Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 16: Position Exam (2)

The position exam, scheduled for six months from now, was an event every training disciple had to attend.

In my past life, before my regression, I had taken the position exam after completing a year of training as a low-rank training disciple. Back then, I was merely a third-rate martial artist who hadn't even formed internal energy, so it was only natural that I was assigned the rank of a low-rank warrior.

While it was extremely rare for a low-rank training disciple to be promoted directly to a mid-level warrior, such cases were practically unheard of.

"Whatever. I'll just become a Great Leader."

"You will?"

Your speech is a bit short, Jwa-baek.

When I gave him a pointed look, he gritted his teeth in frustration and spoke again.

"I will... sir."

He spat out each syllable as if chewing on them. I could see him grumbling inwardly just by looking at his face. Seeing his reaction only made me want to tease him more. Treating me as his Eldest Senior Brother must have been a massive ordeal for him.

"You seem to be taking this too lightly."

The rank of Great Leader was only possible once one became an advanced warrior—in other words, a first-rate master. And even that was merely the minimum requirement.

Song Jwa-baek’s lips twitched as he spoke to me.

"I'm not saying it's easy. It's just that we have a Master now, so there's no need to worry... right?"

"Brother... is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right."

I snorted at the twins' words. It seemed they had no idea how things worked here, likely because they had been practically kidnapped by Hae Ak-cheon the moment they joined the Blood Cult.

The Sodam Sword agreed with them. Well, I suppose one could think that way.

If the Blood Cult were stable and maintained its former glory, the influence of high-ranking officials might carry some weight. However, the Blood Cult was currently in a stage of reconstruction. Since they needed to grow their power even stronger than before, they prioritized skill and merit above all else when it came to personnel matters.

'You'd just end up embarrassing yourself.'

In fact, because of the expectations placed on a disciple of one of the Four Venerables, failing to meet that standard would only bring disgrace. If that happened, Hae Ak-cheon would absolutely lose his mind.

I could see it clearly without even looking.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Being treated as the disciple of a Master—no, a Venerable—is a separate issue from this. If you mess around relying on your background, you're going to get humiliated."

"How do you... ugh, how does Sahyeong know that?"

Because I've lived through it, obviously. This is my second life.

"Ahem, it's not me. It's what Master said."

Of course, it wasn't. Hae Ak-cheon had simply given me the mission to obtain the rank of Great Leader. I figured I should tell them the "consequences" he mentioned to snap them out of it.

"Oh, I almost forgot. He also said to be prepared if you don't get the Great Leader position in six months. You know what he means by 'be prepared,' right?"

At the mention of those words, Song Jwa-baek’s face turned pale. Having experienced Hae Ak-cheon until now, he knew better than anyone what that implied.

"Hey!"

"Huh?"

"If you don't want to be fucked, get up!"

The effect was incredible. Motivated by the threat, the twins immediately jumped into training. Now that I had delivered the message, it was time for me to focus on my own training as well.

To me, the rank of Great Leader was a wall I couldn't have even dreamed of approaching in my previous life.

I went to the cave where the remains of the Namcheon Sword Guest had been.

The remains were no longer there. Still, he was a master who had once dominated an era and was like a teacher of swordsmanship to me, so I couldn't just leave his bones neglected.

Keeping an eye out for Hae Ak-cheon, I had created a grave on a mountain peak higher than this one. If I got the chance later, I planned to relocate the remains to a sunny spot and set up a proper tombstone.

'Who knows.'

After telling me to relay the order to the twins to become Great Leaders, Hae Ak-cheon had left abruptly, saying he had somewhere to go. He said he’d be back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠within fifteen days, but I had no idea where he went.

However, judging by his impatient nature, it likely had something to do with expanding his influence. His drive was truly impressive.

'I'm not sure how things will turn out from here.'

The Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon I knew from my past life never built his own faction.

It wasn't as if I knew the details of Hae Ak-cheon's entire life. But there was one piece of information that was well-known.

I knew that Hae Ak-cheon had acted independently, contrary to the direction the higher-ups wanted, and eventually lost his right arm to Ardent King Hegemon Jin-gyun, one of the Central Plains Eight Great Masters. That was supposed to happen six years from now.

It seemed possible. Even now, so much had already changed. Originally, I should still have been a low-rank training disciple, but here I was as Hae Ak-cheon's disciple, and I had even formed a small connection with the Blood Cult Leader's own flesh and blood.

'...Things are changing.'

Reflecting on it, the shift was undeniable. Every single change in my actions was altering the future I once knew. Come to think of it, if I hadn't become Hae Ak-cheon's disciple, he never would have met Young Lady Ha Yeon and had a change of heart.

'...I am influencing things.'

For now, it was just small changes in my surroundings, but there was no telling where this would lead. It could lead to even greater shifts. If so, I might have to start accounting for these variables. Only then could I properly utilize the knowledge of the future I possessed.

'For now, I need to grow my strength under Hae Ak-cheon's shadow.'

Perhaps this was an opportunity. Being caught instead of escaping had led to becoming his disciple. If Hae Ak-cheon was building a new faction, being his disciple could serve as a stepping stone for me to rise to the top. To do that, I absolutely had to become a Great Leader.

"Phew."

The moment I had been waiting for had finally arrived. I sat cross-legged and prepared to circulate my energy. I intended to try the Sohyeon Heart Method, the basic energy circulation method of the Yikyang So family that I had learned since childhood.

The Namcheon Iron Sword spoke to me.

