Chapter 69

In the dead of night, while everyone else slept, Jin Wikyung awoke with a scream.

“Graaah!”

He flailed both arms with startling force, then soon realized that he had returned to reality.

The flickering lamplight and the documents covering his desk. The familiar sight of his study.

“Phew.”

After letting out a sigh of relief, Jin Wikyung rubbed the back of his neck. It was damp with cold sweat, probably because of the nightmare.

I thought I was going to die.

It had been a dream in which the earth split apart and the sky collapsed. He had run from a deafening roar that shook heaven and earth until he was gasping for breath, and his last memory was of falling.

Maybe I’ve been pushing myself too hard.

There was more work than he could handle, but nowhere near enough people to do it. Each day was a nerve-racking struggle, and the fatigue kept piling up.

“Ugh. I need to hire more people soon. At this rate, I’ll die before my time.”

The world was vast, and there were plenty of talented people in it. And yet the Jin Family of Taiyuan still did not have a single decent strategist. That was because the family’s capabilities were lacking.

Why would any talented person choose to join the Jin Family of Taiyuan in Shanxi when they could go to one of the great sects or renowned clans of the Central Plains, where people would welcome them with open arms?

From their perspective, it was an obvious choice.

Until now, that is.

Everything was about to change. If the Jin Family united Shanxi Murim on New Year’s Day and continued expanding its influence…

Before long, talented people from across the land would come flocking beneath the Jin Family of Taiyuan’s banner.

Although I’ll probably die of overwork before then.

Jin Wikyung let out a deep sigh as he stared at the terrifying mountain of paperwork.

That was when it happened.

Rumble.

It was an extremely faint sound, so quiet that only a Peak master like Jin Wikyung could have noticed it.

What was that?

He sharpened his senses. When he focused his internal energy on his ears, the sound became clearer.

Rumble. Clang.

Small, but unmistakable.

The sound of steel striking steel.

Someone was fighting. At this hour of the night, no less.

That was not the only reason Jin Wikyung’s face hardened.

That direction is…

It was where Jin Mukyung’s residence was located. And, as of yesterday, there was one more person living there.

Surely Mukyung isn’t beating up the youngest… No, of course not.

He had repeatedly urged them to get along. Surely they would not already be beating each other senseless.

He trusted his beloved younger brothers.

Clang. Clang!

“…”

Jin Wikyung quietly rose from his seat.

Once he fully unleashed his movement technique, Jin Wikyung reached Jin Mukyung’s residence in no time.

The problem was that the closer he got, the more ominous the sounds became.

…He’s probably training alone in the training hall, right?

Jin Wikyung hesitated over whether he should enter the pavilion. In the end, he cautiously poked his head over the wall.

And witnessed a shocking sight.

“I told you. Rule number two. Huh?”

Boom! Crash!

Jin Mukyung swung his scabbard without pause. One person fled desperately, trying to escape him.

“Lo, Logout!”

Before Jin Taekyung could even finish his desperate cry, the scabbard flew toward him. It narrowly missed him and smashed into the bluestone floor of the training hall.

Bang!

“I told you, you bastard—qi deviation! Ren and Du meridians!”

“Logouuuut!”

“…”

What was “Loguawk,” and why were qi deviation and the Ren and Du meridians suddenly coming up?

The flow of the conversation made absolutely no sense, but one thing was certain.

Something bad is going to happen if this keeps up.

At this rate, they might really need to call either a physician or an undertaker.

I’ll protect the youngest!

Jin Wikyung was just about to charge in with determination on his face when—

“Why is your side open again? Are you that desperate to get hit?”

Whack!

“Guh!”

Jin Taekyung staggered after taking a blow to the ribs. Jin Mukyung did not miss the opportunity and followed up with another swing of his scabbard.

Thwack-thwack-thwack!

“Argh! Argh! Argh!”

“Don’t shrink back just because you got hit. Especially with your lower body!”

Thwack!

“Grrr!”

“Oh, look at you.”

Jin Mukyung smiled disdainfully at the sight of his younger brother charging at him with his teeth clenched.

“You’re an idiot who doesn’t even have the basics down. Fix that habit of throwing out your hands and feet on instinct first. Martial arts are learned by people, not beasts.”

“Shut up!”

