Chapter 63

• What is a Club?

After Ok-hyeon Jin-in's General Theory of Martial Arts class ended,
during the 15-minute break.
Hyo-ryong approached Bi Ryu-yeon, who was once again savoring
Ok-hyeon Jin-in's old story.

"Are you not afraid of that person?"

"Who are you talking about? It's the first I've heard that there's someone in this world I should be afraid of..."

Bi Ryu-yeon said with a faint smile. Bi Ryu-yeon's answer was, of course, not what Hyo-ryong wanted.

"Why are you acting like you don't know? That person, that very person."

Unable to mention the name directly, Hyo-ryong used a pronoun. Was he such a great being as to instill fear even in Hyo-ryong? Bi Ryu-yeon had to feel a fresh sense of wonder once again.

"But why should I be afraid of that person?"

"Th-that is..."

At Bi Ryu-yeon's sudden question, Hyo-ryong couldn't find an answer. It was because he couldn't think of the right words to convey his vague feelings to Bi Ryu-yeon. To be honest, he himself couldn't figure out what to say.

"That person is a being that all martial artists of both the black and white paths fear."

At Hyo-ryong's shouted words, Bi Ryu-yeon sent back a strange gaze. Looking at Hyo-ryong as if looking at a strange creature, Bi Ryu-yeon said.

"Surely you're not trying to argue that I should also fear him because all martial artists revere and fear him?"

"O-of course not."

But there was no conviction in his words. It would be a lie if his heart hadn't been pricked by Bi Ryu-yeon's words.

"Then that's a relief. I was worried what I would do if you were a fool who would make such a foolish argument."

"That was a useless worry."

Hyo-ryong forced an awkward smile, trying hard to hide the cold sweat flowing down his body. And then he honestly admired.

"You really aren't afraid of that person."

Hyo-ryong had never met anyone who was not afraid of that person and his forces, or to be precise, their second coming. No matter how famous a master or a peak master in the Murim, there was only a difference in degree, but they all had a little bit of fear of that person buried deep in their hearts. To Hyo-ryong, Bi Ryu-yeon could not help but appear as a peculiar being.

"As expected, the old saying that ignorance is bravery was true."

Hyo-ryong's monologue, admiring the wisdom of the ancient sages, did not reach Bi Ryu-yeon's ears. Bi Ryu-yeon said with a hearty laugh.

"You're admiring all sorts of useless things. Why should I feel fear for a being I haven't even met yet? Have you met that person called the Heavenly Calamity Blood God?"

As Bi Ryu-yeon openly mentioned the name of the Heavenly Calamity Blood God, Hyo-ryong's complexion wavered slightly.

"Don't mention that name so easily. Of course, I haven't met him."

It was a natural story.

"That's right. It's the same for me. But why should I be scared and lower my tail for a being I haven't even met yet, and for whom there is no promise of whether I will ever meet in the future? I can't do such a disgraceful thing just because I heard a snippet of an old story."

For Hyo-ryong, of course, and for Jang Hong or Yun Jun-ho, that old story was not just once. Like most children, they had heard about that person and his organization since they were young, to the point where their ears were calloused. But they couldn't help but admit that Bi Ryu-yeon's words also had a point.

"It's not an old story, it's a fact. Even if it has become a legend."

"Well, I doubt I would feel fear even if I met him directly. The only thing I'm afraid of is the life of a poor laborer-like disciple. You too, don't waste your energy being afraid of useless things."

After finishing his words, Bi Ryu-yeon's gaze suddenly turned and fixed on Yun Jun-ho.

"You too."

"Yes? Why?"

Startled by the sudden point, Yun Jun-ho asked back.

"You've been flinching every time the name of that... Heavenly Calamity Spirit and that Blood God punk is mentioned. Got it?"

At Bi Ryu-yeon's sincere(?) advice, Yun Jun-ho reluctantly nodded his head. The reason Bi Ryu-yeon was rarely engaging in thought activity right now was because of one fact.

'Supreme Polarity Divine Lord... I've heard that name a lot somewhere...'

Bi Ryu-yeon tilted his head at one of the people who had appeared in the Murim history story he had heard in class just now. He felt like he had heard it somewhere, but the problem was that he couldn't remember it at all.

'Well, it probably doesn't matter...'

The act of trying to force himself to remember something he couldn't remember by squeezing his brain was not Bi Ryu-yeon's hobby, so he soon stopped thinking and forgot about it. For the time being, the matter concerning him would not come to his mind.

"It'll come to me someday."

Bi Ryu-yeon was just spouting easy-going words.

The Supreme Polarity Divine Lord had not died either. Not only had he not crossed the river to the underworld, but he was the first person to advocate for the establishment and necessity of the Cheonmu Academy. And he became the first head of the Cheonmu Academy, devoted himself to nurturing talent, and then suddenly retired 30 years ago and disappeared. His subsequent whereabouts were continuously tracked by the Murim Alliance's Secret Pavilion and the Cheonmu Academy's Secret Shadow Pavilion, but his tracks were just mysterious.

"Hmm, the old masters might be plotting to bore me to death."

