TPM 16

chapter 16

In the Tomb of Soldiers and Horses, Dan-yeop was an outcast.

Ever since he had fallen behind in the first batch of trainees, and it became known that he hadn’t mastered a single martial art in ten years, not only the other students but even the martial instructors of the Six Gates had stopped paying him any attention.

For the remaining three days, he practically lived inside the Sect’s martial training hall.

Not even during the exit examinations for the first and second batches had he been this desperate.

He clung to the Heaven and Earth Sword Art with all his might.

But his progress never went beyond the first three movements.

The harder he tried, the more he focused, the further away the art seemed to drift from him.

The day before the exam.

Late at night, Instructor Go Muk, who had been watching Dan-yeop struggling alone, quietly sought out Instructor Dan Bul-wi.

“Instructor Dan.”

“Oh! Instructor Go, what brings you here at this hour?”

Dan Bul-wi gave him a puzzled look, but Go Muk spoke bluntly.

“Last year you opposed Dan-yeop’s exit, didn’t you? Is your stance the same this year?”

“And why do you ask…?”

“You know he’s preparing for the exam, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

“He’s aiming to graduate, but it looks impossible again this year. He has no talent for martial arts. To grasp the Heaven and Earth Sword Art, he’d need another ten years of training at least.”

“Hm…”

Dan Bul-wi nodded indifferently.

Go Muk continued in a measured tone.

“He wishes so desperately to leave. Wouldn’t it be better to just let him? Keeping him here is a waste of everyone’s time. Besides, the Hao Sect doesn’t only need warriors, does it?”

It made sense.

But Dan Bul-wi wasn’t swayed.

Because someone far more gifted—another “Dan-yeop”—didn’t wish for that outcome.

“Instructor Go, Dan-yeop may be my adopted son, but I have no intention of giving him special treatment. Nor should I.”

“Even when he wants it so badly?”

“I want him to go out into the world and stand on his own two feet. Please understand my feelings.”

“But he doesn’t have to be a warrior to serve the Hao Sect…”

“Then he would surely end up living at the bottom of society. Wouldn’t he?”

Dan Bul-wi looked directly into Go Muk’s eyes.

Go Muk faltered and turned away.

Damn… those eyes…

Dan Bul-wi had become a branch master much later than him, yet Go Muk couldn’t shake the feeling he’d lose if they fought.

“In any case, I’d appreciate it if you handled Dan-yeop strictly by the rules.”

“…Understood. I’ll defer to your wishes. Then… how should we instruct him going forward?”

Go Muk was pointing out that Dan-yeop had been neglected ever since the first batch graduated.

“Leave him to his own devices.”

In other words: continue ignoring him.

Go Muk glanced at him uneasily.

First he said Dan-yeop couldn’t graduate until he proved himself useful, and now he said to just let him be?

Is he trying to help the boy, or ruin him?

Go Muk didn’t know. But since Dan Bul-wi was his guardian, he held his tongue.

The morning of the exam.

In the dining hall.

On any other day, the most beautiful woman of the Tomb, Hong Cho-yeon, would have been the center of attention. But today, all eyes were on Baek Yu-hwa.

“Senior Sister Baek Yu-hwa will surely be first. And whoever takes first place becomes squad leader, regardless of batch. I’m so jealous.”

“If she’s squad leader, that’s the rank of Gate Guard, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Wow, becoming a Gate Guard in her teens! She could become a Branch Master in her twenties.”

In the Hao Sect, Gate Guards were usually in their thirties, Branch Masters in their forties.

To reach such heights in one’s teens was extraordinary.

From a corner seat, Dan-yeop slowly turned his head as he ate his flatcake.

There she was, among the third batch.

Though she was far away, her figure was clear in his eyes, as if she sat right before him.

The way her lashes lowered when she bit into her food, the gentle motion of her hand wiping her lips—everything seemed slowed down, tinged with a wistful glow.

Each time she laughed lightly at her peers’ jokes, Dan-yeop’s chest ached.

At last, as if resolved, he clenched his fist.

After breakfast, back in his quarters, his expression was grim.

The Heaven and Earth Sword Art still remained stuck at its opening forms.

At this rate, he’d be nothing but a laughingstock before the juniors.

The instructors would never permit him to graduate unless they’d all gone mad.

But Dan-yeop did not want to be mocked again.

No, more than that—he wanted to graduate alongside the third batch.

Sitting at his desk, he began writing a letter.

Then, clutching it tightly, he summoned his inner energy.

It surged up from his dantian, rushing uncontrollably toward his Heaven’s Eye.

Flash!

A blinding light burst forth. Dan-yeop’s eyes flew open.

He soon realized he was sitting at the desk himself, and muttered:

“What’s going on?”

It seemed that “Eul” (the dull Dan-yeop) had only used inner energy in a desperate moment—but everything around him was strangely peaceful.

He unfolded the letter he held. The message was simple:

A plea to please pass the exit exam.

“Graduate? That would be a disaster.”

He tucked the letter into his robes and rose to his feet.

He had fallen asleep before the exam date was set, and now he had awakened on the very day of the exam.

That meant “Eul” hadn’t trained in inner energy at all.

“So, he deliberately kept me from waking up?”

It was absurd—but something even he couldn’t change.

“What a mess…”

As he sat there, stunned, the sound of the assembly bell drifted faintly from afar.

