“I asked, would it be so wrong for this old man to be your master?”
“Pardon?”
Wait, what is this? At first listen, it puts the male lead of a romance drama to shame.
I covered my vital areas and slowly backed away.
“What is it?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. But what do you mean by that?”
“Forget it. Just pretend you didn’t hear.”
Jeok Cheon-kang’s expression was inscrutable. As he looked at me with a face mixed with a strange, subtle expectation, annoyance, and disappointment, he suddenly spoke.
“You, boy, have the Heavenly Martial Body.”
“The Heavenly what?”
At my reaction, Jeok Cheon-kang’s brow furrowed.
“You don’t know of the Heavenly Martial Body? Are you playing games with this old man?”
“First time hearing of it in my life.”
“…The heavens are heartless. Why, to a boy like this.”
He looked like he really wanted to hit me. Jeok Cheon-kang, who was trembling while clutching his liquor bottle, let out a sigh.
“Then do you at least know of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians?¹”
“Ah, the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. I know of it.”
I’d seen it a lot in the past. Is this right? I dredged up my old memories and pulled out a few keywords related to the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
“Special constitution. Painful. Smart. But dies young.”
“Am I wrong?”
“…The core of it is correct. It is a type of severed meridian condition where congenitally strong yin energy blocks the blood vessels, eventually leading to death.”
“Then what about the Heavenly Martial Body?”
A sense of anxiety began to creep up in a corner of my heart. It was even more so because he had used the Nine Yin Severed Meridians as an example. Wouldn’t it be a huge problem if it was something that allowed one to learn martial arts quickly but had some kind of problem with the body that led to an early death?
Jeok Cheon-kang opened his mouth with a serious face.
“The Heavenly Martial Body is a martial frame literally bestowed by the heavens, something that may or may not appear once every few hundred years.”
A physical foundation bestowed by the heavens. Just hearing it sounds amazing. And that made me even more nervous. The Nine Yin Severed Meridians were also a double-edged sword that traded genius-level intellect for a short lifespan. I stared at Jeok Cheon-kang’s mouth with tense eyes.
“And?”
“And what?”
“When do I die?”
“Why would you die?”
“Actually, I think my head has been hurting and I’ve been feeling nauseous lately. And my bones are aching right now too.”
Dr. Choi Tae, no, Dr. Jeok Cheon-kang, having heard my words, gave a short and concise diagnosis.
“That’s from being beaten up by this old man.”
“Ah.”
“Surely you weren’t having the absurd thought that the Heavenly Martial Body leads to an early death like the Nine Yin Severed Meridians?”
“…Keuheum.”
“Well, I’ve never seen such a crazy bastard.”
Jeok Cheon-kang shook his head with a dumbfounded expression.
“The Heavenly Martial Body is as different from a severed meridian condition like the Nine Yin Severed Meridians as heaven is from earth. Why do you think they say it was bestowed by the heavens? You, boy, were born with heavenly fortune just by being born with that body.”
“Me?”
“This old man heard from the Lesser Family Head that it has only been three months since you began learning martial arts in earnest. Do you truly believe that your achievements so far have been possible through effort alone?”
“Well, no.”
“The you of today exists because you have a physical foundation that allows you to master any martial art faster than anyone else.”
Jeok Cheon-kang’s words were only half right. The reason I didn’t say anything was that what was added to my effort wasn’t an innate physical foundation, but the system.
If I really had the Heavenly Martial Body, there’s no way I would have remained a third-rate martial artist until I was twenty.
A promising tree is different from its sprout. If the real Jin Tae-kyung, the previous owner of this body, had been born with such heavenly fortune, he would have surely shown his talent long ago.
This body is not the Heavenly Martial Body.
I looked down at my hands. The size and length of my arms and hands, the shape of the muscles, and the power hidden within them. All of it was uniform, without a single millimeter of error.
The system.
The points I gained from leveling up and training are converted into stats. And the system distributes those stats evenly, so that every single small, minute gear inside my body meshes together perfectly.
It’s not congenital, so it’s not just a Heavenly Martial Body… At this rate, would it be something like an acquired Heavenly Martial Body?
