Episode 122: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
In the wide clearing before Yongja Forest, everyone had gathered—Sabi Kang, the special class cadets, and even Cheon Saemyung and Dan Lichu, who stood by the edge of the woods.
Dan Lijeong was preparing to shoot an arrow at a tree from a considerable distance away. The distance was staggering—about a hundred paces, so far that people appeared no larger than fingers.
It was Dan Lichu who had carved a target into the tree trunk. If his son could hit the center of the target, he would acknowledge his talent. But there was a catch: all three arrows had to hit the mark. Even one miss, and Dan Lijeong would have to leave the academy and return to the Ilseong Sword Sect.
It seemed like a harsh condition, but such innate talent required strict judgment. As Sabi Kang had said, if Dan Lijeong was to reach the pinnacle of archery, this was the least he should be able to do.
Cheon Saemyung, standing beside Dan Lichu, clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Tsk, tsk. The instructor is taking a reckless gamble.”
He smirked inwardly. From where they stood, Dan Lijeong was a mere speck in the distance. Hitting a target carved into a tree from that far away? It seemed impossible. He doubted the target was even visible, let alone reachable by an arrow.
“Let’s see Sabi Kang get embarrassed,” he thought with a chuckle.
Dan Lichu shared similar doubts. The target was absurdly far. Yet, as a father, he couldn’t help but hope his son would succeed.
As they watched with mixed feelings, a red signal flared from where Dan Lijeong stood, indicating he was about to shoot. Cheon Saemyung and Dan Lichu stepped back a few paces.
Moments later, Dan Lijeong drew his bowstring taut and released it.
Whoosh!
The sharp sound of the arrow slicing through the air startled both Dan Lichu and Cheon Saemyung. They had expected the arrow to take its time, but it flew with astonishing speed, almost as if it had been released the moment the string was let go.
Thud! Thud!
Two arrows struck the tree trunk in quick succession.
“Faster than I thought,” Dan Lichu mused.
“Indeed, he has a knack for archery,” Cheon Saemyung admitted, turning his head.
They had lost track of where the arrows had landed, but it was clear they hadn’t hit the target.
Dan Lichu’s expression twisted with complexity, while Cheon Saemyung wore a subtle smile. “I knew it,” he thought.
Cheon Saemyung shook his head gravely. “It seems this test was too much for Dan Lijeong. Perhaps we should reconsider the conditions—”
“Hold on,” Dan Lichu interrupted, raising a hand. He approached the tree with the carved target, his eyes widening in surprise.
“What is it?” Cheon Saemyung asked, following him. Dan Lichu quickly grabbed the arrows embedded in the branches.
His face was slightly flushed with excitement. “Look at this.”
“What…?” Cheon Saemyung’s eyes widened in disbelief. Each arrow had skewered a beetle the size of a thumb.
“Ha! Did he just hit beetles instead of the target?” Dan Lichu exclaimed.
“But how… from that distance…?” Cheon Saemyung stammered.
“Both arrows hit beetles. It’s hard to call it a coincidence.”
“Even so, it’s hard to believe. Perhaps he should shoot again…”
“It seems he’s already planning to,” Dan Lichu replied, nodding toward the opposite side.
Another red signal flared from Dan Lijeong’s position, indicating he was ready to shoot again. The two men quickly stepped back from the tree.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sharp sound of arrows pierced their eardrums.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three arrows struck the target in rapid succession, quivering as they embedded themselves.
Both Cheon Saemyung and Dan Lichu stared wide-eyed at the arrows.
And then, once more—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Arrows continued to rain down, embedding themselves into the target with relentless precision.
The two men could only watch in stunned silence as the arrows kept coming, the intervals so short it seemed like multiple archers were shooting at once.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Finally, when dozens of arrows had peppered the target, the tree trunk groaned under the weight.
With a creaking sound, the deeply gouged tree began to tilt.
And then—
Crack! Thud!
The massive tree trunk snapped and fell, forcing Cheon Saemyung and Dan Lichu to leap aside.
Even then, they could only stare in awe at the fallen tree.
Cheon Saemyung swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “What… what is this…?”
Beside him, Dan Lichu stood with a similar expression, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
His laughter was so infectious that even Dan Lijeong, standing far away, could hear it clearly.
Sabi Kang approached Dan Lijeong, patting him on the shoulder. “It seems your father is quite pleased.”
“Yes, thanks to you, Instructor. And thanks to all of you,” Dan Lijeong said, bowing his head and smiling broadly at the cadets.
Yeon Woo-kyung could only chuckle softly.
