Chapter 10: Return of the Martial Arts Instructor

Finally, the discontent erupted.

It was the fifth day since the lessons had begun.

“I can’t take these classes anymore!”

The voice belonged to Yeom Jaryang, the young master of the Cheonhwa Trading Company.

As he stood up and shouted, the other cadets nodded in agreement, pausing their movements. All eyes turned defiantly towards Sabigang.

The only reason they had endured this long was because of the martial prowess Sabigang had displayed on the first day. Whether it was staged or not, the way he shattered a sword with a single strike had left a strong impression.

But now, the cadets’ determination to no longer tolerate this was clear in their eyes.

Sabigang surveyed the cadets with a nonchalant expression.

“Continue.”

“No, we won’t!”

Yeom Jaryang clenched his fists tightly.

For five days now, Sabigang had instructed the cadets to sharpen their swords. And for five days, that’s all they had done.

Sabigang looked down at the defiant cadets and spoke.

“Sharpening a sword isn’t just about honing the blade…”

“You’re going to say it’s about honing and controlling the mind, aren’t you?”

Yeom Jaryang interrupted, and a few cadets chuckled.

Sabigang glanced at Yeom Jaryang and then let out a small laugh.

“Alright, what’s the problem?”

“Honestly, it seems to us that you don’t have the skills to teach, so you’re just having us sharpen swords to pass the time.”

“Heh. Do you think you can understand my intentions?”

“Ah, yes. It might be difficult, but at the very least, we want more active lessons.”

At that, Jo Muntak, who was always by Yeom Jaryang’s side, chimed in.

“Exactly! Sitting around sharpening swords all day is driving us crazy. We’re so inactive that even going to the bathroom in the morning is a struggle!”

The cadets burst into laughter.

Sabigang watched them quietly and then nodded.

“Active lessons, huh? That sounds good.”

The cadets were taken aback by Sabigang’s unexpected agreement.

‘Why does this feel even more unsettling?’

‘What’s he planning now?’

Sabigang casually tossed a command to the murmuring cadets.

“Follow me.”

**

“This is impossible! What on earth is this?”

Yeom Jaryang slammed his fist into the water, sending a spray into the air.

The cadets around him turned to look.

They were at Bongchu Valley near Yongcheon Hall, a place known for its wide and deep waters, popular for swimming in the summer. But today, the cadets weren’t here to swim.

The weather was far too cold for that, with ice still clinging to the water’s edge.

Yet, every cadet was standing in the freezing water.

“Hey, what are you doing over there? Have you caught them all yet?”

Sabigang, sitting on a large rock by the water, called out.

Yeom Jaryang glared at him before turning away in frustration.

‘Why is someone like him our instructor?’

His irritation was boiling over.

Sabigang, who had promised more active lessons, had brought them here and instructed them to catch smelt fish.

Each cadet, regardless of gender, had to catch five fish with their bare hands. The fish had to be no longer than three finger joints and caught without any injuries.

The smelt, which lived in cold water, could only be found in the deeper parts of the stream as the weather warmed.

To catch them, the cadets had to fully submerge themselves and reach into the water.

Moreover, to avoid frostbite in the cold, they had to continuously circulate their internal energy.

It was an extreme form of training.

But what did catching smelt have to do with martial arts development?

What infuriated the cadets even more was that Sabigang ate the fish as soon as they were caught.

It felt like they were just providing fresh food for an instructor with a craving for smelt.

Naturally, the cadets in the special class were filled with resentment.

Especially the female cadets, who were constantly annoyed by their wet clothes clinging to them.

“Why are we catching fish in this cold weather?”

“We might as well have kept sharpening swords.”

“Did we just provoke the instructor’s temper? This must be some kind of revenge.”

“I swear he just gave us a creepy look. Ugh, it’s so unsettling.”

The shivering cadets grumbled among themselves.

The male cadets were no different, and some even muttered complaints directed at Yeom Jaryang.

Watching this, Yeon Woo-gyeong approached Yeom Jaryang with a smirk.

“It seems the cadets have a lot of complaints. They’d rather be sharpening swords.”

Yeom Jaryang glared but then realized it was Yeon Woo-gyeong and held his tongue.

Yeon Woo-gyeong of the Paegeomyeonga was not someone to cross lightly. In terms of family or martial prowess, Yeom Jaryang had nothing on him.

“But I completely understand your feelings, Yeom.”

Yeon Woo-gyeong’s friendly approach made Yeom Jaryang look up at him.

Yeon Woo-gyeong smiled faintly and patted Yeom Jaryang’s shoulder.

“As a fellow cadet, I’m rooting for you. That’s my honest feeling. Please, don’t just take this lying down. Show him that he can’t treat us like this.”

Yeom Jaryang felt a shiver run through him.

The young master of the Paegeomyeonga had said “us,” as if they were on the same side!

The Paegeomyeonga was one of the most prestigious families in the martial world.

If he could build a strong connection with someone from such a family…

‘Maybe Father will finally acknowledge me!’

His father, who always called him the “useless second son,” might finally see his worth.

Yeom Jaryang clenched his fist and replied with determination.

“I feel the same way, Yeon! I’ll make sure to put that instructor in his place! You can count on it!”

Yeon Woo-gyeong smiled warmly.

“It seems we have a connection, Yeom. Let’s get along well. I trust you.”

