Chapter 7

0007 ———————————————-

Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng

The next day, after having breakfast, I went to Master Jin So-cheong.

Master Jin So-cheong had me sit down and began his explanation.

"The martial arts taught at the Green Dragon Martial Hall are divided into three main categories: Weapon Techniques, Internal Cultivation Methods, and Body Agility Techniques. Do you understand what these are?"

"Yes."

Weapon Techniques are methods of using weapons, Internal Cultivation Methods are ways to build up internal energy, and Body Agility Techniques include all skills that make the body agile and light, such as footwork. I nodded, and Master Jin So-cheong continued.

"Which of these three do you think is the most important?"

"The Internal Cultivation Method."

"Why?"

"Weapon Techniques can be learned through practical combat, but the Internal Cultivation Method is something that cannot be easily obtained even if you offer a fortune."

"You understand well."

Master Jin So-cheong said, sounding impressed. It might seem like a simple realization after years of experience as a bodyguard, but it's actually a profound truth that children rarely grasp. To them, flashy Weapon Techniques and Body Agility Techniques seem more impressive.

"Right. The Internal Cultivation Method is the most important and the deepest secret, which is why we teach it last. If the cultivation of the Internal Cultivation Method goes wrong, it can lead to irreversible internal injuries. That's why we usually don't teach it until a student has been a first-line disciple for at least a year."

Then, Master Jin So-cheong placed his hand on my shoulder.

"However, I've decided to teach you the Internal Cultivation Method first."

"Why is that?"

"Because now is the right time to spread the internal energy of the Three Treasures Cultivation Method throughout your body."

"…?"

I didn't understand at first. When I tilted my head in confusion, Master Jin So-cheong chuckled.

"You have an incredibly condensed internal energy from the Three Treasures Cultivation Method, which is unusual for someone your age. However, because this energy is compressed in your lower dantian, it spreads through your body very slowly. This makes you always a step behind in combat against other experts. This is the reason why the Three Treasures Cultivation Method is not a good cultivation method."

"Ugh…!!"

Slow speed!

I was shocked to learn about this fatal flaw in the Three Treasures Cultivation Method, which I had never deeply studied or even thought about while working as a bodyguard. It turned out that the Three Treasures Cultivation Method had a slow energy transmission speed.

"Fortunately, your body is still in a child's state, and the fiery qi has not deeply penetrated, making it easier to change the nature of your internal energy. Starting today, you will begin to learn the Green Dragon Martial Hall's secret cultivation method, the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong. As you practice, the condensed internal energy will begin to dissolve, and you will achieve rapid internal energy cultivation."

"How rapid are we talking about?"

"Hmm… If you successfully dissolve all of it, you can gain at least twenty years' worth of internal energy in a short period. This is an achievement that even the late-stage disciples of major sects find hard to achieve."

"…!!"

Dissolving the power of the Three Treasures Cultivation Method with the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong!

If I could fully dissolve it, I would gain twenty years of internal energy, and my level would be on par with the late-stage disciples of major sects!

The realization that I had a tremendous opportunity in a short moment made my body tremble with excitement. The thought that the resentment from my previous life as a low-ranking bodyguard might be resolved made me increasingly elated.

Master Jin So-cheong said in a serious tone,

"Today, I will teach you three cultivation methods. You will practice these three methods repeatedly for a month."

"Yes, Master."

"The first is Sitting Meditation. It is the most efficient posture for building up internal energy through seated meditation. The second is Walking Meditation, where you practice making your internal energy flow through your body with light movements in daily life."

After saying this, Master Jin So-cheong crossed his arms and continued,

"The last one is Sparring."

"Sparring…?"

I was taken aback by the sudden announcement. I didn't expect much physical activity since he said he would teach me the Internal Cultivation Method first, but sparring? I was afraid that if we started sparring properly, I would be beaten to a pulp by Master Jin So-cheong.

However, Master Jin So-cheong remained calm.

