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Chapter 8
After finishing his greetings with each of the twenty-one men remaining in the detached compound, Jo Pungdo looked around the room and spoke.
“Before we begin the first stage of the competition tomorrow, I think we should divide you into groups.”
At his words, the men looked at one another.
Of the twenty-one men, five were closer to scholars, while the remaining sixteen all appeared to be martial artists.
It was obvious that having them compete under exactly the same conditions would be unfair.
“First, we’ll separate those five scholars from the martial artists…. Then among the martial artists, it would be best to divide those below twenty and those over twenty.”
At Jo Pungdo’s words, the Idiot Trio, Bang Judeok of Pilgongmun, and Haegang were grouped together, while the remaining martial artists were divided into groups of ten and six.
‘Was he not even twenty yet?’
Haegang tilted his head slightly as he looked at Bi Sinju, who stood among the young men but still had an unmistakably youthful appearance.
Those placed in the adult group all shifted their gazes as though keeping one another in check.
Then Jo Pungdo nodded toward one side.
—Rattle, rattle.
A servant entered pulling a cart piled high with books.
He placed six books in front of the six martial artists, then moved the cart and distributed the same books among the remaining ten martial artists.
The martial artists looked bewildered.
Jo Pungdo smiled and spoke.
“This is a Yeongseo Chochin, after all. Wouldn’t it be proper to send my daughter to someone who at least knows the Four Books and Two Classics? No matter how much of a martial family we are, I don’t want to hear people calling my son-in-law an ignorant swordsman. Still, I have left out the I Ching from the Three Classics.”
!!
At his words as he handed the scholars’ classics to the martial artists, expressions of dismay crossed the faces of many of them.
A martial artist did not need to know all that many written characters.
When would men who were already busy training in martial arts ever have had time to study the classics of scholars?
Among the martial artists who could not hide their dismay, only Gong Cheonwoo and Bi Sinju calmly picked up the six books.
Soon, a servant carrying the remaining books stopped in front of Haegang and placed one book in front of each of the five scholars.
“I prepared these manuals as a token of my gratitude to you for participating in our Jo Clan’s Yeongseo Chochin, so please accept them. If I were to test you on the classics, it would be obvious that those of you who have studied literature all your lives would outperform me. What meaning would there be in that? So I prepared one of our Jo Clan’s claw techniques instead. It would be absurd for a martial family to have a son-in-law who doesn’t know martial arts.”
Seeing the words Maenggeumjo written on the cover of the manual, Haegang inwardly curled one corner of his mouth upward.
The other four men exchanged awkward glances.
The idea of testing scholars with martial arts and martial artists with classical texts was certainly amusing.
Having thrown the challengers into confusion from the very first day of the Chochin, Jo Pungdo left them with one final remark before disappearing from the compound.
“Then, I shall see you all in fifteen days.”
Fifteen days.
It was absurdly short to study the Four Books and the Two Classics, excluding the I Ching.
Likewise, even though Maenggeumjo was merely an introductory martial art, fifteen days was barely enough time to learn it, considering that mastering it required not only learning the forms but also training the body.
Yet Jo Pungdo had said he expected to see results in merely fifteen days.
‘He never intended to accept anyone who wasn’t prepared in the first place.’
Haegang immediately understood Jo Pungdo’s intention.
Showing meaningful progress in either literature or martial arts in only fifteen days was absurd.
Unless someone had been born with heaven-given talent, it was an impossible task.
The fact that Jo Pungdo had assigned such a task and then left with such light footsteps meant that he had no intention of allowing anyone who was not already prepared to remain.
Haegang raised one corner of his mouth and looked toward Gong Cheonwoo, who was carrying the six books under one arm.
‘Perhaps….’
But Haegang soon shook his head, casting the thought that had arisen in his mind aside.
“Then, those on this side, please follow me.”
“Everyone here, please follow me.”
“I’ll guide the scholars.”
