Chapter 12: Flying Dragon Thirteen Squad-2

"Haah, haah."

In his breathless exhaustion and utterly dazed mind, Bi Sa-yeong suddenly recalled the last day he had stormed out of his sect.

'Daesahyeong! I'll go to the front lines! If even you leave, our Bi Sect might truly be finished!'

'Shut it! The Bi Sect is already finished! Avenging that is my duty as daesahyeong!'

With those words being the last, Bi Sa-yeong had stormed out of the sect and headed for the front lines.

Bi Sa-yeong's sect, the Bi Sect, was in a state of collapse. The seventh squad member of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squads.

It couldn't be said to be completely annihilated yet, since one sasuk and a few saje still remained at the main house, but there was no doubt that it soon would be.

Because the Bi Sect's inner energy cultivation method had been lost along with the masters and sasuk who never returned from the Emperor's Tomb Blood Incident.

It wasn't that they had any particularly renowned peak-level masters, but for the Bi Sect, whose excellence in lightness arts was considered unrivaled in the martial world, the loss of their inner energy technique was no different from a death sentence.

After all, lightness arts without an inner energy technique was nothing more than footwork.

Bi Sa-yeong had volunteered for the front lines because, in truth, he lacked the confidence to send his young saje instead.

Since the disciples of the Bi Sect, who had lost their inner energy technique, couldn't possibly survive against the Blood Cult's demons anyway, and if he had to die, he thought it was only right that he, as daesahyeong, die first.

And on the other hand, rather than clinging to a crumbling sect, he had also harbored the thought of wanting revenge against even a single demon.

But there was one thing he hadn't considered.

That on the front lines, there would be disciples of the Jeomchang Sect, whom he hated just as much as the Blood Cult followers, and that he would even have to fight in the same unit, the same squad as them.

When Bi Sa-yeong first met Jeomchang Geombi Ju Tae-gyeong and he introduced himself as a disciple of the Jeomchang Sect with an arrogant expression, Bi Sa-yeong had said with a stiff face,

'I am a disciple of the Bi Sect.'

Then, without changing his expression in the slightest, the man had asked back,

Was there even such a sect?

Curses surged up, but he endured it up to that point.

It was possible the man genuinely didn't know.

So, suppressing his rage, he spoke again.

'My sabu and sasuk perished during the Emperor's Tomb Blood Incident.'

The Emperor's Tomb Blood Incident.

It had been a horrific event where martial artists, who had flocked to Yunnan Province following maps of the Emperor's Tomb discovered across the martial world, united to resist the greed of the Jeomchang Sect, which had belatedly intervened to monopolize it—only for the collapse of the Emperor's Tomb to annihilate not only the gathered martial artists but even the Jeomchang Sect itself.

Furthermore, the Jeomchang Sect, thus weakened, eventually lost its main stronghold to the Blood Cult's offensive—which had been lying in wait as if anticipating this—and handed over all of Yunnan Province to the Blood Cult's territory.

All of it had ultimately been the Blood Cult's scheme.

A scheme precisely predicting that the Jeomchang Sect would give in to greed and intervene.

But even if all this was the Blood Cult's scheme, to those connected to the Emperor's Tomb Blood Incident, the Jeomchang Sect was no different from the Blood Cult.

Because it was the Jeomchang Sect that had belatedly intervened, claiming the Emperor's Tomb discovered within Yunnan Province belonged to them, and had slaughtered countless martial artists. It was also the Jeomchang Sect that had driven the resisting martial artists into the Emperor's Tomb and made them suffer that catastrophe.

In the end, to Bi Sa-yeong, the Jeomchang Sect was the same as the Blood Cult—the enemy of his sect, and the primary culprit that had handed Yunnan Province over to the Blood Cult.

Yet despite all these facts, Bi Sa-yeong hadn't wished for much.

Realistically, he knew it would be difficult to extract an apology from a Jeomchang Sect swordsman who had reached the first-rate realm.

Even this line of thinking itself was humiliating, but even if not an apology, if only he could see an expression that showed guilt, he felt he might at least find some solace.

But to that Bi Sa-yeong, Ju Tae-gyeong had merely retorted with a sneer:

'Oh really? So you're saying the elders of your sect were people who died because their greed exceeded their station. And so what? Are you trying to brag about that?'