“…Next is the Heaven and Earth Sword Art. All trainees who have learned it, step forward.”

At Sect Leader Yu O-san’s command, all twenty-five of the third batch moved forward.

Yu O-san frowned.

Dan-yeop, who every year threw himself into this event, was just sitting idly.

“Dan-yeop! Giving up this year?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Very well then. Third batch, begin—”

“Wait!”

It was Ma Sang, the chief overseer of the Tomb, who cut him off.

All eyes turned toward him.

“Leader Yu, giving up before even starting? The atmosphere here has grown soft. The trainees have no choice. They must show us the fruits of their effort, however meager.”

Chastised by the chief, Yu O-san quickly called Dan-yeop forward.

“Dan-yeop, step out!”

The mood, which had been slightly buoyant, sank heavily.

Reluctantly, Dan-yeop took his place beside the third batch.

The exam began.

The trainees drew their sabers and performed the first form, Heaven’s Thunder Falls.

Nine consecutive movements later, they flowed smoothly into the second form, Mountain-Cleaving Strike.

Dan-yeop kept up only halfway, then fumbled awkwardly through the rest.

On any other day, the watching students would have burst out laughing—but today, silence reigned.

With the masters looking displeased, no one dared even breathe too loudly.

The third batch moved as one into the third form, Wind and Clouds Blossom, then stopped.

A beat late, Dan-yeop’s ridiculous swordplay also came to a halt.

Chief Ma Sang called Instructor Go Muk forward.

“Yes, sir.”

As Go Muk approached, Ma Sang suddenly kicked him in the shin.

“Ugh!”

Go Muk staggered back with a grunt.

“You bastard! Thirteen years and that’s all you’ve taught him? And you call yourself an instructor? They say even a dog learns poetry after three years in a schoolhouse! Yet this perfectly healthy boy hasn’t mastered even the basics in thirteen years?!”

Go Muk bit back his defense, knowing that speaking up would only earn him another beating.

“The first and second batch are already out there fighting for their lives! And here, with full bellies and warm beds, you treat this place like some breeding pen? Is fattening them up all you can do?!”

Though his words were for Go Muk, Ma Sang’s glare was fixed on Dan-yeop.

Dan-yeop flinched and lowered his gaze.

After turning the exam upside down, Ma Sang stormed off with the other leaders.

Soon after, the instructors announced the results.

As expected, Dan-yeop alone had failed.

The third batch returned to their quarters to pack, leaving only Dan-yeop standing awkwardly in the hall.

Instructor Dan Bul-wi approached him.

“Don’t take Chief Ma’s words too harshly. The sect has been suffering heavy losses lately—he’s simply on edge.”

“Is Hado Province also in trouble?”

“No, we’ve taken most of it. But remnants who refuse to yield have fled to Hebei and Henan, causing some headaches.”

“Then the other provinces’ Hao branches will start resisting in earnest?”

“…You… who are you?”

Startled by his sharp insight, Dan Bul-wi stared at him.

“I am Dan-yeop, the prodigious genius.”

“Ah! So the ‘dullard Dan-yeop’ must have awakened you.”

“Yes. He even left me a letter begging me to pass the exam.”

“Then he must be sorely disappointed.”

“In time, he’ll thank me. Graduating now would only make me cannon fodder.”

“That’s true… but why did he suddenly want to graduate? Do you have any idea?”

“None at all. I have no memory of his time.”

“Hm. Strange indeed.”

“By the way, he went so far as to avoid inner training altogether to keep me from waking. That’s a problem.”

“Oh dear! Can’t you two come to some compromise?”

“I’ve refused his wish, so he’ll only grow more stubborn.”

“What a pity. If only the two of you could blend together somehow…”

“Is there a way to force the dullard to practice inner energy?”

“Hmm… tell him that without inner training, he risks qi deviation. That should scare him enough to resume at least a little.”

“Oh! That’s good. Father, please press him hard on that. Meanwhile, I’ll try to find a way to reconcile with him.”

“Yes, yes.”

At the word “father,” Dan Bul-wi’s lips curved into a smile.

“By the way, I’d like to train in seclusion for a few days. But after what happened, I worry Instructor Go might come looking for me.”

“I’ll handle Go Muk.”

“Then I’ll rely on you, Father.”

“Hahaha, of course. Anything else you need?”

“I plan to train intensely for several days, so… could I have some Bigu Pills? I don’t want to waste time going to the dining hall.”

Just as the dullard had avoided inner energy, he intended to avoid sleep and throw himself into training. For that, the fasting pills were essential.

“Understood. Chief Ma has some—I’ll get them from him.”

“Could you do it today? I want to begin seclusion right away.”

“Very well. Meet me at the training hall in half an hour.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Patting his adopted son’s shoulder, Dan Bul-wi strode off in the direction Ma Sang had gone.

A short while later, as Dan-yeop returned to his quarters with light steps, someone called out to him.

“Senior Dan-yeop.”

He turned to see Geum Seo-jin standing there with a forlorn look.

“Oh, Junior Sister Geum. Congratulations on graduating.”

“Thank you. Once I leave today, it’ll be hard to see you again, won’t it?”

“Seems so.”

“I’ll be returning to the Sect. If you ever graduate… we’ll meet again then.”

She almost told him to come to her sect—but swallowed the words.

With his skills, he could never make it there.

“Stay well.”

After their farewell, Dan-yeop turned and walked away without regret.