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chapter 18
Dan-yeop slowly lifted his upper body and looked around his hands and the bedding.
There was no letter left behind.
So that means…
Judging by the fact that he woke up from sleep, at least a day must have passed.
He’s gone again.
Even without asking the trainees, he could guess.
He had believed that the “Other” (the second personality), with all his talent and arrogance, would have been able to graduate. But apparently, that hadn’t been the case.
Getting off the bed, he opened his pack just in case.
As expected, it was empty.
Seeing that no preparations for departure had been made, he gave up lingering regrets.
“As I thought…”
How could such fortune ever fall into his wretched life?
To think he believed his deviation into qi deviation (mental cultivation disorder) would somehow help his life.
Ashamed of himself for even momentarily hoping for a lucky break, he stepped outside and headed first to the Jeommun training hall.
Not for his own training, but because he was curious about the news of the 3rd class trainees.
*
Morning training time.
Jeommun training hall.
Dan-yeop froze upon stepping inside at the sudden change in atmosphere.
Children he had never seen before were sweating hard at their practice.
Ah…
Graduations and admissions always happened around the same time.
If his guess was right, those kids were all 14th-class trainees.
The “Heaven-Earth Blade Method” was the easiest of the Six Gates’ martial arts to learn.
Naturally, when children entered, the very first thing they trained in was the Heaven-Earth Blade Method.
It was like the basic Three Talent Sword Technique in ordinary martial schools—but in the Hao Sect, the equivalent was the Heaven-Earth Blade.
But no one trained it for longer than a year.
That was because superior techniques like the White Willow Blade Method and the Seven Wounds Blade Method existed.
Up until graduation, the trainees focused mainly on mastering the versatile White Willow and the highly lethal Seven Wounds.
In fact, those recognized as true experts of the Hao Sect were mostly masters of those two methods.
The expression of Instructor Go-muk, who noticed Dan-yeop, was far from pleasant.
Just three days ago, because of Dan-yeop, he had been kicked in the shin by the Hall Master Ma-sang, and he was still holding a grudge.
“What are you doing here?”
Go-muk’s cold tone made Dan-yeop quickly lower his gaze.
“Ah, I… I came to train the Heaven-Earth Blade…”
Of course, that was only half the truth.
In reality, the reason he came here was to hear news of Baek Yu-hwa.
Suddenly, Instructor Go-muk shouted to the trainees:
“Everyone stop! This man is your senior, one of the 1st class. He will now demonstrate the Heaven-Earth Blade, so watch and learn well.”
His eyes turned to Dan-yeop.
“You heard me, didn’t you? Show a demonstration to your juniors who’ve just entered.”
“…”
Reluctantly, Dan-yeop stepped forward.
He thought he had no more shame left, but standing before little children like this felt strangely awkward.
Still, since he’d come this far, whether it turned out poorly or well, he had no choice but to do it.
Resolutely, he displayed the first form of the Heaven-Earth Blade—Heaven’s Thunder Falling Strike.
When it came time for the ninth and last movement, however, his heart wavered slightly.
He only remembered the first three movements of this form.
But just as he began the fourth—Sweeping the Mountain Across—something felt different.
Unlike before, his mind felt clear.
In the past, after completing just the first movement, his mind would go blank. But now, that fog wasn’t there.
It was as though Baek Yu-hwa’s voice rang clearly in his ears:
—Turn to the left, one strike to the sky, one to the earth, then face forward, cut left and right—chwak! chwak!
Dan-yeop’s body moved naturally, following the form. His straight blade split the air with a sharp tearing sound.
Before he realized it, his technique had moved on into the middle portion of the form.
—Advance to the right, cut left, cut right, then draw the blade back to your chest…
His dazed expression was almost as though he were in a trance.
The blade, held upright before his chest, blocked once overhead, then swept horizontally in a long arc.
Swaaah―!
A mysterious sound of cutting wind resounded through the training hall.
Dan-yeop completed the form, flowing smoothly all the way to the ninth movement, before stopping.
