Chapter 45: One-Day Instructor (2)
The walls on both sides of the training ground rose higher, and the destination of the obstacle course appeared at what could only be called the summit.
Everyone lifted their heads and looked up. They were even more tense than they had been during the previous exercise. This vertical training was far more difficult than the horizontal one.
Before, their feet had remained on the ground. This time, they had to deal with hidden weapons while suspended in midair.
Numerous footholds had been built into both walls, and they had to climb by alternating between the left and right sides. Of course, someone with exceptional movement techniques could leap all the way up in one go, but that was far too dangerous. They might end up having to block dozens of hidden weapons at once while high in the air.
“Surely you aren’t going to demonstrate it again?”
At Hwang Ilbi’s question, Baek Socheon nodded.
“This one will be difficult.”
“By that logic, the first one was difficult too.”
“This is different. How are you supposed to dodge hidden weapons in midair without Internal Energy? Besides, what if you fall from that height?”
“What more could happen than dying?”
“If you’re going to die, do it somewhere else. Why do you have to die in front of me?”
“Would your heart ache if I died?”
“Would I be happy instead?”
Afraid that his words might become reality, Hwang Ilbi could not bring himself to voice what he was truly thinking.
‘If you get hurt here, Commander Chung will throw a celebration banquet. That’s why I’m telling you not to do it!’
Baek Socheon instructed the Gate Instructor to set the obstacle course to the highest difficulty again. Naturally, at the highest difficulty, the gaps were wider than at upper priority, and the incoming hidden weapons were far more dangerous.
Baek Socheon addressed everyone.
“As you all know, I’m not young enough to risk my life just to show off. I’m old enough to know when to look after myself. Even so, the reason I’m insisting on demonstrating this is the same as before. Watch carefully, and one day, when your lives are in danger, remember what you see here. If even one of you survives because of this demonstration, then it’ll have been worth risking myself. So watch closely. Understood?”
“Yes!”
Drawing strength from their thunderous reply, Baek Socheon leapt upward.
His first jump succeeded with ease. It was a height impossible to reach without Internal Energy, yet he bounded up effortlessly. His movements resembled those of a cat springing upward.
The hidden weapons had not yet been launched.
Baek Socheon threw himself toward the protruding foothold on the opposite wall.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two hidden weapons flew toward him from the upper left and upper right.
Clang!
He knocked aside the one on the left while spinning his body in midair.
Using the momentum from deflecting the second hidden weapon, he lightly crossed to the opposite side.
Cheers erupted from below.
Baek Socheon’s body had surpassed its limits several times over. On top of that, he had mastered the movement technique of the Overturning Heaven Nine Fists. His astonishing movements continued one after another.
His footwork was swift, and his judgment was flawless. He demonstrated exactly how to distribute and control his strength while airborne to remain suspended as long as possible, and how to apply force to move in precisely the direction he intended.
Everyone witnessed just how powerful the human body could become without Internal Energy, and just how much speed it could generate.
There were several heart-stopping moments.
Yet every time, he relied on his ingenuity. The greatest gasp came when, in a moment of crisis, he twisted his body and stepped on a flying hidden weapon as though it were a stepping stone across a stream before launching himself to the opposite side.
In that way, Baek Socheon safely reached the summit. It was a course he had trained on so often that he knew it well, and his physical body, together with the movement technique of the Overturning Heaven Nine Fists, had overcome the absence of Internal Energy.
As they looked up at him standing proudly above them, everyone burst into cheers and applause.
Overwhelmed by old memories, Hwang Ilbi spoke without realizing it.
“The Commander never once stood behind us!”
The martial artists of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps who had gone through those days with him nodded.
He had always shown them his back. Even when breaking through enemy ambushes, he had always been the first to leap forward like that. Back then, he had looked down at them from above just as he did now, encouraging them. They remembered him standing up there, protecting them and beckoning them to hurry up.
That was why, despite taking on the most dangerous missions during his time as Commander, the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps had always suffered the fewest casualties.
‘Commander! Please come back to how you used to be!’
He wished it with all his heart.
Hwang Ilbi was not the only one who felt that way. Many others shared the same feelings. Before they were martial artists, they were human beings.
People do not only wish to see heroes fall. They also hope someone will become a hero, and they long for departed heroes to return.
