Chapter 575
Chapter 575
Chapter 575. The Murim Grand Banquet (4)
A moment later, they each packed their belongings and came out.
Though calling it luggage was generous, since each had only a single bundle, they left the inn faster than expected.
Warrior Daenok’s face was still flushed bright red.
No matter how much he thought about it, his anger must not have subsided.
Broken arms and legs were one thing, but he had nearly had to give up his life as a warrior then and there.
“Uwaaaah!” (Warrior Daenok)
He swung his fist at the tree beside him.
Thud!
If he could vent his anger even like that, that would be fortunate enough… Huh?
Thud! Thud! Boom! Boom!
With that single punch, five or six trees fell over.
Huh? That isn’t something that can be done with the strength of a first-rate warrior.
I spoke to Warrior Daenok.
“Warrior Daenok. Forgive my rudeness, but may I check your pulse for a moment?” (MC)
“Yes?” (Warrior Daenok)
“There is something I need to confirm.” (MC)
At my words, he hesitated, then soon nodded. I suppose he trusted me because of what I had done to help them up to this point.
He held out his wrist, and I took it and checked his pulse.
What in the… This is absurd.
He had clearly been at the level of a first-rate warrior until just a moment ago, but now he was at the entrance level of a peak warrior.
Could this be….
Still holding his pulse, I spoke to him.
“Take a deep breath and try to calm your mind.” (MC)
“Phew….” (Warrior Daenok)
“What is your favorite food?” (MC)
“I, I… like tanghulu the most.” (Warrior Daenok)
“Then imagine you are eating tanghulu.” (MC)
At my words, he closed his eyes, and his pulse, which had been beating rapidly, began to calm down.
At the same time, something fascinating happened.
As his anger settled, he returned to the level of a first-rate warrior.
Then shall I test it once more?
“Now let’s imagine that Namgoong Ho snatched that tanghulu away and trampled on it.” (MC)
“Grrk!” (Warrior Daenok)
I heard him grinding his teeth, and his realm rose once more to the entrance of the peak level.
That confirms it.
I nodded and took my hand away from his wrist.
In that case, is this an individual trait? Or is it a characteristic of their martial arts?
I spoke to Warrior Suam.
“May I check your pulse for a moment?” (MC)
He readily held out his wrist to me, and I checked his inner arts.
Then I tested him in the same way as Warrior Daenok.
A similar result came out, and as I removed my hand from his wrist, I asked.
“By any chance, do the martial arts of the Yeongyeol Sect have the trait of becoming more powerful when you are angry?” (MC)
At my question, they shook their heads.
“I am not sure about that either.” (Warrior Suam)
“We have not heard anything about that from Master.” (Warrior Daenok)
Their master, in other words, the Sect Leader of the Yeongyeol Sect, had he truly not told them because he did not know?
Or did he really not know?
Their martial arts grow rapidly stronger when they are angry.
But nothing comes without a price.
There must be a counterbalance….
Growl.
Grrr.
That must be it.
In exchange for becoming stronger, it seems they rapidly consume their stamina.
On the way here, we stopped by a restaurant and ate. So I am not hungry at all, but they are already at that point.
In any case, did he deliberately not tell them because growing angry and rapidly consuming stamina would waste food?
The Yeongyeol Sect’s circumstances are not exactly good.
Surely not….
I cleared away those thoughts.
“From what I have examined, the martial arts the two of you have learned have the trait of becoming much stronger when you are angry.” (MC)
“When we are angry?” (Warrior Daenok)
“That is correct. So if you make good use of this, you may be able to achieve good results in the main competition as well.” (MC)
“Then can we take revenge too?” (Warrior Daenok)
I asked him.
“By revenge, do you mean against Mister Namgoong On?” (MC)
He did not answer my question, but that alone was answer enough.
I gave him some advice.
“Striking back as much as you were struck is the way of a lesser man. The true revenge of an expert is to make sure the other party can never touch you again.” (MC)
“I do not understand.” (Warrior Daenok)
“Even if you take revenge, if the other party later goes after the people around you, then that revenge will be worse than not taking revenge at all.” (MC)
“Ah….” (Warrior Daenok)
They nodded as if they understood.
Warrior Daenok clenched his fist tightly and asked.
“Then are weaklings like us supposed to do nothing and just endure it?” (Warrior Daenok)
“That is not it.” (MC)
I shook my head.
“Every person lives with anxiety in their heart. When that anxiety reaches its extreme, that is when a person suffers most.” (MC)
I continued.
“When the person you struck is in a position to take revenge on you, yet does not touch you, you cannot know what they are doing it for, so every day will feel as though your blood is drying up.” (MC)
“You are telling us to work hard and climb higher… but our Yeongyeol Sect is a small sect that hardly anyone even knows. No matter how hard we work, we cannot compare to the Namgoong Clan….” (Warrior Daenok)
“Where in this world is there anything impossible?” (MC)
I cut him off and spoke with conviction.
“There is nothing in this world that cannot be done. People simply do not know the method, and even when they do, they hesitate to carry it out.” (MC)
I grinned broadly.
