Chapter 15
"Moyong Gi! You crazy bastard!"
So Moogyeol shouted at the top of his lungs.
Even though the training room was surrounded by thick walls, So Moogyeol's urgency was fully conveyed.
Baek Unseol called out to Moyong Gi, who was walking in front.
"Will he be okay?"
"He'll be fine."
"I don't think so. He looked like he was in danger..."
"What danger. If he's really in a pinch, he'll just beat it up."
"You made it so he can't use his internal energy. How is he going to beat it up?"
"Can't you use martial arts without internal energy? Does what you've learned disappear?"
Moyong Gi was right. Even without internal energy, the way to use one's body remained intact.
"It's not that, but... it's just so fierce."
The guard dog was large and very fierce. Even the warriors who had grown up in the Orthodox Justice Alliance were terrified of it. It was not easy to handle without internal energy.
"Forget it. Myung Jin is quiet, isn't he? He's just being a baby."
In fact, from Myung Jin's training room, only the sound of a dog barking could be heard intermittently, and he wasn't screaming like So Moogyeol.
'Come to think of it, this guy is surprisingly obedient.'
The Myung Jin before his return had been on edge about everything. Because of that, he had clashed with Moyong Gi and Cheol Muhan over every little thing.
But the current Myung Jin had a surprisingly obedient side.
'Is it because he's not fully grown yet?'
It wasn't that he didn't understand. A person's personality could change depending on what they experienced.
Even before Moyong Gi had fully jumped into the battles of the Dragon Slaying Brigade, Myung Jin had been continuing that fight.
He had to be on edge about everything, and he couldn't overlook a single thing. It was because a single mistake could cost several lives. His personality had become that sensitive.
It was a natural phenomenon. Cheol Muhan, who had maintained his original personality while continuing that kind of life for several years, was the strange one.
'Well, it's not bad.'
If Myung Jin had been on edge like before his return, it would have been even more tiring. He wouldn't have even dreamed of him doing as he was told like now. Convincing him would have been the first priority.
As Moyong Gi was smiling, thinking it had become easier thanks to that, Baek Unseol expressed her concern again.
"That's because of his personality. The guard dog is really fierce."
"I said forget it. If you're so worried, wait and let him out."
Moyong Gi said sullenly and turned his gaze to Zhuge Yeon.
"Let's go. You have to train too."
Zhuge Yeon was startled. Her jet-black eyes shook uneasily.
"M-me too?"
"What are you pretending not to know for? You decided to do it too."
"Th-that's true, but..."
Her voice trembled faintly. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. Without being able to use internal energy, a dog was no different from a wild beast.
Baek Unseol looked at Moyong Gi with a strange expression.
"You're not... going to make Young Lady Zhuge do that too, are you?"
"Are you crazy? Why would she do that?"
Moyong Gi shook his head firmly.
At that sight, Zhuge Yeon let out a low sigh, and only then did her face brighten.
"Then?"
"She'll learn the sword first."
Baek Unseol's eyes widened slightly. Zhuge Yeon was the same. She hadn't expected that he would actually teach her the sword.
"You're going to teach her your sword?"
Baek Unseol asked again with a look of disbelief.
Originally, even a light martial art was not taught carelessly to others.
Let alone teaching, they would have a fit even if someone just watched.
Advanced martial arts were even more so. If someone secretly peeked, a sword fight would break out.
In Baek Unseol's eyes, Moyong Gi's sword could be called a sufficiently advanced martial art.
No, that alone was not enough.
Beating the rising generation martial artists was one thing, but taking down even Yoon Choong was purely the power of his martial art.
It was a top-class sword art. She was surprised that he would teach it.
However, Moyong Gi shook his head.
"Why would I teach her my sword? There's something better."
"Something better?"
Baek Unseol swallowed hard. Zhuge Yeon also looked at Moyong Gi with tense eyes.
"Was it the Formless Sword Art? That's much better than my sword, why would I teach her mine?"
The Formless Sword Art was the family martial art of the Zhuge family.
