Boom… Boom!

Early morning, with the crisp dawn air filling the training hall.

In the massive training hall, big enough to accommodate dozens of people, the sound of loud crashes echoed, sending vibrations through the floor.

The faces of the observing disciples were filled with fear as they watched the center of the noise.

“Urgh!”

The reason for their fear was likely the sight of Pae Woo-cheol rolling on the floor, groaning as if his throat had been slit like a pig’s.

Thud!

Pae Woo-cheol's massive body hit the ground with a heavy thud, rolling over repeatedly. His size was no joke—every time he rolled, dust filled the air.

But it wasn’t just the dust.

The reason the disciples were watching in stunned silence was also due to the intense amount of nae-gi that had filled the room, practically reaching the ceiling.

Though Pae Woo-cheol, lying on the floor, was trying desperately to prop himself up, what greeted him was a hand.

A palm flew toward Pae Woo-cheol’s forehead as he struggled to stand, grabbing it and pushing him back down, collapsing him again.

“Ugh!”

It was a simple motion. Not even an effortful one at that.

Yet, it easily sent Pae Woo-cheol crashing back to the floor.

“If you’re going to lose your balance when standing up, you might as well stay down, idiot.”

Finally, Pae Woo-cheol laid spread out on the stone floor, panting for breath. It seemed his stamina had reached its limit.

“Hah… Hah…”

“At first, you seemed like you had some calculation going on, but halfway through, you just started charging in blindly. You should’ve just asked me to hit you. For a guy built like a mountain, your body’s as soft as tofu.”

The rough tone of the words was merciless. Even those eavesdropping winced at the sharp rebuke.

There probably wasn’t anyone in Sinryong Hall who could berate Pae Woo-cheol—known for his infamous temper—like this.

And even if there were someone…

None would be as terrifying as the person currently tearing into Pae Woo-cheol.

“T-That Pae Woo-cheol… tossed around like a child…”

“He tore through his Bantan Gong with his bare hands... Is that even possible?”

The disciples watching were shocked. And it was no wonder, as the person who had been playing with Pae Woo-cheol like a toy was half his size, at most.

In terms of age, the one throwing Pae Woo-cheol around was one of the younger martial artists in Sinryong Hall.

Of course, despite his youth, his talent and martial prowess were well-known.

Someone muttered quietly from the sidelines.

“…Jinryong rips people apart.”

At those quiet words, others were about to nod in agreement.

“Do I rip people apart, you idiots!?”

“Hiiik!”

Jinryong’s ears must have been sharp enough to hear, as he immediately shouted in their direction.

As the disciples scrambled to get out of his way, Jinryong let out a deep sigh.

“…This is exactly why I avoid the training hall.”

Especially on days without group training.

From a martial artist’s perspective, when there was no group training, most people would visit the training hall for individual practice.

On such days, it was usually packed.

And dealing with this big lump of flesh made it all the more troublesome.

Scratching his head as he looked at Pae Woo-cheol gasping for air, he thought to himself:

‘I suppose he’s better than that one.’

At least Pae Woo-cheol had some grit. He was far better off than the guy lying unconscious in the corner.

The one passed out and completely immobile was none other than Gu Jeol-yeop.

“Ha…”

Standing awkwardly in front of Gu Jeol-yeop was someone who couldn’t stop laughing uncomfortably.

The reason the other disciples were glancing in our direction might partly be because of me, but this time, the attention was probably more due to him.

The one smiling awkwardly at Gu Jeol-yeop was...

The first genius of Hwasan, and the one who had claimed the title of Sword Dragon, surpassing even Namgung and Wudang.

It was Yeongpung, the Sword Dragon.

Yeongpung looked perplexed as he gazed at Gu Jeol-yeop, then turned toward me and asked,

“…What should we do with him, Gu Sohyeop?”

“What do you mean, what? Just leave him there. Ah, I’m so embarrassed I can’t even show my face around here.”

It was humiliating to be associated with him as a fellow member of the Gu family.

‘I asked him to fight properly, and he got knocked out with a single hit…!’

The reason Gu Jeol-yeop was lying there in such a pitiful state was because he had been knocked out with a single blow during a spar with Yeongpung.

That’s right, a single blow.

He couldn’t even withstand one hit.

“Sigh…”

Watching his pathetic figure made me rub my face in frustration.

Yeongpung was indeed a rare genius of the current era, but still...

It wasn’t as if Gu Jeol-yeop should’ve been so easily knocked out with a single blow.

I had trained that bastard so hard, there was no way he should’ve gone down so quickly.

“Haha… It seems he was… rather nervous.”

“…Even now, you’re sugarcoating it. You’re too generous, Dojang.”

“There’s always a reason, isn’t there?”

“There’s no reason for losing. If you lose, it’s because you were weak.”

If you lose in battle and try to explain why, your head will already be gone before you get the chance.

“Sigh.”

