Episode 113

Yu Jinsan, seizing an opportunity, stealthily mingled with the group of children.

No one paid him any mind. Not a single child spoke.

How much oppression had they endured to become so subdued?

He trailed at the very end, observing the children.

Their ages ranged from as young as his granddaughter to mid-teens. One distinct trait was their unusual muscular development.

But that wasn’t all. He was taken aback by the diverse auras each one emitted.

At first glance, it appeared as though a collection of unique physiques, rarely seen in martial arts, had been assembled here.

‘The world of the Justice Faction hasn’t been idle. They may not match our Seol, but these kids are still remarkable.’

Among the unique physical constitutions, the one considered the best was what Yu Seol possessed, born with heightened senses and the ability to quickly ascend to prominence. This was a trait shared only by the Sword Queen and his granddaughter.

Eventually, the leader of the procession halted.

They had arrived at a barracks in silence, where meals were being served.

Yu Jinsan, who was at the back, followed the other children and took a bowl. The moment he saw the contents of the pot, he couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

‘They expect me to eat this?’

It was a porridge that seemed unfit for naming, suitable only for feeding livestock.

Yet, the children accepted it and began to eat. The process was swift, bringing his turn in less than a minute.

Tap!

A bowl was filled halfway with the thick porridge.

Yu Jinsan, looking at the contents, felt a mix of emotions. It wasn’t just the reluctance to eat; the entire atmosphere was oppressive, and he found it disagreeable.

He leaned against a tree and silently took a spoonful.

As expected, the taste was mediocre, but it was edible.

‘I’m not hungry, but I suppose I should eat it.’

Even so, due to the height difference between him and his granddaughter, he almost never skipped meals.

After taking 2-3 bites, the whistle sounded.

Whistle!

Was it time again?

As expected, while eating, the children began to gather simultaneously.

“I am watching all of you! The ten who arrived last should be prepared!”

They weren’t even given enough time to eat.

Anger rose deep within his heart, but he had no choice but to hold back for now.

Yu Jinsan also returned his tableware and joined the children. At that moment, an instructor clad in dark clothes, who resembled a horse, shouted.

“From now on, we start the breakthrough training with 10 people!!”

The children quickly formed groups of 10 by looking around. Yu Jinsan, who was silently observing the scene, managed to spot an odd one out.

Wasn’t the intention to only pair up kids who seemed strong with each other?

Children who appeared strong quickly found their groups, but that wasn’t the case for others.

What remained were the weaker ones. They might be injured, unwell, or simply weaker.

Yu Jinsan, small in stature, was among them. And so, for the first time, someone spoke to him.

“… 137. Do you want to join us?”

This child, with a frail body and bleary eyes, was surrounded by others who were no different.

He was invited by a group that seemed weak in both name and reality. But that was irrelevant. Because the outcome of the training had nothing to do with the purpose.

“I will.”

As soon as they were divided into dozens of groups, they started marching somewhere.

Yu Jinsan silently looked around.

What he was most curious about was the history and martial arts of the instructors. Only then would he be able to judge how to save them.

After much thought, he realized that this would be impossible.

‘This won’t be easy.’

He could see 16 instructors.

It was assumed that each one of them was a warrior of Master level.

There was no problem if they had to fight him one-on-one, but if three or more came, it would be dangerous.

And there could be those who haven’t been confirmed yet.

‘If the instructors who train the kids are like this, then what is the main force of the troops like?’

He was curious about the details of how the Murim Alliance had trained such fearsome warriors every generation. Of course, no matter what their reason was for this, he wouldn’t forgive them.

As he was thinking all this, before he knew it, the procession stopped at the entrance of the mountain.

As soon as he arrived at the location, the instructor shouted.

“Start in line!”

Ten kids waiting at the front ran to the mountains.

Tatat!

They were small kids who seemed to be around 10 years old, but their movements were close to the first-rate warriors of a sect.

And yet, Yu Jinsan felt anxious watching this.

If it was as expected, there would be an ambush of instructors in those mountains. Then how long would the kids endure without a weapon?

And his ominous prediction didn’t turn out to be wrong. Not even half an hour passed before screams began to erupt one by one from deep in the mountain.

When the first moment had passed, the next shout came.

“Second group!”

The kids in the second group came off with a strong start, but this wasn’t any different.

He couldn’t watch the crazy training anymore.

As the next group was ready to move, Yu Jinsan, who hadn’t been able to watch it, said.

“Can our group leave first?”

That made everyone turn to Yu Jinsan as if he were crazy.

And what followed was a kick from the instructor.

“Who said it was alright to open your mouth!?”

Kuak!!

Yu Jinsan stepped back, clutching his stomach, and closed his eyes. This was because another instructor next to him slapped him.

He could have stopped them, but he didn’t want to reveal himself now.

Slap!

‘…are these bastards slapping an old man in the face?’

His stomach was boiling, but he had to hold back.

Words different from what was on his mind automatically came out of his mouth.

“I am sorry.”

“Right, if you wish to die then I shall grant it.”

At the sound of a whistle, ten skinny kids stepped forward.

No one seemed to complain. The order was moved up a little, but nothing changed.

“310, let’s go!”

Ta-ta-ta!

Yu Jinsan also joined the kids, who were running quickly.