It was a sword art based on the essence of change and had made quite a name for itself in the martial world.
However, it was difficult to see it as a top-class martial art.
Baek Unseol looked at Moyong Gi with a reluctant expression.
"But that's..."
It was difficult to reveal her inner thoughts to the end. It was because she was conscious of Zhuge Yeon.
However, Zhuge Yeon looked at Moyong Gi with an unconcerned face.
"You're going to teach me the Formless Sword Art?"
"It's not exactly teaching, but helping."
"That's the same thing. By the way..."
Zhuge Yeon's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know our family's martial art, Young Master Moyong?"
Even if the Formless Sword Art was not a top-class martial art, it was a family martial art. If a family martial art had been leaked, it was a serious problem. She had to know the source.
"How would I know?"
"You told me. That you would teach me. Surely you didn't say you would teach me something you don't know?"
Her glaring eyes were quite fierce. The sharp momentum pricked her face.
Moyong Gi let out a faint laugh.
"Why are you leaving one thing out? I said I'm helping, not teaching."
"That's the same thing. How can you help with something you don't know?"
"You'll know when you experience it yourself, right? By the way..."
Moyong Gi stopped walking and looked back at Baek Unseol.
"You can go now."
Baek Unseol flinched and trembled.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"No. I thought I heard something wrong..."
"What did you hear wrong. I said you can go now. Are you going to watch us train?"
"Th-that's..."
Baek Unseol had a troubled expression. Moyong Gi pushed Zhuge Yeon into the training room first and looked back at Baek Unseol.
"Go now. See you later."
And then he slammed the door shut.
Baek Unseol's pupils, left alone, trembled slightly.
***
Zhuge Yeon looked at Moyong Gi.
"Um... is it okay to just send her away?"
"If not? Is it okay to show her you training?"
"It's not that, but..."
Zhuge Yeon was quick-witted.
From the way Baek Unseol treated Moyong Gi, she could immediately tell that her feelings were more than ordinary.
She thought it was the same for Moyong Gi.
Otherwise, she thought there was no reason to grit his teeth at Yoo Hojin.
She even thought that he might be using her.
Moyong Gi, as if he had guessed Zhuge Yeon's thoughts, chuckled.
"Instead of having useless thoughts, why don't you focus on your martial arts? You only lasted for ten seconds, what are you having so many idle thoughts for?"
Moyong Gi poked at a sore spot.
Zhuge Yeon bit her lip. Moyong Gi, unconcerned, continued to speak.
"Do you think participating in the Pure Martial Grand Tournament is easy? With your skills, you might be able to do it if you focus solely on martial arts except for eating and sleeping. Of course, if I don't help you, you'll never be able to do it. Do you have the luxury to have other thoughts in that situation?"
You shouldn't just spoil her because she's pretty.
If necessary, she had to be disciplined.
It was especially effective for a woman with strong pride like Zhuge Yeon.
"Worry about yourself before you worry about others. Do you think you can worry about others with those skills?"
Zhuge Yeon's lips twitched. It was having an effect.
"The most useless thing in the world is worrying about the rising generation martial artists of the Nine Sects One Gang. Who do you think you are..."
"I get it! Stop it now!"
Her voice was raised without her realizing it. She bit her jaw with a frown. It had worked properly.
Moyong Gi grinned and drew his sword.
"Shall we start then?"
"Yes!"
Zhuge Yeon glared at Moyong Gi with fierce eyes.
As if she was fired up, a sense of firm resolve could be felt.
But Moyong Gi sighed.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"What are you doing, not drawing your sword."
"Huh? Do I... have to draw my sword?"
"If not? Do you think you can receive my sword without drawing your sword?"
"No, that's not it..."
The general way of learning martial arts was to follow the demonstration and have your posture corrected.
Zhuge Yeon had naturally thought that's what they would do.
"As I said just now, I don't know what the Formless Sword Art looks like. Even if I do, it's just something I picked up on the streets."
"Then how are you going to teach me?"
"How many times do I have to say it. I'm not teaching, I'm helping. You have to learn it yourself."
