The morning air is refreshing.
It’s still before dawn, but the sound of birds fills the mountain.
I stretch my arms and get up.
Living under the same roof as young disciples isn’t as easy as it seems.
The oldest, Jin Seorin, is now twenty-two, past her prime years.
The second, Baek Chohee, is now nineteen, reaching the age of maturity.
The third, Noh Hwaran, is seventeen, in the prime of her youth.
The youngest, Lee Sowol, is sixteen, just beyond her adolescence.
They are all at an age where they’ve passed through puberty and have their own personal worries.
And since I’m a man, I don’t know much about young girls.
If I had at least experienced love, maybe I’d understand, but after 30 years in my past life and 35 years here, a total of 65 years, I’ve never once been in love.
Also, I, Jin Un, was a troublemaker at that age.
When Sowol was that age, I had already broken the arm of Dae Sa-hyeong, who is now a great master.
When Hwaran was that age, I dug a hole two layers deep in the practice ground and broke the leg of the youngest disciple.
At Chohee’s age, I ran away from the Wudang sect, not wanting to be trapped in this small place, and when Seorin was her age, she came back to the Wudang sect.
A lot has happened in between, but looking back now… half of it might just be memories?
If my teacher saw me now, he might even praise me, saying I’ve turned out well.
He always protected me when I was out there causing trouble.
Anyway, is it time to wake up the disciples?
One of the most enjoyable moments in raising disciples is this one.
The process of waking them up one by one before the morning training and forcing them out of bed.
Chohee always struggles under the blanket.
Seorin quietly gets up but still rubs her eyes, still in a sleepy state.
Hwaran just sits there blankly, then eventually lies back down.
Sowol, even when woken up, would just go back to sleep.
“Looks like it’s time to scold the disciples for their laziness again today.”
I smiled contentedly as I headed toward their rooms.
But…
As soon as I opened the door, I was momentarily stunned.
All four of them were awake.
No, not just awake— they had already washed their faces and were fully dressed in their training uniforms.
Seorin was sitting up straight, her back perfectly straight.
Chohee, as always, looked at me with a bright smile.
Hwaran was quietly pouring tea, and Sowol, with her arms crossed, looked at me with an expectant expression.
I asked in a dazed voice.
“…What’s going on? Why are you all up so early?”
Chohee smiled brightly and answered.
“It’s only natural to get ready before the master wakes us up!”
Seorin nodded.
“I won’t be lazy anymore.”
Hwaran also spoke gently.
“Master, everything is ready.”
Maybe…?
Sowol snorted and wrinkled her nose before speaking.
“I won’t cause any more trouble, Master.”
…Something feels off.
I suddenly felt a strange sense of disappointment.
It felt like something was missing.
The process of waking up my disciples, forcing the ones who grumbled to get up, and sighing as we all headed to the training ground was always a small pleasure for me.
But why have they suddenly become so diligent?
I closed my mouth and looked at my disciples one by one.
But for some reason, they all had slightly tense expressions.
I crossed my arms and spoke.
“Well, everyone’s being diligent. Very commendable.”
At that moment, all four of my disciples subtly looked at each other.
It was brief, but there was definitely a noticeable shift in the air.
…Something’s up.
But I’m not sure what.
Did they get into a fight?
Could it be…
The morning sunlight slowly began to warm up the practice ground.
I led my disciples out to the practice ground.
As always, the cold mountain breeze brushed past my clothes, clearing my mind.
From beyond the distant mountains, the faint sound of birds echoed, and gentle sunlight filtered through the branches.
This peaceful air wrapped around my body, refreshing the feeling of starting a new day.
“Today, we begin with morning training. First, we’ll focus on building inner strength.”
I raised my hands behind my back and slowly surveyed my disciples.
As always, they were quietly looking at me, dressed neatly in their training uniforms.
But today, something was different about them.
In the past, Chohee would have cracked a light joke, and Sowol might have lazily rolled her eyes, bored.
But today, they were all silent.
And it was unusually silent.
I tilted my head and continued speaking.
“I’ve said it many times before, but the morning is when inner strength gathers the best. So, everyone, focus.”
But something felt off.
Before I could finish speaking, they were already deep in meditation.
Seorin had her eyes closed, as if releasing a heavy energy from within.
Chohee was so absorbed that I couldn’t even hear her breathing.
Hwaran was calmly breathing in and out, maintaining steady and controlled breaths.
Even Sowol, who would usually get bored after a short period of focus, was now completely lost in a meditative state.
I shut my mouth in disbelief.
‘…Have they always been this focused?’
In the past, someone’s posture would have slipped, or someone would have opened their eyes to sneak a glance at me, or Sowol would have sighed and shifted her body.
But today, all four of them seemed like entirely different people.
I slowly walked around, carefully examining each of their faces.
Their expressions were serene.
Too serene.
It was as if they were seasoned monks, naturally controlling their energy.
Even their breathing was steady, and the flow of energy was smooth.
