Chapter 2

**Extinction by Fire**

The boy, carrying a massive log on his back, repeatedly sat down and stood up.

His back was covered with prominent muscles. Occasionally, he would sit and assume the horse-riding stance.

He was Jung Yeon-shin, the third son of the Zheng family in Henan, who had turned fifteen this year.

“Master, it’s time for dinner!”

A servant called out from far away at the entrance of the training ground. The boy with thick eyebrows did not respond.

‘I need to finish this.’

After ten more repetitions, he put down the log and roughly picked up the shirt he had taken off.

He was not tall.

However, the muscles that covered his entire body were so solid that they resembled granite, even without exerting force.

His physique was extraordinary. Not only did his body not look like that of a boy his age, but it was so peculiar that it seemed to belong to a different species compared to commoners. Even he thought so.

‘Zheng Family Dynamic Power... It’s fully established now.’

His martial arts were different from the usual practice of sitting cross-legged and absorbing the energy of nature.

He had abandoned the family’s heart method, which only required sitting and breathing.

He had broken down the techniques. The heart method was transformed into a dynamic power (動功) that accumulated energy through movement.

Since childhood, he had been able to handle energy easily, and the durability and elasticity of the meridians through which his internal energy flowed were far beyond those of ordinary humans.

He had once believed that there was affection among his half-siblings. He had even suggested they try it.

The responses were extremely common-sensical.

- "You created a martial art?"

- "What if you go mad while practicing? Will you take responsibility if someone dies?"

- "Do you think you have the qualities of a grandmaster?"

With genuine ridicule and mockery, he gave up. The boy no longer created martial arts techniques.

It was a hurtful day, not only from the indifferent family head but also from his brothers. Their words were even more painful because they were right.

‘Grandmaster.’

The term "grandmaster" in the martial world had a different meaning from the general sense. It referred to the founder of a martial art that could establish a new school.

Apart from figures like Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang and Batuo, Dharma, and Huiguo of Shaolin, who were grandmasters in both religion and martial arts, no one in the martial world would deny the title of grandmaster to the founders of the orthodox martial arts of the other nine major schools.

It was a grand story.

Zheng Yeon-shin had never even thought about becoming a grandmaster and did not place much importance on creating martial arts.

He just wanted everyone to be healthy.

He consistently practiced only the Zheng Family Dynamic Power. It seemed he also wanted to show it off.

The effects were clear. The parts of his body that were stimulated during sword practice or physical training became stronger.

The power of his techniques bolstered and compressed his muscles. The result was his current physique.

‘It’s perfected. Now.’

He was confident.

The utility of the martial art he had roughly named as a Zheng family dynamic power had reached its limit.

Through practice, he realized that his body could not become any stronger.

It seemed rare even in Henan Province, unless he was a frog in a well, looking at the Henan sky.

“Master!”

“I’m coming.”

Zheng Yeon-shin responded casually to the servant’s urgent call. He knew why the servant was in a hurry.

The family head was a strict and patriarchal figure, and his mother, the third wife, had died in childbirth.

It was an era of rampant superstition, especially in such a remote village.

He was a child who had killed his mother in childbirth. No one in the family looked at him favorably, not even the family head.

‘As long as the food is good.’

Zheng Yeon-shin thought nonchalantly as he walked.

Because he had no blood relatives here, he naturally became engrossed in martial arts.

He had no grand ambitions like making a name for himself in the martial world. He just enjoyed delving into martial arts.

As he passed by the quarters of the family’s guests, he heard the voices of the guests’ children reciting texts.

“Recite the first chapter, fourth section of the Great Ming Outline.”

“Heavenly compatriots with long ears and short stature returned, exterminated the evil, and founded the Great Ming with the First Ancestor.”

“First chapter, eighth section.”

“A great demon chased the compatriots, but they were able to exterminate it by closing the gate in time.”

Zheng Yeon-shin was familiar with these phrases. He smiled and passed by.

