Five years had flown by like an arrow.
My age, which had been sixteen, was now around thirty. A full-fledged adult.
Ten years at the Heavenly Wind Martial Hall. Over the span of time it takes for rivers and mountains to change, I'd thrown myself relentlessly into martial arts training.
If you asked whether all that time had yielded any real results, I'd honestly have to say I wasn't sure.
"Hah!"
"Oh ho, not bad!"
I still hadn't beaten Master Wang-sam even once.
Over a decade without a single victory—it was a real blow to my pride. But no matter how much it stung, reality didn't budge.
At least I wasn't losing as easily anymore. That was some small comfort.
Man, even if I'm not using my internal energy "properly" in these fights, how have I not won even once?
"Hup!"
I kicked off the ground and shot forward.
The wooden sword in my hand swung down toward Master's head, but his wooden sword blocked it.
I'd expected as much.
I twisted my wrist immediately, knocking his sword aside and thrusting at his neck.
Master barely dodged by twisting his upper body.
So close—just a bit faster and...
I hid my regret, pulled back to create distance, and reset my stance.
Then Master's counterattack began.
Just like I had, he stomped the ground hard and closed in, swinging his wooden sword.
In the blink of an eye, he was upon me, stabbing at my shoulder.
I swung my wooden sword to deflect the thrust, but then Master's left hand—his empty hand—whipped toward my abdomen.
Seeing it coming, I raised my knee to block his fist.
-Bam!
"Urk...!"
When knee meets fist, it's the fist that hurts, obviously.
As Master winced and retreated, I realized my golden opportunity had arrived and flashed a triumphant smile.
Today, I'll blow off all that pent-up frustration and trample that damn Master flat...!
I kicked off the ground again and dove into his guard.
Startled by my sudden speed, Master widened his eyes.
Confirming his fluster, I savored the thrill in silence and swung my wooden sword at his abdomen with full power.
"Haaap!"
Finally, finally...!
But the thrill was short-lived.
Just before my sword connected, Master pulled off some bizarre maneuver and instantly created distance.
My sure-kill strike ended up merely slicing a bit of his training robe.
"Aargh!"
Again, a failure! That was supposed to land!
I glared at Master, eyes bulging with intensity.
"...Master, what the hell was that just now?"
"Eh? Huh? What do you mean, what? Isn't it the Three Talents Steps I've been teaching you?"
I pointed accusingly at Master, who was fumbling with a stiff expression and spouting nonsense.
"Don't lie! What kind of Three Talents Steps was that? Who are you trying to fool—!"
"Ahem! How dare you doubt your sky-like Master's words? It's definitely the Three Talents Steps! I just applied it a little."
Master kept farting from the mouth.
I snorted right back.
"You think that crap flies now? Especially from someone hiding his real martial arts?"
"A-hem! What nonsense is that...!"
Master denied it to the end.
But that wouldn't fool my energy sense.
I could feel it even now.
A massive aura incomparable to the occasional escort warriors passing through the village.
Gathered with Three Talents Internal Arts?
Only two possibilities.
Either Master was one of those legendary absolute masters who'd achieved return-to-youth enlightenment, or he'd scarfed down a filthy amount of spirit elixirs.
Either way, utterly impossible for a third-rate warrior practicing third-rate arts.
"...Hmph."
I slung my wooden sword over my shoulder and shot him a sideways glare.
"Ahem. Come to think of it, it's about time for Ran-a and Ryeong-a to start preparing lunch..."
Caught off guard by my stare, he averted his eyes slyly and bolted from the spot.
Damn that sly fox.
*
'What a monster...!'
Fleeing the training hall like his life depended on it, Wang-sam let out a hollow laugh as he eyed the neatly sliced front of his training robe.
Then reality sank in once more.
Just now, he'd been forced to use his true martial arts to dodge an attack from a greenhorn who'd only trained in lowly third-rate techniques for ten years.
The absurdity had him wondering if he was dreaming, so he pinched his cheek. It hurt, but he didn't wake up.
"...Did he have some kind of fateful encounter?"
Even rationally, it was impossible to accept such rapid progress with just Three Talents Internal Arts and Three Talents Swordsmanship.
It'd be more believable if he'd stumbled upon some destiny.
But Wang-sam immediately shook his head.
"No way. He hasn't had the time for that."
It had already been ten years since he'd hidden away in this Goon River Village.
Living in the same village for a decade, even if you kept quiet, you'd inevitably learn this and that.