“You have a terrible memory, too. Sleep well. When you wake up, I’ll explain the rules again.”

Whoosh! Thud.

Jin Taekyung took a direct hit to the chin, and his body crumpled. Jin Mukyung silently looked down at him lying spread-eagled on the floor, then slowly spoke.

“Please come out.”

There was no question who he was speaking to. Jin Wikyung emerged from behind the wall with an awkward expression.

“You knew I was here?”

“It would be strange if I didn’t. Every time that kid got hit, I could hear you swallowing from here like thunder.”

Jin Wikyung examined Jin Taekyung’s fallen body with worried eyes.

“The injuries aren’t too severe. That’s a relief.”

“It’s not like he’s going to die.”

“Mukyung!”

“Don’t worry. His bones and sinews are unbelievably sturdy.”

“Really?”

“He lasted four hours while taking a beating like that. With that kind of stamina and grit, he’ll soon… Why are you laughing?”

Jin Wikyung gazed at his younger brother’s face with a strange smile and answered cheerfully.

“It’s fascinating. Isn’t this the first time you’ve ever praised the youngest?”

Jin Mukyung stiffened.

Praise? I praised that bastard?

It was impossible. Wasn’t he a younger brother without a single redeeming quality? Jin Mukyung had praised the man who had spent his days drowning in alcohol and chasing women, heedless of what happened to the family?

Jin Mukyung forced himself to shake his head.

“…I have never done such a thing.”

“I see.”

“I really haven’t.”

“All right. Who said otherwise?”

“No, you’re still laughing!”

“I have never done that.”

“Hyung!”

Jin Wikyung tried to suppress the laughter welling up inside him. It pained him to see his beloved youngest brother hurt, but this was something he would have to experience someday.

I can’t keep him under my wing forever.

Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi.

Another genius produced by the Jin Family of Taiyuan.

Jin Wikyung felt both joy and unease as he looked at his younger brother, who had grown so much in such a short time.

No. Perhaps it was fear.

Is this even possible?

It was far too fast. Even to someone who had watched the genius Jin Mukyung from closer than anyone else, Jin Taekyung’s rate of growth was beyond comprehension.

I can’t even begin to gauge it.

As a child, Jin Wikyung had been a promising talent, but he had never been a genius. How could an ordinary man like him understand a genius, let alone teach one?

His thoughts were growing deeper when Jin Mukyung returned.

Jin Wikyung had known at once that this was the moment, and put the two of them together.

I was so worried because they got along so poorly…

Now that he had seen them together, those worries had been pointless. The method was rough, but this was clearly not one-sided beating. It was training.

Training that would make the fast-growing but still inexperienced Jin Taekyung stronger and sharper.

His body would suffer, though.

It’s all for your sake.

Jin Wikyung looked down at the fallen youngest with boundless tenderness and spoke.

“I’ll be going now.”

But Jin Mukyung was not about to let him leave like that.

“Where are you going alone? Take that kid with you. I can’t live with him.”

“It’s ten days. Can’t you endure that much?”

“I stopped at this much today out of respect for you. If you insist, call an undertaker tomorrow.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. So taking him with you right now would be better for him, too.”

“If that is truly what you want…”

Jin Wikyung nodded and continued.

“Then do so.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Do as you wish.”

After tossing out that one sentence, Jin Wikyung turned and began walking away.

Imagining what expression Jin Mukyung must be wearing, he let out a quiet laugh.

This will be good experience for you, too.

This uncomfortable arrangement was not only for the youngest.

Geniuses were always lonely. Jin Wikyung had no doubt that the two geniuses would greatly spur each other on.

“Get up, you bastard!”

Whack!

“…”

Jin Wikyung had to suppress the urge to look back the entire way home.

“Are you awake?”

“…”

“I know you’re awake. Answer me.”

“…”

“I’ll give you one last chance. If you’re not up by the time I count to three, this training hall will be your grave.”

“…”

“One, two.”

Bastard. He counts ridiculously fast.

I quietly got up and stretched.

“Whew, I slept well.”

I casually turned my head and found Jin Mukyung glaring at me.

The moment I saw that face, yesterday’s memories came flooding back.

A man without blood or tears. A bastard who deserved to be beaten to death.

I addressed him in a nonchalant voice.

“Oh? Hyung-nim. When did you get here?”

