Those Who Break the Walls (3)
“White Tiger, advance!”
At one boy’s shout, nearly twenty children executed the same motion in unison.
“““Hah!”””
The boy directing the sword formation called out again.
“White Tiger, Earth Shatter!”
“““Hah!!!”””
Ching-ching-ching-ching!
Dozens of sword phantoms burst forth from the swords extending simultaneously, sweeping in all directions like a storm of blades centered on the formation. Individually, none of these kids could unleash sword phantoms on that scale, but within the formation, they wielded them as if they were all first-rate masters. The White Tiger Sword Formation performed by twenty of them was intimidating enough to make any onlooker feel threatened.
Even Gang Chaeseok, hailed as Tae-eul Gate’s strongest, might struggle if surrounded by that formation—Gang Chaeseok couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Nngh……’
Of course, as their instructor, he couldn’t show his face by losing to a kids’ formation for the sake of appearances, so he hadn’t tested it. But after sparring against a formation formed by five first-generation disciples and judging it hard to break, he’d given up any thought of challenging the third-generation disciples’ version.
‘Just what the hell did that Jin Sowoon bastard leave behind!’
The White Tiger Sword Formation wasn’t even Tae-eul Gate’s martial art to begin with. He’d never taught it to the kids, nor told them to learn it. But after the gold-silver-bronze brothers trained it to death, they went out and earned nicknames like Ironblood Three Dragons, then Ironwall Three Dragons, and suddenly, among the kids, practicing the White Tiger Sword Formation spread like a game.
It wasn’t mere curiosity-driven dabbling. Just like the gold-silver-bronze brothers, they trained with ears plugged and eyes blindfolded.
‘Thank goodness we sealed the gates……’
The gold-silver-bronze brothers’ training methods had already defied common sense. But seeing all of Tae-eul Gate’s disciples immersed in such bizarre training made him anxious that word might leak out to the world.
‘It’s all because of that damn Jin Sowoon……’
But ever since that rigorous training began, the children’s growth had accelerated dramatically. With the Tae-eul True Scripture being studied simultaneously by masters and disciples, the kids thirsted for knowledge, but the masters couldn’t properly teach cultivation training. When a child hit a wall, the masters would ponder for two straight days and nights before barely figuring out how to guide them—that was the routine.
In such a situation, the curiosity-filled kids’ thirst never quenched, naturally drawing their eyes to the White Tiger Sword Formation left by Jin Sowoon and the gold-silver-bronze brothers.
Gang Chaeseok had learned the White Tiger Sword Formation back at the Murim Alliance, but it was nothing special on its own. Yet the version Tae-eul Gate’s disciples were practicing had something different, something extraordinary.
“White Tiger Roar!”
Ching-ching-ching!
Sword phantoms unfurled, filling the entire training ground. The power was unbelievable for a formation cast by children not yet in their twenties.
‘What the hell kind of formation is this?’
Sword phantoms consumed a ton of internal energy. Normal kids could barely produce one, yet inside the formation, they churned them out endlessly. According to Jegal Cheongi, the improved White Tiger Sword Formation included dynamic energy circulation effects, allowing even internal energy-deficient kids to use sword phantoms. In any case, basing their solo Tae-eul True Scripture cultivation on sensations felt within the White Tiger Sword Formation had become Tae-eul Gate’s daily routine.
Today, as always, the training ground brimmed with kids who had gathered on their own.
“Stop!!!”
The boy at the formation’s center spoke up.
“Stamina training starts now.”
“““Yes!”””
Not a single one questioned the order.
“Full sprint to Hwun Mountain! The last three in run it again!”
“““Yes!”””
With a thunderous reply, the kids surged out of the training ground.
“Hoo……”
Gang Chaeseok, left alone in the now-empty training ground, let out a small sigh.
This was after Kwaehwa Hall’s scheduled training ended, and it was the kids’ voluntary individual practice, so Gang Chaeseok couldn’t complain. No, he should praise and cherish their diligence…
‘As their master, it’s lamentable that I have no way to help these children……’
Then.
