Chapter 217

Chapter 217
Chapter 217. An Unwanted Invitation (6)

The Distinguished Guest Invitation event officially commenced.

For roughly seven days, the academy pupils were set to attend dense, complex lectures on martial philosophy and life from the invited expert, followed by Q&A sessions on martial theory.

Expectations were particularly high because the Wind Earl Sword-Breaker Murong Gang, a renowned supreme master, was headlining the event.

The academy had felt lethargic following the Sichuan incident, so the community welcomed the sudden surge of energy with open arms.

Furthermore, with the Righteous Path Association and Orthodox Path Association now weakened, the students felt no obligation to cater to their sensitivities.

In fact, the participation rate from those very groups soared, which only served to intensify the excitement.

Ultimately, the reputation of the Wind Earl Sword-Breaker was simply too legendary for even the proudest members of the Righteous Path Association and Orthodox Path Association to stay away.

Consequently, the event proceeded with a massive turnout, and by all appearances, the attendees seemed incredibly satisfied……

At least, that was the outward impression……

“That is merely your perspective, Young Master Jin.”

“……Pardon?”

Seong Mo-ran stood there, her cheek swollen as if she had taken a direct hit, her expression clearly conveying her deep resentment.

“Are you aware that the Medical Hall is currently overflowing with patients?”

“……True education is often a painful process.”

My detached, matter-of-fact response, which mirrored Il-gak’s typical demeanor, only made Seong Mo-ran quiver.

“That doesn’t mean bones should be getting fractured!”

The issue stemmed from Murong Gang’s peculiar teaching philosophy.

When we initially suggested staggering the lectures due to the sheer volume of participants,

Murong Gang simply ordered us to gather everyone at the Grand Training Ground.

Then, he declared:

[I have no intention of rambling like some horse-faced Daoist or a bald monk.]

[A martial artist gains more insight from a single brush with death than a hundred sessions of scholarly debate.]

[Therefore, I shall provide you with more visceral experiences.]

[Whoever wants to be struck first, step forward.]

[No volunteers? Then I am coming to you.]

……After that proclamation, he dove straight into the crowd of students.

The pupils were initially paralyzed by his audacity, unsure how to react to such an assault from an absolute master.

However, once a few had their noses broken and their senses scrambled, even those who hesitated eventually threw themselves at him.

……The scene descended into instant bedlam.

In the chaos, disciples from various sects, fueled by competitive pride, unleashed their signature ultimate moves or attempted coordinated strikes, but every one of them ended up screaming in pain.

[Tsk, tsk. What do you idiots believe is the Orthodox Path’s greatest asset?]

[What? Righteous spirit? What absolute drivel!]

[Justice? Do you have any idea how much of a scoundrel your own Sect Leader was back in his youth?]

[Listen closely! The Orthodox Path’s greatest weapon is sheer numbers! Whether it is the Black Path or the Unorthodox Path, nobody can match the sheer force of numbers, which is exactly why the Murim Alliance dominates the world of martial arts! Do you grasp it now?!]

Taking his “advice” to heart, the students attempted to organize themselves into formal sword formations.

Yet, whenever Murong Gang allowed them to finish their formation before shattering it in one strike, the students were left utterly dazed.

[Did you honestly think I meant just bunching yourselves together? What on earth have you been learning all this time?]

[A combined formation is about synchronizing your movements perfectly. If you are going to get carried away by your own ego instead of aligning your strength, there is no point in having a formation at all!]

[Still confused? Don’t fret! If you get pummeled enough, eventually even the deepest wisdom will start to make sense.]

As this “lecture” disguised as pure brutality continued, students began to flee the event in droves.

Murong Gang, displaying an uncanny ability to recall every single face, personally raided the dormitories, dragged them back out, and “bestowed” further instruction upon them.

It was a display of truly tear-inducing dedication.

“……And why, might I ask, did you not participate, Young Master Jin?”

Namgung Seon-hwa, her eyes darkened by painful-looking bruises, fixed me with an intense stare.

She looked to be in genuine agony.

“Does a representative not have the prerogative to skip these things?”

“……Did you anticipate that the lectures would take this turn?”

Namgung Seon-hwa looked at me with an expression of profound betrayal, as though I had personally abandoned her.

Unwilling to meet her gaze, I kept my voice as steady as I could.

“Of course not……. I couldn’t apply myself because my body was still in shambles after being beaten by the elder previously.”

I gestured to my own fading bruise, but their skeptical glares did not soften.

“The marks are nearly gone!”