The local magnate and richest man in Goon River Village: Goon Family Manor.
And its youngest son, Goon Ja-seong.
The way the household babied their youngest—no matter how you sliced it, the kid was already nearly thirty, yet they'd once mobilized every servant to turn the village upside down just because he hadn't come home past curfew.
'Even so, flipping the whole village for a grown man like that? Overkill, right?'
Wang-sam couldn't wrap his head around the fuss.
And the resolution to that incident? Utterly ridiculous.
Kidnapped by bandits, ambushed, blah blah—turns out he'd been learning acupuncture from the village doctor.
The Goon Family Manor's youngest young master and his eccentricities were already infamous village-wide, but acupuncture out of nowhere?
Curious, he'd once asked why he'd learned it.
The answer was pure gibberish.
-Ah, that? I was studying acupoints.
Acupoints? He'd already taught all the twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary vessels while instructing martial arts. Why study acupoints separately?
He'd pressed further, but got nothing but vague "something like that" deflections.
Recalling that day, Wang-sam paused.
"...Maybe it was just an excuse?"
No way the village doctor was some hidden supreme master?
Recognizing Ja-seong's talent and secretly teaching him advanced arts...
"What ridiculous nonsense..."
Wang-sam shook his head.
His own absurd experiences were making his imagination run wild.
"Hoo..."
With a small sigh, he resumed walking—and spotted two girls just entering the hall through the gate.
His two disciples, Seol-ran and Ha-ryeong.
Returning from market with shopping baskets overflowing with ingredients.
"Ah, Master!"
The youngest, Ha-ryeong, lit up at the sight of him and scampered over.
Now fourteen, she was like a flower bud ready to bloom. Wang-sam nodded warmly.
"Back from the market?"
"Yeah, Senior Sister helped."
Following her words, Wang-sam looked to Seol-ran approaching behind.
Now nineteen, unlike Ha-ryeong, Seol-ran's flower had fully blossomed.
Her straight nose, elegant facial lines, and sculpted features blended into a bewitching beauty that turned heads regardless of age or gender.
Rumors of her looks had spread to neighboring counties—enough said.
It made Wang-sam even warier of pursuers.
But that beauty was shrouded in an icy chill, deterring anyone from approaching.
Of course, it didn't apply to Wang-sam, her master of ten years.
"Everything alright?"
"Yes."
With that single word, Seol-ran clamped her mouth shut and tried to pass him toward the kitchen.
But at that moment, she locked eyes with Ja-seong emerging from the training hall.
"Hey, Junior Sister?"
"..."
She whipped her head away from his cheerful wave.
Ignoring him completely, she quickened her steps to the kitchen—but Ja-seong swiftly blocked her path.
"Ehey, can't just brush off your senior brother's greeting like that."
"...Hello. Happy now?"
Her greeting avoided eye contact.
It was obvious she still held a grudge against him. As she pushed past, Ja-seong lobbed a bomb.
"What, still sulking?"
She froze.
Ja-seong grinned from behind, voice dripping with amusement.
"Martial artists spar, right? Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. Why hold it in like a total grudge-holder?"
It had been just two days prior.
Under Master's orders, Ja-seong and Seol-ran had a sparring match.
The shocking result: Ja-seong's victory.
He'd disarmed her wooden sword using nothing but the most basic Three Talents Sword.
Everyone in the hall—save Ja-seong—had been stunned.
Teasing her about it, calling her a grudge-holder.
Of course, it wasn't sincere.
Ten years together as seniors. He knew she wasn't the type to hold grudges.
In short, Ja-seong was just messing with her.
Teased hundreds of times before.
Vowing not to fall for it again, Seol-ran opened her mouth.
"...Who's a grudge-holder? I'm not bothered at all..."
"Mad, huh?"
"..."
"Yup~ Too weak to do anything about it? Pisses you off big time?"
Her body trembled, fresh vow forgotten.
As she looked ready to explode, Ja-seong landed the finisher.
"Doesn't matter—you can't do shit anyway~ 'Cause you're weaker than me. Kyahaha!"
"Shut up!"
Exploding at his obnoxious laugh, Seol-ran flung the ingredients aside and charged him.
Grinning wider at her twisted face, Ja-seong bolted like a shot.
Seol-ran chased after.
In the end, only Ha-ryeong and Wang-sam remained in the hall.
Ha-ryeong sighed at the scattered groceries.
"...Guess I'm prepping lunch alone again today."
Just another typical day at the Heavenly Wind Martial Hall.
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