Chapter 157

There’s a formation? It was a statement that made no sense. Just how long had they been walking down that fog-covered path? Suddenly, a bright light broke through—and with it, a clear sky came into view. Beneath that open sky stood a cluster of elegant pavilions. Giho and Bucheon-gi looked around in astonishment. “Where is this?” “This is Baekyaksan, Baekyeong’s secret training ground.” “Huh? Isn’t that the name of a temple?” “It was, originally. A ruined temple, to be precise. But we restored and refurbished it for our use. We considered renaming it, but everyone just got used to calling it Baekyaksan from the beginning, so the name stuck.” “This is...” Giho and Bucheon-gi turned their heads, faces still frozen in surprise. There were dozens of children immersed in training across the field. And not a single one of them turned to look, despite their arrival—they remained wholly focused on their cultivation. “So Baekyeong was operating this systematically all along.” “No wonder the world misunderstands. People say Baekyeong got lucky and rose to the top.” “If we had known about this in advance... we might’ve thought twice before choosing to fight you.” At Giho’s words, Jang Woon grinned. “Part of why we never revealed any of this was to keep opponents like you off guard.” “Exactly. That’s what allowed us to unify Mushincheon’s High Divisions, even if it was tough,” Sunwoo Baek added. Giho looked at him with clear admiration. “You really are something else. Jincheonmun will undoubtedly become one of Mushincheon’s top-ranking factions.” At Giho’s praise, Sunwoo Baek smiled. “You two are now recognized as part of Baekyeong. Starting today, this is your training ground too.” “A part of Baekyeong?” “That’s right. I’ll introduce you to the others later—for now, let me show you around. Follow me.” With curiosity in their eyes, Giho and Bucheon-gi followed Sunwoo Baek as he guided them through Baekyaksan. Baekyaksan had everything. An apothecary hall, a dining area, even guest rooms where one could sleep. It was, in essence, a sect of its own. “You built all of this yourselves?” Giho asked, unable to hide his amazement. Sunwoo Baek hesitated for a moment, then replied. “No. We didn’t build it. There’s someone supporting us.” Of course. There was no way High Division students could’ve accomplished something of this scale on their own. The families of the children here had likely pitched in, each contributing [N O V E L I G H T] a little. After the tour, they watched the children in the middle of their training. And just watching made their blood boil with excitement—they couldn’t sit still. “I want to start training right away.” At Giho’s declaration, Sunwoo Baek gave a knowing smile. Everyone reacted that way after seeing the kids train. This place was truly the optimal environment for cultivation. Everyone pushed each other harder, feeding off the pressure, competing only through effort. Sunwoo Baek looked at Giho and Bucheon-gi and said, “Then shall we begin as well?” “Hell yes!” **** Two weeks later. Giho and Bucheon-gi had more or less adapted—not just to Baekyeong, but to life at Baekyaksan. They had even gotten used to wearing the Inpimyeon-gu masks on their faces. But there was one thing they just couldn’t get used to. The training. These maniacs never stopped. Either they didn’t get tired, or they were completely addicted to training. And it wasn’t like the training itself was light, either. Giho and Bucheon-gi gasped for breath, glancing around. “Pant... pant... Everyone here is insane.” “Looks like we’re the only ones exhausted.” “No wonder they got so strong, training like this.” “If we had trained like them from the start, we’d have reached the Third Star of the Hwagyeong Realm by now.” “Fuck! This is embarrassing... I don’t even have the strength to move.” “Same here... I’ve never put my body through this much abuse without using internal energy.” It wasn’t just that they were training without internal energy. They were wearing training suits loaded with steel plates like armor. Even though they had gone easy for their first time, the weight was crushing. And yet, Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek were moving effortlessly—while carrying nearly twice the weight. They were even casually chatting as they did so. And that conversation? That was the real kicker. “The weight’s too light now. Think we should increase it again?” “Yeah, probably. But all the pockets are full—I can’t fit anything more.” “What if we use hats, shoes, or even bracelets to load more weight?” “Ooh, not a bad idea. What about increasing the weight of the swords the kids are using too?” “Great thinking.” “Feels like my brain’s finally working now that I’ve sweated it all out.” “Exactly.” Even now, the entire conversation was centered around how to train even more. “Those two are addicts.” “Yeah. And did you hear that? They want to increase the weight again?” “No wonder they made it to the Hwagyeong Realm. If you want to get that strong, you’ve got to be this ruthless.” “Ruthless, sure. But they also genuinely enjoy this. You know the saying: no matter how hard you try, you can’t beat the guy who enjoys it.” “Goddamn it. So you’re saying no matter how hard we try, we’ll never beat those freaks?” Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek—certified training maniacs. “But something’s still bugging me.” “What is?” “I don’t know... I just don’t get the feeling that Sunwoo Baek is the one in charge.” “Everyone’s relaxed here, that’s all. Sunwoo Baek doesn’t act like some high-and-mighty leader like people do elsewhere.” “No, that’s not it. It’s more like... like there’s someone else. Like the orders aren’t coming from him.” “When’d you get that impression?” “That time he told the kids to climb the cliff with full gear—remember?” “Oh yeah, that insane order.” “Right. And when the kids grumbled, one of them said something that stood out.” “What was it?” “‘Are you sure this is accurate?’” “Probably just double-checking, thinking they misheard.” “No, it wasn’t like that. The tone—it was like they wanted to confirm he’d gotten the order properly.” “So you’re saying there’s someone above Sunwoo Baek?” “My gut tells