Bi Ryu-yeon grumbled in a sighing voice.

Finally, all of today's classes were over. But although there were only a few classes, they were not as interesting as the Heavenly Calamity Spirit story from the first hour. The second hour was about the 'Application of Dagger Throwing Techniques'. It was a field that Bi Ryu-yeon did not need at all.

"Try to learn from Moyong Hwi. How diligent he is."

Moyong Hwi was so diligent that he never let go of his paper, brush, and ink for a moment during class. It was to the point where it was terrifying for those watching. Bi Ryu-yeon shook his head from side to side.

"You might as well tell me to die. That's something that could never happen even if I died and came back to life twice."

"Hehe, stop talking nonsense. Aren't you listening quietly because you're also interested? Don't complain while taking a class that all the young people of the Jianghu dream of."

Jang Hong gave a warning. That class was a martial arts lecture of the Cheonmu Academy that any Jianghu person would want to enter even if it cost them ten thousand gold.

"Is that so..."

Even after hearing Jang Hong's warning, Bi Ryu-yeon still had a look of not being convinced.

"Come on, since you're more bored than that place, I'll take you to an interesting place."

Since it was a terribly foolish thing to exchange opinions with Bi Ryu-yeon any longer, Jang Hong quickly changed the subject.

"Where to?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked promptly. Now, there was not a single thought about the class in his head. His curiosity was always as vigorous as a constantly gushing spring.

"You'll know when you follow me."

And with that, Jang Hong's back, as he took the lead and walked with long strides, only amplified the curiosity of Bi Ryu-yeon's party.

The place Jang Hong took them to was a strange place where dozens of large and small buildings were lined up along a main street. The street was overflowing with noisy sounds and the power of vitality. It could be seen that a huge crowd was gathered there. As a huge crowd was gathered in one place, the congestion and clamor were enormous. It was to the point where one couldn't think straight.

Each building was decorated with large and small banners and colorful decorations in front of their buildings, attracting people. On the long banners made of white cotton cloth, dazzling, stimulating, and inflammatory words such as 'Absolute Welcome! For the dream of the best expedient, the Hundred Flowers in Full Bloom!', 'Saint of the Sword! All who want a new realm of the sword are welcome!', 'Towards the path of the Saint of the Saber!', 'Dagger Throwing Wind and Cloud! For a lightning-fast, one-hit kill!' were written in a single stroke, filling the banners. Besides, as if they felt that the banners were not enough, a few disciples were out in front, attracting people with various temptations.

Roughly listening, the following words were the mainstream.

"Anyone who wants to reach the peak of martial arts through the saber, please join our Saber Soul Society. The end of the saber technique is here. If you want to reach the most powerful and effective ultimate meaning of the saber, do not hesitate. The door is always open. But the admission permission time is until tomorrow. Do not make the foolish mistake of hesitating any longer."

It seemed to be a place related to saber techniques. The weapons they were wearing were also all sabers. The content of the advertisement on the opposite side was different. They were all people who only wore swords at their waists or on their backs.

"That side is a blatant lie. The peak of martial arts is, no matter what anyone says, the sword method. There is a story that even a three-year-old snot-nosed kid knows, 'Hundred-Day Spear, Thousand-Day Saber, Ten-Thousand-Day Sword'. Who would dare to argue with the fact that the king of all weapons is the sword?"

The story of the Hundred-Day Spear, Thousand-Day Saber, and Ten-Thousand-Day Sword was something that Bi Ryu-yeon had also heard during his Mount Emei days. It meant that the minimum time to properly learn one weapon was a hundred days for the spear, a thousand days for the saber, and ten thousand days for the sword. In other words, it was three months, three years, and thirty years, respectively. It was an advice that it was that difficult to learn the sword, and that one should not carelessly say that they knew the sword. Instead of this teaching, the Flying Thunder Sect had one more phrase attached at the end. It was the phrase 'One-Hundred-Million-Day Flying Thunder Dagger'. In other words, it was an expression of an extremely arrogant confidence that one had to learn it by going through more than three hundred reincarnations, transcending life and death. It was a phrase befitting Bi Ryu-yeon's sect.

The advertisements of both sides were not over yet.

"All martial arts converge to the sword method. Because the sword method is a true martial art that aims for one's own training, rather than for the lowly reason of effective slaughter. How can a mere saber dare to be compared to a sword? Now, do you want to become a peak master of the sword? Anyone who is burning with the goal of becoming the number one sword under heaven, please join our Sword Soul Society. A new realm of the sword is waiting for you. You will be able to meet all the realms of sword ki, Sword Wind, and Sword Gang."

It was the voice that came from the two places with the largest buildings and the most people. The content of the advertisement was also extremely loud. They didn't even care about the immorality of false advertising. It was clear that they were in a competitive relationship, no different from sworn enemies. It was well revealed in their advertisements, which were busy cutting down the opponent. The other places also had different contents, but they were holding a heated competition with advertisements that meant to join their hobbies. The types were also diverse, and the content of the advertisements was also varied.

"What on earth is this chaotic place? If you're here, you won't die of quietness."

