Chapter 38 |
I had to engage in three battles consecutively at the Great Sword Gate. This was because there were three martial artists from Great Sword Gate who had challenged me, and each one of them seemed to hold a considerable rank within the organization.
The dueling arena of Great Sword Gate was packed with its members. They all glared at me with unfriendly, or even murderous, eyes. It wasn’t just that a secret had leaked; the news had spread to the extent that everyone knew about it.
‘What’s going on…?’
The first to come forward was the chief disciple of Great Sword Gate, Sung-gyu. He was a man in his 30s with an imposing presence. He walked forward and spoke.
“Are you Baek-woong from the Azure Dragon Martial Hall?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I am Sung-gyu, the chief disciple of Great Sword Gate. Let’s have a fair match!”
*Kiiing*
His sword naturally emitted light as it was unsheathed.
Then the headmaster of Great Sword Gate spoke, “Train as if it’s real, and fight as if it’s training.”
“……”
“If you wish, you may use a wooden sword instead of a real one.”
There was no change in the expression of the Great Sword Gate headmaster. It was only then that I began to roughly grasp the situation.
Although it was true that confidential information had leaked, the leader of Great Sword Gate could have ignored the duel request if he wanted to. However, he set up this occasion under the pretext of a duel – it was because he wanted to see my skills first-hand. If my skills were below expectations, it would tarnish his reputation as well.
‘They are underestimating me.’
But for some reason, I felt provoked. So, I walked over to the side of the dueling arena and picked up a wooden spear from among the weapons. The wooden spear was clearly made for training; its blade wasn’t even particularly sharp.
“I’ll use this.”
*Woong…*
Murmurs filled the air from the gathered trainees. Particularly, Sung-gyu, who had challenged me, had a visibly distorted face and bulging veins on his temples. He exploded in anger.
“You fool! Are you joking? Facing me with a training spear?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t regret it!”
*Swoosh*
As soon as he finished speaking, Sung-gyu lunged forward. It seemed to be the Cloud Breaking Sword Technique, a unique sword technique of Great Sword Gate, as I had heard from Threefold Expert Lee Gwang before coming here. The powerful strikes were lavishly thrown around, reminding me of a furious wild beast.
However, I could read not only Sung-gyu’s movements but also the tip of his sword, his tactics, and even his psychology all at once. Then I silently clicked my tongue at the realization that someone like him was the chief disciple. Compared to when I was desperately fighting against Jin So-cheong, it felt like child’s play.
‘Is this all? Just as I expected.’
I had learned a lot while training at Azure Dragon Martial Hall for five years. What I had gained there was truly something that one could not learn by themselves, even if they were to die and be reborn. It was indeed the advancement of a prestigious school. Especially since Jin So-cheong directly taught me how to properly control Qi, I could easily gauge an opponent’s strength at a glance. Originally, my Qi sense was already well-developed thanks to the massive internal strength I’d gained from ingesting Millennium Snow Ginseng several times, and now that I’d added technique to it, I naturally developed a keen sense of discernment.
The talent of Sung-gyu, which I had read, was really not that impressive. That’s exactly why I chose to use a wooden spear.
*Thwoong*
My body moved instantly. Like a shadow lightly grazing the empty air, my new form had already circled to behind Sung-gyu. As the shocked Sung-gyu tried to react by swinging his sword back, I had already aimed my wooden spear at the back of his head.
It was an indisputable victory.
“……”
Sung-gyu’s face had turned ashen. He wouldn’t have even seen me when I accelerated using Thunder Cloud Steps, a type of stepping technique. Unlike the past when I simply ran by infusing Qi into my feet, now I could apply the skill while also loading the energy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng into my feet. That’s why I could easily toy with a martial artist of Sung-gyu’s level with instantaneous speed.
I spoke leisurely.
“Should I have not used a wooden spear in this duel?”
“Ugh…”
The Great Sword Gate headmaster, who had been watching with his arms crossed, spoke coldly.
“That’s enough. It’s Baek-woong’s victory.”
Sung-gyu and I broke our hold, signaling the end of the duel. At that moment, the murmur in the audience grew louder. With my enhanced hearing, it seemed there was hardly anyone stronger than Sung-gyu even among the ordinary disciples of Great Sword Gate.
Then two more chief disciples came forward. Normally, in a sect, only one senior disciple is called the chief disciple, but Great Sword Gate had so many people and the competition was so fierce that they called several older and outstanding people as chief disciples.
“Chief disciple of Great Sword Gate, Wanglu! Please give me your guidance.”
“Chief disciple of Great Sword Gate, Balji! Please give me your guidance.”
However, I couldn’t spar with them for long.
“Huh.”
“I win.”
*Chwiak*
“No…!!”
“I win.”
