Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After the induction ceremony concluded.

Namgung Geom and the rest of the first-year cohort gathered at the Azure Dragon Pavilion's training grounds.

For reference, the Azure Dragon Pavilion accepted new cadets every year.

After five years of training, they would choose one of the Three Great Sword Corps to join.

The Azure Dragon Pavilion thus had five cohorts, from first-year to fifth-year.

The first-year cohort's training was overseen by Chief Instructor Namgung Pil.

Namgung Pil stepped before the first-year cadets.

"You are already aware, but allow me to make a formal introduction. I am Namgung Pil, the Chief Instructor who will oversee your training from this day forward."

The first-year cadets responded to Namgung Pil's introduction with applause.

Namgung Pil raised a hand to quiet them and continued.

"From now on, the instructors behind me and I will be teaching you martial arts and conducting your training."

Behind Namgung Pil stood five training instructors.

All were in their thirties and well-versed in the Azure Dragon Three Swords.

"Should any of you fail to follow an instructor's directive or neglect your training, know that you may be expelled from the Azure Dragon Pavilion at any time. Bear this in mind and give your utmost in training."

"Understood."

The first-year cadets answered in unison at Namgung Pil's warning.

"Additionally, the class leader for the first-year cohort will be Namgung Geom, who entered at the top of the class. Namgung Geom, as class leader, you are to guide your peers well."

"As class leader, I will lead by example in all things and serve as a model for my peers."

Namgung Pil wore a satisfied expression at Namgung Geom's response.

"Then let us begin today's instruction. Going forward, you will be learning and practicing the Azure Dragon Three Swords."

Anticipation lit up the cadets' faces at Namgung Pil's words.

The Azure Dragon Three Swords was an advanced martial art—the highest grade of martial arts available to branch-family cadets.

The direct line might have access to more, but for branch-family cadets, learning the Azure Dragon Three Swords was a dream come true.

"Before that, you must first decide which of the Azure Dragon Three Swords you will study."

The cadets of the Azure Dragon Pavilion would fundamentally choose one of the Azure Dragon Three Swords to learn.

It was important to consider one's own traits and disposition and choose a sword art that suited oneself.

To do that, they first needed to see the Azure Dragon Three Swords in action.

One could only decide whether a sword art was right for oneself by knowing what it entailed.

"The instructors will now demonstrate the Azure Dragon Three Swords. Use that as a reference to decide which sword art suits you."

The instructors came forward in turn and demonstrated the Azure Dragon Three Swords.

First came the Azure Sky Sword Art, followed by the Celestial Wind Sword Art, and finally the Flash Lightning Sword Art.

After the demonstrations, the cadets deliberated over which sword art was right for them.

The pressure of the Azure Sky Sword Art, the variation of the Celestial Wind Sword Art, or the speed of the Flash Lightning Sword Art.

They could not easily reach a decision.

Namgung Geom was the exception.

He had already received instruction in the Three Great Sword Arts, the superior forms of the Azure Dragon Three Swords.

There was no need for him to agonize over which to learn.

Instead, he considered which sword art would best suit each of his fellow cadets.

Namgung Cheol-ung, for one, seemed well-suited to the Flash Lightning Sword Art.

The Flash Lightning Sword Art emphasized instantaneous speed and destructive power.

With Namgung Cheol-ung's prodigious strength, he could maximize the Flash Lightning Sword Art's potency.

Namgung Cheon-sang, on the other hand, was better suited to the Azure Sky Sword Art.

The core of the Azure Sky Sword Art was to hold the sky within one's sword.

In the Azure Sky Sword Art, sword intent mattered more than forms.

Without grasping sword intent, it was difficult to unleash the Azure Sky Sword Art's true power.

Grasping sword intent fundamentally required exceptional comprehension.

For Namgung Cheon-sang, who fought with his mind rather than his body, the Azure Sky Sword Art was a perfect fit.

Next, Namgung Chang was suited to the Celestial Wind Sword Art.

He was already studying the Celestial Wind Sword Art among the Azure Dragon Three Swords.

His achievement in the Celestial Wind Sword Art was quite high.

There was no reason to abandon the Celestial Wind Sword Art for something else.

Not that Namgung Chang would listen to Namgung Geom's advice, anyway.

Lastly, Namgung Geom considered which sword art would suit Namgung Seol.

He had gauged her ability through the sparring tournament.

Being a woman, she emphasized finesse over brute strength.

And compared to the others, she excelled in harmonizing her footwork with her swordsmanship.

Taking all of that into account, the Celestial Wind Sword Art among the Azure Dragon Three Swords seemed the best fit for her.

