Chapter – 14
The Hebei Small Academy disappeared.
For real.
There were many reasons, but the biggest one was the rumor that the academy master had been defeated by an eleven-year-old child.
Since children do not lie, everyone knew this was not a rumor but the truth. Still, since it involved the Peng family, people quietly let the matter pass.
“A notice came down from the Peng family. Hebei Small Academy is really withdrawing. From what I’ve found, they don’t even have any future plans.”
“And the elders? Weren’t they desperate to go after the Moyong family? They’re just staying quiet?”
“They’re probably busy with something else right now. That bastard Peng No-il is probably too ashamed to even talk about it. Ah… even now I get chills thinking about it. A wooden sword imbued with spirit.”
After witnessing the Heaven and Earth One Blade, Peng Yijong’s loyalty had risen dramatically.
After all, he had demonstrated the realm of the Divine Sword purely through external martial arts.
Actually, that had been unexpected for Moyong Jin.
He had only wanted to show “I can use this technique!” but in the process he ended up revealing the ultimate form of external martial arts.
From Cheon Kirin’s perspective, reaching the Divine Sword realm wasn’t particularly difficult.
Since he had been obsessed with martial arts, he deeply understood the principles of most techniques. Just observing briefly was enough for him to reach the level where spirit could be infused into a weapon.
But accomplishing that in a child’s body had been completely unexpected.
That made Moyong Jin realize just how important accumulated experience and technical mastery were.
Still, it wasn’t something he could use often.
In fact, after forcing himself to use Heaven and Earth One Blade, he had been bedridden for over ten days and it took nearly a month to fully recover.
Fortunately, Peng Yijong did not doubt him.
He easily accepted the explanation that Moyong Jin’s young body simply couldn’t handle that level of power yet.
“If I had known that bastard was the one who did that to my father’s eyes, I would have kicked his ass until it fell off.”
“Didn’t he wet himself in front of everyone? That’s humiliation enough. On top of that, his family has to bear the business losses from shutting down the academy. Please be generous. He’s still your grandfather’s grandson.”
“Tch.”
At times like this, Moyong Jin hated that his current identity was Peng Mu-ak.
“I don’t have a grandson like that. And you—didn’t I tell you to call me Master during training?”
“Yes, Master! I’m sorry!”
It had already been three months since his duel with Peng No-il.
Moyong Academy was now experiencing an unprecedented golden age.
Not only children from Jeongso Village, but even nearby villages were sending their kids after hearing the rumors.
Moyong Jin sat on Peng Yijong’s back and watched the students training under his father Moyong Hyuk with a satisfied smile.
“Teaching the next generation is more fun than I expected.”
“Haha. I was once called a genius myself—”
“Not you, idiot. The kids. Especially Jeon Ak. I really like him.”
“That’s true… even I can see his potential. Youngjin and Choyeol aren’t bad either.”
There were currently three instructors at Moyong Academy.
Peng Yijong taught internal energy methods and how to control qi.
Moyong Hyuk taught martial arts and the mindset of a martial artist.
And Moyong Jin also taught something.
But what he taught the children was only one thing:
Physical conditioning.
“Father! It’s my turn now!”
At Moyong Jin’s call, Moyong Hyuk looked up, and the children hurriedly clung to him.
“Ahem… you little—”
The reason was simple.
Moyong Jin’s conditioning training was brutally harsh.
Naturally, children disliked hardship.
But Moyong Hyuk pried them off and approached Moyong Jin.
“Ahem… then Father will go rest for a bit—”
“Rest? Father, you’re just getting started. You mastered the form I taught you last night, right? I’ll test you personally tonight. You know the penalty for failing, right? Six hours of horse stance.”
At the word horse stance, Moyong Hyuk visibly shuddered and quickly headed to the private training yard.
After destroying Hebei Small Academy, Moyong Jin had begun seriously training his father.
After all, he didn’t want Cheon Kirin’s father getting beaten somewhere.
So he was teaching him the Absolute Evil Blade and the Blazing Fire Divine Art.
The Absolute Evil Blade was a saber technique Cheon Kirin had personally created by combining good elements from various blade arts.
The Blazing Fire Divine Art was his internal energy method, simplified enough that even Moyong Jin’s Nine Yang Severed Meridians body could circulate it.
Considering the original Lihua Divine Art was extremely difficult, this showed just how much of a genius Cheon Kirin was.
If this technique became known in the martial world, it could cause a bloody conflict.
Yet Moyong Jin casually taught it to his father and even academy students.