The sight of so many young next-generation figures gathered and talking chaotically was a new sight for Bi Ryu-yeon.

"What on earth is this place?"

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Bi Ryu-yeon asked Jang Hong again. Since he was the one who had brought them here, he would surely know the answer to his question, which was Bi Ryu-yeon's logical thought. And his reasoning was fortunately not wrong.

"Oh, you didn't know? This is the street of clubs, one of the famous attractions of the Cheonmu Academy."

"The street of clubs?"

The three exclaimed in unison. For the three who were bewildered, Jang Hong kindly added an explanation.

"Today and tomorrow happen to be the club registration days. That's why we came here. Shouldn't you guys also join a club?"

"Ah, so today was the club registration day."

Only then did Hyo-ryong clap his hands and show that he understood. But Bi Ryu-yeon's side was not like that at all. Because his knowledge of the Cheonmu Academy, as well as the entire Jianghu, was equivalent to or lower than that of a five-year-old child in his growth period.

"What's that day for? And what on earth is a club?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked with a slightly displeased expression.

"A club is a kind of friendly martial arts research and training group made by several individuals who are interested in a specific field."

"Why is it so complicated?"

Bi Ryu-yeon said in a slightly dissatisfied tone.

"It's simple. It's just a gathering of people with similar tastes or hobbies. And they research their fields of interest with a voluntary and progressive attitude, with their own strength. Without the help of the old masters. Hmm... well, they can get advice. But the purpose of it, to promote the self-reliance of the disciples, remains unchanged. Although it has been slightly altered over a long period of time."

Despite Jang Hong's kind and detailed explanation, they still had a look of not knowing. Seeing their faces, Jang Hong couldn't help but sigh.

"It seems you don't understand at all. I'll explain it again. I hope you succeed in understanding this time. That way, my mouth will also be comfortable. It would be embarrassing to have to repeat the same thing three times."

With an attitude of listening carefully, the three paid attention to Jang Hong's words.

"As you know, the founding principles and educational philosophy of the Cheonmu Academy are not to improve skills through the injection of new martial arts and the reading of secret manuals, but to increase the understanding of the individual's existing martial arts, and to polish, refine, and develop them, and that has not changed. The Cheonmu Academy has realized after a long period of many trials and errors that the one-sided injection of numerous martial arts and a disorderly education are of no help to an individual's development. If you want to discover a new water source, you have to dig deep in one place with high potential. It's the same principle as poking here and there without a plan being a complete waste."

"I understand up to there. Continue."

Bi Ryu-yeon urged for an explanation.

"But when they actually taught the students, the teaching still couldn't escape the one-way street. So the Cheonmu Academy thought."

"What?"

"How to cultivate the individual student's passion for martial arts and self-reliance, and as a bonus, also cultivate a sense of cooperation. The Cheonmu Academy wanted to catch two rabbits. And the students also had a desire to increase their understanding by gathering with each other in their fields of interest and exchanging martial arts and martial principles with other sects. Stagnant water is bound to rot someday. They also knew that looking at the sky from the bottom of a well would only result in a frog pancake. Besides, in the closed Jianghu society, there is no other example of so many sects gathered as here. So they came to an agreement."

"So you're saying that's how..."

"That's right. That's how numerous clubs were created within the academy. Those who love the sword formed a group to research sword methods, those who cherish the saber formed a group to research saber techniques, and those who like joint-locking techniques formed a joint-locking technique research club. Thus, whether it's poison, hidden weapons, mechanisms, or formations. Numerous clubs were created in numerous fields of interest. And in the process, absurd clubs were also created."

"I get it now."

Bi Ryu-yeon, Hyo-ryong, and Yun Jun-ho finally showed a look of understanding. As hope appeared, Jang Hong's heart became much more at ease.

"That's a relief."

"In other words, it's completely unnecessary for me."

Bi Ryu-yeon agreed.

"You don't understand at all."

Jang Hong lightly criticized him.

"Why? Did I say something wrong?"

"Of course. You said something very wrong."

"But it's the truth."

Bi Ryu-yeon said honestly and tried to break away from the group.

"Wait!"

Bi Ryu-yeon turned around with a 'why are you calling me' expression.

"How hasty. What on earth did you listen to at the entrance orientation?"

Whether he had dozed off, the memory of it hardly existed in his head. He seemed to have had a dream of something flying in the sky, but he couldn't remember it well.

"Anyone who is a student of the Cheonmu Academy must be registered in at least one club. There are no exceptions."

Jang Hong's words were not a simple threat. It was clearly stated in the academy rules that all Cheonmu Academy students must join and be active in at least one club.

Bi Ryu-yeon had to think again.

"Hey, you."

Just then, a strange voice was heard from behind them. The voice was clearly directed at Hyo-ryong.

"Are you calling me?"

Hyo-ryong turned around and looked at the person who had called him. The strong gaze of the young man in the yellow martial robe and his confident and unshakable appearance seemed to be that of a person who had accumulated considerable training at a glance. At his waist was a sword with a red tassel and a five-colored splendor.

"Won't you join the Cheonmu Academy's largest, best, and strongest club, the Sword Soul Society?"

The man in yellow said.