Yeop-hyeon was overwhelmed by the woman's beauty. The image of the beautiful woman's naked body he had just seen kept flashing through his mind. Just imagining it made it impossible for him to look at her directly.
Although he had never held a woman before, Yeop-hyeon was, like any healthy young man, fully developed.
The woman slowly approached and stood in front of him. Her piercing gaze set his entire body ablaze. His mind was filled only with the image of her naked body.
Ganguk was not a particularly open-minded country. Its women valued chastity above all. This situation was completely unfamiliar and deeply embarrassing to Yeop-hyeon.
Of course, it wasn't his fault. He hadn't intended to see anything. Who would have expected someone to be in this house? And to be naked and bathing in broad daylight!
It had been truly beautiful, and he couldn't shake the thought of wanting to see her just one more time.
Imaginings spread wildly through Yeop-hyeon's mind.
The woman's voice snapped him out of his daze.
"Who are you?"
Her voice was icy, and her eyes carried a deadly intensity.
Yeop-hyeon quickly regained his composure and answered, "I'm Yeop-hyeon, a new student."
As he spoke, he stepped a few paces back from her. He didn't want her to notice the lewd thoughts running through his head.
The woman furrowed her brows.
"Am I really that bad?"
Yeop-hyeon silently took two more steps back.
The woman, staring intently at him, shook her head and said, "So you like men… How exactly do men do it with each other?"
"..."
Yeop-hyeon didn't answer, and she stopped pressing him further. She cast him a momentary look of pity before turning and entering the room.
Yeop-hyeon let out a sigh of relief. He had narrowly avoided disaster.
Hurrying out of the house, he climbed the mountain and returned carrying several wild animals in his hands.
Yeop-hyeon often went into the mountains to hunt for Yeop-ryeong's nourishment. Hunting was one of his specialties.
When Yeop-hyeon returned to Changran Hall, it looked much cleaner than before.
Yeop-ryeong had just finished cleaning and ran toward him with a smile.
"Oppa!"
Yeop-hyeon patted her head and asked, "Tired?"
"No!"
"Ha ha, then could you wipe down that table over there? I'll go cook something."
At his words, Yeop-ryeong's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Cooking!
What she loved most was the food Yeop-hyeon made. To her, his cooking far surpassed that of the Yeop family's chefs.
Half an hour later, the Yeop siblings were seated across from each other at an old table inside Changran Hall. On the table were two or three dishes giving off delicious aromas.
Just as they smiled at each other and reached for their chopsticks, the old man who had brought them here approached. He smelled strongly of alcohol, and his clothes were so filthy it was impossible to tell when they had last been washed.
No one offered him a seat, but he sat down without hesitation.
At that moment, another person appeared.
It was the woman Yeop-hyeon had encountered earlier.
Without a word, she sat beside the old man and looked at the food.
"Did you make this?"
"..."
Yeop-ryeong began glancing between the woman and Yeop-hyeon.
The woman, no longer asking questions, began placing food on her plate and tasting it.
"Hm, not bad."
The old man picked up a mushroom, tasted it, and nodded at Yeop-hyeon.
"Good! From now on, the kitchen of Changran Academy is yours!"
Yeop-hyeon felt a flash of irritation at the old man's audacity. He almost punched him but restrained himself.
At that moment, Yeop-ryeong tilted her head.
"But, isn't our oppa a student?"
"Cooking is an extension of training."
"..."
Yeop-hyeon couldn't hold back. "Sir…"
"The director! Call me Director Gi!"
Yeop-hyeon nodded.
"Director Gi! This academy is so large; shouldn't you have some staff?"
"Do you have money?"
"Uh!"
Yeop-hyeon was dumbfounded.
"Isn't that the director's job?"
"I have no money. Not even enough to buy alcohol!"
"..."
Meanwhile, the woman ate silently, moving her chopsticks at a speed so astonishing that Yeop-hyeon and Yeop-ryeong could barely keep up.
She ate as if she hadn't eaten for ten days, and the plates emptied in no time.
Looking at Yeop-hyeon who stared blankly at her, she licked her chopsticks and asked, "Is there no more?"
"..."
Yeop-ryeong put down her chopsticks and said, "There are still ingredients left, so I'll go wash them!"
After Yeop-ryeong left the hall, Yeop-hyeon asked, "Is this place safe?"
Director Gi nodded. "It's safe."
After a pause, Yeop-hyeon asked, "An academy should have a place for study…"
"There isn't! Figure it out yourself!"
"..."
"The Martial Hall!"
At that moment, the woman sucking on her chopsticks called out.
Director Gi turned to Yeop-hyeon. "There's a Martial Hall on the back mountain. If you look carefully, you'll find the martial insights left by previous students. With some luck, you might even acquire one or two techniques."
"Sigh… I'll just go cook then!"
Yeop-hyeon left in a hurry, leaving only the woman and the old man in the hall.
The woman set down her chopsticks and asked, "Where did you find him?"
Director Gi took a swig of Hongju and replied, "Picked him up from Changmok Academy."
"Why bring him here?"
"He has potential."
