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“Spooky, huh?”

With a shadow like a distant mirage, the War Sword Ghost Wei Zhong’s wooden sword moved like a whisper. My eyes struggled to keep up with the motion; that shadow floating around his sword was none other than a Qi-generated illusion. I’d never faced someone wielding martial arts like that before, so I blinked a bit.

“What the…? Oh.”

It suddenly hit me—I was way closer to Wei Zhong than I realized. Just a moment ago, we were a whole lot farther apart, and now he was right in my face, like someone kicked the distance out of a cartoon. Must be a trick using his big toe to mess with my spatial awareness.

Realizing I could get pulled into his footwork antics, I swung my dagger.

Crack!

My dagger crashed against Wei Zhong’s wooden blade in midair, sending out a blast of invisible energy waves. Normally, a first-class expert like him would wipe the floor with a kid’s dagger.

But he stumbled—

And thanks to some rebounding force, he almost dropped his sword! It didn’t break, thank goodness, but it bent slightly inward, and blood dribbled from his mouth.

“Ack…!!”

Wei Zhong barely managed to keep his grip, but his arm shot up in the air at a wonky angle, his stance completely off. Backing away awkwardly, he finally found his center and started to catch his breath.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh…! What… what kind of internal power …?!”

“You just went all out, didn’t you?”

He didn’t respond, drenched in sweat and frozen like a deer in headlights. You would expect a regular bandit to charge in with fire, but this was a skilled martial artist who sensed the enormous potential packed in my little dagger.

“Who are you?”

“Just a passing kid.”

I shot him a steady glare. “Why are you looking for Namgung Hwan and Mo Yong-yeon?”

“Gah, so you really came from the Open Sect.”

“I told you, I’m not part of the Open Sect.”

With him thinking I was some Open Sect whiz, I finally lost my cool. “I won’t give up on Mo Yong-yeon!”

He seemed done talking, glancing around before clutching his torn palm and bolting off.

Snap!

The moment he jumped over the wall, I leaped up behind him with my dagger raised. But like a fish out of water, he maneuvered through the air to dodge my strike. I guess my skills were more about strong internal power than actual speed.

Watching how easily he danced out of the way confirmed my thoughts—Wei Zhong was indeed a top-tier expert. Once he landed on another roof, he quickly made his getaway.

“Hey!”

I thought I could definitely catch him with my light body technique, but somehow, pushing any further felt like a bad idea.

Am I going to torture Wei Zhong or something? He’s not just some punk; he’s a legit Jianghu person, which means messing with him could have repercussions I’d rather avoid. Just the thought of intimidating a first-class expert didn’t sit right with me.

‘Well, here’s my stop, I guess…’

Staying put, I reflected on that brief spat with Wei Zhong. It might’ve looked like I was dominating, but he didn’t even realize my abilities were far beyond a typical match.

In reality, Wei Zhong’s moves had an extraordinary flow that blended techniques seamlessly, a level of weapon skills I couldn’t catch up with. I still had a long way to go concerning martial arts depth. If I knew how to wield my internal power more efficiently, I could have snatched him right up there. At that moment, I realized it was time to make a decision.

The vibes of skilled fighters were stirring—four of them!

‘Speed… they’re all moving at a walking pace, huh?’

It was no coincidence they moved in tandem, as if choreographed. They must have sensed the subtle ripple from the clash between me and Wei Zhong. To most folks, it’d be nearly imperceptible, but for first-class experts, it’s like a single drop of cold water on the top of their heads—it’s crystal clear.

But they weren’t heading directly towards me; they were simply strolling along. Sure, they knew fighters clashed nearby, just not the specifics, likely moving cautiously for any hidden threats.

As I read their vibes, I chewed on what to do.

‘These guys are super alert like wild animals. If I poke one of them, the rest will charge at me like mad boars. Definitely not in the mood for that…’

From the start, I didn’t plan on fighting Wei Zhong. He just flipped the switch unexpectedly; fundamentally, my intentions were mere fleeting curiosity. Deciding not to provoke the first-class experts any further, I slipped back into the alley.

Mo Yong-yeon was probably Namgung Hwan’s fiancée.

What did it mean that he wouldn’t give up on her? Was Wei Zhong in love with her? Trying to wrest her from Namgung Hwan?

‘That’s just wrong.’

But deeper down, I sensed something amiss. If he were moving out of love, his eyes and actions would nail the longing vibe. But since I saw him in the alley earlier, his cool, collected demeanor belied cold calculus. Plus, his declaration of not giving up on Mo Yong-yeon had a tone that reeked of greed.

Exiting the alley, I stowed my aura and trudged down the street. Normally, with Thunder Dragon One Qi Technique making it tough to hide my impressive internal power, the Hyun Cheon Divine Art made it significantly easier to tone things down. Not only did the five elements blend harmoniously, but controlling my power intensity had become a piece of cake, proving it was a remarkably wise choice to learn.

Whoosh.

“…”

I took a quick glance back at a man in purple clothing who just strolled past. He was strikingly handsome with an odd, feminine allure, laced with a scent of something dark and perfumed—definitely a unique guy. Most importantly, he was one of those four first-class experts I’d sensed earlier.

‘Total gigolo vibes. Is he also after Mo Yong-yeon?’