“Of course, that is a matter for later, and right now your heart must be full of wanting to beat him up at least once.” (MC)
“That is right.” (Warrior Daenok)
“You cannot beat him, but how about revenge equivalent to it? If that much is acceptable, I will help you.” (MC)
“Why? Why are you bestowing such grace upon us?” (Warrior Daenok)
“Grace? I do not offer help without compensation.” (MC)
“Then that means there is something you want from us?” (Warrior Daenok)
“In exchange for my help, please become a strength to our Eunhae Trading Company in the future.” (MC)
“Will that be enough?” (Warrior Daenok)
“It is enough. So what will you do? The choice is yours. However, you will need to be prepared.” (MC)
The two exchanged glances, then respectfully clasped their hands toward me.
Clack!
“We ask this of you.” (Warrior Daenok and Warrior Suam)
Their eyes were blazing.
Those are good eyes.
“Vice Officer Kwak. Let us draw up a contract.” (MC)
.
.
.
We returned to Yeonpung Inn.
I told Warrior Daenok and Warrior Suam to eat, then went to see my parents and explained the whole story.
“Ha! To think such a thing happened!” (Father)
Naturally, my parents were furious.
“It is fortunate that Jinho is not here.” (Father)
“Yes. That is why I am telling you while Hyung is not here.” (MC)
Father chuckled.
“Very well. You seem to have something in mind, so do your best.” (Father)
“Thank you.” (MC)
I bowed my head and changed the subject.
“By the way, I ended up entering the friendly duel of the Murim Grand Banquet, so why have neither of you said anything about it?” (MC)
This time Mother smiled and spoke.
“With you, I am sure you will take care of everything on your own, so what would there be for me to say?” (Mother)
“I will be cheering you on.” (Father)
“Hahahaha.” (MC)
As expected, both of them know me too well.
“That aside, I am worried about Jinho.” (Mother)
Mother let out a sigh.
“I am concerned he might stubbornly push himself and end up badly injured.” (Mother)
“Ah….” (MC)
I smiled awkwardly and looked into the air.
Hyung Jinho. See…?
Our parents already know.
Handle this yourself, Hyung.
I know nothing about it.
.
.
.
I immediately sprang into action.
Judging by the pace of the friendly duel, all the remaining preliminaries would be over in about five days.
And that meant I had to raise Warrior Daenok’s skills during that time.
I brought him to the backyard of Yeonpung Inn.
The reason our Eunhae Trading Company tends to rent out all of Yeonpung Inn is precisely because of this backyard.
It is quite spacious, so it is rather good for training.
“Then, from now on, we will begin special training.” (MC)
“Yes!” (Warrior Daenok)
“We will do our utmost.” (Warrior Suam)
At my words, Warrior Daenok and Warrior Suam clasped their hands and answered.
“First, let us check your basic physical strength.” (MC)
I pointed at the iron structure set up beside us.
A structure shaped like the character 冂, with a rack connecting pillar to pillar, crossing at the height of my chest.
I had requested it from the Baekyeom Trading Company under the pretext of using it for my training, and the escort warriors had gone through quite a bit of trouble bringing it here.
After all, everyone knows that I am taking part in the duel upon the Alliance Leader’s recommendation.
“I will demonstrate first. Like this, hook your legs over the rack connecting the pillars, place both hands together over your chest, then bend your body and straighten it.” (MC)
“It is easy.” (Warrior Daenok)
“We also did this often during training.” (Warrior Suam)
“I am glad you have done it before. Try doing it until you cannot anymore.” (MC)
“Understood.” (Warrior Daenok and Warrior Suam)
They hooked their legs over the structure and began doing sit-ups.
“Ah! I forgot to say something important. You will not use inner arts.” (MC)
“Yes?” (Warrior Daenok)
“We are checking your basic physical strength, so if you use inner arts, it cannot be checked properly, can it?” (MC)
“That is true. Understood.” (Warrior Daenok)
Beside them, Warrior Yeo Eung-am and Warrior Lee Pil counted the numbers for them.
Hm, how many will they manage?
Even without using inner arts, since they said they had been training all this time, they should easily be able to do about a hundred… What a load of crap.
“Sixty-two.” (Warrior Lee Pil)
“Hah, huff, hah, no, no more….” (Warrior Daenok)
“Keep going! Just one more!” (Warrior Lee Pil)
“Kkuaaaaap!” (Warrior Daenok)
“Sixty-three.” (Warrior Lee Pil)
I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
“How can you be exhausted after a mere sixty-three?” (MC)
“…….”
It seems he does not even have the strength to speak.
Warrior Seowoo, who had been training together beside them, spoke with a troubled expression.
“This road is longer than I expected.” (Warrior Seowoo)
“Phew, it is fine. We will make it happen.” (MC)
At that moment, Warrior Myeongjong and Warrior Changwoon approached.
“Liege, if it is not a nuisance, there is something we would like to ask of you.” (Warrior Myeongjong)
“What is it?” (MC)
“We wish to receive special training as well.” (Warrior Myeongjong)
“You two as well?” (MC)
“Yes. We felt that we cannot go on like this. If we do not advance more fiercely, we will only be left behind.” (Warrior Changwoon)
The two of them had desperation filling their eyes.
