Chapter 103
‘…Suddenly?’
The second son of the Yi family of Shandong.
Yi Baek, a young man who had endured a hellish admission process with his sickly body to become a disciple of the Moyong family, was so bewildered that he was at a loss for words.
It was a great honor to be accepted as a disciple.
But just a moment ago, So-ah, who had been speaking respectfully, suddenly lowered his voice and spoke with a stern tone, so he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded…
Moreover.
‘Is it because of my background?’
As the second son of the great hero Yi Geon-hui, who was known as one of the three great chaebols of the Jianghu, he couldn’t help but have such a suspicion.
It wasn’t just the person in question, Yi Baek, who was surprised.
Even some of the family members and Jang Beon-pal had startled faces at So-ah’s change of attitude.
‘Keke! My younger brother has a bit of a shameless streak. Well! Since the second son of the Yi family of Shandong has come. Of course, he would be like that.’
But.
The thoughts of the people in the room were nothing more than a misunderstanding.
Of course, when So-ah learned of Yi Baek’s background, he thought, what a windfall.
But that was just a secondary part, like ‘if you’re going to get it, get the best.’
The reason So-ah was willing to accept Yi Baek as his first top disciple was because of Yi Baek’s strong will.
‘Just by looking at him, he has a very weak constitution. But he still endured the admission process. At the very least, that means Yi Baek has a tough spirit.’
Accepting a first disciple.
That was a completely different matter from teaching the students of the White Martial Academy and his junior sister and junior brother.
Although the quality of his first disciple was poor, So-ah’s heart was strangely excited.
“Why aren’t you reacting? Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind?”
So-ah suddenly asked Yi Baek, who was standing there blankly.
At that, Yi Baek shook his head and said.
“Ah… no. It’s just that I didn’t expect to become the top disciple of Young Master Jin, who has a brilliant reputation in the Jianghu, just by becoming an external disciple, so I was bewildered…”
So-ah narrowed his eyes as he looked at the hesitating Yi Baek.
“Yi Baek. By any chance…”
“Yes?”
“You’re not thinking that I’m giving you special treatment because I heard about your background, are you?”
It was a statement that hit the nail on the head.
So-ah, who had been intelligent since he was young and had now experienced all sorts of things, how could he not know Yi Baek’s inner thoughts?
Yi Baek’s face, whose true intentions had been revealed, turned bright red.
“Don’t tell me you really thought that?”
“Ah… no. How could I…”
“You.”
So-ah’s expression was serious as he cut off Yi Baek’s words.
“Yi Baek. I was an orphan, and I wasn’t particularly talented. But I still became the disciple of the esteemed God of War. After that, I was never discriminated against in the Moyong family and, as the great disciple. I am now admitting you as the acting temporary family head.”
Yi Baek’s eyes widened like lanterns.
‘Y-Young Master Jin was an orphan? And he wasn’t particularly talented. How…’
“In other words, our family doesn’t consider someone’s background or origin at all.”
“Young Master Jin…”
“The reason I’m admitting you as a disciple of the Moyong family is, first, because of a promise, and second, because of your strong will.”
Only then did Yi Baek realize that he had had a useless misunderstanding and bowed his head.
“Young Master Jin. I sincerely apologize. I had such a foolish thought without even knowing.”
“The Yi family of Shandong. Yes! It’s an amazing background. Because of that, I can imagine how many flies have swarmed around you in your life. It’s not unreasonable to have a misunderstanding.”
“…Young Master Jin.”
“But from today, you’re going to throw away that victim mentality. That’s also a form of arrogance, you know.”
“I will keep that in mind. I will not do so again!”
“Alright. Then, ahem!”
So-ah sat down on a chair with his chin resting on his hand and stared at Yi Baek.
‘Hmm… what should I do?’
The moment Yi Baek was rolling his eyes, not knowing what to do.
Jang Beon-pal, who had been watching, scolded him as if he were frustrated.