Just like when I was fighting Sung-gyu earlier, using Thunder Cloud Steps to target their weaknesses was more than sufficient. Wanglu and Balji fared slightly better than Sung-gyu, managing to hold on for about 5 more seconds in front of me, but that was it. I won so easily compared to what I initially thought that it was almost disappointing.
The headmaster of Great Sword Gate surveyed the results of all the matches, nodding his head before announcing to the crowd.
“The victory for Baek-woong is now confirmed. Is there anyone here who objects to this result for the Embroidered Uniform Guard recommendation?”
“No!”
“Now, all disciples should return to their regular training.”
Woosh…
Around a hundred or so disciples of the Great Sword Gate dispersed under the guidance of their instructors. The only ones left in the now-empty arena were me and the headmaster of the Great Sword Gate. He stood still even after the match had ended, then finally spoke to me.
“How was it? Pathetic, wasn’t it?”
“No, they all had good skills.”
At this, the Great Sword Gate’s headmaster frowned.
“Are you trying to flatter me? That’s not like Lee Gwang’s disciple. If you think they’re garbage, say they’re garbage.”
“…I apologize.”
I turned my head slightly, embarrassed. I had been polite because I thought it was improper to disparage disciples in front of the sect’s headmaster, but he didn’t seem to care about such formalities.
The Great Sword Gate headmaster spoke again.
“The reason I am considering handing over the recommendation for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to a foreigner like you is precisely because of this. It’s truly a vexing situation.”
“……”
“The heads of the Iron Blood Gate, another of Luoyang’s Twin Gates, and myself can each recommend one disciple from within our sects for the Embroidered Uniform Guard once a year. However, any disciple worth recommending has either already entered the Embroidered Uniform Guard or has gone independent, opening their own martial hall in another region. The remaining disciples just aren’t good enough for me to stake my reputation on.”
“I see.”
I understood another reason why the Great Sword Gate headmaster had arranged this match. Perhaps he wanted to make the overwhelming difference in skill abundantly clear so that no further questions would be raised. Curious, I asked.
“It’s hard to understand why a martial arts master of your caliber has a shortage of talented disciples.”
“Haha, finally showing some honesty, huh? That’s more like it.”
The Great Sword Gate headmaster chuckled.
“To be frank, the abilities of Sung-gyu, Wanglu, and Balji, who you fought against, would be considered first-rate by general standards. If you find them weak, it’s because you’ve been trained by a true expert in martial arts. You’re used to fighting against highly skilled opponents, so facing lesser talents makes them seem pathetic to you.”
“Hmm…”
“Talent can’t be helped. No matter how hard I try to teach, if the seedling isn’t good, it won’t grow well. Finding a prodigy in this world is really hard work…”
The musings of the Great Sword Gate headmaster were laden with significance. Even in a large school like Great Sword Gate, which accepts hundreds of talented individuals from Luoyang, it’s difficult to cultivate even one true master. Moments later, he asked a question tinged with suspicion.
“But are you really here due to a lack of talent? At your age, with your level of skill, you could easily be called a prodigy.”
It seemed that Master Threefold Expert Lee Gwang had been brutally honest about my lack of talent in his letter. I chuckled and responded.
“There are true geniuses out there who I can’t even begin to compare to. I hope you’ll tolerate my shortcomings.”
“Hahaha, that’s Threefold Expert for you. He sure knows how to pick disciples.”
The Great Sword Gate headmaster smiled bitterly. Understandable, given that even if it was a temporary shortage of disciples, watching one’s own close friend and ally surpass your disciples in ability wasn’t a pleasant sight. I asked him,
“Is it possible for former disciples who have joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard to return?”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard isn’t just a simple military force; it’s an organization that carries out the secret orders of the imperial family, making its very existence highly classified. Old disciples occasionally visit for a drink, but neither of us can inquire into each other’s affairs. There’s no chance of them returning.”
“It must be lonely for you.”
“Heh… can’t be helped. Care for a drink?”
“I won’t decline.”
Afterwards, I had a simple meal and some drinks with the Great Sword Gate headmaster. Since our interaction was a formal one, I had to be extremely cautious about following social etiquette. People like him may say to open up, but they actually require a balance of pretense and manners, which I realized during our first meeting.
Whether he took a liking to my behavior or not, he said as he sipped his drink,
“I don’t understand why you receive such harsh criticism from Threefold Expert, that friend of mine. You’ve already set foot on the pinnacle of martial arts, possessing a formidable internal energy!”
“Haha…”
“Is there another disciple even Threefold Expert looks down on you in comparison to? The world is indeed unfair…”
“……”
I returned to my lodging and lay down. It goes without saying that, having an enormous amount of internal energy, I was hardly drunk despite downing nearly four bottles of the light liquor. Though I was a bit bloated, expelling the alcohol through sweat made it pointless, and my mind remained clear.
