Chapter 17
Chapter 17
"Ahem, then shall I show what I can do now? If Seo Mugyeom trusts me this much, I ought to respond in kind."
Pyo Inhaeng seemed to be in an especially good mood.
"Division Leader, but you must keep in mind that Vice-Division Leader Un is not someone to be taken lightly. Doesn’t it seem like he anticipates multiple moves ahead? He’s someone capable of fabricating evidence and carefully orchestrating things so people believe his words. If he thinks your actions might endanger Vice-Division Leader Ju, he may even try to trap you."
As Seo Mugyeom spoke, Pyo Inhaeng narrowed his eyes and looked at him.
"You knew that and still told me to go ahead with it?"
"I was only saying it out of concern for you, Division Leader. You shouldn’t blame me for that."
When Won Jirim stepped in, Pyo Inhaeng’s gaze shifted to him. But unlike Seo Mugyeom or Ho Jo-yeong, seasoned Won Jirim wasn’t intimidated.
He even showed a rebellious defiance, as if daring him to glare more, which made Seo Mugyeom look at him with admiration.
Pyo Inhaeng shook his head, thinking a strange camaraderie was forming among them.
"Anyway, just be aware and prepare accordingly. I'm about to summon the leadership for a meeting. Vice-Division Leader, don’t let on that you already know anything—act like it’s the first time you're hearing it. If you make a misstep, Ho Jo-yeong and Seo Mugyeom might catch the blame from the leadership, so handle it well."
"Understood. Don’t worry about that. The Tenth Division’s matters will be handled without flaw, so please focus fully on escorting Miss Ak. I have a feeling things won’t go so smoothly, and I’m a bit concerned."
When Won Jirim said that, it was clear he felt he had to, and Pyo Inhaeng nodded seriously. Everyone present felt the same unease.
It was hard enough to face one enemy, but this time they had to face many at once. Moreover, it was hard to fully consider the head of the Ak Clan an ally, and if something went wrong during the mission, he could become an enemy too.
"Let’s do this. It’s already started, and turning back now would be ridiculous, right? We’ve been disregarded enough just for being the Tenth Division. And I don’t remember if I said this before, but everyone here must remain in the Tenth Division till the end. I even broke the rules to pass down secret martial arts manuals. If anyone thinks they're special and tries to transfer to another division, I’ll sever their head."
"Division Leader... You don’t have to be that way with me. If the opportunity arises, I—"
Seo Mugyeom tried to voice his opinion cautiously, but couldn’t even finish.
"Don’t even think about it. That applies to everyone else too, but especially you. After I put my all into training you, if you even think about leaving—"
"..."
"See that? He has no answer for that."
"I don’t think the Division Leader has to stay in the Tenth Division either. Wouldn’t it be good for you to become the First Division’s Division Leader and chase a bigger dream? You might change your mind later, so there’s no need to feel bound. But I can say this with certainty—I’ll never betray you, Division Leader."
At that, Pyo Inhaeng shook his head.
"I thought you'd be easy to handle because you're young, but it’s not so."
"Young warriors these days aren’t easy, Division Leader. At least that one turns pale when you scold him."
When Won Jirim spouted something completely unconvincing, Pyo Inhaeng flapped his hand dismissively, clearly annoyed, and waved everyone out.
"We're having a leadership meeting now, so everyone out. And don’t forget—we start preparing thoroughly from now."
Everyone left his office as if they’d been chased out, but his words stayed with them.
Until the Division Leader summoned him again, Seo Mugyeom immersed himself in training whenever he had free time. He thought he might not get another chance to train calmly at the training ground like this.
‘It doesn’t feel like I’ve gained any new inner strength lately.’
Through several opportunities, Seo Mugyeom had awakened new inner energy, but there had been no further progress since.
It seemed that unless he received a stronger stimulus, nothing more would awaken.
The inner energy that had awakened and begun moving was perhaps the timid kind, while those still dormant might simply be fearless.
He thought that maybe the timid ones started moving first to protect themselves, fearing death, while the fearless ones were simply not yet moved.
Pyo Inhaeng ensured Seo Mugyeom could train alone in the Small Training Hall. He also gave strict orders that no one was to approach the area.
Perhaps he was worried that others might grow envious if they learned Seo Mugyeom was being treated specially, so he blocked access to the Small Training Hall without giving a reason.
The Tenth Division’s warriors, knowing their Division Leader’s eccentric and irritable nature, didn’t dare question the order.