“Of course!”

Yeom Jaryang firmly shook Yeon Woo-gyeong’s outstretched hand.

Just then.

“What are you two doing? Enjoying some bromance in the water?”

Startled, Yeom Jaryang and Yeon Woo-gyeong jumped back.

“What the—?”

Sabigang was suddenly right next to them, watching intently.

‘When did he get here?’

Yeon Woo-gyeong instinctively glanced at the rock by the water.

The distance from the rock to here was considerable.

And in the water, they should have sensed his presence even more.

Whether Sabigang knew of Yeon Woo-gyeong’s surprise or not, he looked at them with a bored expression and muttered to himself.

“Ugh, just imagining it makes me feel gross.”

“What are you imagining?”

“Stop with the weird thoughts!”

Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Jaryang shouted in unison.

Their outburst drew the attention of the cadets focused on catching fish.

“Huh? When did the instructor get over there?”

“Yeah, wasn’t he sitting on the rock?”

The other cadets looked on in confusion.

“If it’s not bromance, what is it? Gossiping like girls?”

“What does it matter to you?”

“As your instructor, if I find a talent, I should help you develop it. How about I find you a nice brothel? You can hold hands and chat just like now. Though I’m not sure if they’ll accept men.”

At this point, even some of the watching cadets couldn’t hold back their laughter.

Yeon Woo-gyeong and Yeom Jaryang clenched their fists, trembling with anger as they glared at Sabigang.

Yeom Jaryang spat out his words.

“As an instructor… shouldn’t you at least provide a valid reason for any training or task you assign? What kind of lesson is this, standing in the water?”

“Hmm. Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand. So just do as you’re told. And stop gossiping like girls.”

“How can we trust you! Isn’t it just that you lack real skills and are putting on a show? Maybe you just wanted to eat smelt!”

As the situation grew tense again, the cadets’ expressions hardened.

Sabigang also turned serious as he looked at Yeom Jaryang.

In that moment, Yeom Jaryang felt a chill run down his spine and shivered.

Sabigang spoke in a firm voice.

“If you doubt my abilities, feel free to challenge me anytime.”

“What did you say?”

“Assassination, whatever. I’ll take it. But if you fail, be prepared to pay the price. If you manage to kill me, I’ll die happily as your teacher.”

Sabigang finished with a sinister smile.

The smile was so eerie that Yeom Jaryang felt a shiver down his spine.

Just then, a cadet shouted.

“Instructor, I caught one.”

“Good, bring it here!”

Before moving, Sabigang glanced back at Yeom Jaryang.

“Oh, and you were right about one thing. I did want to eat smelt. Hahaha.”

Yeom Jaryang felt utterly deflated as he watched Sabigang recede into the distance.

“What kind of instructor is that, anyway?”

Yeom Jaryang muttered to himself, clenching his fists tightly. Meanwhile, Yeon Woo-kyung shot him a knowing glance before turning away.

“Come at me anytime, huh? Just wait. I’ll make you regret those words,” Yeom Jaryang thought, his eyes fixed on the Veritas hanging from Sabigang’s waist.

Elsewhere, Sabigang, having gorged himself on the smelt the cadets had brought him, patted his full stomach and slowly stood up.

“Maybe it’s time to call it a day.”

Most of the cadets were still floundering in the valley’s waters. Catching smelt barehanded while submerged is no easy feat. It requires not only the ability to protect oneself from the cold with internal energy but also the skill to sink against buoyancy and swiftly or gently grasp the darting fish. It’s not something that can be accomplished by martial prowess alone. Using too much internal energy could easily crush or stun the fish.

Yet, despite the difficulty…

“Some of them show promise,” Sabigang mused, his gaze shifting to the water’s edge.

There, a few cadets who had already caught five smelt each were drying off and meditating. Of course, there were those who, despite their abilities, were deliberately dragging their feet out of defiance. But in the end…

“You’re only hurting yourselves. Heh.”

Spending extended time in the frigid water while maintaining energy flow is no small ordeal. In truth, this smelt-catching exercise was a method Sabigang often used for training back in the demon realm. Mastering mana is akin to swimming underwater, requiring the same delicate and sensitive touch needed to handle a fish at will. It’s a skill his cadets must adapt to if they are to wield mana in the future.

“The day will come when you’ll thank me for this. Just do as you’re told. I’ll make you the finest warriors!”

Sabigang narrowed his eyes, surveying the cadets. These cadets would one day become his elite force. Though they had no inkling of their fate yet.

“It will happen. And together, we’ll take down the demon king. It’s the path to my revenge and the salvation of the world.”

Of course, there’s still a long way to go. This group alone won’t suffice. It starts here, but eventually, the entire world must be stirred and refined. There’s no need to rush. It will all come together, step by step.

Sabigang, lost in thought, narrowed his eyes further.

Meanwhile, the female cadets were uncomfortable with their wet clothes clinging to their bodies. Some whispered among themselves, misinterpreting Sabigang’s gaze with displeasure.

“Did you see that? I swear he was just ogling me.”

“He’s still looking this way, squinting his eyes.”

“Such a creep!”

Watching the female cadets, Yeom Jaryang ground his teeth in frustration.

“Perverted instructor! Enjoy it while you can. You’ll be in for a surprise when you wake up tomorrow.”

A faint smile played on his lips.