Chapter 44
Chapter 44
The Thousand-Sight Instructor (1)
Se-woon's blunt words left not only the members of the Tang Elite Unit but even Tang Bi visibly flustered.
However, since it was undeniable that they had shown shameful behavior in front of their master, Tang Bi, the unit leader, bowed his head deeply.
"...We apologize for showing such disgraceful conduct."
"It's fine. I didn't have high expectations to begin with."
"—!"
Even after Tang Bi stepped back to apologize, Se-woon remained indifferent.
The Elite Unit members couldn't hide their expressions.
The atmosphere grew so tense that the air itself seemed to thicken.
Had it not been for their earlier misconduct and Tang Bi's presence, they might have risked insolence to voice their grievances.
But Se-woon paid no attention to the rebellious glares directed at him and proceeded with his original purpose for coming here.
"Well, let's start with introductions first."
With those cryptic words, Se-woon glanced to the side.
Beside the entrance to the training grounds.
"C-Can I come out now?"
A timid voice piped up as Yeo-seon peeked out, clearly intimidated by the hostile atmosphere.
Who the hell is that?
As everyone stared in confusion—
"Who else would I be introducing?"
"O-Oh, right?"
At Se-woon's prompting, Yeo-seon hesitantly stepped forward.
Her movements were awkward, like a duckling waddling after its mother.
'Just what is the Young Lord thinking...?'
Tang Bi suppressed a sigh with sheer willpower and quietly addressed the unit members.
"...Starting today, this is Yeo-seon, the newly appointed bodyguard of Lord Se-woon."
"—!"
...That guy?
The same thought flashed through the eyes of every Elite Unit member.
Under their sharp gazes, Yeo-seon gulped nervously.
Then, with great effort, she spoke.
"H-Hello. I'm Yeo-seon, entrusted with the Young Lord's protection."
"......"
Clap. Clap-clap.
Scattered applause echoed through the training grounds.
Only Dae-woong and a few new recruits responded.
Amid the icy reception, Yeo-seon grew even more nervous and continued.
"...Ahem! Like Dian Wei, who guarded Cao Cao's side—Ah! Wait, Dian Wei died protecting him... Uh, not Dian Wei then! Like Xu Chu, the Tiger Marquis! Yes, I'll protect the Young Lord as valiantly as Xu Chu—!"
Her words trailed off into the silence of the training grounds.
A suffocating tension filled the air.
Sensing the mood, Yeo-seon slowly retreated behind Se-woon.
...You're making that guy your bodyguard?
The Elite Unit members were so dumbfounded they could only laugh bitterly.
"Well, I think that's enough introduction for our new member."
Whoosh!
Se-woon extended a hand.
Golden threads shot out, wrapping around a large sack before dragging it toward him.
"...Young Lord, what is that?"
Just as Tang Bi asked—
Thud-thud!
Se-woon flipped the sack upside down, and its contents spilled out in a cascade.
In an instant, a pile of black stones filled the training grounds.
'...Rocks?'
'Some kind of ore?'
Unable to grasp the meaning, everyone blinked in silence.
"These are Black Abyss Stones, infused with mineral poison comparable to the Eight Great Extreme Poisons."
"T-The Eight Great Extreme Poisons?!"
"Gah!"
There was no time to ask what "mineral poison" even meant.
The mere mention of the Eight Great Extreme Poisons sent shockwaves through the Elite Unit, causing most members to recoil.
Only Dae-woong and a handful of warriors remained steadfast.
Se-woon's eyes flickered briefly with interest as he observed their composure.
"Don't worry. My sister and I have already neutralized all the toxicity."
At Se-woon's reassurance, the Elite Unit members finally let out relieved sighs.
Amidst this, Tang Bi cautiously asked,
"But Young Lord... What do you intend to do with this mineral poison?"
Their eyes met in midair.
Tang Bi's gaze gleamed with a different light, as if he had already guessed something.
'Uncle seems to have pieced together my intentions.'
Indeed, the experience he had accumulated in the martial world was not to be underestimated.
With that thought, Se-woon slowly turned to face the Elite Unit members.
As all eyes naturally focused on him—
Se-woon finally spoke.
"Starting today, the Tang Family's primary martial arts will revert to Poison Arts."
"...?"
"And the Elite Unit will be the first to undergo this re-education."
"—!"
The Elite Unit members were stunned.
So shocked that they couldn't even murmur among themselves.
Because Se-woon's proposal was utterly preposterous.
The current state of the Tang Family's Poison Arts was pitifully weak.
Even Tang Se-rin, a direct descendant, had hit a bottleneck years ago due to the lack of proper Poison Arts techniques.
And now, Se-woon was asking ordinary warriors like them—who had no such support—to abandon the Shadow Qi Arts they had trained in and start over with Poison Arts from scratch?
This was tantamount to castrating the family's strongest combat force.
As expected, a storm of protest erupted.
"Young Lord! This is absolutely not the right choice for the family's current situation!"
"That's right! Asking us to abandon Shadow Qi Arts now is—"
"While obtaining superior poison materials is certainly commendable, it's not worth discarding all our years of training!"
The voices grew louder.
But Se-woon didn't even pretend to listen.
He merely clicked his tongue, looking at them with pity.
"Tsk. Don't worry. I anticipated you'd panic before even trying, so I've already invited a martial instructor."
