Chapter 198

An awkward atmosphere hung inside the office.

Jin Wikyung and Jeok Cheongang stole glances at each other as they sipped their tea and liquor.

Great Hero Jeok came here in person. What could this be about?

Has he been possessed by a ghost? Of all places, why did he have to come here?

But even silence had its limits.

After draining several cups in quick succession, Jeok Cheongang finally spoke. Since he was already here, he might as well clear up his questions about Jin Taekyung before leaving.

“I just came from seeing that fellow.”

“Ah, you mean Taekyung.”

Jin Wikyung immediately understood and carefully gauged his mood.

He had already heard the whole story. Jeok Cheongang had helped the Jin Family of Taiyuan because of the emotional debt he carried toward his dead Disciple.

But he was worried that the anger caused by the martial arts manual incident two days ago might not have faded yet.

“Is this perhaps about the martial arts manual?”

“This old man has already erased that from his memory. No matter how precious a manual may be, people are more important. Don’t you agree?”

“…”

“What? What’s with that expression?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

After beating him into a pulp, he’s talking about how people are more important now?

Jin Wikyung swallowed the words hovering at the tip of his tongue.

“In any case, I thought I might have hit him a little too hard, so I went to treat his body by cleansing his sinews and washing his marrow.”

“C-Cleansing his sinews and washing his marrow? You mean the cleansing I know of?”

Jeok Cheongang nodded at Jin Wikyung’s wide-eyed stare.

“Is there another kind?”

“N-No. I was simply too surprised.”

“Surprised?”

“How could I not be? Someone as extraordinary as Great Hero Jeok performed cleansing the sinews and washing the marrow on my younger brother. This is a tremendous blessing for our family.”

As Jeok Cheongang gazed at Jin Wikyung’s delighted face, he realized something.

“I see. I suppose you might not have known.”

“Pardon?”

You can only see as much as you know. Even Jeok Cheongang, one of the most renowned Supreme Peak masters in the world, had never imagined that Jin Taekyung’s bones and muscles could be that exceptional.

How, then, could Jin Wikyung have known?

Perhaps it was fortunate that I found out now.

Jeok Cheongang clicked his tongue softly before speaking.

“The effect of cleansing the sinews and washing the marrow was minimal.”

“What do you mean? How could cleansing the sinews and washing the marrow have no effect?”

“That isn’t what I mean. It would be more accurate to say that Jin Taekyung doesn’t need it. It’s too early to make a definite judgment, but…”

Jeok Cheongang added in a low voice:

“I suspect he may possess the Heavenly Martial Physique.”

“!”

For a brief moment, shock flashed across Jin Wikyung’s face.

But a moment later, he nodded calmly, prompting Jeok Cheongang to ask, “Did you already know?”

“I didn’t. Things simply make sense now.”

“Understand what?”

“Taekyung’s astonishingly rapid progress in martial arts. If he possesses the Heavenly Martial Physique—if it truly is that Heavenly Martial Physique—then everything can be explained.”

“Astonishingly rapid?”

Jeok Cheongang narrowed his brow and continued.

“That fellow has certainly accomplished a great deal for someone his age, but not enough to call it astonishing. If anything, compared to the legends of the Heavenly Martial Physique, his progress seems lacking.”

His voice rang with certainty.

And for good reason. In his youth, Jeok Cheongang had been every bit as accomplished as Jin Taekyung—more so, if anything.

The Supreme Peak masters who now dominated the Murim had displayed their genius from childhood. Compared to them, Jin Taekyung’s current realm was nothing out of the ordinary.

“The Heavenly Martial Physique is exactly what its name implies: bones and muscles bestowed by Heaven. Once every several hundred years—perhaps even once every thousand—a whim of Heaven causes a god to dwell within the body of a mere human. But the boy is only…”

“At the beginning of the Peak realm.”

“Exactly. The world is vast, and talented people are everywhere. Cheongpung alone is proof of that.”

Everything Jeok Cheongang said was true.

The people sheltered by the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families were not the only ones who existed.

There were undoubtedly young talents whose names had not yet reached the Central Plains, as well as people who had buried themselves in the countryside while training in martial arts.

If someone scoured every corner of the world, they would likely uncover several Supreme Peak masters approaching the level of the One God, the Three Saints, and the Ten Kings.

“That is why this old man cannot be certain. The boy is undoubtedly exceptional, but… this is not enough. Perhaps the legend is only a legend. Or perhaps his martial talent is inferior to his physique.”

“How interesting.”

“What is?”

“I thought the exact opposite.”

Jin Wikyung smiled faintly at Jeok Cheongang’s questioning expression.

“My younger brother’s martial talent is the greatest under heaven. No, it would not be an exaggeration to call it the greatest in all history.”

“W-What did you say?”

Jeok Cheongang barely managed to suppress the curse rising in his throat.

Even he, a living legend in all but name, did not dare claim to be the greatest beneath Heaven. And this man was calling his younger brother the greatest in all history?

