Chapter 8
What Seo Mugyeom had now was not merely knowledge appropriate for his age.
Having already experienced countless hardships and even been slain by the imperial forces, Seo Mugyeom's knowledge was at a considerably high level.
At the very least, he was capable of discerning the level of others’ martial arts, yet Pyo Inhaeng had far exceeded his expectations.
The difference between the Eighth Division and the Tenth Division might not have been great, but compared to the First Division, even an ordinary warrior of the First Division could be stronger than the Tenth Division’s leader.
Seo Mugyeom had always thought so.
He had also believed that the vice-leader of the Eighth Division and the leader of the Tenth Division were at nearly the same level.
Many warriors turned down leader or vice-leader positions in other divisions to enter the First Division instead, while the Tenth Division was universally avoided.
Even so, as members of the Guardian Ten Division, the Tenth Division’s warriors were still admired by others, but within the same realm, they were considered the lowest rank.
Yet at this very moment, Seo Mugyeom's prejudice was completely shattered.
Pyo Inhaeng began channeling his true energy into Seo Mugyeom’s body, indifferent to what Seo Mugyeom might be thinking or how shocked he was.
‘How can Seo Mugyeom have this level of internal energy?’
He barely resisted the urge to ask aloud, continuing his internal observation.
But even for Pyo Inhaeng, it was difficult to discern things that lay entirely outside his realm of knowledge.
He had never received a miraculous encounter, nor consumed a spiritual medicine, nor been close to anyone who had.
He had chosen to train harder than others, rather than chase things that would likely never be granted to him.
“Hm…”
As Pyo Inhaeng let out that sound unconsciously, Seo Mugyeom looked nervously at Ho Jo-yeong.
Ho Jo-yeong also grew worried, thinking something bad might have happened.
‘What is this? Can internal energy even accumulate like this? No, it feels more like it detached than accumulated.’
That was the thought that flashed through Pyo Inhaeng’s mind.
It had crossed his thoughts fleetingly, but once he did, it felt like he had found a clue.
‘Yes. It does seem like it detached. Then where did it detach from?’
He poured a little more of his true energy into Seo Mugyeom.
Even being able to do that was no ordinary feat.
Seo Mugyeom felt a flicker of hope as he observed Pyo Inhaeng’s expression.
The deep furrow in his brow and his focused contemplation made it seem as though he had discovered something.
Pyo Inhaeng infused his true energy into various parts of Seo Mugyeom’s body, exploring, until he finally found what he was looking for.
It was when the freely flowing internal energy seemed about to pass into another area.
What he discovered was a vast reserve of internal energy.
A monstrous mass of energy so immense it could never have been accumulated through normal means, crouched and hidden within the body.
Though startled by the unimaginable situation, Pyo Inhaeng resolved to uncover the truth as accurately as possible for Seo Mugyeom’s sake.
The vast internal energy was indeed the source of the energy that moved along Seo Mugyeom’s acupoints.
Stimulated by certain triggers, a portion had awakened and flowed as Seo Mugyeom executed techniques.
When Pyo Inhaeng cautiously moved his true energy to stimulate the internal energy, it stirred slightly.
It was a very subtle movement, but Pyo Inhaeng’s face turned pale in an instant.
He realized it was not something he could possibly handle.
If even the smallest mistake were to occur, not only he but also Seo Mugyeom could be in danger.
So Pyo Inhaeng carefully ceased his observation and withdrew.
Seo Mugyeom watched as Pyo Inhaeng removed his fingers from his wrist and waited for him to speak.
Pyo Inhaeng glanced briefly at Ho Jo-yeong.
Perceptive as ever, Ho Jo-yeong understood that what was about to be said was not for his ears.
“I had something to do today but completely forgot. I’ll take my leave now, Division Leader.”
“Alright.”
After saying this, Ho Jo-yeong exchanged a glance with Seo Mugyeom and left.
Seo Mugyeom looked at Pyo Inhaeng, wondering what he was about to say.
“Division Leader, did you find anything?”
“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this, so I can’t say anything for sure. Have you ever taken any spiritual medicine before, Seo Mugyeom?”
“Of course not. And even if there were any, why would they give it to me?”
That was what Pyo Inhaeng had thought too.
But hearing it directly, he began to think it might not be so simple.
Though he hadn’t realized it before, Seo Mugyeom had excellent bones and a physique well-suited for learning martial arts.
“Stand up straight, Seo Mugyeom.”
Wondering why he was being told this, Seo Mugyeom still followed the order.
Pyo Inhaeng circled around him, tilting his head curiously.
What puzzled him was the absence of signs of hard training on Seo Mugyeom’s body.
Unaware of what Pyo Inhaeng found odd, Seo Mugyeom stood there with a tense expression.
“Seo Mugyeom, how have you been training?”
Seo Mugyeom hesitated for a moment.