“Hm?”
He spotted a child training alone in one corner of the training ground. At first, the boy had trained the White Tiger Sword Formation with the others, but lately, he spent more time practicing solo.
Gang Chaeseok walked over.
“Yu-seong, what’s got you stuck?”
Gang Yu-seong, staring blankly into space, snapped to attention.
“Ah! Hall Lord. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize……”
Gang Yu-seong quickly clasped his hands and explained calmly.
“I’ve been pondering swiftness. In the Socheon Sword Technique, swiftness aims for the swiftness that enables phantoms, right? So what if there’s another martial art that manifests extreme swiftness instead?”
“Huh?”
But Yu-seong, already lost in a trance, continued with a furrowed brow.
“For example. According to the Tae-eul True Scripture, the Socheon Sword Technique isn’t just about raw speed—it’s the center. Meaning it holds potential to evolve toward either variation or phantoms.”
What the hell is this kid saying? Did he learn a different Tae-eul True Scripture from mine?
“Uh, well……”
“So the Socheon Sword Technique can be seen not only as the center of variation but also as a sword art with defensive elements. I’ve been wondering if there’s a way to exploit that swiftness to its extreme.”
“Uh…… uh……? R-really?”
“As you know, Hall Lord, I’m lacking, so my training in the Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion and Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth is insufficient.”
Gang Chaeseok tilted his head at Yu-seong, who nodded guiltily.
The Ten Thousand Swords of Heaven and Earth and Twin Heaven Sword Conclusion consumed massive internal energy—even he, the hall lord, couldn’t wield them freely. For a boy not yet twenty to handle them at will would be the real anomaly.
As hall lord, Gang Chaeseok patted Yu-seong’s shoulder to comfort him.
“Don’t worry about that. Once you’re a bit older and build more internal energy……”
“That’s why I thought of this. How about extreme swiftness with maximal efficiency?”
“……Huh?”
What’s this kid on about now?
“Like this.”
Gang Yu-seong sheathed his sword and assumed a drawing stance.
“This is the standard Socheon Sword Technique.”
Scree—
No sooner had he spoken than the sword shot out, pierced where an opponent’s heart would be, and returned. A speed unseen in kids his age. Before Gang Chaeseok could marvel, Yu-seong sheathed it and took the stance again.
“But deploy it like this.”
Scree-whing—
It was hard to even grasp what happened. There was a sound, wind followed…
……but he hadn’t seen the sword’s trajectory.
Imagining that as an enemy’s sword sent chills down his spine.
“Y-you made this yourself?”
“Pardon? I didn’t make it; I learned it from the Tae-eul True Scripture……”
No, I never saw anything like that in the Tae-eul True Scripture!
Gang Chaeseok barely closed his gaping jaw and asked.
“What’s its name?”
“Pardon?”
“The martial art’s name.”
Yu-seong gave an awkward boyish grin.
“I was thinking Single Heaven Sword Technique…… Hehe. Embarrassing.”
He’d known from the first lesson that the boy had extraordinary talent. Especially his obsession with—no, his infinite love for—martial arts. After returning from his exchange at the Moyong family, there was nothing left to teach him, and now he was even inventing new arts to shore up his weaknesses.
A genius burdensome to the sect had rolled in, yet here he was, blocking that genius’s path.
As Gang Chaeseok fell silent with a stiff face, Yu-seong started gauging his reaction.
“Um…… did I do something wrong?”
“……Yeah.”
“Pardon?”
A mix of shame and resolve flickered across Gang Chaeseok’s face.
“Ah, not you. If anyone’s wrong, it’s us.”
“What do you……”
“Press on.”
Unable to just watch any longer, Gang Chaeseok left for the sect leader’s hall.
They couldn’t think of raising the kids after growing themselves first. Their growth couldn’t outpace the young disciples’ anyway. The ones who needed nurturing now were the younger generation, not their delayed selves.
Those kids yearned to soar freely, yet his generation was binding their wings tight.