Choosing not to stare anymore, I mingled into the crowd. No matter what happens, my little goblin curiosity had fizzled out. I’d dipped my toes in, and now it was time to pull back.

This episode can wait for later.

From now on, I’d focus solely on entering the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

‘But seriously, what’s this Open Sect business all about?’

Not a fan of this vibe.

Before heading back to my place, I stopped by a fabric shop to snag some simple clothes for kids. I returned a bit early to unwind. Forcing some warm water over my body felt heavenly as I lay back, the comfort pressed against me. I didn’t feel particularly tired, thanks to my powerful internal energy, but the mental peace was bliss.

The next day, I woke up well-rested and took off for Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

“Let’s do this.”

I wonder how Azure Dragon Martial Arts School would take me in.

As always, two gatekeepers were stationed at the entrance. Though they were called gatekeepers, they were actually the second-line disciples of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School—Bangil and Banggok. They were known as the Bang brothers. Bangil, the chubby one, was the dude I arm wrestled with when I first joined Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

Honestly, I didn’t have the warmest feelings for Bangil. But after a few years had passed, seeing him again brought more of a strange warmth than negativity, since compared to the hardships I faced during my rebirth, his jealousy seemed almost adorable.

I approached Bangil, who was on guard duty at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.

“I’m here for the admission test.”

“Admission test? Haha, what a joker.”

“Whoa…”

I stood there, flabbergasted.

Shockingly, he repeated the exact same line I said when I first walked through Azure Dragon Martial Arts School’s doors! It was unreal, and somehow meaningful too. After a bit, I managed to collect myself and responded.

“Yes.”

“Then… how about I test the little kid’s skills?”

“Take it easy.”

At this point, I wasn’t surprised at all. As soon as Bangil started going through his self-introduction routine, I thought to myself.

‘Let’s try matching every one of my previous responses and actions to see if he reacts the same way.’

A quick self-promotion from Bangil led us back into an arm wrestling match.

…

Predictably, I won.

Even if I used just my pinky finger, I felt like victory was a given, so I made sure to control my power.

“Huff!”

“Now that that’s over, go talk to the Sect Leader.”

Bangil disappeared into the building before coming back. “You need to follow me.”

“Are we off to see the Sect Leader?”

Things took a slightly different turn here.

“Yeah.”

In that moment, I felt the laws of my past life kick in.

‘Change happened. Bangil is taking me straight to the Sect Leader instead of giving me a bath first.’

Before, when I first came to Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, I was led by Bangil—who was practically in stitches with laughter—to the inn for a warm bath. But this time around, I wasn’t rolling in the dirt, so he didn’t feel the need to drag me there.

‘If nothing too strange occurs, words and actions can often repeat in a similar way. But strong causes might just change the future.’

This felt like important information.

A vital clue that could one day sway my life hung in the air.

Curiously, I asked, “We’re heading straight to see the Sect Leader then?”

“Why do you keep asking?”

“I thought I would meet the Master first…”

“Hmph, I see you’ve heard of our Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”

As Bangil led me along, he continued, “Normally, you’d meet Grandmaster Jin So-cheong first, but today she’s out visiting a friend. The other Masters are too caught up in training the trainees, so it’s up to me to take you to the Sect Leader.”

“A friend?”

“What does it matter to you? Stop being nosy and just follow me.”

Bangil’s tone was gruff, but it held no malice or wickedness—this was just his usual self. I knew him all too well, having spent three years bickering together. He wasn’t bad enough to like, but not quite terrible enough to be hated either—he was Bangil.

Crunch.

“Sect Leader, this is Bangil from the second line, and he’s brought the admission test candidate.”

A bit later, Bangil and I arrived in front of the Waryong Hall, where the Sect Leader and his family resided. This space was usually a very private retreat for the Sect Leader, where mere disciples couldn’t step foot; unless you were someone like Jin So-cheong, the direct disciple of the Sect Leader.

However, this time, it seemed special enough for Bangil to bring me right up to the entrance.

‘In three years at Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, I’ve never even been inside the Waryong Hall.’

No kidding, I’d spoken to the Sect Leader like five times at most. He was a middle-aged man with piercing, clear eyes—more like a scholar than a martial artist. From what I could tell, he didn’t take much notice of me and entrusted all schooling to Jin So-cheong.

Because of that, even after three years spent close by, I had little knowledge of the Sect Leader, Samjeol Lee Kwang. I’d only seen him once in a pathetic state, so I had no idea how skilled he really was. I only guessed based on scattered remarks from Jin So-cheong.

“Come in.”

Bangil and I opened the door to Waryong Hall. Inside, a pleasantly spacious area welcomed us, with the Sect Leader seated in contemplation. Nearby was a study, and it appeared he’d been reading a book.

The Sect Leader’s features looked just as they had before. After studying me for a moment with his clear gaze, he finally spoke.

“Bangil, what did you say this kid’s name was?”

“Uh… um…”

As Bangil stammered and glanced my way, I declared my name.

“I’m Baek Woong.”

“I see… Bangil, you can leave now.”

“Sure.”

Bangil opened the door and left as the Sect Leader watched me intently for a good while without saying a word.

Finally, he blurted out.

“Baek Woong. You’ve come from the White Lotus Sect, haven’t you?”

 

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