Before they knew it, three middle-aged men had appeared and began guiding the three groups in different directions, dispersing throughout the complicated Jo Clan manor.
“Then, I’ll see you again in fifteen days.”
Haegang nodded at Bi Sinju, who waved his hand.
Bi Sinju responded with a friendly smile.
‘If it hadn’t been for him….’
If Bi Sinju, who had been sitting beside him, had not helped, Haegang was certain he would not have been able to break free from the martial artist who had tried to drag him out.
If that man had driven him away, would Jo Pungdo really have allowed Haegang to keep his place?
Haegang shook his head and continued walking.
While Haegang was moving to another detached compound under the guidance of the middle-aged man, the sun had already set.
Thick black clouds had gathered across the night sky, preventing even starlight or moonlight from breaking through.
In the pitch-black night, men with their faces covered and weapons in hand gathered around Haegang’s shabby home, where his grandmother was alone.
“That poor neighborhood is so damned impoverished, yet it produced a Haeweon. So the Imperial Palace really did send him treasures?”
“I’m certain of it. And not just ordinary treasures. I heard the Empress Dowager personally sent a whole bundle of jewelry.”
“Either way, Baek Clan’s youngest son has been getting on my nerves with all his whining, so we might as well quietly bury everyone while we have the chance.”
“It would have been better if Brother Byeok had simply handled the job cleanly in the first place….”
The man let his words trail off while carefully watching the expression of the man who appeared to be their leader.
“Why even bring up that damned idiot? He came back after getting stabbed by a brat, and what? He’s going back to his hometown to farm? What an idiot. No wonder things don’t go smoothly when you’ve got someone like that working under you.”
The man from the Byeok family who had recently taken a job at the request of Baek Clan’s youngest son had been with this organization for a long time.
He was a troubleshooter who had crossed countless dangerous mountains and earned the leader’s greatest trust within the organization.
Yet that man had accepted a job to break a child’s leg and ended up crippled.
As if that weren’t enough, he abandoned the organization he had devoted his life to and returned to his hometown.
Simply remembering it made the leader so irritated that he spewed curses and insults at the man.
“There! That’s the run-down thatched house.”
Before the leader could finish venting his anger, one of his subordinates pointed it out.
The leader immediately closed his mouth, murderous intent gathering in his eyes.
“We’ll finish this as quietly as possible and leave. Don’t let even a single scream escape….”
As he warned his subordinates, he prepared to climb over the low wicker fence, which only reached chest height.
Then the man suddenly felt a chill and turned around.
Not only he, but all five of his subordinates turned their heads at the same time.
“Tsk, tsk. Men who make their living in the Black Path are so slow to gather information that you’ll never die a natural death.”
“Wh-what? The Hyeoljoga… Why…”
They knew that the only person living in this collapsing house had become the Haeweon of the Hyangsi at such a young age.
But no matter how much they thought about it, they could not understand why a warrior of the Hyeoljoga was here.
“Can’t you see that over there? That flag was planted this morning.”
A martial artist quietly appeared from the darkness.
He reached toward the corner of the thatched house and lit a lamp.
“T-that…”
The flag hanging from the pole planted in the ground unmistakably bore the emblem of the Hyeoljoga.
“Tsk, tsk. You still didn’t know about something planted there this morning…”
“Gah!”
Another man suddenly appeared in front of the fence and clicked his tongue.
One of the men who had already placed a leg over the fence was startled and fell backward.
“I-I-I didn’t know! Yes! I truly didn’t know! We haven’t done anything yet, so… please just let us leave…”
“You think we’re going to let you go? You came into Hyeoljoga territory in the middle of the night with your faces covered and weapons drawn, while leaking killing intent everywhere.”
“I really didn’t know! Just once…”
The man’s words never reached the end.
Cold, sharp metal pressed against his throat, cutting off the rest of his words.
“Be quiet. The elder is sleeping inside.”
