Chapter 1: Introduction to Martial Arts

_One Sword, Instant Kill._

That was the nickname given to me about a year after I started learning martial arts.

Whether it was a person or a monster, I brought most of them down with a single sword strike.

And now.

With a swing of my sword, the distant pavilion collapses.

Everyone standing in the plain between me and the pavilion was sliced in half and fell with the structure.

The Heavenly Demon Cult’s leader and their three hundred elite forces.

They were all killed with a single swing of my blade.

Even though I did it, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

‘I don’t even know anymore.’

How did it come to this?

When I first started learning martial arts, I never expected things to turn out like this.

To be precise, I started learning martial arts about seven years after I arrived in the martial world.

* * *

“Are you crazy? At your age, what martial arts are you talking about?”

“Brother, are you out of your mind? You’re too old to learn martial arts. You’ll just break your bones.”

“At this point, why martial arts? You should just enjoy your life day by day.”

“Are you really leaving? I don’t understand you, Brother. How can you decide to learn martial arts?”

“Well, if you’ve made up your mind, go ahead. But if you can’t handle it, just come back.”

When I mentioned learning martial arts, everyone around me tried to stop me.

But I, Jang Woo-hyun, couldn’t give up.

It was a sudden transfer to another world.

I wasn’t hit by a truck, nor did I possess anything, nor was I caught in any magic.

I simply went to sleep and woke up in another world.

Seven years.

That was how long I struggled to survive in this world.

When I first landed in a mining village, everything seemed hopeless.

The language was incomprehensible, the facilities were outdated, and the food was unfamiliar.

Everything was foreign, and I had a tough time.

But in the end, I managed to endure, and though it was little, I was able to save some money.

I decided to use that money to learn martial arts.

The martial world.

A world where martial artists lived.

Once I learned that such a world existed, I made up my mind to learn martial arts.

I didn’t awaken any special abilities after falling into another world like the protagonists in novels.

But since I had ended up in the martial world, I wanted to try learning martial arts.

Even though it might be too late.

With that thought in mind, I left the place I was living, despite the attempts of the acquaintances I met in this world to stop me.

The place I arrived at was a fairly large village with a martial arts hall.

_White Tiger Martial Hall._

It was a common name for a martial arts hall, like _Azure Dragon_ or _White Tiger_, but to me, it felt significant.

Seven years after arriving in this world, I hadn’t even seen a martial artist, let alone learned martial arts.

The village I was in was so remote that it was hard to even spot a back-alley rogue, let alone a martial sect.

“Hoo…”

I took a deep breath and straightened my clothes.

I didn’t know if I’d succeed, but this was the first step into the world of martial arts.

“Is anyone here?”

I called out loudly, trying to hide my trembling heart.

Not long after, a young girl who seemed like an attendant came running.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve come to see the hall master.”

The girl tilted her head but then nodded and guided me into the _White Tiger Martial Hall_.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yang Hyo-myung, the master of White Tiger Martial Hall.”

Yang Hyo-myung was a man in his mid-thirties with a clean-cut appearance.

Though he was a martial artist, to my untrained eyes, he didn’t seem particularly formidable.

“I’m Jang Woo-hyun.”

“Nice to meet you, Great Hero Jang (a respectful term). What brings you to see me?”

As he offered me a seat, Yang Hyo-myung continued.

“I’ve come to seek instruction.”

“To seek instruction…?”

Yang Hyo-myung trailed off, not quite understanding.

“I want to learn martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

Yang Hyo-myung asked again as he studied me.

At best, I looked like I was in my mid-twenties.

My skin was fair, and though my body was firm, likely from some physical labor, nothing else stood out.

There was a sense of determination in my eyes, but that was it.

I was an ordinary person, not particularly special or impressive.

“Great Hero Jang, if I may ask, how old are you?”

“I’m probably around thirty this year.”

“Hmm…”

At the unexpected age, a soft hum escaped Yang Hyo-myung’s lips.

It was only natural.

After all, I had come to learn martial arts at the age of thirty.

In most martial sects or renowned families, children begin their martial training before the age of ten, and at the latest, before they turn twelve.

If you don’t start learning martial arts and practicing internal energy circulation at a young age, impurities build up in the body, making it difficult to accumulate internal energy later on.

