Chapter 7: Resolve. Sparring. (Finalized)

I slowly closed my eyes, then opened them again.

I had returned from my conversation with Zhangmun Sa-hyeong, but my mind was still tangled.

It’s only natural for disciples to find their own paths.

However, there were still things that needed to be resolved.

Was it okay to just leave things as they were?

Or should I guide them back onto the right path once more?

I stood from my seat and looked out the window.

Before dawn arrived, the darkness of night still blanketed everything.

In the past, this would’ve been the time I’d go wake up my disciples.

But yesterday’s events resurfaced in my mind.

Until just recently, waking the disciples had been one of the joys of my daily routine.

Chohee would wriggle around in her blanket, Seorin would rub her eyes as she got up, Hwaran would often sit blankly before lying back down, and Sowol, even when awakened, would fall back asleep.

But yesterday morning, all four of them were already awake and ready.

That strange feeling from then came rushing back again.

I let out a small laugh and sighed.

“I can’t leave things like this any longer.”

I had made up my mind.

It was time to set things straight.

With movements that had become second nature, I headed toward the training yard.

As always, it was time to begin morning training.

Standing in the yard, I spoke in a low but firm voice, filled with strength.

“Everyone, gather.”

My voice spread into the cool air of the night.

Before long, the disciples gathered one by one in the center of the yard.

They were neatly dressed in their training robes, and tension was clearly written on their faces.

I slowly looked over the four of them.

Seorin, Sowol, Hwaran, Chohee.

“Today will be different from usual.”

At my words, the disciples’ eyes focused on me.

“Training will be postponed for now.”

A brief silence followed.

The disciples, who had expected another round of training as always, showed subtle expressions at the unexpected announcement.

Seorin’s gaze, in particular, trembled.

She opened her mouth as if to speak but closed it tightly again.

I took a step forward.

“It’s time we talked.”

I crossed my arms and looked at the disciples.

“I know you’re hiding something. And I’m sure you also know that I’ve noticed it.”

In that moment, a subtle tension flowed as all four glanced at one another.

So they really had discussed it among themselves.

I slowly inhaled and exhaled before continuing.

“No matter what you’ve learned, no matter what martial arts you’ve practiced—even if it’s not the Azure Wind Sword Technique…”

I looked at each of the four disciples one by one, slowly and deliberately.

“I am your teacher.”

At those words, the expressions of the disciples changed.

Surprise, confusion, and a sense of relief.

Seorin bit her lip tightly.

Sowol quickly averted her gaze.

Hwaran’s pupils trembled, and Chohee took in a small, sharp breath.

I spoke again.

“There’s no need to hide it. I already know.”

Once more, the look in their eyes shifted.

I slowly began to walk, finishing my words.

“From this moment on, show me the path you’ve chosen.”

I drew my sword.

“If you wield a sword, draw your sword. If you use your fists, clench them. If you must hide, then watch me from the shadows.”

Lifting the tip of my sword lightly, I delivered my final words.

“—And before me, prove that your path is the right one.”

After all, a swordsman speaks through the sword.

I slowly raised my sword.

The cold air of dawn blended with my breath.

The disciples all lowered their stances at once.

Like a single, living organism, they exchanged glances and synced their breathing.

“Come.”

Before my words had even fully left my lips.

Seorin’s sword cut through the air, charging at me with fierce momentum.

The sharp, untamed energy of the Path of the Outlaw grazed across my skin.

Seorin’s attacks grew fiercer with every passing moment.

Right after, Sowol kicked off the ground with explosive power, leaping into my range in an instant.

The condensed inner strength gathered at her fist surged like a crashing wave.

At that very moment, from my side, a heavy, cold force rushed in from Hwaran’s fingertips.

Her inner strength was both precise and powerful.

And behind me, from the shadows—Chohee slipped silently into my blind spot.

Her presence was faint, barely noticeable, but to me, it was clear as day.

I took a slow breath and moved with the slightest motion.

My sword flowed like water, smoothly and fluidly, redirecting Seorin’s wild attack with ease.

The moment her sword sliced through the air, I lightly redirected Sowol’s fist with the back of my hand.

Her inner strength grazed my skin with a sharp jolt, but it wasn’t enough to shake me.

As Hwaran’s heavy force surged toward me, I spun the tip of my sword and unfolded a powerful ring of inner strength.

The two forces collided, resonating with a loud hum, and the shock stirred the air around us.

Then, predicting Chohee’s stealthy movement, I quickly stepped aside into a space untouched by her presence.

As if on cue, the disciples reorganized their formation, then launched a simultaneous wave of attacks.

Seorin’s strikes grew even sharper, Sowol’s movements became more agile.

