportunity to escape. If he had been an ordinary bandit, he might have fiercely charged at me, but as a highly skilled martial artist, he recognized the immense potential of the internal energy imbued in my dagger.
“W-who are you?”
“As you can see, I’m just a passing young boy.”
I silently glared at him as I spoke.
“Why are you searching for Namgung Hwan and Mo Yongyeon?”
“Ughh… Even the Open Sect has sent someone.”
“I’m not from the Open Sect, I tell you.”
Despite my persistent protests against being mistaken for an Open Sect disciple, he seemed not to listen.
“I will not give up on Mo Yongyeon!”
He appeared to have no intentions of further conversation, quickly scanning the surroundings before clutching his injured hand and fleeing.
Crack!
As he leapt over the wall, I jumped up to swing my dagger at his back. However, the War Sword Ghost exhibited agile light body technique, evading my attack as if he were a carp in water. It seemed that although he had abundant internal energy, his strength and speed were not sufficient.
Seeing him effortlessly evade my attack confirmed his status as a first-class expert. Once he landed on another roof, he quickly utilized the momentum to escape.
“Hey!”
I thought I could chase him down with my light body technique, but I soon sensed that pressing further would not be wise.
Should I catch him and torture the War Sword Ghost? Wei Zhong was not merely a bandit or a thief; he was a legitimate martial artist, and entangling myself with him could bring back tenfold consequences. Compared to my curiosity or needs, intimidating a first-class expert was not a good idea.
‘Hmmm, is this where it ends…’
I stood there, reflecting on the brief duel with the War Sword Ghost, Wei Zhong. Overall, it seemed I had the upper hand, but that was only because Wei Zhong was unaware of my internal energy and had engaged me in a conventional spar for beginners.
In reality, Wei Zhong’s wooden sword displayed impressive techniques, moving in harmony with his footwork, achieving a level of weapon mastery that I could not keep up with at my current skill.
I still lacked depth in my martial arts mastery. If I could utilize my internal energy more effectively, I might have caught Wei Zhong earlier, but I had missed the opportunity. At that moment, I realized I was at a crucial juncture where I needed to make a choice.
The energy of experts was shifting. Four first-class expert energies!
‘Their pace… Are they all just walking?’
The coordinated movement was certainly not a coincidence, as if it had been prearranged.
They must have faintly sensed the Qi wave from the clash between Wei Zhong and me. The energy fluctuation was nearly imperceptible to the average person, but for first-class experts, it would be as distinct as a drop of cold water on their crowns.
However, rather than heading straight here, they were merely walking. They knew of the clash of experts nearby but had not pinpointed the exact location, likely moving cautiously to guard against unseen enemies.
I contemplated how to navigate the feelings of these experts.
‘Their senses are currently heightened like those of wild animals. If I provoke one of them, the others will charge at me like a boar caught off guard. That’s not the situation I want…’
I hadn’t intended to fight Wei Zhong from the start. Although he had suddenly displayed aggression, the encounter was fundamentally just a brief spark of curiosity. I resolved not to provoke the first-class experts any further and quietly retreated back into the alley.
Mo Yongyeon was likely the name of Namgung Hwan’s fiancée.
What could it mean that he wouldn’t give up on someone like her?
Did that mean the War Sword Ghost had unrequited feelings for Mo Yongyeon?
Was he trying to seize her from Namgung Hwan, the Heaven-Splitting Sword Dragon?
‘That seems off.’
Yet, I instinctively sensed something was different. If Wei Zhong were motivated by love, his gaze or demeanor would surely exude a longing for someone. However, from the moment I first saw Wei Zhong in the alley, he carried a cold demeanor with a calculating air about him. Moreover, his declaration of not giving up on Mo Yongyeon had a peculiar intonation that made it feel more akin to greed for an object.
After exiting the alley, I aimed to lower my demeanor as much as possible while walking down the street again. Normally, due to my formidable internal energy cultivated by my Thunder Dragon’s True Qi, it would have been difficult to hide my presence, but now, the Heavenly Chen’s Divine Technique made it easy for me to conceal my aura. It wasn’t just the naturally harmonious effect of the five elements; my ability to control the strength of my internal energy had become significantly easier, confirming that mastering the Heavenly Chen’s Divine Technique was an excellent choice.
Swish
“……”
I caught a glimpse of a man in purple clothing as he passed by.
He was quite handsome and tall, but there was an unusual, feminine allure surrounding his eyes. Moreover, he exuded a scent reminiscent of some subtle perfume or a certain shadowy aura, making him an intriguing man. Most importantly, he was undoubtedly one of the four first-class experts I had sensed earlier.
‘He’s completely like a courtesan. Is he also targeting Mo Yongyeon?’
I stopped looking at him and naturally blended into the crowd. Regardless of how things turned out, my mischievous curiosity had faded. I had waded in just enough to gather what was necessary, and now it was time to withdraw.
I’ll look into this matter later.
From now on, I should only think about entering the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.
‘By the way, what is this “Open Sect” anyway?’
It left a bad taste in my mouth.
Before returning to my lodging, I stopped by a clothing shop and bought a simple set of children’s active wear. I started to rest a little earlier. Washing my body with warm water and lying comfortably on the bed felt good. Although I didn’t feel particularly tired due to my tremendous internal energy, I found a sense of mental stability.