Blast. The downside of the ointment Sama Jeong provided was that it was far too effective.

Despite the grumbling among my companions, most stuck with the event until the very end.

Seeing them return to Murong Gang daily, faces battered and bodies aching, was surprisingly moving.

Because they showed such high participation, they received the bulk of his training.

Notably, Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong even carved out time for specialized personal “instruction.”

“Hah, quite intriguing. One possesses the Heavenly Yang Divine Bones, and the other carries the burden of the Heavenly Killing Star.”

I was already aware of Dong-ryong’s curse, but this was my first encounter with the news of Geum-pyo’s constitution.

“Hmm…… It is natural you wouldn’t know. It is an obscure lineage.”

“Is it advantageous?”

“If he masters decent outer techniques, his bones will become nearly unbreakable and his skin impervious. He is essentially built like stone.”

I had assumed his incredible resilience to pain was a matter of pure willpower, but it turned out his anatomy was naturally reinforced.

Did this mean he was destined to be the front-line meat shield in every future skirmish?

Geum-pyo seemed to sense a rather grim future unfolding before him.

Dong-ryong looked toward Murong Gang with watery eyes.

“E-elder, I am deeply troubled. I fear I may lose control at any moment.”

When Dong-ryong voiced the anxiety he had suffered in silence, Murong Gang dismissed it as a triviality.

“No cause for alarm. You will learn to restrain it through consistent training. As it happens, the two of you can undergo the same routine.”

“The same routine?”

Murong Gang offered a broad nod.

“You shall simply get beaten. The Heavenly Yang Divine Bones will harden the skin and frame, while the Heavenly Killing Star will cultivate the necessary patience.”

“…….”

“…….”

Initially, the other pupils had been envious that Murong Gang was offering individual guidance to Geum-pyo and Dong-ryong. After watching them get pummeled until every inch of their bodies was bruised, the others quickly decided they never wanted personal instruction again.

The seven days of lectures everyone had anticipated so fervently finally concluded.

As soon as the event ended, the students scrambled to hide in their rooms or escape the academy grounds, while the Medical Hall remained overwhelmed, much to the annoyance of Sama Jeong.

Naturally, that had no impact on me.

—

“Thank you for your immense effort.”

As I performed a formal bow, Murong Gang’s eyebrow twitched.

“The supposed representative of the academy didn’t see fit to attend a single day of my seven-day lecture.”

I tilted my head, feigning innocence.

“Did I not already receive my share of lessons?”

“……Even so, I had hoped to provide further instruction.”

*Crack.*

*Crack.*

Murong Gang began stretching, cracking his knuckles and neck loudly.

……Could that really be the demeanor of someone who simply wanted to teach?

“Then please, enlighten me on that technique.”

“What are you referring to?”

I mimicked the gesture he had used, waving my hands erratically.

“You know, that distortion of space you displayed.”

“You mean the Void-Annihilation Fist?”

“Exactly!”

A booming roar erupted from Murong Gang.

“You brat! That is the culmination of my life’s work!”

“Regardless, you still owe me compensation for the beating, do you not?”

“How dare you! Did I not already provide the lecture! I am Murong Gang! Do you honestly think I would showcase my martial arts for these useless worms?”

Watching Murong Gang fly into a rage, I let out a dry, hollow laugh.

“Did I not help you uncover the core principle of the Murong Clan? Is the discovery I provided truly so trivial in your eyes?”

“…….”

“Furthermore, even if it is your life’s work, that realization came from the perspective of a ‘Sword-Breaker.’ Now that you possess the eyes of Shattering Heaven, surely you should aim for something greater.”

Seeing that my logic was sound, Murong Gang—who truly did have the temperament of a brawler—trembled with indignation.

“That move you used back then… that was the Sword Demon’s form, wasn’t it?”

“……I refuse to answer.”

“Hmph! Your expression says it all. I have no idea how you acquired it, but with the Taeul Sword Emperor’s scriptures and that Sword Demon technique, you will have few equals among your peers.”

Murong Gang’s gaze suddenly turned somber and calm.

“……But tell me, why are you so obsessed with martial strength?”

I paused before responding.

“Because it isn’t enough.”

“Not enough?”

Doubt flickered across his face.

Countless Demonic Practitioners surging forward.

Demonic Beasts that refused to die no matter how many times they were struck.

Witchcraft that fractured the psyche, and Demonic Arts that defied the laws of nature.

The future I remembered was an absolute hell.

And my current self was far too weak to endure such a nightmare.

