The people of the Tang Family's estate talked about the sight Cheonyeong had shown against the warriors of the Lee family until they finally went to bed at dawn.

How could their hearts not be excited?

They all knew from hearsay how great a place the Lee family of Misan was.

The Tang Family's estate had won a dispute against such a place.

The people of Ganyang must have also talked about this over drinks all night, but what the people belonging to the Tang Family's estate accepted was incomparable to them.

Their Family Head.

The five leaders who used the Tang surname, the young warriors of the Hoyeon Brigade, the carpenters of the Divine Work Pavilion, and those who had left the Yin Hand Chamber and settled in the Tang Family's estate.

Before they knew it, Cheonyeong was becoming a person they respected and admired.

And dawn breaks.

The sun began to prepare to rise, dyeing the distant sky red.

Drrrreung, puu...

As the building to be used as a dormitory was not yet completed, the Tang Family's estate, which was living as if camping in tents, was full of the sound of snoring.

Having talked late into the night the day before, they were sleeping in later than usual.

Jabak, jabak.

But a light footstep walked between the sounds of snoring.

"...Who?"

Hwangsama, who was a lighter sleeper than the others, rubbed his eyes and looked at the figure that had approached him.

A dimly visible shadow.

Who is it at this hour?

The shadow he looked at in wonder was one-legged.

Strange. There are no one-legged people in the Tang Family's estate...

Kwajijik!

It wasn't one-legged. He just hadn't seen it because it was holding one leg up.

And that raised leg came down mercilessly towards Hwangsama's abdomen.

"Keo-eok!"

Hwangsama's half-open eyes widened at the pain that dug deep into his body, and a scream burst out at once.

"What is it! An enemy?"

"What punk is it!"

The Tang Family's estate greeted the morning with a sudden scream, and the leaders of the Tang Family's estate, who had woken up in surprise, fumbled for their weapons and aimed them at the assailant.

"Kkeuaaaak!"

But the assailant did not stop his action of stomping on Hwangsama.

And no one could restrain that action.

And for good reason, the identity of the assailant was.

"Family... Head?"

"Kkuek! Kkue-ek!"

Finally, Hwangsama even made a sound like a pig being slaughtered, but Cheonyeong just stomped on him indifferently.

And after a long while.

"With this kind of determination, you said you wanted to be strong?"

"...Pardon?"

The leaders of the Tang family wore dumbfounded expressions at Cheonyeong's words.

"Is this all the determination you have?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hoh? Still not fully awake? Should I pierce your eardrums first?"

"..."

The leaders of the Tang family sucked in their breath at Cheonyeong's expression as he turned his head to look at them.

He seemed like a different person.

Hi-his gaze...

It seemed as if he would kill someone right away and bury them.

Only then did the leaders of the Tang family recall the words they had said the day before.

...I want to be strong.

Then could it be?

Had the training that was supposed to start tomorrow already begun?

Without any notice?

It seemed that was the reason Hwangsama had been stomped on.

Although he had not heard a word about training from dawn, for the reason that he had woken up late...

Hadn't he almost been the one who got beaten just now?

The leaders of the Tang family stroked their chests, thinking it was a great relief that Hwangsama, not them, was sleeping at the very end.

"Everyone stand up straight."

"Yes, sir!"

At Cheonyeong's words, the four, excluding Hwangsama, stood at attention.

They were so stiff, they looked as if they had become wooden blocks.

"Family Head, by any chance, has the training begun?"

"..."

As Chunil, who had gathered his courage, asked cautiously, Cheonyeong shook his head with a blank expression.

No?

Then why was Hwangsama beaten?

What did he do wrong again?

Just as his confusion was growing, Cheonyeong said with a sinister smile.

"From now on, what you have to do is not training, but remodeling."

"R-remodeling?"

"Yes. Body remodeling."

B-break and remake?

Tuk, tutuk.

Before the question could fade, Cheonyeong threw something heavy in front of them.

"From now on, I will not forgive questioning my orders. Put it on."

"...Pardon?"

