Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Three months had already passed since he smashed the Hunan Branch of the Black Dao Association in a single night.

Just as the flow of time passing like the wind could not be stopped, the scenery of the manor also seemed to begin showing some changes in its flow.

The hot sun beat down as if to burn the skin, and even the blowing wind carried heat.

Now it seemed that summer had truly arrived in full force.

In the meantime, the manor had become more perfect.

The planted trees were pruned one by one, giving off a sense of grandeur. Oddly-shaped rocks of ancient feel, of unknown origin, were also visible, and a small pavilion was erected near the pond.

It was a scenery that could not even be compared to six months ago.

Along with that, there was one more thing that had changed.

Namely, the people living here.

Dan Woo-hyun looked no different from before, but the remaining two people had changed slightly. They had gained more weight than six months ago.

To the point where it would not be out of place for a pig to call them friends, as if they were people who had done nothing but eat and play.

Of course, Dan Woo-hyun had also changed.

He lay on the veranda, chewing on sweets.

Without thinking about anything, he enjoyed the years while looking at the peaceful scenery of the manor.

No matter who looked, he was an extremely comfortable, idle playboy.

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun, who was on the veranda, quietly looked at the yard.

Waddle, waddle.

Jang Sam-tae, who had gained so much weight that he could not even be compared to that agile thief of the past, was seen cleaning the yard while sweating profusely.

Although the amount of his movement was considerable, strangely, he did not lose weight. There would be only one reason. He was eating more than the amount of his movement.

Even looking at him now, he was continuously picking up and eating something while moving here and there.

“Hmm…….”

This time, he looked at another place.

Hwa So-mi was sitting on one side of the pavilion, eating sweets without a single thought. Sometimes she wore a silly smile while looking at the carp visible in the pond.

The problem was that the child had also gained a lot of weight.

Although not as much as Jang Sam-tae, it had reached a point where the word "chubby" suited her quite well.

Even the clothes she wore just three months ago no longer fit her.

How on earth did this happen?

In fact, the root of it lay precisely with Dan Woo-hyun.

“Ahem…….”

Dan Woo-hyun scratched his head.

The more starved a person was, the more they usually wanted to eat. Also, the less a person had spent money, the more they wanted to spend it as soon as they got it.

Therefore, this current situation was entirely brought about by Dan Woo-hyun.

Thanks to the money that came from the Black Dao Association, they could live a wealthy life.

There was no need to hunt or fish either.

Since they had money, they could just go and buy it.

Also, as Jang Sam-tae's cooking skills were outstanding, no matter what ingredients he brought, he created food worthy of being called a delicacy.

Thanks to that, they ate more.

There were many ingredients and the food was delicious.

Every time they stopped by the market street, they bought snacks, and before going to sleep, they ate their fill of alcohol and snacks and passed out. Although young Hwa So-mi did not touch alcohol, there was still no change in her eating, drinking, and playing.

The result of that was this.

Because they were affluent, they had become lazy.

“…….”

Dan Woo-hyun judged this to be a serious threat. Of course, he himself was fine.

Because the energy of the Thousand Days Creation Art, which naturally circulated, also played a role in discharging the bad elements invading his body.

But those two were not.

Particularly because Hwa So-mi was young, he had to put more effort into her health management.

Moreover, what if she grew up to be a fat woman and resented Dan Woo-hyun?

Ultimately, Dan Woo-hyun made up his mind and stood up from his seat.

“Both of you, come here.”

At Dan Woo-hyun's call, the two of them perked up their ears. Jang Sam-tae, who was cleaning the yard, rushed over in a hurry.

Running waddle-waddle with that fat body was truly comical.

However, Hwa So-mi hesitated, as if it was bothersome.

Even standing up seemed difficult.

Taking a heavy step, she let out a small groan. The child who used to run over with a giggle when called in the past was now walking clumsily without even running.

At that sight, Dan Woo-hyun held his head.

This was truly not it.

“From today, I will teach you martial arts, Jang Sam-tae.”

“E…… Yes?!”

Jang Sam-tae was startled.

Martial arts?

Although he had learned some self-defense as a thief's qualification, it was not as if he had a proper master, nor did he practice good martial arts.

But for a master like Dan Woo-hyun to say he would teach him martial arts, he felt like his eyes were about to roll back in spite of himself. This was a miraculous encounter among miraculous encounters.

His violently beating heart would not easily calm down.

He felt that the day he would practice strong martial arts and show off in the Central Plains was not far off. Jang Sam-tae swallowed his saliva and stared intently at Dan Woo-hyun with eyes full of desire.

Dan Woo-hyun laughed.

It seemed he had pierced through Jang Sam-tae's heart in an instant.

“Go to the market street and buy a martial arts manual.”

“……Yes?”

“Did you not hear me?”

“No…… I did hear you, but, the, the ones sold on the market street are, are martial arts that are worse than third-class……”

“That is why I told you to buy them. Does it not suit your level perfectly?”

Jang Sam-tae scowled.

‘Tch, yes. What kind of miraculous encounter would there be in my life.’

* * *

Martial arts manuals also exist in the market street. Most of them were released by the Nine Great Sects, and rather than practicing martial arts, they were for physical and mental training.

Most of them were worse than third-class martial arts, and practicing them would not even make a dent on martial artists.