He had no memory at all of the third form, so he could go no further.
But that alone was enough to captivate the young 14th-class trainees.
They gaped, then burst into wild applause.
“Wow!”
“So cool…”
Instructor Go-muk was speechless at the unexpected display.
Even to his eyes, who had trained the Heaven-Earth Blade all his life, Dan-yeop’s technique had become impressive.
What he had intended as a way to humiliate the boy had ended strangely well.
What! In just a few days he’s improved this much?
Just three days ago, Dan-yeop’s technique had been terrible. He couldn’t make sense of it.
Dan-yeop, bowing politely to the still-stunned instructor, said:
“…Forgive me. I can’t recall the third form at all.”
“Ahem. Well… you did well. It must have been a great help to your young juniors.”
Still bewildered at himself, Dan-yeop stepped back.
What’s going on?
He had only ever managed the first three movements before, and now he had completed the entire form without a hitch!
Instructor Go-muk stepped forward again.
“All right! From the beginning again. Heaven’s Thunder Falling Strike!”
At his command, the children swung their blades in unison.
Dan-yeop, too, joined them earnestly from the back row.
And it wasn’t just once by luck.
Even on the second and third attempts, he was able to perform the whole form smoothly.
For the first time, a smile tugged at the corners of Dan-yeop’s lips as he wielded his straight blade.
That afternoon, while Dan-yeop was resting in his quarters after lunch, a 4th-class trainee, Gwan Gu-jong, came running in breathlessly.
“Huff! Huff! Brother Dan-yeop, Instructor Dan is looking for you.”
Among the 4th-class trainees, those from the Dark Gate did not treat Dan-yeop carelessly.
Not only was there a significant age difference, but recently Instructor Dan Bul-wi had openly shown him favoritism.
To those trainees, Dan-yeop was like the instructor’s adopted son.
“Looking for me?”
“Yes, he asks that you come to the Dark Gate training hall.”
“Ah, all right.”
Now that he had grasped the first form of the Heaven-Earth Blade fully, his voice carried a clarity it hadn’t before.
*
Dark Gate training hall.
Dan-yeop cautiously approached Instructor Dan Bul-wi.
“…Instructor.”
A wry smile flickered across Dan Bul-wi’s face.
Even knowing about the divided personalities—the genius Dan-yeop and the dullard Dan-yeop—this one still insisted on the respectful title “Instructor.”
“Come closer. I heard you practiced at the Jeommun hall this morning?”
“Yes…”
“Instructor Go-muk spoke highly of you. Said your Heaven-Earth Blade has improved remarkably.”
“…”
Dan-yeop scratched his head sheepishly.
Though pleased, a bitter thought crossed him—Am I really so worthless that they make such a fuss just because I finally managed one simple form?
“Did you have any sort of enlightenment?”
“No. Only that what I couldn’t remember before… somehow I could remember again.”
“No inkling why?”
“No.”
“I see.”
Dan Bul-wi regarded him with a peculiar expression.
The Heaven-Earth Blade was based on the Three Talent Sword.
It wasn’t just simple and easy—it held its own hidden profundity.
Go-muk had said Dan-yeop’s technique had suddenly gained a strange depth.
That was not something one would normally say about a dullard who hadn’t managed even three forms in thirteen years.
Another might have laughed it off.
But having once seen the genius Dan-yeop’s swordplay with his own eyes, Dan Bul-wi could not dismiss it.
Could there have been some unknown exchange between the two personalities?
Though two, they were originally one, so it wasn’t impossible.
“You do realize three days have passed since the graduation exam date?”
“Yes…”
“You seem to have practiced inner cultivation that day.”
Dan-yeop lowered his head, ashamed.
“I’m sorry. I tried to cheat because I wanted to graduate.”
“It’s your body anyway, so calling it cheating isn’t quite right. Hmph. In any case, I looked into your condition… Your qi deviation cannot be cured by medicine.”
“Then how…?”
