Chapter 3
“You’re saying they wrote the mnemonic verses of a martial art on the wall for anyone to see? And the Heaven-Shattering Will Art, at that?”
Someone asked, and Cheon Ha-seong looked at them with satisfaction, as if it were a good question, and nodded.
“If other people had been able to learn it, it would not have been made public. But since the Heaven-Shattering Will Art was created, no one has emerged who has mastered it to its pinnacle. That is why it was made available for even one more person to see and learn. If someone can learn it first, wouldn't others be able to find the way from there?”
At that, a few people's eyes lit up, and they spoke as if they had a great realization.
“So you've remained at the Martial Arts Academy to see it and achieve complete mastery, Head Instructor!”
“No. I just don't want to go out into the outside world and get caught up in troublesome affairs.”
However, it seemed the candidates had already decided to believe what they thought with unwavering conviction. It was only natural. After all, wasn't that a life befitting a legend of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
“You are truly amazing, Head Instructor. I will strive to be like that from now on.”
“There is one thing to be careful of. If you try to do that, you might die first. Twenty percent of the candidates who entered with you will die here. But it is right to see that those who are fated to die here would have been fated to die on the outside as well. Actively change your fate. What I mean is, even if you die, die by your own decision and will.”
The candidates realized this was not something to be answered lightly. However, their eyes shone with a stronger fervor than ever before.
“To be able to decide your own death is a great blessing. At least if you die by your own fault, it won't be unfair, will it?”
“Understood, Head Instructor!”
Cheon Ha-seong moved among them, checking each one's muscle mass. Then he taught them strength exercises they could do in their spare time, and ways to protect their own lives. He was teaching them a way to at least try something before they died, rather than being taken down helplessly.
Since those who came to this place were here to become the leadership of the Divine Cult's martial artists, they understood what Cheon Ha-seong was teaching them with astonishing clarity.
“If you make it out of here alive, you will become the leadership of the Divine Cult. After becoming leaders, you may forget the place you came from, or you might live differently. If you can, do not forget. And pull up those who are still there. Having colleagues makes work much easier. Have a bigger dream than just lining your own pockets.”
Cheon Ha-seong finished all he had to say quickly and slipped away leisurely, as if he had never been there in the first place. The eyes of those watching him shone with wonder and strong will. And from that moment, they each scattered and began to combatively practice what Cheon Ha-seong had taught them.
The other candidates, who were still gathered and chattering amongst themselves, slowly realized that the atmosphere of one particular group had changed. They had no idea how the mood had shifted.
* * *
Cheok Gyo-woon showed up pointedly late. Since the Fourth Marquis had already sent someone to stir up a fuss, he thought they wouldn't dare to act recklessly towards him, and he was doing this to confirm it.
The Principal didn't come out of his office at all, and the Chief Head Instructor directed the proceedings.
He tried to have the other Head Instructors block Cheon Ha-seong from approaching Cheok Gyo-woon, but it was no use.
“Cheok Gyo-woon. Step forward.”
As Cheon Ha-seong walked and spoke, Cheok Gyo-woon flinched. The Fourth Marquis had told him that no one in the Martial Arts Academy would dare act recklessly towards him now, but he should have considered that Cheon Ha-seong was there.
“Tardiness is one demerit point. You have many days to spend here, and you're already doing a fine job stacking them up. If this continues, in a few days, you won't be able to say a word even if someone beats you; you'll just have to take it. Because if I hear that you've done anything to earn demerits in the Martial Arts Academy, I will surely give you a demerit, and you will be expelled. How shameful would that be for your family and the Fourth Marquis?”
Cheon Ha-seong spoke without even raising his voice. However, it was certainly effective. Cheok Gyo-woon looked at the Chief Head Instructor for help, but the Chief Head Instructor didn't have any particular solution either.
“H-Head Instructor Cheon. Why are you being like this? Isn't it only the second day?”
“Chief Head Instructor, you just need to make a choice. Will you follow the established rules, or will you kick me out? Will you give candidate Cheok Gyo-woon a demerit, or will you forgive him?”
He was saying that if Cheok Gyo-woon were forgiven, he would leave the Martial Arts Academy. If he had his way, the Chief Head Instructor wanted to persuade the Principal to kick Cheon Ha-seong out immediately. However, without Cheon Ha-seong, there would be no way to handle the incidents that occasionally occurred at the Martial Arts Academy.
Those who entered the Martial Arts Academy all came with the expectation of being able to pass the twelve gates. Many among them even surpassed the skills of the Martial Arts Academy's Head Instructors. When failures repeated and the pressure mounted, incidents where such people would conspire to attack the Head Instructors would occasionally happen, and each time, Cheon Ha-seong would subdue them almost single-handedly.
The Chief Head Instructor finally looked at Cheok Gyo-woon as if he had no other choice.
Cheok Gyo-woon was dumbfounded. He had no reason to be late. He had come late purely to see how long Cheon Ha-seong would act so high and mighty, so what was all this?
In the end, Cheok Gyo-woon received a demerit, and Cheon Ha-seong leisurely left the place.
He then went straight to Seo Hyo-eun's section, but even then, Seo Hyo-eun had not yet arrived.