Peok!

Baekgang, who had questioned, was kicked in the abdomen and rolled on the floor. The remaining family members hurriedly put on the items Cheonyeong had thrown.

Although they had lived comfortably as members of the Tang Family's estate, they were originally guys who had lived on the streets.

They had more than enough sense to know what they were doing now.

What Cheonyeong had thrown were vests filled with sand and leggings made to be worn on both wrists and ankles.

"Eok!"

"Keuk!"

"Heup!"

The leaders of the Tang family, who were putting on the vests and leggings on their hands and feet, let out surprised exclamations at the weight.

How grateful he was that they reacted like that.

He hadn't slept a wink all night making them.

Although he hadn't weighed them one by one, it would be about fifty geun (30kg) per person.

Of course, it was heavy.

No matter how much they had learned martial arts, there was no way they could stand up straight with the weight they had encountered for the first time.

But.

Bbeo-eok!

As Sanghui, who had been drooping from the weight, was kicked by Cheonyeong's foot and fell, the remaining ones stood up straight.

"Hey, kids, don't make me use my strength."

"Yes!"

Everyone answered in one voice at Cheonyeong's calm but sinister voice.

Then Sanghui, Baekgang, and Hwangsama also joined the line.

"You said you wanted to be strong, right?"

"Yes! Family Head."

"I'll tell you how from now on."

"...?"

"What would you do if I gave you one hundred nyang every day?"

"...Pardon?"

"Even if you don't spend it and save it, that money won't carry over to the next day. It's unconditionally one hundred nyang every day."

"Then do we have to spend all one hundred nyang?"

"Yes, you have to spend it all. You have to spend every single penny. Only then will it not be a waste."

Cheonyeong continued, looking at the leaders who had expressions of not knowing what was going on.

"Time is like that. The same amount is given every day. Even if you save it, that time won't be added to tomorrow."

"Ah!"

"So if you want to be strong, you have to use all the time given in a day. Tenaciously."

"Ah..."

"You'll have to live like that from now on. Becoming strong starts from there."

"I understand."

"And, be sure to remember. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today."

"Yes!"

"Alright, then run. The destination is Cheonja Mountain. The time is half a shichen. Never use internal energy or lightness skills. It doesn't matter if you use them, but if you get caught using them, you're dead."

"...Cheonja Mountain?"

The members of the Tang family looked at each other in bewilderment at Cheonyeong's words.

Cheonja Mountain...

It wasn't that high.

But, it was about forty li from Ganyang, so a round trip would be eighty... li?

And he was telling them to run it in half a shichen?

Without using internal energy or lightness skills?

Peok!

This time, Yongcheon, who was at the very front, was hit.

Cheonyeong, who was looking at him as he fell to the ground, said with a murderous smile.

"I clearly said not to question. What are you all staring at? Do you want to get beaten together, holding hands?"

U-du-duk.

As Cheonyeong made a sound of cracking his knuckles, the quick-witted Sanghui started running towards Cheonja Mountain.

The leaders of the Tang family hurriedly followed her.

Cheonyeong, who was watching their backs, turned around, and the young warriors of the Hoyeon Brigade, who had been staring with wide eyes in surprise, shot up as if bounced.

"Cha-ap!"

"Haat!"

They each began the training they had received the day before.

As expected, the street-born are quick-witted.

Don't they know what they have to do without being told?

"Ho ho, Family Head."

"Ah, you're up?"

The Divine Work Pavilion Master approached and spoke to Cheonyeong.

"It seems the training starts from today."

"Yes."

"It looks quite harsh."

"Harsh?"

Cheonyeong smirked at the Divine Work Pavilion Master's words.

The Divine Work Pavilion Master probably didn't know that he had gone easy on them.

In the past, when Cheonyeong was training to become an assassin, the very first thing he did was run.

There is no better training for strengthening the body.

Internal energy?

Even if you have that for a hundred days.

If the body can't keep up, it can't exert its proper power.

