Chapter 3

Tianmu Academy?

I knew that it was an academy under the Murim Alliance that taught martial arts.

It was said that getting admitted was difficult, but graduating was even harder.

Apparently, if you graduated from Tianmu Academy, you were practically guaranteed a bright future within the Murim Alliance.

“I’ve heard of it… But as far as I know, none of the palace guards from the Northern Sea have ever attended an academy, right?”

For a long time, the Northern Sea Ice Palace had been cut off from the martial world of the Central Plains.

But perhaps because he was trying to find spiritual medicine for me, my father had increased his contact with the Central Plains over the past seven years.

He even personally visited the Murim Alliance from time to time.

However, since no student from the Ice Palace had actually attended Tianmu Academy, I didn’t know much about it.

“That’s right. If you go, you’ll be the first.”

My father nodded seriously.

What did he mean?

Why was he suddenly talking about an academy?

Of course, I had been the one who jumped to the conclusion that he was talking about marriage and scared myself.

But the subject had suddenly changed from my constitution to an academy, and I couldn’t figure out where he was going with this.

“Is there something special about the academy? If I get good grades, will they give me some good spiritual medicine?”

“Of course! Absolutely!”

…Huh?

They really gave spiritual medicine at the academy?

I had only said it casually, but my father clapped his hands and smiled brightly.

Come to think of it, when I had asked merchants from the Central Plains about spiritual medicine, I remembered hearing the name Tianmu Academy.

Apparently, the Small Heaven Pill, which was frequently given to students there, was said to be no worse than Shaolin Temple’s Small Return Pill.

‘Do they even have spiritual medicine with strong yang energy?’

All I had heard were vague rumors.

But if my father, who had attended meetings of the Murim Alliance and personally met many powerful martial artists and instructors from the academy, was recommending that I go there…

There must be something worthwhile.

“And it’s not just spiritual medicine. Three of the Ten Supreme Masters Under Heaven are instructors there. You’ll be able to experience all kinds of martial arts.”

“Oh…”

My father continued explaining Tianmu Academy.

After the end of the War Between the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions, the major orthodox forces, including the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Families, had established the academy to exchange martial arts knowledge and educate the next generation.

The major sects and families sent teachers, students, martial arts manuals, weapons, and even spiritual medicines there to display their influence.

‘Ah, so that’s how they gathered all those precious spiritual medicines. It seems the academy has much more influence than I thought.’

Maybe they had some way to extend my lifespan, even if they didn’t have something as rare as a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Carp.

“Leaving the Northern Sea and learning various martial arts instead of only ice-based techniques would also be good for your constitution.”

Oh.

Was he saying that I should learn yang-based martial arts to extend my lifespan?

Since ice-based martial arts increased yin energy, perhaps practicing a powerful yang technique would help me control it.

“When I was around your age, I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to leave on a martial arts journey. There weren’t any worthy opponents your age in the Northern Sea, so you must have been bored, right?”

“Oh, yes.”

I was a peaceful person, but considering the atmosphere, I nodded.

“Go show those frogs in a well from the Central Plains what you’re capable of. Sweep up all their spiritual medicines and martial arts!”

“Frogs in a well…?”

“If you go this year, you’ll be in the same class as the second son of the Azure Heaven Sword King. I’ve also heard that the Mount Hua Sect is sending one of the Sect Leader’s direct disciples.”

The Zhuge Family.

The Namgung Family.

The Mount Hua Sect.

The handsome, long-haired men I had vaguely imagined as a child began appearing in my mind.

Hmm.

So I would compete against these young talents, achieve good results, and receive spiritual medicines and martial arts in return.

It didn’t sound easy at all.

“The Palace Master of the Beast Palace has also decided to send his child this time. You’re so strong that I’m not worried about you at all, but the Beast Palace Master seems to want us, one of the major forces of the outer martial world, to enter the academy together.”

“The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace?”

“Yes. Apparently, his child has exceptional martial talent. Well, still nowhere near yours.”

I stopped for a moment as I listened to my father.

Wait.

The son of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace Master had exceptionally high martial talent?

The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was located in the southern part of the Central Plains, completely opposite to the Northern Sea Ice Palace.

Unlike the Ice Palace, it specialized in martial arts based on extremely yang energy.

‘Ah!’

Only then did I finally understand what my father had been trying to say by constantly talking about the academy.

He hadn’t found some old master who had already perfected an extremely yang-based martial art.

Instead, the place where all the young talents who had the potential to become such masters gathered was Tianmu Academy.

In other words, if I went to Tianmu Academy…

I could show my own abilities, earn spiritual medicines, and extend my lifespan.

And it would also be the perfect place to naturally meet a man who practiced extremely yang martial arts.