The moment he heard that sardonic laugh and voice, Bi Sa-yeong completely lost his reason.

He had screamed like a beast and charged at the bastard.

'Was it not because of you bastards?! That catastrophe happened because of you Jeomchang Sect bastards!'

Then, as if he had been waiting for it, Ju Tae-gyeong had sneered and counterattacked Bi Sa-yeong.

It was a fierce strike properly imbued with internal energy.

Though it was a brief moment, Bi Sa-yeong could feel that Ju Tae-gyeong was truly trying to kill him.

But just as Ju Tae-gyeong's hand blade was about to pierce his neck like a sword, at that moment when he couldn't stop it and was helplessly awaiting death, Squad Leader Seolpung had intervened and blocked Ju Tae-gyeong's hand.

It was truly a moment where he was snatched from the jaws of death.

Under Squad Leader Seolpung's piercing gaze, Ju Tae-gyeong had snorted as if his fun had been spoiled and left the scene with his followers.

Leaving behind the words, 'If you insult the Jeomchang Sect again, I will definitely kill you next time'...

Bi Sa-yeong was devastated.

He couldn't have been more powerless and pathetic.

His life after that day hadn't been much different.

With his realm being merely second-rate at best, he couldn't defeat even a single demon, let alone Ju Tae-gyeong.

Even to dispose of the most common low-grade liver demon required reaching at least the first-rate realm, the state of sword energy harming.

But with Bi Sa-yeong's realm, having only learned basic techniques, it was obvious that even with a lifetime of training, second-rate was likely his limit.

Everything felt so terribly unfair and meaningless.

Of course, Squad Leader Seolpung had once offered to train him.

But he had resolutely refused.

Because he hated receiving pity as a weakling more than dying.

Bi Sa-yeong had been living in that state.

No—if living meant having a goal and pursuing it, then perhaps he wasn't living so much as merely breathing.

Then, a month ago, some madman had entered his squad.

A martial artist who, like Bi Sa-yeong himself, was merely second-rate—and on top of that, so stoutly fat that it was impossible to believe he was a martial artist.

But that madman, as if he had truly lost his mind, had shown himself clashing with Ju Tae-gyeong from the very first day he joined.

Provoking him using the nickname he hated most—Jeomchang Geombi—and goading him with words that he could win in a month or two.

Truly, he could only be a spectacularly insane bastard.

But that mad behavior,

To Bi Sa-yeong, it felt unbearably satisfying.

Perhaps that was why.

Why he had pretended to be lured by the bastard's provocation and joined the training.

But from the very next day, he came to realize it.

That it had been a truly stupid thing to do.

If only he hadn't done it then, he wouldn't be struggling to the point of death right now.

In Bi Sa-yeong's eyes, as he gasped for breath in a defeated posture atop a tree branch, he could see Squad Leader Seolpung—wearing a vest ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hung with thirty gwan of steel and even blindfolded—lightly flying atop the trees and growing distant.

For Bi Sa-yeong, who had prided himself that though his internal energy was lacking, at least in short bursts of lightness arts he wouldn't lose even to peak-level masters, this was nothing short of mortifying.

But it couldn't be helped.

For a month, he had tried his damnedest to follow, but the time he could barely keep up behind the squad leader while carrying a mere ten gwan was still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only about half a sichen.

"Heok, heok, heok, fuck."

It was hard enough to die, but he absolutely couldn't give up.

Because giving up was truly worse than dying.

And besides, wasn't that madman following behind him?

"Hahaha! Sa-yeong! You've collapsed in defeat again after just half a sichen?! I might catch up soon at this rate! Hahaha!"

That bastard Seonwoo Jin was definitely insane.

In his miserable state, repeatedly racing atop the trees, falling off and hanging on again as he desperately followed, he was already covered in dirt all over his body as if he had fallen from the trees several times.

And today, as if he had fallen on his face, even his face was thoroughly smeared with mud—with that mud-caked face and only his eyes bloodshot red, he was desperately and doggedly running atop the trees.

Just how he could laugh in that state was impossible to understand.

But seeing him, Bi Sa-yeong gritted his teeth and raised his body.

