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“So, I decided to crash at Master Mangnyang’s place for three years, and thankfully, there was a separate room about twenty paces away from his thatched house.”

“He must have made a decent amount of money from fortune-telling to build a separate house for his lover. Apparently, he has one girlfriend in Jinrang Valley and a few more scattered around other regions.”

‘This guy sure loves his women.’

I couldn’t help but wonder if he left the Imperial Palace just to have his fun with ladies without a care.

Of course, I kept my mouth shut so as not to ruffle the feathers of my helper.

I promised to pitch in with his work now and then to cover my stay.

“Let’s skip the formalities; you can just call me Mangnyang from now on.”

“Sure thing.”

“Can I call you Baek Woong?”

“Absolutely.”

With our names sorted, studying (kung fu) began the next day.

I had no clue what to study at first, but suddenly, Mangnyang shoved a ridiculously thick book in my direction. It was titled “Ten Thousand Character Text.”

Stunned by the book’s size, I looked at Mangnyang, and he said, “Baek Woong, the foundation of all studies lies in Chinese characters. You are to memorize this Ten Thousand Character Text today!”

Ten Thousand Character Text.

I’d seen it before. Unlike the Thousand Character Text that little kids learn to start studying, this was a serious tome for scholars who meant business and aimed for the detailed vocabulary.

I once bought a copy back home, but it just collected dust after a couple of pages.

“Mangnyang, why are we skipping the Thousand Character Text?”

“If you nail the Ten Thousand Character Text, the Thousand Character Text will follow naturally. No need to waste time; let’s hit the ground running.”

“Still, a thousand characters seems a bit much…”

As I trailed off with my negative comments, Mangnyang retorted, “It’s not a thousand characters; what are you rambling about?”

“Oh, I see; it seems a little less than that.”

“This actually contains thirty thousand characters.”

…

I nearly cursed aloud. No wonder it was as thick as my combined three arms! For someone like me, who didn’t know a proper five hundred characters, the idea of thirty thousand was sheer terror.

“It can’t be helped. The books on Qimen Dunjia and formations are full of ancient texts or obscure terms. If you’re not as well-read as someone like me, you’ll have to interpret it like a foreign language, so it’s not a choice – it’s a must.”

“Hah… Can’t you just interpret it for me?”

“Of course, I’ll help, but in terms of volume, I can’t do it all myself.”

Mangnyang didn’t seem to be messing with me for fun. I sighed in resignation.

“So, how many should I memorize each day?”

“At least a hundred characters a day. You should study every moment you’re not eating or sleeping!”

“Damn…”

Even with all my willpower, I couldn’t help but curse. I’d barely ever hit the books, let alone had any real reason to do so. The thought of wrestling with characters that made my head spin for what felt like hours was torture.

Mangnyang chimed in, “I know it’s tough for someone who’s never studied to endure this grind, so let’s cheat a bit with the Thunder Spirit Classic.”

“Thunder Spirit Classic? Is it really effective for boosting brain power?”

“It helps activate the energy waves. It’ll be a huge help for recovering focus.”

And that’s how my daily routine was laid out.

With all my waking hours spent cramming the Ten Thousand Character Text, I also carried out internal power training for one session a day. During breaks, I’d read the Thunder Spirit Classic to recover my brain’s fatigue and enhance my concentration.

Great. In theory, it was the perfect study method.

Mangnyang confidently declared that even an idiot like me would surely pass the small exam if I studied this way.

“…”

I was ready to give up.

On the third day of memorizing the Ten Thousand Character Text, I felt the limits of my patience and lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling of the empty annex. The volume of studies and the pace were no joke, but sitting at my desk all day was maddening. At least when I trained in martial arts, the physical exhaustion would let my mind drift. Boosting study endurance was no walk in the park.

‘I see how that rascal Kim Manje feels now.’

It hit me that even if I memorized the Ten Thousand Character Text, passing the exam would still be a tough nut to crack. Scholars’ lives might seem less intense compared to martial artists, but they were, in fact, engaging in a fierce battle with themselves.

