The first time he heard the noisy voice, Cheon U-ha went out to look—and found a middle-aged warrior he'd never seen in the guild before training the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild's fighters.
Curious about what was going on, he stayed to watch…
'What a mess.'
Their swords and their steps were completely out of sync. Many of them couldn't even keep their balance and fell flat. The skill of the guild's warriors had always been limited, but this was unbearable to watch.
The real, fatal problem was…
'The sword techniques don't match the footwork.'
The swordplay they were using emphasized heaviness, while the footwork emphasized lightness. In the first place, those were incompatible. Teaching such mismatched forms to men barely better than ordinary people could only result in this disaster.
'That fellow's doing?'
Cheon U-ha's eyes shifted to the man leading the training. The guild's warriors had always practiced basic sword drills suitable for group combat. For them to suddenly be using such footwork could only mean someone new had intervened.
Just as Cheon U-ha's eyes narrowed with curiosity at the instructor's back—
"Young master!"
A familiar voice called to him from the distance.
"Yeong-seon?"
Running toward him was a large, broad-shouldered man—one of the guild's warehouse workers. Thanks to his open and sociable nature, he had been friendly with Cheon U-ha since childhood.
Reaching his side, Yeong-seon glanced toward the instructor and whispered.
"Young master, what are you doing here?"
"Watching training."
"Th-that… you can't be here. Please, go back."
"Why not?"
"That man over there is the great hero Cho Mu-do. The guild master invited him specially. If you watch the training carelessly and cause offense, it could be a disaster!"
"Cause offense? I'm the young master."
"Uh… well, that's true, but still…"
Flustered by the boy's reply, Yeong-seon bent close and whispered into his ear.
"Even so, being careful won't hurt. He's said to be a martial master—what if he's frightening?"
"…A master?"
…That one?
Cheon U-ha muttered incredulously at Yeong-seon's words. But then he remembered the limits of warriors that could be bought with money and clicked his tongue, turning away.
"Fine, I'll go."
"Yes. Wise choice, young master."
He'd wanted to tell them to train properly, but even if he did, it was unlikely they'd understand. Even the instructors of the Heukcheon Clan hadn't understood him before—how could this second-rate nobody?
'It would only be a headache if I step in.'
This wasn't a warrior clan; there was no reason to go out of his way to make the guild's fighters stronger. With that, he left without a backward glance.
"Mmm…"
"…"
"Uh… so then…"
Cheon U-ha pressed a hand to his forehead, struggling to recall.
Seeing him falter, Go Seok-jeong picked up the switch he'd set aside on the floor.
At that moment—
"Ah! Sehan yeonhu ji songbaek ji hujo ya! (歲寒然後 知松柏之後彫也)"
"…"
"Whew…"
As the correct words slipped out just in time, Go Seok-jeong lowered the switch and asked,
"What does that mean?"
"It means: 'Only in the cold of winter does one realize the steadfastness of pine and cypress.' In other words, only in hard times can one distinguish between a petty man and a gentleman."
"…Hm. It seems you haven't been entirely lazy."
Despite his stern tone, a soft smile touched Go Seok-jeong's lips, pleased that his student had done his work.
"Simply reading and memorizing words is not enough. From now on, you must read them hundreds, even thousands of times, until you grasp their depth."
"Hundreds, thousands? You must be joking."
"Does it sound like a joke?"
"It should be. I already memorized every sentence and understand the meaning. Why waste time reading it again and again?"
"You insolent brat…"
Cheon U-ha muttered in complaint, and Go Seok-jeong's eyes widened as he reached for the switch again.
Cheon U-ha quickly stepped back, standing tall and arguing.
"Am I wrong? What could be more foolish than re-reading what you already know?"
"…Good grief, this child."
Go Seok-jeong sighed. The more the boy studied, the more clever and slippery he became—using even his status as a child as a shield. For a rigid scholar like him, it made for a formidable opponent.
But he had learned over time that forcing the boy never worked. Guiding him to realize things on his own was far more effective. So he set the switch down again.
"U-ha, do you know what this is?"
He picked up a peach from the bowl by the desk—something Mi-ryeong had sent to snack on during study.
"A peach."
"Yes. A fruit called a peach. Then can you truly say you 'know' this peach?"
Cheon U-ha nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
"Shouldn't you think before answering?"
"You said yourself: to say you know what you know, and admit what you don't—that is knowledge."
Quoting the Analects back at him, Cheon U-ha made Go Seok-jeong smile despite himself.
"True. But that is why I cannot say I truly know this fruit."
"…?"
"I do not know where it was grown, whose hands it passed through to reach here, whether its flesh is soft or hard, whether it is sweet, or even when it first came to be called a peach. All I know is that people call this fruit 'peach.' Can I truly say I know it?"
"…Isn't that a bit forced?"
"Perhaps. For us, it may not matter to know a peach in such detail. But what if you were a peach farmer?"
