On my way home, I stopped by the market to pick up the items I had ordered in advance.
Then, I returned straight to the White Dragon Hall and gathered the boarders together.
"Mr. Baek, what's all that?" Gong Sun-soo asked, curious about the bundles in my hands.
I was just about to explain.
I tossed a bundle at each of their feet.
"Cadets," I said, deliberately hardening my expression and lowering my voice.
Sensing something unusual, they all looked at me with tense expressions.
I spoke with more force than usual, making the training ground echo.
"Within half a ke, change into the uniforms I've provided and gather back here. Begin."
"…What?"
"Suddenly?"
"Can't you at least explain why…?"
I didn't answer their questions.
Instead, I took out a red hero's band from my bundle and tied it around my forehead.
Embroidered in the center of the tightly tied band was the word 'Desperation.'
"This brings back memories."
Back when I was known as the demon instructor at the Blood Sect, this red hero's band was my symbol.
- If I win, how about Mr. Baek cleans my room every morning and evening?
Determined to crush that annoying face, I renewed my resolve with the red hero's band.
"I said within half a ke. You all seem to have plenty of time."
I smirked, raising one corner of my mouth, and looked at the young ones still staring blankly at me.
"Or do my words sound like a joke to you?"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The quickest-witted among them, Gong Sun-soo, grabbed his bundle and ran to his room.
Heon Won-gang and Wi Ji-cheon followed suit, heading to their rooms belatedly.
I shouted at the three who were still moving sluggishly.
"Those who are late will have no dinner tonight."
"Gasp!"
"That's so unfair!"
"No way!"
Only then did the three start running to their rooms like foals with their tails on fire.
I crossed my arms and leisurely watched them.
"A month, huh…."
For just one month, I planned to return to my days as the demon instructor.
"Heon Won-gang, is this all you can do?"
"I can… do more."
Heon Won-gang, who was beneath me, answered, panting heavily.
He was crawling on all fours around the training ground, and I was sitting on him, correcting his movements.
"Martial artists have long drawn inspiration from the movements of animals to create martial arts. Tigers, monkeys, wolves, snakes, dogs, and even birds flying in the sky."
"Ugh…."
Heon Won-gang groaned beneath me, sounding like he was dying.
I wasn't just sitting on him; I was pressing down with my internal energy, correcting his posture.
"Cadet, aren't you doing it properly?"
"I'm doing it…! Ugh!"
Every time I pressed and hit various spots with the scabbard, Heon Won-gang screamed.
His limbs twisted, convulsed, and sweat poured from his body.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Move as if you are a tiger. Think of yourself as a monkey, a snake, an eagle, or a fish swimming in water."
"If only you weren't on my back… I could do it…!"
"Then try to shake me off."
"Argh!"
Heon Won-gang suddenly screamed and shook his body wildly.
However, I maintained my balance and didn't fall off.
For nearly half a shichen, I had been sitting on this colt-like fellow's back, enduring.
It was a training method that not only trained Heon Won-gang but also served as practice for me—a win-win situation.
"Jenzaaang!"
"Cadet, did you just curse at the instructor? Is there a problem with your character?"
"No, sir!"
Frustrated that things weren't going his way, Heon Won-gang screamed.
So, I pressed down harder with my internal energy, applying pressure here and there.
Eventually, Heon Won-gang collapsed completely, sprawling on the ground.
"Huff… I really… can't do it anymore…."
"It seems so."
Only then did I get off Heon Won-gang's back.
I used the scabbard to press and release the tense muscles all over his body.
"Where in the world can you find such a good teacher?"
Judging by his resentful eyes, Heon Won-gang didn't seem to agree with my thoughts.
I squatted in front of him and continued the explanation I hadn't finished earlier.
"I told you before. Martial artists have long mimicked the movements of animals to create martial arts. The martial arts created this way are adapted to fit the human body."
"Huff… Huff… I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Then why do we practice crawling on all fours and mimicking animal movements? Can't we just learn the movements adapted for humans?"
Heon Won-gang seemed unable to move a single finger.
But even in that state, his eyes were still alive.
It wasn't because he disliked the training I had assigned; he was genuinely curious.
"There's nothing wrong with transforming martial arts inspired by animal movements to fit the human body. It's a natural thing."
I answered while pressing and releasing his tense muscles.
"But the problem is that as martial arts are passed down, inconvenient movements are omitted, leaving only the easy and comfortable ones."
"Hmm…."
Heon Won-gang seemed to be on the verge of understanding.
For now, that was enough.
"Some call it the evolution of martial arts, but I think differently. Learning comfortably and easily isn't bad. But the problem is that the essence of the martial art gets lost in the process."
"Ah…!"
"Don't pretend to understand when you don't."
Smack!
I hit the back of Heon Won-gang's head and explained the most important part.
"The purpose of training on all fours is to use muscles you don't normally use. Doing so makes all your muscles more flexible, and you can exert more explosive power when using martial arts. It will definitely help with the martial arts you'll learn in the future."
"…."
I planned to teach Heon Won-gang two martial arts in the future: Green Forest Eighteen Forms and Asura Blood Heaven Path.
Of these, I intended to pass on only part of the Green Forest Eighteen Forms.
The Green Forest Eighteen Forms, a peerless external martial art created by the Green Forest King, was inspired by the movements of various animals I mentioned earlier.
The movements Heon Won-gang was practicing, which resembled those of animals, were part of the Green Forest Eighteen Forms that I had adapted and taught.
"So stop complaining and learn. It will also help when you learn the Asura Blood Heaven Path."
