Episode 150: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
The permission for the martial arts expedition had been granted.
It was to be organized by the Justice Alliance’s inspection team, and there was no way the Yongcheon Academy would refuse such an opportunity.
For the students, it was a perfect chance for field training.
Not only would they be taking on the inspection duties of the Alliance, but they would also be upholding justice and punishing wrongdoing. What better field experience could there be?
From the academy’s perspective, it was a cause for celebration.
Of course, after the announcement, Cheon Sae-myung and others were left speechless, as if they had swallowed their tongues.
Meanwhile, the special class students gathered in the training grounds, whispering among themselves about the sudden assembly.
“What do you think this is about?”
“They can’t be sending us on another out-of-town lesson, can they?”
“Come on, we just got back. They wouldn’t do that again so soon, would they?”
As they chatted, Sa Bi-gang, Mae Seol-ran, and Dang Yi-hyeop entered the training grounds together. It was rare to see all three instructors arrive at once, so the students felt a wave of tension.
“Starting today, you will embark on a hundred-day martial arts expedition.”
“What?”
The students’ eyes widened in disbelief.
Another expedition? And for a hundred days?
“Are you going to tell us why this time, or…?”
Yeom Ja-ryang stepped forward to ask, but Sa Bi-gang cut him off.
“After a hundred days, you will become members of the Justice Alliance’s inspection team.”
“What?”
The students were stunned, their mouths agape in shock.
Some of them struggled to grasp what Sa Bi-gang was saying, but he continued regardless.
“However, there’s one condition. Your martial arts skills must reach the pinnacle level.”
”…”
The students were too shocked to even react, standing there with their mouths open.
Sa Bi-gang went on, “So, for the next hundred days, you’ll be on a martial arts expedition. It’s part of your training to become top-level martial artists.”
“Um… Instructor?”
“No questions.”
“But that’s impossible! How can we reach the pinnacle in just three months…?”
“You can. With an excellent instructor like me guiding you, three months is more than enough time.”
“That’s pure arrogance!”
Yeom Ja-ryang shouted, but Sa Bi-gang ignored him.
“Now, go prepare. We’ll leave in one hour.”
“How can you just spring this on us?”
Sa Bi-gang looked at Yeom Ja-ryang with a cool expression.
“Are you talking back to me?”
The icy look made Yeom Ja-ryang flinch and step back.
“You’re not going to hit a student, are you?”
“Hit you? No, it’s more like guidance. A loving correction, if you will.”
“Haha… No need for that. I was just surprised by the sudden announcement…”
“So, do I need your permission for this? Is that it?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
“Then shut up and get ready.”
In the end, Yeom Ja-ryang had no choice but to retreat, feeling like a scolded puppy.
‘Always so selfish.’
Of course, he kept that thought to himself, fearing a harsh “correction.”
**
From that day, Sa Bi-gang led the students on a relentless five-day journey.
Under the guise of lightness skill training, they barely slept or rested, running almost non-stop.
Occasionally, they paused to drink from streams or grab a quick bite in the shade.
Finally, they arrived at a familiar village.
Sa Bi-gang led them into the forest, stopping at the base of a towering cliff.
There, members of the Guiya Sect were waiting, with large crates in tow.
Mae Seol-ran looked up at the sheer cliff and let out a small gasp.
“Oh…!”
Why hadn’t she thought of this?
‘So this was the plan!’
It all made sense now. Sa Bi-gang had a plan all along.
But still…
‘Couldn’t he have given us a hint? This is too much!’
She shot a sideways glance at Sa Bi-gang, her expression a mix of annoyance and admiration.
This was Toyisan, a place Sa Bi-gang had passed through about a year ago during a previous expedition.
Back then, they had taken a longer route, but this time, they had cut straight through, saving a lot of time.
Yeon Woo-gyeong, looking up at the cliff, turned to Sa Bi-gang and asked, “Why are we here?”
“You’re going inside.”
Sa Bi-gang pointed at the cliff.
The students stared at the spot, eyes wide.
“Inside there? How?”
“Mae Instructor, show them.”
With a resigned look, Mae Seol-ran stepped forward.
‘Who would have thought I’d come back here?’
A memory flashed through her mind—something she and Sa Bi-gang had shared here…
‘Oh, come on! Why am I thinking about that now?’
She shook her head vigorously to clear her thoughts, then started walking.
In the next moment, she vanished.
It was as if she had walked through the wall, absorbed into it!
From her perspective, she could still see the students and Sa Bi-gang through a shimmering, translucent barrier.
But from the students’ perspective, she had disappeared completely.
The students, along with Dang Yi-hyeop and the Guiya Sect members, were visibly startled.
As the students murmured among themselves, Sa Bi-gang explained, “Think of it as a kind of illusionary technique. Don’t trust what your eyes see. If you doubt even for a moment, you won’t be able to enter. If you’re not confident, close your eyes and walk.”
**
Thud! Thud!
With a heavy sound, the Guiya Sect members set down the iron crates in the center of the cavern.
The students were too busy taking in their surroundings to notice.
The cavern was vast, at least ten times the size of a large training ground.
No one could have imagined such a spacious area inside the cliff.
Sa Bi-gang walked over to the crates, checked their contents, and nodded in satisfaction.
Everything he had prepared was there.
He had instructed the Guiya Sect members to bring everything he had collected over time to this place.
There were magic stones, weapons, armor, and various magical tools.
Some would be used for training, while others would be distributed to the students.
“Attention!”
At Sa Bi-gang’s call, the students swallowed nervously and turned to face him.