“You’re late. Foolish boy.”

Upon reaching the banquet hall, his half-elder brother greeted him formally.

Zheng Yeon-shin’s chest tightened as he met the gaze of his half-elder brother’s narrow eyes.

“It’s been a while, Elder Brother.”

“If you’re late, sit down quickly.”

Zheng Nam-shan, the eldest son of the Zheng family, said with a sneer.

Zheng Yeon-shin nodded and took his seat at the end of the long table, looking around.

The family head sat at the head of the table, flanked by the first and second wives, followed by Zheng Nam-shan and his wife, their daughter, and Zheng Yeon-shin’s fifth sister.

Sitting at the end of the table among his siblings was an unreasonable position, but he had long been relegated to a nominal direct descendant due to the family head’s indifference and the insistence of the first and second wives.

‘Thanks to that, I’ve had an easy time.’

Without a significant role in the family, he had no obligations or responsibilities. The food was good, so he could focus on his training.

‘He must be pleased.’

The family head’s gaze, with a smile, was directed at his second son, who had a square jaw.

This was a pre-celebration for the second son, who was about to go to Zhongnan to learn martial arts.

A school that rivaled any small kingdom in size, the Shaanxi Province’s top martial arts school.

Now, it was one of the nine major schools, sharing the honor of being the top school in Shaanxi with Huashan.

Becoming a named disciple of the nine major schools was a great honor.

Especially during a time when the continent was suffering from famine, this banquet was particularly luxurious.

As the family head raised his glass, the family members followed suit.

“Since my late father, a disciple of the former sword master of Zhongnan, founded our family, I have dedicated my life to reviving our clan. If I had wanted to make a name for myself in the world, I would have inherited the Zhongnan techniques! But how could I abandon the family business? I am extremely pleased that my son will follow in my father’s footsteps and ascend Zhongnan Mountain.”

“It’s a good day.”

“Truly, congratulations, Brother.”

The family head, who said he could have become a disciple of Zhongnan if he had wanted to, and the family members who flattered the second son.

In the martial world, it was better to be a snake’s head than a dragon’s tail for a satisfying life.

The Zheng family was the actual security force and major landowner of the county.

A martial family (武家) with the same influence as the county magistrate in Xinya County.

They were not envious of the nine major schools in the vicinity.

‘If he joins Zhongnan, he’ll probably start by cleaning the ancestral tablets of the grandmasters.’

Zheng Yeon-shin ate his fill of the food.

“Isn’t the current Zhongnan a step above Huashan?”

“Outstanding new masters have descended from the mountains.”

“Judging by the Shaanxi Grand Tournament, it seems so. The leader of the evil forces in Guanzhong was beheaded by Yunzhong Jianlong. The Plum Blossom Swordsmen are strong, but they can’t match Senior Brother Jianlong.”

The second son referred to the junior disciples of Zhongnan as senior brothers, as if he were already a disciple.

Zheng Yeon-shin, who had chuckled softly, paused as he reached for a pancake.

The family head was looking at him with a disapproving gaze.

‘Should I have joined the flattery?’

The family head slowly spoke.

“I hear you spend all day in the training ground. How is your Zheng Zongshen Sword progressing?”

“The principles of the family’s martial arts are difficult for me to understand, making it hard to achieve mastery. I am ashamed.”

Zheng Yeon-shin answered, straightening his posture respectfully.

Zheng Zongshen Sword was a unique martial art of the Zheng family.

Like many others, its name was grand, but in reality, it was a compilation of the first half of the Thirty-Six Swords of Zhongnan, poorly understood and simplified.

This was how lay disciples of Daoist schools like Zhongnan and Huashan often formed their own schools.

According to the rules, it would be a grave sin of destroying the lineage.

However, in reality, as long as a regular donation was made to the main temple, it was often overlooked.

The main temple received wealth and food, while the lay school received protection under the main temple’s name.

It was a win-win situation.

‘I focused more on the dynamic power because of the Zheng Zongshen Sword.’