Meanwhile, Cheon Saemyung, standing awkwardly beside Dan Lichu, called out to him. “Um… Master?”
“Ha ha ha! This is incredible. Truly astonishing.”
“Indeed, it is.”
“Who would have thought Dan Lijeong had such talent? Did you see it? My son brought down that massive tree!”
“Yes… I saw it…”
“If this isn’t talent, I don’t know what is. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Dan Lichu laughed heartily once more and swiftly made his way to Dan Lijeong.
Dan Lijeong approached hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. “Father… if you don’t want me to use a bow, I’ll return to the sword.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, I don’t want you to neglect your swordsmanship. But today, I’ve realized that the bow suits you perfectly!”
“Father…?”
Dan Lichu walked over to Sabi Kang, offering a respectful bow. “I admit I was wrong to doubt you, Instructor Sabi Kang. If I’ve offended you, please forgive me. And I entrust my son to your care.”
“Ha ha ha. I’m glad the misunderstanding is cleared up,” Sabi Kang replied with a grin.
Dan Lichu also approached Cheon Saemyung. “You can rest easy now, Captain Cheon. Instructor Sabi Kang is truly remarkable.”
“Yes, it seems my worries were unfounded,” Cheon Saemyung replied with a quick smile.
Finally, Dan Lichu turned to Dan Lijeong. “Lijeong, listen well to Instructor Sabi Kang. He has seen the talent in you that even I missed.”
“Father…”
“I must strive to be a father you can be proud of. Ha ha ha!”
Dan Lichu laughed joyfully once more.
**
The news spread quickly.
Visitors flocked to the academy, all eager to meet Sabi Kang.
Watching the stream of visitors from the window, Deung Buhyung sighed softly. “In the end, we’ve only enhanced Sabi Kang’s reputation.”
“I didn’t expect things to turn out this way,” Cheon Saemyung grumbled, clenching his teeth.
Deung Buhyung nodded. “I would have done the same.”
Cheon Saemyung’s plan to discredit Sabi Kang had backfired spectacularly. Instead, Dan Lijeong’s display had only served to elevate Sabi Kang’s standing.
After that day, martial arts sects from all over the region lined up to meet Sabi Kang. Most were parents or sponsors of the academy’s cadets, hoping he could nurture their talents as he had with Dan Lijeong.
**
“Ah, I’m exhausted,” Sabi Kang groaned, slumping into a chair.
It was supposed to be a day off from teaching, but instead, he had spent the entire day meeting with visitors.
Dang Ihyeop, standing nearby, spoke up. “This evening, you have a meeting with Elder Im Cheonbaek of the Hyesong Sect. It’s scheduled at a nearby inn.”
“Elder Im Cheonbaek?”
“Yes, they’ve been requesting a meeting for some time, so you should meet them tonight.”
“And what do they want?”
“One of the second-year cadets from the Red Wave Class is from the Hyesong Sect.”
“Why are they coming to me if it’s not even a special class student?”
“Well, isn’t it just a polite way of saying they want you to meet the cadet and take an interest?”
“Ugh, I’m so tired of this. It’s exhausting.”
“Still, Elder Im Cheon-baek is well-respected in the area for his character. Building connections with him could be beneficial.”
“Fine, I’ll go meet him. Damn it, it’s always old men. Never a pretty woman.”
Grumbling, Sabigang got to his feet. He never imagined that proving Dan Lijeong’s talent would lead to such a mess.
Jeokhaseong.
Yoshin, the leader of the Hwan Sal Clan, strode in with purpose. He bowed slightly to Seoraehyang, who was gazing out the window.
“Good news. We’ve found an opening.”
Seoraehyang glanced at him.
“What kind of opening?”
“Recently, many people have been seeking out Sabigang. We can use that to our advantage.”
“Explain in detail.”
Yoshin quickly laid out the information he had gathered. After listening to the summary, Seoraehyang nodded faintly.
“So that’s how it is…”
“It’s a favorable situation. Approaching him naturally won’t be easier than this.”
“Indeed, it’s a good opportunity.”
“Yes, you could meet Instructor Sabigang under the guise of being a sponsor for a cadet. Are you planning to go yourself?”
“Of course.”
Handling Sabigang personally was the safest and most reliable way. It minimized the risk of someone else taking credit.
Yoshin gave a knowing smile.
“Anticipating that, I’ve already made arrangements.”
“Arrangements? What kind?”
“From now on, Hongmyo will be Elder Jin Sumi of the Cheongok Sect.”
Yoshin placed something on the desk from his sleeve. It was a woman’s mask.