Chapter 6: Unworthy Shall Not Be Taught

“Brother, are you alive?”

“Thanks to you, yes. Have you been well?”

Though the face was familiar, Majin felt a chilling sensation all over his body.

The tone was too calm, as if they had only parted yesterday.

‘He wasn’t this kind of man before… was he?’

A clumsy dreamer who longed for ideals.

A fool expelled from his clan.

A pushover, soft-hearted and gullible.

That was the Cheon Sojin he remembered.

Although he’d heard rumors that he’d grown stronger,

He never imagined a man could change so much in just a few weeks.

“What are you doing? Kneel.”

The commanding voice radiated intimidation, sending shivers down his spine.

Instinct—gut feelings were more crucial than anything else,

Especially for someone like him who had evaded danger countless times using that very instinct.

‘Don’t spout nonsense. That’s an absurd claim, isn’t it?’

The man must be bluffing.

But I brought every resource and person I could muster.

This time, he decided to rely on reason rather than instinct.

When Majin raised his hand, dozens of armed men surged forward.

They were all either hulking brutes or skilled martial artists.

Taking a swig of liquor, he spoke:

“A favor repaid, a grudge avenged tenfold—that’s the way of life. What do you think of that?”

“I don’t care about any of that. I believe we should eliminate all nuisances. Got it?”

Majin strutted around as if he were some big shot.

‘Look at this guy.’

In such a state, words wouldn’t get through.

It was time for some mental reformation.

If your subordinates aren’t listening, maybe it’s because you haven’t disciplined them enough.

Though he always intended to wield the stick of love,

Majin particularly excelled at earning those blows.

If that’s a talent, then so be it.

“You’re not asking about my betrayal, are you?”

“I didn’t come to discuss trivial matters.”

“Trivial matters… Fine. With the life I barely salvaged, I could have hidden away and lived longer. Why did you crawl out now? Like an idiot?”

“Where are the others? Why are you the only one here?”

“Heh heh heh… The others? I chased them all away. The village is too small for me to share with anyone else.”

That was the last thing he wanted to hear.

Now he’d have to track down each one of them.

There were plenty of people waiting for him, not just these guys.

Still, if Majin was willing to take hits for the rest, he couldn’t stop him.

“Have you satisfied your curiosity? Brother, it’s time for you to leave. The journey to the afterlife is quite long.”

“Come at me. We’re out of time.”

Why does wuxia always emphasize righteousness (义) and chivalry (俠)?

Because of people like Majin, who stab you in the back every chance they get.

They do it for a martial manual, a grudge, or some petty gain.

They stab you because you’re the best in the world.

They stab you because you’ve learned some demonic martial arts.

They stab you because they want to make a bit of money.

There are so many of these kinds of people.

And the more villains and betrayers there are, the more righteousness (义) and chivalry (俠) shine brightly.

This is the essence of a martial artist in the world of wuxia.

The ancient sages said, “Bi-in-bu-jeon” (非人不傳):

It means you shouldn’t teach or help people with trashy character.

Because they might stab you in the back like this.

‘Cheon Sojin, you were truly a failure, weren’t you?’

No talent, no eye for judging people—remarkable indeed.

“I don’t know what confidence you have… but don’t worry. I’ll ensure you’re buried with plenty of funeral coins, Brother.”

“…

What are you all doing? He says he wants to head to the afterlife, so take care of it quickly.”

“Yes, sir!!”

Before the words even finished, the lackeys charged forward.

“Hiyaaa!!”

“Die!!”

“You arrogant bastard!!”

Dozens of them attacked simultaneously, wielding spears, swords, and sabers from every direction.

They were no better than beasts.

The moment he stood up, he moved swiftly, leaving behind only the faint afterimages of a butterfly.

There was no need for grand finishing moves or special techniques.

Basic punches and footwork were more than enough to knock them all down with ease.

Thwack!

Bam!

“Ugh!”

“Argh! Just now!!”

“D-don’t get scared!!”

“What on earth is happening!!”

They relied on their numbers, but it was meaningless if they couldn’t land a hit.

This was one-sided domination.

Crash!

A massive brute was slammed into a wall.

Another was smashed into the ceiling.

Yet another had his head driven into the floor.

“Aaaargh!!”

“He’s a martial arts master! A master of the martial world!!”

“You idiots!! What are you doing? Keep your distance!!”

“Aaaargh!!”

“Run for your lives!!”

In an instant, a dozen or so of them were bloodied and collapsed,

And the remaining ones began to falter.

‘It’s still too much for them.’

He tried to step forward with his footwork, but his internal energy was severely lacking.

Nevertheless, the remaining lackeys were finally ready to listen.

He slowly sat back down and spoke to Ruju, who was trembling in the corner.

“Lady, bring some more wine.”

“Y-Yes!! I’ll go right away!”

As Ruju scurried off inside, I smiled while looking at Majin, who wore a sour expression like he’d just swallowed something bitter.

“Smile, you bastard. Why the long face? Who’s got you so worked up?”

Majin’s gang was visibly tense, but I burst out laughing.

“W-Why?”

Majin was utterly bewildered.

“You shouldn’t be this strong…”

Not just a little, but incomprehensibly strong.

“Majin, did you sell your brain along with Baekhwaru when you sold it? Use your head for once.”

