novelraw Chapter 73 : Chapter 73
Chapter 73 : Chapter 73
Chapter 73 - I Think So Too
“Eutcha!”
Early dawn.
A man stretched with a vigorous shout.
Thick, dark eyebrows like caterpillars.
A particularly small nose compared to the size of his face, and timid-looking eyes.
At a glance, sturdy and thick calves.
The person who came out of his quarters in the dawn air was Solbo.
“Mm! Mm!”
After checking his legs here and there, Solbo snorted and nodded.
He had trained for a very long time yesterday.
But there was no problem in moving his legs.
Of course, both his legs were screaming from muscle soreness, but for Solbo, that wasn't a big deal.
The hope of being able to get a little faster came to him much more strongly than the pain in his muscles.
That was precisely the reason he woke up from dawn even though no one had forced him to.
“From now on, I'll be able to run away a little faster!”
It was a statement that would have made Biyoung's blood pressure rise and do a somersault if he had heard it, but Solbo walked with an expression of utmost satisfaction.
It was just as he was arriving at the training ground.
“Hm?”
Someone was there.
At this early hour before the sun had even risen.
A strange figure, panting heavily, unable to even stand properly.
And not just one, but two of them!
“Gh-Ghost!”
“No, you foolish brat.”
Solbo, who was about to run away, rubbed his eyes upon hearing the voice.
It was a voice he had heard many times somewhere before.
“Senior Brothers?”
As if he didn't even have the strength to answer, one of the men waved a hand.
The figures lying prostrate like corpses were none other than Eung Gajin and Uma.
Solbo consciously fixed his gaze only on Eung Gajin.
It was scary enough to encounter a person in this dim dawn, but he thought he might faint if he saw Uma's bare face.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“I'll explain later, I'm going to wash up a bit.”
“Yes, yes.”
Belying the morning hour, he looked extremely tired.
His entire martial arts uniform was soaked with sweat, and the area under his eyes had turned pitch black as if painted.
“Are you alright, Senior Brother?”
When he asked Uma, who was staggering away, he bared his teeth at Solbo.
It was a most meaningful smile.
“Don't worry too much. You'll be like this soon enough too.”
“?”
With those words, the two living corpses disappeared from Solbo's sight.
***
“Isn't this guy completely crazy?”
“I think so too.”
“There should be a limit to training. This is no way for a person to live.”
“I think so too.”
“He's truly a devilish guy. How could he create a training regimen that brings us to the very brink of death like this?”
“I think so too.”
At the monotonous replies, Uma couldn't hold back and raised his voice.
“Are you just going to keep saying the same thing? Say something, will you.”
“I think so too.”
“…………!”
Only then did Uma realize that Eung Gajin's state was not normal.
There was no trace of color on his face, and his gaze was completely dazed.
This was not a person; it was a form more befitting a Jiangshi.
The only things he could do were walk with all his might to wash up, and unconsciously repeat the same words.
‘He's completely lost it.’
Uma was currently vehemently cursing the instructor who had given the training, in other words, Biyoung.
He should be bowing down in gratitude for being given the Six-Flower Pill and having his internal energy raised.
But the training schedule Biyoung had laid out was so harsh that it sent that gratitude flying to the far end of the universe.
They trained in the Flying Eagle Steps all day, but that was just the ‘normal training’ that all swordsmen did equally.
Those who had eaten the Six-Flower Pill had to complete ‘special training’ once before starting the Flying Eagle Steps training, and once after the training was over.
The content of the special training was simple.
To run up and down Kongtong Mountain countless times in the pitch-dark hours.
The mountain terrain was so rugged that it was not easy to go up and down even in broad daylight.
So much so that while the pavilions were being repaired, hadn't Solbo been in charge of all the trips down the mountain?
Chwaaak!
The hot energy radiating from his skin subsided as it met the cold water.
With that, he felt a little bit of energy returning to his body.
“……I'm going crazy.”
Uma checked his body's condition and smiled a rotten smile.
If it were before he had eaten the Six-Flower Pill, he would have already passed out flat on his back.