"Your Six Harmonies Sword Technique is infused with a fierce killing intent. It has a sharpness that seems honed through real combat. However, it ultimately includes the nature of a street fight and reckless slashing, which becomes a fatal flaw as you advance to higher levels."

"…"

Master Jin So-cheong's words, though phrased diplomatically, made my face burn as I understood what he was pointing out.

That's right.

The Six Harmonies Sword Technique, which I practiced as a bodyguard, is ultimately a street-fighting technique designed to stab and kill enemies. When low-level bodyguards and bandits engage in sword fights, they inevitably end up grappling and using punches and kicks. During these fights, if an opening appears, they throw dirt or sand to blind the opponent and stab them with a sword. After decades of such fights, I became accustomed to street fighting and found it difficult to maintain proper distance from opponents.

Master Jin So-cheong said sternly,

"Do you know why someone is considered a high-level expert? They are called a high-level expert because they are highly skilled. When fighting properly, they should not allow even the slightest opening to a lower-level opponent, and they should gradually improve their skills while maintaining precise control over the distance. I want you to become a high-level expert, which is why I have decided to personally guide you."

"…"

"But remember, I will try to correct your habits over the next month. If it doesn't work out…"

I swallowed hard as Master Jin So-cheong's eyes gleamed sharply.

"I will take away the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong from you, Bai Xiong, and expel you. It would be a waste to give such a high-level cultivation method to someone who cannot become an expert."

"…!!"

Only then did I realize that Master Jin So-cheong was not an easy person to deal with.

He had accepted me after thorough consideration!

When he realized that I had the internal energy of the Three Treasures Cultivation Method, he decided to cultivate me to the level of a late-stage disciple. However, when my lowly habits from the Six Harmonies Sword Technique became a hindrance, he was determined to correct them as much as possible, and if I failed, he would discard my internal energy and expel me. The secrets of cultivation methods were as vital to the sect as life itself.

But I couldn't accept it, so I said,

"Even if I can't become an expert, can't I still stay as a disciple? Expelling me seems too harsh. Besides, other disciples, including Senior Brother Fang Yi, are also learning the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong!"

"The children you see are not learning the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong."

"Really?"

"They are learning the Clear Cloud Cultivation Method, the basic method of the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong. Only a few with exceptional talent among the Three Line Disciples will eventually learn the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong."

"…"

I realized that I had been mistaken.

'So, the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong is the true ultimate technique of the Green Dragon Martial Hall. Only the hall master, the chief instructor, and two other instructors have learned it.'

While expanding their influence and earning money by gathering disciples, the Green Dragon Martial Hall carefully tested their abilities by teaching them the Clear Cloud Cultivation Method, a lower-level version of the ultimate technique. It was possible that even after decades of training at the Green Dragon Martial Hall, some disciples might end up with martial arts skills no better than a bodyguard's.

After organizing my thoughts, I said calmly,

"The reason you are teaching me the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong instead of the Clear Cloud Cultivation Method is that higher-level techniques are better at dissolving the internal energy of the Three Treasures Cultivation Method, right?"

"Yes. The disciples who learn the Clear Cloud Cultivation Method go through a similar process. The Clear Cloud Cultivation Method is similar to the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong and the Circulation Method, making it easier to absorb."

"But why only give me a month? If I practice for years, I might improve. Why are you in such a hurry?"

As I strongly protested, Master Jin So-cheong's face changed strangely, and then he burst out laughing.

"Ha ha ha!! You're a really interesting kid. Talking to you feels like talking to a seasoned veteran with decades of experience, not a child."

"…"

"That's because if you can't correct your habits even after hundreds of sparring sessions with me, it means you weren't a talented individual to begin with."

It was as if he was saying that he wouldn't teach someone who wasn't a talented individual.

This meant that he was dealing with me through thorough calculation.

Swish

Master Jin So-cheong turned his head as if he had nothing more to say and began preparing for the training.

After a while, I understood what he meant.