"…Yes."
Heon Won-gang nodded with a determined expression.
Though not as talented as Wi Ji-cheon, he was still a bright student, so he should have understood my words.
'This guy isn't related to the entrance exam, but…'
That didn't mean I planned to teach Heon Won-gang half-heartedly.
The reason I ended up making a bet with Namgung Soo was because of this guy.
- Heon Won-gang is a failure.
He's inherently lazy.
Slothful and weak.
- And you think you can win the Heavenly Martial Arts Tournament with such a guy? Let's see how long that lasts.
Recalling that annoying face made my blood boil again.
Smack!
"Ouch! Why did you hit me all of a sudden?"
"Something infuriating came to mind."
"Am I some kind of punching bag…?"
"Heon Won-gang!"
I shouted, facing Heon Won-gang, who looked at me with an aggrieved expression.
He flinched and looked at me.
"Namgung Soo said you're a failure. That you're inherently lazy and slothful, and that no matter how hard you try, you'll never reach the toes of Paeng Sa-hyuk."
"What did you say? That guy…!"
The latter part was something I added, but unless Heon Won-gang went to Namgung Soo to verify it, he wouldn't know.
"Are you going to stand by and do nothing after hearing that?"
"I won't stand by!"
Heon Won-gang gritted his teeth, veins bulging in his neck.
I placed my arm on his shoulder and whispered softly in his ear.
"Good. Then show him what you're made of in the first midterm exam. Got it?"
"Got it!"
"From now on, answer everything with determination."
"Determination!"
Heon Won-gang's shout, filled with determination.
I smiled and patted his cheek before standing up.
"Continue the rest of your training on your own."
"Determination!"
Leaving behind Heon Won-gang, who was struggling to get up, I went to check on the other cadets who were training.
"Wi Ji-cheon, how's your recovery going?"
Wi Ji-cheon, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes at my call.
He lowered his head timidly and answered.
"Well… I'm not sure."
"I told you to answer with 'yes, sir' during training."
"S-Sorry, sir!!"
Sweat dripped from Wi Ji-cheon's forehead as he answered, under my piercing gaze.
But that sweat wasn't just from nervousness.
"Let me take a look."
I reached out and checked Wi Ji-cheon's pulse, channeling my energy to carefully examine his condition.
'There doesn't seem to be a major problem… but the aftereffects of the deviation are lingering longer than expected.'
On the surface, Wi Ji-cheon appeared fine.
The issue lay within his body.
The aftereffects of the deviation were more severe than anticipated, making it difficult for him to draw upon his internal energy.
'The injuries to his dantian and meridians have healed.
But if he's still struggling to draw upon his internal energy… it might be a psychological issue.'
When Wi Ji-cheon fell into deviation, he became a bloodthirsty sword demon and killed many people.
He claimed to have little memory of that time, but it would still linger in his subconscious.
"What happens when you try to draw upon your internal energy?"
"…I start sweating, my body trembles, my heart races, and I feel dizzy…."
It was indeed a psychological issue.
The memory of killing people while using martial arts was deeply embedded in his subconscious, causing fear to resurface whenever he tried to draw upon his internal energy.
It was one of the mental disorders that martial artists who experienced deviation sometimes faced.
"I'm sorry…."
Wi Ji-cheon murmured in a voice as small as a mosquito's, his head hanging low.
I reached out and patted his head.
"If you've done your best, there's nothing to apologize for."
"Instructor…."
This kid was different from the colt-like Heon Won-gang.
He had a genius talent but was gentle, delicate, and harbored great fear in his heart.
'Yelling and forcing him won't work.
It could lead to another deviation.'
Once his internal energy was restored, there would be no need to worry about Wi Ji-cheon's passing.
No, even without using internal energy, his current skills were more than enough to pass.
But what I wanted wasn't just passing.
'Namgung Seok, was it?'
A brat who looked like a smaller version of Namgung Soo.
But as expected of the Namgung family, he seemed to have quite a bit of talent.
Namgung Soo was confident enough to think of him as 'this year's top student.'
He's right.
If Wi Ji-cheon weren't here, that is.
"Wi Ji-cheon, I believe in your talent and diligence. A month is a long time. Let's find a way to overcome this problem together."
"Instructor…!"
When I showed unwavering belief, Wi Ji-cheon looked at me with a face full of emotion, as if he might burst into tears.
Just because I'm called a demon instructor doesn't mean I always push the kids hard.
I smiled benevolently like a Buddha and patted Wi Ji-cheon's head.
"So don't feel burdened."
"Yes!"
"Even if Wi Ji-cheon doesn't regain his internal energy, at worst, I'll be humiliated by Namgung Soo and get kicked out of the Blue Dragon Academy."
"Yes…?"
"I'll lose my job, end up in debt, and have to sell the White Dragon Hall for a pittance. Eventually, I'll be chased by debt collectors…."
"In-Instructor?"
As my pessimistic story continued, Wi Ji-cheon's face turned pale.
I had no intention of forcing Wi Ji-cheon into training.
I just wanted to firmly instill the mindset of doing his best 'on his own.'
As you know, this kid is sensitive.
"So, without feeling burdened, just do your best."
When I smiled wistfully and patted his head, Wi Ji-cheon gritted his teeth and shouted.
"I'll do my best!"
"Good, good."
After firmly instilling determination in Wi Ji-cheon's heart, I finally stood before the cadet who required the most time and effort.
In front of this one, even I felt a bit at a loss.
First, let's take a deep breath.
"…Gong Sun-soo, are you hurt anywhere?"