‘What's going on? Could she be unwell?’
Cheon Ha-seong was too worried to stay still and ended up going to the Chief Head Instructor. The Chief Head Instructor, who had flinched thinking he was there to pick another fight, looked at Cheon Ha-seong as if he couldn't believe his ears when he said he wanted to leave early.
“You want to… what?”
“Leave early.”
“…Alright.”
Since the Chief Head Instructor had known Cheon Ha-seong, he had never seen him request to leave early, so he was still bewildered. Then, at the thought that he could finally breathe properly, he suddenly became happy.
“Go on, then. Head Instructor Cheon needs to rest sometimes too.”
Leaving the Martial Arts Academy with the Chief Head Instructor's blessing, Cheon Ha-seong went straight to the inn. He thought the reason Seo Hyo-eun hadn't come to the Martial Arts Academy yet was because of a hangover.
She had been struggling when she woke up in the morning anyway, so he figured she still couldn't leave the room because of it. However, when he got there, the room Seo Hyo-eun had been in was empty.
When a surprised Cheon Ha-seong asked, the waiter spoke casually.
“If you're talking about the masked female guest, she left right after you did, sir. There wouldn't have even been a quarter of a gak's* difference between you.”
[N: a quarter of gak = 3.36 minutes]
“Are you certain of that?”
“Of course. Yesterday, you two were the only guests who stayed the night at our inn. So I was thinking I could take a short break once you both left, and was completely focused on when you would leave…”
The waiter, who had been chattering away, seemed to realize he shouldn't be saying such things and grew increasingly awkward, eventually shutting his mouth completely.
Cheon Ha-seong was already leaving the inn.
* * *
Seo Hyo-eun didn't come to the Martial Arts Academy the next day either. And it was the same the day after that.
On the first day, he didn't say anything, wondering if Seo Hyo-eun would show up later, but as two days, then three days passed, Cheon Ha-seong also began to worry. Now, he was more concerned for her well-being than simply her getting a pay cut from the Martial Arts Academy.
Cheon Ha-seong went to see the Chief Head Instructor.
“Chief Head Instructor, why hasn't Head Instructor Seo been coming in? Have you perhaps heard anything from her separately?”
However, the Chief Head Instructor looked at Cheon Ha-seong as if he were the stranger one.
“Weren't you the only person Head Instructor Seo talked to, Head Instructor Cheon? As it happens, I was planning to ask you about her when I got the chance.”
“Would the Principal know?”
“I doubt it. I haven't heard anything separately.”
Cheon Ha-seong went straight to the Principal. When the person he least wanted to see in the world barged in, the Principal felt like goosebumps were breaking out all over his body. However, Cheon Ha-seong paid no heed to what the Principal thought of him and asked his question.
“Principal, I am wondering if you have received any separate reports about Head Instructor Seo's absence.”
“Head Instructor Seo? As it happens, I was just thinking about how to handle her unauthorized absence. I was worried you'd raise all hell if I handled it by the book, Head Instructor Cheon.”
It seemed the Principal hadn't received any contact either.
“Can you tell me where Head Instructor Seo lives?”
He had to find out what happened anyway. It would be a great help if Cheon Ha-seong took care of that troublesome task. Moreover, he grew even more hopeful, thinking that peace would come to the Martial Arts Academy while Cheon Ha-seong was busy with Seo Hyo-eun's problem.
“Alright. Wait a moment.”
Then he found all the records on Seo Hyo-eun and handed them to Cheon Ha-seong.
“Sit over there and look at them comfortably. If there is anything you need to copy down, feel free to do so.”
“Thank you.”
Cheon Ha-seong did not refuse his goodwill and immediately checked Seo Hyo-eun's records.
Looking at them, Cheon Ha-seong realized he knew almost nothing about Seo Hyo-eun.
The Chief Head Instructor had said that Seo Hyo-eun probably only talked with him, but they had barely exchanged any personal information.
After quickly copying down the address where Seo Hyo-eun lived, Cheon Ha-seong bowed to the Principal and left.
‘Did Head Instructor Seo always live in a place like this?’
Cheon Ha-seong tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the address written on the paper. The address was in a place where common followers lived. He hadn't even known that Seo Hyo-eun was from a common follower background.
‘Judging by the martial arts she occasionally displayed, they didn't seem like something a common follower could learn.’
Thinking that he had no choice but to go and check for himself, his pace grew faster and faster, and eventually, he even used his lightness skill.
However, at the place he arrived at, he could only let out a hollow laugh.
The address written on the paper didn't exist at all. There had never been a house in that spot to begin with. He asked the people living nearby, but they all shook their heads and said it was a wrong address.
“Is there perhaps a woman around my age living in this vicinity? Her face is very beautiful. Her height is a little below my shoulder, about this high?”
As he said this, he indicated a spot about midway between his shoulder and elbow with his hand.
Seeing the tall, handsome stranger appear, people gradually gathered as if they found it fascinating. Then, learning that Cheon Ha-seong was looking for someone, the atmosphere became one of intense concentration as they tried to help him search.
However, no one remembered the person Cheon Ha-seong described. On the contrary, the number of people asserting that no such person existed only grew.