Originally, he would have trained far more intensely than now, but currently, that wasn’t the case.
So he chose to respond based on his current condition.
“Judging by the techniques you’re using, you shouldn’t have any excess fat left on you. This is strange.”
Only then did Seo Mugyeom realize what Pyo Inhaeng had been puzzled about.
“Oh, this…”
“Well. I guess it doesn’t matter. Just observe yourself carefully. That excess fat will disappear soon anyway.”
It sounded like a terrifying remark.
“From now on, you’ll train with me. It’ll be fun.”
“With you, Division Leader…? Why…?”
He didn’t even know why he asked, but the words slipped out.
Something told him he needed to be extremely on guard.
Pyo Inhaeng stared at Seo Mugyeom as if he couldn’t believe him.
“Why? Is there someone else you were going to ask for help? Ho Jo-yeong, perhaps?”
“Well…”
“No more words. That’s how it’ll be.”
Then, as if resolved, Pyo Inhaeng properly raised his sword.
“Grab your sword.”
“Yes.”
Seo Mugyeom took up his sword, not knowing what was coming.
“Go all out. I don’t know the reason, but your body holds an incomprehensible amount of internal energy. That energy is extremely lazy and won’t move unless it feels a compelling reason to do so. You’ve got at least sixty years’ worth of internal energy in your body, but less than ten years’ worth is currently active. But now, a portion of that dormant energy has begun to stir.”
“Is it because of the Nine Dragon Gang? I did fight to the brink of death back then—could that have been the trigger?”
At that, Pyo Inhaeng’s eyes sharpened.
He hadn’t known that Seo Mugyeom had faced danger during that mission.
Although Seo Mugyeom had insisted on joining, Pyo Inhaeng felt upset that the vice-leader of the Eighth Division had pushed his subordinate forward.
Seo Mugyeom quickly grasped what Pyo Inhaeng was thinking by reading his expression.
“I went ahead because I wanted to confirm something. In the end, it turned out well, didn’t it? That’s why the dormant internal energy moved, isn’t it?”
“Turned out well, you say? Would you say that even after dying?”
Pyo Inhaeng roared furiously.
Then, as if remembering he had something else to do, he took the starting stance.
Seeing that, Seo Mugyeom also took the stance.
“Swing your sword with the intent to go all out. I will attack with the thought that I could kill you right here. Defend yourself. Only then can I assess your level and decide how to proceed with your training. I won’t waste time or effort on someone who shows no promise.”
“Yes.”
Seo Mugyeom began pressing Pyo Inhaeng with his sword.
The techniques became more familiar, and his sword moved like his own limbs.
An astonishingly swift swordplay unfolded, surprising both the one using it and the one watching.
Pyo Inhaeng pushed aside his amazement, defending against Seo Mugyeom’s attacks while looking for a chance to counter.
He too displayed an equally sharp swordplay, but finding an opening was not easy.
Because Pyo Inhaeng had gone all out from the beginning, Seo Mugyeom was able to grasp the level he needed to aim for.
This sparring match seemed even harder than fighting the Nine Dragon Gang.
Pyo Inhaeng, having an idea of what triggered Seo Mugyeom’s internal energy, decided to awaken it as much as possible during this duel.
He even thought it wouldn’t matter if Seo Mugyeom sustained deep wounds to his limbs.
Wounds could be healed with medicine and rest, but opportunities to awaken one’s internal energy were rare.
Seo Mugyeom didn’t fully understand Pyo Inhaeng’s intent, but he continued to fend off the relentless sword strikes aimed at him.
In truth, it was unbelievable that Seo Mugyeom was managing to block Pyo Inhaeng’s attacks.
Especially considering how seriously Pyo Inhaeng was engaging in this duel.
Seo Mugyeom’s agile movements allowed him to dodge Pyo Inhaeng’s strikes and at times even touch his sword.
The sharp sound of Seo Mugyeom’s blade slicing through the air echoed chillingly in Pyo Inhaeng’s ears.
At first, Pyo Inhaeng laughed in disbelief, but now, there was no such smile to be seen.
As time passed, the smile completely vanished from his face, replaced by beads of sweat on his forehead.
He had never heard of a swordsman like this before.
And never imagined such a swordsman would be his subordinate.
Though he had seen Seo Mugyeom in passing, he hadn’t known him in detail.
That made it all the more shocking—realizing he had neglected such a martial prodigy.
Meanwhile, Seo Mugyeom continued to unleash a fierce barrage of sword strikes.
The distance Pyo Inhaeng had intentionally created vanished in an instant.
Seo Mugyeom moved nimbly, appearing right in front of Pyo Inhaeng and then widening the gap again.
He completely dominated the duel, controlling every situation.
Then, he executed increasingly threatening techniques with astonishing speed.
His sword techniques had grown far faster compared to the beginning.