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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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The next day.
I woke up early and prepared to go out.
“I’m finally doing something that feels truly martial arts-like!”
It felt a bit late, but it couldn’t be helped. I hadn’t had the means to learn martial arts before. Learning martial arts required money.
Now that I finally had the financial means, it was time to learn martial arts.
This really felt like I was in a martial arts world.
“Hehehe.”
The thought of investing in myself brought a smile to my face. Yes. Starting today, I would invest my money in martial arts.
If I learned martial arts and became stronger, hunting demons would become easier. And what would that mean? I could earn more money.
If I earned a lot of money, I could eat delicious meals every day and sleep in better inns. It was obvious that my life would become more comfortable.
But those were secondary benefits.
“Survival.”
Above all else, survival.
To survive for a long time in this martial arts world, so different from modern Earth, I needed martial arts. How long could a powerless commoner stand on their own two feet?
That thought filled me with a sense of mission, a conviction that I had to learn martial arts no matter what. My heart burned with passion. Yes, martial arts. From today, martial arts were all that mattered. From today, I was Kim Geun-hyeop, a martial artist.
Transcendent?
Once I learned martial arts, I could reach the Earthly Realm, and even ascend to immortality.
In the past, I had been a historical drama extra, nurturing dreams of becoming an actor, but now everything would change.
Change. Change. Change everything.
Change everything except my wife. (Which I don’t have.)
It made no sense to come to the martial world and not learn martial arts.
From today, I was a martial artist!
“Waiter!”
I went downstairs and called out energetically to the waiter.
“Yes!”
“One order of dumplings and one bowl of noodles, please!”
“30 mun.”
“Here… Oh, and also…”
I slipped the waiter an extra coin and asked,
“Do you happen to know of any places nearby where I can learn martial arts?”
To learn martial arts, I first had to find a place that taught them.
Generally, such places were sects or martial arts schools. There were famous sects, weren’t there? I knew of the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans. The Mount Hua Sect, the Wudang Sect, and so many others.
But joining such places was out of the question.
Famous sects were no different from the hidden prestigious academies of Gangnam. To enter, one needed talent, connections, and a lot of money.
I knew I couldn’t get into a place like that in my current state.
But those weren’t the only places that taught martial arts in this world. Naturally, there had to be places in this town as well.
That’s where I was headed.
Did I expect to join a famous sect and learn high-level martial arts? Right now, I could only learn basic martial arts.
And for now, that was enough.
“Sir, are you thinking of learning martial arts?”
“I’ve become interested. Ah, of course, I don’t have the money to join a famous sect. A regular place would be good.”
“Hmm… Then how about trying the White Sword Martial Arts School? It’s quite well-known around here.”
“White Sword Martial Arts School?”
I listened to the waiter’s more detailed explanation.
The White Sword Martial Arts School was apparently a small school that taught basic martial arts.
Like a neighborhood taekwondo studio.
“Exactly the kind of place I’m looking for! I’ll head over there!”
“Certainly, sir.”
This was exciting.
Still, I didn’t know what the White Sword Martial Arts School would actually be like.
Since I wasn’t planning to work today anyway, I’d go check it out myself.
If I liked it, I’d register and learn martial arts. If not, no big deal. I could just find another place.
“Your dumplings and noodles are here!”
“Hmm.”
I needed to fill my stomach, as I might be doing some strenuous work.
Even though it lacked the proper balance of nutrients, this would be enough to satiate my hunger. I wanted some meat, but I didn’t know how much it would cost to learn martial arts.
Even though my pockets were currently somewhat full, I was about to make an investment.
I needed to save money.
“Kugh!”
I devoured the food as usual and left the inn.
Time to head to the White Sword Martial Arts School!
As I walked and gathered information, I learned that the White Sword Martial Arts School was quite reputable in this town.
A good reputation meant good results. Unlike the modern world, there were no fake reviews here. The reputation people spoke of could generally be trusted.
“The building seems quite large.”
The main gate of the White Sword Martial Arts School was quite large. Judging by the surrounding walls, the grounds seemed quite spacious.
Yes.
A martial arts school should have this kind of presence.
Knock, knock, knock.
I knocked on the door, waited about three seconds, and then opened it.
“Is anyone there?”
“Haaaaaaaaap!”
“Hup!”
As soon as I entered, I was greeted by energetic shouts.
“Ooh.”
I saw students, shirtless, practicing forms in unison. This reminded me of when I used to learn taekwondo.
There were always strange guys there making strange noises while performing strange kicks.
And the strange instructor would stretch the kids’ legs.
Seeing quite a few people here early in the morning suggested that this was a decent school.
“What brings you here?”
“Ah.”
A man in a neat dobok approached me. He seemed to be an instructor at this school.
“I’ve come for a consultation about registering. Are you an instructor?”
“Ah! Follow me!”
I followed the instructor into the grounds.
The layout consisted of a training ground in the center and the school building at the front. It resembled a military base.
We entered the first floor of the school building.
“Please have a seat there.”
I sat down as instructed. Was this instructor going to handle the consultation?
“You saw the students training just now, right? You must have seen the instructor teaching them.”
“He had an impressive physique.”
“That’s Master Hong Sa-hyeok, who will be teaching martial arts.”