So basically…

I was supposed to become friends with promising young men there and…

Do that?

And my father thought the son of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace Master might be a good candidate?

Oh, no wonder he had been going around in circles while explaining the academy.

He probably couldn’t bring himself to have such an embarrassing conversation with his daughter.

“I completely understand, Father.”

Even without having an awkward conversation with my father about it, I understood what he meant perfectly.

Fortunately, I had knowledge from my previous life.

Without that, I might not have understood his hints at all.

“I’ll go to the academy. I’ll study hard with those boys, earn some spiritual medicine… and I’ll try everything I can!”

Besides, I really liked the solution my father had suggested.

I had been terrified at the thought that I might have to get married just to survive.

But free romance at an academy?

It couldn’t get better than that.

My father smiled broadly.

“I’m sure you’ll make a great name for yourself in the Central Plains!”

And so, I decided to attend the academy.

“Oh, and although I’m sure you’ll be careful, it’s best to keep your constitution a secret. Even in peaceful times, there’s nothing good that can come from people finding out.”

My father covered his mouth and spoke seriously.

I nodded as well.

Come to think of it, there were martial arts novels where people desperately sought out those suffering from the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian because they considered them as valuable as spiritual medicine.

Absorbing a woman’s energy through Yin Absorption to Nourish Yang and gaining enormous internal energy was practically a classic trope in old martial arts novels.

“Big Sister Suryeo! Beat all those bookish disciples from the Nine Great Sects!”

“Sister, I’ll follow you next year!”

On the day I left for Tianmu Academy, the palace guards who were as close to me as family came all the way to Ice Moon Lake to see me off.

“Grrr…”

Even the bear we had raised let out a sad growl, its eyes shining.

It would have been nice if I could bring him with me, but that was obviously impossible.

I gently patted the bear’s head several times and waved goodbye.

“Everyone, take care! I’ll come back during vacation!”

If I had been leaving forever because of marriage, how sad would I have been?

I absolutely had to solve my life-shortening condition at the academy and come back.

I quickly mounted my horse and set off with Captain Baekung.

I had traveled around nearby glaciers and valleys many times, but this was my first time going all the way to the Central Plains.

My father had arranged for Captain Baekung, who usually accompanied him whenever he traveled to the Central Plains, to come with me as both my bodyguard and guide.

“Will there be any danger on the way to Luoyang?”

Tianmu Academy was located in Luoyang, Henan Province, and it would take more than a month of traveling on horseback to get there from the Northern Sea.

I was worried about the yin energy inside my body, but there could also be dangers outside.

Whenever I read martial arts novels, the protagonists would constantly run into bandits from the Green Forest or groups of river bandits during their travels.

So I suddenly became worried.

Of course, Captain Baekung was one of the five strongest martial artists in the Northern Sea.

And I could probably handle ordinary bandits myself.

But I had to admit that I had a hard time judging just how strong other martial artists were.

Unlike in novels, it wasn’t easy to look at someone and immediately know their level.

Of course, I could recognize obvious differences, such as the strange presence of someone like my father.

I could also tell the difference between an ordinary commoner who had never practiced martial arts and a martial artist by their movements.

But in reality, it wasn’t possible to simply look at someone and immediately judge their strength.

And people weren’t neatly divided into levels like First-Class Martial Artist or Peak Master the way they were in novels.

How often did bandits demand tolls from travelers?

How often did people get into fights with members of unorthodox sects?

‘The Northern Sea is pretty peaceful…’

I didn’t know very much about the Central Plains.

Perhaps because I might not live very long, my father had never burdened me with the heavy responsibilities expected of the heir of a martial family.

Instead, he had let me live freely, almost like a carefree young noble lady from a romance-fantasy novel, allowing me to do whatever I wanted.

Of course, I had still trained diligently.

But I had almost no real combat experience.

That was something that naturally worried me.

“There probably won’t be any particular danger… but the young lady’s appearance will attract a lot of attention. You should be careful.”

Captain Baekung initially looked at me as if wondering why I was asking such a strange question.

Then he paused.

Ah.

There was that too.

My appearance would definitely stand out in the Central Plains.

I had silver hair and blue eyes, after all.

“Do troublesome people often appear? I’ll be traveling with you the whole time, so nothing should happen, right?”

At his words, I became tense and gripped the reins tightly.

“There’s no need to worry. The average thugs won’t be a problem. They’ll probably run away just from one look from you, Young Lady.”

Really?

Well, merchants from the Central Plains had also told me that I seemed cold when they first met me.

Perhaps practicing extremely yin martial arts made me look even more intimidating.

