Chapter 12: What is a Teacher?

The relationship between a master and disciple is deeply connected to the Confucian philosophy of ancient Chinese society.

It is often said that the ruler, master, and father are one and the same.

This means that the grace of the ruler, the master, and the father is equal, and ultimately, it suggests that a disciple should revere their master as they would their father.

In other words, the relationship between a master and disciple is not a temporary one.

“一Even if you are a master for just one day,

You should treat your master like a father for a lifetime.

In other words, the master and the father are on the same level!

Moreover, it is the child’s duty to care for the parents.

What does that mean?

It means that a disciple must support their master for their entire life!

If a disciple dares to deceive or insult their master,

They would immediately be excommunicated from the sect, and it’s considered a severe crime, cheating a master and destroying the clan, resulting in the disciple being punished by severing their tendons and cutting off their meridians, leaving them unable to cultivate martial arts and cast out as a cripple.

Rebelling against one’s master is considered even more severe than treason or collaboration with the enemy.

Even if the disciple deceives their master and successfully escapes, they will become an outlaw in the martial world, hunted for the rest of their life.

This is what I learned over the years while being reincarnated and rolling through this life.

“Do you wish to become my disciple?”

When I first heard those words, I could not easily answer.

To become a disciple is almost like becoming one body with the master!

The master’s enemies are my enemies.

My enemies are the master’s enemies.

This means we share each other’s grievances and grudges!

At that moment, some conversations I overheard while begging on the streets flashed through my mind.

“To become a disciple? That kid is about to face a hard road.”

“Huh? Is being a disciple that tough?”

“Ha, if they show potential, they might get a bit of martial arts training, like picking up scraps. But if not, they will end up as nothing more than a servant for the rest of their life. If a war breaks out between sects, they’ll be used as cannon fodder and die.”

“…But at least they’ll learn martial arts, right?”

“Yeah, but do they just teach you? It’s not like you get in and immediately learn the skills. Even if you enter the sect, you won’t immediately get to the inner circle. And even if you get to the inner circle, you won’t get taught the techniques right away. You’ll have to wag your tail like a dog for years just to earn the right to learn a few moves.”

At that moment, I shuddered.

If one has enough patience and ambition, this opportunity might be a lucky chance.

But what about me?

I have no patience, and I don’t have enough ambition either.

My ambition is only money, and I don’t see how following this guy would lead to making money.

Of course, if this were a game, I would have accepted the offer without hesitation.

But is this a game?

This is reality.

In a game, you could unlock martial arts with a simple “click,” but this isn’t something to make a decision on so easily.

“What should I do?”

I need to think carefully about my answer.

After all, the old man in front of me is one of the top ten martial masters in the world, a martial artist belonging to a righteous sect.

Simply saying “Stop!” or “No, I’m scared, I don’t care about martial arts!” will only fuel his curiosity.

Quietly, I asked:

“You already have disciples, don’t you?”

“Ho, how do you know that?”

“I heard the story.”

I don’t know exactly who it is.

There was a disciple from the lower family, and I only knew that he died one day.

After the disciple’s death, Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign slowly began to fall into corruption.

At some point, he started being called “Salgi,” and midway through the story, there is a brief appearance of Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign in Ilwoldaesan, dominating with unmatched power.

Until the end, the identity of the lower family disciple was never revealed.

The only thing the entire martial world was moved by was Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign’s deep love for his disciple, so furious that he couldn’t hold back when the disciple died.

At that moment, Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign slowly approached, carefully watching Cheongun.

Then he placed his palm on Cheongun’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

“I’ll be honest. You, a kid who hasn’t even reached maturity, have already reached the peak stage, so your talent is truly remarkable. But that’s not all. Since there are no signs of old martial scars, it’s clear that you reached this level without a proper teacher. You’re a once-in-a-lifetime martial genius.”

“Well, that’s true.”

Cheongun nodded with satisfaction, feeling proud of himself.

All those achievements were worth it after pouring all the stat points into his stats.

“And your skills are so pure. The martial arts you’ve learned on your own, surely they’re Taoist techniques of the highest order.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course! Do you know the name of the divine skill you’ve learned?”

“The Heaven-Earth Primordial Unity Art.”

“Ho, a technique that gathers the energy of heaven and earth into one! The principle of unifying heaven and earth in Taoism is very similar to the root teachings of Taeeul!”

Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign seemed so excited that he was practically hopping around.

“This is fate, not a mere encounter, but a connection formed through understanding.”

“Huh?”