"I can manage on my own."
For a moment, the old man's hand trembled slightly as he put down the bottle and said gently, "Anji! You're carrying too much alone."
"That's my destiny!"
Anji looked out beyond the hall and said, "Our family's bodies have rotted away, but our souls remain. If I don't bring them, they will never find peace. My eldest brother, second brother, and father…"
The old man slowly closed his eyes. "You are the sole bloodline of the Gi family."
"So I cannot rely on others."
Shaking his head, the old man said, "The only one in Ganguk who can surpass Changmok Academy is An Ransu…"
At that moment, Anji stood abruptly.
"Before a fight, you never know who will win!"
As she walked out of the hall, she suddenly stopped at the entrance, smiling. "Even in the worst case, the only result would be one more corpse in Changsang, wouldn't it?"
She left, leaving only the sound of the old man sipping alcohol.
That night, after confirming Yeop-ryeong was asleep, Yeop-hyeon entered the Gyeokok Tower.
Sitting cross-legged, he asked Cheonnyeo, "Cheonnyeo-nim, can I now be considered a Great Swordmaster?"
[Yes, you may be considered one.]
"Why?"
Yeop-hyeon didn't fully understand. If he were a Great Swordmaster, why could he not wield sword energy?
[What you lack is only the realm. Once you reach the 'Eogi Realm,' based on your foundation and understanding of swords, you will be able to control sword energy smoothly.]
"But I have awakened my battle intent…"
Cheonnyeo interrupted him.
[Do you understand martial arts?]
Yeop-hyeon shook his head.
[Even though you awakened your battle intent ahead of others, without comprehension of martial arts, you cannot become a true martial master. Furthermore, to become a genuine master, you need the ability to transform battle intent into form, which you do not yet possess. For now, you must build a foundation in martial arts. You must also continue with swordsmanship. And it's time to start looking for the Spirit Sword.]
The Spirit Sword!
Yeop-hyeon gave a bitter smile. Where was he supposed to find it?
If he had money, he could simply buy one, but he had none.
He was in a truly difficult situation.
Regardless, Yeop-hyeon began training. Alongside the sword, he practiced fists and kicks. After awakening his battle intent, the power of his sole technique, Fist Collapse, underwent a fundamental transformation.
If the power of Fist Collapse after awakening battle intent was this strong, how formidable would his Single Sword Life-and-Death technique become after awakening sword intent?
The next morning, Yeop-hyeon immediately descended the mountain.
Director Gi had told him a woman with the surname An was looking for him at the foot of the mountain.
Moving at a wind-splitting speed, he stopped at the monument of Changran Academy. There, a beautiful woman dressed in pristine white waited for him.
It was An Ransu.
"An Sojeo!"
Yeop-hyeon called her name with a smile, and An Ransu returned the smile. Suddenly, a very rowdy-looking man swaggered toward them, carrying a black iron club on his shoulder. Seeing An Ransu, he became dizzy with awe and shouted, "Ah… beautiful!"
Yeop-hyeon stepped in front of An Ransu and said to the man, "If you want beauty, look at me instead!"
"..."
An Ransu silently stared at Yeop-hyeon. The man glanced at him and said, "Kid, you need a beating!"
He swung his iron club at Yeop-hyeon.
Yeop-hyeon focused his battle intent into a punch.
Bang!
With the sound of energy exploding, the man staggered backward ten or so paces. His iron club trembled from the impact. Yeop-hyeon also stepped back a few paces, gripping his trembling fist.
The man looked at his club and then turned his gaze toward Yeop-hyeon.
"Not bad!"
He swung the club again with ferocity.
Whoosh!
The iron club cut sharply through the air. Yeop-hyeon, expressionless, threw another punch.
The simplest technique—Fist Collapse!
Bang!
The club flew through the air. At that moment, a figure appeared in front of Yeop-hyeon, and he felt a chilling aura on his neck.
'This is dangerous!'
It was too late to dodge. Yeop-hyeon lightly traced a circle with his right hand.
Whooosh!
The hall reverberated with the deep sound of a sword.
Bang!
The figure was sent flying ten or so paces backward. It was the rogue.
The man, finally stopping, looked at Yeop-hyeon with astonishment. "Swordmaster… so you are a swordmaster!"
"Do you want to continue?"
"Of course! I, Mok Un-gi, have never feared anyone in my life… Huh?"
Before he could finish, Yeop-hyeon appeared in front of him. A cold streak of light passed.
Mok Un-gi's expression changed drastically.
"You brat, I'm talking to you…"
Mok Un-gi's iron club flew in a deadly arc.
Clang!
The metallic screech echoed sharply as Mok Un-gi was sent flying ten or so paces in an instant.
Yeop-hyeon didn't continue attacking and returned to An Ransu's side.
"You saw something you shouldn't have," he said.
An Ransu smiled quietly.
Yeop-hyeon made a slightly embarrassed expression and shouted at Mok Un-gi, "Do you still want to continue?"
"Of course!"
An Ransu watched Yeop-hyeon and Mok Un-gi fiercely fighting with an unreadable expression.