Chapter 10

-Let's Never Be the One Who Learns

Bi Ryu-yeon first sought out the village bookstore. This was because, in order to teach people, he needed knowledge, and most of that knowledge was contained in the space called books. Having only been taught—if any fool would call it teaching—and never having taught before, he naturally lacked information and awareness about teaching. Thus, Bi Ryu-yeon felt the need to buy books containing teaching tips and methods for instructing people. Currently, Bi Ryu-yeon needed special materials. Information and materials that would serve as nourishment to perfectly execute his plan.

Judging by his own common sense, what the Cheonmu Academy wanted him to teach the kids was probably not martial arts forms. Even the old man who had died was a martial artist; would he carelessly pass on his ultimate techniques to others? Therefore, it probably wasn't simple martial arts forms or incantations. It was probably a request to teach the principles of martial arts, that is, the theory of martial studies.

To teach that much, a meticulous plan was needed. But even just making a plan was a very enjoyable thing for Bi Ryu-yeon. Bi Ryu-yeon's entire body overflowed with vitality, and his eyes shone with a brilliant light. Soon, the beings who would bring change and joy to his life would arrive. As Bi Ryu-yeon meticulously contemplated how to cook and eat them, a smile full of satisfaction spread across his face.

While his mind was endlessly turning with a myriad of thoughts, Bi Ryu-yeon's body began to descend the mountain at the speed of an arrow. The arrow's destination was a bookstore in the village.

'But? What kind of place is the Cheonmu Academy?'

As he descended the mountain, a question suddenly flashed through Bi Ryu-yeon's mind. Come to think of it, he knew nothing about the Cheonmu Academy. He had planned to start something without even knowing where it was located, or the extent of its composition and power. If anyone who knew even a little about the Cheonmu Academy had known this fact, they would have stopped him, even by force, but there was no such person around Bi Ryu-yeon.

Of course, he had gone down to the village to work and earn money, but Bi Ryu-yeon, who had mostly continued a reclusive life, knew nothing about the current state of the Jianghu. He didn't know about the Cheonmu Academy, of course, and he didn't even know what the famous Nine Great Sects were. His master hadn't taught him, and he hadn't learned, so it was only natural that he didn't know.

As Bi Ryu-yeon left the bookstore, which reeked of musty paper, two old, worn-out books were clutched in his hands. As if he had been in there for a long time, a layer of fine dust sat on his shoulders and head. As a reward for steadfastly digging through a dust pit reeking of ink and mold for about 6 hours, Bi Ryu-yeon was finally able to find the materials he wanted.

One book was a famous ancient text said to have been written during the Tang Dynasty, titled The Art of Deception Even a Monkey Can Do. The other was also written in the same era, with the tempting title You Too Can Become a Master. Both books were written by the same author, and according to Bi Ryu-yeon's research, the person's surname was 'Sa' and his given name was 'Gigun', a famous figure of the Tang era named Sagigun (a pun on 'swindler').

According to one theory, he wrote these two books in a cold prison cell. It is said that he poured all of himself into these two books with a heavy heart, suppressing his resentment against the state that had unjustly thrown him in prison because his ideas and actions were not considered proper.

Bi Ryu-yeon had spent a long time in the bookstore poring over related books such as The Theory of Certain Victory in Deception, The Secret Method of Absolute Deception Revealed, Introduction to Deception for Complete Beginners, The Theory of Mass Deception, The Great Encyclopedia of Jianghu Deception, and Become a Master in 100 Days, What is a Master, A Complete Dissection, The Theory of a Master's Birth, but he could not find a book easier, superior, or more outstanding than the two books now in his hands. The fact that he had not just found, but excavated these two books from that garbage-dump-like bookstore was truly a shining achievement brought about by Bi Ryu-yeon's effort and grit.

Now that the materials were prepared, the next things needed were the tools necessary to teach people. But as Bi Ryu-yeon pondered this problem, his face wrinkled slightly. The reason was simple. Unlike the materials, preparing these would inevitably cost a considerable amount of money. The moment he judged that he would have to endure a significant financial loss, Bi Ryu-yeon's mouth tasted bitter. He also felt a sense of regret. But no matter how precious money was, he could not reverse a decision already made. The plan had to proceed. On and on~.

He had to get the money again, and for now, he could only hope that the worst-case crisis of a budget overrun would not occur. If the unforeseen event of a budget overrun did occur, he felt like he would just throw everything away.

'The preparation starts now. I'm going to be busy from now on.'

The red sunset was slowly breaking at the boundary between the sky and the earth, dyeing the whole world red. Bi Ryu-yeon turned his steps towards the location of the Iron-Fire Artisan. The plan would proceed without a hitch.