But surprisingly, Uma's strength was gradually recovering.
Because his Dantian had become pure and his internal energy had risen, he had acquired an extraordinary recovery ability.
And it was this very point that made Uma want to go crazy and jump up and down.
It would be a relief if he could just faint.
The training load Biyoung had given them was pushing Uma and Eung Gajin right to the brink of fainting.
As if to say, ‘I know because I've done it myself.’
The same went for running down the mountain in the dark of night.
There were cases where his skin was scratched by small branches, but he never ran into a tree.
All five senses of his body had become sensitive, allowing him to somehow avoid large obstacles.
The difficulty and amount of training could be summarized in the following four characters.
A desperate, bitter struggle.
Two Jiangshi who had returned from a difficult battle.
Two things greeted them after they finished their grueling training.
The sun peeking its head over the mountain peak.
And the ‘normal training’ to learn the Flying Eagle Steps.
“Gentlemen! You all look to be in good condition!”
……Do we look good?
Like this?
Uma and Eung Gajin gritted their teeth at Biyoung's words.
They had washed up and changed into new martial arts uniforms, so they looked fine on the outside, but their insides were already completely emptied out.
In this state, they had to start the Flying Eagle Steps training again.
But the words that came out of Biyoung's mouth were a spectacle.
“Until yesterday, we took it easy to get our bodies used to the training, but from today, we begin the intensive training in earnest. Until the seniors from Simao arrive, you must train with the mindset that you will die if you don't master the Flying Eagle Steps!”
“………….”
Just kill me here instead.
You demonic bastard!
Uma looked at Eung Gajin with a face full of indignation.
Senior Brother.
Say something!
We're all going to die at this rate!
Perhaps Uma's desperate expression got through.
Eung Gajin opened his mouth with a soulless face.
“……I think so too.”
Eung Gajin still hadn't come to his senses.
***
“This is really delicious.”
Under the bright full moon, two young men were munching on scorched rice.
At first glance, they seemed to have no special features other than their handsome faces, but one was the young master of the Yi Family Clan that dominated Yiliang County, and the other was the incarnation of the World's Fastest Sword.
“I don't think I've ever had scorched rice this delicious even at my house.”
“Really? The Great Mother's skills are excellent.”
Biyoung said so and took another bite of the scorched rice.
They say everyone is born with a fortune for food, and it seemed this guy named Biyoung, unlike the ‘World's Fastest Sword,’ was overflowing with a fortune for food from birth.
Growing up under a grandfather with exceptional cooking skills, he had eaten delicacies at the Yi Family Clan and the Loyal Heart Pavilion, and now he was living with the Great Mother, who was a skilled cook.
When the idea of bringing the Great Mother into the Diancang Sect was first proposed, there were some skeptical views.
The Absolute Protector was fine since his swordsmanship was so outstanding, but there was an opinion that the Great Mother had nothing particular to contribute to the Diancang Sect.
However, once they had eaten the food prepared by the Great Mother, such opinions disappeared as if they had never existed.
Now, all the swordsmen were hanging around the Great Mother's quarters, asking for snacks.
“The more I think about it, the more amazing it seems.”
Sedong, having finished the scorched rice, dusted off his palms and said.
“The scorched rice?”
“Hehe. The scorched rice is amazing too, but I mean your sect.”
“Hm?”
Sedong's eyes sparkled brightly as if they held the stars of the night sky.
“Everyone learned the Flying Eagle Steps in just a few days, didn't they? As expected, the martial artists of Jianghu are amazing.”
For Sedong, who already admired martial artists, the last few days had been a dream-like time.
Living together with the people of the sect was also very interesting, and the swordsmanship Biyoung occasionally showed was nothing short of enchanting.
And the most crucial experience.
The experience of serving as an assistant instructor for the Flying Eagle Steps was a memory that would not be forgotten for a long time.
In his life, would there be another chance to demonstrate for martial artists?
The fact that he didn't have much time left was just a lingering regret.
But contrary to Sedong's slightly flushed face, Biyoung's reaction was indifferent.
