Chapter 44: Because It’s Mount Hua (Part 4)

"Kkeu…"

Every time he exhaled, dust flew from his mouth.

Jo Geol didn't even think to spit out the dirt that was pouring into his mouth as he writhed on the ground.

'This is insane.'

His body felt completely drained. He had rolled so much that the sky looked yellow, and his consciousness was flickering in and out. If he was in this state, how much worse must the others be?

With great effort, he lifted his head and looked around.

Complete annihilation.

Not a single person was standing. No, it wasn't just that they couldn't stand—they were all sprawled on the ground like corpses, gasping for breath. The only one who was even slightly upright was Yoon Jong, who was sitting with his butt on the ground, trying to lift his upper body.

'Senior Brother…'

A deep sense of respect welled up from the depths of Jo Geol's heart.

In terms of pure skill, Jo Geol was slightly stronger than Yoon Jong. When it came to talent with the sword and a sense for battle, Jo Geol was definitely ahead of Yoon Jong.

But at this moment, Jo Geol felt keenly why Yoon Jong was the senior brother.

Jo Geol couldn't even move a finger, but Yoon Jong, who had undergone the same training, was still sitting up and catching his breath instead of lying flat. This wasn't a matter of skill. It was a matter of mental strength.

How could he not respect a senior brother who could do what he himself couldn't?

On the other hand…

Jo Geol's gaze shifted to the other side.

"Ugh! Hya! Hraaaah!"

"…"

Jo Geol's eyes landed on Chung Myung, who was repeatedly squatting and standing while carrying sandbags three times his size. He was moving so fast that it was almost like seeing an afterimage.

"Huff! Huff! Huff! Hey! Why is this so light? Hey, anyone who's done with training, pass your sandbags to… Huh? Why is everyone lying down?"

'That monster of a kid.'

Jo Geol gritted his teeth.

The amount of training they had endured was immense. Chung Myung had been pushing the three great disciples relentlessly for the past few days, far beyond what they had experienced before. That's why they were in this state.

But there was one reason they couldn't complain: Chung Myung was right in front of them, doing five times the amount of training they were.

Anyone with a competitive spirit couldn't voice their dissatisfaction in that situation. Even if they were overflowing with complaints, they would keep their mouths shut out of respect for the others, wouldn't they?

And yet, Chung Myung was continuing his training without even showing signs of fatigue after completing that insane amount.

"Ah, is it already this late?"

Thud!

Chung Myung threw the sandbags he was carrying onto the ground. Then he clicked his tongue.

"What's with everyone collapsing after just a little training? Tsk! Kids these days are so weak. It wasn't like this in my time."

'You're the youngest one here, you punk!'

The youngest one here is talking about "kids these days"!

"We'll stop training for today. Eat and rest up for the afternoon session. Anyone who dozes off or slacks during training will have their workload doubled tomorrow. You've been warned."

'Demon!'

'Devil!'

'Bastard!'

Even if they cursed him in their hearts, Chung Myung didn't have the ability to read minds. Unfortunately.

"Alright, I'm off. Make sure to clean up the training equipment."

As Chung Myung walked away, swaying his arms, the three great disciples collectively sighed.

Meat.

Meat was in sight.

Lately, Mount Hua seemed to be overflowing with money, as meat was served at every meal. They even saw unfamiliar cooks coming in and out of the dining hall, which meant they had hired new staff.

The three great disciples, who would usually light up at the sight of meat, had been sitting at the table for a while now without touching it.

"…Eat."

Yoon Jong spoke weakly, but no one picked up their chopsticks.

"…I feel like I'll throw up if I eat."

"I have no appetite."

"Seeing meat makes me want to vomit. Is it my time to die?"

None of them could bring themselves to put anything in their mouths.

"Senior Brother."

"…What?"

"Isn't this a bit too much?"

Yoon Jong couldn't answer. But that didn't stop the complaints.

"This… I mean, it's good that we're training. It's true that we haven't been fully dedicated to training since coming to Mount Hua, and it's better to train properly and gain something rather than just passing the time half-heartedly."

"But?"

"But this is too much. There's not a single part of my body that isn't sore."

It seemed the other disciples felt the same.

"…We're going to die at this rate, Senior Brother."

"Before, it was manageable, but lately, it feels like we're really going to die."

"As soon as I enter my room, I collapse like a corpse. Every time I fall asleep, I'm scared I might not wake up."

"I can't even hold my chopsticks. My hands are shaking too much."

Yoon Jong sighed.

"Telling me won't change anything…"

"But at least if you say something, he might listen, right?"

"You're the senior brother, after all."

Yoon Jong frowned.

'But they're not wrong.'

In the past, when there were similar complaints, Jo Geol and Yoon Jong had suppressed them. But this wasn't something that could be handled so simply now.

Yoon Jong was also reaching his limit.

When fatigue builds up from training, it needs to be relieved so it doesn't interfere with the next session. But lately, Chung Myung had been pushing them without giving them any time to recover.

Every day felt like pushing past their limits. How bad must it be if even Yoon Jong felt fear when heading out for morning training?

Yoon Jong glanced at Jo Geol.

