Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 7

The next day, after breakfast, I found myself in front of instructor Jin So-cheong.

Instructor Jin So-cheong sat me down and began his explanation.

“The martial arts transmitted at Azure Dragon Martial Hall can be broadly categorized into three: Weapon Techniques, Mental Techniques, and Body Techniques. You understand what these are, right?”

“Yes.”

Weapon Techniques are methods of using weapons, Mental Techniques (Breathing Techniques) are methods for cultivating internal energy, and Body Techniques encompass all skills, including movement arts, that make the body flexible and agile.

Upon my nod, instructor Jin So-cheong continued, “Which one do you think is the most important among the three?”

“Mental Techniques.”

“And why is that?”

“Because although one can learn weapon techniques through practical experience, obtaining the secret Mental Techniques is extremely difficult, even if you offer a fortune.”

“You are well aware.”

Instructor Jin So-cheong seemed impressed. It may seem obvious for someone who has been a wandering courier for decades, but this wisdom is hard to come by for children. To a child, the flashy weapon techniques and body techniques seem more incredible.

“Correct. Because mental techniques are the most profound and secretive, we usually teach them last. If one makes an error in practicing mental techniques, they can sustain irreparable internal injuries. Thus, it is customary to wait at least a year after becoming an official lower-tier disciple.”

With that said, instructor Jin So-cheong placed his hand on my shoulder.

“But for you, I’ve decided to teach mental techniques first.”

“Why is that?”

“Because now is the opportune time to spread the internal energy of the [Three Talents Mental Method] throughout your bloodstream.”

“……?”

It was a perplexing explanation. Seeing my puzzled look, instructor Jin So-cheong chuckled.

“You have an unusually concentrated form of [Three Talents Mental Method]’s internal energy for someone so young. However, it’s compacted in your lower dantian, slowing the transfer speed to the rest of your body. This is why you’re always one step behind when fighting other masters. That’s the reason why [Three Talents Mental Method] is not a good mental technique.”

“Uh…!!”

Slow speed!

For the first time, I became aware of the fatal flaw in the [Three Talents Mental Method]. As a low-ranking courier, I never had the time to deeply study internal energy techniques since I was struggling to survive. But it turned out that [Three Talents Mental Method] had this inherent flaw of slow inner energy transfer.

“Fortunately, your body is still young, and hasn’t been deeply infiltrated by the ‘fire qi’, making it easier to change your internal energy. Starting today, you will learn Azure Dragon Martial Hall’s secret mental technique, the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique]. Once it starts melting your compacted internal energy, you’ll achieve rapid progress.”

“How rapid are we talking?”

“Hmm… if you manage to fully melt it, you can secure at least 20 years of internal energy in a short period. That’s an accomplishment even late-stage disciples of major sects struggle to achieve.”

“……!!”

Melting the [Three Talents Mental Method] using [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique]!

If it’s fully melted, it guarantees 20 years of internal energy, placing me at a level that even late-stage disciples of major sects find hard to reach!

Thrilled by the extraordinary opportunity, my body shuddered. I felt an incredible sense of upliftment, as if the resentments from living as a lowly mercenary in my previous life could finally be lifted.

Instructor Jin So-cheong continued in a somber tone.

“Today, I will teach you three types of training methods. You will practice these three methods for the next month.”

“Yes.”

“The first is sitting meditation. Through seated meditation, you will build your internal energy most efficiently. The second is walking meditation, which involves light movements throughout your daily life to facilitate the flow of internal energy.” At this point, Jin So-cheong crossed his arms and continued, “The last one is sparring.”

“Sp…sparring?”

I was caught off guard by the sudden declaration. I thought that learning mental techniques first meant less physical movement. Sparring with instructor Jin So-cheong seemed like a surefire way to get beaten up, filling me with dread.

But Jin So-cheong calmly said, “Your [Six Harmonies Sword Technique] contains an intense killing intent. It has the sharpness as if it has been honed through real combat. However, that ultimately includes an undisciplined, reckless nature, typical of street fights. As you progress toward higher levels, this will become a fatal flaw.”