“Not all martial artists are amazing. Most of them aren't that fast in their progress.”
“Hehe. Really? Then should I change it to the brothers of the Diancang Sect are amazing?”
“No. The Senior Brothers aren't amazing either.”
“Huh? Then?”
At Sedong's question, Biyoung's nose pointed to the sky.
Rough snorts puffed out from under it.
“What's amazing isn't the martial artists, nor the Diancang Sect riffraff! The only amazing one is this body! It was this body's special prescription and special training that made the slow Senior Brothers able to walk properly! So, the only amazing one is me!”
“Ah…… I see.”
The kind-hearted Sedong just nodded with his mouth agape.
In fact, strictly speaking, it wasn't a completely wrong statement.
The Flying Eagle Steps was considered a relatively easy martial art within the Diancang Sect, and it was a footwork the disciples of the younger generation were already familiar with.
Moreover, hadn't Biyoung personally helped those with insufficient internal energy absorb the Six-Flower Pill?
It would be hard to find better conditions for correcting basic martial arts.
“Well. Even so, it's true that the progress is fast. If it weren't for the passion of the Jiangshi…… I mean, the Senior Brothers, it would have taken a little more time.”
Because he had planned the training amount to be just before the point of death, there were no dropouts.
The Senior Brothers crawled up Kongtong Mountain on all fours if they couldn't walk.
The sight of the Jeong-i, who were like a single lofty flower, crawling up the mountain on their hands and feet was truly pitiful to see, but on the other hand, it was because of that mindset that they were able to complete the Flying Eagle Steps.
“On the other hand, it's a pity.”
Suddenly, a shadow fell over Sedong's face.
Biyoung smirked and asked.
“Are you sad about leaving Kongtong Mountain? If that's the case, you can just come back up soon, right?”
“It will probably be difficult to come for a while. The Awl Selection Period is starting in earnest now.”
“Aha.”
“And there's another reason why I said it's a pity.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“………….”
Sedong paused for a moment.
It was quite different from his usual chirping like a sparrow.
Sedong, who had been silent, smiled awkwardly and answered Biyoung.
“I'm leaving after only watching the training for the Flying Eagle Steps. If I stayed just a little longer, I would be able to see the Eagle Talon Twelve Swords performed by the older brothers and sisters. That's a bit of a shame.”
“What? Are you saying that watching this body's swordsmanship wasn't enough?”
“Hey. That's not it. But isn't there a saying that you see as much as you know? Your swordsmanship is too fast and flashy, so there are many times I don't know what's what.”
“Aha. So you're saying that a moderately shoddy swordsmanship resonates better with you?”
If the parties of the ‘moderately shoddy swordsmanship’ had heard this, they would have foamed at the mouth.
Sedong scratched the back of his head with a bittersweet smile.
‘I can't bring myself to tell the truth.’
He was just beating around the bush; in fact, Sedong had lied to Biyoung.
The camaraderie between the disciples of the Diancang Sect was deep.
Not only those who were originally in Simao, but Biyoung also, despite his harsh words, had shared all the Six-Flower Pills he had.
The relentless training was ultimately for the purpose of improving the martial arts of his Senior Brothers.
Watching their strong bond was certainly a pleasant thing.
But on the contrary, the more he saw it, the more Sedong felt depressed thinking about his family members.
He would think of his father, who didn't have a shred of affection, and his brother, who, far from helping, only obstructed his work.
The reason Sedong lied was because of that.
“Hmm……?”
As if seeing through his inner thoughts, a strange light flickered in Biyoung's eyes.
‘Let's see. It'll be about five days before people from Simao arrive, so……?’
Biyoung suddenly had an idea and snapped his fingers.
“Alright!”
Then he placed a hand on Biyoung's shoulder.
“You worked hard as an assistant instructor, so I'll give you a gift.”
“A gift?”
“Yes. It's not your gift, but in the end, it will be helpful to you.”
At those vague words, Sedong's eyes widened.
On the other hand, a rather dangerous smile settled on Biyoung's lips.