me, yes.” “Hmph.” “From now on, keep your eyes open. Something’s off here.” “Now that you mention it... yeah. I’ll keep a close watch.” **** From that day on, Giho and Bucheon-gi began watching the kids closely. And it turned out—there were definitely suspicious signs. Especially after Jang Woon or Sunwoo Baek returned from somewhere—there’d always be some new command issued. And the kids followed them without question. What made it even more suspicious was that Sunwoo Baek’s strength wasn’t so overwhelming that blind obedience made sense. Yes, he was strong. Yes, he was a good leader. But he didn’t radiate the kind of dominance that would inspire absolute deference. Eventually, Giho couldn’t take the curiosity anymore and just asked outright. “There’s someone above you, isn’t there?” “Hm?” “There is, right? Come on.” “What makes you think that?” “This place... it runs too systematically. And it doesn’t feel like something you built—it feels like someone handed it all to you.” Sunwoo Baek said nothing. “And every time you or Jang Woon leave and come back, there’s a new order. Jang Woon’s out today, right? I bet he’ll come back soon and issue some command—like someone gave him instructions outside.” Sunwoo Baek let out a quiet laugh. “Interesting. Go on.” “And remember the time the kids grumbled? One of them said, ‘Are you sure you heard it right?’ Not in confusion—but like they were verifying you got the message properly. And most of all... I can’t understand why the heir of the Shin Clan is so obedient to you.” If the orders were unreasonable, someone like that would definitely push back. But Shin Dowoon—the young lord of the Shin Clan—accepted every order quietly. That’s what looked so off to Giho. The Shin Clan’s power rivaled even the Five Great Martial Houses. And yet their heir was following the word of someone from a lower-ranked division? Ridiculous. “You figured it out sooner than I expected.” At Sunwoo Baek’s answer, Giho and Bucheon-gi froze in shock. “W–Wait. So I was right?” Giho asked, wide-eyed. Sunwoo Baek nodded. “Yeah. You were spot on. There is someone above me.” “Y–You’re serious?” “I am. And since you’ve figured it out, I’ll introduce you today.” “Just like that? Because we figured it out?” “They said if someone noticed them... that would be the moment to step forward.” “Who is it? Who the hell are you taking orders from?” “...The strategist.” It made sense—if he was the strategist. “You’ll understand when you meet him. Wait here. I’ll go tell him you’ve caught on.” With a grin, Sunwoo Baek disappeared, leaving Giho and Bucheon-gi exchanging murmurs. “I was just fishing, and he admitted it right away?” “So it’s true. There really was someone behind him.” “If you ask me, whoever it is doesn’t like being out front. Probably someone who prefers to use their brain.” “I think so too. To build something this structured, they’d need someone extremely knowledgeable.” “Whoever invented that insane training regimen—it has to be him. They all followed it without complaint because it clearly works.” “Think he’s from one of the families we know?” “We’ll find out soon enough. Let’s wait.” A figure appeared—someone they’d never seen before. Giho and Bucheon-gi tilted their heads at the sight of Yeon Woo Jin. They’d never laid eyes on him before. He walked toward them at an unhurried pace, full of ease. But he didn’t look strong. He looked like a typical scholar. The two of them exchanged glances, thinking he matched their guess. But then—something astounding unfolded before their eyes. As he passed, every child of Baekyeong dropped to their knees, heads bowed in perfect unison. Like vassals welcoming their sovereign. Even the heir of the mighty Shin Clan knelt before him, head lowered. Slowly. Very slowly, he walked forward—and yet, authority radiated from him. He didn’t look powerful? They had been wrong. That ease came from true strength. And the reason they couldn’t sense his energy? Because he was far stronger than they were. Giho felt a chill run down his spine. That’s him! He’s the true number one of Baekyeong! There had been someone else all along. It wasn’t Sunwoo Baek. But... who was he? Yeon Woo Jin gave Giho a quiet smile. “Looks like you sensed me properly.” “Wh–who are you, sir?” With a bright smile, the young man answered. “Yeon Woo Jin.” Yeon Woo Jin? That name didn’t ring any bells. Giho and Bucheon-gi racked their brains, searching their memories. And then, like a lightning strike, realization hit them. “Y–Yeon...? Did you say Yeon?” Yeon Woo Jin nodded. “D–Don’t tell me... What’s your relation to the Martial God Cheon?” “He’s my grandfather.” “Wha—!” “Gah—!” The two of them gasped in shock. The Martial God had a grandson? But why had he been hidden so thoroughly all this time? Was it to protect him? Suddenly, a massive force exploded from Yeon Woo Jin’s body. As it swept over them, the color drained from Giho and Bucheon-gi’s faces. This wasn’t energy they could withstand. He hadn’t been hiding. He was simply too strong to need to show himself. To Giho and Bucheon-gi, Yeon Woo Jin’s strength felt like the sky itself pressing down on them. Like they were standing before the Martial God himself. “And... I’m the next master of Mushincheon.” Chills. He had just declared, without hesitation, that he would become the next ruler of Mushincheon. And somehow, it felt inevitable. None of the other candidates for successor could compare. Why hadn’t he been named as heir from the start? It didn’t make sense. “I’ve been waiting for you to realize I exist.” “Why?” “Because I want you.” “Us...?” “Yes.” “We’re the ones our families discarded.” “They’ll regret that. You’ll see. If you follow me, those who cast you out will one day look up to you in awe—as paragons of greatness.” Yeon Woo Jin extended a hand toward them. “I want you.” There was no pretense in his voice—just a sincere, unwavering gaze. Their hearts began to race violently. They had spent their lives trying to earn their families’ approval. But no one had ever truly seen them. Now, standing before them, was someone who did. Someone who wanted them. In that moment, they knew. The man before them was their true master. This was why they had come here. It was destiny.