Chapter 69: I'll Get Your Money Back (4)

The next day, I dragged my heavy feet toward the Fengyun Martial Hall. I felt like I was going to die, but there was no choice.

‘If I don’t go after seeing what happened yesterday…’

It would feel like I’m the reason someone loses their job.

It’s not my fault if Bu Gung Lin becomes unemployed, but I don’t want to be the last straw.

‘Still, I don’t want to go.’

Even though I decided to go, my body seemed to resist, and my steps slowed down. I finally arrived quite late in the morning.

When I reached the entrance, the burly man I saw yesterday was there. He recognized me and greeted me with a smile.

"Ah, you’re the intermediate bounty hunter from yesterday, right?"

"…Yes."

"Are you planning to attend the class today?"

I wanted to say, "Why else would I come, you idiot?" but I was too tired and just nodded. The man then counted the money with a strange smile and said,

"There’s a bit of change left."

"Really?"

He then gave me a few coins. I was confused because I thought I had paid the right amount, but when I looked at him again, he winked and whispered,

"Thank you for signing up for Instructor Bu Gung Lin’s class."

"…Oh, well…."

"You’ll definitely find it helpful. The class is a bit difficult because she used to teach instructors, but it will be very beneficial after you learn it."

So, she’s not a regular trainer.

Thinking about it, it made sense. It was hard to imagine those classes being for ordinary people, especially since I had to struggle to keep up.

Anyway, it was nice of him to give me a discount.

"Whatever, thank you."

"You’re welcome. Please go in."

After paying at the entrance, I went to find Bu Gung Lin for the class.

‘Should I go to the training ground from yesterday?’

I recalled the training ground where I had the class yesterday. As soon as I got close, I could hear the noise.

I could tell who it was even from a distance. I subtly enhanced my vision and saw Bu Gung Lin and Cho Chae-sik there.

Cho Chae-sik was scolding Bu Gung Lin as he had done yesterday, and Bu Gung Lin’s face was a bit darker than usual as she bowed her head and listened to the scolding.

I raised my sore arm and greeted her with difficulty.

"Instructor Bu Gung Lin?"

Bu Gung Lin, who was in the middle of being scolded, turned to me and bowed her head in greeting.

"…You’re here."

"…Yes."

When she saw me, Cho Chae-sik, who was in the middle of a tirade, suddenly lost his momentum and made a disgruntled sound, "Tsk…," before disappearing somewhere.

Bu Gung Lin didn’t even look at Cho Chae-sik. She stood silently for a moment and then said to me,

"We’ll start the class soon. Please get ready."

A slight sense of relief flashed across her expressionless face.

Seeing that, I felt a small sense of comfort despite my aching body.

‘Right. I saved someone today.’

That made me feel better.

* * *

After a brief warm-up in the training ground, Bu Gung Lin said,

"Yesterday was just a trial, so we’ll start the real class today. Have you ever practiced Jiedi Gong?"

"What’s that?"

I asked, thinking that the more questions I asked, the less time I would have to practice. Bu Gung Lin hummed briefly and said,

"I think it’s better to learn by doing."

I didn’t understand how that connected, but soon I would learn what Jiedi Gong was.

"Ugh."

"Try to hold on longer before getting up."

Jiedi Gong is a method of training that involves eighteen different body and falling techniques. Body techniques, or shenfa, are methods of moving to avoid an opponent’s attack.

So, in boxing, techniques like ducking, weaving, and swaying are considered shenfa. For reference, the nare-tagon I often use is also included in shenfa.

However, these techniques are not just about standing and dodging; they involve a lot of acrobatic skills.

So, I spent the entire morning repeatedly practicing techniques like the iron plate bridge, which involves lying down in a limbo position and getting up, the carp jump, which is a back handspring, and the aerial leg raise, which involves a 360-degree spin in the air, each 100 times.

Obviously, these required immense strength, flexibility, and stamina. I finally understood why gymnasts at the Olympics are so muscular.

"Is all of this helpful?"

I asked, leaning back to practice the iron plate bridge. The weight of my upper body made my quadriceps and erector spinae muscles tremble.

"Of course."

Bu Gung Lin, who had been waiting for me to get up, answered briefly. Thinking about it, if I swung a sword and my opponent suddenly lay down and got up, I would be vulnerable to a counterattack.

After struggling to complete 100 repetitions of each technique, the morning was over. Without my inner energy supporting my strength, many of these poses would have been impossible.

After a short break, Bu Gung Lin said,

"Next, we’ll do sparring."

"Sparring?"

I remembered how I was easily defeated yesterday and wondered if we should start with sparring.

However, Bu Gung Lin shook her head and explained,

"There’s no better practice than sparring."

"But what about the training we did today and yesterday?"

What exactly did we do then?

Isn’t it better to just do the best practice?

Bu Gung Lin hesitated for a moment and then said,

"Less effective practices should be done alongside the best ones."

"…."

Bu Gung Lin’s explanation was a bit lacking, but the class seemed to be on the right track.

‘Now that I think about it, Páng Guīrén did say something like that.’

I recalled what Páng Guīrén had said while bringing Dang Qi to the Southern Xing Bounty Agency. He mentioned that prestigious martial arts schools and families spend a significant amount of time on sparring.

Thinking about it, Bu Gung Lin’s teaching method seemed quite orthodox.

"Then, please get into position."

"Okay, I’ll go."

The sparring was conducted in a guided combat format. I would attack with all my might, and Bu Gung Lin would block or dodge, then point out what I did wrong.

* * *

“Swoosh.”

"Ugh."

I felt the wooden sword at my throat and let out a short groan. Bu Gung Lin, seeing this, said,

"Swordsmanship is not just about the sword. Your hands, feet, and entire body are part of it."