I looked directly into Murong Gang’s eyes.

“I mean that my strength is insufficient to protect those I care about.”

Murong Gang stroked his chin, lost in thought.

“Hmm, is that the only reason?”

“……What do you mean by that?”

His eyes grew sharp.

“I am asking if you desire to protect them, or if you actually wish to rule them.”

I shook my head immediately.

“I have no hunger for power.”

“Then what you possess right now is sufficient.”

Again, I shook my head.

“I have a great many people who depend on my protection.”

“……A madman. Are you suggesting you intend to guard every single soul under the heavens?”

I remained silent. I had known from the start that such a task was an impossibility.

Seeing my silence, Murong Gang clicked his tongue.

“To think you would covet my life’s work yet refuse to speak plainly.”

But then……

The corners of his mouth began to twist into an odd smile.

“As I suspected, you are precisely the kind of material that belongs in our Murong Clan.”

“…….”

What was that look? Why did he seem pleased? It was unsettling.

Maintaining that grin, Murong Gang asked,

“Tell me, why does a practitioner bother to learn an Inner Arts Heart Method?”

What was this man going on about while I was already drowning in responsibilities?

My ear itched, so I scratched it with my pinky and muttered,

“……Can we skip the theory and just get to the oral formula and qi operation methods?”

“You insolent brat!”

*Thwack!*

The back of my head burned, and my vision spun.

“H-how did you do that?”

Previously, I had assumed I couldn’t perceive his movement because of distance, but even at close range, I hadn’t felt the slightest shift in his internal energy.

I wanted it.

I wanted it so badly it hurt……!

I pressed him, speaking urgently,

“Could it be the Heart Sword?”

“Heart Sword?? You have been reading too many novels, child. Did you honestly think that could be materialized so simply……”

I cut him off, clasping my hands in a plea.

“The reason a practitioner learns an Inner Arts Heart Method is to accumulate and cultivate energy internally so it can be wielded freely.”

He seemed satisfied with the answer, his gaze softening slightly.

“……Are you finally prepared to listen like a proper student?”

“I have been sincere since the very start.”

This technique was far more profound than I had realized.

To manipulate energy without emitting a single trace of presence—the applications were limitless.

Murong Gang stroked his beard and posed another question.

“Then answer me this: what distinguishes the energy within your own body from the energy that permeates the world?”

“Well, for one thing, internal energy is refined through specific heart methods, which give it distinct characteristics, right?”

“But is the energy stored within you fundamentally distinct from the energy of the world itself?”

His question sparked an itch in my mind.

“No Inner Arts Heart Method can alter the fundamental essence of nature’s energy. Even those who utilize heaven-defying arts cannot truly erase the natural energy of the world.”

It was a stifling sensation, as if I were on the verge of a breakthrough, like a sneeze stuck in my throat.

“Then why should a practitioner rely solely on the energy contained within their own qi center?”

It was a theory that essentially challenged the bedrock of all martial arts.

Yet, I couldn’t argue that he was incorrect.

Because that, too, was a fundamental principle of nature.

“Martial arts attempt to mirror the Dao of nature, yet they refuse to fully integrate with it. Can the path of the sword and the path of nature not be unified?”

As his words, heavy with mystery, continued, the stifling feeling grew until my heart pounded and my breathing turned ragged.

“The attempt to fuse the path of martial arts and the path of nature into one. That is the essence of the Void-Annihilation Fist.”

It was a principle that could only be conceived by someone whose rebellious nature defied even the most basic foundations.

A concept only someone like Murong Gang could dream of.

I felt a thirst for this knowledge that scorched my throat.

“Th-then what is the oral formula? What about the qi flow? Is the consumption of internal energy immense?”

I fired questions at him, a starving beggar trying to gorge himself.

Murong Gang looked at me and offered a twisted smirk.

“The lesson ends here.”

When I looked at him in dismay, he grinned.

“If you wish to learn more, become a member of the Murong Clan.”

“…….”

No, he was really cutting it off there?

Was he a martial master or a gangster?

—

Murong Gang, who had arrived with all the force of a storm, departed with just as much noise.

‘Still, to walk out after openly insulting the Alliance Leader at the heart of the Murim Alliance…….’

If anyone else—a member or an outsider—had done that, they would have been dragged to the Execution Pavilion, but there wasn’t a soul in the Execution or Inspection Pavilions brave enough to try and apprehend Murong Gang.

And so, he returned to the Murong Clan.

With the Distinguished Guest Invitation event concluded, the size of the representative delegation grew.

