Chapter 56

"The fragrance emanating from his sword method comes from that strange, unwanted realm called Sword Scent. So, you just have to surpass that realm of Sword Scent. Then all problems will be solved simply."

But no matter how much he thought and pondered, it was by no means a simple matter. How could surpassing one realm and entering a new one be as simple as words? This Murim was a place where countless people had devoted their entire lives to overcome such barriers. How could that difficult and arduous task—a task that might require a lifetime's devotion—be demoted to the level of child's play?

"Does that even make sense?"

It was to the point where the Human Remodeling theory seemed far more feasible.

"Of course, it makes sense. That realm called Sword Scent, it may look amazing, but when judged with common sense, the emission of fragrance is a kind of emission of ki, in other words, it means a useless consumption of ki. Unless that fragrance is a poisonous one, it's of little use in enhancing the power of the sword method. So, when I judge with this extraordinary mind of mine, I suspect that the realm of Sword Scent is a transitional state just before the completion stage of the Plum Blossom Sword Method. It's a state where the ki is not yet completely controlled. Besides, among the currently known martial arts realms, there is the realm of Returning to the Origin, where one looks ordinary after surpassing a certain realm. So, if you surpass that realm of Sword Scent, the plum blossom fragrance will probably no longer be there. Then all problems will be solved. The sword method becomes stronger, and the fragrance disappears. Isn't that a solution that kills two birds with one stone, what do you think?"

Bi Ryu-yeon looked at the three with a very triumphant expression. But they were so serious that it was clear they were contemplating whether they should even play along with Bi Ryu-yeon's absurd idea.

The realm of Sword Scent alone was a supreme realm where success stories were rare even in the Mount Hua Sect. But an absolute realm of the sword that surpassed the realm of Sword Scent! It was a truly ruthless, difficult, and impossible task. But even if its feasibility was rarer than half a grain of millet, Bi Ryu-yeon's words were not logically wrong. Of course, it was as impossible as counting all the stars in the night sky. Hyo-ryong, forcibly calming his uncontrollable absurdity, opened his mouth cautiously.

"By what means do you intend to ascend to that realm? He can't even properly perform the sword method."

"Do you have to swing a sword with your body to train? That's not it. Once you reach a certain level, you can see greater effects through virtual sword method training and meditation. You know that well, so why are you like this? So let's find a solution in that direction."

Frankly, it was not wrong. Masters whose martial arts had risen above a certain level created a foothold to ascend to a higher realm through enlightenment through meditation rather than harsh physical training. Once one escaped a certain level of realm, one was no longer bound by the state of physical training. If one failed to attain enlightenment, one would just stagnate and miserably rot away like a puddle in a swamp.

"It's not entirely wrong, but I don't think it's just my ears that are mistaken in thinking that that side sounds like a truly impossible story..."

Hyo-ryong was still unable to shake off his skeptical reaction. Seeing Jang Hong quietly nodding his head next to him, it seemed he felt the same way.

"Just trust me. Why are you so scared of just improving the stage of a sword method? Don't worry, that much is not even worth a cup of tea after a meal."

Bi Ryu-yeon was boasting and confident, but was that something that could be done with just boasting? Hyo-ryong, who was looking intently at the restless Yun Jun-ho, opened his mouth as if to summarize the current situation. His tone was full of doubt and hesitation. There is a saying that a promising tree is known from its cotyledons. But in this case, it was a matter of having to doubt the decay of the seed, let alone the cotyledons.

"That's something that takes too much time. The possibility of success is also slim... and above all, his own will is very weak."

It was still a skeptical reaction, but that much was not enough to break Bi Ryu-yeon's will.

"Give impossibility to a passing dog. If some cheeky mutt refuses to eat it, beat it until it's half-dead and force-feed it."

Bi Ryu-yeon said, like a teacher teaching students.

"What does that mean?"

"It's our sect's creed. Don't worry, making the impossible possible is my specialty. The people of our sect have a lot of talent and 'know-how' in that area. Look forward to it, hehehe..."