Two such books lay in front of Dan Woo-hyun.

One was swordplay and one was fistplay.

“Taiji Fist and Taiji Sword……”

“Do you not know them? They belong to Wudang, one of the main pillars of the Nine Great Sects and One Association.”

“Wudang?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…….”

Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin. He felt like he had heard of it somewhere, but he did not remember it well. For that reason, brushing it aside as nothing, he began examining the manuals page by page.

“Zhang Sanfeng…… A funny name.”

“Only the Manor Lord would be able to say that.”

Jang Sam-tae broke into a cold sweat.

Because if Wudang's Daoists heard this conversation, they would surely risk their lives and draw their swords first.

That was how reverent and untouchable the name Zhang Sanfeng was.

However, Dan Woo-hyun did not care at all and turned the pages one by one, staring intently at the manual.

Whether he was reading it or just turning the pages, it was hard to tell.

“Wudang, haha.”

It seemed another interesting connection had been created.

Straightening his posture, Dan Woo-hyun looked at Jang Sam-tae and Hwa So-mi, who were standing in the middle of the training ground. Soon, he tossed the manuals and placed them in front of them.

“Try to learn them.”

“Eh?”

“I told you to try to learn them.”

Hwa So-mi trotted over and picked up a manual. Staring blankly at the words "Taiji Sword" written on it, she soon tilted her head.

She turned one page, then two. Since there were more drawings than characters on each page, it was easy to recognize for now.

“Do we follow this?”

“Yes.”

“It…… seems like it will be hard……”

“That is why I am telling you to do it.”

“Yes?”

“It is nothing.”

“…….”

Jang Sam-tae heard it clearly.

That man actually did not have the slightest intention of teaching martial arts. It was obvious he just wanted to see the two of them struggling.

“Begin.”

Even though it was only at a third-class level, Jang Sam-tae basically knew some martial arts.

Therefore, there was bound to be a clear difference between someone who had learned and someone who had not.

Hwa So-mi was an innocent child who did not even know the letter 'M' of martial arts. Since even following the drawings with her body was difficult, she sweat profusely before even one ke had passed.

On the other hand, Jang Sam-tae was relaxed.

Because he had practiced such crude martial arts in his childhood.

However, the expression of Dan Woo-hyun looking at the two of them was unusual.

He watched them intently, then soon shook his head. A small sigh even leaked from his mouth.

“Why on earth do you move in that manner?”

“Yes? Just as drawn in the pictures……”

“You must not simply follow the movements. Then it is no fun.”

Dan Woo-hyun smirked.

Originally, there was no such thing as a set path in martial arts. People merely created their own martial arts and wrote manuals because they did not want others to stray from that path.

Even if Hwa So-mi was like that, Jang Sam-tae was too stiff.

Since it was not his own path, moving was not easy.

“Move as you find comfortable. Only then can you create your own path.”

“Yes!”

He did not utter words like "it is comfortable to move this way rather than that way" or "it is good."

Because that was Dan Woo-hyun's path.

A person practicing martial arts had to pursue their own path, and by completing that path, they laid the foundation to become a master.

Sweating profusely, Jang Sam-tae moved his body. Because Dan Woo-hyun had sighed and told him to show movements different from the manual, he tried several times to find a way to move comfortably.

But it was too difficult.

Jang Sam-tae, who used to look down on it as a martial art that could not even reach the third-class, began to fall into martial arts anew.

Contrary to that.

“Ya!”

Hwa So-mi moved her body very diligently.

But it was a clumsy movement, to the point where one would wonder if there could be another body-troubled child like this in the world. Although he did not expect anything from a seven-year-old, this went too far beyond expectations.

"Look, Uncle! There is a sound of wind!"

Hwa So-mi swung a small tree branch.

Flutter, flutter.

Actually, it was merely the sound of her sleeves fluttering. No one would call that the sound of wind.

However, Dan Woo-hyun did not say anything. He merely smiled and nodded his head. He had no intention of making the child practice martial arts in the first place.

His greatest wish was just to do something about the jiggling fat.

He was looking forward to Hwa So-mi moving her body diligently and returning to her former appearance thanks to that.

Looking at her warmly, Dan Woo-hyun repeatedly nodded his head.

“You do well, hahaha!”

“Really?! Hah! Hah!”

At the single word of praise, Hwa So-mi moved even more diligently.

Dan Woo-hyun was in a very good mood.

* * *

“…….”

That evening.

Dan Woo-hyun met an entirely unexpected obstacle.

It was none other than Jang Sam-tae, who should have been several times more exhausted than Hwa So-mi. When the training that lasted for over two shichen ended and evening came, he began preparing dinner.

However, he prepared a feast so grand that the table legs seemed about to bend.

The rice was piled high and the side dishes were more than usual.

Whether she was exhausted from the long-awaited exercise, Hwa So-mi began eating voraciously.

Grabbing a heap of side dishes in one chopstick stroke, she swallowed the rice as if pouring it down.

He was curious how a child could fit so much food into her stomach.

Glancing to the side, he saw Jang Sam-tae.

He was also stuffing his mouth full of rice.

He ate so heartily that the fat that felt like it had slightly decreased seemed to be filling up again.

Dan Woo-hyun let out a sigh in spite of himself.

“My word……”