Chapter 19: Beginning life in the Guiyeongdang.

Our faction in Cheonsalgok exists solely thanks to my master.

After the destruction of Shaolin, the head of the valley discovered my master wandering around, and that’s said to be how it all began.

Later, as elite assassins contracted with my master one by one, a faction naturally formed.

And now, that I, the only disciple of Grandmaster Guhyeong, have become the leader of this faction… it might have been an inevitable step.

I’m only realizing this now.

No, actually, I knew it all along.

I just didn’t want to step up.

I was afraid that I, a second-rate martial artist, would have to face first-rate martial artists.

In terms of skill, they were far above me.

But… they won’t be able to treat me carelessly.

In this era, tormenting a man, especially a pretty boy like me, goes against the unspoken rules of the martial arts world.

So, let’s be confident.

Let’s be a little arrogant.

Yes, I will fight back like a leader.

“At least our Cheonga won an award based on her own merit.

Me too.

Unlike someone who won an award based on their background.”

I covered my mouth with my hand and smirked slightly.

A kind of expression that villainous young ladies in anime or novels from my past life often wore.

Since this world is one where men and women are reversed, this kind of thing should suit me.

Suddenly, I had this thought.

What if this place wasn’t a martial arts world, but a fantasy world?

Wouldn’t I probably have blonde hair in a bun?

I might be walking around in a bright red dress with a lace parasol, laughing ‘Huhu.’

Come to think of it, what I’m doing now and back then… is strangely similar.

The only difference is that the stage isn’t a Western-style mansion, but the martial arts world.

Huhu.

But Hwangwol shattered my imagination in one blow.

“Are you even proud of not having a background? Considering you’re from a s*ave background.”

Hwangwol’s words caused the surroundings to fall silent instantly.

That’s right.

Immediately after possessing this world, I wasn’t some dignified villainous young master, but just a s*ave.

It was a story everyone knew but couldn’t dare to utter.

Breaking the tense silence, a murmur spread.

It started as a small whisper, but soon angry voices mixed in.

Hwangwol’s words were akin to breaking a taboo.

Even the kids from their faction glanced at Hwangwol with expressions that seemed to say, ‘Was it really necessary to go that far?’

Especially our faction’s reaction was fierce.

Those who followed me were furious that Hwangwol’s remarks were disrespectful.

As open hostility erupted from everywhere, I kept a close eye on the situation.

Especially NanCheong’s condition was unusual.

Her fists were trembling, white-knuckled.

But I remained calm.

Just as NanCheong was about to step forward, I raised my hand to stop her.

I slowly closed and opened my eyes.

“So what if I was?”

I raised my head and said.

“What?”

Hwangwol glared at me.

“Without a background, you’re just another ordinary woman.”

“How dare you… a lowly s*ave like you…”

“Lowly s*ave?

I’m a harmonious body loved by the heavens.

On top of that, I have a Martial Bone, and I’m an incredibly handsome boy.”

‘Do you think that’s something to be proud of?’

“Of course~ You might have received love from your parents, but I received love from the heavens.

So, wouldn’t that make me better than you?”

Hwangwol’s eyes gleamed coldly.

That cold gaze was staring at me like a venomous snake, but I simply smiled and gracefully walked past her.

As if ignoring a mere bug, or as if she didn’t exist at all.

As I passed, I deliberately bumped my shoulder slightly against hers.

As if it were a mistake.

With that momentary contact, I sent a subtle internal energy, and as expected, her status window unfolded before my eyes.

[Name: Hwangwol]
[Age: 16]
[Talent Grade: B]
[Realm: First-Rate Early (0%)]
[State: Virgin]
[Stats: Strength: 60 Agility: 60 Internal Energy: 65 Combat Skill: 41 Durability: 60]

Since awakening the status window, I’ve made several attempts to utilize it.

As a result, I learned a few important facts.

That I can grasp the opponent’s status with just a little internal energy.

But this only works on women.

And that those called Martial Bone all have a talent grade of C or higher.

In other words, she also had a Martial Bone.

But it was a step lower compared to me and NanCheong.

My talent and appearance are both victories.

“Tch, you can put on a show of pride, but you’re just a second-rate bum.

I’m a first-rate martial artist.

When will you or your subordinate reach my realm?

20 years old?

Or maybe 25?

That’s the difference in talent.”

That’s why I sneered inwardly while listening to her words.

The talent grade B status window was still vivid.

In comparison, me and NanCheong were A.

Despite that, why is her realm higher than NanCheong’s?

She just grew up in a good environment.

The contents of her status window were also suspicious.

The realm stat shown in the status window, ‘First-Rate Early (0%)’
And that low combat skill.

In the game, this stat configuration meant only one thing.

“And did you perhaps… raise your realm with a spirit medicine?”

At my words, Hwangwol’s face turned red instantly.

I could read the answer from her appearance, her earlobes bright red.

In the past, in the game, using spirit medicine would raise your realm, but your combat skill wouldn’t keep up.

That’s exactly the state Hwangwol was showing now.