The martial artist held the man’s throat with a sharp Geumjo, resembling a claw worn over his finger, and quietly whispered into his ear.
The man could only nod silently.
Only then did he realize that the man from the Byeok family who had left for his hometown earlier had not been wrong.
He should have listened more carefully to what that man had said.
After that unusually dark night, the Heukho Bang, which had been somewhat notorious throughout Piljeol, disappeared as though it had never existed.
The Heukho Bang had been infamous for doing anything for money, from contracted assaults to robbery, while maintaining connections with various gisaeng houses and taverns.
Rumors spread wildly about its sudden disappearance overnight, but no one knew the truth behind what had happened.
The detached compound Haegang was assigned after following the middle-aged man was not particularly impressive.
It had three small rooms and a bare courtyard.
“For the next fifteen days, you will live here, and you will not be permitted to leave. This is the Jo Clan’s policy, so even if it is inconvenient, I ask that everyone follow it.”
Bang Judeok and the Idiot Trio could not hide their displeased expressions at the middle-aged man’s words, but Haegang simply nodded.
‘Geum Sain. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him like this, in his younger days.’
The middle-aged man who had guided them here was Geum Sain, an instructor who had taught the warriors of the Hyeoljoga for many years.
He had devoted his entire life to training the warriors of the Hyeoljoga and would eventually remain with the clan until his hair turned completely white, dying as an instructor of its warriors.
Because of this, he possessed a deep understanding of claw techniques and, in particular, had become extremely experienced at teaching people.
‘If this man has been sent here….’
Haegang realized that Geum Sain would be the one teaching them the introductory martial art, Maenggeumjo, for the next fifteen days.
No matter how basic the martial art was, there was no way they would simply throw a manual to scholars who had probably never properly practiced even basic health cultivation, except for Bang Judeok, and tell them to train on their own.
“It’s late today, so please go to bed early. Starting tomorrow, we will practice the introductory martial art for one shijin during Myosi and one shijin during Misi, dividing the training between morning and afternoon.”
“Was Maenggeumjo the introductory martial art of the Hyeoljoga?”
Bang Judeok asked with a disappointed expression.
Geum Sain nodded.
Bang Judeok looked quite disappointed upon learning that the manual they had received was merely an introductory martial art.
“Are we supposed to learn it ourselves by studying the manual?”
The youngest son of the Seongchan Merchant Company asked worriedly.
Geum Sain shook his head.
“Of course not. I am Geum Sain, the instructor who will be teaching you martial arts for the next fifteen days. From now on, you may call me Instructor Geum. I will be staying here with you all for the next fifteen days.”
And so, Instructor Geum took one of the three small rooms.
The remaining four were forced to share one room, while Haegang was given a room to himself.
“It’s supposed to be a renowned martial family in Piljeol, yet they gave us such a shabby place.”
“I know. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever slept somewhere like this, a place that looks like something servants would use.”
“Who says otherwise? Even the servants in our manor don’t use a place like this.”
At the youngest son of the Seongchan Merchant Company’s words, Bang Judeok shook his head.
“Everyone, lower your voices. Have you forgotten where we are? How can people gathered for a Chochin be so careless with their words in a place inhabited by martial artists who can hear even whispered conversations at night?”
At the mention of martial artists being able to overhear even nighttime conversations, the Idiot Trio immediately covered their mouths with their hands.
“Be careful. Extremely careful. Who knows when, where, or how we’re being evaluated? Martial artists don’t use Transmission of Sound by wasting their internal energy for no reason.”
“Transmission of Sound… You mean that technique where you use internal energy to transmit your voice?”
“That’s right.”
“Have you learned that Transmission of Sound too, Brother Bang?”
“I…. Not yet. How long have I been a beginner? How could I already be capable of using Transmission of Sound, which requires advanced control of internal energy?”
At that, Mo Yeonchan, the youngest son of the Seongchan Merchant Company, spoke.