Hearing Bi Ryu-yeon's strange laughter, Yun Jun-ho could not shake off the ominous feeling that he was like a prey being chased by a tiger. Bi Ryu-yeon's laughter had that much of a mysterious power to make him anxious. In addition, an anxiety and fear that his future might be as dark as a moonless night, unable to see even an inch ahead, enveloped his entire body. It would be proven in the future. That this day's ominous feeling was by no means a simple concern...

It seemed that this matter had to be approached step by step, taking some time. So Jang Hong decided not to be anxious and to take it easy. It was because he judged that it would be much more helpful for Yun Jun-ho as well.

But if a solution was not found as soon as possible—whatever that method may be—it was possible that Yun Jun-ho's skills would be crushed by Bi Ryu-yeon's hands before they could overwhelm Jong Ri-hak and Chu Ga-yeon, give them the bitter poison cup of defeat, and push them into the bottomless pit of despair.

Whether Bi Ryu-yeon's food tray would be stained with blood first, or whether Yun Jun-ho would ascend to a new realm of the sword first, or whether his body would be remodeled in some way, or if not, whether Jang Hong's giving up would be first, that was something that had to be seen.

Yun Jun-ho, who had been called the Mount Hua underachiever, or the Mount Hua inferior student, the retard, and countless other infamous names, and had received all sorts of contempt and ridicule from those around him. Thanks to this environment and his timid and tender heart, he had lost all his confidence.

He had destroyed his own mind by falling into self-pity, and thanks to the diligent help from those around him, his inferiority complex and self-torment had reached an even more serious level. That inferiority complex had become a shackle that prevented him from exerting even half of his skills. Of course, the most fatal thing was his plum blossom hypersensitivity...

In fact, if Bi Ryu-yeon had just made up his mind to mess with those incredibly rude and at the same time, ill-mannered owners of a wonderful personality, Jong Ri-hak and Chu Ga-yeon, he had more than enough ability to do so tomorrow. But the beginning of today's incident was that he had thought that doing so would be too simple, trivial, and boring.

Besides, although Bi Ryu-yeon did not say it, he could recognize Yun Jun-ho's hidden true skills, potential, and jewel-like talent at a glance. Although he was still just a rough gemstone, there was enough potential to develop into a treasure of enormous value depending on how he was polished and refined. Bi Ryu-yeon was probably the first to recognize his hidden potential inner realm since the great-grandmaster, the Plum Blossom Sword Saint.

Moreover, the situation he was in was also strange and interesting, so Bi Ryu-yeon suddenly felt interested. His action philosophy, which was so free-spirited that it was excessive, was mostly greatly influenced by his momentary mood changes and interests.

This time too, he was enjoying himself, his eyes shining like a child who had just received a new toy. But it is a well-known fact that his interest and irresponsible actions brought him profit and joy, and brought others enormous loss and sorrow—almost close to despair. Anyway, since Bi Ryu-yeon had taken an interest in him, Yun Jun-ho's future could no longer be said to be smooth.

The path of fate towards Yun Jun-ho's future was still bumpy, rough, and difficult, as the construction had been abandoned in the middle due to the laziness of the gods and the goddess of fate. But the goddess of fate in charge of him seemed to have no plans to resume the road construction for the time being. To make matters worse, the meeting with Bi Ryu-yeon might be the pinnacle of shoddy construction of the fate road. If so, Yun Jun-ho would have to live his whole life cursing the goddess of fate.

Having decided on a small course of action and guidelines for the future, they decided to conclude their exchange of opinions for finding a solution for now. And they decided to go to bed early.

Because tomorrow was the day for the important martial arts lecture course registration, which would decide their half-year training life at the Cheonmu Academy, so there was a mountain of things to do. Depending on which master's, which field's, and which lecture they chose to listen to tomorrow, numerous changes could occur.

So they decided to go to bed early and accumulate their strength. Because there was Jang Hong's advice that for some reason, the day of course registration was very draining. But Jang Hong avoided mentioning that certain reason at all.

Because he thought that when tomorrow came, they would all find out to the point of being fed up anyway.

• Course Registration is War

"What on earth is this?"

Bi Ryu-yeon looked at a booklet that the academy had given to each person,
as if he were fed up.
A book so thick that he was afraid to turn the pages!
But unfortunately, that booklet
was by no means a secret manual containing some peak divine art.
It would have been a relief if it were a secret manual.