“You brat! Are you stupid because you’re the son of a chaebol, or are you arrogant?”
“Yes?!”
“Shouldn’t you perform the nine bows to your new master?”
Only then did Yi Baek realize.
That he had really become an external disciple of the Moyong Family.
And…
‘I… I’m really becoming the top disciple of Young Master Jin, who is evaluated as the youngest of the Ten Great Masters of the Orthodox Path?!’
That he had come to serve the strongest master in history.
“Disciple, I will pay my respects! Master!”
As if he were moved, Yi Baek even had tears in his eyes and began to bow.
Of course.
If he had known at this time that his master’s nickname was ‘Hell Instructor,’ he might have made a different choice.
***
“Kuhaha! Younger Brother. Congratulations on receiving your first disciple.”
“Haha, thank you. Brother!”
“By the way, he looks really pathetic. Is he going to be okay? I doubt he can learn your Ten-Second Invincible Arts.”
“Brother. Who am I? Am I not the instructor who made all the riffraff of the White Martial Academy into officials?”
“That’s true, but… still…”
“It’s all about how you do it. If you can’t do it, make it happen! It may sound irresponsible, but I have no doubt that it’s the truth. If Yi Baek can’t do it.”
“…”
“I will make him do it.”
Only then did Jang Beon-pal finally and completely understand what kind of person So-ah was.
The So-ah he saw had no hesitation.
Because he was such a person, he hadn’t hesitated to do the audacious act of fighting a duel with him, but even considering that, So-ah’s drive and confidence were enough to make one click their tongue.
“I must apologize to you.”
“What are you talking about, Brother?”
“I thought you were a person like me. A person with strong martial arts and an eccentric personality. That’s what I thought you were.”
“Brother…”
“But I was mistaken. Sometimes, you seem like a person who is too big to be judged…”
“You’re overpraising me.”
“No. You are truly such a person.”
At Jang Beon-pal’s words, So-ah felt so embarrassed that he wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
Then.
“Phew… Brother. I’m not that good of a guy. No, I’m not just not a good guy, I’m actually a dirty snob.”
“What do you mean by that?”
At Jang Beon-pal’s question, So-ah looked left and right and then whispered in a very small voice.
“Actually, Brother…”
So-ah confessed that in accepting Yi Baek as his disciple, he had had a vile heart that calculated the profit and loss, just a little. Just a very, very little.
At that.
“Kekeke! Isn’t that a very natural human feeling! Even if it were the living Buddhas of Shaolin, not you, they wouldn’t be able to not have such a heart!”
“Is… is that so?”
“Of course. What did you think! Look here, Younger Brother. Isn’t it better to have the best if you’re going to have it? It’s not like you accepted him as your top disciple just because of Yi Baek’s background, right?”
“Of course, that’s true. Even if Yi Baek had been a beggar, I would have accepted him as my disciple.”
“Then that’s that.”
“Brother…”
“Do you know the truth I’ve learned in my 70 years of life? That humans are selfish beings. No matter how much of a saint they are, in the end, humans are bound to pursue their own interests. If there is someone who denies that attribute, that person is a hypocrite.”
For a moment, So-ah felt as if his eyes had been opened.
“Brother! Thank you for your wise words.”
“Hoho. What’s there to thank me for?”
“From now on, I think it’s okay to be a little more selfish and harsh. I will take your teachings to heart.”
“Is… is that so?”
“I’ll have to live so harshly and selfishly that not even a drop of blood would come out if I were pricked with a needle! Haha!”
‘He seems to be the harshest in the world even now. He took my words like that? Really.’
Jang Beon-pal, at a loss for what to do, just let out a dazed laugh.
***
A dark night.
Yi Baek, who had become the second external disciple of the Moyong Family and So-ah’s first disciple, had a busy day, not even knowing how the day had passed.
