Episode 374: Return to the Martial Arts Hall
Boom!
As the two men’s hands collided, a deafening explosion echoed through the air.
Simultaneously, a fierce gust of wind burst out in all directions.
Eungbu-hyung furrowed his brow and shouted, “Hmph! You’re quite something, old man!”
“Let’s see how long you can keep boasting, Instructor!”
Thwack! Thud!
Their hands and feet tangled in a flurry of motion, a testament to the skill of masters. Even from a distance, the power of their clash was palpable.
If this battle were shown to lower-level students, it could serve as a significant lesson. Yet, Eungbu-hyung, confident in his superiority over the students, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease.
‘The old man’s better than I thought!’
A moment’s lapse in concentration could tip the scales of the fight.
Meanwhile, as Eungbu-hyung and Yangcho-ji clashed, Jaunryong watched with a flustered expression, unsure of what to do.
“Uh, you two… please, calm down!”
But Yangcho-ji, already riled up, showed no signs of stopping, and Eungbu-hyung had no intention of backing down first.
Just as Jaunryong was about to intervene,
“Why interfere? We’re just testing the senior instructor’s skills!”
Whoosh!
Feng Jian-zhen, a martial artist from the unorthodox sect, suddenly jumped in, throwing a punch.
They were already annoyed by the instructors and trainers only picking on Yangcho-ji from the unorthodox sect.
Feng Jian-zhen’s movements were lightning-fast.
But Jaunryong, stepping back in a half-circle, deftly deflected the incoming punch with the back of his hand and countered with a strike.
Bang!
With a loud noise, a gust of wind sent Feng Jian-zhen flying several meters away.
Startled, Feng Jian-zhen quickly got back on his feet.
The sudden burst of powerful energy made the surrounding martial artists flinch and look at Jaunryong in surprise.
They all had the same thought.
‘What? This seemingly weak instructor has such inner strength…?’
Though the attack seemed simple and light, the students could tell there was no wasted movement.
With everyone staring at him, Jaunryong scratched the back of his head awkwardly and smiled with his usual innocent expression.
“Oh dear… I ended up laying a hand on a student. I’m not fit to be an instructor.”
Yangcho-ji and Eungbu-hyung stood there, surprised and speechless.
At that moment, Jin Kyung-san pointed at Feng Jian-zhen and scolded him.
“What do you think you’re doing to the instructor? You have no respect for your seniors! No wonder you’re like this with no proper education!”
“What did you say?”
Feng Jian-zhen’s face twisted in anger.
Jaunryong, looking troubled, tried to calm things down again.
“I’m fine, so please, let’s stop this.”
“Instructor! We need to teach these unorthodox mongrels a lesson!”
“Alright, you righteous bastards! Let’s see what you’ve got!”
“Bastards? Are you my father or something?”
“You little…!”
Just then, a nonchalant voice interrupted from the front of the training ground.
“Everyone’s quite spirited.”
The students turned to see Sabikang, who had appeared without them noticing.
Jaunryong quickly ran over and bowed.
“I’m sorry, Master. It’s my lack of virtue…”
“Enough.”
Sabikang dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, the weapons displayed on one side of the training ground flew into the air and landed haphazardly in the center.
The students, along with Jaunryong and Eungbu-hyung, looked at Sabikang in bewilderment.
Sabikang glanced at the students and casually said, “What are you waiting for? Pick them up and fight.”
“What?”
The students’ eyes widened in disbelief.
Jaunryong and Eungbu-hyung stepped forward.
“Master, what do you mean…?”
“I said, didn’t I? Can’t you understand? Pick your opponent and fight. You can maim them or even kill them.”
”…!”
“Fight for your lives. Naturally, the orthodox and unorthodox will fight five against five.”
Jaunryong and Eungbu-hyung’s jaws dropped in shock.
The students, standing awkwardly, began to glance at each other.
Then, Feng Jian-zhen squinted and asked Sabikang, “Are you serious? We can really kill?”
“Of course. You’re in a training unit preparing for real combat. When you fight monsters, you’ll be risking your lives. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Train as if it’s real’?”
The students were left speechless.
This time, Jin Kyung-san asked, “How long do we fight?”
“Until one side is annihilated. You understand what it means to fight for your life, right?”
“Wow…”
“Why the hesitation? You seemed to be fighting well earlier.”
The students’ expressions grew increasingly complex.
They had heard rumors that the master was eccentric, but this was beyond their expectations.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Jaunryong cautiously spoke up.
“Master, no matter what, killing is a bit…”
“Hmm.”
After a moment of thought, Sabikang pursed his lips and asked, “Is it?”
“Yes… it’s a bit much, isn’t it? Haha…”
Jaunryong forced a laugh, and Sabikang crossed his arms, nodding.
“True. It would be a hassle to recruit five more again, right?”
“Haha… Is that the issue?”
“Fine. Just leave them alive. You can maim them. Recruiting new ones is a real bother.”