I felt bad for Yeongpung.

He had come to me looking for a sparring partner, and I’d handed him Gu Jeol-yeop instead.

“I’m sorry, Yeongpung Dojang.”

“No need to apologize. This, too, is an experience.”

Yeongpung’s previous arrogance was long gone.

He still had the pride and competitive spirit essential for a martial artist, but the excessive arrogance that had come with his talent and martial prowess had vanished.

‘…His mind and body are perfectly in sync.’

As his mental state stabilized, the rigorous training of Hwasan, which could be described as harsh, caused his talent to bloom.

The Yeongpung I had known before was now far more advanced.

On the verge of reaching Jeoljeong, the peak of mastery, Yeongpung was just a step away from perfection.

‘He’s so different from my previous life.’

Though I didn’t know Yeongpung well in my past life, I had heard that he had wandered for a long time after reaching the pinnacle of his power.

Remembering that made me feel a bit bitter.

‘I only gave him a little nudge.’

Feeling guilty toward Hwasan and disliking how flashy he was, I had given him a beating.

But that was all it took for Yeongpung to shed his old self and break through.

Meanwhile, some of us had to endure far more grueling struggles.

If Yeongpung continued to grow at this pace and survived the era of Bloodshed, I was sure he’d be the next Sword King.

The Plum Blossom Sword King? Something like that.

‘I had been hoping for Muyeon…’

Though not yet known to the world, I knew that once Muyeon stepped forward as a martial artist instead of a bodyguard, he would make a name for himself quickly.

‘He’s one of the few people I trust.’

I didn’t fully trust him, but out of all the people from my previous life, Muyeon was the one I relied on the most.

Gu Jeol-yeop had gradually earned a place in that circle as well, but seeing him now, maybe I should reconsider.

“…What a mess.”

I had been so busy with my duties since entering the hall that I had neglected him, and this was the result.

“Woo-cheol.”

“Yes… yes, hyung-nim…”

Pae Woo-cheol answered weakly at my call. He still hadn’t fully caught his breath.

“Take him and put him away.”

“Uh… Should I just dump him somewhere nearby?”

“Put him in a room if possible. Leaving him on the floor would be a bit much.”

“Understood.”

Pae Woo-cheol responded somewhat reluctantly.

Why did this guy always get so competitive with that idiot?

I really couldn’t figure it out.

Since training was nearly over, I got up to leave.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes.”

“…That’s unfortunate. I was looking forward to training with you again.”

Yeongpung’s words made me frown slightly.

I had no memories of training with him ever being enjoyable…

Even back when I visited Hwasan, I had thought the same thing.

The people obsessed with plum blossoms in Hwasan were all crazy.

“Next time, we’ll spar together. I’ll remember.”

“Oh… really?”

I said it like you might say, “Let’s grab a meal together sometime,” but Yeongpung’s eyes lit up when he heard it.

…It seems I’d made a mistake.

“Well… um…”

“I’ll definitely remember.”

“…Yes, sure.”

It was too late to take back the words once they were out of my mouth.

Yeongpung grinned like a child, clearly excited.

‘Why is he so happy about that?’

He was likely getting beaten to death in Hwasan’s training, and from what I could see, he wasn’t even on bad terms with his seniors anymore.

While I pondered this, Yeongpung suddenly spoke, smiling at me.

“It seems my seniors dislike training. Every time we get into it, they disappear halfway through, so I’ve been feeling a bit lonely.”

"…"

Hearing that, I nodded slightly to myself.

‘Ah, I see... they all couldn’t keep up and bailed halfway through.’

It wasn’t that the Hwasan sect members were strange.

Now that I thought about it, maybe Yeongpung was the odd one.

My perception of him was shifting.

Just then—

“Hm?”

Yeongpung, who had been smiling at me, suddenly tilted his head.

His gaze landed on my arm.

“…Uh…?”

He stared at my left arm as if something felt off.

“What is it?”

I asked, pretending I didn’t know what he was talking about. Yeongpung, realizing his rudeness, stepped back.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I apologize. I just sensed a familiar energy, that’s all.”

“No worries. I have some things to take care of, so I’ll be going now.”

Leaving Yeongpung behind, I exited the training hall.

Pae Woo-cheol would take care of the rest.

As I left the hall, I heard the collective sigh of the other disciples from behind me.

They’re treating me like a monster.

I was used to those stares from my past life, so it didn’t bother me.

The real issue was Yeongpung’s gaze earlier.

‘…Did he notice?’

He had definitely been looking at my left arm.

Thinking about it, I rolled up my sleeve slightly.

“…Ugh.”

There it was, my forearm wrapped in a light pink bandage.

Yeongpung must have been drawn to the energy coming from here.

Though I had done my best to conceal it, it seemed that hiding it from a Hwasan martial artist was no easy feat.

‘What am I going to do with this troublesome thing?’

Sigh.

I let out a deep sigh, recalling the events of the previous day.