“……”

Jin So-cheong spoke evasively, but because I caught on to what he was pointing out, my face turned red-hot.

That’s right.

The [Six Harmonies Sword Technique] that I trained in as a courier is essentially for street fights and intended to fatally stab the enemy.

When low-level couriers and bandits entangle in sword fights, it’s inevitable that they’ll scuffle and even resort to fisticuffs or kicks. If a vulnerability appears, they’d throw dirt or sand to blind their opponent and stab them with a knife. There is no room for fair play in these fights. After years of such street fights, I found it difficult to properly maintain distance from the opponent.

Jin So-cheong spoke sternly,

“Do you know why a high-level martial artist  is called a ‘master’ (go-su)? It’s because they have high-level techniques. When fighting properly, one should not allow even a single opening to someone inferior. Gradually elevate your skills and engage in meticulous spacing and timing. I’ve decided to personally guide you because I hope you become a master.”

“……”

“But keep this in mind. I will spar with you continuously for a month to correct your habits. However, if it doesn’t go well…”

I gulped.

Jin So-cheong’s eyes shone sharply.

“I will take back the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique] from you and cast you out. It would be too wasteful to give it to someone who can’t become a master.”

“……!!”

It was only then that I realized Jin So-cheong was not to be taken lightly.

He had calculatedly accepted me!

Upon realizing that I had the inner energy of [Three Talents Mental Method], he plotted to cultivate me as a future disciple. However, if the bad habits of [Six Harmonies Sword Technique] interfered, he was prepared to nullify my inner energy and expel me. The secret of the breathing technique was as valuable as the life of the sect.

Still unconvinced, I spoke, “Can’t I remain as a disciple even if I can’t become a master? It seems excessive to expel me. Besides, aren’t other disciples, including those from other branches, also learning the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique]?”

“What they are learning is not the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique].”

“What?”

“It’s the basic version of the breathing method [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique], called [Pure Cloud Mental Method]. Only a few with exceptional talent receive the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique] after becoming upper-tier disciples.”

“……”

I realized I had been misunderstanding something.

‘So, the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique] is truly the ultimate technique of Azure Dragon Martial Hall. Only the headmaster, the chief instructor in front of me, and two other instructors have mastered it.’

While the martial hall is gathering disciples for power expansion and financial gain, they carefully didn’t pass on the ultimate technique but gave them a lesser version, the [Pure Cloud Mental Method], as a compromise. There might be individuals who train for decades in Azure Dragon Martial Hall but have skills no different from that of a courier.

I organized my thoughts and spoke calmly, “So, you’re teaching me the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique] instead of the [Pure Cloud Mental Method] because it’s easier to integrate the inner energy of the [Three Talents Heart Method] in higher-level techniques?”

“Exactly. Disciples learning [Pure Cloud Mental Method] go through a similar process. The [Pure Cloud Mental Method] is easier to absorb as it has similarities to the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique] and the [Heavenly Circulation Method].”

“But why give me just one month? Why hurry when I could improve over the years?”

When I strongly protested, Jin So-cheong’s expression mysteriously changed, and then he burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha! You’re an interesting fellow. Talking with you feels like conversing with an old, experienced man rather than a child.”

“……”

“That’s because, if you can’t correct yourself even after hundreds of spars with me, you were never a rare ‘talent’ to begin with.”

If I’m not talented, then he wouldn’t bother teaching. 

It meant that he was dealing with me based on thorough calculations.

Swish—

Jin So-cheong turned his head as if there was nothing more to say and began to prepare for training.

A few moments later, I understood what he meant.

For about two two hours, instructor Jin So-cheong taught me the inner methods and the cultivation practices of [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique]. Afterward, he immediately began to spar with me. To call it sparring would be too gracious; whenever I deployed my [Six Harmonies Sword Techniques], he would approach my weak spots and violently strike me with his wooden sword as if assaulting me.

*Paak!*

“Keurgh.”

A dizzying sensation washed over me as my thigh was harshly struck. A sharp, intense pain surged up from my lower body, as if I had been beaten with a blunt object. As I staggered, Jin So-cheong’s stern voice rang out.