“Wh-wh-what are you talking about?”

Her stammering voice trembled.

Even her fingertips were trembling slightly.

She tried to hide it, but her flustered expression and pale complexion were telling everything.

She’s just a kid trying to act strong.

“I knew it.”

The corners of my lips lifted slightly at the satisfaction of hitting her weakness accurately.

“Do you have evidence?”

At Hwangwol’s sharp question, I hesitated for a moment.

I couldn’t reveal the cheat key called the status window.

But there was another way.

“It’s just that your combat skill seems inferior compared to other first-rate martial artists.”

Of course, I’ve never seen her wielding a sword once.

In the first place, I don’t really care about her.

She’s just annoying.

But I spoke calmly, as if I had been observing her for a long time.

“That’s because I’m young!”

Her voice rose an octave.

There was impatience in it.

“Is that so…”

I tilted my head as if lost in thought.

“What do you mean ‘is that so’?”

“The supreme masters I know, you see…”

“What?

The supreme masters you know?”

“Yeah. My master and mistress. They said that even if they reached the first-rate realm faster than others, their skills were higher than older first-rate masters.”

“That’s… that’s…”

“Of course. Because they’re prodigies with that level of skill, that’s why they rise at a young age, right?”

I recited the last sentence especially slowly, meaningfully.

Hwangwol’s face turned even redder.

Various whispers could be heard from the surroundings.

“Come to think of it, Hwangwol is weaker than other first-rate masters…”

“No, it’s because of her age!”

“But her skills seem similar to last year…”

“If it’s because of her age, shouldn’t she be improving by leaps and bounds day by day?”

The murmur grew louder and louder.

Hwangwol’s face grew paler and paler.

Each word was cracking her pride.

The fact that there was no growth even after a year was as good as conclusive evidence of using spirit medicine.

“Be quiet, you guys!”

At Hwangwol’s sharp shout, the surroundings fell silent instantly.

“My master said. If you forcibly raise your realm with medicine, it’s much more difficult to advance to the next realm. Yet, the fact that 4th Master raised your realm with medicine means that your talent isn’t as good as you say.”

I naturally mixed the knowledge from the game as if it were my master’s words.

After all, she couldn’t run to my master and confirm it.

“Rather, they say that if you raise your realm with spirit medicine, there are cases where you can’t go beyond that realm… Perhaps you might stay in the first-rate realm for life.”

I added a subtle lie on top of the truth.

At my words, Hwangwol’s face turned white for a moment.

“Wh-where did you hear such a thing? Don’t say such nonsense!”

“Uung… judging by how you’re reacting, it seems like you really broke through to that realm with spirit medicine.”

“I did eat spirit medicine, but it wasn’t to break through the realm, but to stabilize it.”

Hwangwol desperately made excuses, but I didn’t miss the chance to catch her words.

“Even though that’s the case, your skills are the same as they were a year ago?

If it was properly stabilized, it would have increased rapidly.

Did you perhaps eat fake spirit medicine?”

“No, it was a hundred-year-old Hasuo!”

At that moment, I twisted my lips and smiled.

She realized what she had said and covered her mouth.

But it was already too late.

She had admitted herself that she had used spirit medicine to raise her realm.

Hwangwol’s hand flew towards me.

I was briefly flustered by the sudden action.

The moment I thought it was too late to dodge, NanCheong grabbed her wrist.

“Please calm down.”

NanCheong’s calm voice could be heard.

But the murmuring around grew louder and louder.

“She really raised her realm with spirit medicine…”

“So that’s why her skills didn’t improve.”

Those kinds of voices were especially loud in our faction.

Even in Hwangwol’s faction, there wasn’t a voice denying it.

Hwangwol looked around with dazed eyes.

At that moment, the classroom door opened silently.

Following that, a man appeared.

He was a tall, lean man.

The air in the classroom froze instantly at his appearance.

“There’s too much noise.”

The surroundings fell silent at once at that voice that couldn’t be read with emotions.

No. 16.

One of the only two men among Cheonsalgok’s elite assassins, and an instructor at the Guiyeongdang.

“Making such a fuss before class starts.

And in my class, of all things.”

There was no special emotion in that voice.

But that emotionless voice was even scarier.

Rumor had it that he had been in a bad mood recently.

The reason was simple.

The one who was 16th among the 17 elite assassins was executed for betrayal, and Yuha, the older sister who was 17th, was promoted to 12th, becoming the lowest among the elite assassins.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was weak.

He was the lowest, but that was only in the ranking among supreme masters.

He was a skilled person who couldn’t even be compared to the young martial artists in this classroom.

“We greet the instructor!”

Instantly, the atmosphere of the classroom changed.

All the students, including me and Hwangwol, who had been glaring at each other until just now, greeted in one voice.

No matter how fierce the factional strife was, they couldn’t help but show respect in front of No. 16.

No. 16 nodded with an indifferent expression.

His gaze slowly swept across the classroom.

He seemed to be evaluating each and every one of us as if he were choosing an object.

“This class is mostly trash.”

A cold evaluation fell.