At that time, the children who were receiving assassin training with Cheonyeong had to run from morning to evening with sandbags on their whole bodies, just like the leaders of the Tang family.

He didn't know the reason.

Question? Rebellion?

All of that returned as a beating.

If he fell behind in the line because he was out of breath, he was beaten until he died.

That too was training.

If you get beaten and beaten again, you build up your endurance.

Also, whether it's a person or an animal, it's the law to instinctively try to get hit less painfully, so you naturally learn how to dodge.

But those punks didn't show any mercy.

Because there were many children who had actually died from being beaten.

So it couldn't be called harsh.

Wasn't he not that bad?

They were family, so he couldn't kill them. If they couldn't follow the training or didn't reach the target... he was just going to beat them until just before they died.

"At this point, the distance has widened enough that they won't think of following."

"Pardon? What's that?"

"Divine Work Pavilion Master, please help the Inner Hall prepare breakfast for the family members."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to watch them."

"Pardon?"

"As much as they are quick-witted, they are also likely to slack off."

"Ah..."

"Then, I'll be back."

"...Yes."

Before the Divine Work Pavilion Master's answer could end, Cheonyeong's figure shot towards Cheonja Mountain like a straight line.

* * *

Nosanggae, who had woken up in the afternoon and leisurely visited the Tang Family's estate, couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

"Hello, Hoyeon... Bri... gade... Master?"

He greeted him with a happy heart.

"Kkeu-euu... H-hello... sir. Branch Leader."

"..."

Baekgang, who was training the young warriors of the Hoyeon Brigade, received the greeting, looking like he was about to die.

But, why the duck walk?

And why was he carrying a rice sack on his shoulder...

Not only Baekgang, but even the children of the Hoyeon Brigade were following him, doing the duck walk.

"You've come... to see... the Family Head, right?"

"W-well, yes."

"Over... there... kkeu-euk!"

"..."

Baekgang moved away with a duck walk.

"Branch... keok!"

This time it was Sanghui and Hwangsama.

They passed by, greeting him with groans, in the same state as Baekgang.

What on earth were they doing?

"Huh? What brings you here, Branch Leader?"

"..."

Cheonyeong, who was talking with the Divine Work Pavilion Master while looking at the newly built building, acknowledged Nosanggae.

But...

"Kkeu-euu..."

Next to him, Yongcheon was carrying rice sacks... four of them?

And he was repeating sitting down and standing up?

No matter how much Yongcheon's only asset was his strength, he looked to be struggling.

What on earth is this...

"Don't mind them. They're in the middle of basic training."

"Basic... training?"

"Yes."

What kind of basic training was so intense?

"I was just getting thirsty, let's go inside."

"Hmm, let's."

Nosanggae followed Cheonyeong, glancing at the leaders of the Tang Family's estate who were constantly in the middle of training, at the invitation to the Three Yang Hall.

"Here... have some tea..."

"Uh-huh? Th-thank you."

"Then... I'll be on my way..."

The Inner Hall Master, Sanghui, put down the tea and went outside.

Still carrying the sack.

And with a duck walk...

"Don't mind her. It's because I told her not to neglect her training even during her duties."

"Hah, my... the Tang Family's estate is always new. Always new."

Nosanggae shook his head.

"By the way, what brings you here?"

"What brings me? I just stopped by on my way. Is there still no word from the Lee family?"

"Not yet. Well, they'll come soon. With a hefty compensation."

"I suppose so. But, I'm worried about what's to come."

"Worried?"

"Yes."

"...?"

"Punks like the Yin Hand Chamber are no big deal, but the Lee family is a bit different. The news of this incident is already spreading here and there, so the Sichuan martial world will be paying attention to you."

"Then that's a relief. I needed a reputation anyway."

"Well... is it a relief?"

"Pardon?"

"Making a name for yourself isn't always a good thing."

As Cheonyeong tilted his head at those words, Nosanggae sighed and said.

"It means you've stepped deep into the Sichuan martial world, so the Tang Family's estate will be quite noisy from now on."

(End of Chapter)