Several days had passed since the incident at the martial hall.
"Ugh... I'm so tired..."
"I hate horse stance..."
"Sniff... I miss my mom..."
At the Baek Martial Hall, the young disciples were sweating profusely under the scorching sun, holding their horse stances.
I had clearly instructed them to keep their eyes forward, but I could feel a few of them sneaking glances in my direction.
"Master... my legs hurt..."
"I want to rest..."
"Hey... is the master asleep?"
"Should we sneak away?"
One kid had tears welling up in his eyes from the strain of the horse stance.
Another was slyly trying to cheat, while yet another was already plotting an escape.
I was lying lazily on the wooden platform, half-asleep, watching the kids struggle through their training.
"The master isn't asleep."
"Eek!"
At my single remark, the kids immediately tightened their thighs and lowered their stances.
Satisfied, I rolled over to lie on my other side.
Thump thump.
I could feel their resentful gazes prickling my back like slingshots, but I ignored them.
The breeze was cool, and the sunlight was warm—a perfect afternoon for a nap.
A few days ago, one of these kids would have run straight to their father to tattle on me.
But now, things were a little different.
"You guys! Can't even handle this? How do you expect to become masters?"
A familiar voice rang out from behind me.
It was Jang Yi, the second son of the cloth merchant Jang.
Ever since I avenged his brother at the Jin Martial Hall a few days ago, the way he looked at me had completely changed.
"The master said it himself! The foundation of all martial movements lies in a strong lower body!"
Ah, yes, I did teach him that.
Jang Yi, the leader of the kids' group, was now maintaining discipline on my behalf.
"Training your lower body with the horse stance is that important!"
This was the same kid who had complained to his father about hating the horse stance not long ago.
Well, let's just forget about that little detail.
"But it's so boring and tiring..."
One of the other kids whined, and Jang Yi's voice grew louder.
"Idiot! If you run away from hardship, you'll never become a master! That's why you have to endure it, no matter how hard it is!"
Well said.
If you want to become a master, you should at least be able to hold a horse stance for two hours.
Back in my day, I even walked to the outhouse in a horse stance.
Then, another voice of doubt chimed in.
"But is the master really that strong? He looks kind of weak..."
"He's super strong! The master took down an evil sect member with a single strike!"
Well, technically, it was my father who finished him off, but I had already beaten him to a pulp by then.
Jang Yi's praise of me continued.
"The master is actually an incredible martial artist. With a single wave of his hand, he can unleash a powerful palm strike! With a stomp of his foot, the ground explodes!"
Uh, that's a bit of an exaggeration...
As I lazily listened, Jang Yi's boasting grew more and more outrageous.
The other kids were captivated, which only fueled his enthusiasm.
"The master can even split boulders with a single punch!"
More like this delicate fist of mine would shatter first.
"And the master can fly through the sky!"
Kid, I don't even have enough internal energy to perform light-footed techniques yet.
"And the master... might even be a hidden top master in the world!"
"Really? Is that true?"
"Wow!"
These kids had no idea how dangerous false advertising could be.
The Jin Martial Hall in the neighboring village had already fallen victim to an evil sect's schemes.
"Yes! So if you just endure a little longer, the master will teach you peerless techniques!"
...
Well, he got one thing right.
I had five peerless techniques stored in my mind.
Of course, I had no intention of teaching them to these kids.
I planned to master them myself.
Maybe someday, if the opportunity arose, I could pass them on to the right people, as per the wishes of the four masters...
'If fate allows it, great.
If not, so be it.'
I hadn't made any promises, so I decided not to worry about it.
"And also, the master...!"
Before Jang Yi could turn me into some blood-soaked martial legend who had secluded himself hundreds of years ago, I sat up halfway on the platform.
"Why is it so noisy during training?"
At my words, the kids immediately shut their mouths and tightened their thighs.
They were all on edge, probably because of Jang Yi's earlier boasting.