"Jo Geol."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

"What do you think?"

"Hmm…"

As Jo Geol hesitated, everyone's attention turned to him. Among the three great disciples, Jo Geol had the second-most influence, and perhaps even more than Yoon Jong.

"Honestly, it's a bit excessive."

"Right?"

"Our bodies can't handle this. The problem is that the intensity keeps increasing every day. I'm all for rigorous training, but this is too harsh."

"…Hmm."

"Iron gets stronger the more you forge it, but the human body breaks if you push it too hard."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"The problem is…"

Jo Geol's brow twitched.

"That kid… no, Chung Myung knows this logic better than anyone."

"Ugh."

Yoon Jong groaned.

He had the exact same thought. The current training regimen didn't make sense. But it made even less sense to think that Chung Myung didn't realize he was pushing them too hard.

Because it was Chung Myung.

"For now, let's try to endure a bit longer. If nothing changes after some time, we'll have to speak up."

"Alright. I won't hold back then."

As Jo Geol and Yoon Jong finished their conversation, the others nodded in agreement. At least they had a plan: if this situation continued, they would protest.

Whether that protest would work was another matter.

"For now, let's eat. Even if you don't feel like it, force it down. We have afternoon training, and if we show up weak, the elders will be furious."

"Ugh."

"Let's eat."

"Sigh."

Everyone reluctantly picked up their chopsticks with trembling hands. Jo Geol clicked his tongue as he watched their pitiful state.

"Kkeu…"

Jo Geol struggled to make his way to his bed.

'I'm really going to die at this rate.'

It was a miracle he even washed up. His entire body was covered in dust, but he had mustered the willpower to wash his clothes and clean himself. He wanted to pat himself on the back for that.

As a result, his eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and there wasn't an ounce of strength left in his body. It was a wonder he could even walk.

Thud.

Jo Geol collapsed onto his hard bed and let out a sigh.

'When I wake up, it's back to training.'

Honestly, Jo Geol didn't have any complaints about Chung Myung's training methods. No matter how harsh it was, he believed he could endure it. Because, in the end, all that training would make him stronger.

But lately, he had started to wonder.

Would his body break before he got stronger? Could his body even handle this level of training?

But before those thoughts could deepen, exhaustion overwhelmed him. Jo Geol stopped thinking and surrendered to the wave of sleep.

"Senior Brother."

"…Hmm."

"Senior Brother. Wake up. Senior Brother."

"Huh?"

Jo Geol forced his eyes open. In his blurry vision, he could make out the shape of a person.

"Who's there!"

A heavy hand pressed down on Jo Geol as he tried to sit up.

"Don't make a fuss. Just get up quietly."

"Chung Myung?"

"Hurry."

What was this lunatic doing in his room in the middle of the night? And how did he even open the door?

"…What's going on?"

Jo Geol struggled to sit up. He felt like he had slept for a while, but his fatigue hadn't eased at all. His body felt heavy, and irritation bubbled up.

At that moment, Chung Myung held something out to him.

"Here."

Jo Geol frowned unconsciously as he saw the small pill resting in Chung Myung's hand.

"What's this?"

"Medicine."

"What?"

"Shhh."

Jo Geol clamped his mouth shut, realizing he had spoken too loudly.

"This was hard to get. I'm giving it to you because you're my senior brother."

"R-really? Medicine?"

"Have you been living under a rock? You should be able to tell just by the smell."

It was real.

A refreshing aroma had been tickling Jo Geol's nose since earlier. The reason he had questioned it was because he couldn't believe this situation.

What was this medicine? It was a pill that enhanced internal energy and purified the body. In the martial world, rumors of a top-tier medicine like this could spark bloodshed and death.

Even if it wasn't that level, any medicine that could enhance internal energy was worth far more than its weight in gold.

And yet, Chung Myung was giving it to someone else?

"It's not poisoned."

"No, that's not what I mean!"

Jo Geol took a deep breath before he could shout.

"Why are you giving this to me? You should take it."

"Because you need it, Senior Brother."

"…"

"Hurry up and take it. Before anyone else finds out. And keep it a secret that I gave it to you. It's just for you."

"…You."

Jo Geol opened and closed his mouth.

Should he really take this?

Normally, he would have hesitated, but in his exhausted state, Jo Geol couldn't think clearly. Besides, the pill really did seem to be genuine medicine. His tired body was reacting intensely to it.

"Just take it. I'll help you absorb it."

"…Are you sure it's okay?"

"I'm giving it to you because you're my senior brother."

Chung Myung flicked the pill, and before Jo Geol could react, it slid into his mouth and melted, sliding down his throat.

Instinctively, Jo Geol knew it was the real deal.

"I'll help you absorb it, but don't rush. Take at least a month to absorb it slowly."

"Ah, got it."

"Turn around. I'll start the absorption process now."

Jo Geol looked at Chung Myung with slightly moved eyes before turning around and sitting cross-legged. Chung Myung smirked as he looked at Jo Geol's back.

'A thirsty person will appreciate water when it's given to them.'

Chung Myung was already curious about the looks his fellow disciples would have when they saw him at the training ground tomorrow.