This was likely the item that Noya had used my body to grab in the bigo.

And thanks to the power within it, I had been saved.

Based on how Shin Noya had used it, and how both Geomhu and Yeongpung had reacted to it, this was clearly a relic of Hwasan.

That much was fine.

This thing proved that the bigo hadn’t been a mere illusion, and it had saved my life.

But the problem was…

‘Why won’t it come off?’

No matter what I did, I couldn’t get the relic off my body.

‘It’s driving me crazy…’

I had tried to carefully unravel it, tried using my nae-gi to release it, and had even hit my arm out of frustration.

‘It’s probably bruised by now.’

I had hit it pretty hard in my frustration, so much so that I had difficulty moving it the next day.

But no matter what I tried, the bandage wouldn’t come off.

Why the hell won’t it come off?

It was so inconvenient when I had to wash up, and it was embarrassing to show anyone.

When I showed it to Geomhu, she had been deep in thought for a while.

Since it was a relic of Hwasan, she had suggested asking Maehwasun about it.

At the same time, I had also informed her that I hadn’t found the Plum Blossom Stone.

Geomhu had asked if the thing wrapped around my arm might be the Plum Blossom Stone, but looking at it now, how could this possibly be a stone?

‘Although it did feel like a stone when I first grabbed it…’

At first, it had felt like I was holding a smooth gemstone.

How it had turned into this mess was beyond me.

Geomhu said she would ask Maehwasun about it, but who knew how long that would take?

I knew someone who could give me a faster and better explanation.

“So please, just tell me already.”

But even as I begged and pleaded…

There was no response.

The old hero of Hwasan, Shin Noya, who had taken residence inside my body.

That crazy old man had shown up just once, talked to me briefly, and then disappeared again without a trace.

‘…I’m losing my mind.’

What was I supposed to do?

He clearly knew what this thing was.

Was he playing with me? Appearing and disappearing at random—what the hell was he doing?

“Nothing’s going right…”

I wanted to finish all the tasks I could before the Murim Alliance launched their investigation into the bigo at Sinryong Hall, but nothing was going as planned.

I had plenty of other things to worry about.

‘What was the next thing on the schedule? Practical training?’

I recalled the upcoming schedule at Sinryong Hall. It seemed like we had some practical training based on everything we had learned so far.

Apparently, it was something like that.

But in any case…

‘Now should be about the time that bastard starts moving.’

If there was one thing I was almost certain of, it was that Jang Seon-yeon would make his move soon.

If I were in his shoes, this practical training would be the perfect opportunity to pull something off.

Conversely, it was also a great chance for me to make my move against him.

He wouldn’t be unaware of that.

‘I literally whispered in his ear. There’s no way he wouldn’t know.’

I had already told him kindly, after all.

That he was going to die here.

There’s no way Jang Seon-yeon wouldn’t know.

And the method he chose to use was likely Cheol Ji-seon.

‘How did he find out about him?’

That was the part I found strange.

Unless he had knowledge from a previous life like me, it didn’t make sense for Jang Seon-yeon to have information about Cheol Ji-seon.

Knowing that Cheol Ji-seon’s surname was Jegal was one thing, but for Jang Seon-yeon to approach him, it was likely because he knew about that ‘power.’

How did he know?

Information from the Alliance?

Though the Beggars’ Sect was aligned with the Alliance, this wasn’t the kind of information they would have access to.

“There must be some kind of backing behind him.”

And it likely wasn’t anything ordinary.

For example…

Those guys I captured with Wi Seol-ah the other day.

‘It must be them.’

If so, Jang Seon-yeon had strayed far from the path of the orthodox sects.

‘Does Nakgeom know?’

Did the sect leader know?

I wanted to find out.

If the entire Murim Alliance was in on this or not.

‘Even if they’re not all in on it…’

It wasn’t like I trusted anyone from the Alliance anyway, so I wasn’t expecting much.

As I thought about it, I whispered quietly to myself.

“This time, I’m not letting it slide.”

Considering the events to come, I had to take care of this most crucial obstacle—Jang Seon-yeon, someone I had wanted to kill no matter what.

From the moment I decided to enter Sinryong Hall alongside him, I had made up my mind.

‘As long as the heavens don’t throw any massive surprises my way.’

I sincerely hoped that would be the case.

But that evening…

I would face something that, while not world-shattering, was definitely an unexpected turn of events.

“…What did you say?”

Just as I was about to take a bite of my meal, someone sitting with me said something strange.

I put my spoon down and asked again, thinking I had misheard.

“What did you just say?”

Cheol Ji-seon, with the same calm expression, repeated the words.

“…The Divine Star asked me to help him kill you.”

It was a sudden and unexpected confession.

For a moment, I was completely dumbfounded.

And for good reason.

‘I already knew that, though…’

It was something I had expected all along.

But what surprised me was that Cheol Ji-seon had said it to my face.