“Isn’t it the result of wrongly practicing the Divided Mind Technique? A sickness of the heart must be healed with the study of the heart.”
“Study of the heart?”
“If you train in a profound mental method, the divided mind from the technique will heal.”
“Ah!”
Nodding, Dan-yeop then asked worriedly:
“But if I practice another mental method, won’t it cause yet another personality to appear? Wouldn’t that be a problem?”
“Would you refuse to brew soy paste because you fear maggots? Another personality may arise, yes—but in the end, you will be cured. If you continue to neglect inner cultivation while wandering the martial world, the consequences will be far worse.”
“…”
It was true, and Dan-yeop had no rebuttal.
Even his battle with Yu Ja-cho had shown how vital inner strength was.
And in the middle of a war among Hao Sect branches, to avoid cultivation? That was tantamount to asking to be cut down.
“If you’re willing, I’ll obtain a suitable mental method for you. Do you wish to cure your qi deviation?”
After a long pause, Dan-yeop finally answered:
“…Yes, I’ll try.”
“Wise choice. Avoiding something just because it’s unpleasant never solves anything.”
“Yes.”
“And know this: the situation in the Inner Hao Sect is not good. The graduation date may be moved forward.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Tch! The leaders of the Six Gates were too optimistic about unifying the Hao Sect. They thought the Nine Roads’ leaders would yield when they saw our strength. But not a single one has yielded, even now. Clearly, what we’ve shown them was not enough of a threat.”
The Inner Hao Sect had put forward their Tomb trainees as their trump card, but the results had fallen short of expectations.
Like the saying, to beat the grass and startle the snake, it had backfired.
The other Hao branches, alarmed, had joined forces against them.
“What is the trump card of the Inner Hao Sect, exactly?”
“The Tomb trainees.”
“Ah…”
Dan Bul-wi muttered inwardly.
As he suspected—Pulling up a radish and planting it on a mountain doesn’t turn it into ginseng.
Then he asked Dan-yeop, probing:
“Once you graduate, is there a sect you want to go to?”
“I heard for the 1st class, the leaders of the Six Gates decide.”
“If no leader chooses you, your own wish might be taken into account. Hmph, though frankly, if they knew what you truly are, they’d all fight to take you…”
“If no sect wants me, could I go where I want?”
“No one knows. There’s no precedent.”
“Where do you think would be best for me, Instructor?”
“Of course, I’d like to bring you into the Dark Gate. But you’d have a hard time adapting.”
The Dark Gate’s main business was human trafficking.
To Dan Bul-wi’s eyes, that didn’t suit the gentle-natured Dan-yeop.
“The Cart Gate, the Boat Gate, the Porter Gate… those don’t quite fit either. Perhaps the Courtesan Gate or the Errand Gate would be better.”
Dan-yeop’s eyes lit up at once.
Baek Yu-hwa had been from the Errand Gate.
“Then I’ll choose the Errand Gate.”
“Hm, the Errand Gate. All right. I’ll tell Hall Master Ma-sang you wish to join there.”
“Wouldn’t that be a problem?”
Dan-yeop glanced at him nervously.
Because Dan Bul-wi had openly called him his adopted son, many assumed he was from the Dark Gate.
“Heh. Hall Master Ma-sang will actually be pleased, so don’t worry. It’ll take me about half a month to obtain a mental method for you. I’ll call you once I have it.”
“Thank you, Instructor.”
“Go and rest.”
“Yes.”
Bowing deeply, Dan-yeop left the Dark Gate hall.
Left alone, Dan Bul-wi muttered regretfully:
“A pity… but it can’t be helped.”
Honestly, he wanted Dan-yeop for himself, but no matter how he considered it, the Dark Gate didn’t suit him. If the genius Dan-yeop ever rebelled, he couldn’t handle the fallout.
Still, it was a bit surprising that the boy had chosen the Errand Gate over the Courtesan Gate.
“Ha! If I had that face, I’d have gone straight to the Courtesan Gate…”
