The Martial God with Psychic Powers

Hwangbo Gwang, having heard Namgoong Myeong's entire story,

paused in thought for a moment before turning to him and speaking.
“I want to meet him in person. Can you arrange that?”
“In person?”

“Yeah! If he's really that... incredible, like you say, I’d like to see for myself.”
Namgoong Myeong grinned slyly.
“I’ll ask him once he leaves the seclusion chamber.”

He was completely hooked.
With that, the command given to him had been flawlessly fulfilled.
Looking at Hwangbo Gwang, Namgoong Myeong thought,

‘You, too, will soon become that man’s faithful servant.’
 
****
Seclusion Hall of the Hwangbo Clan.

The interior of the Seclusion Hall was vast.
There was even a wide open area at its center, enough that one could unleash their full strength without concern.
Within that space, Hwangbo Won was swiftly mastering the Sumicheonwang Divine Art under Yeon Woo Jin’s guidance.

His explanations entered the ear as if they were meant to be there.
There was no need to interpret a secret manual.
He even explained in detail how to distribute the qi.

Hwangbo Won was a master in the Hwagyeong Realm.
He began raising his mastery of the Sumicheonwang Divine Art at remarkable speed.
The best method to improve one's mastery was, as always, real combat.

He’d thought that when first sparring with Yeon Woo Jin.
That he’d finally get to witness the true extent of the man’s power.
Now, the real match with Yeon Woo Jin had begun, and it was beyond imagination.

At first, he held back out of concern that Yeon Woo Jin might get hurt—
but not anymore.
Now he attacked with full /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ force, genuinely aiming to kill.
And yet, he couldn’t even lay a finger on the edge of Woo Jin’s robe.

He was a monster beyond imagination.
Hwangbo Won realized then—
that Mushincheon would indeed rule the Central Plains.
That he would become the new order of the martial world.

He had founded the Murim Alliance in hopes of surpassing Mushincheon.
But seeing Yeon Woo Jin rendered all that effort meaningless.
A wall he could never overcome loomed before him, no matter how hard he tried.

And it didn’t even feel like Woo Jin was using his full power.
To think that while facing an expert in the Hwagyeong Realm, he still wasn’t going all out?
A hollow laugh escaped him.

While raising his mastery through sparring with Yeon Woo Jin, the thought came to him—
How much time had passed?
It felt like quite a while.

Was he perhaps taking up too much of Yeon Woo Jin’s time?
That thought occurred.
Come to think of it, it had already been a month since he entered the Seclusion Hall.

So he asked,
“Am I not taking up too much of your time, Gongja?”
Yeon Woo Jin smiled and said,

“It’s fine.”
“Still, it feels like I’ve taken nearly a full month of your time.”
“Do you remember when I first came here and set up the formation?”

“Yes. You laid out a formation that smooths the flow of qi, didn’t you?”
“It does more than just smooth qi flow.”
“What else does it do?”

“It slows down time.”
“What do you mean? Slows down time?”
“A month in here is a day outside.”

Hwangbo Won didn’t understand a word of what Yeon Woo Jin had just said.
“Wh-What are you saying? A month in here is a day out there? You mean… only one day has passed outside?”
“Yes. You understood it perfectly.”

He didn’t understand it.
But did he look like someone who did?
“We’ve got about two days of outside time left, so feel free to stay here for another month.”

Hwangbo Won stared at Yeon Woo Jin, wondering if he truly meant it.
Was it real?
Should he step outside and check?

He was so curious that he couldn’t focus on cultivation anymore.
“You should go confirm it. And on your way back, bring something tasty too.”
Tasty food…

Come to think of it, it had been a whole month since he’d eaten any meat.
His mouth watered.
“Ah, alright then. I’ll step out and return shortly.”

 
****
As soon as he left the Seclusion Hall, Hwangbo Won called out to a nearby subordinate.

“How long has it been since I entered the Seclusion Hall?”

“You entered yesterday, sir. It’s been one day.”
“I… I entered yesterday?”

“Y-Yes, sir. Why do you ask?”
“No, it’s nothing… Carry on.”
“Yes, sir.”

He couldn’t believe it.
But it was true.
Just then, the head steward spotted him and came over.