It was no wonder that Jeok Cheon-kang, who had seen my body himself, was mistaken. And from my perspective, it was better to let him continue this misunderstanding. A third-rate scoundrel who only drank had become a Peak Realm master in just three months. If not for the Heavenly Martial Body, it wouldn’t be strange to be accused of practicing demonic arts.
Anyway, this turned out well.
Since even Jeok Cheon-kang, a Transcendent Realm master, mistook it for the Heavenly Martial Body, there was no doubt that my physical foundation was extremely outstanding. And since there were no side effects like the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, it was truly a thank you.
*Is this finally my flower road?*
Thinking about all the hardships I had gone through until now, tears welled up in my eyes. Lost in my emotions, I suddenly felt a gaze and turned my head. Jeok Cheon-kang, whose eyes suddenly met mine, flinched and then stared blankly at the sky.
“Th-The moon is bright.”
Following his gaze, I looked up at the sky and muttered.
“It’s completely covered in dark clouds.”
“Do you have something you want to say?”
“Keuheum.”
Jeok Cheon-kang, who had been clearing his throat repeatedly, stealthily opened his mouth.
“As you know, this old man has a debt to repay to you.”
“So?”
“Before I leave this place, I want to settle that matter for certain, so I am asking, is there anything you want from this old man?”
To be honest, not really. If I had to pick one thing, it would be for him to take back his earlier declaration. But given his pride, there was no chance Jeok Cheon-kang would do that. I had to present a reasonable request that he would be willing to grant…
I scratched my head.
“I’m not sure. I haven’t thought about it specifically.”
“Then think about it specifically.”
“Ah, I’ll tell you later when I think of something. You’ll be here for a few more days before you leave anyway.”
But Jeok Cheon-kang was firm.
“Right now.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, tell me right now. It’s not like there’s much to think about.”
Jeok Cheon-kang, who had been rushing me, added in a mumbling voice.
“F-For example, something like wanting to learn martial arts from this old man. Or wanting to learn martial arts. Or wanting to learn martial arts. Wouldn’t there be something like that?”
“…”
“It was just an example. Pay it no mind.”
“…”
“Keuheum. I must have phlegm in my throat. Keo-heum!”
I, who had been watching him silently, opened my mouth.
“Great Hero Jeok. I’m asking just in case.”
“Keo-heu-heu-heum!”
“Do you want to take me as your disciple?”
In that moment, Jeok Cheon-kang, who had been coughing loudly, froze. At the same time, his pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“W-What are you talking about!”
“Exactly what you heard.”
“H-Hah. How absurd. This old man wants to take you as my disciple?”
Yes. It very much looks that way. At first, I thought I was mistaken, but at this point, you’d have to be an idiot not to know. As I just stared at him without a word, it was Jeok Cheon-kang who became flustered.
“Y-You brat! What is with that insolent gaze!”
“I’m just looking. Don’t mind me.”
“You seem to be gravely mistaken, but you are completely wrong.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Do you think the successor of my sect, with its long and brilliant history, would be decided so easily?”
“You seemed to decide very easily earlier. You said it in front of so many people, so you can’t even take it back.”
“Th-That was. I can just take a new disciple.”
“You said it was a one-person succession and not passed to outsiders, didn’t you? Even so, people in the world will think I am the successor of the Scorching Fire Sect.”
Jeok Cheon-kang, hit where it hurt, bellowed.
“There isn’t a single reason to take you as my disciple!”
“I have the Heavenly Martial Body.”
“Gasp.”
“It took me about three months to go from a third-rate to the Peak Realm, so I wonder how long it will take to reach the Transcendent Realm.”
“Y-You brat. Do you think it’s that easy? Is the Transcendent Realm some dog’s name in your neighborhood?”
“It was easy for me.”
How many times had I crossed the line between life and death? It had been damn hard and difficult, but from now on, it was going to be unconditionally easy.
To Jeok Cheon-kang, who was at a loss for words, I muttered as if to myself.
“No, wait, the Transcendent Realm would be difficult.”
“O-Of course it would be.”
“Maybe when I’m around thirty?”
Jeok Cheon-kang’s mouth fell open.
“Th-Thirty? To the Transcendent Realm?”
“Ah, did I set the bar too high? I did that on purpose because it seemed difficult.”
I glanced at Jeok Cheon-kang out of the corner of my eye and sighed.
