The unsettling smile Mu-hui had just flashed seemed to have left Im San-ha visibly tense.

“You’ve heard about the duel, right?”

“Yes… but do you really think I can win?”

Mu-hui squinted at San-ha’s lack of confidence.

“Why do you think you can’t?”

“But my opponent is Ga Se-in, the renowned disciple of the Daejeong Sect. He’s known as the greatest talent in Winam.”

Mu-hui barely managed to suppress a laugh at San-ha’s earnestness.

“The greatest talent in Winam, my foot…”

If it were the greatest in Shaanxi, maybe, but Winam? The first time Mu-hui heard that, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

If someone is truly talented, they should just be called a genius. Why add a regional name in front of it? It’s just embarrassing bravado for the listener.

Moreover, Winam is a small area. Fewer people, fewer resources, and consequently, fewer opportunities. Yet, there are already two martial sects established there, so you can’t even find a small martial arts school in the countryside.

With such limited resources, the Daejeong Sect is desperately trying to drive out the Seonhwa Sect.

“San-ha, in the Hwasan Sect, you won’t find anyone less talented than the so-called greatest in Winam.”

“The Hwasan Sect must be truly remarkable.”

Mu-hui shook his head firmly.

“It’s not that the Hwasan Sect is extraordinary; it’s that Ga Se-in isn’t much. From what I see, there’s not much difference between you and him.”

Despite Mu-hui’s words, San-ha still seemed unconvinced.

Watching San-ha, Mu-hui turned his back.

“There’s a way to overcome the fear of a strong opponent in the martial world.”

“What is it?”

Mu-hui picked up a wooden sword from the training ground’s rack after sheathing his real sword.

“Survive against an even stronger opponent than the one you fear. Simple, right?”

As the wooden sword slowly rose, a grin spread across Mu-hui’s face.

Swish!

With a sharp sound, the wooden sword came crashing down towards San-ha’s head.

“Ah!”

Startled, San-ha barely managed to dodge Mu-hui’s wooden sword with a quick step.

The sensation of the wind grazing his skin sent shivers down San-ha’s spine.

Though Mu-hui swung the sword almost playfully, to San-ha, it felt faster and fiercer than any sword strike he’d ever faced.

“The so-called greatest in Winam… San-ha, let me show you how vast the martial world truly is.”

Mu-hui’s wooden sword swung wildly without warning.

Even without Mu-hui’s words, the term “greatest in Winam” had long vanished from San-ha’s mind.

For the first time in his life, San-ha felt a genuine threat to his life.

“Ah…”

San-ha’s pupils trembled as they reflected the approaching wooden sword.

* * *

Every time Im San-ha’s legs trembled in the horse stance, sweat dripped down.

The tingling pain coursing through his legs made him feel like he might collapse at any moment.

Yet, San-ha clenched his outstretched fist tightly and persevered.

He stared at the incense burning before him.

It took about thirty minutes for the incense to burn completely, and the third stick was nearing its end.

‘Almost there.’

Once the incense burned out, the horse stance training would be over.

Finally, as the third stick finished burning and the smoke ceased, San-ha inwardly cheered.

“Ah?”

But seeing Mu-hui nonchalantly light a new stick of incense, San-ha fell into despair.

“Mu-hui Dojang…?”

San-ha asked cautiously, but Mu-hui was firm.

“External training grows when you push past your muscle limits. Hold on for another fifteen minutes.”

With that, Mu-hui cut the incense stick in half and lit it.

San-ha’s brow furrowed deeply, but he held his stance, determined to endure.

‘Damn it!’

Though it was just fifteen more minutes, to San-ha, it felt like an eternity.

His legs trembled visibly, but San-ha managed to hold on for the entire duration.

“Good job, lie down.”

San-ha, familiar with the routine, lay down flat.

Mu-hui loosened his hands and grabbed San-ha’s shoulders.

“Ugh.”

As Mu-hui’s grip pressed into his muscles, which had been strained all morning, a wave of heat and pain surged through San-ha, but he endured it, trembling.

Mu-hui began massaging San-ha’s entire body, as if performing acupressure.

The goal was to relax the overworked muscles and stimulate the blood flow to speed up recovery.