“Still, Brother Bang is lucky. We’ve spent our entire lives studying books. When would we ever have learned martial arts? Compared to us, you have already practiced martial arts, so you’ll obviously learn the introductory martial art much faster, won’t you?”
Jo Munhak, the son of a former magistrate, nodded at Mo Yeonchan’s words.
“Brother Bang, competition is competition, but shouldn’t we help one another? We have to remain longer than that lowly fellow or those other martial artists.”
Jo Munhak said this while looking toward the room where Haegang was staying.
“Did you really think I’d abandon old friends with whom I studied and instead support some lowly bastard? Whoever becomes the Jo Clan’s son-in-law, it should be one of us. I’m quite talented at martial arts, so I learn quickly. I’ll teach you some tricks, so don’t worry.”
At Bang Judeok’s words, the expressions of the Idiot Trio brightened.
While they were making their own beautiful plans, Haegang changed into the martial uniform Instructor Geum had distributed and went to bed early.
The night in Piljeol, where so many things had happened, passed quickly.
When the sun rose the next morning, Instructor Geum’s voice could be heard early.
“Everyone, get up and come outside within one gak!”
It was only a single shout, but his voice struck their ears with such precision that it immediately drove away their sleep.
Haegang had slept in his martial uniform the previous night, so he simply got out of bed and went outside.
Haegang was the first to emerge.
He stood behind the instructor.
Only much later did the other four slowly begin appearing one by one.
They stood in the courtyard wearing hastily thrown-on martial uniforms, and they certainly did not look prepared to learn anything.
“Then everyone, follow my movements. This is the Bird Claw Conditioning Method, which is essential for learning Maenggeumjo.”
With that, Instructor Geum knelt down and lowered himself into a prone position.
He lifted both palms from the ground and supported his body using all ten fingers.
“First, your goal is to maintain this position for one gak. If you feel that you can continue longer, push your hips upward and place more of your center of gravity on your upper body as you train. The ultimate goal is to lift both knees off the ground and endure for one gak.”
Haegang had already surpassed this stage, but he followed Instructor Geum’s instructions and trained accordingly.
There was no benefit in revealing that he had already learned the Jo Clan’s introductory martial art.
“Ugh….”
“This…. For an entire gak….”
“Uuugh….”
Before even half a gak had passed, groans of complaint came from the Idiot Trio.
At least Bang Judeok quietly continued training, having already entered the path of martial arts.
Not long afterward, the Idiot Trio collapsed.
They raised their trembling fingers and complained.
“I think my fingers are going to break.”
“I can’t put any more strength into my fingers.”
“If we continue like this, we’ll only injure ourselves….”
After their complaints ended, Instructor Geum smiled and demonstrated a horse stance.
“When your fingers become too tired, you can lean your back against the wall and train your lower body like this.”
He pointed toward one of the walls.
The Idiot Trio sighed and trudged over to the wall, where they leaned against it and began practicing the horse stance.
“For the entire shijin in the morning, you will train only your hands and lower body. Then during the afternoon shijin, you will practice the forms. You will train like this for fifteen days, after which your results will be evaluated.”
The Idiot Trio, who were training their bodies for the first time in their lives, soon began trembling in the legs before collapsing onto the ground.
Instructor Geum told them that when they became tired from training their lower bodies, they could lie down and train their hands while resting.
But the Idiot Trio was so exhausted that they did not follow his instructions.
Even so, Instructor Geum did not pressure them any further.
Meanwhile, Haegang and Bang Judeok continued holding the original position.
“Ugh….”
A groan escaped Bang Judeok’s mouth for the first time.
Haegang, however, did not look particularly tired.
Sweating profusely as he endured, Bang Judeok repeatedly glanced at Haegang.
“One gak. Young Masters, stand up and move on to lower-body training.”
If not for those words, Bang Judeok looked as though he might collapse at any moment.
He quickly got to his feet.
Haegang, on the other hand, slowly stood up, shook out his hands, and assumed the horse stance.
