The outer training yard was packed.
Fifty disciples stood in formation, ranging from nervous newcomers to skeptical veterans. The elders watched from the pavilion like hawks, and Jin stood to the side with an encouraging smile that Raon wanted to punch off his face.
**Breathe. Just breathe. You've got this.**
"I definitely don't got this," Raon whispered.
**Fake it till you make it. That's literally your whole character arc.**
Raon stepped forward, and the yard fell silent.
"So," he began, "I'm Guard Raon. The Young Master thinks I can teach you something useful. The elders think this is a waste of time. Let's prove one of them right."
A few chuckles rippled through the group.
"First question," Raon continued. "How many of you have been told to cultivate with strength or push your flow harder?"
Almost every hand went up.
"Right. That's wrong."
**Bold opening. I like it.**
"Qi isn't something you force," Raon explained. "It's something you guide. Think of it like water, if you push too hard, it splashes everywhere. But if you guide it with the right flow, it fills every space perfectly."
He paused, scanning the crowd. "How many of you are Qi Refinement stage?"
About thirty hands.
"Core Formation Early to Middle?"
Fifteen hands.
"And how many of you have been stuck at the same stage for more than six months?"
Nearly all the hands went back up. Uncomfortable shifting. A few ashamed faces.
"That's what I thought," Raon said quietly. "It's not your fault. The techniques you've been taught have gaps, places where the energy flow breaks down. You're working twice as hard to make half the progress." He demonstrated the flowing stance. "Today, we fix that foundation. Because if you can't build a stable Core Formation, you'll never reach Awakened Realm. And this sect needs Awakened cultivators."
The weight of that statement settled over the group. It wasn't just about getting stronger, it was about saving the sect's future.
He demonstrated, moving through a basic Blue Pearl stance while channeling Qi visibly. The energy flowed smoothly around his arms like liquid light, no wasted movement, no strain.
The disciples' expressions shifted from skepticism to focus.
"Now, pair up," Raon instructed. "One person performs the Basic Flow Form. The other watches and tells them where they're leaking Qi. Then switch."
**Peer learning. Smart. You're actually good at this.**
"Don't sound so surprised," Raon muttered as the disciples began pairing off.
For the next hour, Raon moved through the groups, offering corrections and insights. He caught Jiwoo helping another girl with her breathing, Hyunwoo (surprisingly) patiently demonstrating stance adjustment, and Sojin taking notes like this was a university lecture.
By the end of the session, even the skeptical veterans looked intrigued.
Elder Cho approached as the disciples dispersed, his expression unreadable. "Guard Raon."
**Boss fight incoming.**
"Elder Cho," Raon bowed respectfully.
"That was... unconventional."
"Yes, Elder."
"But effective." Cho's eyes narrowed. "Where did you learn such methods?"
Here it was. The question Raon had been dreading.
"Observation and experience, Elder," Raon said carefully. "Guards spend most of our time watching disciples train. After years of seeing what works and what doesn't, patterns emerge."
It wasn't technically a lie.
Cho studied him for a long moment. "I'll be watching your future sessions, Guard Raon. Closely."
**A threat wrapped in bureaucratic politeness. Fun.**