It wasn’t a process requiring significant internal energy, like expelling internal injuries or preparing for a major breakthrough.

The technique Mu-hui used was something he learned from the Iron Mountain Fist King, ensuring San-ha’s muscles were thoroughly relaxed.

As if to prove its effectiveness, San-ha’s expression gradually eased.

“Mu-hui Dojang, will this external training really help with the duel?”

Because physical strength and external skills don’t develop overnight.

Mu-hui frowned at San-ha’s question and applied more pressure to his arm.

“Ouch!”

“Don’t be foolish. External training isn’t something you do just for a duel; it’s something you do every day without fail. What you’ve been doing so far is just dabbling. That’s why your sword strikes are weak.”

Reflecting on Mu-hui’s words, San-ha asked after a moment of thought.

“Do you really live like this every day, Mu-hui Dojang?”

On the fourth day of training with Mu-hui, San-ha spent most of his day training alongside him, from dawn till dusk.

With his sleep reduced to just four hours, he initially thought he was going crazy.

But Mu-hui claimed this was his usual routine, which was hard to believe.

Spending almost all his time on martial arts training, even cutting down on sleep, was unimaginable.

San-ha thought he had been diligent in his martial arts training, but compared to Mu-hui, it was nothing.

“Is that so surprising? There were times I only slept for two hours.”

“Is there a reason you train so intensely?”

San-ha looked at Mu-hui with genuine curiosity.

“Nothing special. I just find swinging a sword the most fun, and I want to become stronger.”

San-ha had heard rumors about Mu-hui.

To San-ha, Mu-hui already seemed incredibly strong.

Yet, he wanted to become even stronger.

“How strong do you want to become?”

“Until there’s nothing I can’t cut.”

San-ha’s eyes widened slightly, unable to look away from Mu-hui.

Though still young, San-ha was a martial artist.

He immediately understood that Mu-hui was talking about becoming the best swordsman in the world.

For a martial artist, aspiring to be the best was natural, but how many could confidently declare it?

Hearing Mu-hui speak so calmly about being the best, more impressive than any tales of his exploits, made San-ha admire him even more.

‘I want to be like him.’

While some aspired to be the best in the world, others worried about a duel with the so-called greatest in Winam.

San-ha felt small in comparison.

As San-ha’s face, which had cooled while lying down, began to heat up again, Mu-hui finished massaging his muscles and dusted off his hands.

San-ha sprang up and asked.

“How can I become like you, Mu-hui Dojang?”

Mu-hui noticed the change in San-ha’s eyes.

‘He’s shaken it off.’

Perhaps because he was still young, he had been weighed down by the ridiculous title of the greatest in Winam. Maybe it was also due to the bullying he had silently endured.

But now, that burden seemed to have lifted entirely.

Mu-hui stood up.

His gaze on San-ha was as calm and steady as the moon in the night sky.

“Don’t be confined to Winam. The breadth of the martial world will change depending on what you want to do and see. That’s the kind of place it is.”

“What I want to do…”

San-ha watched Mu-hui’s retreating back.

For some reason, that sight filled San-ha with a sense of exhilaration.

The dream of becoming the best in the world, which many martial artists held, didn’t even cross his mind.

He just wanted to be like that person.

‘Can I follow that back?’

Even if he couldn’t catch up, it was enough if he could close the distance.

When San-ha decided what he wanted to do, the martial world expanded. And he realized something.

The fortuitous encounters in the martial world weren’t just about acquiring supreme skills or rare elixirs.

Meeting Mu-hui Dojang on that first day was another such encounter.

* * *

The Plum Wind Sword Technique

One of the martial arts taught to the secular disciples of the Hwasan Sect.

As Im Mu-guk swept his sword downward, a cool breeze swept through the training ground.

The swirling sword wind danced around, dizzying the eyes.

Five streams of sword wind encircled Mu-hui, but he cut through them with a single stroke.

“Huh.”

Im Mu-guk gasped at Mu-hui’s sharp, effortless counter.

He immediately lunged forward, thrusting his sword.

Mu-hui deftly parried the sword aimed at his chest with a flick of his fingers.

The sword naturally veered off course, leaving Mu-guk’s chest exposed.

In that instant, Mu-hui glided forward and gently pushed Mu-guk’s chest with his palm.

