148 - Martial Arts Instructor of Marital Age

**Web Novel Chapter: Wedding Age Martial Arts Instructor - Episode 148: Northern Rabbit, Chapter 37: Jangcheon Sect (7)** With a swoosh! Namgoong Yunho swiftly propelled himself backward at the sudden burst of flame beside him. Swoosh! Bang! It was a hair's breadth escape. The fiery streak that narrowly missed where he once stood exploded, consuming the shattered furniture. 'A foreign type of qi?' And it's an overwhelmingly intense sunfire art. The kind that can turn objects to charcoal in an instant. 'How did a demon manage to master such a notoriously difficult sunfire qi?' There was no time to be astonished. "I'll kill you first!" Driven by murderous intent, the branch leader lunged toward the closest target: Namgoong Yunho. Shush, shush, shush! "Oof!" Swoosh! He narrowly evaded by leaning his body in a stance from the Iron-Administering Cult, but the heat singed past his very face. Swoosh, swoosh! As he sprang up to confront him with a direct punch, he realized... This opponent was vastly different from any he had faced before. Bang! When their hands collided, sparks flew wildly as Namgoong Yunho was pushed back five steps. "Oof." It wasn't just a matter of being overpowered. The heat that climbed up his arm shook his inner energy. 'This is foreign qi.' The mere impact sent such a shock. "Kuh kuh kuh. You've got some skill for a novice." Shush, shush, shush! The dual flames flickered as they jabbed at his neck and side, forcing Namgoong Yunho to retreat with determined footwork. Swoosh! Swish! A blaze erupted before his eyes. Followed by the swirling trails of fire. He managed to narrowly dodge them thanks to his quick decision-making, yet Namgoong Yunho couldn't help but feel exasperated. 'It's hot. Even blocking it is taxing.' This opponent wasn't someone he could confidently defeat by mere tactical advantage. Even dodging the relentless shadow hand striking at vital points wasn't enough as the heated air infiltrated his lungs, setting them ablaze. 'Breathing isn't easy.' Is this the power of a foreign qi? As his breath became unstable, his internal energy refused to flow properly, leaving his limbs disoriented with each subsequent move. 'If only I had a sword.' He could meet this heat head-on without worry. While contemplating whether to grab a saber scattered somewhere, the instructor's voice resonated through the chaos. "What, are you going to run away just because you're unarmed?" What was he supposed to do, then? 'Even confronting him is all I can do.' At that moment, something flickered in his mind. It was the peculiar palm technique the instructor recently demonstrated. - Shatter the Infinite Hands! The branch leader had called out, yet Namgoong Yunho, unfamiliar with the martial arts of the Cheongseong Sect, was reminded of something else. 'Divine Weapon Swordsmanship?' The unfamiliar palm technique brought forth a familiar trajectory. 'Is my suspicion correct?' He didn't know for sure. He was just a spirit bound to the Dongcheon Residence. Though unsure, one thing was clear: unless he tried something, it was dangerously reckless not to. "Kuh huh huh! I'll turn you into charcoal!" Swoosh! The intense heat singed his hair as it blazed hotter. Amid the smoke and heat clouding his mind, Namgoong Yunho traced an imaginary sword through the air. Gently. Clutching the imaginary sword he'd drawn in the air gave him an inexplicable sense of reassurance. 'I can feel the sword motion.' The mere thought brought him comfort. "I'll cook you down to your very marrow!" Swoosh! The sunfire technique, fueled by martial chaos and demon fury, was terrifying. 'I have a sword.' With this belief, his body instinctively responded. Swish! With the most familiar initial stance. - Divine Sword Art, First Move: Singular Sword Strike. Although it was a simple move that slashed down from above... The swordsmanship, engraved into his life as a spirit of the Dongcheon Residence, revived fiercely and rapidly at his fingertips. Woong! Naturally, his energy synchronized. Swish! For the first time, The oncoming flames from the front split apart. "Inhale." At the same time, cold air rushed into his nose. Boiling inner energy calmed instantly, and his mind became clearer. "What trickery is this!" The branch leader, baffled by the scattered sparks, reacted with disbelief. 