---

• The Hellish Training Camp

Hell had already begun.

But no one had noticed that fact.

And by the time they realized that place was hell, they despaired, realizing they were already in the middle of a deep swamp from which they could never pull their feet out.

On a summer day when the sun burned at its zenith and hot air scorched the earth, the cicadas hidden in the forest were chirping so loudly it seemed the whole forest would be carried away. Along a path laid in the middle of a dense forest, a group of men and women was trudging through the woods.

The two young men walking at the head of the group were hurrying along the path, talking to each other as if to relieve their boredom. One was wearing a white martial arts uniform with an Azure Dragon embroidered on it, and the young man next to him was wearing a calm and quiet-looking blue Taoist robe, on the sleeve of which a blue dragon was also embroidered. The man in the blue Taoist robe with a blue dragon wrapped around his sleeve spoke to the man in the white martial arts uniform walking beside him on the mountain path. Judging by their tone, the two seemed to be friends.

"Hey, Namgung. Is it still far?"

"We should be arriving soon. It's been quite a while since we started climbing the mountain, hasn't it?"

"Anyway, I hope we arrive at our destination quickly, if only to escape this scorching weather. Look at this sweat. I feel like I'm taking a bath in sweat."

"Hahaha, I feel the same."

The young man in the white martial arts uniform laughed brightly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The young man's name was Namgung Sang. After exchanging these few short words, Namgung Sang, who was once again silently climbing the mountain, perhaps bored by the silence pressing down on him, spoke to his close friend, 'Flowing Soft Sword' Hyeonun, who was one of the Nine Dragons like himself and was called the best of the rising generation of the current Wudang Sect.

"Hey Hyeonun, what liberal arts courses are you planning to take this time? Have you finished registering for classes?"

"Ah, that? For the literary side, I plan to take 'Understanding Lao-Zhuang Thought and Philosophy,' 'Understanding Thought and Humanity,' and a second foreign language. For the martial side, I plan to take 'The Use of Fists' and 'Dual Sword Studies.' What about you?"

"Hoh, that's impressive. A choice befitting an aspiring Taoist priest. For the literary side, I plan to take 'Understanding Confucian Thought,' 'Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean and Understanding the Universe,' and for my second foreign language, I'll take Sanskrit. For the martial side, I plan to take 'Dagger Throwing' and 'Whip Techniques.' By the way, Hyeonun, what are you thinking of taking for your second foreign language?"

"Ah, I also signed up for Sanskrit, just like you. Isn't Sanskrit the most popular subject among the second foreign languages? The number of students registering is high, and thinking about future prospects, it has to be Sanskrit."

"But Sanskrit is a difficult subject. It's hard to get good grades... By the way, I heard your grades are quite high this time? The rumor has spread all over the academy. You must have trained hard."

"Haha, it's the same for both of us, isn't it? Namgung, there's a rumor going around the academy that your GPA is also quite high. Are you trying to change the subject?"

"Perhaps. But this time, I didn't get a very good grade in Old Master Sim's Original Theory of Martial Arts. Isn't that teacher famous for being a stingy grader?"

"Hehe, I can't expect a very good grade in Old Master Kang's Theory of Ancient Confucian Thought either. Isn't that teacher's nickname 'Stingy'? He's really stingy, really stingy. You should never take a lecture taught by Old Master Kang. You'll regret it, yes, you'll definitely regret it."

"Hehe, I'll do that. I'll keep your advice in mind. And this time, I won't lose to you. I'll take the victory this time."

"Look who's talking. You'd better be careful yourself. I'll flatten your nose this time too. Do you know how many sleepless nights I had because my ranking was lower than yours in the last evaluation? I'm hoping for a more comfortable sleep this time."

"My, my, that's a statement I could never have imagined coming from the mouth of a disciple of the Wudang Sect, the number one Taoist school in the Divine Land, which is said to sever worldly ties and seek only the truth. Hahaha!"

"Is that so? Hahaha!"

At Namgung Sang's playful words, Hyeonun showed a slightly embarrassed expression. Namgung Sang, the second son of the Namgung family, one of the leading martial arts families, and Hyeonun, a second-generation disciple of the Wudang Sect, were rivals who always vied for the top spot among the Nine Dragons, the most outstanding of the second-year students at the academy. It was quite a strange thing to see that the two of them were on good terms despite being such strong rivals. As they were talking about who the good teachers were, which teachers made you sleepy just by attending their classes, and which subjects were worth taking, the cheerful voices of women were heard from behind them. It was a clear voice, somewhat excited and full of vitality.

"My, my, Miss Jin still seems to be full of energy since that time. She looks really happy."