"…?"
"Wouldn't a farmer, just by looking, know how ripe it is, how sweet, when it was harvested, and when it would spoil? Would we dare say we 'know' peaches as they do?"
Cheon U-ha fell silent.
"That is why you must strive to grasp the depth of words. To feel and understand the insight of the sages in their words—that is the scholar's attitude toward learning."
Even after Go Seok-jeong finished, Cheon U-ha stayed quiet. He felt the lesson strangely similar to the process of martial enlightenment.
At last, he raised his head and asked,
"But why must I look so deeply into everything? Even if I understand more than others, won't it only set me apart from them?"
"…That is a good question."
Go Seok-jeong smiled gently.
"But that is not for me to answer. Every scholar will give a different answer to what learning truly is. Rather than hear a half-answer from me, it is better you find your own."
Cheon U-ha slowly nodded, lost in thought. This was why he acknowledged Go Seok-jeong as a true teacher: instead of forcing his own limits on him, he left the path open for U-ha to find better answers.
It was something Sa U-myeong, in his past life among the demonic sect, had never experienced. In that world, where power was everything, no one would let a disciple rise above them.
As Cheon U-ha sank into thought, Go Seok-jeong looked at him with quiet pride.
'What a remarkable child.'
He already knew the boy wasn't some unmatched genius at scholarship. But Cheon U-ha had rare qualities: the ability to pierce unseen depths of the world, and moments of deep focus that made him forget everything around him. Traits almost never found in children his age.
At length, Go Seok-jeong rose and said,
"Well then, let's stop here today. I hear you'll soon begin martial study as well, but don't neglect your reading."
"…What did you just say?"
Snapped from his thoughts, Cheon U-ha looked up, startled.
"Will you teach me martial arts too, Master?"
"Of course not. I heard your father invited a warrior to teach you basics. Did you not know?"
"I never heard that! Who could be teaching me martial arts…?"
"That I don't know. In any case, keep your studies alongside your training."
Leaving that brief advice, Go Seok-jeong departed.
Cheon U-ha, unsettled, went straight to find Cheon Myeong-hak—praying that whoever this martial teacher was, it wasn't the person who had crossed his mind…
'…Unbelievable.'
Clad in white training clothes, a wooden sword slung over his shoulder, Cheon U-ha looked at the sight before him in disbelief.
Standing across from him was a sturdy man in his mid-thirties. It was none other than Cho Mu-do—the same man he had watched clumsily train the guild's warriors.
"…By the guild master's order, I will now teach the young master martial arts. From this day, I shall be your teacher. I ask for your guidance."
…So it was.
Head throbbing, Cheon U-ha remembered the conversation with his father the night before.
'Suddenly martial arts? What do you mean?'
'You're ten years old now. The right age to begin basic martial training.'
'But you always told me to just focus on studies!'
'That was because you had talent for it. But as heir to the guild, you must also be able to protect yourself. A foundation in martial arts is essential.'
'Then did you also learn martial arts, Father?'
'…Enough. Leave me now.'
'You didn't, did you? Then why only me? Studying alone is already too much.'
'Ahem… learning has its time. I am too old to start now.'
'That's just an excuse—'
'Come now, I am busy. We'll speak again another time.'
'No, Father! Father…!'
The memory made him grit his teeth.
He understood the need for martial training, but if so, couldn't they have at least found someone proper?
Letting out a long sigh, he looked up at Cho Mu-do.
'This man is to be my martial teacher?'
He had accepted Go Seok-jeong as his teacher because the man truly deserved it in learning. But martial arts were different. Even Go Geuk-hyeol, the Blood Demon of the Heukcheon Clan and one of the Four Kings, had given up trying to teach him.
And now some nameless second-rate warrior was to be his instructor?
"Young master, did you not hear me—"
"You say I must learn martial arts?"
…Impossible.
"From you? Instructor Cho Mu-do?"
Cutting him off, Cheon U-ha looked up at him, arms folded behind his back. His gaze was steady, too sharp for a ten-year-old.
Cho Mu-do frowned sternly at the boy's brazen demeanor.
"Young master, by the guild master's command I am both the guild's instructor and your teacher. Show proper respect."
"…Teacher, you say."
Cheon U-ha repeated the word slowly, then nodded.
"A teacher should be worthy of the title. But I cannot call someone teacher unless I recognize them as such. A teacher is a teacher forever. At the very least, I can't serve just anyone as one. Unless Instructor Cho proves himself capable of teaching me."
"…Heh."
Instead of anger, a faint smile touched Cho Mu-do's lips. The boy's logic and boldness amused him. And more than that…
'It is best to break their spirit early. If he wants to start like this, all the better.'
Thinking so, Cho Mu-do nodded.
"You're not wrong. Then how should I prove it?"
"That answer isn't mine to give."
Smiling meaningfully, Cheon U-ha tilted his head.
"Isn't that so?"