'Understandably.' All he saw would have been a hand gripping an invisible sword, making a clean cut forward. "You! Such petty tricks!" Angered to the point of frenzy, the branch leader unleashed a fiercer combat form. Swoosh! Swoosh, swoosh! The attacks that jabbed at his eyes, struck his shoulders, and back down at his sides were incomparably swift. Popopop! However, having grasped the opponent's moves, Namgoong Yunho deduced the rhythm of the chaotic assault like tangled threads. And he cleaved through it. "Wind Chasing Slash." Snap! Crackle! The flames that would have seared his skin were scattered like fluttering leaves in the wind. 'It works.' As his impromptu strategy succeeded, he recalled the instructor's words from not long ago. "Is there meaning in executing swordplay without dropping the burden?" "It's about not losing the center of the sword." In response to Baekri Seol's query, the instructor had spoken. "Consider when you learned footwork. The sword is no different." 'The sword and body are one and the same.' Why did he emphasize such a thing? 'He must have foreseen a day like this.' Thinking so far, another thought struck him. 'If sword and body are the same.' Instead of differentiating between sword and body, Body (身). And, Sword (劍). As one, Wouldn't it be possible to craft moves in unison? As his mind drifted along these thoughts... "Tsk. You're getting ahead." Thud! The branch leader, who had approached like an oni, was sharply repelled. "Oof." As the visualization broke, Namgoong Yunho staggered, coughing up blood. "Why is this happening to me...?" "You haven't reached that level yet." Thump! The instructor gave his nape a hard whack. "You blockhead! Are you just going to stand idly?" "The spectacle is quite marvelous for me as well." Swoosh! Jegal Tan unfurled his folding fan, shaking it broadly. "Ugh! You damn bastards—!" The branch leader whipped his head about, emitting an increasingly dense murderous intent. As if overtaken by the killing intent, he could barely articulate. Jegal Tan approached him, his steps deliberate. Faint firefly-like glows settled on the edges of his fluttering fan. "It seems it need not be a sword." I'm evidently lacking as well. Flap, flap. As the azure inner energy glimmered around Jegal Tan, who continued to wave his fan: "Kuaaaaak!" The branch leader manically flung flames into the air. Bang! Boom! Swoosh! Bang! Amidst the indiscriminate discharge of sunfire qi, the innocent bystanders let out terrified screams. "Aaah! Boss!" "Sp-spare us, please!" But the branch leader had already spiraled into madness, streaks of dark energy flowing from the corners of his eyes. "A demon?" "The branch leader is a demon?" "Oh no, we're all doomed." Even among the black path warriors, there's a line one must not cross. It's losing one's sanity and succumbing to demonic arts, becoming a mere specter. No being can live freely having mastered the demonic arts that both orthodox and unorthodox martial worlds prohibit. At this point, the fight was no longer the issue. "Raaaagh!" Having severed the last threads of his humanity, the branch leader howled more beastly than ever. Swoosh! His surging demonic qi whipped up even fiercer flames, wildly unleashing heat waves. "Aaargh!" "Fire! It's fire!" As the place began to be consumed by a firestorm, chaos ensued in a blink. But amidst the chaos, only one person was smiling. Baekri Seol. "This is a perfect setting to display flame dance techniques." She murmured, flicking her wide sleeve elegantly. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! With gestures light as if performing a sword dance, the flames lingering inside the hall began to sway and flicker. Swish, swish, swish! The fire trailed after her gracefully swaying sleeves, darting about, breaking apart, and losing control. "Raaaagh!" The branch leader's eyes turned completely black, lost to full-on demonic possession. Cho Un-hui, observing him, brushed off his pants with a few taps. "This isn't going to work." This idiot. Tap, tap. As calmly as if the flames were no bother at all, Cho Un-hui walked over the scattered remnants, nudging them aside with his toes, and picked up a bottle. "Go to sleep." Thud! Clatter! The branch leader tumbled to the ground. *** Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Even before the fight, ending with the fire gobbling up the hall, could be fully comprehended. "Instructor!" Whoosh! Mo Yong So-hye flew in, cutting through the fire with agile gliding steps, and shouted urgently. "The government soldiers are coming!" "Government soldiers?" Startled, the group glanced outside, and it was indeed the case. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Over the darkened lake, chaotic signal flares were erupting. Boom, boom, boom, boom! Below them, numerous boats, carrying lit torches and echoing war drums, swiftly approached. "There they are! Over there!" "Catch the ones diving into the water!" In an instant, those who had plunged into the water to escape the fire were caught in misfortune. Determined, the government soldiers pulled them up from the water and mercilessly struck them with batons. "Arrest them all!" As the flag atop the northern gate fluttered, the gamblers wailed in despair. Witnessing the stern arrest scene, the four turned pale. "Why are the soldiers here now?" "We need to get out of here." "Instructor! We must go now!" Instructor? Turning to look, the four found themselves frozen. For there stood Cho Un-hui, frantically sweeping things into a bag, seemingly waiting for such a moment. "In...structor?" As Mo Yong So-hye approached, Cho Un-hui urgently called out. "You guys, pack this up too." "What?" "This is the money I won, isn't it?" With bags filling up with sweeping movements and receipts already tucked away, the meticulousness in his actions left everyone speechless. Baekri Seol, half in disbelief, asked with a tinge of hope. Instructor? "You didn’t call the soldiers, did you?" "Yeah." "For what reason?" "To crack down on those Black Path gangsters. Justice must be served." He insisted this was for justice, but the four of them were certain. 'He's destroying evidence.' 'Evidence destruction, indeed.' 'Undoubtedly, it's about evidence destruction.' Mo Yong So-hye remarked with a cold, bitter tone. "This is a crime." "This is my won money. Everyone saw it, right? Fair and square victory." As he adamantly claimed fairness, they were sure. 'He fooled us.' 'Fooled us, indeed.' 'He definitely tricked us.' Baekri Seol, unable to contain herself, tangled her hair in frustration. "Aah! Stop this! What are you thinking? We're going to get caught!" "I've prepared an escape route." This was premeditated, wasn't it? Realizing this, Namgoong Yunho sprang into action. He grabbed a pocket and began diligently stuffing it with coins. "Yunho?" "We have no choice. If we're caught here, it's not just a problem for the instructor!" If caught here, it’s not just possible expulsion; branding as a criminal would be inevitable. "We either all perish together or survive together." "Damn it!" Realizing the urgency, Jegal Tan joined in. "Unni, come on, start packing." "Ugh. I don't want to be a criminal couple." Mo Yong So-hye and Baekri Seol found themselves transformed into reluctant looters. Even as they begrudgingly joined the fray, Cho Un-hui continued with his interruptions. "So-hye, that's not my money." "How on earth can you distinguish amidst this chaotic pile of coins?" "I can tell. I'm a righteous man." Didn't see it coming. "You don’t have a hobby of getting excited over other people’s money, do you?" That's stealing. A crime? Already upset from being forced into robbery and now being called out, Mo Yong So-hye exploded. "Instructor! Shut up!" "Huh? Are you rebelling against an instructor as grand as the sky right now?" Stealing and now rebelling. "Our Yulseo has turned into a mischievous young lady." "No, I haven't!" A young lady, nonetheless. "You're too harsh on a young girl!" "Young lady, young girl, same difference." "Please." Shut up! Holding back was truly something Mo Yong So-hye prided herself on. But the instructor's ensuing words were unbearable. "It's fine. I once heard that women like bad boys. Surely, even if you fall into evil and corruption, there'll be at least one guy out there who'll like you." "Oh no. But why are you an unpopular villain, Instructor?" "Ugh." "An unpopular and villainous instructor is the worst." "Ugh." Ultimately, Mo Yong So-hye burst into tears, and Cho Un-hui clutched his chest. *** Myosin Gate's first request. - Search for the cat abuser. The commission, ended amidst the inferno of a Black Path faction and the lamentations of countless gamblers, where one girl's tears and a man's pure devotion were trampled.