Chapter 82

"The high name of the Fire Spirit Flame Heaven Soul-Stealing Saber, Old Master Gwak, this old man has also heard of it long ago. But I was thinking it was very regrettable that there were rumors that you despise swordsmen."

Yeomdo's face turned red with embarrassment. He had usually made a habit of slandering those who used swords as being extremely weak whenever he got angry. To hear such words from a supreme sword master whose realm was so high that he could not be dared to be despised, even Yeomdo, with his boisterous personality, could not help but blush. But the opponent was too good to get angry at as his personality was.

Gongson Il-chwi also did not press on with the story any more.

"Are you serious?"

The Sword Revered, Gongson Il-chwi, asked the Ice Sword, Gwan Cheol-su, back in a sharp tone. No one would dare to speak empty words in front of him.

"Of course. If Old Master Gwak takes full charge of the Vermilion Bird Squad, I will take full charge of the Azure Dragon Squad. That seems to be the fair way."

"Hmph, but it still seems that your side is at a disadvantage, so why don't you recruit one more?"

Gwan Cheol-su did not bat an eye at Yeomdo's words, which were full of poisonous thorns. He had an enormous pride that he was better than Yeomdo. Though Yeomdo would be furious if he heard it.

"Don't you think I'm the one who should be saying that, not you? It's the first I've heard of you ever beating me."

The Ice Sword touched Yeomdo's most painful spot. He had touched the worst wound that had not healed even after twenty years.

"What did you say? Are you done talking?"

Yeomdo flared up, but he could not act rashly in front of the highly renowned and authoritative academy master. The Iron Fist, Ma Jin-ga, was a supreme master that even they had to yield to. Not just anyone could become the academy master of the Cheonmu Academy, one of the two great powers of the righteous path Murim. One had to be fully equipped with that much skill, character, experience, and resourcefulness.

Besides, the Sword Revered, Gongson Il-chwi, was also next to him. Although he was angry, he had no choice but to suppress his anger inside.

"I believe you both know well what it means to become a full-time master."

Ma Jin-ga quickly opened his mouth to prevent the atmosphere from flowing towards a hostile one. Both Yeomdo and the Ice Sword nodded their heads and showed their affirmation. Of course, they both clearly knew what that meant. It meant that they would become no different from their parents. They had taken on the duty of being responsible for all of their future.

"Then I will leave it to you two."

"I will be the witness!"

The Sword Revered, Gongson Il-chwi, volunteered to be the witness. It was clear that it would be an exciting thing just to watch the disciples raised with the utmost care by the two famous figures in the Jianghu, Yeomdo and the Ice Sword, compete with each other's skills.

After Yeomdo, Gwan Cheol-su, and the Sword Revered, Gongson Il-chwi, had all left, Ma Jin-ga was left alone in the hall. After confirming that there was no one around him, Ma Jin-ga finally opened his mouth.

"So, is there any problem with your work?"

"Yes, Academy Master. Everything is going smoothly so far."

The voice came from inside the curtain located behind the grand master's chair.

Who would dare to have a conversation with the Cheonmu Academy's master, the Iron Fist, Ma Jin-ga, from behind his back without even showing their face? Just from that, one could easily guess that the opponent's status was not ordinary.

"You are working hard on the inspection activities."

"You are overpraising me. It is something I should naturally do."

The voice heard from behind the curtain was extremely polite. Although he did not reveal his face, one could easily guess that he was not losing his courtesy.

"So, how are the children? Are there any useful children?"

"Yes, as expected, the Seven Absolutes Divine Sword, Moyong Hwi, can be said to be a crane in a flock of chickens. Seeing him in person, I could see that the rumors circulating in the Jianghu were not false."

At the man's praise, Ma Jin-ga suddenly burst into a loud laugh.

"Hahaha, that child is a really outstanding punk. I have high expectations for him."

Moyong Hwi's entrance to the academy was one of the things that had made him the happiest this year. It was natural for him to be so happy.

"And... one more..."

The man inside the curtain trailed off his words. A person's face came to the man's mind, but he soon shook his head.

"Why is that? Is there another dragon and phoenix talent that has impressed you?"

"Ah... no, sir. It's not certain yet, so I will report to you later."

"To have confused your discerning eye, he must be no ordinary person. I will be looking forward to it."

"I am sorry."

He felt a moment of embarrassment because the expectation for that person was highly likely to end in disappointment nine times out of ten. A sense of regret that he had brought up the words for no reason also arose.

"By the way, are there any suspicious signs in the academy?"

"Yes, not yet."

"Be careful. Reports that the movements on the Demonic Heaven Pavilion's side are not ordinary are coming in every other day. The existence of spies has been an unfailing event every year. There must be one somewhere."