He couldn’t teach them to fly, but clutching their wings like this was unacceptable.
Bam!
“Sect Leader!”
“Hm? Hall Lord Gang.”
Hong Moon-gi, sweating through personal training in his private ground, looked at Gang Chaeseok curiously.
“Spirit pills! We need spirit pills!”
Spirit pills out of nowhere, like a midnight thunderbolt. His next words were even more baffling.
“The kids can’t fly. Give them spirit pills so they can.”
“Hall Lord Gang, speak clearly……”
“Spirit pills—only spirit pills are what we can do.”
“No, explain step by……”
“Spirit pills! Spirit pills!!! We need spirit pills!!!”
“……”
At Gang Chaeseok rolling on the floor in a tantrum, Hong Moon-gi wondered if this was a chance to test his honed martial arts.
#
“……So. You need spirit pills?”
Jin Taesan nearly choked before finishing his first cup. Spirit pills weren’t dog shit from next door.
“Hmm, where to get them? Sorimsa’s Great Return Pills are most effective—shall I inquire there?”
Despite Jin Taesan’s sarcasm, Gang Chaeseok’s expression stayed firm.
“I’m not joking.”
“……Then why do your eyes look like that?”
Gang Chaeseok’s bloodshot eyes flicked to Hong Moon-gi, who avoided them, downing his cup.
“……Tripped while walking.”
“Bruises look like Great Ocean Fist hits…… Did a rock use Great Ocean Fist? Or did you?”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes!”
“……Wasn’t joking?”
Otherwise, how could “need spirit pills” slip out so easily? Yet Gang Chaeseok intoned gravely.
“The kids’ growth has hit a limit. Their skills are sufficient, but internal energy lags. We need spirit pills.”
Jin Taesan massaged his temples.
“How about spirit herbs? Through Wang Merchant Group……”
Bam.
“Feed each kid a millennium ginseng root? Or share public pure oil? Spirit pills—we need spirit pills!”
“No, where the hell do we get spirit pills?!”
“That’s for you, Outer Hall Lord, to solve.”
“……”
Is this guy insane? Just say we need it and it appears? If I say we need sword aura masters, will he pop them out?
Jin Taesan held back a scolding. Debating a madman who’d lost reason was foolish. Instead, he turned to Hong Moon-gi, etching “endure” in his mind.
“What do you think, Sect Leader?”
Hong Moon-gi clamped his mouth shut. It wasn’t something words alone could solve.
“Making spirit pills isn’t just about materials. Each sect’s pills carry their unique essence. Even long-standing sects produce only a few for a reason.”
“That’s what I’m saying. It’s natural, but this lunatic’s lost his mind and……”
“Spirit pills! Spirit pills! Spirit pills!”
Jin Taesan and Hong Moon-gi sighed at Gang Chaeseok chanting the same word.
“We could commission a medical sect or physician, but the cost is steep.”
Medical sects or physicians occasionally made spirit pills, but rarely tailored to the recipient’s constitution or heart method. Prices were exorbitant, often wasting money and bankrupting families. Tae-eul Gate’s finances had improved, but not enough for spirit pill commissions.
Jin Taesan soothed his mad…… no, dear friend.
“How about supplying internal energy-boosting spirit herbs first?”
Gang Chaeseok halted his “Spirit pills!” chant and countered.
“Know the biggest risk of spirit herbs?”
“……Qi deviation.”
He nodded vigorously.
“Spirit herbs are good—better than nothing. But if the kids err in circulation now…… you know no one in Tae-eul Gate can support them.”
“……”
Gang Chaeseok wiped the playfulness from his face.
“Know their current state?”
“……”
“They comprehend martial arts with head and body, but can’t utilize it without internal energy support.”
The Tae-eul True Scripture had returned recently. Plus, prior focus on the Great Array Divine Art stalled progress. Kids who could produce sword phantoms obsessed with formations; those with sword energy chased phantoms. And Yu-seong that kid……
Recalling Yu-seong alone on the training ground, Gang Chaeseok grimaced and groaned.