“People who are actually skilled are rare, and those who are skilled usually have enough reputation and dignity that they won’t act recklessly. As long as you don’t challenge the leader of a Green Forest bandit stronghold to a fight by yourself in front of all his men, we probably won’t even need to draw our swords before reaching Luoyang.”

Captain Baekung joked.

I probably wasn’t going to do something like that.

Although the journey could be somewhat uncomfortable, such as sleeping outdoors from time to time, he reassured me that there wouldn’t be any truly dangerous situations.

And so one day passed.

Then two.

Then ten.

Then fifteen.

Captain Baekung had been right.

It was sometimes boring to keep riding without even knowing exactly where we were.

But almost an entire month passed without any major problems.

We didn’t encounter any unorthodox martial artists.

At inns, groups of men sometimes approached us and tried to talk to me, saying things like how pretty I was or asking where I came from.

But they were all pathetic.

The moment I put my hand on my sword and narrowed my eyes, they ran away as fast as they could.

Honestly, the wild animals that tried to steal our food were probably more threatening.

Though even they usually ran away as soon as we approached them.

“We can rest in that village today.”

The farther south we traveled, the warmer the weather became, and villages appeared more frequently.

The village ahead was the largest one we had encountered so far.

It was almost big enough to be called a city.

Without hesitation, we entered the largest and nicest-looking inn on the main road.

“Young Lady, is there anything you’d like to eat?”

We went upstairs and found a spacious table before looking over the menu.

“Bamboo Leaf Green wine, baijiu, twice-cooked pork, fish-fragrant shredded pork, noodles…”

“I’ll order for you.”

The food in the Central Plains was different from what we ate in the Northern Sea, so I had trouble figuring out what everything was.

I simply named dishes I remembered from novels I had read in my previous life.

Captain Baekung scolded me, asking if those were the names of dishes I’d heard about from merchants.

I wanted to try fish and fresh fruit, things that were difficult to get in the Northern Sea.

But perhaps they were also difficult to find here.

Or maybe it was simply Captain Baekung’s preference.

Either way, chicken dishes were served.

“Oh, this is delicious.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

The cooking style was different from Northern Sea cuisine, but the flavors weren’t completely unfamiliar.

I enjoyed my meal while asking questions.

What was this dish called?

What other foods were delicious?

Were there many good inns in Luoyang?

“Aaaah!”

About fifteen minutes later, when I had eaten roughly half my meal, a boy’s scream suddenly came from the entrance of the inn.

“Ha! There you are!”

“Tsk. You couldn’t have gotten very far before they caught you!”

I turned toward the commotion.

Six men with swords at their waists were surrounding a boy who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old.

“Hmm?”

One of them grabbed the boy by his hair and lifted him up.

Then he suddenly punched him in the face.

What the hell?

Was he crazy?

“Ah! Aah! Aaaah!”

Then they threw him onto the floor.

Several grown men began kicking the child.

“Why… why are you doing this, great hero?”

Not only I, but also the innkeeper, the waiter, and the other customers nearby were shocked.

Someone even gathered the courage to try to stop the group from beating the boy.

“Mind your own business. We’re just catching a thief.”

“Ah! No, I’m not!”

But the man who had first grabbed the boy simply answered in an indifferent tone.

The other five didn’t even look at the people trying to stop them.

They continued kicking and beating the boy.

“After everything the Manor Lord did to take care of you!”

“Did you really think someone like you could steal the Young Master’s token and get away with it?”

“I… It was originally mine. The Radiant Light Sword gave it to me…!”

The boy curled himself up and held tightly onto his bundle.

Whatever they claimed he had stolen must have been inside it.

Even though the martial artists were trying to take it from him by force, the boy refused to let go.

“I’ll just cut this brat’s wrist off…”

“Eek!”

“Aaaah!”

One of the men became annoyed and threateningly drew his sword.

The people on the first floor of the inn recoiled in fear.

“You damn—”

I couldn’t stand watching any longer.

Whoosh!

I was about to jump down to the first floor and send all those men flying while shouting a string of curses.

But when everyone’s eyes turned toward me…

‘Wait. Maybe swearing isn’t appropriate.’

After all, I was a young lady of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, and I needed to maintain my dignity.

Even my father acted completely differently when he was playing with me compared to when he was dealing with the palace guards.

And I had heard that whenever he attended meetings of the Murim Alliance in the Central Plains, he behaved with the solemn dignity appropriate to his title.

If I acted like some street thug, I would be embarrassing my father too.

“Ahem. No matter what wrong this child has done, is this really how martial artists should treat a child?”

Clang!

I casually knocked away the man’s sword.

Then, in a calm and polite voice, I began lecturing the men.

“You… what the—Aagh!”

I first subdued the man who had been beating the boy the most brutally.

“Urgh!”

Then I stepped in front of the man who appeared to be their leader.
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