Not long ago, I had taken the young Tang San to Jangryeong Valley at her mother’s request when she was just a child. Honestly, I didn’t expect much since she was so young. I had only infused her with a memory of martial arts using the Obsidian and left her alone. Jin So-cheong nodded.

“He has an incredible passion for martial arts and extraordinary talent. Even as a child, he’s already grasped all the basic martial arts of the Four Talents Sect and learned high-tier skills just by watching. Given his potential, he’s a bona fide genius.”

“Hmm.”

“I never thought I’d be this surprised by someone else’s talent.”

And why not? With such an astounding innate capability, there’s no way he wouldn’t have reached the absolute realm and become the strongest warrior of the Four Talents Sect as well as a Poison King. As I listened to Jin So-cheong, a thought crossed my mind and I asked, “Wait, you didn’t teach Tang San the Thunder God Lineage, did you?”

“Yes, I did. He can become strong at a rapid pace.”

“Ugh, that’s…”

I felt a bit uneasy. Even though the recognition of the Thunder God Lineage is quite obscure, teaching its martial arts to someone else felt wrong. Just then, Tang San’s voice echoed from a corner of the training ground.

“Hey, Baek Woong! What are you worried about? You’re really such a cheapskate.”

“Tang San!”

Tang San gruffed, “What’s the big deal if you teach me the Thunder God Lineage? You’ll die soon anyway. It won’t harm you if I practice some martial arts, so why are you being petty?”

“…”

He had a point. I scratched my head and said, “So, how’s your martial arts training going?”

“Hah! Anyway, my goal is to kill the leader of the Four Talents Sect, so I’m still far from that. However, now I can handle one or two experts from the main family. If I catch them off guard, I can aim for even more.”

“Impressive…”

Honestly, I was amazed. If he could confidently say that he could take down an expert from the main family of the Four Talents Sect, that indicated Tang San’s skills had improved beyond what one would expect from a child. He might have even entered the Peak Expert level already. His talent was on a whole different level compared to mine.

‘Is this guy really gonna reach the peak of his powers before he hits his twenties?’

I felt uneasy, as it only confirmed how useless my own talent was. As I looked at Tang San with complicated thoughts, he crossed his arms and said, “So Jin So-cheong is becoming the disciple of the Master of the White Lotus Sect? In that case, while he’s away, you’ll be my teacher and teach me martial arts.”

“The Thunder God Lineage, you mean?”

“Yeah.”

Tang San grinned.

“The Thunder God’s martial arts are amazing. Aside from the Formless Poison, the martial arts of the Four Talents Sect are basically trash compared to the Thunder God Lineage! If I learn the Thunder God Lineage, I’ll be ready for revenge within ten years!”

“Uh… is it that serious?”

“Didn’t you notice? If two martial artists are at a similar level, a Thunder God expert can handle three from the Four Talents Sect. And if I use Thunderclap, I could take on even more. I think Thunder God martial arts deserve to be called world-class skills.”

“…”

I realized I hadn’t truly appreciated the excellence of the Thunder God martial arts, considering I had been surrounded by incredible masters all this time. Whenever I found someone a bit weaker, I had been squeezed between absolute realm experts or Dharma Guardians with infinite internal power. Listening to him, I crossed my arms and replied, “But just to be honest, I’m currently nurturing you not out of goodwill but because I want to learn the secrets of the Formless Poison and insights into martial arts. So if you become a master of the Thunder God Lineage and abandon the Four Talents Sect’s skills, what’s in it for me?”

From a pragmatic standpoint, it made sense. Tang San’s Formless Poison was a terrifying weapon and might even deal fatal blows to an Apostle or Demon King, so that was why I was nurturing him. At my question, Tang San chuckled.

“Hahaha! I knew you’d say that. Don’t worry, after I take my revenge on the Four Talents Sect, I’ll memorize all their martial arts and secrets and then teach you!”

“When do you think that’ll happen? You’d need to practically relearn all of their martial arts from scratch…”

“I told you, the Four Talents Sect’s martial arts are trash. Unlike the Thunder God Lineage, I could master it in 3 to 4 years!”

“… Is that really true?”

I looked at him suspiciously, unsure if he was lying, but I couldn’t figure it out. Most importantly, it was hard to believe that this kid could evaluate the superiority of the Thunder God Lineage and the martial arts of the Four Talents Sect and quickly calculate the time it would take him to reach peak mastery.

‘Is this what pure genius looks like?’

He was a different type compared to Jin So-cheong. Jin So-cheong seemed to live without much interest in hidden grudges, while Tang San appeared to be accustomed to crushing those inferior to him while maximizing his talents. The arrogance and cruelty unique to a genius shone brightly in Tang San. Of course, I had no way to compare their talents.

After the conversation with Tang San, I turned to Jin So-cheong and said, “Let’s have a sparring match.”

“Sounds good.”

With a swift motion, I distanced myself by three paces and both picked up our weapons. Previously, I had toyed with Jin So-cheong and defeated him, but that was before he had read the memories of my martial arts through the Obsidian. I had no clue how much he had advanced since then.

Creeeak!!

As our initial strikes collided, I realized that, independent of the internal power enhanced by spiritual pills, he had changed the way he responded to my attacks. In the brief clashes of our weapons, I could gauge his skills.

Jin So-cheong had already improved enough to target my life!

He had long shed the skin of a novice, and I was astonished: ‘How long has he been training…’

I was shocked, and while my skills were still superior for now, Jin So-cheong’s speed of growth was indeed incomprehensible. I decided to give my all in this duel and called upon all the Absolute Slashes I knew to fight him.