"...!"
The mention of a martial instructor silenced the commotion like magic.
Because if a proper instructor had been secured, the situation changed entirely.
Even prestigious sects occasionally paid exorbitant fees to renowned martial schools or masters for specialized training.
If Se-woon had brought in a reputable instructor, his plan suddenly gained credibility.
But then... who?
"Young Lord, may we ask who this martial instructor is?"
Tang Bi voiced the question on everyone's mind.
As all eyes turned to Se-woon—
Thump.
"...Huh?"
"??"
Se-woon pushed Yeo-seon forward.
As bewildered stares locked onto her—
Se-woon delivered the bombshell.
"As of now, Yeo-seon will serve not only as my bodyguard but also as the Grand Instructor overseeing the training of all Tang Family combat units."
"M-Me?!"
"!?"
Even Yeo-seon looked stunned, hearing this for the first time.
And then—
The Elite Unit's suppressed fury exploded.
"Young Lord! We understand your disappointment, but this is beyond excessive!"
"To insult those of us who've sworn to lay down our lives for you—!"
"We've lived solely for the family. At least spare us this humiliation."
Their grievances poured out like an unending tide.
Yet Se-woon remained utterly still, his expression unreadable, simply listening.
As the protests gradually died down—
"Finished?"
"—!"
Se-woon's gaze was as cold as the blizzards of the North Sea.
His subordinates felt a chill down their spines.
They had never seen this side of him before.
Their Young Lord had defeated I Hoseong.
Slaughtered the Martial Alliance's leaders.
Fought a bloody battle against Poison Demon Yayul Seung.
And yet—
They had never actually witnessed him fight.
To them, Se-woon was still the sickly boy who had once writhed in pain from his congenital disability.
"Let's do this."
Se-woon finally spoke.
"Those who will follow my orders, stand by my side. Those who refuse, step to the opposite side."
"—!"
"Don't worry. No penalties for choosing the opposite side."
Despite his reassurance, the unit hesitated.
As they exchanged uncertain glances—
Step.
"—!"
Shockingly, Tang Bi was the first to move—to Se-woon's opposite side.
And like dominoes—
Step-step! Step-step-step!
The Elite Unit moved in unison.
Moments later—
Only three remained by Se-woon's side: Dae-woong and two others.
Twenty-one versus three.
An overwhelming divide—but Se-woon didn't care.
"Good. For the next ten days, each group will train separately. On the eleventh day, we'll hold a friendly spar between the two sides."
"...Young Lord?"
"If you win, I'll send Yeo-seon back to the alliance and enter seclusion for self-reflection."
"!?"
Stunned silence followed his declaration.
"Well? Will you all comply?"
Only Se-woon remained unshaken.
A short while later.
A private training ground set up near Se-woon's quarters.
"Everyone here?"
"Yes!"
"Hmm. Fewer people make headcounts easier."
"...Y-Yes!"
Se-woon, Yeo-seon, and the three Elite Unit members stood together.
After the friendly spar was decided, Se-woon had arranged a separate training site to avoid unnecessary friction between the two groups.
"So, you're all new faces. Fresh recruits?"
"Correct! This humble one is Dae-woong—!"
"Jang Il!"
"Jang Yi!"
All three were unfamiliar even to Se-woon's regressed memories.
Likely newcomers who had joined after his reputation soared.
"Two of you are brothers."
"Exactly!"
"Exactly!"
"Well, we'll get to know each other better after the spar."
"...Yes!"
Their response was slightly delayed.
"You all look like you're overthinking things."
"Well..."
"Speak freely."
After exchanging glances, Dae-woong straightened and answered firmly.
"We'll follow your orders without question, Young Lord—! But we're concerned whether ten days is enough to bridge the gap in combat experience against seasoned veterans!"
"Hmm."
The other two seemed to share his worry.
But Se-woon only shrugged in response.
Then he turned to Yeo-seon.
"They're worried."
"Yes?"
"Show them."
"...Yes?"
What was she supposed to do?
What could a military strategist possibly demonstrate?
Blinking in confusion, Yeo-seon hesitated—
"You've got a specialty, don't you? Show them."
"...!"
Se-woon pointed to his own eyes.
For some reason, Yeo-seon's pupils trembled as if an earthquake had struck.
'...How?'
The moment their eyes met, Yeo-seon realized—
Se-woon already knew the "secret" she had buried deep.
But her panic was short-lived.
If he knew her true identity anyway—
Well, if an opportunity presented itself, she might as well prove her worth and demand proper compensation.
In an instant, Yeo-seon stepped forward.
"...Warrior Dae-woong. Step forward, please."
"Yes!"
Swish.
She lifted the cloth covering her forehead.
As her hidden eyes were revealed—
"—!"
Dae-woong and the others froze in shock.
...What kind of eyes are those?
If Dae-woong's gaze was like a tiger's—
Yeo-seon's eyes burned like an enraged lion's.
The king of beasts stared down its prey.
'Ghk!'
Just from being observed—
Dae-woong clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to recoil.
But the sensation of being dissected piece by piece forced a strained groan from his lips.
After what felt like an eternity—
"Warrior Dae-woong."
"...Yes?"
Yeo-seon finally spoke, her analysis complete.
"Why are you hiding another martial art?"
"—!!"
Dae-woong's eyes bulged.