But the true purpose of this booklet, which had the long name of『Cheonmu Academy Martial Arts Student's Course Registration Reference Manual』, was elsewhere.

"It's the course registration manual."

Jang Hong, who was next to Bi Ryu-yeon, acted as if he knew. Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes naturally turned to him. He had not yet figured out the identity of this booklet.

"I'm asking just in case, but if there's another use for this book besides using it as a pillow or a weapon, please tell me."

Bi Ryu-yeon asked in a very curious tone. Then Jang Hong lived up to his expectations.

"Well, it's sometimes used as a substitute for sleeping pills."

Jang Hong said, as if it were true.

"Really? It has various functions, so it's very convenient."

"Of course. It's harmless to the human body, but the effect is amazing. I guarantee it."

"Is there anything else besides that?"

"Huh, you really don't know?"

Jang Hong's eyes widened. In fact, he had thought the previous words were just a light joke and had played along, but that wasn't it.

"It's a reference book for the upcoming martial arts lecture course registration. The martial arts taught at the Cheonmu Academy are so diverse and extensive in their types and scope that they are divided into several similar related fields, and experts in those fields give lectures. As such, the types and numbers are enormous. It's so vast that an individual can't master it all even if they devote their entire life to it. As such, the range of choices is mercilessly wide and dizzyingly large, so there are many difficulties in registering for lectures. This is something that the Cheonmu Academy has kindly made to help students register for their desired martial arts fields."

Jang Hong knew about the ridiculously thick and tiresomely long-named『Cheonmu Academy Martial Arts Student's Course Registration Reference Manual』in much more detail than expected.

"But why is it so thick? The title is also incredibly long. Are we supposed to learn all of this at once? There are more than two lectures with reference notes on a single page."

The course registration reference manual had at least two subjects per page, and the master in charge of each subject (the teacher in charge), the purpose and outline of the lecture, the timetable, etc., were written in detail for easy understanding, and the variety and vastness of the types were enough to make people's jaws drop.

"Of course, how can you learn everything in there? You just choose a few to listen to according to the timetable. Besides, this place not only has martial arts, but also all the studies of the Hundred Schools of Thought, such as the『Four Books and Three Classics』,『The Great Learning』,『The Doctrine of the Mean』, as well as the『Book of Changes』,『Tao Te Ching』,『Lao-Zhuang thought』,『Medicine』,『Pharmacology』,『Toxicology』, etc., and also an incredibly vast range and amount of teachings on the Zither, Go, Calligraphy, and Painting, such as the Tea Ceremony, Etiquette, and Dance. Of course, there are few martial artists who also pay attention to academics, but in order to prevent being too biased towards martial arts, it is required by the academy rules to take at least a certain number of designated credits. If I were to list everything in there, my mouth would wear out like an old rag. It's truly a terrible thing."

"Ugh."

Bi Ryu-yeon clutched his head as if it were splitting. The procedure for just learning martial arts once was too complicated. The course registration manual, which was thick enough to be used as a pillow, clearly showed how vast the teachings of the Cheonmu Academy were, but Bi Ryu-yeon was not grateful at all. Wasn't the purpose of learning martial arts to become a master? But he couldn't understand why the procedure for just becoming a master once was so complicated.

"Wow, look at this. To be able to receive the teachings of the great hero, Peak Sword Na Hwan-cheon, I'm really lucky."

Without knowing Bi Ryu-yeon's complicated feelings, Yun Jun-ho, the former Mount Hua Sect plum blossom hypersensitivity patient who had come with them, turned over the course registration manual and burst out in admiration, immersed in happiness. Peak Sword Na Hwan-cheon was a lay disciple of the Wudang Sect, one of the nine great sects, and a master of the sword whose equal was hard to find even in the main sect, Mount Wudang.

According to rumors, his true skill was on par with the elders of the Wudang Sect, as well as the Five Great Swordsmen of the World. If Yun Jun-ho was touching the base of Mount Tai, he was already on the clouds, looking at the top of Mount Tai. It would be natural for Yun Jun-ho to be moved by the fact that he could receive the teachings of such a person to his heart's content.

