Chapter 6: Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng
The chubby gatekeeper hurriedly entered as if flustered, while the guy standing next to him looked perplexed. They seemed unsure of how to handle the unexpected situation. Fortunately, they didn’t rush into attacking, unable to accept their defeat.
After a moment, the chubby gatekeeper came out and said, “Come with me for a moment.”
“Are we going to see the master?”
“No. Before meeting the master, we need to fix your dirty appearance.”
At first, I thought he was going to take me to a secluded place to punish me. However, shortly after, we went out to the spectator town together and headed to a certain inn, where I bathed in warm water. As I stood bewildered, the chubby gatekeeper brought clothes from somewhere and tossed them to me.
“Wash up neatly. Otherwise, I’ll be reprimanded too.”
The clothes fit me reasonably well. They were white, suitable for wearing, though a bit loose on my slim body. After drying myself, I followed the chubby gatekeeper back to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, where this time, I noticed attendants scattered around.
The attendants couldn’t hide their curiosity. Some glanced at me with interest, while others chuckled. The chubby gatekeeper glanced at me and said, “From now on, you will have an audience with the Chief Instructor. If you do anything disrespectful, you’ll lose your limbs, so be careful with your words and actions.”
“Huh? Aren’t we meeting the master?”
“The master is busy. The chief instructor who tests the attendants will decide whether to accept you as disciples.”
It was a reasonable possibility, so I understood. Given the scale of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, it would be difficult for the master to personally assess each new attendant. They would likely evaluate whether the person has potential through the chief instructor, and then the Azure Dragon Martial Hall master would decide whether to accept them as a formal disciple.
“Instructor, I’ve brought him.”
“Come in.”
Creak-
I entered through the wooden door, greeted by a serene fragrance. Inside, a young man with a clean-shaven head was sitting calmly, sipping tea. He wasn’t too young, appearing to be in his mid-twenties. Nonetheless, I was slightly surprised that the instructor was this young.
The “instructor” glanced at me and chuckled, saying, “So you defeated Bangili in arm wrestling? Quite impressive.”
“…”
“Come here and have a seat. Let’s talk comfortably.”
Thunk!
As the chubby gatekeeper, known as Bangili, closed the door and left, I approached and sat in front of the instructor without hesitation. His eyes showed a hint of interest, probably considering my unusual behavior without any signs of hesitation.
Soon after, the instructor spoke.
“I am Jin So-cheong (辰蘇淸), an instructor of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. What’s your name, child?”
“…!!”
What?!
Despite my previously calm demeanor, hearing his name made me freeze on the spot. I couldn’t help but be taken aback by this unexpected name.
‘Huh? What? Jin So-cheong? Why is that name coming up here?’
With a nervous heart, I stammered out my reply.
“My name is Baek Woong, and I live in a village near Plum Blossom Escort Agency… Instructor Jin So-cheong, is your specialty the spear by any chance?”
Jin So-cheong nodded his head as if my question was unexpected.
“Yes, that’s right. My master mastered three weapons, known as the Samjeol, but I lacked talent and only mastered the spear.”
“…”
I knew Jin So-cheong’s words were excessively modest. He was undoubtedly at the level of a master who wouldn’t be embarrassed to stand among the martial arts world’s best.
The reason I was so shocked wasn’t trivial.
Jin So-cheong.
That name would become famous 30 years from now as the absolute master of spear techniques, one of the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World. He was often called the First Spear of Central Plains, a hero who defeated over a hundred notorious villains. His reputation was so stellar that he was considered one of the top-ranked masters among the Ten Great Masters.
He was a person incomparable to my future self, who would merely scrape by as a lowly escort, and now he was sitting right in front of me.
Jin So-cheong asked with curiosity, “But Baek Woong, why did you think my main weapon was the spear? As you can see, this training hall is equipped with various weapons, including spears.”
How should I answer?
After a brief thought, I replied vaguely, “Because of the calluses on your hands.”
“Oh?”
Jin So-cheong glanced at his hands and then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha… You’re quite insightful! Bangili has brought in a remarkable catch after a long time.”
It seemed my hasty guess was correct. Indeed, calluses can reveal the extent of one’s training, but I didn’t have the discerning eye to tell if they were from spear or sword training. It was just a guess based on my accumulated knowledge as an escort, and it worked.
As I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, Jin So-cheong spoke.
“Now, let’s learn more about your background. It seems you have considerable internal energy. How did you acquire it, and why do you wish to join our Azure Dragon Martial Hall?”
This was a question I had anticipated. Taking a deep breath, I calmly replied.
“I lost my parents at a young age and was taken in by the village chief. During that time, I happened to learn the Six Harmonies Sword Technique and the Three-Refinements Heart Technique from a passing escort. I trained diligently for several years. But I wanted to explore deeper martial arts, so I came to seek instruction at the largest and most renowned Azure Dragon Martial Hall in Guanzhong.”
This was the answer I had been rehearsing throughout my journey. There were no mistakes or points to be nitpicked. After listening to my words, Jin So-cheong pondered for a moment before speaking.
“Extend your arm.”
“Yes.”
When I extended my arm, Jin So-cheong placed his fingers on my forearm and started feeling it. After a while of concentrating, he spoke.
“That’s quite a significant amount of internal energy. How long have you been training?”
“About four years.”
“Four years!! Hmm… indeed, you must have trained diligently day and night. Admirable.”
“…”
At that moment, I felt a bit deflated.
‘He’s accepting it so easily…’
I had been worried that my internal energy would seem excessive for my age and arouse suspicion. Even now, I had half-expected that revealing my internal energy would be inevitable. However, hearing him so readily accept the explanation of four years made me feel a bit bitter.
The martial arts skills I accumulated over 40 years as an escort were really nothing special. Jin So-cheong genuinely believed that with four years of diligent training, this level of internal energy could be achieved.