But the students’ expressions only grew more bewildered.
At least they realized Sabikang was serious about making them fight.
Finally, Pyo Ha-rim, a student from the orthodox sect, couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Damn it! Isn’t this going too far?”
“Why?”
“Shouldn’t you, as the master, be stopping this fight?”
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why should I? You came here to fight. You’re training well on your own, so why should I stop you?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Anyway, the strong survive. Do whatever it takes. The rules of the orthodox path? Save those for bedtime stories. The opponents you’ll face won’t care about rules. Fight to win, by any means necessary. You’ll learn that sometimes you need to band together to win.”
“No matter what, I can’t accept this!”
“Then leave.”
“Leave…!”
Pyo Ha-rim looked at Sabikang with trembling eyes, and Sabikang smirked.
“If you can’t follow my rules, you should leave. If you don’t like the temple, the monk leaves. Then it’ll be five against four. The orthodox side will be at a disadvantage, but there’s no such thing as a fair fight in the world, right?”
Pyo Ha-rim clenched his fists, his body trembling.
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you leaving?”
“I’ll… fight.”
“At least you have some loyalty. Then begin.”
As Sabikang finished speaking and squatted down, the unorthodox martial artists hesitantly approached the weapons.
Seeing this, the orthodox martial artists quickly rushed to the weapons as well.
What followed was swift.
“Haah!”
“Yah!”
The students from the orthodox and unorthodox sects clashed fiercely.
It was a brutal battle, as if they were truly fighting for their lives.
Blood splattered, and despite serious injuries, Sabikang did not stop the group combat.
Thus, the students fought with all their might.
After watching the students’ fight for a while, Sabikang finally stood up and spoke to Jaunryong.
“Send the injured to the Chohwandang.”
‘Chohwandang’ was the medical institution within the martial arts hall.
“Understood. But where are you going?”
Sabikang replied with a sly smile.
“To start another fight.”
**
In front of a cave on Mount Habok.
A tilted sign bore crooked red letters.
The rain-soaked sign looked even more ominous due to the eerie handwriting.
One of the two herbalists sheltering under a large tree glanced at the sign and grumbled.
“Damn, why aren’t we supposed to go in there?”
The other herbalist frowned and nudged him.
“Hey, don’t say such things! Don’t you know?”
“Know what?”
“Not long ago, the Bukdomun clan was wiped out!”
“So?”
“Man, you really don’t know what’s going on in the world! The Bukdomun leader and his disciples went into that cave and disappeared!”
“Is that true?”
The other herbalist, now startled, looked at the cave.
Now that he thought about it, the cave did seem like a monster’s gaping maw.
“That cave wasn’t here before. But ever since it appeared, strange things have been happening.”
“Why did the Bukdomun go in there?”
“Rumor has it they were chasing a band of thieves.”
“Then, could it be that the sudden disappearance of the Daehoche gang is also…?”
“Exactly. The Daehoche bandits went into that cave to find their missing men and never came back.”
“Wow. What on earth could be in there?”
“How would I know? But there’s definitely something. Whether it’s a monster or something else.”
“Well, I’ve heard strange creatures have been causing trouble in the martial world lately.”
“I’ve heard the same. It’s enough to make you think twice about venturing into the mountains.”
“Hmm. Still, I’m curious about what’s inside. They say the deeper the trap, the greater the treasure. Could there be something valuable in there?”
“Forget it. If you value your life, let’s just leave it be. It’s giving me the creeps. Let’s go!”
“Alright, alright.”
The two herbalists quickly gathered their bags and walked off into the distance.
The rain poured relentlessly in the deserted forest.
Rustle.
Just then, a deer emerged from the bushes, glancing around before staring at the dark cave. It hesitated for a moment, then bounded inside.
Moments later.
A terrifying roar echoed, and the deer never reappeared.
**
Winter was drawing to a close.
The biting cold wind had softened, carrying a hint of warmth.
Sabigang stood at the observation deck, overlooking the training grounds of Myeolmagwan.
Countless students were immersed in their training.
Initially, many resisted Sabigang’s unconventional teaching methods.
Some even had their sect leaders visit in protest.
But Sabigang remained unshaken.
Those who couldn’t adapt were sent back.
Now, everyone followed his lead.
As a result, some students had progressed to the point where they could channel mana and perform basic first-circle magic.
The students, thrilled with their newfound skills, were brimming with excitement.
But Sabigang knew the truth.
Many of them would fall when the demonic realm invaded.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, and Sabigang spoke without turning around.
“Come in.”
“You seem deep in thought.”
A gentle voice reached him.
It was Maeseollan.
Sabigang turned and smiled warmly.
“What makes you say that?”
“Because when you stay cooped up in your room like this, you’re usually feeling sentimental.”
“You’ve done your homework on me.”
Maeseollan chuckled at his teasing.
“He’s here. Danri is showing him in.”
“Oh!”
Sabigang’s face lit up noticeably.