Instructor Geum approached him.
“Young Master, have you practiced similar training before?”
“Not particularly…. But I often chop firewood at home and frequently go into the mountains to gather wood, so it wasn’t particularly difficult.”
—Pfft!
—Showing off.
Mocking sneers came from the wall, but neither Haegang nor Instructor Geum paid them any attention.
“It seems chopping wood has trained your forearms and hands. Young Master, you can move on to the training where you lift your knees from the ground and endure for one gak.”
“Yes.”
Before even half a day had passed on the first day of training, Instructor Geum’s gaze toward Haegang had already changed.
Having spent many years training and teaching martial artists, he could immediately see that Haegang’s martial talent was extraordinary compared to the Idiot Trio and the others.
When the morning shijin of training finally ended, all five men were drenched in sweat.
Yet only Haegang and Bang Judeok remained standing without collapsing to the ground.
“The servants should have prepared bathwater in the rear courtyard. Once you finish bathing, food will be brought to your rooms, so rest comfortably until the afternoon training.”
As Instructor Geum finished speaking and prepared to return to his room, Haegang asked him,
“Is it all right if I continue training on my own?”
“If that is more comfortable for you, I have no objection. Just make sure you don’t train so hard that it interferes with the afternoon form training.”
As he looked back at Haegang, Instructor Geum had a smile on his lips that he could not hide.
At his words, Haegang did not go to the rear courtyard.
Instead, he remained behind and continued training alone.
“Tsk. He’s raising his score with those ridiculous tricks.”
Bang Judeok deliberately spoke loudly enough to be heard.
Baek Yeongjun answered him.
“It’s because he’s lowborn. He’s got nothing but those cheap tricks. That’s how he’s managed to attract Miss Yeonhwa’s attention too.”
They continued talking badly about Haegang the entire time they bathed.
But Haegang had no spare attention to listen to them.
He continued training his fingers until they finished bathing.
With Instructor Geum also having returned to his room, Haegang took advantage of the fact that no one was watching and supported his entire weight using only his middle finger, index finger, and thumb.
With a little more training, he felt that he would soon be able to hold a handstand using only three fingers for a full two gak.
Even reaching that level should allow him to put up a decent fight against Bang Judeok, who had studied under Pilgongmun.
‘There is no guarantee that the test will be a spar, though….’
Perhaps Instructor Geum, who had taught them the introductory martial art, would evaluate them every moment and determine whether they passed based on their scores.
Or perhaps they would have to spar against a warrior of the Jo Clan.
But the most likely possibility was a spar between the people who had entered the introductory martial art at the same time.
‘With the Patriarch’s personality, he would certainly do something like that.’
Jo Pungdo was a man who disliked ambiguity and preferred clear conclusions in everything.
Because of that, he would never accept a result unless there was a decisive winner.
With such a personality, Jo Pungdo would surely determine the successful candidate through direct sparring among the five scholars who had begun learning at the same time.
If so, Haegang would have to compete in Maenggeumjo against the four men training alongside him fifteen days later.
The Idiot Trio could be crushed even if Haegang had just woken up from sleep.
But Bang Judeok, who had already been practicing martial arts at Pilgongmun for nearly two years, was a different matter.
He was much older and had a stronger physique, and he had been training for two years.
To fight him, Haegang needed to reach at least the fifth star of Maenggeumjo.
Haegang continued pushing his training until the meal arrived.
When the food finally came, he did not even wash himself.
He simply sat on the wooden floor and quickly ate his meal.
“Tsk, tsk. As expected of a lowly bastard…”
The others made another comment at the sight of Haegang eating while covered in sweat.
But Haegang had no room in his mind to pay attention to their words.
Fill his stomach quickly and train.
That was the only thing he needed to focus on right now.
“Everyone, come outside. It’s time for afternoon training.”
When Instructor Geum called out in the afternoon, the other four slowly crawled outside.