At thirty, it was quite late to start learning martial arts.

“Great Hero Jang, have you ever learned martial arts before?”

“No. And please feel free to speak comfortably. Once I start learning martial arts, I’ll be your disciple. You can treat me casually.”

“Well then, since I’m older than you, I’ll take you up on that. But really, have you never practiced martial arts before? You seem to be in pretty good shape.”

“That’s because I’ve been doing physical labor. I’ve built up some muscle through hard work.”

“…”

Yang Hyo-myung was left speechless by the unexpected answer.

A man who had nothing to do with the martial world now wanted to learn martial arts—it was incomprehensible.

“May I ask you a few more questions, if you don’t mind?”

“Feel free to ask.”

“Did you lose a loved one, or are you seeking revenge for your parents?”

At the question, I laughed and shook my head.

“I don’t know why you’d think that, but it’s nothing like that. My parents have passed away, and I haven’t lost any loved ones either.”

“If that’s not the case, then why are you trying to learn martial arts at your age?”

I opened my mouth with a serious expression.

“It was my dream.”

“Your dream?”

“Yes. I’ve wanted to learn martial arts for a long time. I don’t have any ambitions to become a hero or a grandmaster. I’m too old to dream of such things. I just want to experience learning martial arts. It’s a dream I can finally pursue.”

I finished speaking with a smile.

For a moment, Yang Hyo-myung thought I looked cool.

At thirty years old, though it was late, I was still chasing my dream without giving up.

It was admirable, even from a man’s perspective.

Even though it might have been a futile dream or a foolish act, it was still admirable.

Unknowingly, I had persuaded him.

Though I hadn’t done anything significant, Yang Hyo-myung felt as though I had shone in that moment.

At that instant, I was the coolest man in the world.

That image moved Yang Hyo-myung’s heart, and with a broad smile, he responded.

“Alright. If that’s your decision, then learn martial arts here. I’ll personally guide you.”

“Thank you, Master!”

“Just call me the Hall Master.”

“Yes, Hall Master!”

I rose from my seat and bowed deeply.

Seven years after landing in the martial world, I could finally start learning martial arts.

* * *

Since I already had a solid foundation in physical strength, I was able to skip the basic training.

White Tiger Hall Master Yang Hyo-myung immediately began teaching me martial arts.

“The martial art we teach here at White Tiger Martial Hall is the _Tiger Form Sword_ . My grandfather once encountered a tiger and nearly died, but it was during that moment that he had an epiphany and created this sword technique.”

Yang Hyo-myung taught the house martial art to the members of the hall.

It wasn’t an absolute or secret martial art, so he didn’t hide it and taught it properly.

“You take half a step forward, always ready to jump away, and you hold the sword back like this. This is the _Tiger Hero Stance_. It’s the most basic.”

He showed me a stance where the blade was held horizontally, parallel to the ground, with knees slightly bent, ready to leap.

He then proceeded with the sword techniques.

From the footwork known as _Tiger Step_, to _Roaring Tiger Claw_, _Tiger Leaps Forward_, and _Mountain Lord Descends_…

One by one, he demonstrated them slowly.

As I practiced the martial arts, I felt a strange sense of discord.

Something I couldn’t quite explain.

And when I tried it myself, that feeling of discord became certain.

‘Something feels off.’

The footwork felt awkward, and the sword techniques seemed to be interrupted midway.

I couldn’t clearly articulate the strange feeling since I was just starting to learn martial arts.

‘Is it because I don’t have internal energy yet?’

Every martial art has its corresponding internal energy cultivation method.

Since I hadn’t learned the internal cultivation method yet, I thought that was why the techniques didn’t seem to display their true power.

For now, I diligently practiced the martial arts I was taught.

Even without internal energy, I ingrained the forms into my body.

“Since it’s too late for you to cultivate internal energy, you’ll have to work hard. Wake up before sunrise to practice, do it again when the sun is at its peak, and once more in the evening when the moon rises. Three times a day. Practice the breathing method I’ll teach you for at least half an hour each time. It’s late, but if you work hard, who knows what progress you’ll make.”

Following what I was taught, I practiced the breathing method three times a day without fail.

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