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chapter 22
While Danyeop was lost in a sweet fantasy of reuniting with Baek Yuhwa, someone called out to him.
“Senior.”
Startled, Danyeop turned around.
Gwan Gujong, a fourth-year student, stood there with an awkward smile.
“Oh? What’s the matter…?”
“I heard that you completed the Cheonjido method. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“So, are you going to train in the Chilsangdo method from now on?”
“Nope.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’m learning the Baekryudo method.”
Gwan Gujong’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Baekryudo method? Why?”
“Because it suits me, I think.”
“But you’re from the Amun, right? If you want to go to Amun, shouldn’t you start training in Chilsangdo right away?”
“I’m not going to Amun.”
“Eh? Then where to?”
Gwan Gujong looked at Danyeop in confusion.
Being the adopted son of Danbulwi’s leader, it was natural to assume he’d go to Amun, but apparently not.
“There’s a place. Why do you ask?”
“Oh… I’m from Amun, so I wanted to get closer to you, Senior Danyeop. But since you’re not going to Amun…”
At Amun, Danbulwi’s leader was rising as a new power.
In Haomun, connections with the strong equaled power.
Gwan Gujong, having no backing, approached Danyeop to manage his network.
“…Then take care.”
With an awkward expression, Gwan Gujong left without hesitation.
Danyeop wasn’t foolish either.
He guessed the real reason Gwan Gujong had approached him and smiled wryly.
To be respected in Haomun, one had to be strong.
Before, no matter how hard he tried, it didn’t work, so he had given up—but now things were different.
“It’s an investment, isn’t it?”
To be able to hold his head high in front of Baek Yuhwa someday, he’d need to invest a lot.
Danyeop opened a book containing the Banyasim method and began reading.
The next day.
At morning training time, Danyeop headed to the Seonmun martial hall.
He knew that training the Banyasim method would be more effective, but the human heart is fickle.
He didn’t want to hand over his time to the Simma (heart demon).
A genius had mastered the Six Doors martial arts, wrote letters, and even requested him to leave the sect—but had failed foolishly.
The Simma wouldn’t grant his desires.
Considering that his opponent was the Simma, it wasn’t surprising.
It had been foolish to ask for help without knowing that.
Though he tried to ignore his miserable, desperate feelings, his resentment toward Simma only grew.
If he awakened Simma, his martial arts would leap forward, but going to the Seonmun martial hall was precisely why he hadn’t.
“I can’t leave my life to the Simma just because it’s easy and fast.”
Entering the hall, Danyeop renewed his resolve.
Seonmun Martial Hall
Soyugang, the sect leader, paid Danyeop little attention compared to yesterday.
He already knew enough about Danyeop.
In his eyes, Danyeop wasn’t exactly stupid, but he wasn’t capable of mastering Baekryudo either.
He was only slightly better than randomly swinging a sword.
Many disciples like him existed in Haomun, so it wasn’t remarkable.
“Start the first thousand strikes!”
With Gowol’s chant, Baekryudo training began.
Danyeop followed others, swinging his sword earnestly.
Despite countless rehearsals yesterday, he was confused from the very first move.
He struggled to mimic others at first, and by the third move, he lagged behind.
He feared being struck by others’ swords.
By the third move, about half of the trainees had moved to safe areas.
Only the fourth-year students followed through the fourth move.
After completing the fourth movement’s flowing technique, they moved to step-by-step training.
Danyeop mixed with the trainees practicing the first move.
At that moment, fourth-year student Wang Oh approached him.
“Danyeop, want me to guide you one-on-one?”
He spoke informally, but Danyeop ignored it.
“Oh? Sure, thanks.”
As Danyeop stepped aside from the group, Wang Oh led him to a corner.
Wang Oh demonstrated the first move quickly and said:
“See? Try it.”
Danyeop began the first move but stopped halfway.
“Swing left once, right once, diagonally from bottom to top. Water must rise to the sky to become rain and fall!”
“Oh, right…”
Danyeop swung his sword diagonally upward on both sides and paused again.
“Don’t you know the next step? Wow, unbelievable. Even worse than Jang Sopal.”
Wang Oh’s mouth dropped.
Jang Sopal was the least talented of the fourth-year students.
Fourth-year students called him dumb, but Danyeop was even worse.
“Watch carefully! Do it like this.”
“Why stop again? I just taught you!”
“Damn it! You’re doing it on purpose, right? The direction’s wrong!”
“Swing from bottom to top! I told you several times—the water goes up first!”
“You blockhead! Then it has to fall as rain, from top to bottom!”
All morning, Wang Oh’s shouting echoed through the martial hall.
The eyes of the trainees gradually changed as they watched Danyeop.
Finally, morning training ended.
Danyeop left the hall and trudged back to the dorm.
After being scolded all morning by Wang Oh, his head felt fuzzy.
Unlike the kind Gowol, Wang Oh had pushed him like a madman.
He felt like a fool.
Despite receiving guidance, he seemed to have regressed from yesterday.
Passing the fourth-year dorm, he heard Wang Oh’s voice from inside:
“My words were right, weren’t they? Danyeop’s a blockhead. Compared to him, Jang Sopal’s a genius. Sopal took about two years to master the first move. Danyeop? Four years, I swear on my left hand.”