Even the Cheonmu Academy's side was not infrequently infiltrating spies. When both sides were in a tedious standoff like the current Murim situation, the most important thing was the collection of information. In this situation, it was impossible not to use the most effective factor, infiltration. Since this side was sending them, there was no way that side would not send them. The history so far had proven that. Although this hide-and-seek could be said to be an annual event that had happened every year, it was not something that could be neglected. The role of the man hiding behind the curtain was the role of the seeker to find the spies.

"Always be careful not to expose your identity. Inspection must prioritize the strict observance of secrecy above all else."

Although he knew that he was not a person who would forget it, Ma Jin-ga reminded him once more.

"I will obey!"

With the final sound of acknowledgment, the presence that had existed behind the curtain disappeared. The Cheonmu Academy's master, Ma Jin-ga, quietly sank his body into the grand master's chair and muttered.

"Be careful, Hong..."

The members of the Vermilion Bird Squad, who were currently receiving the attention of all the disciples and martial instructors of the Cheonmu Academy, were all looking at the man standing in front of their eyes with eyes full of various different emotions. The person who had revealed himself as their dedicated master, the person who proved his qualification with the terrifying momentum rising from his whole body, was none other than Yeomdo.

The Vermilion Bird Squad could recognize the man standing in front of their eyes as soon as they saw him. No matter how wide the Jianghu Murim was and how numerous the strange and extraordinary people were, there was no one with as distinctive an appearance as Yeomdo in front of them.

Seeing that the bodies of all the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad were stiffening with tension, it seemed that they were encouraged by the fact that they could learn martial arts from Yeomdo, one of the five great saber masters of the world, whose name was also famous, although they did not show it.

"I am Yeomdo, who will be in charge of your special training from now on."

After looking around the Vermilion Bird Squad, Yeomdo introduced himself first. His tone was full of power. His voice was also as loud as a lion's roar.

"The disciples greet the Old Master."

Sixteen people took a fist-and-palm salute in unison and greeted him. Their courtesy was extreme. As expected, Yeomdo was emitting an extraordinary prayer, not ashamed of his name.

"Kids!"

"Yes?"

"It's troublesome to do it one by one, so come at me three at a time."

Yeomdo said. Unlike a master with a high reputation in the Murim, his tone was rough.

"Are you serious?"

To tell them to come at him as soon as they had exchanged a few simple greetings, it was absurd for them. But Yeomdo was serious.

"Look at these punks? Then do you think I'm going to leisurely joke around with you? I need to know your skills to decide on your future path!"

The members of the Vermilion Bird Squad were hurt in their pride by Yeomdo's words. No matter how much Yeomdo was one of the five great saber masters of the Jianghu, to tell them to come at him in a group of three was considered too much of a disregard for them.

"What are you doing, not coming at me."

At his words, all of the Vermilion Bird Squad snorted. Because no matter how much Yeomdo was a supreme master, they did not believe that he could handle the attacks of three of them at the same time. The harsh training at Mount Emei was no joke.

"Will you be alright?"

Hyeonun's words were, to all intents and purposes, words that considered the well-being and health preservation of an elder, but to Yeomdo, they sounded like a dismissive tone.

"Don't talk long, just come at me."

Since he was urging them this far, it was not something they could decline.

"Then please be careful!"

The first to challenge Yeomdo were Namgung Sang, Hyeonun, and No Hak. They surrounded Yeomdo in the heaven, earth, and man positions of the Three Talents Formation.

"Then, shall we begin?"

"Hap!"

With a shout, a terrifying energy rose from Yeomdo's entire body. If it were an ordinary person, they would not have dared to move a single step, bound by that ferocious energy. A thrill ran up the spines of the three.

Only then could the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad feel with their skin that they could not dare to despise him. Namgung Sang unfolded his family's secret sword method, the Hundred Thunder Sword Method, and swept into his right side.

"Hundred Forms Ten Thousand Thunders!"

A white sword ki rose from the tip of the sword and pressed in on Yeomdo. As expected, his study at Mount Emei was not in vain. Unlike his gentleness, a strange killing intent was even present at the tip of his sword.

"Not bad!"

But not bad was just not bad. As Yeomdo swung the Crimson Flame held in his right hand like a joke, the white sword ki could not even be found.

Not missing the time when Yeomdo's right hand was being used for another matter, Hyeonun from the left swung his Songmun Ancient Sword and scattered his sword ki.

"Nine Palaces Linked Rings!"

Since it seemed that he would not be a match with anything else, he had unfolded the Nine Palaces Spirit, which was evaluated as the strongest among the secret sword styles except for the Taiji Grace Sword, with all his might from the beginning. Nine streams of blue sword ki pressed in on Yeomdo three times in a row. Not missing the time, No Hak, who was watching for an opportunity while swinging the green bamboo staff—also called the Dog Beating Staff Method—in his hand, joined in.

"Linked Hands Linked Flowers!"

A change that was too grand for catching a dog occurred at the end of the dog-beating staff and wrapped around Yeomdo's entire body. Namgung Sang, who had been dazed after his first strike had been absurdly rendered useless, also joined in again.