Sleep wouldn’t come.
Having come into the outside world, I fully realized how strong I’d become.
The real issue was, even knowing how strong I’ve become doesn’t give me much satisfaction. This is likely because both my master and fellow disciples are all geniuses. The presence of these exceptional individuals was too overpowering for me to overcome my inferiority complex.
‘Whatever, let’s just sleep.’
I decided not to think about it any deeper. The immediate task was to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so I decided to tackle what’s ahead before pondering further. It was a life attitude I acquired through multiple deaths.
Two days later, I followed the Great Sword Gate headmaster through the outer gate of the imperial palace. After a brief inspection, I heard the gates creak open. Perhaps because I was sitting across from the Great Sword Gate headmaster in the carriage, I felt a vibration through my seat.
As we alighted from the carriage, he said,
“We’ll soon arrive at the Golden Chamber. I can accompany you only up to there. Once you enter the building, you’ll meet a Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If you pass his interview, you’ll start working for the Embroidered Uniform Guard the very next day.”
“Is there anything I should be cautious about?”
The Great Sword Gate headmaster smiled bitterly once again.
“There’s really nothing special to it. The Embroidered Uniform Guard recommendation letter given to our Twin Gates Sect is because the imperial family trusts our sect’s honor. There hasn’t been a single person who has failed the interview among those who have received the recommendation, so just act as you normally would.”
“I see.”
I felt the power of this recommendation letter anew. A 100% chance to be accepted into the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a role referred to as the dream of those without official positions! It symbolized the influence of the Twin Gates, and also explained why the headmaster of Great Sword Gate decided to pass it to another sect. While the letter gives a guaranteed acceptance, it could actually tarnish the reputation of the sect if the recommended person turns out to be useless.
The carriage stopped. I dismounted along with the headmaster of Great Sword Gate and bowed to him.
“I will never forget this kindness.”
“I hope for good results.”
Shortly after the carriage carrying the Great Sword Gate headmaster left, I walked into the Golden Chamber. Two Embroidered Uniform Guards were standing at the inner door, and they indeed seemed highly skilled. They were at least two or three notches above the chief disciples of Great Sword Gate whom I had sparred with, and their movements showed signs of real combat experience.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard on the left spoke.
“Are you the recommendee scheduled for today?”
“Yes, I am Baek-woong, recommended by Great Sword Gate.”
“You are from the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
He tilted his head as if puzzled.
“Recommendation letters are usually meant to be used within one’s own sect. This is rather unusual. Anyway, follow me if you want to see the Commander.”
I followed him into the Golden Chamber. As expected, it was a part of the imperial palace and was designed in an opulent and luxurious architectural style. High-quality silk was laid everywhere. Upon meeting the Commander, I felt momentarily tense.
‘Huh?’
Something’s strange.
I’m meeting this Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander for the first time today. I’ve also never encountered this kind of energy or aura before. However, I felt oddly familiar with the aura of the people standing on either side of the Commander. It’s impossible to feel this way unless I’ve met them somewhere before.
‘What’s going on? Those two people, why do they seem familiar?’
It’s definitely an aura I’ve felt somewhere.
Where did I see those two?
I tried to jog my memory, but couldn’t quite recall.
The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, strangely, did not reveal his face but wore a white mask. Only his right eye could be seen through the mask. He flickered his black eyes as he sat at the table and spoke.
“Baek-woong, welcome to the Embroidered Uniform Guard’ headquarters.”
“Thank you for having me.”
He briefly shuffled through a piece of white paper. It seemed to be a document detailing my background.
“I’ve already completed the investigation of your personal history. You moved to the capital from a rural village five years ago and joined the Azure Dragon Martial Hall. Since then, you’ve lived quietly as a martial arts student. Your past is quite clean, which pleases me.”
“Thank you.”
The Commander seemed to chuckle. He continued, “However, it’s disappointing that the Great Sword Gate couldn’t find a worthy substitute within their ranks.”
“…”
“Anyway, it’s fine. Follow Captain Kwak from now on to receive your uniform and weapon. He will teach you about the internal regulations and overall activities of the Embroidered Uniform Guard today.”
I followed Captain Kwak, who had been waiting at the door, down the corridor. The one called Captain Kwak was actually a Captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with the surname Kwak. In other words, he was one rank higher than the average Embroidered Uniform Guard, akin to a Marshal if compared to the world of escorts. Therefore, his martial arts skills seemed to be a notch above those standing at the entrance.
As we walked, Captain Kwak said,
“Starting today, you’re a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Always remember that all your actions are for His Imperial Majesty, and your life and death also belong to the imperial family. That’s the mission of an Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
“I understand.”
“Your martial arts skills seem strong, so I won’t say anything about that. After learning about the regulations and activities today, you will be immediately assigned to the 6th Unit and deployed in real combat scenarios.”
