Chapter 11
Chapter 11
To Seo Mugyeom, the Divine Martial Sect was everything in life.
The Divine Martial Sect was his world—his beginning and his end.
Most of the people he knew belonged to the Divine Martial Sect, and most of his connections were formed there.
But the suppression army that suddenly descended—how brutally they had killed them.
And how the Guardian Ten Division had died as well.
Seo Mugyeom vividly remembered the scene he had witnessed before his death.
He clearly recalled the martial artists of the Guardian Ten Division retreating, their backs to a thousand-foot cliff, as they were steadily pushed back.
The martial artists of the Guardian Ten Division tried to resist until the very end.
He recalled familiar faces raising blood-soaked swords and charging toward the suppression army.
‘It’s unfair… But what’s the point of saying it’s unfair when it happened because I was weak? If I’m not strong, I can’t protect anything, and if I can’t protect anything, I’ll end up losing it all in vain. I should have expected that something like this could happen and prepared for it.’
Seo Mugyeom shook his head coldly as he thought.
‘I’ve been too lenient with myself. I stopped because I thought it was too hard, and I gave up early, claiming it was painful. And this is just the price I paid. There’s no need to resent the heavens.’
Once that thought settled in, he could only push himself even more harshly.
He had maintained a composed demeanor just moments ago, but from that moment onward, he immersed himself in training even more fiercely.
While Seo Mugyeom was so deeply engrossed in his training, there was someone watching him through the dawn mist.
It was Yoon Seok, the Vice-Division Leader of the Eighth Division.
Yoon Seok had come to the Tenth Division the previous day, hoping to see Seo Mugyeom again, but had returned empty-handed.
That morning, as he set out for a mission, he decided to stop by the Tenth Division's base once more, wondering if he might catch a glimpse of Seo Mugyeom before leaving.
It wasn’t exactly appropriate for him to wander freely through another division’s base—it could easily lead to conflict—but this was the Tenth Division.
Since when had the Eighth Division ever cared about the Tenth Division’s feelings or circumstances?
He roamed around as if he were in his own home.
He wasn’t bothering anyone; he was simply looking for places where Seo Mugyeom might be.
He thought Seo Mugyeom would probably be training at the small training hall from early morning.
If he was going to display such martial skill during a mission, he must have been training seriously beforehand.
That assumption wasn’t far off, and eventually he found Seo Mugyeom in the small training hall of the Tenth Division.
Until then, Yoon Seok himself hadn’t really known what he wanted to do once he found Seo Mugyeom.
He hadn’t planned out what to say.
But the moment he saw Seo Mugyeom, he froze in place.
‘What the hell is that? What is Seo Mugyeom doing right now?’
Before coming here, he had already learned everything he could about Seo Mugyeom.
He had somewhat expected it from the beginning, but Seo Mugyeom was truly insignificant.
In the martial arts academy, his skills had been pitiful, and the others who had trained with him barely remembered him.
The way they hesitated when asked about him made it obvious.
Still, because the one asking was Vice-Division Leader Yoon Seok, they couldn’t just brush it off, so they forced themselves to recall whatever they could.
It wasn’t just one or two people—everyone said the same thing.
They seemed puzzled as to why someone like the Vice-Division Leader would care about someone like Seo Mugyeom.
Within the Eighth Division, Vice-Division Leader Yoon Seok wielded near-absolute authority.
That was partly because the Division Leader of the Eighth Division was mild-mannered and good-natured.
Many believed that the Vice-Division Leader’s martial prowess wasn’t far behind that of the Division Leader.
Otherwise, they thought, the Division Leader wouldn’t let him get away with acting so freely all the time.
The people Yoon Seok questioned began to feel a tinge of jealousy toward Seo Mugyeom.
They wondered what made Seo Mugyeom special enough for the Vice-Division Leader to take an interest in him.
That kind of feeling likely made them even less inclined to speak well of Seo Mugyeom.
But they weren’t lying.
The truth was, Seo Mugyeom had been utterly unremarkable during his time at the martial arts academy.
‘So then, how is that guy doing that right now?’
Yoon Seok stared at the technique Seo Mugyeom was executing in a trance-like state.
And then he realized—it wasn’t completely unfamiliar to him.
He was sure this was the technique Seo Mugyeom had used to defeat the Nine Dragon Gang thugs.
Without realizing it, he held his breath and watched in silence.
He wanted to steal it.
If he could, he wanted to master it too.
At first, Yoon Seok had intended to call out to Seo Mugyeom right away, but now he hoped Seo Mugyeom wouldn't notice him.
He continued watching Seo Mugyeom’s training.
He thought about imprinting it in his mind to practice alone later.
Had it not been for the harsh voice that rang out from behind, he would have continued watching.
“What are you doing?
What business does the Vice-Division Leader of the Eighth Division have here?
Is it not enough to be snooping around someone else’s training hall, and now you’re trying to steal a technique too?”
It was Pyo Inhaeng.