He absolutely couldn't lose to that bastard.

Seonwoo Jin's body had become sleek to an almost unrecognizable degree compared to a month ago.

He was now at a perfectly average build. Yet the bastard, claiming he would supplement the lost weight, had begun running with that same amount of steel strapped to his vest.

Bi Sa-yeong would die before he could ever accept losing to a bastard who was merely second-rate like himself, and one who ran carrying more steel than he did at that.

Furthermore, was that bastard not learning the Bi Sect movement technique from him?

Three days after first beginning training, Seonwoo Jin had come to him asking for help.

'Bi-hyung, to be honest, I have never properly learned a real lightness art. So I honestly have no idea how to keep up with the squad leader's training. So, could Bi-hyung possibly help me out a little?'

A guy he was already fond of had come to him bowing his head and asking for help — it had put him in quite a good mood.

So when he asked how he could help, the bastard had cautiously inquired.

'Would it be possible for you to teach me a bit of Bi-hyung's Bi Sect movement technique? Ah! Of course, I am not asking you to teach me the secret techniques. I am only speaking of the basic movement technique to a certain extent! And I am not asking for it for free, either. I happen to know a rather decent internal energy cultivation method. It is nothing compared to the movement technique, but would it be alright if I taught you that in return?'

Bi Sa-yeong had been startled upon hearing those words.

Because a heart method was exactly what he needed.

It was an offer that made his ears perk up too much, but precisely because of that, he could not answer right away.

Because his pride had been wounded.

Then Seonwoo Jin had said with a dejected expression.

'As I thought, it seems that level is not enough. Though it is a fairly decent heart method, it would be a waste to trade it for an ultimate technique like the Bi Sect movement technique. I fully understand.'

Bi Sa-yeong had to barely suppress a satisfied smile that almost emerged.

Honestly, it was the first time he had met someone who acknowledged his sect's movement technique like this.

So he cleared his throat and spoke to the dejected Seonwoo Jin.

'Since my sect's movement technique is so exceptional, it is somewhat difficult to pass it on freely. However, with so many of my sect elders having passed away, I am nearly the sect leader myself, and as we are also comrades-in-arms, well, the basic movement technique to a certain extent....'

Then Seonwoo Jin, with a face so joyful he looked ready to leap, had grabbed Bi Sa-yeong's hand and repeatedly thanked him over and over.

In this way, while passing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the Bi Sect movement technique to Seonwoo Jin, Bi Sa-yeong was able to learn a proper internal energy cultivation method called the 'Kwaeui Heart Method.'

It was the heart method of the Kwaeui Sect, which had been annihilated decades ago, and since that sect had also been renowned for its lightness arts, it was an optimized heart method for Bi Sa-yeong to learn.

In truth, Seol Pung and Seonwoo Jin had secretly discussed and pre-selected a heart method suitable for Bi Sa-yeong from among the ones they knew, but Bi Sa-yeong had absolutely no way of knowing that.

And also that Seonwoo Jin had already learned the Bi Sect movement technique from him in a previous life.

Anyway, with the stubborn determination that he absolutely could not lose to Seonwoo Jin alone, Bi Sa-yeong forced his body back up and began running again.

Though he himself could not feel it well, by learning a proper internal energy cultivation method, Bi Sa-yeong's realm, which had been stagnant all this time, had also begun rising again.

Seol Pung's dawn training usually consisted of one hour of sprinting across the treetops, followed by another hour of sprinting at super-high speed while using one's hands and feet to catch passing insects.

But for the remaining people, the first hour was the limit.

So when Seol Pung departed again for the second round, the remaining people would perform energy circulation exercises and then practice weapon techniques in the clearing, and this too was because of Seonwoo Jin.

For the first week or so, they had rested after energy circulation exercises, but after about a week, Seonwoo Jin, who had lost some weight, had insisted this was nothing and stubbornly gotten up to start swinging his sword again.

Bi Sa-yeong, who had seemed like he could not be moved even if beaten to death, had no choice but to grit his teeth and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rise again at a single remark Seonwoo Jin threw at him with pitying eyes while swinging his sword.

'Bi-hyung, Bae-hyung, are you very tired? More than you look.... Hmm....'

He did not finish his words, but there was no mistaking what he wanted to say with those disappointed eyes.