But thinking of Kim Manje reignited my determination.

If I just wallowed in self-pity like him, how would I be any different? I wouldn’t survive if I stooped to the level of that scumbag who exploited his parents and indulged in debauchery.

All those years spent just trying to survive, repeating death after death, striving to obtain the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng—it all flashed before me like a vivid dream. All of it was desperate struggle to take charge of my life.

I can’t break now!

I’ll push further!

The scream within me brought me back to studying. Gritting my teeth, I began to read the characters aloud in the quiet annex.

Whether it was a thousand characters or thirty thousand, it didn’t matter.

As long as I kept memorizing, one day, I would remember it all.

With that thought, I began to feel a bit more at ease.

It’s been half a year since I started studying. I truly lived on nothing but eating, sleeping, and cramming. I worked my ass off to memorize a hundred characters a day.

Thanks to my overflowing internal power, I didn’t face any issues with physical strength, but there were times when my focus would slip. During those moments, reciting the Thunder Spirit Classic would lead me back to a calm state of mind and restore my concentration.

Curiouser and curiouser, I asked Mangnyang what exactly was in the Thunder Spirit Classic that provided such recovery effects. His answer was simple.

“It’s a Buddhist scripture but transformed into Taoist style.”

“So it was originally a chant?”

“Most religious chants are like that. What seems meaningless actually influences the mind.”

After this exchange, Mangnyang began reviewing my homework. “From today, you’re at the level of a scholarly education. Let’s get you more familiar with the characters you’ve memorized.”

“How do you plan on doing that?”

“Let’s read the Four Books and Five Classics.”

“What? How could I possibly…?”

The Four Books and Five Classics are something you need a solid education to read. Mangnyang then grinned at me. “Do you know how many Chinese characters there are in total?”

“No idea.”

“Neither do I.”

I shot him a bewildered look; was he joking? But Mangnyang continued, unfazed.

“Chinese characters represent the only open set among world scripts. Anyone can create new characters at any time! Other languages only add new phonemes to existing characters.”

“What?”

“Each character carries intrinsic meaning. When new concepts emerge, new characters need to be created.”

“…”

Honestly, I was lost. I should probably just sit back and listen quietly.

“That’s why nobody knows the exact number of Chinese characters. The Ten Thousand Character Text isn’t even counting the thirty thousand characters.”

I replied bluntly, “Yeah, but what does that have to do with me reading the Four Books and Five Classics?”

“Because the Four Books and Five Classics are considered ‘authentic texts’ that aren’t affected by the generative characters. No matter how times change, you can study these scriptures using only the basic characters. Based on the volume you’ve studied so far, you should have no problem reading them.”

“Hmm…”

“And while you’re at it, reading the Four Books and Five Classics will help you use the characters you’ve memorized even better.”

Could this really be true?

I had no choice but to doubt Mangnyang’s claims. The Four Books and Five Classics were core Confucian texts considered so daunting that only a fraction of scholars got through them. The consensus was that they got increasingly challenging the deeper you delved, and just understanding them could mean passing the smaller exams. Me? A life spent gambling and sword fighting? No way I could read that!

But Mangnyang was right.

Unbelievably, I managed to finish reading one of the Four Books and Five Classics, the Analects, in just three days. Even afterward, I sat there staring blankly, hardly believing it. Having spent my entire life fighting and doing dodgy business, I managed to read the whole thing without Mangnyang’s help.

When I shared this achievement, he flashed a grin. “The others won’t be different. If I help, you could read the entire Four Books and Five Classics in one month.”

Sure enough, with Mangnyang interpreting and guiding me, I finished in just three weeks. I was astonished that I could read these essential scholarly texts so easily. It felt cocky to think this, but it seemed like no book would ever be beyond my grasp.

“How is this even possible? Don’t scholars typically take years to read the Four Books and Five Classics?”

“They just have terrible efficiency,” Mangnyang scoffed.