The next day, I woke up well-rested and headed towards the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.
“Let’s go.”
How would the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School welcome me?
In front of the school stood the same pair of gatekeepers as before. Although they were a pair of gatekeepers, they were actually Bangil and Banggok, second-tier disciples of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. They were known as the Bang Brothers, and among them, Bangil was stout and stocky, having once engaged me in an arm-wrestling match when I first stepped foot into the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.
I didn’t have particularly warm feelings for Bangil. However, seeing him again after quite some time made me feel oddly pleased rather than resentful; compared to the tribulations I faced during my rebirth, Bangil’s jealousy seemed almost endearing.
I spoke to Bangil, who was guarding the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.
“I’ve come to take the entrance exam for the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”
“Entrance exam? Hahaha, you must be joking.”
“Wow…”
I momentarily dropped my jaw.
Surprisingly, when I expressed the same words I had said when I first visited the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, Bangil’s response was identical to that time! Regardless of my astonishment, Bangil continued with the same exact words.
“Kid, are you perhaps from the Six Great Sects?”
“No.”
“Then have you been building a foundation of internal energy since you were a child?”
“……”
I stood there in a daze, unable to respond. I never imagined I would find myself in such a situation. I was astonished that Bangil would recite the exact same lines without missing a single syllable! It felt both fascinating and meaningful. It took me a while to regain my composure and say,
“Yes.”
“Well then, shall I test the internal energy of the little junior?”
“Go easy on me.”
I wasn’t surprised anymore. As Bangil prepared to unleash his spirit, extending a hand like a pot lid, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
‘I should try to give the same responses and actions as before. I want to see if a similar reaction occurs.’
After a brief display of Bangil’s self-promotion, the arm-wrestling began.
……
Of course, I won.
Even with my pinky finger, I felt I could win, but I deliberately regulated my strength.
Swoosh
“Ugh!”
“Forget the formalities—just have a good word with the school master.”
Bangil went inside and soon returned.
“Come with me for a moment.”
“Are we going to see the school master?”
At that moment, the situation shifted slightly.
“Yep.”
In that instant, I instinctively sensed the patterns of my past life.
‘Things have changed. Bangil isn’t taking me to bathe but is heading directly to see the school master.’
When I first arrived at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, I remember being led by Bangil, unable to stand my shabby appearance, to the inn for a warm bath. However, since I wasn’t in rags this time, Bangil didn’t feel the need to act in such a way.
‘If there are no unusual circumstances, words and actions can repeat similarly.
However, if there is a strong cause, the future can change.’
This somehow felt like important information.
I had an instinct that this could be a crucial clue that would one day affect my life.
I asked another strange question.
“Are we really going to meet the school master right away?”
“Why do you keep asking?”
“I thought I would meet the second-tier disciples first…”
“Hmph, so you’ve heard about our Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”
As Bangil walked ahead of me, he said,
“It would be normal to meet Master Jin So-cheong first, but he has gone out to meet a friend today. The two instructors are always busy guiding the students, so I have no choice but to take you directly to the school master.”
“A friend?”
“What’s it to you? Just stop being curious about useless things and follow me properly.”
Although Bangil’s tone was rough, it wasn’t out of malice or spite; it was just his natural demeanor. I knew this all too well from having spent three years together, and while I couldn’t say I liked him, I also couldn’t bring myself to hate him.
Plod
“School master, second-tier disciple Bangil has brought the entrance exam candidate.”
After a while, Bangil and I arrived in front of Waryong Hall, where the school master and his immediate family resided. Originally, this was a very private space for the school master, and regular disciples couldn’t even come close; only the school master’s favorite disciple, Jin So-cheong, had the privilege of personal visits. However, this seemed to be a special case, which is why Bangil was able to approach Waryong Hall.
‘I haven’t even been inside Waryong Hall during my three years of training at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.’
In fact, I had hardly spoken to the school master more than five times. The school master was a middle-aged man with an endlessly transparent gaze, resembling a scholar more than a martial artist. He seemed to have little interest in me and had entrusted all of my training to Master Jin So-cheong.
For that reason, even having spent three years in close proximity, I knew little about the school master, Samjeol Lee Kwang. I had seen him at a time when I was helpless, so I wasn’t sure how strong he truly was; I had only guessed based on the occasional words from Master Jin So-cheong.
“Come in.”
Bangil and I opened the door to Waryong Hall and stepped inside. It opened into a somewhat spacious area where the school master was seated. Near his seat was a study, and he appeared to be reading.
The school master’s impression was the same as before. After looking at me with his clear eyes for a moment, the school master spoke.
“Bangil, what is this child’s name?”
“Um… well…”
As Bangil hesitated and glanced at me, I introduced myself.
“I’m Baek Woong.”
“I see… Bangil, you may leave.”
“Yes.”
Creak
As Bangil closed the door and stepped out, the school master observed me silently for quite a while.
Then, he suddenly spoke.
“Baek Woong, have you come from the White Lotus Sect?”
—————————= Author’s Note —————————=
Please leave a recommendation comment for my work!