“I swear on my honor. Become my disciple. I will pass on my martial arts and Tao to you for life.”

“Can’t you just give it to me?”

“Would that work?”

Cheongun thought that Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign was truly persistent.

He wasn’t some beautiful young woman, and yet this old man was so obsessed, it was a bit of a hassle.

Cheongun replied firmly.

“No.”

“Why not?!”

“Because it’s a bother.”

“Get out of here! That’s a ridiculous thing to say!”

This was bad.

Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign’s obsession with disciples was legendary.

Cheongun, young and talented, was like a priceless treasure to Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign.

Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign crossed a one-foot (about 30cm) gap and blocked Cheongun’s way.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“No, move aside!”

“You may reach the peak easily, but do you think you can go any further without a teacher? Beyond the peak, you need realization to go further!”

“I know that.”

“Knowing it and rejecting such an opportunity! How often do you get a chance like this?”

“I’ll manage somehow. I’m a genius.”

“Heh, little brat.”

Crimson Knight Sword Sovereign followed Cheongun.

“Why are you following me?”

“Following? We’re just going the same way.”

“Coercion is violence, you know.”

“Shall I show you real violence?”

“…”

Cheongun’s strong determination to go his own way was evident.

He sighed deeply and headed back to Cheongseongsan Mountain.

****

The Spy Has Been Caught.

And not just any spy— one sent by the Demonic Sect!

But the person who caught the spy, none other than Cheongun, has disappeared.

“Hah…”

Namgung Yul briefly reflected on his relationship with Cheongun.

He was a benefactor— one who had saved his life.

He even caught the spy that no one else had noticed, in an instant.

He had saved everyone from danger.

He owed so much.

And yet, to think he had wasted his time just because he couldn’t pay him the promised sum of gold on time. It was truly shameful.

He felt deeply guilty about it and had been on his way to deliver the reward to his brother promptly.

But now, Cheongun had disappeared.

‘Ah, do you mean that person? I remember he was last in the underground gold vault.’

Namgung Yul rushed to the underground vault in a panic.

Thud! Thud!

The sound of his heart pounding echoed in his ears.

Cheongun, who had been lounging around the house all day without rest since he joined as a servant, had suddenly disappeared in the dead of night?

Perhaps he had fallen for the spy’s crafty methods.

Of course, that was unlikely, but still, there was a gnawing worry in her heart.

However…

“???”

When Namgung Yul arrived at the gold vault, the single spy had now turned into two.

He asked Baek Seol, who was lying next to Hong Soyeon, rolling around on the floor.

“Who are you?”

“Can’t you tell? I’m a spy.”

“A spy should be only one person.”

“Ta-da, now there are two. Is that good enough?”

Baekseol dug in her ear with a finger, then blew on it.

“Where is Cheong Daehyup?”

“How should I, someone locked in the gold vault, know that?”

It was a lie.

Baek Seol knew.

She was the one who had given Cheongun the location.

However, she pretended not to know because she had threatened him, saying she would close his meridians if he spoke carelessly.

“He was last in the gold vault, so how can it be that you don’t know where he is?”

“Is it hard to believe? Right, Hong Sajeo?”

“Of course, Baek Samma. It’s always like this—those righteous sect people are the worst at stubbornly insisting on things.”

“Haha! Making such a fuss over one missing man.”

Hong Soyeon stuffed her mouth full of wall-breaking pills, the finest human feed in the Central Plains, and chewed noisily, while Baek Seol rolled around laughing.

Namgung Yul blinked in disbelief.

How could they be so nonchalant when they were locked up?

He asked a few more times, but their answers remained unchanged.

Namgung Yul left the gold vault and spent the entire night searching for Cheongun.

Of course, he found nothing.

What’s worse, after wandering around all night without rest, he felt dizzy and nauseous.

While a master like Cheongun wouldn’t easily fall into danger, he couldn’t shake his worry.

Just then, while aimlessly circling the entrance to Cheongseong Mountain,

“Cheong Daehyup!”

In the distance, he saw Cheongun walking toward him.

How incredibly relieving!

Namgung Yul instinctively activated his martial arts and rushed toward him.

In his hurry, his energy surged, making his blood feel hot.

But Cheongun was not alone.

“…?”

There was a black silhouette following behind him.

The figure slowly became clearer.

An elderly man with white hair, stroking his beard, was following Cheongun.

Namgung Yul recognized the old man.

How could he not?

“…Master?”

The Black Night Sword Lord, Jin Museong.

Namgung Yul was his adopted disciple.