“Hong Sa-hyeok! Could it be the…!”
I had never heard that name in my life, but I pretended to be surprised and called out the name, and the instructor grinned.
“As expected, you recognize him. He’s a renowned martial artist known as the Red-Faced Swordsman. He’s also my father.”
“The Red-Faced Swordsman!”
Was this a family-run martial arts school?
He explained further that there were two instructors, with the headmaster being his father, and other children of the instructors, like the man in front of me, assisting with the school’s operations.
“The headmaster is a Peak Master, and the instructors are First-Rate Masters.”
“As expected! There’s a reason why the White Sword Martial Arts School is so renowned!”
“Hahaha, indeed.”
I played along, expressing my admiration while thinking to myself.
I didn’t know the exact ranking system yet…
These settings varied in every martial arts story.
If I considered myself Third-Rate, I definitely couldn’t beat a First-Rate. And a Peak Master was considered quite strong in martial arts stories.
Seemed worth learning?
“The instructors’ skills seem beyond doubt. Now, before I register, I’d like to hear a more detailed explanation. Could you tell me what martial arts are taught, how much is taught, and the costs involved? I’ll decide whether to register after hearing that.”
I’d make my decision after hearing everything.
“A sensible man, indeed.”
He proceeded to explain.
“If you have no prior experience in martial arts or your skills are rudimentary, you’ll be enrolled in the beginner class.”
“Beginner class!”
“The beginner class meets four times a week. One shichen of martial arts instruction in either the morning or afternoon. The students you saw training just now are in the beginner class. They’re all learning the basics of martial arts.”
One shichen was roughly two hours.
Four days a week meant a total of eight hours a week. That was like going to the gym. It was tough, but I could handle it.
And there were morning and evening classes.
I could attend the morning class when working at night, and the evening class when working during the day.
It seemed they considered the schedules of beginners who usually had other jobs.
I saw about a few dozen people earlier. Would they all be my classmates?
“But seeing your physique… have you trained in martial arts before?”
“Ah, I’ve trained my body for health, but I’ve never learned formal martial arts.”
I’d start by learning the basics in the beginner class.
“I see. The tuition for the beginner class is 200 mun per week.”
“200 mun!”
They were charging this exorbitant amount for eight hours of group lessons per week!
Martial arts were expensive, indeed!
“You seem surprised. But we teach four different martial arts in the beginner class, so it’s not that expensive.”
“Four!”
They taught four martial arts?
“That’s right. The beginner class covers the most basic external skill, Horse Stance Tendon Strengthening, the most basic fist technique, Six Harmonies Fist, an easy-to-learn mental cultivation method, Primordial Qi Cultivation, and the basics of swordsmanship, Three Talents Sword Technique.”
“Ooh…!”
That was a lot!
Horse Stance Tendon Strengthening!
Six Harmonies Fist!
Primordial Qi Cultivation!
Three Talents Sword Technique!
They sounded like basic martial arts just from their names!
But the thought of learning them made my heart race.
Even if they were basic, if I mastered them, I could slaughter those monsters.
“I’ll register! Explain these martial arts to me right now!”
“Tuition is paid upfront.”
“Here!”
As I took the money from my pouch and handed it to the instructor…
Stare.
His gaze changed.
“Use honorifics from now on. I’m your instructor.”
What a nerve!
But he was right.
“Understood. My name is Geun-hyeop. How should I address you?”
“Call me Senior Brother. Ah, my name is Hong Min-gi.”
Was that the correct way to address him?
Well… He was the instructor’s son, so I guess it was fine. This wasn’t like joining a sect; it was like signing up for taekwondo, but this wasn’t modern Earth.
If someone taught you something, they were your teacher, and if you learned from them, you belonged to them. The culture and social norms were different here, so I had to adapt.
“Understood! Senior Brother!”
“Good. Geun-hyeop, you’ll be taught by Master Hong Sa-hyeok, a First-Rate Master.”
“Yes!”
He was his father, right?
“Let me explain the class structure. Since you’re in the beginner class, you’ll start with external skill training to balance your body and develop your muscles. Then, you’ll learn mental cultivation to prepare your body to receive internal energy.”
“Ooh…!”
Develop muscles and learn mental cultivation to receive internal energy?
The explanation alone sounded very professional.
“But you seem to have a good physique and said you’ve trained before, so that period might be shorter for you. Once you’ve learned Primordial Qi Cultivation, you’ll learn Six Harmonies Fist to improve your movements, and then Three Talents Sword Technique to build a foundation in swordsmanship. Understand?”
“Yes!”
“Since it’s your first day, I, a Second-Rate Master, will give you a general overview. Starting tomorrow, come at the designated time and participate in the group class.”
So, I just had to join the group exercises in the training ground. I asked what would happen if I didn’t come, and he said it was my responsibility.
Meaning no refunds.
“Let’s go out. I’ll give you an overview of the martial arts you’ll be learning.”
“Yes!”
I followed Senior Brother out to the training ground.
This was incredibly exciting.
What if I discovered a hidden talent for martial arts and suddenly became a Transcendent or Earthly Realm master, just bam bam boom boom?
This was a crazy world…!
Welcome to the Martial arts world!
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