“They sit around clutching their heads, struggling because the whole foundation of studying lies in Chinese characters. Over the past six months, you’ve at least looked at ten thousand characters. If we account for half, that’s still five thousand characters. While other scholars are flailing about, struggling with Confucian principles, you’ve dealt with the basics and have zero need for additional study. Not to mention they always try to interpret ‘benevolence, justice, propriety, and wisdom’ awkwardly.”

“Interesting…”

It finally clicked that I had picked the right person to mentor me.

His overwhelming self-promotion wasn’t just hot air. He truly was a genius who scored third place out of the brightest minds competing in the imperial examinations.

“And you seem to have a fantastic memory for someone.”

“Huh?”

“In these recent studies, I’ve noticed you memorize four characters perfectly after just seeing ten. You have an uncanny ability; after three to four looks, you can recite them all. It’s not quite genius level, but you definitely have a superior memory compared to the average bear.”

“I thought I wasn’t that good at memorizing…”

When I said this honestly, Mangnyang tilted his head, pondering. “Could the Thunder Spirit Classic’s recitation have resonated with your internal power? That’s the only rationale I can come up with.”

“Hmm.”

That might be the case.

While I recited the Thunder Spirit Classic, my mind went blank, and I felt a rush of energy flowing through my entire body. It felt like my skin was being pulled slightly. While I thought it was just a feeling at the moment, upon reflection, I realized the Thunder Spirit Classic had heightened my internal power. This hinted I was becoming smarter, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.

Once I finished the Four Books and Five Classics, I could finally allocate most of my time to memorizing the rest of the Ten Thousand Character Text. A year after starting my studies, I managed to finish about 80% of it, taking another six months to complete.

At that point, I was finally ready to dive into the “Book of the Tai Chi” and “True Book of Divination.” As I opened the first pages of those books, I let out a low whistle.

“Ugh… this looks tough.”

When black was just text and white was paper, I hadn’t understood a thing. But now, after mastering the Ten Thousand Character Text and the Four Books and Five Classics, these divination books were incomparably complex. The interpretations were difficult, and there were many rare characters not used in modern language. It was hard to believe they were written as study materials!

I glared at Mangnyang. “Were you serious throwing me into this difficulty solo?”

Mangnyang quickly looked away, brushing it off. He murmured, “I genuinely thought you were a genius and the ultimate secret weapon of the Orthodox Sect…”

“Nice try.”

“Regardless, if you start now, you could finish most of it in a year!”

Mangnyang wasn’t wrong. Ultimately, I could read the “Book of the Tai Chi” and the “True Book of Divination” thoroughly and enter the realm of foundational formation techniques and Qimen Dunjia.

Yet, the journey was nothing short of harrowing. Eventually, the grinding study left no time for internal training, and I was endlessly revisiting and honing my skills. Math and calculations, in particular, were maddening, forcing me to crawl under Mangnyang’s unyielding pressure.

Before I knew it, I was so engrossed in my studies that I forgot why I was even studying. I spent all my days in the annex, mindlessly repeating phrases and memorizing characters. One day, I suddenly had an awakening.

“Whoa… what the heck am I doing?”

It had been nearly three years since I started studying under Mangnyang. It felt like I’d just ended up learning forever and never got to live my life. As soon as I thought I’d gathered enough knowledge, I approached Mangnyang and said, “I think it’s time to get the Nameless Ritual Book.”

Mangnyang replied, “Sounds good. I’ll pass on the Imperial Palace strategies to you.”

Three days later, I left Jinrang Valley.

Time felt like it flew by, leaving me with an odd sense of emptiness. I noticed that my martial arts hadn’t improved practically at all, and despite all my hard work, I had suffered too much without any substantial reward.

I shook my head.

“I’ve only just cleared one hurdle.”

Deep contemplation wouldn’t get me anywhere.

In my hand was the Imperial Palace map and the Qimen Dunjia tactics written personally by Mangnyang, packed tightly in my bag. After drilling the strategies into my head for three straight days, I felt absolutely confident of my success.

My goal: to retrieve the Nameless Ritual Book from the Inner Imperial Pavilion!

 

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