Captain Kwak appeared to be quite skilled. Even though I was concealing my energy, the fact that he could gauge my skill level just from my movements meant that he was a master on a completely different level. I was inwardly astonished.
‘Is a Captain some kind of battalion leader in the Embroidered Uniform Guard? Yet he’s at this level?’
He must be a peak expert.
The average level of martial prowess among the Embroidered Uniform Guard seemed to be much higher than I thought. Not wanting to reveal my surprise, I asked, “What’s this 6th Unit?”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard operates in a total of 10 units, from the 1st Unit to the 10th Unit, each composed of 100 members. Those with more exceptional skills become a ‘Captain’ or Deputy Commander, while the others are assigned to different higher-level groups. The 6th Unit that you’ll be joining is currently on a secret mission, so you must give it your all.”
I spent two hours in a sealed room with Captain Kwak, learning about the internal rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, their activities, and the general organizational structure, as well as the power dynamics within the imperial palace. I also had to memorize the names of all the imperial family members and close relatives present in the imperial palace and had to share whether I knew various tricks, including disguise techniques.
Surprisingly, it seemed that there was no separate mental training. It appeared that the content Embroidered Uniform Guard had to know was too numerous and vast to include mental training. Besides, there seemed to be a sense of pride that one would not betray the Embroidered Uniform Guard unless they were insane.
After the two-hour training, Captain Kwak took large gulps of water. Then he spoke as if amazed.
“You are quite intelligent. This is the first time I’ve seen someone who understands words so well.”
“Is that so?”
“Usually, those who have spent their lives practicing martial arts get placed in Embroidered Uniform Guard. Teaching newbies is actually more difficult in this regard than teaching martial arts.”
Given my level of knowledge and reading experience, my memorization and understanding were also high. I was likely much smarter than the average Embroidered Uniform Guard member. I was murmuring and memorizing what I had heard so far when I asked, “Which unit do you oversee, Captain Kwak?”
“I belong to the 5th Unit. Soon the leader of the 6th Unit will come to take you.”
Just then, the door opened with a creak, and a man dressed in black attire walked in. Captain Kwak greeted him warmly with a wave.
“Hey Ryu! Good to see you. We just finished weapon distribution and training.”
“Good job. Is this the new recruit?”
I immediately stood up and replied.
“Yes, my name is Baek-woong!”
“Hmm, you’re spirited… I’m Captain Ryu, the leader of the 6th Unit. I look forward to working with you.”
“Sure.”
As Captain Kwak finished handing over responsibilities to Captain Ryu, I followed the latter.
“First, I’ll give you an hour of rest. After fully recuperating in your private room, you will be immediately deployed for actual operations.”
“What mission is it?”
“I’ll tell you later. Anything else you’d like to ask?”
Before I knew it, I was in front of my room. After resting for an hour here, I would be deployed for my first mission as a Embroidered Uniform Guard member. I fiddled with the newly issued iron sword.
I took a moment to think. However, there was still only one thing I wanted to ask.
“Who were the two people standing next to the Commander? Are they also ‘Captains’?”
“Those are Deputy Commanders. There are three Deputy Commanders; one oversees the leaders of the ten units. The other two are always either escorting the Commander or on special missions, as far as I know.”
“……”
I was really confused. I definitely remember seeing those two people, but to think they’re the Deputy Commanders of Embroidered Uniform Guard? I’ve lived for quite a while, but where could I have possibly encountered them? It felt like a puzzle that could be solved if I put my mind to it, making it all the more frustrating.
For some time, I examined the spear, sword, and short knife that I had received. As expected of weapons given to someone in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they were made of excellent steel and showcased the craftsmanship of the artisan. With these weapons, I wouldn’t have to worry about dulling or breakage for a while.
Then, having nothing else to do, I lay down idly.
Almost an hour had passed, lost in thought.
“I’ve definitely seen them somewhere… Where was it…”
That’s when it hit me.
I remembered Mang-ryang and what he had said. The words “imperial family” and “Nameless Ritual Sacrifice Rites” floated through my mind, and I suddenly dredged up a memory I hadn’t thought possible. I jumped up in shock when a hypothesis crossed my mind.
“……!!”
That’s right.
The two Deputy Commanders—they were the ones who stopped the surprise attack of Taoist Hyuncheon in Chamgeuk Village! Experts capable of using the rare combined attack technique in the Gangho were uncommon, and the energy I felt then was the same as what I had felt today.
“Could it be…”
It was at that moment, as I was swallowing my saliva, that a voice came from outside the door.
“It’s time for deployment. Come out, guard Baek.”
It was Captain Ryu, the leader of the 6th Unit I belonged to. I quickly responded.
“I’m coming out.”