There were too many things to fix.

Even at a glance, the sword techniques with strange flows were obvious. What could he do?

If he were to formally join, he would have to modify the sword techniques to endure.

Childhood trauma often shapes one’s behavior.

This was the case with Zheng Yeon-shin.

The ridicule of his siblings pushed him irrationally towards the Zheng Family Dynamic Power.

The family head clicked his tongue.

“The eldest and second son are already on the path to mastery. I won’t ask further, but you should reflect on whether you are truly putting in effort in the training ground.”

“I will take your advice to heart.”

Zheng Yeon-shin bowed and waited until the family head’s gaze moved away. He didn’t care how his siblings viewed him.

‘If they show interest, I’ll just get hurt.’

Zheng Yeon-shin turned his head back to the banquet.

He put a well-fried chicken in his mouth and half-listened to the conversations around him.

“The situation with the Guanzhong evil forces is concerning. Chief.”

“Yes, family head.”

“Are the information channels well-established? I don’t expect to reach the level of the Beggar Sect or Xiaomen, but we should at least be able to follow the secret channels of the major schools.”

“I think we can manage it in Xinya.”

“Good, very good.”

At that moment,

“The masters of Zhongnan have arrived!”

It was the voice of Zhang, the gatekeeper. The banquet hall turned into a chaotic scene.

They had received word that the second son would be taken, but they did not expect it so soon.

“Quickly, quickly, welcome them! No, I’ll go!”

The family head, who had been sitting solemnly, jumped up and prepared to welcome the guests.

Everyone in the hall did the same.

‘I’m curious.’

Zheng Yeon-shin, who disliked busy affairs, would have quietly slipped away to the training ground under normal circumstances.

But it was the nine major schools, the nine great sects. The high-ranking masters of Zhongnan were a different story.

When could he see such renowned martial artists from a major school again?

“Who are the masters?”

“Not Yunzhong Jianlong, right? Maybe an elder?”

The siblings, filled with anticipation, looked like children for once.

Zheng Yeon-shin, blending into the crowd, followed them to the main gate.

The family head, who had rushed out using light body techniques, was bowing deeply to three people.

“To have such esteemed guests visit our humble family is an honor. I am Zheng Daming, the family head.”

The three guests returned the bow. The woman at the forefront had an unusual appearance.

Her hair was golden, like melted gold, and her ears were long like leaves.

Her features were both beautiful and exotic, like a celestial being descending from the heavens.

“Famous race...!”

Zheng Nam-shan murmured, his eyes fixed on her. Zheng Yeon-shin inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘The famous race does look like what I learned. It’s amazing.’

Xinya County, known for its strategic location in trade and transportation, had become a small village after the terrain changed due to the battles of strange beings in the late Yuan dynasty.

It was not easy for villagers to encounter the famous race.

The “compatriots” who descended from heaven and founded the Ming with the First Ancestor were said to be seen only in Beijing, the military, the nine major schools, or prestigious families.

‘A famous race doctor visited our house when I was born, they say.’

He didn’t know the details.

He couldn’t ask the family head, and the servants who might know the situation all avoided him.

“I am deeply grateful for your hospitality. I am Yu Yixin, an elder of Zhongnan.”

The Zhongnan elder of the famous race smiled. It was a beautiful smile that could make one’s eyes feel refreshed, but no one with any knowledge in the hall could smile.

‘An elder of the famous race from the nine major schools?’

Then he must be a founding hero of the Great Ming Empire. The famous race was said to be ageless.

He must have played a significant role in driving out the Yuan dynasty alongside the founding grandmaster of Zhongnan.

“I... I did not recognize the immortal!”

Not just the family head, but the family members and guests who had gathered to watch also bowed deeply, some even kneeling.

‘Isn’t that excessive?’

As Zheng Yeon-shin, who had bowed appropriately, slightly raised his head, his eyes met Yu Yixin’s, who was looking at him strangely.