He had formally paid his respects to the family members, visited the family’s ancestral mountain and bowed, and grasped the family’s rules of life, customs, and atmosphere.
‘It’s a much more simple place than I thought…!’
On the one hand, he was also worried.
His body was still not in good condition due to the aftermath of yesterday’s training.
Although he had resolved that his will would never be broken, he was anxious about whether his lacking self would become a burden to his supreme master, Jin So-ah.
So-ah, who had noticed Yi Baek’s state of mind, took him on a night mountain walk.
“Baek-ah.”
“Yes, Master.”
“You’re still flustered, right?”
“Yes…”
“By the way, you’re the second son of a chaebol merchant family, so it would be beneficial for you to focus on studying business. How did you come to want to be a martial artist?”
“Ah… Master. About that.”
Yi Baek explained in a low voice the circumstances of his application for admission.
“As you know, my father is a great merchant. He has a considerable amount of pride, and he has also done a lot of good things in the region, so he has the recognition of the people. But half a year ago, a disaster struck. While negotiating with a business partner, he was assaulted by the other party. Not only was he slapped and kicked in the abdomen, but he was also beaten in the face with a fist, and suffered quite a serious injury. Those rotten bastards!”
Even while speaking, Yi Baek’s eyes spat out a gleam as if he were grinding his teeth.
“How dare some crazy bastards hit the great hero Yi Geon-hui? They have a lot of nerve.”
“They were businessmen with a gangster background.”
“So what happened?”
“My father hired the best hired hands in Shandong and had their eyes gouged out and their fingers cut off.”
“Aha…”
“But that wasn’t a satisfying revenge. My father’s crushed pride was not restored.”
“Well, instead of gouging out their eyes, he should have just split their heads and pulled out their brains… Ah! Ahem. Keep talking.”
“Yes?!”
So-ah originally despised gangsters.
So hadn’t he also erased the Triad guys from the world before?
Moreover, when he heard the story of the human trash who had mercilessly assaulted an old man who didn’t even know martial arts, he got excited without realizing it, but he barely calmed down and closed his mouth.
“Ah! Anyway, after that day, my father changed. To confess, my father originally disliked martial artists. He usually thought that violence was barbaric. But after that incident, he told my brother and me to learn martial arts. With the strict order that he would not give us a single penny of his fortune unless we became masters.”
“Aha! You little rascal. Now I know why you were so desperate to enter our family. Was it because of the fortune?”
So-ah asked with a smile.
At that, Yi Baek hurriedly shook his head.
“Ah… no, Master. How could it be for that reason? It’s just that I was also born with a sickly body and was often ignored by my older brother and younger siblings when I was young, so I had a desire to learn martial arts.”
“Hmm… but why didn’t your older brother apply for admission?”
“My older brother became a lay disciple of Shaolin.”
“Shaolin?! Tsk, tsk. How unfortunate, how unfortunate. To choose the monks who just mix rice with mountain vegetables, leaving aside the great Moyong Family. It’s the end of the world, the end of the world.”
“Ma… Master!”
“Baek-ah.”
“Yes?”
“You’re very lucky.”
“Ah…”
“Otherwise, how could you have met a master like me? Isn’t that right?”
“Th-that’s of course! I never even imagined that I would become your disciple, Master.”
“I guarantee you, in a year, you’ll be laughing, and your brother will be crying. Although Shaolin is amazing, they wouldn’t teach their true secret arts to a lay disciple. On the other hand, you.”
“I…?”
“You will learn the Ten-Second Invincible Arts.”
“Ah…!”
The moment Yi Baek let out a long sigh.
So-ah’s words continued.
“Instead, it will be like hell. No! It will just be hell. Especially for a weak guy like you, every moment might make you want to die.”
“Disciple, since I was young, my perseverance has been second to none.”
“Are you confident?”
“Even if I die, I will endure.”
“Good! And. If you can endure that training.”
“…”
“No one in the world will be able to torment you.”
(End of Chapter)