Namgung Geom approached Namgung Cheol-ung first.

"Which sword art are you thinking of learning?"

"What's it to you?"

Namgung Cheol-ung's expression was decidedly sour.

"I'm the class leader, after all. I can't just stand by while a peer makes the wrong choice."

"So you're going to pick a sword art for me?"

"The choice is yours. I'm just offering advice."

Namgung Cheol-ung studied Namgung Geom for a moment, then asked.

"So which sword art do you think suits me?"

"If you want to make the most of your strength, the Flash Lightning Sword Art is your best bet."

Namgung Cheol-ung nodded.

He had been thinking the same thing.

"I'll keep it in mind."

Namgung Geom said nothing more.

He already knew Namgung Cheol-ung would choose the Flash Lightning Sword Art.

Namgung Geom offered advice to Namgung Cheon-sang and Namgung Seol as well.

Namgung Cheon-sang had been considering the Azure Sky Sword Art from the start, so he did not need Namgung Geom's counsel.

But Namgung Seol had been torn between the Azure Sky Sword Art and the Celestial Wind Sword Art.

She accepted Namgung Geom's advice and decided to study the Celestial Wind Sword Art.

He did not offer separate advice to Namgung Chang.

As mentioned, Namgung Chang was already studying the Celestial Wind Sword Art, so there was no need.

Namgung Geom also approached the other cadets and offered guidance on which sword art might suit them best.

Once every cadet had chosen, the instructors divided them into three groups by sword art.

The Azure Sky group studying the Azure Sky Sword Art had nine members.

The Flash Lightning group studying the Flash Lightning Sword Art had nine members.

The Celestial Wind group studying the Celestial Wind Sword Art had ten members.

The instructors began instruction by group, each according to their specialty.

Namgung Geom joined the Azure Sky group to receive instruction.

In truth, Namgung Geom had no need to learn martial arts here.

Having already received the Three Great Sword Arts from Namgung Pae, training alone would have been more than sufficient.

But Namgung Geom had not entered the Azure Dragon Pavilion simply to cultivate martial arts.

His primary purpose was to build his own faction.

And the first step was to make allies of his fellow cadets in the Azure Dragon Pavilion.

To that end, building rapport with his peers was essential.

That was precisely why he had chosen to train alongside them.

Instruction in the Azure Sky group began with the transmission of the Azure Sky Inner Method.

The Azure Sky Inner Method was a generalized version of the Azure Sky Grand Expansion Inner Method, stripped of its transcendent-level verses.

Namgung Geom had already mastered the Azure Sky Ice Fire Divine Art, which was built upon the Azure Sky Grand Expansion Inner Method.

The verses and principles of the Azure Sky Inner Method were already contained within the Azure Sky Ice Fire Divine Art.

His understanding and enlightenment of the Azure Sky Inner Method even surpassed that of the Azure Sky group's instructor.

After a brief exchange with Namgung Geom about the mental cultivation of the Azure Sky Inner Method, the instructor realized this immediately.

"Cadet Namgung Geom appears to need no instruction. You may train independently."

The instructor assigned Namgung Geom individual practice.

But Namgung Geom had no intention of doing so.

"With all due respect, rather than training on my own, I would like to help my peers learn the Azure Sky Inner Method."

"You wish to teach your fellow cadets?"

The instructor frowned.

"Teaching the cadets is the instructor's domain, of course. I would merely be offering a few words of support from the side."

Namgung Geom spoke with the instructor's dignity in mind.

It would not do for Namgung Geom to step forward and teach his peers when a perfectly capable instructor was standing right there; it could bruise the instructor's pride.

The Azure Sky group's instructor was initially skeptical of a cadet teaching cadets.

But he came to think that with Namgung Geom's understanding and enlightenment of the Azure Sky Inner Method, the help could prove valuable.

Above all, if the cadets progressed faster thanks to Namgung Geom, nothing could be better.

"Give it a try, then. But you must not overstep this instructor's authority."

"Of course."

With the instructor's permission secured, Namgung Geom first observed his peers' training.

The Azure Sky Inner Method was an advanced-grade inner method, one step above the foundational Grand Expansion Inner Method.

Its verses were correspondingly complex and difficult.

The number of blood meridians through which inner arts flowed was far greater, and the methods of circulating inner arts were diverse and demanding.

Without considerable talent, it was not easy to learn.

Sure enough.

The cadets in the Azure Sky group struggled to learn the Azure Sky Inner Method.

Being admitted to the Azure Dragon Pavilion meant they had at least a baseline of talent.

Yet even so, the Azure Sky Inner Method was no simple matter.