“Clan Lord? Is something the matter with the Seclusion Hall?”
“I went in yesterday, didn’t I?”
“Yes, sir.”

Even the head steward was saying he’d entered yesterday.
He felt like he was under some ghostly spell.
He had definitely spent a full month inside.

“Clan Lord?”
“No, it’s nothing. I just suddenly remembered something I wanted to eat before resuming my training.”
“Ah, I see. You should eat well before continuing.”

“Prepare meat and wine for me. I’ll eat inside.”
“Understood. I’ll have it prepared immediately.”
“Thank you.”

Hwangbo Won stared blankly at the head steward as he walked away.
“It was real…”
How was something like that even possible?

Just what was Yeon Woo Jin?
A god in human form?
One thing was certain—

He must never fall out of Yeon Woo Jin’s favor.
Hwangbo Won made a firm decision and clenched his fist tightly.
 

Hwangbo Won returned to the Seclusion Hall.
He laid out the food he’d brought on the floor.
“What you said was true. Only a single day passed outside.”

After spreading out all the food, he looked up at Yeon Woo Jin.
“You’re truly incredible. I’ve never even heard of a formation like this.”
“That’s to be expected. I created it myself.”

“You made it yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Heavens… Is there anything you can’t do? Your martial arts are exceptional, your mind is brilliant, your healing skills unmatched—and now you’re even a formation master?”

He knew better than anyone how incredible Yeon Woo Jin’s medical skills were after experiencing them over the past month.
No—was that even medicine?
Could it really be called medical treatment?

When you see broken arms and legs healed in an instant, can that truly be called medicine?
“Gongja… Are you truly human?”
“Why? Do I look like a god who descended from the heavens?”

“Yes.”
“I am human. I’ve simply been blessed with a few special abilities.”
“A few?”

He was speechless.
Was he just being humble?
Or did he really not understand the extent of his own power?

No—surely it was humility.
Someone with a mind like Yeon Woo Jin’s couldn’t possibly be unaware.
Whatever the case, one fact remained unchanged.

He was an extraordinary being.
“For the remaining month, I will make you show your full power, Gongja.”
Yeon Woo Jin smiled faintly and replied,

“That’s a good mindset. Then from now on, I’ll treat you a little more roughly.”
Then what had that been?
Had he been caressing him this whole time?

Hwangbo Won suddenly regretted what he’d said.
 
****

Another month had passed inside the Seclusion Hall.
During that time, Hwangbo Won had mastered the Sumicheonwang Divine Art up to the ninth form, and his cultivation had risen to the Eighth Star of the Hwagyeong Realm.
It hadn’t been an easy process.

Truly, it was a life-or-death battle every single day.
His opponent, of course, had been Yeon Woo Jin.
With the singular obsession of landing even one blow on Yeon Woo Jin, he tried everything imaginable.

But it all failed.
He wasn’t human.
He realized this with certainty.

That Yeon Woo Jin was someone he could never defeat, no matter how much he struggled.
And then, he heard something even more outrageous come out of Yeon Woo Jin’s mouth.
“Huh? My realm rose too.”

This was unfair.
There was still room for him to ascend further?
But what came next was even more absurd.

He claimed his cultivation realm was lower than Hwangbo Won’s.

When asked what the hell he meant by that, Yeon Woo Jin said it was true.
That his unique power amplified all of his abilities, making him stronger regardless of his cultivation level.

At this point, Hwangbo Won no longer even wanted to understand.
Trying to wrap his head around it would only give him a headache.
And so, the two-month period he spent with Yeon Woo Jin came to an end.

“You’re leaving now?”
“Yes. I’ll stop by the Hebei Pang Clan, then head for the Beggars’ Sect main hall.”
“Then… could I ask you to take my son along with you? I’m making this request with all due respect.”

Hwangbo Won was now speaking to Yeon Woo Jin in fully formal language.
Because he had completely resolved to follow Yeon Woo Jin.
Trying to surpass Mushincheon and regain his former glory seemed impossible now.

In that case, raising the name of the Hwangbo Clan in a new era, by standing beside Yeon Woo Jin, would be much quicker.
For that to happen, the Young Clan Lord, Hwangbo Gwang, needed to grow closer to Yeon Woo Jin.
“You may work him as hard as you like. Please, I beg you to accept him.”