Master Jin So-cheong, who had been teaching me the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong's cultivation method and Walking Meditation for about two hours, started sparring with me. It was more like a beating, as he would strike me with a wooden sword on my legs whenever I used the Six Harmonies Sword Technique, targeting my weak points.

Smack!

"Oof."

A strong blow to my thigh made me feel dizzy. Intense pain, like being beaten with a club, shot up from my lower body. As my vision blurred and I staggered, Master Jin So-cheong's stern voice rang out.

"Are you not paying attention? Where did you learn such crude movements? Do you think you can stab your opponent's neck by charging in recklessly?"

Smack!

"Ouch!"

I was sent flying a yard by Master Jin So-cheong's kick. I felt my chest crack and struggled to breathe. What was astonishing was that despite the severe beating, I remained conscious, not because of my mental strength but because Master Jin So-cheong was controlling his force. He was hitting me as painfully as possible without causing me to lose consciousness.

"Cough… Cough…"

"Do not underestimate martial arts. True experts never tolerate such clumsy mistakes! There is no such thing as winning by luck. Never!"

Smack

Crack

Boom

I was beaten until I was dazed. I counted about a hundred blows, but after that, I lost count. I lay in a corner of the training hall, battered and bruised, and laughed bitterly.

Despite the severe beating, I didn't suffer internal bleeding or severe bruising.

Master Jin So-cheong was skilled at hitting people.

Master Jin So-cheong placed the wooden sword on his shoulder and smiled.

"At least you have some perseverance. I'll do my best to correct your habits. Tomorrow, we'll practice the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong for two hours and then spar again."

I would rather he beat me to death.

That day, after being thoroughly beaten by Master Jin So-cheong, I stumbled back to my quarters.

"Oof!"

Suddenly, a hand shot out from between the buildings and grabbed my collar, pulling me into a narrow alley where three boys were already waiting.

'Are they Second Line Disciples?'

I could tell from the two stripes of silk on their robes. One of the Second Line Disciples, with prominent cheekbones, sneered.

"Is this you? The one who gets personal guidance from the chief instructor?"

One of them, seeing the blood on my lips, said in disgust,

"Ew… Look at this guy. He's been beaten to a pulp."

"Looks like the instructor beat him up."

Ha ha ha

The Second Line Disciples laughed at my beaten appearance. They must have been waiting to beat me up, but they were surprised to see that I had already been thoroughly beaten. I looked at them straight in the eye, still being held by the collar, and said,

"Seniors, I don't have time for this. I need to go eat and rest."

"Does this guy not understand the situation?"

"What situation?"

"The situation where you're about to get beaten…!!"

A fist flew at me. It was faster than a street thug's punch, probably because they had been training for at least two years. But even with my swollen eyes from Master Jin So-cheong's wooden sword, I could see the attack clearly.

"Is that so?"

I dodged lightly and kneed the guy holding my collar in the chest.

Smack

"Ugh…"

As one of them fell, I ran at the other two with a blank expression. They started cursing and using their internal energy to kick and punch me. It was indeed difficult to dodge all their attacks in such a narrow alley.

Smack

"Hey, this guy…"

But as I lowered my stance and blocked their attacks with my head, I didn't receive any significant hits. They seemed unaccustomed to this kind of fighting, and they were taken aback when I blocked their attacks with my forearms. I grabbed their collars and pulled them off balance, then punched them in the face. The punch, infused with internal energy, made a dull sound, and they sank to the ground with one hit.

Thud, they both fell at the same time. I glanced at the 'seniors' lying on the ground and muttered,

"Idiots. Did you think I was some pampered rich kid?"

I had lived as a servant and fought bandits in the lowest ranks of the bodyguard world.

I was familiar with back-alley brawls, life-and-death struggles, and the tactics of marching through rivers, swamps, and forests, as well as ambushing and attacking. Surviving as a bodyguard was not an easy task.

'But I guess that's why Master Jin So-cheong is trying to correct my habits…'

I felt a bitter sense of irony.