“Indeed, since Great Hero Jeok is a master great enough to be one of the Ten Kings, you must have been incomparably faster than me. On top of that, with the martial arts of the Scorching Fire Sect. Wow, I’m so jealous. I would get strong in no time too if I learned a high-level martial art like that.”
Jeok Cheon-kang looked at me with trembling eyes. I could fully guess what kind of imagination was unfolding in his head. What would happen if the Heavenly Martial Body met the divine secret arts of the Scorching Fire Sect? I was someone who had shown unbelievable achievement in just three months. A monster, unprecedented in all of history, could be born.
It’s almost over.
To him, who was hesitating, unable to speak out of pride, I drove in the final nail.
“Ah, this won’t do. I think I’ll go to the Huashan Sect after this meeting is over.”
“H-Huashan Sect? Why there?”
“Because of the great hero, the Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak. I heard you two are quite close. If I explain the situation well, I think I could become his disciple without the news spreading…”
“No!”
The shout escaped on its own. Jeok Cheon-kang flinched and swallowed hard.
“I-If you have the mind to…”
“Pardon? Your voice is too small, I can’t hear you.”
“Hah.”
Jeok Cheon-kang, who had composed his breathing, spoke again.
“If you have the mind to, I can look over your martial arts on the side.”
I widened my eyes as if in surprise.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. I have to repay my debt, don’t I?”
His voice was stern, as if he had belatedly decided he needed to establish some authority.
It’s too late for that, old man.
I barely suppressed a laugh and replied.
“What you’ve done for me so far is more than enough.”
“It is this old man’s iron rule to repay a debt ten, twenty times over.”
“I see.”
“That’s right.”
“But aren’t you leaving in a few days anyway? You seem very busy.”
“I can postpone it. I plan to leave when you have achieved a certain level of accomplishment.”
“Ah, so you’re the type to see things through once you start.”
“It is my innate nature.”
“What if I fail to reach the level of accomplishment that Great Hero Jeok desires?”
Jeok Cheon-kang deliberately hardened his face.
“Ahem, you brat! How can you think you will fail before you even start!”
“I’m sorry. I was just worried it might take several years.”
“Did you already forget what I just said about my personality?”
“That you see things through once you start?”
“Once a martial artist has drawn his sword, he must slice a mountain.”
“Wow, that’s so cool. As expected of Great Hero Jeok!”
I gave him a thumbs-up and asked in a suggestive voice.
“But at this point, aren’t we master and disciple?”
After a moment of silence, Jeok Cheon-kang shook his head vigorously.
“Master and disciple? Nonsense! This is simply me repaying a debt.”
“Aah, I see. I misunderstood your intentions, Great Hero Jeok. I offer my sincerest apologies.”
“…Keuheum.”
Jeok Cheon-kang, who had let out an uncomfortable cough, said.
“However, I think we need to change how you address me.”
“How I address you?”
“Although we are not, uh, real master and disciple, there are people watching, so we should at least keep up appearances, don’t you think?”
“That’s true.”
A title. What would be good to call him? After a short thought, one word popped into my head.
“Then shall I call you Master from now on?”
“Master?”
“Uh, y-yes?”
Jeok Cheon-kang, who had snapped back to reality as if just waking from sleep, looked at me with a complicated, subtle gaze.
“Yes, that would be good.”
“Yes. Then when it’s just the two of us…”
“Old Master. Call me that.”
“I understand. Old Master.”
I bowed my head deeply towards him. The great Transcendent Realm master whose fame was renowned throughout the world, the Fire King Jeok Cheon-kang. It was the moment a subtle relationship with him began.
Having sent Jin Tae-kyung away, Jeok Cheon-kang leaned his back against the old wall. The voice he had heard just a moment ago echoed endlessly in his head.
‘Master.’
It had been ten years. Since someone had called him master. Though his physique, face, and personality were different, he saw his dead disciple in the image of Jin Tae-kyung. Lost in thought, a faint smile suddenly appeared on Jeok Cheon-kang’s wrinkled lips.
Not bad.
He had never thought it would turn out this way, but he didn’t feel bad. No, in fact, he even felt a sense of anticipation for the future and an unexplainable cheerfulness.
Not bad. Really.
Jeok Cheon-kang snickered and looked up at the sky. At some point, the dark clouds had cleared, and a bright moon was revealing itself.