Indeed, she was using her left hand, feet, and entire body.

Just now, she grabbed my clothes with her left hand, pulled me off balance, and then used her sword to subdue me.

‘I didn’t know such techniques existed.’

I thought the left hand was just for holding the waist or maintaining balance, but it was clear that it had more uses. It was evident that martial arts have depth.

"Then, please try again."

"Okay."

Through sparring, I realized that using the entire body in this way was particularly advantageous in close-quarters combat.

When engaging in sword strikes, it’s inevitable to get close to the opponent. At such times, using the feet to trip the opponent’s ankles can easily destabilize them.

‘If I had known this before, it would have been much easier.’

I imagined using the techniques I learned in sparring to re-evaluate my past fights, and it seemed they would have been much easier.

By the time the afternoon was over, it was almost evening. After almost non-stop sparring, my entire body was a mess.

Bu Gung Lin said she would fetch something and left for a moment. I sat in a corner of the training ground, practicing the Heavenly King Heart Technique to catch my breath.

‘I don’t have the strength to stand, should I just crawl?’

I regret not being born as a snake.

"Ugh…."

After finishing the qi circulation, I still felt weak. I dragged myself across the training ground floor, thinking I should go home, and when I finally stood up, Bu Gung Lin was in front of me.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah… Yes."

She seemed to have been waiting for me to stand up. I felt my face turn red, thinking she had seen me dragging myself on the floor.

When I finally stood up, Bu Gung Lin handed me a water bottle.

"Here, drink this."

"What is this?"

"It’s water with black sugar. It helps with recovery."

The mention of black sugar made me recall the incident at the Southern Xing Bounty Agency, but I decided to take it anyway.

I was a bit hesitant to drink it, but I mustered the courage to take a sip. It was lightly sweet and refreshing, and it gave me a boost of energy. Since my throat was dry, I drank it all in one go.

"Phew. This is good. Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

When I returned the empty bottle, Bu Gung Lin took it with her usual stern expression. As I was about to leave, she suddenly asked from behind,

"Um, excuse me."

"Yes?"

Bu Gung Lin’s expression was the same, but she seemed a bit embarrassed. She hesitated for a moment and then asked,

"Was the training very difficult?"

"Um…."

I thought about it for a moment. I was exhausted, but I did learn something.

I decided it was better to nod rather than to half-heartedly learn and not get my money’s worth.

"It was, but I’m okay."

"…Okay. I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow."

Bu Gung Lin bowed slightly to me and then walked back with a slightly lighter step.

She seemed to be in a good mood, and I watched her until she disappeared, feeling pleased.

* * *

I barely made it to the inn, feeling like I was about to die. Thanks to the qi circulation, I felt a bit better, but I was still exhausted.

‘I need to rest as soon as possible.’

I wanted to rest as soon as possible in the cost-effective business inn.

‘Can I go out again tomorrow?’

But I had already decided to go, so what could I do?

After much deliberation, I made a decision.

‘Tomorrow’s me will take care of tomorrow’s problems, so today’s me will rest.’

Why should today’s me worry about what tomorrow’s me will do?

With that decision, I found myself at the door of my room. Just as I was about to enter, I heard a click from the next room.

I turned to see Wei Ji, who was just coming out of her room, holding her hair.

"Phew…."

"Miss Wei?"

I raised my sore arm to greet her. She noticed me and smiled slightly, returning the greeting.

"Mr. Cheng?"

"Yes. It’s quite late, but you’re still awake?"

"Yes, I had some homework…."

Wei Ji’s voice trailed off.

The homework was probably given by Bai Linghua. Wei Ji was learning the trade at the Baiyun Bounty Agency as an apprentice, but since she didn’t enter through the regular recruitment process, she couldn’t attend the training camp and was receiving one-on-one training from Bai Linghua.

After a brief exchange, Wei Ji asked me,

"So, Mr. Cheng, are you coming in at this hour?"

"Yes. I went to the Fengyun Martial Hall for training."

"You’re very diligent. Consistent training is always important."

Wei Ji smiled and said I must have worked hard. I turned my swollen arm, which had been hit by the wooden sword during sparring, away from her and asked,

"How’s your work going?"

"It’s… interesting in some ways."

Wei Ji tilted her head and then smiled, saying it was interesting. It seemed to suit her better than I expected.

However, a moment later, she sighed and said,

"But the homework given by Bai Feng is really difficult. It’s not easy to solve."

"Homework?"

I had never received homework at the training camp.

Wei Ji explained with a troubled look,

"Yes. She gives me a few problems every day, and they’re quite difficult."

"Let me see."

I thought I might be able to help, so I said that. Wei Ji then asked for some help and led me to her room.

As soon as we entered, a pleasant fragrance filled the air.

‘Why does her room smell different from mine?’

It was a mystery. I wondered if she had a diffuser or something, but before I could look around, Wei Ji brought the problem from the corner.

"Here it is. ‘Twenty-four people set out on a mission. Fifteen of them are porters, and nine are bounty hunters. The journey is about 150 li, and the cargo includes 50 strings of copper coins, 15 strings of silver coins, 50 bolts of silk, and 20 bags of beans. Calculate the total amount of food needed for the journey.’ …But no matter how I calculate it, the answer is different from the solution."

"Wow. This is… quite something."

I whistled. This was more serious than I thought.

The content wasn’t something a regular bounty hunter would need to know. I could do it, but how would Guo Doushan solve it? It’s impossible.

‘Is she grooming me for a leadership role?’

Looking at the problem, I had a sense of what Bai Linghua’s intentions might be.

After all, it would be a waste to train someone with Wei Ji’s martial arts skills and knowledge as a regular bounty hunter.

But the real problem was that it was too difficult.

To be honest, I gave up on math when I saw