Later, Yoon Seok, the Vice-Division Leader of the Eighth Division, came looking for Seo Mugyeom but was harshly turned away by Won Jirim.
Yoon Seok tended to look down on the Tenth Division and thought that, as a Vice-Division Leader, Won Jirim wouldn’t dare treat him rudely. But when Won Jirim came at him like a fighting rooster, he had no choice but to retreat with his tail between his legs.
Seo Mugyeom had been about to resume training when that memory popped into his head, and he smiled unintentionally. Lately, this happened often. He used to have a simple mind, with no idle thoughts creeping in. But nowadays, he found himself smiling as random thoughts surfaced.
Yet he didn’t dislike it. Through such moments, he realized how harshly he had lived in his past life.
Back then, he had no one close except for Ho Jo-yeong and a few others. And the depth of his bonds with them had been pathetically shallow. He couldn’t trust anyone completely; they were merely a group of powerless people clinging to life.
Now, having met the Division Leader and Vice-Division Leader and building a deeper trust with Ho Jo-yeong than before, Seo Mugyeom felt happy.
He enjoyed working with them and had a new goal—to become stronger for their sake. In the past, he wouldn't have immediately thought of sacrificing himself for others, but now he was willing.
He was proud to have found people he was willing to sacrifice himself for.
‘Still, let’s focus now, Seo Mugyeom.’
Resolving himself, Seo Mugyeom focused again.
But again, he was blocked.
This time, it wasn’t because of idle thoughts.
‘If I go to the Imperial City, I might not be able to carry a sword… Since it’s where the Emperor resides, I guess there’ll be many places where weapons aren’t allowed. Should I start learning unarmed techniques like fist or palm techniques in preparation?’
Though he had learned some things at the Martial Arts Academy and the Tenth Division, Seo Mugyeom wondered if he could acquire something even more advanced.
He thought that maybe, like how sword techniques had suddenly come to him one day, fist techniques might emerge similarly.
Then one day, Seo Mugyeom approached the training ground wall with a sudden idea.
He thought that maybe punching the wall might awaken his inner energy.
He was worried he might break a bone if it didn’t go well, but felt it was worth a try.
Bracing himself, he tightly shut his eyes and punched the wall.
But maybe because of the fear of pain, he couldn’t put enough force into it.
At first, his arm shot forward fast, but it slowed drastically just before hitting the wall. After a few more weak punches, he felt embarrassed by himself.
‘How am I supposed to train like this?’
Swinging a sword didn’t bring direct physical shock to his body, so he’d never had this problem before. This was a different issue.
Fortunately, Seo Mugyeom had a memory he could recall in such a moment. When he thought back to that helpless moment when he had no choice but to face death, a torrent of uncontrollable emotions surged within him.
He realized that unless he changed, unless he transformed, he wouldn’t escape his fate this time either. His mindset shifted.
If he cowered before the pain in his fist now, he would face another miserable death.
He swung his fist.
Blood oozed from his knuckles. The skin had torn, but Seo Mugyeom decided he would no longer show himself mercy. He punched again and again. His speed increased, and the power intensified.
At first, the blood merely seeped out, then it splattered, and finally it poured as bone became visible. He wondered if it really needed to go this far, but decided he had to push himself to the limit.
After several more strikes, a cracking sound rang out as the wall dented. But the more important achievement was that his inner energy had begun to move.
Once he resolved himself to risk death, the inner energy began to protect his fist.
A smile formed on Seo Mugyeom’s face. It was time to teach his inner energy who the master was.
With his qi protecting his fist, Seo Mugyeom could attempt fist techniques more boldly.
He clenched his fist slowly, folding each finger deliberately, and punched with all his strength—an explosion erupted.
He felt as if the air itself had been torn apart.
Then Seo Mugyeom wondered if he had ever learned such a technique before.
He was sure he hadn’t, yet here it was unfolding. His inner energy raced along his acupoints as if it already knew the path.
Focusing on the flow of his qi, Seo Mugyeom continued the motion.
‘This is fascinating.’
He concentrated on the resistance he felt in the air against his fist, and the satisfaction of breaking through it, until he suddenly realized how much time had passed.
When he came to his senses, night had fully fallen.
"When did it get this late?"
Deciding it was time to stop and return, Seo Mugyeom left the training ground.
After he left, the wall, which had barely held up until then, finally gave out and collapsed.
It was something that would’ve made the Jakyunggak Master of the Divine Martial Sect faint if he had seen it—but Seo Mugyeom, unaware, went to sleep peacefully.