Still, the confidence and conviction in Jin Wikyung’s voice compelled Jeok Cheongang to ask, “What makes you think that?”

Jin Wikyung silently held up three fingers.

“Three months.”

“…”

“That is how long Taekyung has been learning martial arts.”

“!”

“It’s also how long it took a Third Rate wastrel who frequented pleasure houses to become a Peak master.”

For an instant, Jeok Cheongang’s vision went white. Lightning flashed through his mind, and his heart pounded violently.

Three months to rise from Third Rate to Peak.

Absurd.

Utterly impossible.

But…

It is possible. If he possesses the Heavenly Martial Physique.

Jeok Cheongang was a Supreme Peak master.

Yet even he—powerful enough to kill a thousand people alone—was merely an old man whose body was withering beneath the force of time.

The Heavenly Martial Physique, however, was a being born of Heaven’s choice and whim.

How could a mere human presume to guess Heaven’s intentions?

Is this what lies beyond Heaven?

Jeok Cheongang slowly rose and approached the window. When he pushed open the tightly shut panes, an endless blue sky stretched before him.

As the cold wind rushed inside, he suddenly wondered:

Why had Heaven chosen Jin Taekyung?

And why had it brought the two of them together?

Who are you? Is there really someone there?

No answer came.

Jeok Cheongang stared in silence at the wisps of cloud drifting through the clear, tranquil sky. After a long while, he finally spoke.

“I think we need more liquor. What do you say?”

Jin Wikyung answered with a smile.

“Excellent. I was getting tired of tea myself.”

The next day, Hyuk Mujin came to me with unexpected news.

“They want you to attend the banquet.”

“Me?”

“Who else would they mean?”

I answered without a moment’s thought.

“I don’t want to.”

Sitting around taking up space would only make me restless.

People would gawk at me like I was a monkey in a zoo, and my biggest fan, Prince Shangshan, would probably ask for an autograph.

I would much rather hole up in my pavilion, circulate my qi, and think about martial arts. That sounded a hundred times better.

“Just tell them I can’t go.”

“It was the Lesser Family Head’s order.”

“Even better. My brother won’t make a fuss, will he? Besides, wouldn’t people find it strange if my closed-door training ended after only three days?”

“Just tell them you gained some insight. If you say that’s what happened, who’s going to argue?”

“…”

He had a point.

I narrowed my eyes at Hyuk Mujin, who seemed to be getting more logical by the day.

“I’m still a patient.”

“You’ve already recovered. When I saw you this morning, nearly all your bruises were gone.”

Just as Hyuk Mujin said, most of the bruises that had covered my upper body had already disappeared.

Judging by that, cleansing the sinews and washing the marrow really had done something.

Of course, gaining more stats would have been far more useful from my perspective.

Hyuk Mujin scratched the back of his head as though this was giving him a headache.

“Why don’t you just go?”

“Tell them I’m still in pain. Who’s going to argue when I’m the one saying it hurts?”

“Great Hero Jeok.”

“Huh?”

“He said you should have recovered by now, so don’t even think about pulling anything. Otherwise, he’ll come here and drag you out himself.”

“Damn it. That old man is still at the banquet hall?”

“He drank with the Lesser Family Head all night, then showed up a moment ago completely wasted.”

I let out a deep sigh.

Jeok Cheongang had said he would remain at the Jin Family of Taiyuan only until this gathering ended.

According to the original schedule, he should have left yesterday. But more and more people had arrived, including several heavyweights, and the gathering had been extended. Naturally, so had his stay.

“Shit. Fine, let’s go. Let’s go.”

“Good choice. If you refused, I was going to be the one who died.”

I followed Hyuk Mujin, who was grinning foolishly, toward the banquet hall.

It was still crowded enough to make a marketplace look deserted, but perhaps because they had finally begun controlling admission, there were far fewer people than on the first day.

“We had no choice. More people kept coming every day. With that many eating and drinking from morning to night, the expense was one thing, but we simply ran out of room.”

“You should’ve turned more of them away. It still looks packed.”

“If we turn away any more, people will curse us. Everyone left is at least the head of a small martial arts academy.”

“So you’re preserving their pride?”

“Something like that. We even gave each person a gift when we sent away the people who had been here on the first day.”

They’re even managing grassroots opinion?

Whether it was all part of some careful calculation or simply an act of genuine kindness, Jin Wikyung was undeniably capable.

He was different from the other martial artists who put their pride and martial arts first. Could he be what you would call a bureaucrat-style martial artist?

Without such an excellent CEO at its head, the Jin Family of Taiyuan probably could never have risen to its current position.

“Hey, our youngest! My beloved little brother, you’ve come!”

“…”

Yes, he would have been perfect if not for things like this.

His face was bright red from all the liquor he had drunk. As Jin Wikyung bellowed from the seat of honor, laughter erupted throughout the hall.

He really went all out. He really did.

Jin Wikyung was a Peak master. He could have purged the alcohol with his internal energy, so the fact that he was this drunk meant he had never intended to sober himself up.