To them, Baek Socheon was such a person.
Baek Socheon sprang nimbly from side to side as he descended.
“Well then, shall we begin for real?”
“Yes.”
The martial artists of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps set the difficulty to high and began the second training exercise.
Baek Socheon taught them exactly how to dodge and respond. Just as he had said when he first arrived, he fulfilled his role as an instructor faithfully. That was precisely what moved the martial artists of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps the most.
There were several dangerous situations during this exercise as well, but it ended with only one person spraining an ankle and two others suffering bruises.
Baek Socheon stood before them once more.
“Thank you all for completing the training safely.”
“Thank you for your instruction!”
The martial artists of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps expressed their gratitude in booming voices. Their eyes were completely different from when Baek Socheon had first arrived.
“It felt good sweating alongside all of you again after so long. To be honest, this helped me more than it helped your training.”
Through this exercise, Baek Socheon had learned the exact limits of his current body.
Just then,
“I’d like to have a spar with Instructor.”
The one who stepped forward this time was also the Sixth Leader, Cheon Su.
Everyone’s attention turned toward him. A spar, at a time like this?
Apart from a few who lacked tact, most of them understood.
Chung Yang had ordered him to do it.
Everyone knew that Chung Yang regarded Baek Socheon as his sworn enemy.
It wasn’t because Chung Yang believed Cheon Su could win. Baek Socheon had already demonstrated his superiority over all of them in the previous two training sessions.
For Cheon Su, this was simply an order that had to be obeyed.
Baek Socheon accepted readily.
“Good. It’s been a while since I’ve shown a move.”
“Thank you.”
“Do your best. If you’re too busy worrying about me, it’ll be over in a single move.”
“Yes. Understood.”
With everyone watching, the spar began.
Cheon Su thrust his sword.
He truly gave it everything he had.
Instead, he aimed for the shoulder. Even if something went wrong, it wasn’t a fatal spot.
Rather than dodging, Baek Socheon rushed forward.
‘Huh!’
For an instant, Cheon Su thought he had pierced Baek Socheon’s shoulder.
The next moment, a sharp jolt shot through his wrist.
Then he felt his body fly through the air, and the scenery spun around him.
The moment after that, he was lying on the ground.
Feeling the cold earth against his back, Cheon Su looked up.
Baek Socheon looked down at him and said,
“I told you it’d be over in one move if you worried about me.”
In truth, Cheon Su had done his best.
Baek Socheon surely knew that as well.
Because his comrades and subordinates were watching, Baek Socheon had preserved his dignity.
Baek Socheon extended a hand.
Cheon Su realized that there was neither superiority nor hatred in Baek Socheon’s eyes.
That was why he could take the offered hand without any ulterior motive.
“Thank you for showing mercy.”
The technique Baek Socheon had used was the Overturning Heaven Nine Fists.
It was Flower Messenger Wind, one of the seven forms of the First Fist, Wind Scattering the Clouds.
When the greatest fist art of all time was displayed by the hands of the man who had once been the greatest martial artist under the heavens, even the Leader of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps was defeated in a single move.
“Leader Cheon, your right side is open whenever you thrust your sword.”
By even pointing out Cheon Su’s weakness, Baek Socheon sealed his complete defeat.
Baek Socheon addressed everyone.
“You all know the situation isn’t looking good.”
The First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps received the highest-grade intelligence the fastest, second only to the leadership.
“The situation is far more urgent than you think.”
“Do you believe war will break out?”
They all knew that if war erupted, they would be assigned to the most dangerous operations.
Baek Socheon nodded.
“Yes.”
“When do you think it’ll happen?”
“At the latest, within a year. At the earliest, this winter or next spring.”
Neither the Alliance, nor their Commander, nor Hyuncheon Pavilion had given them such an answer.
“Three years ago, the Black Heaven Alliance Leader, the man who destroyed my dantian, fully recovered from his injuries. The one I couldn’t defeat even in my prime is now the enemy you’ll have to face.”
No one dared even breathe loudly.
“Tomorrow, there’ll be a notice recruiting people for the Hyuncheon Squad. There’s no time to train new martial artists now, so we need elites like you. The First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps is dangerous, but the Hyuncheon Squad will be even more dangerous. If anyone wants to fight alongside me, come find me.”