Chuckle.
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the kids nervously watching me.
In the past, I would have used this opportunity to make their training even more grueling, but...
'This isn't the Blood Sect.
I'm not a Blood Sect instructor anymore.'
These kids wouldn't be beaten or starved for failing to master martial arts.
I wouldn't be demoted or cast aside for not producing results.
This was a peaceful village with clean water and fresh air, far removed from the blood-soaked world of the martial world.
'Still, I should keep making them do the horse stance.
There's no better training for building stamina.'
Until I figured out how to earn the money needed to treat my Heavenly Yin Meridian, I planned to stay here, train my body, and torment these kids.
'How am I supposed to earn that much money? I've never done business before, and I don't know anything besides martial arts.'
Sell the peerless techniques in my mind?
No way.
If I did that, my life would be in immediate danger.
As I was lost in thought, Jang Yi came running over and knelt on one knee.
"Master! Your disciple Jang Yi, reporting for duty! Please give your orders!"
He must have seen this somewhere and was clumsily mimicking a martial salute.
Not a chance.
How could a little brat like him aspire to be my disciple?
"You got your hands wrong."
"Ah!"
I smacked Jang Yi's head as he fumbled to correct his hands, then stood up fully from the platform.
Looking at the kids, who were staring at me with eager eyes, I said,
"Take a break for half an hour."
"Yay!"
"Don't get too excited. After that..."
"I'm sorry, but we'll have to end training early today."
I turned around at the voice coming from behind me.
My father was walking toward me with a complicated expression on his face.
"Is something wrong?"
I tilted my head and asked, and my father sighed with a troubled look before answering.
"The Martial Alliance has sent someone."
The Martial Alliance.
The largest coalition and central hub of the orthodox martial world, headquartered in Hubei.
But the Central Plains were vast, and there were hundreds, if not thousands, of sects under the orthodox banner, so the headquarters couldn't handle everything.
That's why the Martial Alliance had branches in each region.
The middle-aged man standing before us, saluting, and the martial artists lined up behind him were from the Jiangxi branch of the Martial Alliance.
"I am Goo Joo-yeol, the second team leader of the Jiangxi branch investigation team."
Goo Joo-yeol, who looked to be in his late forties, had a friendly demeanor, like the uncle next door.
He was lean, with long limbs, especially his legs, which were as long as a crane's.
His steps seemed light, and his shoes were different from what ordinary people wore.
The front of his shoes was noticeably more worn.
'A master of light-footed techniques or leg techniques, no doubt.'
As I was thinking this, my father saluted the man.
"You must be the Flying Eagle Hero. I've heard of your reputation."
My father, who had been tense even before arriving, stiffened even more upon meeting Goo Joo-yeol.
It was as if he had encountered someone he didn't want to see.
When my father recognized him, Goo Joo-yeol's smile grew even more pleased.
"Haha. The martial world has given me too grand a title. It's quite embarrassing."
'Flying Eagle Hero...
So he really is a master of light-footed techniques.'
My father maintained a polite demeanor throughout.
"I am Baek Mo, the martial instructor at the Baek Martial Hall. I'm ashamed to say that my martial skills are quite lacking, so I have no title."
I followed my father's lead and greeted him as well.
"I am Baek Soo-ryong, his son. Like my father, my martial skills are nothing special, so I have no title either."
I gave a similar introduction, but for some reason, my father shot me a glare.
What, was I supposed to say something else?
"You two are too humble. You're the ones who uncovered the evil sect's plot and personally dealt with them. You're far superior to us in both skill and virtue."
"You flatter us too much. We were just lucky."
Goo Joo-yeol was probably trying to boost my father's reputation, but in reality, my father's martial skills were superior to his.
Of course, I was the only one who knew that for sure.
"By the way..."
Goo Joo-yeol tilted his head and asked my father,
"Have we met before?"