Every one of them looked as though they had slept heavily during the day, their faces swollen with sleep.
After exercising for the first time in their lives, bathing, and eating, it was only natural that drowsiness had overwhelmed them.
But Haegang, who had devoted himself to training until they came outside, was covered in dirt.
“Hoo…”
As Haegang pushed himself up from the ground, his arms trembling, the other four came outside wearing clean martial uniforms and sneered at him.
Once everyone had gathered, Instructor Geum began demonstrating the forms of Maenggeumjo one by one.
—Hwalakgeumcho!
“Oh!”
—This is Geummaeng-A!
“Whoa…”
The Idiot Trio, seeing the forms of a proper martial artist for the first time, could only marvel.
Bang Judeok, meanwhile, compared the actual movements with the manual he had opened in one hand.
After demonstrating all fourteen forms of Maenggeumjo, Instructor Geum began teaching everyone the first form step by step.
“Young Master Mo, bend your knees more and lower your center of gravity…”
“Whoa!”
Thud.
Unable to endure after being told to bend his knees further, Mo Yeonchan collapsed onto the ground.
“…”
“It seems the effects of the morning training are still lingering, and the strength hasn’t returned to my legs yet…”
Mo Yeonchan defended himself awkwardly as Instructor Geum silently looked down at him.
It wasn’t only him.
Except for Bang Judeok, the Idiot Trio were at a level where properly learning the forms was difficult.
They had assumed that claw techniques only required moving their hands.
But every form required their center of gravity to move up and down, naturally placing a great deal of strain on their lower bodies.
It was only natural that their weak lower bodies struggled to keep up.
Haegang and Bang Judeok, on the other hand, were imitating every form quite convincingly.
Instructor Geum shifted his gaze from Bang Judeok to Haegang.
Feeling his gaze, Haegang subtly trembled his legs and pretended to be exhausted.
In reality, after understanding the essence of shifting his center of gravity and training his lower body and hands, practicing the forms was hardly difficult for him.
But there was absolutely no benefit in revealing that.
“Young Master Mun, it would be better not to push yourself too hard. Training does not end today.”
“If I want to achieve something within fifteen days, shouldn’t I train harder and more?”
At those words, Instructor Geum did not try to dissuade him any further.
During the single shijin of form training, Bang Judeok and Haegang memorized all the forms.
The Idiot Trio, however, had only managed to learn half of them.
“Then, we will end the afternoon training here.”
Once the promised single shijin of training ended, Instructor Geum returned to his room.
The Idiot Trio followed him and disappeared as well.
Left alone, Haegang continued practicing the forms and training his body.
He remained in the courtyard until the sun went down.
Only after sunset did Haegang wash himself with the now-cold bathwater and eat his late dinner inside his room.
He spent the next fifteen days exactly the same way, without changing a single day.
He woke early and spent his time training until the sun went down.
The other four did the same.
Aside from the two designated shijin of training each day, they spent almost all their time inside the room chatting or making up for their lack of sleep.
“Whoa. It really is true.”
Following Bang Judeok’s instructions, Mo Yeonchan moved his hand and nodded repeatedly.
“Would I teach you something wrong? Martial arts isn’t something you can achieve through brute force like that idiot. You have to use this.”
He tapped his own head with his index finger.
The Idiot Trio curled their lips.
“Martial arts and literature are the same. You have to learn efficiently. Using your body and time to compensate is an ignorant method only lowly people use.”
After memorizing all the forms over fifteen days and becoming somewhat accustomed to the physical training, the Idiot Trio spent their days learning Bang Judeok’s interpretations and tricks for the forms inside their cramped room.
“If we’re evaluated through a spar…”
Baek Yeongjun trailed off while staring out the window.
Following his gaze, Bang Judeok looked at Haegang outside the narrow window, where he was training his fingers.
Then Bang Judeok spoke.
“Don’t worry. Someone with martial talent like that lowly bastard will be defeated within fifty forms by you once you’ve learned my techniques.”