“If I couldn’t handle this much, do you think I’d even be here?”

“That… that’s…”

“Let me ask again. A favor should be repaid, and a grudge avenged tenfold. What do you think of that?”

After hesitating for a long moment, Majin finally opened his mouth.

“…Even if there’s a grudge, I think showing some mercy is good.”

Not a wrong answer.

My master always emphasized mercy.

But Majin, don’t you have a conscience?

You must’ve sold it along with Baekhwaru. No doubt about it.

In the meantime, Ruju returned with a few bottles of wine and placed them on the table.

I took a swig straight from the bottle.

“Mercy… It’s good! I’ll spare a few.”

His unexpected words left everyone speechless.

“Chiri!”

I called out to the incompetent woman who was likely watching the situation from outside Baekhwaru.

As expected, before I even finished speaking, Chiri hurriedly ran over.

And then, with a seamless motion, she dropped into a dogeza.

“Y-Yes… did you call for me, Sojin?”

“Chiri, this is your last chance to live.”

Gulp.

Seeing Chiri trembling with tension made me chuckle.

“Who are you going to side with?”

After hesitating for a moment and glancing back and forth between me and Majin,

Chiri clenched her fists and quickly scurried over to hide behind me.

“That b-bitch!”

“Such a disloyal woman…”

“Typical street rat behavior.”

“We haven’t lost yet. Do you not see the numbers we ha—kugh!!!”

Before the last man could finish his sentence, something pierced his neck.

Words are the root of all evil.

“Why are these chopsticks so sharp? Ruju!! Is this how you run your business?”

“Eek! I’m so sorry!!”

As I raised the bottle to drink the Ye-ah Hong wine, Chiri quickly stepped in and filled my glass.

I gestured to Majin to sit down and spoke.

“Majin, have a drink.”

“Y-Yes, Brother.”

The arrogant Majin who acted like a big shot was gone, replaced by a compliant and docile man.

The scent of the liquor spread as it went down my throat.

“Let’s keep this simple. Where’s Menma?”

“Men… Menma, sir?”

While I took another sip, Majin was desperately trying to think.

‘Majin, you’re not about to screw this up, are you?’

There are some people in the world who repeat the same mistakes over and over. Surely, Majin wasn’t one of those fools.

I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

Gulp, gulp.

It took three emptied glasses before he finally spoke.

“I think I can offer you a bit of help, Brother. Fortunately, I believe I can find that woman.”

I let out a quiet sigh.

“Really? Then go find Menma right now.”

“E-End of discussion?”

Majin seemed bewildered by how easily I granted permission.

What, did he expect me to put a leash on him?

“How long will it take?”

“A-A day should be enough.”

“Got it. I won’t repeat myself. Get out of here with your men. You’re ruining the taste of my drink.”

“Yes, yes… understood, Brother.”

With that, Majin gathered his subordinates and left Baekhwaru.

As Chiri poured another drink for me, she asked hesitantly,

“Will… will you let me live?”

“Depends on how useful you are.”

Without another word, I raised my glass.

“I’ll do… I’ll do anything! Please just spare me! But, Sojin, do you trust those guys?”

“No.”

Am I insane? Trust Majin of all people?

“Then why did you let them go? What if they just run away?”

I had poured everything into this village. There was no way Majin could escape.

‘If he does run, well, I might just have to commend him for it.’

Hunting each one of them down would just be a hassle.

If they trickle in one by one, it’d be annoying. Even if I spared them, they’d eventually stab me in the back.

It’s best to weed out the poison before it spreads.

Soon enough, they’d gather all the toxic weeds in the village for me.

I set my glass down with a loud clink.

“You don’t need to know.”

“Haa….”

Retreating to an inner room of Baekhwaru, I spent the entire day practicing the Ilwol Eumyang Divine Art.

Even though it was just a single day, I suppressed my emotions and devoted myself solely to training.

While my internal energy grew rapidly because I understood the method, the purity of the Ilwol Qi was what mattered most, and I often had to disperse it to maintain its quality.

The Ilwol Eumyang Divine Art was originally a skill passed down to a single successor, and its advancement was notoriously slow.

It would’ve been helpful to have a guide for this martial art, but in this part of the world, such a luxury was non-existent.

If I had only a speck of Ilwol Qi yesterday, now it had condensed in my dantian to the size of a pinky finger.

Knock, knock—

“Sojin, may I come in?”

A woman with shoulder-length chestnut hair approached, carrying a basin of warm water and a cloth.

“Sumi.”

The bed was stained with messy waste and blood that had spilled everywhere.

It was the result of clearing the blocked energy pathways in my body, expelling all the accumulated impurities.

Normally, this would be an impossible feat, but for someone like me, it was achievable.

“Thank you.”

“N-No need to thank me… I’m doing this because I want to.”

Even though the stench from the impurities must have been unbearable, Sumi silently and diligently wiped my body with the cloth.

I always repay kindness and grudges alike—double, in fact.

I would ensure she received a proper reward.

Meanwhile, my dantian was gradually filling with pure Ilwol Qi.

In a few days, I would be able to reach the Ilhwa (Flower) stage.

I was growing stronger faster than I had anticipated.

Just in time, someone had arrived to test this new strength.

“You’ve come?”

“Excuse me?”