Jin So-cheong spoke.
“Fortunately, the Three-Refinements Heart Technique is a basic technique, so there is no risk of deviation if you learn other skills. From today, you will be a first-tier disciple and will begin learning the martial arts of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.”
“What is a first-tier disciple?”
“Our Azure Dragon Martial Hall is structured with the Master at the top, followed by me overseeing the disciples. Below me are two instructors. The most senior disciples are third-tier, followed by second-tier. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Jin So-cheong’s explanation briefly outlined the hierarchy of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.
At the top were the Master and the Chief Instructor, followed by two skilled instructors. Below them, the more tiers a disciple had, the more senior and skilled they were. Realizing the impressive scale of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, I could appreciate its grandeur.
“Lastly, let’s briefly assess your mastery of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique and conclude our interview.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Bring the wooden sword from over there and face me.”
Ssss…
After a moment, I took one of the large wooden swords stored on the training hall wall, assumed my stance, and stood ready. Jin So-cheong looked at my stance with interest and laughed.
“Haha… where did you learn that stance?”
“The escort taught me.”
“Interesting. That’s a saber stance…”
“……”
I had no idea. Escorts receive comprehensive martial arts training from the escort chief, and the rest is taught by the mid-level leader, the escort captain. My stance was taught by the escort chief as practical, so I didn’t even realize if it was for swordsmanship or saber techniques.
“Alright, give it your best and attack me.”
“Haah!”
With a shout, I launched into the Six Harmonies Sword Technique, attacking Jin So-cheong. The first move was the most basic form, Taesan Apjeong (泰山壓丁), and I felt the muscles in my forearm tremble. I continued to step forward, executing the sword forms of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique one by one.
Swish, swish, swish!
After I had demonstrated all the forms of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique, Jin So-cheong, who had been dodging effortlessly until then, suddenly caught my wooden sword with his fingers. Despite the powerful strike, strong enough to fell a large tree with three swings, he stopped it effortlessly!
Jin So-cheong released the wooden sword and said, “That’s peculiar. This skill seems quite honed for real combat. Have you ever cut down a person?”
My heart skipped a beat. Even though he’s a master, could he really deduce everything just from watching my moves? I calmed myself and replied, “Yes, I’ve used it to protect myself from bandits and thieves.”
It wasn’t a lie.
I had indeed fought countless times against bandits and thieves during my life as an escort.
Jin So-cheong seemed to ponder something for a moment before speaking. “Hmm… In that case…”
After a moment, Jin So-cheong said something that struck like a bolt from the blue.
“I revoke what I said about accepting you as a first-tier disciple. I will personally instruct you for a month from now.”
“What?!”
“However, if… you don’t improve properly, I will expel you.”
Improve? What does he mean by that?
But Jin So-cheong didn’t elaborate further and called out, “Bangili! Are you there?”
With a creak, the door opened and the chubby gatekeeper, Bangili, entered. I noticed that his robe had two horizontal threads embroidered on it, indicating he was a second-tier disciple.
“Yes, sir.”
“I will personally instruct this boy for a month. Ensure the other disciples do not cause any trouble and create the proper environment for him.”
“……!!”
Bangili’s face showed shock. His eyes also briefly displayed a hint of resentment. However, he quickly composed himself and replied, “Yes, understood.”
“You must be tired today, so rest well in your quarters, and come to this training hall tomorrow at the hour of the rabbit (5-7 AM).”
“Yes, sir.”
Following Bangili’s guidance, I headed to my quarters. The room was clean and comfortable, incomparable to the stable where I had been eating and sleeping until now. As I marveled at the neat room, Bangili spoke.
“The Chief Instructor’s personal guidance… What kind of flattery did you use?”
Turning around, I saw that Bangili’s eyes were filled with unmistakable jealousy and hostility. With my fifty years of life experience, I could easily recognize it. He must have been extremely frustrated by the fact that I was receiving direct instruction from Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong.
But I was just as bewildered. I had planned to train steadily from the rank of first-tier disciple, gradually learning top-level martial arts, but now everything was happening so quickly. Furthermore, if I drew the jealousy of other disciples, surviving at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall would be difficult, which I certainly did not desire.
“I’m not sure myself.”
“Hmph… Enough!”
Bangili spat on the ground and warned me.
“Listen carefully. There is order here. If you act recklessly like an ignorant fool, you won’t be left alone! Do you understand?!”
I was astonished. It seemed that wherever people lived, there was always at least one person like this. Normally, my approach would be to bow down and passively deal with someone like him, but things were different now. Having died and come back to life, I didn’t want to live timidly and without pride.
So, I responded with a smirk.
“Haha. Of course, if you’re a senior worthy of respect, I will naturally respect you!”
“……”
“Senior Bangili, you must be tired too. Why not go and get some rest?”
“Ptui!”
Bangili spat on the ground again and walked away.
I smiled and lay down on the bed. The proper bed and blanket felt comfortable and warm, lifting my spirits. I even thought that living in such a place forever wouldn’t be so bad.
‘By the way, I’ve never seen master Samjeol Lee Kwang, who is supposed to be the top three in Azure Dragon Martial Arts. Well, as the master of Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, he must be busy…’
Shortly after, a first-tier disciple came to fetch me for dinner. It was a communal meal in a large dining hall-like building. It seemed that Bangili had already spread rumors, as I felt the stares and heard the murmurs from all around.
‘Sigh, it’s going to be tough from now on.’
The food was delicious, but I couldn’t help but worry. I knew all too well how cruel people could be when they decided to torment someone.
However, I made up my mind.
My life at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall starts now.
Until I master top-level martial arts, I will endure whatever it takes!
You may also like Childhood Friend of the Zenith