“Are you not focused? Where did you learn such sloppy moves? Do you think by recklessly lunging in you can luckily stab your opponent’s neck?”

Wham!

“Eurgh!”

I flew a full yard due to Jin So-cheong’s kick. I felt as though my chest had burst, and my breath was constricted. The amazing thing was that despite being hit this hard, my consciousness was barely hanging on. It wasn’t due to my willpower but Jin So-cheong’s control over his strength. He was hitting me as painfully as possible within my limits of staying conscious.

“Cough… cough…”

“Don’t underestimate martial arts. True experts will never tolerate such obvious weaknesses! The chances of winning through sheer luck are nonexistent. Absolutely!”

Crash!

Thud!

Bang!

I was beaten until my consciousness became hazy. I counted roughly a hundred hits, but after that, I lost track. I lay sprawled in a corner of the training ground, but a sarcastic laugh escaped my lips.

Despite being beaten this hard, there was no internal bleeding, and I had relatively few bruises.

Jin So-cheong was a man skilled in beating people up.

With a slight smile, he rested his wooden sword on his shoulder.

“You do have some perseverance. I’ll do my best to correct your habits. Train your energy for two hours like today and then we spar.”

I wish he would just beat me to death instead.

That day, as I was limping back to my lodgings after being thoroughly beaten by Jin So-cheong,

“Euk!”

Suddenly, a hand shot out from between the buildings and grabbed my collar. I was pulled into a narrow alley where three boys were already standing.

‘Mid-tier disciples?’

Seeing the two threads embroidered on their uniforms, I could tell. One of them, with protruding cheekbones, jeered.

“So you’re the one getting personal guidance from the chief instructor?”

Seeing the blood trickling from my lips, one of them sneered.

“Look at this guy, he’s already been beaten to a pulp.”

“Must’ve been the chief instructor, right?”

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They laughed at my battered appearance. It seemed they had been waiting to take care of me, but finding me already beaten, they were at a loss.

I stared back at them, still being held by the collar, and said, “I don’t have time for this, seniors. I need to go eat and rest.”

“Does this kid not understand the situation?”

“What situation?”

“The situation where you’re gonna get beaten…!!”

A fist flew at me swiftly. Perhaps because of at least two years of training, the punch was much faster than those from untrained individuals. But compared to Jin So-cheong’s wooden sword strikes, I could see it clearly even with my swollen eyes.

“Is that so?”

So, I dodged it effortlessly and kneed the guy who was holding my collar right in his vital point.

Thump

“Kkooeok…”

As one of them staggered back, I emotionlessly charged at the remaining two. Upon my counterattack, they spat out curses and began to lash out with punches and kicks infused with their qi. It’s difficult to dodge both punches and kicks in such a narrow alley.

Smack

“Ah, this bastard…”

However, when I covered my head and ducked, no significant blows landed. These guys seemed inexperienced in fights like this. They were flustered when I blocked their attacks with my forearm. I took that opportunity to forcefully grab their collars, messing up their stances, and delivered a punch to their faces. They hit the ground after receiving a punch filled with force, making a dull sound.

Both of them fell almost simultaneously. I glanced down at my so-called ‘seniors’ and muttered, “Idiots. Did you think I was some kind of pampered young master?”

I had been living as a servant and survived by scraping the bottom of couriers, constantly fighting against bandits.

I am familiar with back-alley brawls, to say nothing of life-or-death fights, as well as marching through rivers, swamps, and forests, and ambushing enemies. Surviving as a courier was never easy.

‘Well, Jin So-cheong is probably trying to fix my habits since I’ve acquired such skills,’ I thought bitterly.

In any case, unless gangs of ten attack me, there won’t be any problems. For the remaining month, I decided to master the [Thunder Dragon Breath Technique] and change my ways as Jin So-cheong wants me to.

Even after a round of fighting, when I ate calmly in the restaurant, some disciples distanced themselves from me.

After about three days, I started feeling more flexible. Specifically, the unconscious habits ingrained in my body began to reflexively change. I strove to change myself while continuously getting beaten by Jin So-cheong.

***

“Ugh!”

“Damn you! Kill him!”