“If we’re evaluated through sparring, I really hope Miss Yeonhwa comes to watch.”
“Exactly. It would be satisfying to make that lowly bastard collapse covered in blood right in front of her.”
The Idiot Trio continued making plans while dreaming their grand dreams.
And so the final promised day passed.
At last, the day of evaluation arrived.
Even though there was no call from Instructor Geum telling them to come outside around sunrise as usual, Haegang’s eyes snapped open.
He habitually went outside.
“You could have slept in today.”
“I’ve already had plenty of sleep.”
Since there was nothing in particular to do alone in his room, Haegang had always finished his training until he was pleasantly tired and gone to bed early.
“You don’t look tired, but how does your body feel?”
Although he had not observed him continuously, over the past fifteen days Instructor Geum had seen Haegang waste not a single moment.
They say that seeing one thing allows you to know ten.
If Haegang could already do more than a hundred push-ups using five fingers after only fifteen days, he had more than enough ability to move on to the next stage of training.
Accomplishing this much in only fifteen days was impossible for an ordinary martial talent.
Of course, because of the Patriarch’s intentions behind giving them only a partial manual, Instructor Geum had not taught them the next stage of training.
Even so, based on what he had seen, Haegang had undoubtedly reached at least the fifth star of Maenggeumjo.
“I feel full of energy. It seems the fifteen days of training weren’t wasted.”
Haegang answered with a vigorous expression, as though to prove that Instructor Geum’s concern—that he might have overtrained and injured himself or exhausted his strength before this important day—had been unnecessary.
“Then…. Everyone, follow me.”
The other four glanced at Instructor Geum, who seemed unusually friendly toward Haegang, before quickly following behind him.
They hurried along as though they were sick of this narrow, shabby place.
As they walked through the complicated manor for quite some time, the four stayed close together and talked nonstop.
Haegang, however, kept his mouth firmly shut and examined his surroundings.
‘It looks like we’re going to Cheongryongjang.’
Cheongryongjang was one of the four training grounds of the Jo Clan.
Located on the eastern side of the estate, it was mainly used by warriors who trained individually.
The training ground itself was not particularly large, but walls and structures had been arranged according to formations, allowing cool breezes to pass through.
Except during winter, it was an excellent place for training.
Just as Haegang expected, Instructor Geum opened the gate engraved with a Blue Dragon and entered.
As they entered the relatively small training ground, familiar faces came into view.
Jo Pungdo, the Patriarch, two elders, and Yeonhwa were all gathered there.
Haegang’s heart began beating faster.
Yeonhwa recognized Haegang among those entering and smiled brightly.
She desperately restrained herself from waving her hand to acknowledge him.
Yet the excitement in her heart was so obvious that Haegang could feel it completely.
Without realizing it, the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s finish this quickly. Instructor Geum.”
At Jo Pungdo’s words, Instructor Geum took five neatly folded sheets of paper from inside his robe and held them out.
The Idiot Trio’s brows furrowed.
With their number now increased to four, they were apparently not stupid enough to fail to realize that those papers were the evaluations Instructor Geum had written after teaching and observing them for fifteen days.
There had been rules during the training period, but they had not been mandatory.
As the time they had spent doing only the required amount of training flashed through their minds, their expressions became anxious.
In a situation where Haegang, who had clearly worked hard to impress a mere instructor, was certain to receive a high score, Jo Munhak hurriedly spoke.
“Did Instructor Geum evaluate us over the past fifteen days?”
Jo Pungdo shifted his gaze from the paper he had begun unfolding and nodded.
“Who else could evaluate your martial talent more accurately than Instructor Geum, who taught you right beside you? Isn’t that obvious?”
Jo Munhak, who had somehow failed to consider the obvious, hurriedly protested.
“That evaluation cannot be fair!”
At his words, Instructor Geum’s face, which had not shown emotion until now, twisted.