Hwaran aimed precisely for my weak points, and Chohee continued to vanish and reappear behind me, targeting my openings.

I smiled once more.

The more refined their attacks became, the more my chest burned with pride.

Watching them grow beyond what I had taught, realizing things on their own—it was a joy beyond words.

But as their teacher, I still couldn’t afford to lose.

I swung my sword, clashing hard against Seorin’s blade, then immediately cut off Sowol’s movement and gently struck her wrist.

While skillfully redirecting Hwaran’s inner power, I never lost track of Chohee’s presence.

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a storm of powerful energy and sharp attacks.

I inhaled deeply and raised my sword high again.

“You’re all impressive. But you still have a long way to go!”

I struck down with my sword, pressing them harder with even faster, sharper movements.

The sparring continued without pause, until the light of dawn began to brighten the sky.

This was the moment I desired most as a teacher.

Seorin had stepped forward first, but a part of her heart felt uneasy.

She had always wanted to be the first to learn from her teacher, to be acknowledged by him.

But today, the other three showed a passion just as strong—if not stronger.

It wasn’t just from competitiveness.

It was also the fear—that the position she had always held in front might start to waver.

She wanted to be the only one to break through her teacher’s defenses, but she knew too well.

The others were thinking the same thing.

‘I have to land the first strike on Teacher.’

But Sowol was thinking the same thing.

Just before Seorin swung her sword, Sowol kicked off the ground and charged forward.

Crossing swords was Seorin’s way.

Sowol, on the other hand, planned to break the teacher’s balance by diving in faster and striking with her fists.

‘If I break Teacher’s center before Sa-jeo does, I’ll gain the upper hand in this fight—over Seorin!’

Her goal was to reach him before Seorin did.

But at that moment, Hwaran began gathering her inner strength from a position where she couldn’t be seen.

While Seorin and Sowol drew the teacher’s attention from the front,
Hwaran quietly gathered her power.

If she aimed for a single, decisive moment—
she could break through the teacher’s defense faster than anyone else.

‘I’ll be the first to land a strike in this fight.’

Chohee had already melted into the shadows.

While everyone else unleashed their full power from the front, she waited for the perfect moment.

Now that she had slipped from the teacher’s line of sight, the most advantageous position belonged to her.

‘While everyone’s making noise, it’s my role to end it with a silent, decisive blow.’

This wasn’t just a simple contest.

The four disciples were using one another—and at the same time, supporting each other.

When Seorin slashed from the front, Sowol slipped through the gap.

When Sowol threw her punch, Hwaran adjusted the flow.

When Hwaran condensed her inner strength, Chohee quietly closed in.

It was cooperation, but within it, clear competition.

Who would be the first to break through their teacher’s defense?

Seorin grit her teeth.

She couldn’t afford to be even a moment late.

As she swung her sword, she felt Sowol’s presence draw near.

Hwaran’s inner energy spread outward, and Chohee’s presence vanished completely.

‘Now!’

At the exact moment Seorin moved, Sowol, Hwaran, and Chohee moved in perfect sync.

This wasn’t just a fight— it was a single, flowing rhythm.

While the four cooperated, they each tried to outdo the others in secret.

Within that delicate balance, the fight grew ever more intense.

Even as Seorin’s sword slashed through the air, she could sense where Sowol’s fist was heading.

Their movements weren’t separate.

They moved in harmony—like dancers who had trained together for years.

But none of them had any intention of backing down.

‘My sword must strike first.’

Sowol gritted her teeth as well.

Watching Seorin’s sword fly in, she felt it too.

‘At this speed, I can reach Teacher first.’

She lowered her center of gravity as fast as she could and stomped forward.

Her inner strength, condensed into her fist, surged forward with explosive power.

Hwaran also pushed her inner strength to its peak.

Having waited patiently for her moment, she was now fully prepared to deliver the most devastating strike at the perfect time.

‘I can’t miss this moment. I’ll be the one to strike first.’

Chohee had already calculated everything.

The exact moment Seorin and Sowol launched their attacks, the instant Hwaran released her energy— she slipped into her teacher’s perfect blind spot.

‘I’ll strike during the split-second when my Sa-jeos clash.’

As Seorin’s sword sliced through the air with sharp precision, Sowol’s fist, infused with explosive inner strength, surged toward their teacher.

Their attacks—fast and fierce like bolts of lightning—rushed toward the same point at the same time.

Then, Hwaran’s inner strength erupted at the decisive moment, pressuring the space around their teacher.

And at that very instant, Chohee’s hand emerged from a completely unexpected angle.

But in the end.

Jin Un effortlessly deflected all of it.

With disarming ease, he redirected everything they had thrown at him.

And so, the sparring continued—until the sunlight of dawn broke across the sky.