"White Heat Falling Thunder!"

In the middle of the whirlwind of sword ki and sword wind, Yeomdo's two eyes emitted a strong light.

The eighth style of the secret meaning of the Crimson Seventeen Flames, the Sword Flame Ki, Flame Wind!

Kwa-kwang!

As the three martial arts that had made a name for themselves in the Jianghu became entangled in the middle, a huge explosion erupted with a crimson red light. A fierce shockwave covered the surroundings with dust.

The outcome was decided with all three of them being covered in a huge shock and sprawling on the dirt floor. It was a surprisingly bland ending. After the duel with Bi Ryu-yeon, Yeomdo never let his guard down in front of an opponent, no matter what. It was the same this time. Yeomdo had knocked down the three in succession with all his heart and strength in one breath.

"Still a long way to go. A long way to go! From now on, I will definitely and thoroughly remodel you. So that you will never be defeated by others. Uahahaha!"

Yeomdo laughed wildly, looking at the three who had been thrown to the ground in a sorry state. Yeomdo decided to relieve the stress that had accumulated from Bi Ryu-yeon through the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad. Besides, since he was now competing with the Ice Sword, there could be no moderation. He would just push them hard without any mercy.

Only then did they realize that their second nightmare had come to them. Their appearance, sprawling in a sorry state, seemed to foretell their ominous future.

"Is this the right place?"

The day after the three had come at him in a group and had been thrown away without even touching a single hair of Yeomdo's, the gentle-looking young man, Yun Jun-ho, was on his way to see Yeomdo with a letter in his hand.

Bi Ryu-yeon, while entrusting the work to Yeomdo, had also decided to entrust the Mount Hua idiot, Yun Jun-ho. He had thought that the boldness and recklessness of Yeomdo's level would also be effective for the timid Yun Jun-ho. Besides, if he trained with the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad, his understanding of swordsmanship would also become much deeper. As it was, it was difficult to expect a dramatic development from Yun Jun-ho. It was not impossible with just himself, Hyo-ryong, and Jang Hong, but if he did so, it would require considerable patience to see the results. Bi Ryu-yeon found that more troublesome than anything else.

So, Bi Ryu-yeon had carried out this work under the judgment that a bold, drastic prescription was needed for Yun Jun-ho. To be honest, he had just passed him on to Yeomdo because he was lazy.

It was obvious that Yeomdo would not like Yun Jun-ho, who had learned swordsmanship, but it was not Bi Ryu-yeon who would pay careful attention to that. Come to think of it, most of the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad were also people who used swords, and there were few who used sabers. Yeomdo's temper was clear to see, but he simply and light-heartedly ignored it.

Yun Jun-ho, who had gone to find him, relying on a piece of paper that Bi Ryu-yeon had roughly written, could not help but be astonished at the opponent he had to meet. The opponent was none other than the famous incarnation of flames or the Fire Spirit Flame Heaven Soul-Stealing Saber, which was just a sweet-sounding word, and was more famous in the world as the burning piece of trash or the Flame Demon King, Yeomdo.

Yeomdo, who had received Bi Ryu-yeon's letter that Yun Jun-ho had handed him with a trembling hand, crumpled his impression fiercely. At Yeomdo's impression, which was crumpled like a hell king, the weak-hearted Yun Jun-ho just wanted to cry. He was grateful that Bi Ryu-yeon was paying attention to him, but this was something he would decline. It took a little time for Yeomdo to calm his temper.

Yeomdo, who had barely calmed his surging anger, glanced at the stiffly tensed Yun Jun-ho once and then pointed to the place where the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad were with his chin.

"Y-yes!"

Still, he had some sense, and Yun Jun-ho quickly ran to the side of the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad and stood in line. Whether they were overwhelmed by Yeomdo's power, or whether the events of the previous day had become a lesson, the sixteen members of the Vermilion Bird Squad were standing in an orderly line. Since they had heard Yeomdo's notoriety to the point where their ears hurt, and since they had experienced him for a while, they could not help but be thoroughly disciplined.

Although all the members of the Vermilion Bird Squad sent a puzzled look at the existence of the first-year greenhorn who had suddenly appeared, they did not annoy Yeomdo by pouring out a barrage of questions without fear.

"From today, he is Yun Jun-ho, who will be educated under me with you. That's all."

There was no further explanation. He had even cruelly deprived Yun Jun-ho of the opportunity to introduce himself. If the Vermilion Bird Squad wanted to know more details, they would have to find out for themselves by running on their own feet and moving their mouths as the price for their labor. It was a very troublesome and laborious task.

As all seventeen of them had gathered, Yeomdo began the class he did not even want to. Naturally, the prelude to Yeomdo's tyranny also began.

"You're prepared, right?"

Yeomdo spat out his words as if chewing them. Yun Jun-ho's knees felt weak for no reason.