I thought that such idiots would keep coming at me, but with my current skill level, I wouldn't lose unless they came at me ten at a time. I decided to focus on mastering the Thunder Dragon One Qi Gong and correcting my habits as Master Jin So-cheong wanted during the remaining month.

After a fight, I calmly ate in the dining hall, and some of the disciples, disgusted, kept their distance from me.

After about three days, I began to feel my body loosening up. More precisely, the unconscious habits ingrained in my body started to be corrected reflexively. I tried to change myself while being beaten by Master Jin So-cheong.

"Ugh!!"

"Damn it! Kill him!!"

Smack

"Idiots, do you think I'm going to die? Ha ha ha!!"

I laughed as I kicked the guy in front of me, sending him sprawling.

I continued to fight with the disciples. Fang Yi, the chubby one, didn't seem to want to protect me, as he ignored me when I was fighting with the disciples in the back alley. Of course, I had never lost in a street fight.

And on the last day of the month –

"…"

I sat quietly with Master Jin So-cheong in the training hall from the morning.

After a while, Master Jin So-cheong spoke.

"You've passed."

"Really?"

"Yes. Your habits seem to be corrected enough now."

I smiled despite my swollen face from the beatings.

"That's good."

"Starting tomorrow, we will begin a different type of training. Go back early today, treat your injuries, and rest."

"Yes, Master."

I had finally moved to the next level.

Strangely, no one picked a fight with me on my way back to the quarters or while eating in the dining hall that day.

Although it felt a bit awkward, I lay down quietly to recover my strength and went to sleep. From tomorrow, I would start learning high-level martial arts.

At that time, Chief Instructor Jin So-cheong headed to the Wulong Hall, the deepest building in the Green Dragon Martial Hall. The Wulong Hall was where the master of the Green Dragon Martial Hall, San Jue Li Guang, lived. It was a private space, and no one was allowed to enter except for Jin So-cheong, who was the master's direct disciple and raised like a son.

"Master, your disciple Jin So-cheong has arrived."

"Come in."

Creak

As Jin So-cheong opened the door and entered, he saw a middle-aged man with a handsome appearance polishing a teacup on a table. He wasn't particularly tall and looked like an ordinary scholar, but he was, in fact, one of the top five experts in the Guanzhong region, the master of the Green Dragon Martial Hall, San Jue Li Guang.

San Jue Li Guang, upon seeing his beloved disciple Jin So-cheong, asked,

"What were the results of your test with that Bai Xiong?"

"To be honest, his martial talent is not particularly outstanding. It's quite ordinary, considering how he accumulated that internal energy."

San Jue Li Guang asked, surprised,

"Then, did you discard his internal energy and expel him?"

"No. He corrected his bad habits. I decided to reserve judgment for now."

"Hmm… His comprehension is low, but he is full of venom. That boy has the qualities of a villain."

San Jue Li Guang muttered, sounding displeased.

Bai Xiong was not an unusual case. There were people who, despite lacking martial talent, grew by compensating with innate venom. Many such self-made experts came from the villainous sects. However, as a former instructor of the imperial guards and a master of the righteous sect, San Jue Li Guang felt uneasy about nurturing such talent.

Jin So-cheong said,

"But if he trains properly, he can definitely reach the level of a late-stage disciple of the Nine Sects and One Gang. It's possible if all his internal energy is dissolved."

Li Guang nodded.

"True, if you say so. Try to cultivate Bai Xiong well from now on."

"Yes, Master."

"And stop manipulating the children."

Jin So-cheong flinched.

"You knew?"

"Of course. A person full of venom won't be easily broken by minor tests. Trying to test his perseverance might just stir up trouble."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Go now."

"Yes."

Creak

As Jin So-cheong stepped out, his expression was complicated.

'Was I wrong?'

In fact, every time Bai Xiong finished training with Jin So-cheong and came out, he would get into fights with the disciples. This was not a coincidence; Jin So-cheong had secretly ordered a few Three Line Disciples to provoke him. Jin So-cheong believed that by inciting his venom, Bai Xiong would focus more on his training.

Ultimately, Bai