Don't scare me right from the start. I knew he was saying it out of concern, but being warned like that made me nervous about starting.

I slowly inhaled and exhaled, beginning the Sohyeon Heart Method. I focused on the Essence in my lower abdomen. However, it wasn't easy to feel.

'This is hard.'

Since it had been so long, my senses weren't what they used to be. Moreover, I had recently grown accustomed to the Innate True Qi, so the sensation of energy circulation felt different. Still, I focused on my Dantian.

After about fifteen minutes, my mind grew calm, and a warmth slowly began to spread in my lower abdomen. My Dantian was responding.

'I feel it.'

For a moment, I was so happy I almost lost my concentration. But I steadied my mind again and attempted a Small Heavenly Cycle by circulating the energy from my Dantian.

This was the crucial part. To complete a Small Heavenly Cycle, the energy from the Dantian would inevitably have to pass through the Middle Dantian in the chest.

If the two energies showed even the slightest sign of incompatibility, I had to stop immediately. Otherwise, I could suffer from Qi Deviation. I slowly moved the energy through the Small Heavenly Cycle.

'Carefully... carefully...'

The faint energy in my Dantian gradually rose toward the center of my chest. Even though I tried not to be nervous, I was trembling. Please work. Please!

'Ah!'

The Sodam Sword and the Namcheon Iron Sword asked simultaneously, their voices laced with worry. In response to their questions, the corners of my mouth curled upward.

The internal energy from my Dantian had passed through the center of my chest—the location of the Middle Dantian—without any issues. There was no clashing, no backflow, nothing. After completing one Small Heavenly Cycle, I stopped the circulation.

"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!"

As soon as I stopped, laughter burst out of me.

At the Sodam Sword's question, I nodded silently. The disaster I had feared didn't happen.

This result meant only one thing. Unlike other martial artists, I now possessed two Essences. I might be the first, but being able to utilize both the Middle and Lower Dantians simultaneously was something even the Namcheon Sword Guest hadn't achieved.

The Namcheon Iron Sword, who had been the most anxious, let out a sigh of relief. Today was a very lucky day. It felt like my life, which had been a tangled mess before my regression, was finally starting to unravel.

'It's been a while, Dantian.'

The fellow who had left home had finally returned.

Three days passed. During those ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠three days of energy circulation, I discovered two facts.

Fortunately, the Innate True Qi and internal energy could coexist, but it was impossible to use them both at the same time. I couldn't mix Innate True Qi while using internal energy, and vice ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠versa.

This meant that while I had two energies, it was as if I possessed them separately. It would have been great to use them simultaneously, but for now, I had to be satisfied with this. At the very least, if my internal energy was depleted, I still had the Innate True Qi as a hidden card. Depending on the situation, it could be used as a secret move.

And the second thing was that I needed a Heart Method other than the Sohyeon Heart Method.

'It's not enough.'

As a basic method of the Yikyang So family, the Sohyeon Heart Method wasn't bad, but even if I circulated it all day, I couldn't absorb the Yang and Cold energies accumulated throughout my meridians. At this rate, the growth of my internal energy would be sluggish compared to my Innate True Qi. What I needed most right now was a Heart Method that could effectively absorb the energy stored in my meridians.

'What?'

Huh. Look at this guy. He had a point. In the first place, meridians were the paths through which blood and Qi flowed. If Hae Ak-cheon's Heart Method could accelerate blood circulation and effectively move internal energy, I might be able to absorb the Yang and Cold energies scattered throughout my meridians.

'You're pretty smart, aren't you?'

The Sodam Sword said excitedly. Sometimes, this guy would come up with brilliant ideas I hadn't even considered. It was certainly a possibility.

However, one thing bothered me: Hae Ak-cheon had said the True Blood Golden Body was difficult to learn unless one had a special physique like the twins. Even though I was his disciple, I wasn't sure if he would teach it to me. It wasn't that he'd be stingy, but he might judge it to be harmful to me.

'No. It's better to keep that hidden for now.'

It was true that I saw Hae Ak-cheon in a different light than before. But until our relationship became closer, it was better to keep some secrets.

The Namcheon Iron Sword offered a suggestion.

I knew the twins had been taught the proper Divine Art and the circulation method of the True Blood Golden Body after officially becoming disciples. But they had brains too—would they really just teach me?

'What kind of bait?'

Hmm, would that work? Well, there was no harm in trying. Hae Ak-cheon wouldn't be back for a while anyway, and it would be a waste to spend that time doing meaningless internal energy training.

Early the next morning, I woke Song Jwa-baek. Then, I casually asked if he could teach me the circulation method of the True Blood Golden Body. Of course, a rejection immediately flew out of his mouth.

"Of course I can't... sir. Anyway, Master told us not to tell anyone."

He then lay back down as if he were going back to sleep. Well, it wasn't going to be that easy. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I decided to throw out the bait as the Sodam Sword suggested.

"Sigh. I guess so. My Dantian has recovered, but since I don't know when Master will be back, I thought I'd ask. Even though we're from the same sect, I guess it's still a bit much, huh? I was thinking that if I learned the True Blood Golden Body from my Junior Brother, we could just treat each other like fellow disciples... Tsk, oh well."

'I have to be this convincing for him to fall for it.'

But I wasn't very confident. It was such a simple trick that I didn't think he'd fall for it. Still, he does have a brain... wait?

His expression was strange. What? Is he really wavering over such simple bait?

The guy, who had been lying down and hesitating, glanced at me and muttered a single word.

"Fellow disciples?"

The Sodam Sword snickered.