After all, everyone wanted to pad their academy records with evidence of their participation in delegation activities.

Because of this influx, the veteran members of the delegation finally had enough hands to share the workload, allowing them a moment to breathe.

As for me, I had even less to do than before.

My life settled into a peaceful routine: arriving at the office, sitting in a plush chair, and sipping Seven-Colored Flower tea.

A brief, unexpected period of tranquility.

“However, you are now required to report to Mantongbu.”

Eun-ho’s words shattered my mood instantly, and I furrowed my brow.

“Do you break out in hives every time you see your Eldest Senior Brother relaxing?”

Eun-ho replied with an agonizingly calm expression.

“How could that be? I merely wish for you to hurry to Mantongbu and distinguish yourself. It is for the benefit of the other junior brothers, of course.”

Look at this guy.

“……Come to think of it, you were the one who wrote that letter in Jae-hwa’s stead, weren’t you?”

“How could that be? I only recorded what Jae-hwa dictated. He said his own handwriting was so atrocious it would likely incite his grandfather’s rage.”

“…….”

Eun-ho shot me an ambiguous look—I couldn’t tell if it was a glare or a vacant stare.

“And you really shouldn’t have made Jae-hwa the sacrificial lamb in the first place.”

……Since I was guilty as charged, I couldn’t bring myself to reprimand him.

Ever since that day, Jae-hwa, who used to cling to me like a stray puppy, had been slowly distancing himself as well.

Eun-ho drove the point home with a triumphant air.

“Hurry to Mantongbu. Because of you, Eldest Senior Brother, they keep flagging the office for insufficient documentation.”

Even without Eun-ho’s urging, I knew I had to go.

Maeng Ju-won had been sending messages multiple times a day, and he had even taken to visiting my dormitory once a week.

‘Ugh, what a persistent man.’

I had already intended to handle some work at Mantongbu.

I needed to cross-reference the events I had altered with the history I remembered to predict how they would reshape the future.

‘Besides, those people are there as well.’

The wretched Elder Council.

They wouldn’t hand me control over the budget easily, but if I handled the paperwork with enough precision, I could certainly make their lives difficult. Huhu.

Since I already had tens of thousands of future documents archived in my head, I had no need to struggle through the actual work.

My short-term objective: finish the handover as efficiently as possible and reduce my presence to a single day a week.

If I managed that, I could enjoy my time at the representative delegation, take my weekends, and finally have space for dedicated martial arts training.

With my plan solidified, I entered Mantongbu, where Maeng Ju-won and Jegal So-myeong greeted me.

“Welcome! Welcome! You have returned to your home at last.”

It had never been my home, yet Maeng Ju-won looked so ecstatic he could barely contain himself.

“Have you been keeping well?”

When I greeted Jegal So-myeong, he furrowed his brow heavily.

“Do you really think I’ve been living in comfort?”

My posture naturally slumped; I knew I was in the wrong.

“You are of advanced age, sir. Please take care of your health.”

“Ninety percent of my current stress is entirely because of you.”

If I continued this conversation, I would only be the one suffering.

I pivoted quickly.

“What is my first task? Please, entrust me with anything.”

Maeng Ju-won reached out to grab me, but……

“Leave him for a moment. There is something I must delegate first.”

“Pardon?”

“…….”

For some reason, even though I was perfectly still, Maeng Ju-won looked shocked.

Ignoring him, Jegal So-myeong handed me a document—a long, rolled scroll.

As I scanned the contents, I tilted my head in confusion.

“You want me to help establish an alliance with the Black Thought Alliance?”

Jegal So-myeong nodded at my summary.

But I had questions.

“Are we dispatching an official envoy?”

The character used for “thought” didn’t imply a Black Path sect.

‘Could this be a new sect that formed because of my influence?’

I scanned my internal archive, but there was no record of any “Black Thought Alliance.”

“This is the first I have heard of the Black Thought Alliance.”

“Naturally. It is a newly founded organization.”

That only deepened the mystery.

If it were brand new, why would the Murim Alliance go out of its way to form an alliance with them?

As I looked at him, Jegal So-myeong added:

“You are well-acquainted with them, are you not? It is the new name for the Black Path coalition established around the Four Emperors Peak Lord, who is a close associate of yours.”

“Do not tell me……”

“Attend the founding ceremony of the Black Thought Alliance.”

“……Eeeh???????”

Jegal So-myeong sipped his tea as if it were the most ordinary request in the world.

Anyone watching would have thought he was just sending me out to fetch a block of tofu from the local market.