To Hwangbo Won’s request, Yeon Woo Jin replied with a smile.
“Now this is starting to feel like I’m getting the short end of the deal. I already gave you a secret manual, a divine elixir, taught you martial arts—and now you want to leave your son with me too?”
It was a joke.

But then—
Thud.
Hwangbo Won dropped to his knees before Yeon Woo Jin.

Yeon Woo Jin had already intended to accept the request without needing this.
It was always better to have one more strong ally.
He quickly reached out to help Hwangbo Won up.

But it wasn’t just kneeling—Hwangbo Won prostrated himself completely and said,
“From this day forward, I will serve you as my lord. Please accept me. I will give you my unwavering loyalty.”
The Clan Lord of the Hwangbo Clan, once a pillar of the Central Plains and a member of the Five Great Houses, was casting aside his pride and pledging loyalty to Yeon Woo Jin for the future of his clan.

Yeon Woo Jin helped Hwangbo Won to his feet and brushed the dust from his robes.
Was this a rejection?
“Let’s work well together going forward.”

It was acceptance.
What was this?
Tears welled up in his eyes.

Why?
His whole body trembled, and a wave of overwhelming emotion surged through him.
He’d thought he was doing it for the clan, but perhaps that wasn’t all.

He truly wanted to serve Yeon Woo Jin from the bottom of his heart.
“Thank you! I will devote my very life to you!”
“Now I really need to make sure your son is properly trained, for the sake of the Hwangbo Clan.”

“You would do that for me?”
“Just leave it to me.”
“I place my full trust in you!”

 
****
Hwangbo Won emerged from the Seclusion Hall.

The head steward approached him again.
“If you’re going to come out once a day, Clan Lord, wouldn’t it be better to just train while attending to your duties instead of secluding yourself?”
Hwangbo Won felt a flicker of irritation at his words.

He’d suffered through hell for a whole month.
And this man didn’t know a damn thing.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be going back in. Something came to mind, so I stepped out.”

“What is it?”
“While I’m in seclusion, I think you’ll have to manage the clan’s affairs.”
“W-What? M-Me? But the Young Lord is here—shouldn’t he be the one handling that?”

“You know the clan better than either me or Gwang.”
“Well, that’s only because I handle all internal affairs—”
“Exactly. So handle everything as you see fit.”

“Then what about the Young Lord?”
“He’s got something else to do.”
“Something else?”

“Yes. I plan to send him on an errand to deliver my letter to Pang Hon. Might as well give him the chance to get some fresh air while he’s at it.”
“Why now of all times? Couldn’t it wait until after your seclusion?”
“You fool. Isn’t the next destination of the Sincheon Escort Company the Hebei Pang Clan? I’m sending him along with them.”

“Sigh…”
“Don’t sigh like that. You do this kind of work all the time anyway. It’s not much different. If anything urgent comes up, come find me.”
“Understood. Are you truly going back into seclusion now?”

“Yes.”
He had perfectly mastered the Sumicheonwang Divine Art, but he was returning to seclusion in order to fully internalize the new level of power he’d reached.
“Now go take care of the clan’s affairs. I’ll speak to Gwang myself.”

“Understood.”
“What? You want me to go to the Hebei Pang Clan?”
“Yes. And while you’re there, absorb as much as you can from that man’s teachings.”

“That man?”
“Lord Yeon. When you face him, show him the same respect you would show me. Do you understand?”
“Huh? Y-Yes, sir.”

“If you so much as dare show him the slightest disrespect… I won’t let it slide.”
The frightening tone in Hwangbo Won’s voice made Hwangbo Gwang nod quickly.
“U-Understood.”

“And do your best. From the look of it, the Namgoong Clan even sent their Young Lord to earn a place beside him. You’ll need to try just as hard to win his favor.”
He sounded just like Namgoong Myeong.
He’d planned to try meeting Yeon Woo Jin after his seclusion—but now, there was no need.

Whether he liked it or not, he’d be accompanying him all the way to Hebei.
“I will find out—just what kind of man he is, that those who’ve met him all change like that.”