As they entered the mountain path, they came into a forest full of trees, and the direction was marked with knots.

It was almost like an optimal place for assassinations to happen.

The children looked around, beginning to search for things that could be used as weapons.

As it turned out, there were only twigs and stones. Compared to a sharp sword, the efficiency of transmitting qi was lower, but what choice did they have?

Only Yu Jinsan stood still and didn’t grab anything.

“If we leave like this, we will die. So let’s gather together for a moment.”

Even kids who were stronger than the group they were in were not safe, so what was the shame in being weak?

As expected, everyone’s expressions were dark, perhaps guessing their fate.

“There is no time to hesitate. We need to gather in a corner.”

Unlike the anxious kids, Yu Jinsan was calm.

He was analyzing the situation with a relaxed face. Earlier, the instructor said this was breakthrough training. Given the situation now, it seemed the goal was to reach the destination while avoiding the instructors hiding everywhere.

In the process, weak team members would become prey and be sacrificed. There was just one way for everyone to survive together.

“We don’t run from the instructors; we advance by defeating them.”

“What are you saying?”

“How do we fight them?”

“That… won’t work.”

The group all expressed shock and refusal of his opinion. It was the expected reaction. How could the already intimidated children think of fighting?

The instructor was a source of fear for everyone, with fear deeply ingrained in their hearts.

“Have you ever tried it?”

“……”

“You should never give up on anything without giving it a try. Listen to me carefully. We might never be able to defeat them one-on-one, but it wouldn’t be difficult for all ten of us to take one down by attacking them at the same time.”

“…is that really possible? If it goes wrong, we all die.”

Everyone was negative about this, but Yu Jinsan didn’t give up.

“Then do you think you can live by running away? From the looks of it, they don’t even spare the weak ones. Should we let our group, made of the weak ones, go through a difficult time like that?”

“You are right, but…”

Yu Jinsan patted them on the shoulder with a kind expression and said,

“If I attack first, you guys can take them down together. If you have to, it is alright to abandon me and run.”

Though they all looked reluctant, no one objected anymore. After all, they had nothing to lose.

“If you fail, we’ll really run away.”

“Okay, do that. But let me ask one thing before we start. What happens if we kill an instructor?”

A child clutching a frail branch stepped forward as if knowing the answer.

His ragged and emaciated face was pitiable to look at.

“I heard you get a reward. Though no one has ever done it before.”

It was a ridiculous situation that the child who kills an instructor would receive a reward.

It also meant that all training was treated like real combat.

“Is that so? From now on, just follow me.”

It was unknown how many instructors were lying in ambush in this forest.

Yu Jinsan was planning to kill them all. That way, the next group of kids could be safe.

In order for the kids to escape, it was necessary to reduce the number of threats. After a while, he began to run ahead.

Soon, the first raid began.

A blunt club emerged from the shadow of the tree on the left.

Yu Jinsan’s eyes twitched at the merciless hands.

‘I cannot forgive you all forever.’

His fern-like grasp snatched the opponent’s collar and yanked it fiercely.

The instructor, surprised by the immense power, opened his eyes.

At that moment, Yu Jinsan’s fist flew into his face like lightning. It wasn’t a speed the instructor could avoid.

Tsk!

The instructor, whose nose was hit, collapsed, unable to come to his senses. At that time, Yu Jinsan had grabbed his uvula and slammed him to the ground.

Kwang!!

The instructor who fell to the ground wore an expression of disbelief.

How could an instructor be subdued this easily? He intuitively realized that there was something odd about the child in front of him.

“Who are you?”

“It is on my clothes. 137.”

Yu Jinsan quickly turned his head and looked at the group.

“…”

Was it because he easily took down the opponent? The children had their mouths open.

“What are you waiting for!? Attack!”

It was only then that the kids came to their senses and started running toward the instructor.

Their accumulated grievances erupted with merciless kicks from all directions.

Kuak! Kuak!

The instructor, quickly turning into a pulp, already had his eyes glazed over.

And at the right moment, Yu Jinsan twisted his neck.

Crack!

He could have taken them down on his own, but the reason he asked for the kids’ help was to hide his identity as much as he could.

“Look! It works if we work together!”

The group looked shocked, as if they couldn’t believe the situation.

“And…”

“We defeated this instructor.”

“137, you are amazing.”

Yu Jinsan waved his hand and took the lead again; the children followed with flushed faces.

And not long after, a second attack came.

On a tree branch in front, something sharp approached them like a snake coming for its prey.

Yu Jinsan, who had been preparing in advance, slightly turned his head to the left.

Wheik!

The thing that missed by an inch was a whip.

Yu Jinsan held it and pulled with all his might.

How could one handle the force of a whip with qi? If nothing else, Yu Jinsan was at the Supreme Master level in terms of internal qi.

“Euk!”

Yu Jinsan quickly climbed onto the instructor’s back as he fell from the tree.

Tat!

Though his slender hands gripping the instructor’s shoulders looked somewhat awkward, the instructor couldn’t move an inch.

“Guys, now is the time!”

Once the team members arrived with confidence, there was no hesitation in their movements.

“You bad ones!!”

“DIE!”

The children, whose excitement soared, were beside him. The instructor, whose arms were suppressed, gritted his teeth in despair.