Normally, to reach this level, at least years of consistent practice would be needed…
This… no matter how I think about it, it feels strange.
Have I underestimated them all this time?
No, but this sudden change…
I crossed my arms and sighed, looking at them.
Yesterday, they didn’t show this kind of focus.
But now, it felt awkward to call this change strange.
Isn’t this a good thing?
Shouldn’t I be happy as a teacher that my disciples suddenly had a rapid improvement in their skills and were so focused on their training?
Then why… do I feel uneasy?
I looked over my disciples again.
At that moment, Seorin’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
In an instant, a chill ran down my spine.
‘What… what was that just now?’
She was still in a deep meditative state.
But when my gaze met hers just now, it felt as if she had reacted consciously, as if aware of me.
And in that moment, it was as if the others had received some kind of signal, as they too reacted ever so subtly.
When I looked at them, Chohee’s fingertips flinched for a brief moment, Hwaran’s breathing was momentarily disrupted, and Sowol slightly shifted her chin and adjusted her posture.
This… isn’t a coincidence.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“…You all.”
The four disciples didn’t move a muscle.
I slowly began walking as I continued speaking.
“Something… you’re hiding, aren’t you?”
For a brief moment, their breathing faltered.
But still, none of them opened their eyes.
I narrowed my gaze, staring at them.
Did they cause some kind of trouble?
Something major?
What kind of serious situation could they have gotten involved in, that they were acting so nonchalant while hiding their true feelings?
I crossed my arms and sighed.
Let’s think about this.
I don’t remember them causing any trouble recently.
They didn’t get into any incidents in the village, nor did the head of the Wudang sect call me and scold me.
But…
Even so, this feels strange.
Usually, when they cause trouble, they either look guilty or try to get away with it by acting cute, saying, “Oh, it’s nothing, really.”
But now?
There’s not a hint of that.
What exactly are they hiding?
The morning air flowed refreshingly through the practice ground.
I nodded as I looked at my disciples.
“Alright, let’s begin martial arts training.”
Before I even finished speaking, the disciples naturally assumed their stances.
They lowered their bodies, firmly centered themselves, and adopted the foundational postures suited to their respective martial arts.
I carefully observed them.
‘Hmm. Their stances have improved.’
There were no unnecessary weaknesses in their form, and their balance was solid.
Without any instability, they maintained their center and naturally executed their martial arts techniques.
I nodded in satisfaction and drew my sword.
“Azure Wind Sword Technique, First Form—Boundless Sky.”
The moment I spoke, all four disciples raised their swords in unison.
Their blades sliced through the air, sending a gust of wind scattering.
Their sword trajectories were flawless, cutting through the air with precise, seamless movements.
I flinched for a brief moment.
It was too smooth.
This wasn’t just the result of diligent training…
My disciples had always been diligent in their practice, but…
Had their movements ever been this refined?
This wasn’t just the natural flow that came from building a strong foundation—it was the kind of refinement that came from real experience.
Of course, their strength and endurance weren’t yet at a level to fully support their techniques.
I could see where they failed to exert their full power and where their swords wavered slightly after a smooth motion.
But still…
‘This… isn’t just normal growth.’
I narrowed my eyes and studied my disciples once more.
Now I finally understood.
Their breathing had become slightly erratic.
It wasn’t because they were straining themselves too much, like they sometimes did in training.
This was different—it was the result of their minds reacting first and their bodies struggling to keep up.
‘These kids… they went outside without my permission.’
They must have left Wudang Mountain and experienced real combat.
A strange chill ran through my chest.
They went outside?
When?
And where?
If they faced actual battles somewhere, then who were their opponents?
This wasn’t just sparring in the practice grounds.
The swordplay they were displaying now belonged to those who had truly faced life-and-death battles.
And yet, they were acting like nothing had happened.
They’re trying to deceive me.
I slowly sheathed my sword and let out a sigh.
The disciples still kept their gazes lowered, calm and composed.
There wasn’t a hint of emotional disturbance, as if they had coordinated this beforehand.
I kept my mouth shut and stared at them for a long time.
‘Alright. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.’
They maintained their composed expressions.
But that composure only made them seem more unnatural.
‘A master must uphold his duty.’
I sighed internally.
It was clear they were hiding something.
Not only had they experienced real combat, but it was very likely that it wasn’t just any fight—it could have been a battle where their lives were at stake.
Still, if they weren’t willing to tell me, maybe it wasn’t my place to pry.
‘A teacher’s duty sometimes means pretending not to know.’
Forcing a neutral expression, I nodded.
Tsk. No wonder things felt strange this morning.
As I swung my sword mid-motion, I clicked my tongue softly.
I knew I should feign ignorance, but for some reason, I felt strangely disappointed.
Shouldn’t they at least confide in their master?
What if they were in danger?
What if they encountered a powerful opponent when I wasn’t there?
I sighed, suppressing my frustration, and continued the training as if nothing had happened.