This would be like the Mount Hua Sect teaching their exclusive Violet Mist Divine Art to lay disciples’ students.
The Absolute Evil Blade was similar.
Currently only Moyong Hyuk practiced it, but Moyong Jin planned to teach it to students once Moyong Hyuk could instruct it.
“Master really is strict even with your father. No wonder my father still flinches when your grandfather is mentioned…”
“Peng Yeowoon? Hmm… I don’t remember being particularly strict.”
Naturally, Moyong Jin didn’t even remember Peng Yeowoon’s face.
He only cared about martial arts. He couldn’t even properly remember Peng Mu-ak, whom he had killed.
He was just playing along to avoid suspicion.
He did not teach Peng Yijong the Blazing Fire Divine Art.
Though interested, Peng Yijong prioritized his Five Tiger Gate-Breaking Saber and his Mixed Origin Thunder Divine Art was already excellent.
“Alright, I’ll go run with the students. Don’t slack off while I’m gone.”
“Yes, Master. Travel safely.”
As Moyong Jin approached, the scattered students rushed into formation like trained soldiers.
They swallowed nervously.
Please… not today…
Heaven and Earth, spare my life…
Namu Amitabha…
Mother, I love you!
The reason these youths trembled in fear was simple:
His conditioning training was that brutal.
To the point they sometimes wished for death.
So why didn’t they quit?
Because Moyong Jin had once said:
“If you run away, you die.”
And they believed him.
“So… shall we start with a light mountain climb today?”
Four years later
Moyong Jin’s “mountain climbing” was basically running.
A hellish march without stopping until reaching the plains.
The speed wasn’t extreme.
The important part was:
No stopping.
Even twelve-year-olds ran without collapsing.
Not because they weren’t tired.
But because Moyong Jin behind them was more terrifying.
One year passed.
Two.
Three.
Four.
In four years, the children had completely changed.
Their formation never broke.
The youngest, once twelve, was now sixteen.
They were no longer children.
Jeon Ak at the front had become a muscular young man.
Behind him, a girl named Youngju had grown beautiful.
Youngjin and Choyeol also looked like proper martial artists.
Only one person remained unchanged:
Moyong Jin.
Now fifteen, he still hadn’t cured his Nine Yang Severed Meridians.
He hadn’t grown much, still under five feet tall.
Watching the students run on their own now, he smiled.
“They run well now.”
Below, Moyong Hyuk and Peng Yijong led younger students upward.
The academy kept growing.
Its success was largely due not to Moyong Jin—
But Jeon Ak.
While gathering wild ginseng, Jeon Ak had saved a noble being attacked by bandits.
She turned out to be the youngest daughter of the Seok family.
In Hebei, martial power meant the Peng family.
Wealth meant the Seok family.
Grateful, they tried to recruit Jeon Ak as a guard.
A poor villager could hardly refuse.
Thus rumors spread that Moyong Academy had connections with the Seok family.
Moyong Jin personally met them.
The academy grew rapidly.
Even preparatory schools formed to enter it.
Yet despite wealth and growth—
He still couldn’t cure his condition.
Why?
No miracle medicines!
Even common herbs like He Shou Wu had vanished.
Even the Peng family struggled.
The Seok family obtained a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, but fifteen years of accumulated yang energy was too much.
“Master.”
A deep voice came from behind.
Jeon Ak had arrived first.
“You finally learned Silent Moon Swift Step. Before, you sounded like a war.”
“All thanks to you, Master.”
“So why did you come first? You want something.”
“Tomorrow is my birthday.”
“Already…”
He had stayed to learn until adulthood.
“Hey Jeon Ak.”
“Yes.”
“How’s it going with Chae?”
He turned red.
She was the girl he saved.
“Be careful. Seok San-woo isn’t ordinary.”
“No… I’m not worthy… Oh right. The elder wants to meet you.”
“Huh? Why?”
“He mentioned… Ice Crystal.”
“Ice Crystal?!”
Moyong Jin jumped up.
“…Why are you flinching?”
“I thought you were going to hit me again… haha…”
“Don’t act like that at Seok family.”
“I wouldn’t unless it’s you, Master.”
“If my name gets dragged, I’ll come find you. And you’ll die.”
After sending him off, Moyong Jin clenched his fist.
“Ice Crystal… the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Crystal of the North Sea Ice Palace! My chance to escape this cursed body has finally come!”
Excited, he looked down the cliff.
The students trembled.
Ah… we’re going to get beaten again today…
Just how much had he beaten them?