It was then,
“What do you think you’re doing!”
The one who stormed in shouting from behind was Commander Chung Yang of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps.
“I sent you here to be an instructor, and instead you’re recruiting people from the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps? Have you lost your mind?”
Once again, Baek Socheon answered honestly.
“My apologies. My situation is just that urgent.”
If he had wanted to humiliate Chung Yang, he had countless ways to do it.
After all, Chung Yang had deliberately assigned such a dangerous instructor’s role to someone who had lost his Internal Energy.
If Baek Socheon exposed that intention with words, he could utterly disgrace Chung Yang right then and there.
But he did not.
He believed humiliating the commander in front of his own subordinates would only create division within their ranks.
To be honest, he even regretted beating Chung Yang up in the past.
Back then, Chung Yang had deserved it.
But as time had passed, Baek Socheon found himself thinking it hadn’t really been necessary.
Of course, people’s hearts changed from one day to the next.
Perhaps next year he would think, ‘No, I was right to beat him back then.’
“My apologies.”
Since Baek Socheon apologized sincerely, Chung Yang could no longer press the issue.
From beginning to end, Chung Yang had been standing some distance away, watching the training.
He could not hear their conversations, but as the cheers for Baek Socheon grew louder and louder, he realized his plan had failed.
Still, his last hope had been the Sixth Leader, Cheon Su.
Apart from Hwang Ilbi, Cheon Su was known as the strongest in actual combat.
His straightforward personality also meant he would never disobey an order.
But Chung Yang had never imagined that Cheon Su would be thrown to the ground in a single move.
Had he not already witnessed Baek Socheon effortlessly completing the mechanism training earlier, he might have believed the two had staged the spar together.
“As you know, Commander Chung, the situation concerning the Black Heaven Alliance is dire. I believe this is the time for us to join forces.”
“I’m sorry, but I have absolutely no intention of joining forces with the Hyuncheon Squad.”
“I understand. Then I’ll take my leave.”
As Baek Socheon turned to leave, the martial artists of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps greeted him with booming voices.
“Thank you!”
“No, I should be thanking all of you. I learned and realized a great deal today, so I’m in high spirits. Learn from my mistakes, and whatever you do, don’t get yourselves hurt!”
Leaving those words behind, Baek Socheon departed.
Chung Yang glared at his subordinates.
His gaze clearly warned them.
Just try going over to Baek Socheon, and you’ll regret it.
Even without such a warning, abandoning the finest privileges afforded to the martial artists of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps for another place was by no means an easy decision.
After dismissing the martial artists, Hwang Ilbi approached Chung Yang to ease his mood.
“Please calm down. He’s never been someone who could be dealt with easily, has he?”
Chung Yang suddenly asked,
“You’re not going, are you?”
Deep down, Hwang Ilbi thought that Chung Yang truly had excellent instincts.
The moment Baek Socheon had invited them to join the Hyuncheon Squad, Hwang Ilbi had wanted to run over immediately.
But Baek Socheon’s words continued to linger in his heart.
If anything happens, you’ll have to take charge of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps.
“Don’t you think Leader Baek has changed a lot? He’s not the kind of person who’d apologize so readily.”
“Stop changing the subject. I asked if you’re going.”
“Are you worried that I might?”
“So you do want to go!”
“No. I have absolutely no intention of going. I won’t.”
“Really?”
“I absolutely won’t. If I leave, who’s going to protect you, Commander?”
Only then did Chung Yang’s expression soften somewhat.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Hwang Ilbi walked behind Chung Yang.
Chung Yang’s concerns were perfectly justified.
Hwang Ilbi had already sensed it.
After today’s training, quite a few people would cross over to the Hyuncheon Squad.
In fact, if Baek Socheon had beaten up Cheon Su or publicly humiliated Chung Yang, that number would probably have been smaller.
Whether Baek Socheon had intended it or not, the reasonable yet confident side he had shown today had stirred everyone’s hearts.
Hwang Ilbi was no exception.
‘Ah, I don’t even need to become the Commander of the First Unit of the Iron Sword Corps, so can’t I go too?’
He had been unable to follow Baek Socheon to Wencheng, but this time, he desperately wanted to go.
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