The unfamiliar sight had made them forget their fatigue.
“From now on, you will train here for six years.”
“What?!”
The students cried out in disbelief.
Some turned to their neighbors, wondering if they had heard correctly.
Yeom Ja-ryang shook his head.
“That’s too much of a joke. Six years…?”
“I’m serious. You’ll train here for six years.”
“Haha, that’s a bit extreme… Wait, you’re serious?”
“Yes.”
The students could see the determination in Sa Bi-gang’s expression.
When he looked like that, he never backed down.
“This is ridiculous! Six years here? You said it would be a hundred days! If we’re gone for six years, the academy… no, the entire martial world will be in chaos…”
“Don’t worry. Only a hundred days will pass in the outside world.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Sa Bi-gang looked around at the students and continued, “Time flows differently here. One day here is equivalent to half a day outside. You have three months, which translates to about six years here.”
“Wow… Is that true?”
“Of course.”
“But I’ve never heard of such a technique in the martial world…”
“Naturally. This isn’t a technique from the martial world. It’s a barrier from another dimension.”
“Still, it’s hard to believe.”
“Believe it. Not only I, but Mae Instructor has been here before. And during the half-day you were in a hurry, we… um.”
Mae Seol-ran quickly covered Sa Bi-gang’s mouth.
“Don’t say unnecessary things in front of the students!”
The other students began to nod in understanding.
‘Time really does flow differently here.’
If that were true, reaching the pinnacle level wasn’t impossible.
Six years…
By the end of that time, they might become true masters.
And they would become members of the Justice Alliance’s inspection team.
The students’ eyes burned with determination.
Sa Bi-gang looked at them and said, “You’ve used a lot of energy with the lightness skills, so rest well today. But be careful not to leave the cavern, or you might get lost.”
“Understood!”
The students’ voices echoed through the cavern.
**
A hundred days in the outside world passed like an arrow.
At the Justice Alliance’s grand training ground, a large crowd had gathered.
“They’re late.”
Sitting on the platform, the leader of the Nengun Sect frowned.
Gu Yoon felt anxious.
‘This is bad.’
If the leader was saying such things, it wouldn’t be long before others, like the Duke of Deungwang, would start causing trouble.
It had already been nearly half an hour past the scheduled time.
The gathering was filled with the top brass of the alliance, yet the main figures of the inauguration ceremony were nowhere to be seen, bringing everything to a standstill.
Whoooosh.
A chilly spring breeze swept through the grand martial arts arena.
Finally, unable to contain his impatience any longer, Deung Wangpa stepped forward decisively.
“How much longer are we expected to wait? General!”
“Let’s give it a little more time.”
“It’s already been half an hour! At this point, isn’t it fair to assume that Instructor Sabigang has shirked his responsibilities and fled?”
“That’s impossible. Instructor Sabigang isn’t that kind of person.”
“Hmph! Perhaps you’re too quick to trust people, General.”
“Just a little longer, please.”
Gu Yoon was anxious.
‘What on earth is going on, Instructor Sa?’
His mouth was dry.
The Sabigang he knew would never run away from responsibility. If anything, he’d face it head-on, even brazenly.
Yet, something was amiss.
The cadets from the special unit led by Sabigang had suddenly vanished. They had supposedly left for a training expedition, but had been untraceable ever since. Even the academy was struggling to track their whereabouts.
‘Could they really have run away?’
No, that couldn’t be it. Why would he take the cadets with him if he intended to flee?
They would come. They had to…!
As he tried to calm his restless heart, a voice broke through.
“General, it seems we might have to cancel today’s ceremony.”
The feared moment had arrived.
Neung Unpa rose from his seat. If it were Deung Wangpa, he might have been able to hold him back, but with the leader making this call, there was no stopping it.
They had already waited half an hour…
‘If this continues, the very establishment of the Inspection Bureau might be jeopardized.’
Meanwhile, Deung Wangpa smirked inwardly. If he played his cards right, he could prevent the establishment of the Inspection Bureau altogether.
Gu Yoon was at a loss for words, struggling to find a suitable response, when suddenly—
“Apologies for the delay!”
A voice boomed across the sky, echoing loudly.
And then, a figure leaped over the arena wall, performing a series of aerial steps.
Thud!
Landing gracefully in front of the podium was none other than Sabigang.
“Instructor Sa!”
Gu Yoon shouted involuntarily, his emotions a mix of relief and anger.
Sabigang bowed towards Neung Unpa and spoke.
“My apologies for being late. I was coming from quite a distance.”
“Better late than never. But where are the cadets…?”
The cadets, who were to become the core of the Inspection Bureau, were crucial to the ceremony.
“They’ll be here shortly.”
Sabigang grinned.
Whoosh, whoosh, swish, swish!
Suddenly, dark silhouettes began to soar over the surrounding walls, their movements precise and fluid.
The shadows landed behind Sabigang, kneeling in unison and bowing.
“Apologies for the delay!”
Their voices rang out, loud enough to hurt the ears.
Gu Yoon, along with the leader and the other officials, stared in shock.
It was the special unit cadets.
As they slowly rose, Gu Yoon swallowed hard.
In just three months, they had transformed completely.
An indescribable aura emanated from their entire beings.
‘What incredible energy.’
Neung Unpa, too, noticed their aura and his eyes widened.
‘Amazing. Are they really still students at the academy?’
Gu Yoon, who had seen them three months ago, was astounded, his heart pounding.
Could a person’s energy change so drastically in such a short time?
‘What on earth happened to them over the past three months?’