Jeok Cheongang, seated beside him, was in much the same state.

“I summoned you ages ago. Why are you only showing up now?”

“…I came right away.”

“Right away, my ass. You dragged your feet saying you wouldn’t come, then hurried over the moment you heard this old man was here.”

“…”

“No matter how far you run, you’re still in the palm of my hand. Stop spouting nonsense and sit down.”

The old man really was frighteningly perceptive.

I exchanged nods with the familiar faces in the hall, including Baek Museong and Lee Seowol, then cautiously made my way forward.

The instant I sat down beside Jeok Cheongang, a liquor cup the size of a rice bowl appeared in front of me.

“Drink.”

“Oh. Yes.”

I filled the bowl to the brim and drained it in one go. As I wiped my mouth with my sleeve, Jeok Cheongang thrust the liquor bottle toward me again.

“One more.”

“Yes.”

I drained another bowl.

“More.”

“…Again?”

“What did you say?”

“No. The liquor just tastes so good, that’s all.”

Something about this feels ominous.

In the end, I emptied an entire jar by myself in less than fifteen minutes. Only then did the corners of Jeok Cheongang’s mouth curl upward in satisfaction.

“That’s more like it. You need to drink at least this much.”

“…”

Why did this remind me of a story I had once seen online about a university freshman welcome party?

The difference was that the person forcing me to drink wasn’t some senior from a fossilized class year.¹

It was the Fire King.

This is brutal right from the start.

Still, I had cleared the first hurdle.

I was taking a moment to catch my breath while the thoroughly drunk Jeok Cheongang went to relieve himself when someone suddenly spoke to me.

“May I pour you a drink?”

The speaker was a solidly built, middle-aged man.

He had stern eyes and tightly pressed lips. He looked at me with an unreadable expression before continuing:

“I am Ak Bulgun of the Shandong Yue Family.”

The Shandong Yue Family?

I had heard the name several times, both in novels and since arriving in the Murim.

I bowed awkwardly.

“Ah, I’m—”

“I already know. Jin Taekyung, the Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi. Though when I heard about you from the cadets last year, you didn’t have that nickname yet.”

“…Cadets?”

What was this man talking about?

Ak Bulgun smiled faintly at my bewilderment.

“Have you heard of Heaven’s Gate Temple? I serve as a spear Instructor there.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t know whether you’re aware, but your second brother is rather famous at the academy. Naturally, stories about you found their way there as well.”

I let out a quiet laugh.

Until three months ago, I had been called the disgrace of my family. I didn’t need to hear the stories to know exactly what they had been.

“I doubt they were very flattering.”

“Rumors in the martial world are not to be trusted. You yourself are proof of that.”

“Who knows?”

I answered vaguely and drank the liquor he poured for me.

“But what brings you here?”

“I came to attend to some business, but then I received word from the academy. One of our cadets said he was visiting his family for a short while, only to stop responding entirely. They ordered me to bring him back.”

“Jin Mukyung—I mean, my second brother.”

“That’s right. I hear he is undergoing closed-door training?”

When I nodded, Ak Bulgun stroked his beard.

“That’s troublesome. He’ll have to leave within seven days at the latest, no matter what. Did he give you any indication before entering seclusion?”

“No. He’s the sort who won’t stop until he’s satisfied.”

“I know. I have taught him myself.”

He sighed softly, then abruptly asked, “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Why not become a cadet at Heaven’s Gate Temple while you have the opportunity? Ah, if the rumor that you are studying under the Fire King is true, then pretend you never heard me.”

Heaven’s Gate Temple, out of nowhere.

I hadn’t expected that.

Heaven’s Gate Temple was practically a gateway to success, filled with talented people from across the world whose abilities had already been recognized, exceptional instructors, and countless opportunities.

I had heard that if a cadet met certain conditions, they could even learn advanced martial arts, as Jin Mukyung had.

If I stay at the Jin Family of Taiyuan, there’s a limit to how far I can grow.

The incident with the Roaring Fury Swordsman had taught me that. No matter what I obtained, without the strength to protect it, I would only end up at someone else’s mercy.

I needed a turning point if I wanted to become stronger, and Heaven’s Gate Temple offered both safety and opportunity.

Unless I really am the Fire King’s Disciple, this is the best option available to me right now.

When I did not answer immediately, Ak Bulgun continued.

“The admission period has already passed, but I can grant you special permission.”

“Special permission?”

“You are an exceptional talent.”

Ak Bulgun’s rough palm came to rest on my shoulder.

“What do you say? Will you become a cadet at Heaven’s Gate Temple? Someone like you would be welcomed with open arms by the higher-ups.”

“I…”

Just as I opened my mouth, a voice cut through the air.

“Take your hand off.”

“!”

A wave of scorching heat burst over us, carrying alcohol fumes so overpowering that my vision swam.

Yet there was not a trace of drunkenness in Jeok Cheongang’s voice.

“I said take your hand off what’s mine.”