Bi Sa-yeong, overcome with emotion, had bolted up and shouted.

'This is nothing! I'm not the least bit tired!'

'M-me too!'

The amazing thing was that even when they felt like dying, once they got up like that, their bodies would somehow move again.

When they were training weapon techniques like that, Seol Pung would return after finishing his sprint training and offer advice.

But what Bi Sa-yeong truly hated was not the morning training, but the external training that began in the afternoon after eating.

Bi Sa-yeong had long thought that Bae Jong-gwan's external training, though he was his friend, was useless.

What use was there in toughening up one's skin a little, before demons who tore apart trees with their bare hands and shattered boulders, before those bastards who wouldn't even get a scratch unless you manifested at least sword qi?

Furthermore, external training where you applied foul-smelling medicinal ingredients to your body and struck yourself with clubs, starting from split-end bamboo sticks, was utterly embarrassing even to watch.

So Bi Sa-yeong had resolved never to fall for Seonwoo Jin's provocations on this, at least.

'I understand. It seems this training is too painful for Bi-hyung to endure.'

'Hmph! Don't provoke me! No matter what, I won't do that!'

Then Seonwoo Jin nodded and said to Bae Jong-gwan.

'As expected, Bi-hyung also finds us embarrassing, it seems. It can't be helped. Originally, isn't sharing embarrassment something only true friends can do?'

At those words, Bi Sa-yeong could only drop his jaw.

Because Bae Jong-gwan was looking at him with hurt eyes.

'Ah, no, I, it's not so much that I'm embarrassed....'

But due to Bi Sa-yeong's nature, which considered lying to be unmanly, he could not bring himself to continue his words.

Because the truth was, he was embarrassed.

He suddenly thought that Seonwoo Jin's words were right.

Wasn't a true friend and a true man someone who could share even that embarrassment, rather than being embarrassed like others?

In the end, Bi Sa-yeong had no choice but to shake it off and rise.

'Ah, shit! Let's do it together! If we do it together, it's fine!'

From then on, the people of the Thirteen Squads could witness the sight of three men slapping bamboo sticks against each other's bare bodies and screaming.

Moreover, the sight of Bae Jong-gwan grinning ear to ear with a contented smile as he slapped the bamboo stick against his comrades was truly a perverse spectacle that made one frown just by looking.

'Uwahahaha! As expected, training together makes it so much easier and faster! It's even enjoyable, isn't it?! Thank you, friends! You truly are my real friends! Uwahahaha!'

As he was slapped repeatedly by the bamboo stick and watched red welts swell up on his skin, Bi Sa-yeong sincerely regretted having said he would join in.

Chalssak! Chalssak! Chalssak!

'Ugh! Ah-ugh! Kka-euk!'

But he could not say he would stop here.

Because if he gave up here, it would be admitting that he was not a true friend.

He felt like tears would come.

After eating again, the evening training was sparring with Squad Leader Seol Pung and his comrades.

At least for this, Bi Sa-yeong was grateful.

Because the opportunity to be personally sparred with and advised by Squad Leader Seol Pung, a peak-level master, was a precious thing he could never have obtained anywhere else.

But what actually taught him the most in sparring was, unexpectedly, not Squad Leader Seol Pung but Seonwoo Jin.

Losing to Seol Pung was not that shocking.

Because he was a peak-level master, and it was only natural that he could not match him with his own skill.

But watching Seonwoo Jin's fights, Bi Sa-yeong could feel it in his bones.

That he was weak not because his internal energy was weak, but simply because he could not fight.

With only accurate judgment and appropriate response, even at the second-rate realm, one could put up a splendid fight against a peak-level master.

Seonwoo Jin was proving that with his body.

It could not help but be a great shock to both Bi Sa-yeong and Bae Jong-gwan.

He could also understand why Seonwoo Jin had provoked Ju Tae-gyeong, a first-class martial artist.

He truly had confidence in himself.

Bi Sa-yeong reflected on himself, who had been neglecting his training all this time while making excuses about the lost internal energy cultivation method.

It was an enlightenment akin to hatching from an egg.

And now, for the first time in a long while, Bi Sa-yeong was feeling that he was alive, truly vividly alive.