Boom

With the final clash of our energies, over five hundred breaths worth of battle came to an end. Jin So-cheong’s body was drenched in sweat while I showed no significant changes in my breathing, which indicated the gap in our skills. Jin So-cheong smiled brightly and said, “Haha! That was satisfying after such a long time.”

“I’m scared. Your talent seems endless…”

“… Hmm? Baek Woong, it seems you want to say something.”

Realizing he could read my thoughts, I nodded and handed him the Obsidian.

Fwooosh!!

Jin So-cheong also perceived Yeodong-bin’s memories. He took some time to savor that memory, his expression turning cautious.

“So, you were pondering about the Martial God when this came to me.”

“That’s right.”

I stroked my chin and continued, “Before now, I didn’t really understand what the Martial God was all about, but I feel like I’ve finally found a clue. Yeodong-bin enhanced his abilities by spiraling within infinite space, and he definitely encountered an entity that converses with him in words.”

“…”

“Jin So-cheong, you said you had met the Martial God before. Didn’t he tell you something like, ‘I will not give up even if I see a thousand years of spring’?”

“That’s right.”

“Doesn’t it feel a bit different? The entity that Yeodong-bin faced in that infinite space was a nearly omnipotent divine being without morality or will, while the Martial God you met as a child was almost human-like, right?”

“Hmm…”

Jin So-cheong looked deep in thought and then said, “Now that I think about it, I can’t remember the face of the Martial God I met back then.”

“You, with such a great memory, can’t recall?”

“It’s all foggy and blurry, like a mist.”

“Seems like that being might have placed some constraints on you.”

As I stood up, resolutely, I declared, “This makes it clear. Jin So-cheong, you must meet the Master of the White Lotus Sect and ask him about the Martial God he encountered. Find out how it differs from the one you remember!”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’m really curious about it.”

What could it be? Jin So-cheong, Yeodong-bin, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Jang Sam-bong –

Could all the beings they encountered that were called the Martial God be the same entity?

‘I must find out.’

I’ve been feeling like the martial way is insignificant compared to cosmic beings and mighty gods, but even so, the martial way keeps showing potential. The Jin So-cheong of the future, who comprehends the Divine Skill, defeated the Nine Lotus Bishop, while Yeodong-bin from the past also vanquished the Dragon of the Apocalypse with the help of the Martial God. In a way, the only way an ordinary human could stand against the “Old Ruler” might be to reach the peak of martial arts!

To do that, I need to learn what kind of being the Martial God is, which seems already attained, and how to gain strength from them.

‘And… about the fusion of Chaos and Primordial Void that the Master of the White Lotus Sect knows!’

If I could obtain that enormous source of power that the Master of the White Lotus Sect possesses, I could quickly grow stronger. In many ways, sneaking Jin So-cheong into the White Lotus Sect was a necessary step.

At that moment, Geuk-ho interjected, “Oh right. Did you figure out what the Celestial Sage’s blessing is?”

“Huh?”

“You haven’t received any blessings without knowing what they are, right?”

“……”

Thinking back, I had received a blessing from the Celestial Sage in exchange for a spiritual offering in this life, but I hadn’t bothered to find out what it was. As I stayed silent, Geuk-ho scratched his head and said, “Well, it’s none of my business, but shouldn’t you know it to put it to use later?”

“Hmm… But it feels a bit forced to summon the Celestial Sage…”

“And what about the promise you made to him to write a novel about him?”

“Oh, right.”

Back then, I had half-heartedly agreed, but it seemed Geuk-ho remembered that detail well. He continued, “Do you know how to write a novel?”

“……”

I stayed silent for a moment before answering honestly. “Well… it was trendy, so I did save up the little money I had during my escort days to enjoy reading novels, but honestly, I’ve never written one.”

In my first life, when I grew older, martial arts stories reconstructed by enthusiasts had gained popularity. Influential clan leaders from Jianghu personally approached novelists to request stories featuring them as protagonists. I had also followed the trend and enjoyed reading martial arts novels.

“As expected. So what do you plan to tell the Celestial Sage when he comes back and asks you about the novel?”

“I was going to say I just haven’t written it yet.”

“I doubt that monkey is as naïve as you think… You’ve never written any treatise or article by yourself, have you? You’ve only learned knowledge but haven’t tried writing any.”

“Ugh.”

Geuk-ho’s words were painfully accurate. I shot a guilty look, and Geuk-ho chuckled.

“Anyway, it should take the Sword Demon and Bright Dragon several months to devise a plan for Jin So-cheong, so why not spend that spare time learning to become a novelist?”

“A novelist?”

“Yeah. I gathered lots of information while serving in the Ki-lou, and there are a few novelists around here in Luoyang known for their prowess. Why don’t you go find them and learn how to write a novel? They’re probably natural storytellers.”

“Hmm…”

Not a bad idea. If I became a good novelist and the Celestial Sage’s story gained popularity, maybe he’d be in a great mood and grant me an even stronger blessing or treasure? It wasn’t just a ridiculous scheme; it was worth a shot.

“Alright! Do you know any good novelists?”

“I heard there’s a guy named Feng Menglong in Oukyo who writes well. I once saw a wealthy person boasting about how much they enjoyed his novel called ‘Three Words’ in the Guanzhong ki-lou.”

“Oh!”

“Of course, I don’t know much more than that, so you should find someone who knows him and ask.”

“Absolutely.”

There’s only one person I know who could help me with that!

Whoosh

I went to Mount Huang. I stormed over to Mangnyang, who was leisurely practicing martial arts in a hut, and shouted, “Mangnyang!! I need to find a novelist.”

“I was wondering when you’d show up! Let’s go search for famous novelists together!”

“Do you actually know someone?”

“Not just that.”

He grinned. “I was once a highlighted figure in Luoyang’s literary circles. I’m well connected with most of the talented people in Luoyang!”