“He’s inventing new martial arts alone due to internal energy shortages. Does that make sense?!”
Glowworm-and-snow merit—success from studying in harsh conditions—was admirable, but heartbreaking for parents when their own child suffered it.
“I know. Chanting for spirit pills won’t make them appear. But head knows, heart doesn’t……”
Gang Chaeseok thumped his chest and bowed his head.
“……get it.”
“……”
Hong Moon-gi and Jin Taesan couldn’t speak easily at Gang Chaeseok pounding his chest raw. They felt the same.
“……”
“……”
Silence lingered. None touched their cups.
Hong Moon-gi broke it eventually.
“For now, conclude with internal energy-boosting spirit herbs.”
“Sect Leader!”
“Understand that. Forgot we’ve only recently eaten meat three meals a day?”
“But spirit herbs can poison depending on constitution.”
Hong Moon-gi gripped his cup tighter.
“……We’ll be cautious. Overdoing it and bankrupting us again is also a problem.”
“……”
“Taesan, don’t burden him alone.”
Realizing he’d been selfish, Gang Chaeseok muttered.
“Sorry, Taesan.”
He’d taken the scolding, but knew it stemmed from shared frustration. Jin Taesan nodded slowly.
“Fine.”
The drinking resumed, but no one looked relieved.
#
“Spirit herbs?”
Eunho’s face crumpled like paper.
“Yeah. Spirit herbs. Need to grab some on the way.”
“……”
The carriage tickets were hard to book, but understandable for spirit herbs. But wasn’t the phrasing odd? Spirit herbs didn’t grow wild like planted crops. How was big senior’s brain wired…… no, how could he speak of spirit herbs like roadside pebbles?
“Do you have spirit herbs stashed somewhere?”
Jin Sowoon suddenly frowned.
“You sick? Who stashes spirit herbs.”
“……”
No, you said it like you did! If not big senior, he’d really……!
Ignoring Eunho’s boiling guts, Jin Sowoon stretched and ordered.
“Anyway, lots to prepare—move fast. Isn’t this the triumphant return you’ve been waiting for?”
“……Understood. But why prepare this?”
Jin Sowoon had ordered palm-sized iron plates, leather vests with pouches, and iron rings.
Gazing at them, Jin Sowoon grinned smugly.
“What do you think? My new inventions. Put iron plates in the vest pouches to adjust weight.”
At Sowoon’s explanation, Eunho’s head tilted further.
“Vests go over robes in the cold. Why add iron plates for weight?”
“Heavier body doubles training gains.”
“……”
Eunho wondered if he’d misheard, tapping his ear.
“Travel training efficiency drops naturally. But vest and rings double the effect.”
……He hadn’t misheard.
Eunho seriously considered not returning home. A man who left home for success shouldn’t return till successful—that was resolve.
“Come on, hurry. Don’t your junior brothers and parents waiting eagerly at the sect flash before your eyes?”
But he resigned and moved. He hated hardship to death, but missed juniors and parents too.
‘Plus, no way I’d let someone worse than Yama stay at the academy. Sigh……’
Eunho pitied his quick resignation.
#
This winter break was busier than any. Winter yielded many spirit herbs. Sweeping them up would take half the break.
Of course, nothing compared to what I’d consumed. But these were key materials for spirit pills for Tae-eul Gate disciples.
‘About time.’
Judging from gold-silver-bronze brothers and Saryeon’s progress. Tae-eul Gate was likely hitting a massive wall now.
Solving it wasn’t just wealth or power. It was absolute, impartial time.
Tae-eul Gate lacked wealth, history, or scale for spirit pills. Prestigious sects had disciples with medical talent pour lifetimes, sect-backed, to leave one recipe before dying.
If great sects struggled, could tiny, cute Tae-eul Gate dream of it?
“But no need to stick to orthodoxy.”
No teeth? Use gums. I left my office seeking gums as tough as teeth.
No need to go far. Raw gems the fools discarded unknowingly lay before me.