"L-look at this. Th-this can't be. To be able to listen to the sword theory of our Mount Hua Sect's legendary senior, Mount Hua Flying Heaven Eagle Mun Il-gi... I'm really, really..."

Now he was on the verge of shedding tears of emotion. Bi Ryu-yeon, who really wanted to refuse just that, quickly changed the subject out of a sense of crisis. He did not have the bad taste of watching a person around him cry with emotion after idolizing a person he did not know at all. It was an absolute refusal.

"But this is too much. Is this really all about martial arts? Don't all martial arts boil down to one thing when you learn them?"

If you were to pick the two biggest characteristics of the Cheonmu Academy, you could mention the diversity and professionalism of its teachings. For example, if you opened the chapter on poison in the course registration manual, it wasn't just Poison Art.「Understanding of Poison」,「Manufacture of Poison」,「Commonly Used Poisons in the Jianghu and Their First Aid」, etc., the number of types alone was 25, and the number of masters was 10. For teaching only poison and its related fields, 10 masters were deployed to 25 types of subjects.

Moreover, although the number of classes was dizzyingly large, each and every one of those classes was aimed at transmitting very detailed and professional knowledge about a certain field related to poison. All of this was the careful consideration of the Cheonmu Academy to help the students raise their realms.

You have to know it first, even if you forget it later. Because throwing away after knowing is true throwing away. You could not enter a higher realm in a state of a blank slate, knowing nothing. That's why you learn it first. And then you forget it somehow. The words are easy and simple, but this part is incredibly difficult. Because it is almost impossible, the number of true absolute masters in that long period of time could be counted on one's five fingers.

What kind of enlightenment one would gain in this process was left to each individual. The enlightenment for entering a new realm had to be known by oneself. Because it was by no means a place where someone could kindly take your hand and lead you there.

Just as a butterfly sheds its skin to become an adult, to ascend to a new realm, one had to achieve it with one's own hands. The Cheonmu Academy only provided the thread and nutrients to make a cocoon, but it could not shed the skin for the student.

It could only provide a small and trivial help for a higher realm than the present. For this weak and trivial help, there existed a course registration manual as thick as a pillow, hundreds of martial arts subjects, and dozens of old masters.

Bi Ryu-yeon, who was thoughtlessly flipping through the pillow substitute, suddenly felt a question raise its head.

"It's all good, but is there any effect from learning so many miscellaneous things? It's hard to achieve great success even in one field, so with so many miscellaneous things..."

Bi Ryu-yeon's complaint was natural. Because although knowledge can be power, it can also sometimes be a poison or a disease.

A jack of all trades, a master of ten!
The words are nice, but if you're not careful, there's a very high probability of becoming an ambiguous and vague state of being neither this nor that. Thus, such a scattered acquisition of knowledge without any system had the danger of being a terrible obstacle to enlightenment. If it's neither porridge nor rice, you have no choice but to suck on a spoon and starve.

"Think of it as diversity, if you will. Of course, I don't expect you to be good at everything. Isn't there an old saying that if you want to succeed, you should dig one well? Except for one major, the rest are just for reference. And most of them are composed of survival methods for surviving in the Murim. It's a sad reality, but too many talented people end their lives at a young age, caught up in the dark schemes of the Jianghu. You have to survive to encounter a new realm or not."

"Tsk, is that so..."

But Bi Ryu-yeon smacked his lips, as if still unconvinced.

"If it's too much trouble for you to register, I'll register for you. Choose the field you want to listen to, except for the first-year required subjects."

That was exactly what Bi Ryu-yeon had been hoping for. But...

"Required subjects?"

"In the Cheonmu Academy, it is set by the academy rules that every year, a few fields that are considered absolutely necessary in the Jianghu are specially designated and must be taken."

"Really?"

It was a new fact that he had not known at all until now.

"You really don't know anything."

"I've never felt the need to know such trivial things in my life so far."

"It's like a miracle that you, who are close to a blank slate about the Cheonmu Academy, have been able to survive so far."

"I'm of the belief that I can create miracles if needed. I really know nothing. And..."

Bi Ryu-yeon took a short breath and then continued.

"I still don't feel the importance of it at this very moment."

"I really can't believe it!"