“…Just now.”

Seeing Jin Mukyung smack his lips with disappointment, I decided that switching to formal speech had been a stroke of genius. If he found even one thing to nitpick, he was the type to beat me like a dog.

Fuck… Being weak is a sin. A sin.

I had my pride, too. But in an unarmed fight, I could not beat Jin Mukyung even if I died and came back to life.

While that bastard had been learning systematic fist and kicking techniques, I had been watching UFC matches. He was not someone I could overcome through sheer stubbornness.

That was why I had chosen Logout as a last resort.

Of course, it had failed spectacularly.

You can’t Logout during combat? What kind of ridiculous rule is that?

They could have told me beforehand. I had charged in without knowing and nearly logged out of life.

I cast a sidelong glance at Jin Mukyung.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Me?”

At his icy tone, I made my eyes look as bright and innocent as possible.

Now I even had to watch how I looked at him if I wanted one less beating.

“You… Hah. Be careful.”

“Yes, Hyung-nim.”

Jin Mukyung looked displeased by my sudden politeness. But he could hardly hit me just for having good manners.

“About yesterday…”

I quickly bowed my head.

“It was my fault. I was making so much noise while you were training. I deserved to get hit.”

“No, hey.”

“Oh, no. Your hand must hurt from hitting me yesterday. Would you like me to blow on it?”

“You’re completely insane.”

Jin Mukyung looked as though he was debating whether to hit me, but eventually gave up and lowered his fist.

“Enough. Follow me.”

“…Where?”

“The training hall.”

Retract what I said earlier. He planned to beat me in the training hall.

There was no way he could turn my room into a wasteland again, after all.

Seeing my expression stiffen, Jin Mukyung clicked his tongue.

“It’s not that. Follow me. Training starts today.”

“Training?”

“Yes. I’ll tear apart your horrible martial arts and rebuild them from the beginning.”

The man who had beaten me senseless every time he saw me was suddenly offering to help me train? And he was even carving out time from his own schedule?

I’d sooner believe that the Demon King Asmodeus had repented.

Perhaps he noticed the suspicion in my eyes, because Jin Mukyung let out a deep sigh.

“Hyung came by yesterday.”

“Ah.”

His personality might have been foul, but he had a clear sense of rank and propriety. If Jin Wikyung had personally asked him, the current situation made sense.

“There are several empty buildings. Why do you think he sent you to me? Damn it. I should have refused from the beginning.”

…I suppose he really did not want to teach me.

But I desperately needed his help. If nothing else, there had to be some use for learning even one decent fist-and-kicking technique from him.

“Please teach me.”

Jin Mukyung shook his head.

“Think before you speak. Meeting my standards will be difficult. If you’re going to give up as soon as things become hard, quit now.”

If I had given up every time things became difficult, I would never have made it this far.

“I want to become stronger.”

Perhaps he sensed the sincerity in my voice. After staring at me for a long time, he finally opened his mouth.

“Come out to the training hall.”

Ding.

System

Quest

Trial? Training?

Train under Jin Mukyung’s guidance for the designated period. No matter how strong you become, the Quest will fail if Jin Mukyung is not satisfied!

Grade: Peak

Restriction: Jin Taekyung

Mission: Jin Mukyung’s recognition (Incomplete)

Reward: ???

Failure: ???

Time Remaining: 9 days 23 hours 51 minutes 10 seconds

Jin Mukyung’s recognition.

It was an abstract mission, but I was confident enough. If I combined the System’s cheat-like advantages with my own effort, I could grow so quickly that Jin Mukyung’s eyes would pop out.

I can do this.

That was when I was steeling my resolve.

“Oh, right. You use a spear, don’t you?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Bring that with you, too.”

Jin Mukyung was a swordsman. Naturally, I had assumed he would primarily teach me fist techniques. Puzzled, I cautiously asked:

“Why the spear all of a sudden…?”

“Train as if it were real combat. Haven’t you heard that saying?”

Jin Mukyung smiled brightly and added:

“I even got Hyung’s permission. He said he doesn’t mind if we have to call an undertaker.”

I stared blankly at his back as he walked away with light, cheerful steps. At last, I managed to open my mouth.

“…Logout.”

Beep.

System

• Logout is restricted during this Quest.

Fuck.