Even Namgung Cheon-sang, the best in the Azure Sky group, could not master it right away.

Namgung Geom decided to simply observe for one day.

He could have offered help immediately, but a day of struggling and experimenting on their own would be more beneficial.

The next day.

Namgung Geom approached the Azure Sky group cadets and offered to help them with the Azure Sky Inner Method.

The responses split into two camps.

Those who thought Namgung Geom was showing off and refused his help, and those who recognized his skill and actively sought his guidance.

Namgung Cheon-sang was among the latter.

Namgung Geom did not force himself on those who did not want his help.

To those who did, he gave his guidance without reserve.

The cadets who took his advice saw immediate results.

Their progress in the Azure Sky Inner Method, which had been stuck, broke through like water surging past a dam.

The Azure Sky group's instructor was not without skill.

But he was no match for Namgung Geom.

Namgung Geom explained the verses and circulation methods of the Azure Sky Inner Method in far more concrete and accessible terms than the instructor.

In particular, the secrets of inner arts circulation born from his previous life's profound enlightenment were something the instructor could not hope to rival.

Thanks to this, the cadets who followed Namgung Geom's advice could understand and execute the Azure Sky Inner Method far more quickly and easily.

One cadet alone might be coincidence, but every single one who received Namgung Geom's guidance showed progress.

That was proof that his guidance was effective.

This left the cadets who had refused his advice in an awkward position.

They wanted his guidance, but having refused once, they could not bring themselves to approach him.

Namgung Geom showed them generosity and extended his hand a second time.

They did not repeat the same mistake.

This time, they accepted his guidance without hesitation.

And they, too, achieved progress in their Azure Sky Inner Method.

First and foremost, they were awed by Namgung Geom's skill.

And they were moved that, despite having had their goodwill rejected, he was the one who reached out again.

The cadets who had accepted his guidance from the start were equally grateful.

Of course, that alone would not be enough to make them follow Namgung Geom.

But at the very least, they had developed a favorable impression of him.

The hearts of people cannot be won all at once.

By steadily building goodwill like this, he would naturally win their hearts in time.

Following the Azure Sky group, Namgung Geom did not withhold his guidance from the Celestial Wind and Flash Lightning groups, either.

The Celestial Wind and Flash Lightning groups practiced different inner methods from the Azure Sky group.

But that was no obstacle.

Namgung Geom possessed a deep understanding and enlightenment of both groups' inner methods as well.

The cadets of the Celestial Wind and Flash Lightning groups were likewise able to learn their inner methods far more easily with Namgung Geom's guidance.

The Flash Lightning group benefited the most.

Unlike the other two groups, the Flash Lightning Inner Method that the Flash Lightning group was learning had particularly demanding inner arts circulation.

But because Namgung Geom broke it down in simple, accessible terms, everyone managed to achieve circulation.

Namgung Cheol-ung also achieved circulation of the Flash Lightning Inner Method.

Compared to his swordsmanship, his inner method proficiency had been relatively lacking.

Simply understanding the verses was difficult enough for him.

Circulating inner arts according to those verses was harder still.

Had it not been for Namgung Geom, he would still be unable to achieve circulation.

"Thanks. I was able to achieve circulation because of you."

Namgung Cheol-ung expressed his gratitude to Namgung Geom.

"You're going to be my right hand someday, so of course I have to look after you."

Namgung Geom said with a shrug.

Namgung Cheol-ung wore a look of utter disbelief.

"Who decided I'm going to be your right hand?"

Namgung Geom smiled faintly and said.

"I did."

Namgung Cheol-ung scoffed.

"Big dreams you've got. I have not the slightest intention of becoming your right hand, so you'd best wake up from that dream."

"Just you wait. I'll make it happen."

"Try it if you can."

Namgung Cheol-ung said, as if it were out of the question.

Both men were firm in their convictions.

Only time would tell whose words would prove true.

***

Namgung Geom devoted two kinds of effort toward making Namgung Cheol-ung and his fellow cadets into his allies.

The first was raising his own mastery and martial prowess.

So that his overwhelming mastery and skill would leave his peers no choice but to look up to him and follow.

The second was aiding his peers' cultivation.

For a martial artist, nothing was more important than advancing one's mastery and martial arts.

If they grew through his help, they would follow him out of gratitude if nothing else.

But the real key was instilling the hope that by walking alongside Namgung Geom, they could reach even greater heights.

That hope alone would compel them to follow Namgung Geom.

Building personal bonds was, of course, equally important.

Namgung Geom spent as much time as possible among his peers, forging those bonds.

And in that manner, time flowed like a river, and five years passed in the blink of an eye.