"Hmm... I'm afraid my memory isn't very good. I don't think so."
Look at this guy.
He's avoiding eye contact.
Something's fishy.
His expression has been stiff this whole time.
My father quickly changed the subject.
"Please, come inside so we can talk. Our martial hall is small, but we can at least offer you some tea."
"Haha. Even cold water would be appreciated. We've come a long way."
"I'll guide you to the reception room."
"Then I'll take you up on your offer. I'll only stay for a short while to talk, so you all head to the warehouse and secure the prisoners."
"Yes, sir!"
The investigation team headed to the warehouse where the evil sect members were being held, while my father and Goo Joo-yeol walked toward the reception room, chatting quietly.
I followed a step behind, observing Goo Joo-yeol out of habit.
"Ahem. Let me formally thank you again."
Goo Joo-yeol straightened his posture as he sat across from my father.
"On behalf of the Martial Alliance, I express our gratitude to the Baek Martial Hall. If it weren't for you and your son, this town would have been overrun by the evil sect, and the people would have suffered greatly."
"We only did what had to be done."
As a former member of the Blood Sect, I found the polite exchanges of the orthodox martial world quite irritating.
After some small talk, my father asked,
"What will happen to the prisoners we captured at the Jin Martial Hall?"
"We'll take them to the Jiangxi branch for interrogation to uncover their backers."
Interrogation?
'He must mean torture.'
The Martial Alliance's torture methods were just as brutal as the Blood Sect's, if not worse.
"Ahem. Actually, this is confidential information that shouldn't be leaked."
Suddenly, Goo Joo-yeol lowered his voice.
I stopped my wandering thoughts and focused on his words.
Seeing our reactions, Goo Joo-yeol smiled meaningfully and said,
"Those people... might be pawns of the Blood Sect."
"The Blood Sect?"
"..."
I barely managed to keep my composure.
If I had gasped or widened my eyes, Goo Joo-yeol would have found me very suspicious.
'Why is the Blood Sect being brought up here?'
My father, who was probably just as puzzled, asked on my behalf,
"Didn't the Blood Sect disappear decades ago?"
Exactly!
Goo Joo-yeol nodded solemnly.
For a brief moment, a somber light flickered in his eyes.
"That's correct. Decades ago, the Blood Sect was torn apart by an internal conflict we still don't fully understand. The Alliance Leader seized the opportunity to attack and destroy their stronghold."
I had heard about how the Blood Sect fell.
Moreover, I could guess a truth that these two would never know.
'If it was an unknown internal conflict, it was probably...'
The day I and the four supreme masters died.
Though it wasn't recorded in martial history, the Blood Sect experienced its darkest day.
"Recently, we've detected movements from individuals suspected to be descendants of the Blood Sect."
"Ah..."
"Does that mean the Blood Sect could be revived?"
It was me who asked the question.
For a split second, Goo Joo-yeol's sharp eyes turned to me, but he quickly returned to his friendly demeanor.
...
Look at this guy.
"Of course, it's not certain. It's just a possibility. Have either of you heard anything from them?"
"Hmm... After we tied them up and locked them in the warehouse, we only brought them food occasionally. We didn't talk much."
"I didn't either..."
At our responses, Goo Joo-yeol let out a long sigh.
"Regardless, the Alliance is closely monitoring the movements of the evil sects. If you have any information, please contact us immediately."
"Of course, we'll cooperate."
"Thank you. The Alliance will provide compensation for your efforts in this matter."
"Compensation? We didn't do this for any reward..."
I was deep in thought, caught off guard by the mention of the Blood Sect.
At the same time, a question arose in my mind.
'Even if we did capture some suspicious evil sect members, why would they bring up the Blood Sect to a rural martial instructor?'
I narrowed my eyes and observed Goo Joo-yeol as he spoke with my father.
'Something feels off.'
The moment I thought that,
I noticed Goo Joo-yeol's foot subtly moving.