Thump

“Idiots, do you think I’ll die? Hahaha!”

I knocked down the guy at the front with a kick and laughed.

I continued to fight with the hall’s disciples. Bang-il, the fat guy, seemed to have no intention of protecting me. He turned a blind eye to my fights with the disciples in the back alleys. Of course, I never lost in those brawls.

And after a month—

“…”

I sat face-to-face with Jin So-cheong in the training hall since morning.

Jin So-cheong finally spoke after a while.

“You’ve passed.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It seems like you’ve corrected your habits sufficiently.”

I grinned with my swollen face from all the beating.

“Great.”

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll train in a different way. Go home early today, treat your injuries and rest.”

“Yes.”

I’ve finally taken one step forward.

Strangely, nobody picked a fight with me while I ate at the restaurant after returning to my quarters that day.

Although the fact made me slightly uncomfortable, I lay down quietly to rest and recover my stamina. Starting tomorrow, I will formally begin learning elite martial arts.

Around that time, Jin So-cheong, the chief instructor, headed to ‘Reclining Dragon Hall’, the building located in the deepest part of the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. The Threefold Expert Lee Gwang, the headmaster of the academy, lived there. Since it was the headmaster’s personal space, no one was allowed entry except Jin So-cheong, who was his direct disciple and like a son to him.

“Headmaster, disciple Jin So-cheong has arrived.’]”

“Come in.”

Creak—

As Jin So-cheong opened the door and entered, a middle-aged man with a graceful appearance was fiddling with a teacup on the table. He didn’t look particularly imposing and seemed like an ordinary scholar at first glance, but in fact, he was none other than Lee Gwang, the Threefold Expert, a top-tier martial artist counted among the five best in the region.

Upon seeing his beloved disciple, Jin So-cheong, Lee Gwang immediately asked, “How did that kid Baek-woong fare in the test?”

“To be honest, his martial talents are not particularly exceptional. The level of his inner energy is so average that it makes me wonder how he accumulated it.”

Lee Gwang seemed a bit surprised and asked, “Then, did you dismiss him for his lack of martial skills?”

“No, he corrected some of his bad habits ingrained in his body. I decided to withhold judgment for now.”

“Hmm… he has low enlightenment but is full of impure qi. He has the disposition of the evil faction,” Lee Gwang muttered discontentedly.

Cases like Baek-woong who weren’t particularly special. They weren’t exceptional in martial arts but made up for it with their natural malice. These types often succeeded in evil sects. But as Lee Gwang was a former instructor of the imperial guard and a martial artist of the righteous school, he was hesitant to nurture such a talent.

Jin So-cheong said, “But if trained properly, he can surely reach the level of the late-stage masters of the Nine Sects—One Nation. It will be entirely possible if all his inner energy is refined.”

Lee Gwang nodded.

“Alright, if you say so, it must be true. Let’s focus on nurturing that kid Baek-woong from now on.”

“Yes, Master.”

“And stop manipulating the young ones covertly.”

!!!!

Jin So-cheong was surprised.

“You knew?”

“In any case, a guy like that won’t break easily because he’s filled with impure qi. You might end up poking the snake’s head by unnecessarily testing his resilience.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Then go.”

“Yes.”

Creak—

As Jin So-cheong left, he wore a complex expression.

‘Did I get it wrong?’

In fact, it wasn’t a coincidence that Baek-woong got into fights with the disciples after training with Jin So-cheong. Jin So-cheong had secretly ordered a few disciples to provoke him. He thought that by stirring up Baek-woong’s impure qi, the kid would focus more on his training.

In the end, Baek-woong passed Jin So-cheong’s test. However, not only did the headmaster know all about Jin So-cheong’s scheme, he pointed out that it was pointless. In essence, Jin So-cheong was doing nothing but unnecessarily stimulating Baek-woong.

In other words, Headmaster Lee Gwang understood Baek-woong’s nature far better than Jin So-cheong. And surprisingly, he held a high opinion of Baek-woong. Jin So-cheong felt a strange sense of curiosity and smiled.

“Good, Baek-woong. Let’s see how much you can learn at Azure Dragon Martial Hall.”