“Really?”
“Ha! Danyeop’s not human. No wonder they call him the Stone Monkey. Only in the Terracotta Army would anyone call him senior—he can’t even meet eyes with us in the outside world.”
“He couldn’t even look straight here.”
“Exactly! Why did Hayongwol even hang out with him?”
“Danyeop’s face is fair. Women care more about men’s faces.”
“Damn, I should have been in the Gimun instead of Seonmun.”
“What difference does it make? Just leave the sect and go to Hongyeondan with Hayongwol.”
“Ah, right. I’ll go to Hongyeondan. Damn.”
“You’re bullying him because of Hayongwol?”
“Who’s bullying? I’m trying to turn the Stone Monkey into a person.”
“What if Amun kids take notice?”
“Then we fight. Danyeop’s alone anyway. Amun didn’t care when he got beaten by third-years.”
“Still, be careful. Even Amun’s giving him senior respect lately.”
“Verbal discipline is fine. If he’s perceptive, he won’t learn from me. Until then, I’ll crush him. Guys who harass girls with their looks need to be taught a lesson.”
“Anyway, stop if Amun shows up. You’ll be screwed if you mess with Amun kids.”
“Of course. By the way, Danyeop’s grown. Last year, he was a pushover; now he has to watch Amun’s reactions.”
“Danbulwi’s adopted son gets protection. Without Danbulwi, the spoiled Amun kids wouldn’t even glance at him.”
“Damn. I need that kind of backing too…”
Hearing footsteps behind, Danyeop hurried into his dorm.
He realized Wang Oh hadn’t been helping him but harassing him because of Hayongwol.
“Ah! So that’s why.”
He recalled what second-year Ma Eunrok had said before leaving the sect:
—If you dare meet Hayongwol, I’ll kill you when you leave the sect.
He had suffered for days after getting slapped hard that day.
Sigh! I have nothing to do with Hayongwol…
The thought infuriated him.
Though he intended to train in Baekryudo at the hall for a while, he couldn’t face returning there.
His eyes wandered to the head of his bed.
He got up and pulled the Banyasim manual from under his pillow.
To master Baekryudo quickly, he had to summon Simma.
“Is this heaven’s will…?”
After carefully reading the manual, he sat cross-legged on the bed.
Since Simma would appear as soon as he trained his inner power, there was no need to go somewhere secluded.
Suddenly, the secret formula of Banyasim crossed his mind:
—If one perceives the emptiness of the world’s true form, they will surpass all difficulties and reach the essence of reality.
What does “all difficulties” mean?
Wang Oh’s bullying?
The Simma that gnawed at his life?
The horrifying memory of his mother who tried to kill him constantly?
He took a deep breath as he pondered.
Huuu—.
Flash—!
Danyeop slowly opened his eyes.
Unlike before, his heart felt strangely empty and disoriented.
He didn’t move but observed the flow of his mind.
After it fully calmed, he got off the bed.
“Did something happen?”
His stomach growled.
“Huh? Am I hungry?”
He went outside to check the time.
Seeing trainees gathered in front of the dining hall, it seemed to be mealtime.
Before going inside, he checked the Terracotta Army.
With the bright sunlight, it was probably lunch.
“Danyeop, the dunce, didn’t eat and summoned me?”
Since the situation wasn’t urgent, it likely meant he had lost his appetite.
“Judging from the trainees’ mood, it seems to be the latter…”
No wonder his heart had stirred upon waking.
“Huh! I should thank him.”
Danyeop decided to eat first, then visit Danbulwi’s leader.
He was curious how long he had been unconscious and who had left the scar on his neck.
Terracotta Army Dining Hall
Danyeop received wheat pancakes and mutton soup, sitting at a nearby empty table.
He tore the pancakes into the soup and scooped it with a wooden spoon when a trainee across kept staring.
“Why?”
It was fourth-year Jang Sopal, who whispered after glancing around.
“Don’t ask Wang to teach you, ask Go instead.”
“What?”
“The Baekryudo method.”
“Oh, did I train in it this morning?”
“Huh?”
Jang Sopal looked puzzled.
“I’m asking if I trained Baekryudo this morning.”
“Yes…”
Jang Sopal immediately regretted speaking to Danyeop.
Having also suffered under Wang, he had tried to help, but Danyeop seemed to have a serious problem.
“Wow, damn. This guy can’t even remember what he did this morning?”
Danyeop ate the mutton soup, nodding his head.
“Hmm, it’s a bit salty. Baekryudo is a good method. Are you learning it too?”
“I’ve completed up to the fourth move.”
“Oh! That’s impressive. Are you a fourth-year student?”
“Yes.”
“Your name?”
“Me?”
Jang Sopal ignored the question at first, thinking it pointless to respond to someone who couldn’t remember the morning’s training.
“Who else are you talking to right now?”
“Jang Sopal.”
“So, Sopal. Are you Seonmun?”
“Yes.”
Jang Sopal buried his face in his meal, eager to finish and leave.
“But Sopal, why did you say to learn from Go instead of Wang?”
“Gah! Cough, hack!”
Startled, Jang Sopal choked on his food.
The commotion drew the attention of nearby trainees.