But I firmly refused.
“No.” (MC)
“But….” (Warrior Myeongjong)
“There is nothing for you two to gain by doing this training together with them. It would be a waste of time.” (MC)
I sent them a telepathic message.
* In my view, the two of you already have sufficient basic physical strength. You are already training hard even now, and yet you want to do more basic stamina training! That would be excess, not improvement. (MC)
“…….”
* As I said before, what matters to the two of you is enlightenment and an opportunity. (MC)
Even so, the two of them had expressions that showed they were not convinced.
I turned my head toward Warrior Lee Pil.
He too was someone sincere about training in martial arts and raising his realm.
At first, he had seemed to simply live day by day however things went, but at some point, he changed.
“Warrior Lee Pil.” (MC)
“Yes.” (Warrior Lee Pil)
“Why is it that you do not ask me to let you join this special training like these two warriors did?” (MC)
Warrior Lee Pil’s answer was concise.
“Because… I trust you, Liege.” (Warrior Lee Pil)
I smiled.
“Liege is someone who cares most about his own safety. So, even to keep himself from ending up in danger, he is someone who thinks about strengthening the power of us escort warriors.” (Warrior Lee Pil)
Uh… that is not an insult, right?
“If someone like that does not urge us to join, then there is only one answer. It means there is no need for us to do it. Are you not someone who values efficiency above anyone else?” (Warrior Lee Pil)
“That is correct.” (MC)
I looked at Warrior Myeongjong and Warrior Changwoon.
“Could it be that the two of you do not trust me?” (MC)
“N-no!” (Warrior Myeongjong)
“Absolutely not.” (Warrior Changwoon)
“I know. It was a joke.” (MC)
I laughed lightly to ease the atmosphere, then continued speaking.
“Hastiness is the greatest obstacle that ruins matters. If your impatience causes you to fall into qi deviation, all the effort you have made until now will become meaningless.” (MC)
“…….”
“What you need, as I have said again, is enlightenment and an opportunity. So could you not trust me just this once?” (MC)
At my gentle tone, they knelt and apologized.
“We are sorry. We were too impatient.” (Warrior Myeongjong)
“Please rebuke us for our rashness.” (Warrior Changwoon)
“Stand up now. There is no need to go that far. If you ruin your knees doing that, you will suffer for it.” (MC)
Even at my words, they did not stand.
As expected of people from great sects, they really are stiff-necked.
“Then if I kneel as well….” (MC)
“N-no! We will stand!” (Warrior Myeongjong and Warrior Changwoon)
They sprang to their feet. They should have done that earlier.
“If you cannot trust me, then trust me as a merchant. As Warrior Lee Pil said, I do not do business at a loss.” (MC)
I turned my head and said.
“So, Warrior Daenok. Warrior Suam.” (MC)
The two warriors were still lying on the ground, gasping for breath.
“The next five days will become unforgettable memories for you two.” (MC)
After ordering them to perform the basic sword forms ten thousand times each, I asked Palgap to procure medicinal ingredients.
“Here, I did get the medicinal ingredients, but what are you planning to do with these, sir?” (Palgap)
“What else? I am going to make medicine for those two warriors. This is something I happened to learn by chance.” (MC)
In my previous life, that is.
“It is called Tiger-Bear Origin Body Decoction, and it is a medicinal brew that forcibly raises physical stamina.” (MC)
“So if they drink this, their stamina rises, sir?” (Palgap)
“Yes.” (MC)
“But… seeing as Young Master has not drunk this, I feel there must be a reason, sir.” (Palgap)
As expected of Palgap. He is quick-witted.
“That is right.” (MC)
There were several reasons I did not drink this.
“First, you suffer from terrible muscle pain.” (MC)
“Then they can just rest… no, that is not it, sir.” (Palgap)
I nodded.
“They still have to keep moving. That is how the effects are multiplied, and it also lessens the pain.” (MC)
“What else is there, sir?” (Palgap)
“Ah, this… tastes absolutely filthy. To the point that chewing and swallowing a gallbladder would be better?” (MC)
“Ha… Is it that bad, sir?” (Palgap)
“Yes. On top of that, for three days, they must drink only the decoction for all three meals. They must not put anything else in their mouths at all. Then they can achieve an effect equivalent to about three months of training.” (MC)
“Painful and tastes bad. Those are both things Young Master hates, sir.” (Palgap)
That is why I am not drinking this.
I would rather just train every day.
But right now we lack time, so I am using this as a last resort.
Some might say it is not fair, but the children of great clans grew up from childhood consuming spiritual medicine said to be good for the body.
So would this much not be needed to make it fair?
“I already warned them.” (MC)
I told them they would need to be prepared.
“They may run away, sir.” (Palgap)
“Run away? Do you think that will be possible?” (MC)
“Kkuik!” (Pig)
If they run away, you will catch them and bring them back?
Good. I will look forward to it.