Startled by the sudden whisper in his ear from behind, Yoon Seok felt like a snake had slithered up his neck and flinched in shock.
He barely held back a scream and glared at Pyo Inhaeng.
It was obvious he had done it on purpose to startle him.
At first, he intended to get angry, but soon he began to find something strange.
He was a martial artist.
He had been training without rest until now.
And yet, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed Pyo Inhaeng’s presence at all.
“Why the long face?
Doesn’t seem like guilt.
A brazen fellow like you wouldn’t be ashamed even if caught doing something shady in the Tenth Division, would you?”
Yoon Seok glared at Pyo Inhaeng and then lifted his chin.
Pyo Inhaeng had probably already seen how surprised he was, but there was no reason to shrink before him.
“Seo Mugyeom helped us during our mission, so I was just passing by. He seemed injured during the mission, so I stopped by to check if he was being properly treated. I wasn’t sure the Tenth Division would provide proper care, you see.”
By then, Seo Mugyeom had also heard their conversation and slowly approached, stopping his training.
Pyo Inhaeng sneered at Yoon Seok’s words.
“The Vice-Division Leader of the Eighth Division personally gracing our shabby Tenth Division, and even caring about Martial Artist Seo’s injury—what a touching moment. Seo Mugyeom, aren’t you going to thank him?”
Seo Mugyeom stepped forward and bowed to Yoon Seok.
“Thank you for your concern. I’ve recovered well, and my fatigue has completely gone.”
“I see. Understood. Since you were just passing by, there’s no need for special thanks. I’ll be going now, so continue your training. And if you ever need my help, come to the Eighth Division anytime. I’ll leave word to send you straight to me if you do.”
Yoon Seok spoke as if he and Seo Mugyeom were close enough to have such a conversation, putting on airs in front of Pyo Inhaeng.
Pyo Inhaeng crossed his arms and waited, curious to see how Seo Mugyeom would respond.
Even if Pyo Inhaeng hadn’t been there, Seo Mugyeom’s answer would have been the same.
“Thank you for saying so. However, I am a martial artist of the Tenth Division. If I need help, I can handle it within my own division. I appreciate your concern once again.”
Yoon Seok was dumbfounded by Seo Mugyeom’s words.
He wondered if the boy was too young to understand how the world worked.
But no, that couldn’t be it.
Seo Mugyeom had already completed the martial arts academy training.
He should have learned all there was to learn from the Guardian Ten Division.
So what was he saying?
Did he really not understand the Tenth Division’s place?
Or had he given up, thinking he no longer had any chances?
It seemed like he had resigned himself to fate, and though Yoon Seok wanted to say more, Pyo Inhaeng’s narrowed, watchful eyes made him hesitate.
Moreover, he had only stopped by briefly while on his way to a mission, so he couldn’t stay long.
“I’ll come again another time.”
“What business does the Vice-Division Leader of the Eighth Division have with martial artist Seo that he would come again? Last time was different since they were on a mission together, but there won’t be such a reason in the future.”
Pyo Inhaeng stepped in to draw a clear line, but Yoon Seok wasn’t ready to back down so easily.
“That’s your opinion, Division Leader Pyo. Seo Mugyeom is a skilled martial artist. If someone with his abilities has to rot in the Tenth Division forever just because he failed his first trial, isn’t that too cruel?”
It was an obvious provocation, but the sly Pyo Inhaeng didn’t appear offended in the slightest.
Considering all the humiliations he had endured in life, this was nothing.
Yoon Seok didn’t want to leave as though fleeing, but time was pressing, and he had no choice.
Even so, not wanting to end it on that note, he looked at Seo Mugyeom and said again,
“Remember what I said.
I’ll come again once the mission is over.”
“Please return safely.”
Seo Mugyeom kept his words neutral, distancing himself politely.
Pyo Inhaeng seemed pleased with that response and flashed a victor’s smile at Yoon Seok.
As Yoon Seok stomped away, Pyo Inhaeng watched him leave with satisfaction, then turned to Seo Mugyeom.
“Did you do everything I told you to?”
“Yes, I’ve been training since the time you instructed.”
“Good. Anyone can receive a miraculous opportunity, but if the one who receives it lacks the ability to handle it, it’ll only bring disaster. So what matters now is building that ability.”
As he spoke, Pyo Inhaeng stepped further into the training hall.
Seo Mugyeom didn’t quite relate to the idea that anyone could receive a miraculous opportunity, but he followed him anyway, and Pyo Inhaeng nodded.
“Keep going with what you were doing.”
“Yes, Division Leader.”
As Seo Mugyeom resumed his training, Pyo Inhaeng adjusted his stance.
“I don’t know what led you to this opportunity, Seo Mugyeom. I don’t know why your inner energy suddenly increased, or why you’re now capable of strange techniques. Even your inner energy control seems far more fluent than mine. But even so, I can still see things that I can teach you. So I will correct those for you.”
“Thank you.”
Upon hearing it, he felt it truly made sense.