Hyeonun said with a laugh to Namgung Sang as he listened to the chattering behind them. From the moment they heard that their training location was Mount Emei, Jin Ryeong, a lay disciple 자랑하는 of the Emei Sect, was as lively as a girl running through a dream.

"How many years has it been since she returned to Mount Emei? It's only natural that she's happy. Wouldn't you have been happy if the training camp location was Mount Wudang? It's the same."

"Hehe, that's true. It must feel like returning home. Me too..."

In that moment, Hyeonun's words trailed off slightly. His expression darkened, and it seemed he was somewhat hurt that the training camp location had been decided as Mount Emei and not Mount Wudang. The person who was enjoying happiness in exchange for his misfortune was Jin Ryeong, a lay disciple of the Emei Sect, whose laughter had not ceased and who had been moving with lively energy ever since she found out their destination was Mount Emei. As the group entered the boundary of Mount Emei, she seemed to gain even more energy, blooming with conversation with the women in the group, thoroughly excited.

However, neither Jin Ryeong, who was savoring the joy of returning home, nor Hyeonun, who was slightly disheartened that the training camp location was set for Mount Emei, could have guessed the reality that was to come. The time that would come to be called hell...

Had they walked for about another half an hour? In fact, if an ordinary person had seen their walking speed, they would have said that some people were fearlessly running up a rough mountain path. As if the heavens were moved by their sincerity, the faint shadow of a building appeared through the forest that was obscuring the top of the mountain. The group had finally arrived at their destination. Everyone, in an excited mood, walked with quick steps towards the building in front of them. It was then.

"Rustle..."

Suddenly, a tall, straight tree next to the path shook violently, and from above, a black figure fell down. At the sudden appearance, the members of the Vermilion Bird group instantly put their hands on their sword hilts and took a defensive stance.

The figure had no beard, but with white hair and a face finely wrinkled, he looked to be an old man in his fifties. However, for an old man, his back and legs were too straight, and his whole body overflowed with vitality and strength. At a glance, it was impossible to think of it as the body of an old man in his fifties. But overall, unlike his sudden appearance, he was the owner of a featureless face.

"Who are you?"

Namgung Sang, who was at the front, asked in a very polite tone. Seeing that he didn't just shout 'Who are you?', one could tell that he was a fellow who had accumulated considerable mental cultivation. Namgung Sang would probably never know, even if he died and came back to life, that if he had rudely shouted 'Who are you?', something quite terrifying would have happened to him.

"Welcome. I welcome you."

The old man greeted them with a gruff and turbid voice, a smile on his lips that he himself thought was gentle but that others would find quite grotesque. No one naively believed that the smile was without malice, but even at this time, no one knew that the voice they had just heard was the voice of the one who would guide the group of 16 into hell. A strong wind suddenly blew and swept past them. But no one could read the ominousness carried within it.

Namgung Sang and the 15 members of the Vermilion Bird group were led by the old man's gesture and followed him into the building. The building was three stories high and was quite spacious and large. Above the entrance of the building, an antique plaque with the words 'Cheonmu Emei Training Center' was heavily hung. Seeing that there were no particular signs of wear or damage, it seemed to be very well-managed.

The person who was currently in control of this Cheonmu Emei Training Center should have originally been Iron Gall Flying Ring Jin Joun, but the arrow of that fate had long since gone astray, and the person in control here now was Bi Ryu-yeon, the successor of the Flying Thunder Sect, its breadwinner, and its operational maintenance manager, transformed into the old man from before. His plan was currently proceeding step by step without any particular problems. Right now, Bi Ryu-yeon was scheduled to have a formal first meeting with the cute disciples he would be spending the next three months with. A faint smile still lingered on his lips, not leaving. However, this ominous smile, directed at certain individuals, was hidden by a human-skin mask, so no one could recognize it.

"I have no name. No, think of me as having no name."

This was the first thing Bi Ryu-yeon said after gathering the 16 members of the Vermilion Bird group.

"...?"

The seated members stared at Bi Ryu-yeon with blank eyes. At his sudden and disjointed words, everyone couldn't help but express their questions. To the people who were bewildered and couldn't even express their questions actively, Bi Ryu-yeon made another bombshell declaration. This bombshell declaration was easier to understand than the previous one, but it had the power to surprise people even more.

"This old man's current face is not my real face. Because I am currently wearing a shell called a human-skin mask on my face."

Some of the seated Vermilion Bird members even lifted their buttocks from their seats, showing surprised expressions. It was only natural to be surprised that the teacher who would be teaching them was currently wearing a fake face. There were also those who openly showed expressions of suspicion and caution.