"Does that make sense? How can I learn by myself?"
"You'll get it if you keep doing it. So just draw your sword for now."
Zhuge Yeon still looked at Moyong Gi with a suspicious face. She still didn't seem to have any intention of drawing her sword.
'So full of suspicion. How nice would it be if she just got it the first time like Myung Jin?'
Moyong Gi sighed. He rolled his eyes, wondering how to convince her. Not long after, he opened his mouth again.
"Do you know how I learned the sword?"
Zhuge Yeon was also curious about that part. Curiosity arose in her eyes.
"How did you learn?"
"I learned by getting beaten to death. I thought hard about how to get beaten less."
"No way... is that possible with just that?"
"Just that? Does it look like just that to you?"
Moyong Gi's eyebrows twitched. He showed his edge to Zhuge Yeon for the first time.
Zhuge Yeon flinched and glanced at him.
"...Is it not?"
"One blow would tear my flesh. If I got hit wrong, my bones would break. But do you know what's funny? That was a relief. If I was unlucky, my head would fly off."
Moyong Gi continued to speak with a serious face.
"My internal energy is the same. Now it's about half a cycle, but back then it was about ten years' worth. I thought so hard that my hair was about to fall out, trying to survive with a tiny bit of internal energy. I really almost died. Is it still just that?"
"Is that... really true?"
"Of course, it's true. What would I get from lying?"
"Wow..."
Zhuge Yeon, unlike her usual self, let out a hollow laugh.
The question she had been harboring was finally resolved to some extent.
She had wondered how he had become so strong, and it turned out he had gone through a terrifying process.
Zhuge Yeon swallowed hard.
"Then me too...?"
"Don't worry. I won't hit you."
But he swallowed the rest of his words.
'At least not with my own hands.'
Anyway, in a year, she would be beaten until she wailed. If she wanted to at least survive, her foundation had to be strong.
'My part is only up to there.'
Moyong Gi himself couldn't do anything more than that.
It was solely Zhuge Yeon's share, and it was a path she had to walk herself.
In that sense, the old monsters of the Demon Sealing Valley were good guides.
"If you understand, hurry up and draw your sword."
Zhuge Yeon quickly drew her sword. As if she was relieved that he wouldn't hit her, her face lit up.
Moyong Gi grinned. And then, without a word, he extended his sword.
As he always felt, the speed was amazing. Her neck was caught in an instant.
Feeling a chill, Zhuge Yeon unknowingly squeezed her eyes shut.
"Kyaa!"
Moyong Gi sighed.
'I'll have to teach this from the beginning.'
Even Myung Jin was at a pathetic level, but Zhuge Yeon was worse.
As if she had really only learned martial arts from books, she didn't even have the basics.
'Aish! I don't know. She'll figure it out after dying and coming back to life a few times.'
Moyong Gi hit Zhuge Yeon's forehead with the flat of his sword as if giving her a flick.
"Ouch!"
As if it was quite painful, Zhuge Yeon teared up.
"You said you wouldn't hit me..."
"Is that hitting? At least a part of you has to be broken to be called being hit."
Zhuge Yeon pouted her lips. But Moyong Gi was not shaken.
He had experienced enough before his return how a cunning fox treats others.
"Don't ever close your eyes again."
"Can I control that?"
"If you can't, make it so you can. Are you going to just offer your neck because you're scared while fighting?"
Zhuge Yeon let out a groan. It wasn't wrong, so she had no reply.
"Then hold your sword. Let's continue."
"Again? Without a break?"
Zhuge Yeon's eyes widened.
She had realized that even though he said he wouldn't hit her, it wasn't something to be relieved about.
Even though it seemed like Moyong Gi had thrust carelessly, the momentum contained in that sword was murderous. Her heart was still pounding.
So she was suddenly scared at the words to do it again.
Moyong Gi made up his mind firmly.
"What have we done to rest? We'll do it until you can block it. Be prepared."
Zhuge Yeon's pupils were colored with despair.
(End of Chapter)