Mu-guk staggered back three steps, clutching his chest with wide eyes.

Mu-hui hadn’t used much internal energy, so there was no real impact or internal injury, but Mu-guk couldn’t help but be astonished.

‘To display such overwhelming skill…’

Mu-guk sheathed his sword and stared blankly at Mu-hui, who had assumed a respectful stance.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t even graze the hem of Mu-hui’s sleeve with his sword.

It felt as if he were facing a master from a higher realm, despite being a late-stage expert himself.

“And that sword technique Mu-hui just used…”

No matter how he thought about it, it resembled the Daijeongmun’s sword style more than the Hwasan’s. Yet, it was far more profound than the one he’d seen from the Daijeongmun’s leader before.

“Mu-hui Dojang, that sword technique… what is it?”

At Im Muguk’s cautious inquiry, Mu-hui chuckled softly.

“Seems like I did a decent job. I just mimicked the Daijeongmun’s sword style I saw once.”

Im Muguk’s beard quivered with disbelief.

“Mimicked? Is that even possible?”

Of course, it was only possible because of the sword ghost’s experience in his past life, where he had observed, learned, and modified countless sword techniques at will.

Though he couldn’t replicate the internal energy flow of the technique, merely imitating its form and style would be a significant advantage in future duels.

“Just as I’m doing with Sanha, I’ll face the leader using only this sword style. It’ll be like dueling the Daijeongmun’s leader himself.”

It was a special training only Mu-hui could provide.

“Haha… Mu-hui Dojang, you had it all planned out.”

Saying it was effective was an understatement.

Mu-hui’s martial prowess was already superior to the Daijeongmun’s leader, and using a similar sword style made for unparalleled training.

“To just watch and imitate… what an unbelievable talent. Is he a genius?”

Mu-hui’s talent shattered the conventional wisdom of the martial world.

Im Muguk, who had been chuckling in disbelief, suddenly grew serious. After a moment of contemplation, he bowed to Mu-hui.

“Mu-hui Dojang… if it’s not too much trouble, could you offer me some guidance?”

For a senior in the martial world to seek advice from a junior was a humbling experience.

But with his young son sacrificing sleep to train diligently, what was pride compared to that?

Seeing the determination in Im Muguk’s eyes, Mu-hui nodded.

“As you might have heard from Sanha, my teaching methods are harsh. I won’t go easy on you just because you’re the leader.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

Mu-hui drew his sword once more.

“Leader, Seonhwamun will win this duel.”

With those words, Mu-hui’s sword lunged toward Im Muguk.

Thus began the rigorous training of the Seonhwamun father and son under Mu-hui’s relentless guidance.

As the moon waxed and waned, the day of the promised duel drew near.

* * *

At the Daijeongmun’s grand martial arena.

Temporary stands had been erected around the vast arena for the upcoming sect duel. Not only members of the Daijeongmun but also the common folk of Winam had gathered to watch.

The Daijeongmun’s leader had deliberately made it a grand event.

“This way, Seonhwamun will be humiliated and forced to leave Winam. They won’t be able to say a word afterward.”

“Haha, indeed. Why didn’t I think of this? You’re truly my son.”

The Daijeongmun’s leader patted his son, Ga Se-in, on the head, who had suggested making the duel as grand as possible.

“Father, thank you for arranging for Yeonhodogaek to participate.”

Originally, another guest was supposed to fight in the third duel, but Ga Se-in had insisted on having Yeonhodogaek, the most skilled among their guests, take part.

“Mu-hui… was it? I want to see that arrogant Hwasan disciple crushed right before my eyes.”

Ga Se-in wanted to witness the downfall of the Hwasan disciple who had dared to speak rudely to him.

The Daijeongmun’s leader smiled along with his son’s bright laughter.

“Hmm, the second disciple of Hwasan would have been no match for the Gireon Sword, but it’s always better to be sure.”

The father and son, watching the arena, turned their heads as a commotion arose at the main gate.

Through the wide-open gate, Mu-hui and the Seonhwamun members were entering.

Ga Se-in smiled as he watched Mu-hui, leading the group with a fluttering plum blossom emblem.

“I can’t wait to see that confident face of his crumble.”