Chapter 104: Misunderstanding (4)

Blissfully unaware that Il-mok considered him a useful dog shit, Baek Cheon's face practically glowed with delight.

"A teacher, you say?"

The word "teacher" had clearly struck a chord in him.

‘He really is an attention seeker.’

Give him a role and some recognition, and he becomes absolutely ecstatic.

"That's right. While you didn’t learn archery techniques, you’ve learned hidden weapon techniques that also require fighting from a distance. Also, your skills are exceptional, Senior Baek. You’ll be a great help in this case.”

"Hahaha! Young Master Il-mok truly has an eye for people! Leave everything to me!"

With Baek Cheon eagerly accepting his role as teacher, Il-mok turned back to observe Jeong Hyeon.

"We can begin now."

Under the intense scrutiny of both Il-mok and Baek Cheon, Jeong Hyeon moved like a reanimated corpse. Her limbs jerked awkwardly, her right arm and leg moving in a bizarre synchronization.

Yet despite her clumsy display, Il-mok and Baek Cheon simply watched with expressionless faces.

When Jeong Hyeon finally began nocking arrows with trembling hands, Il-mok discreetly leaned toward Baek Cheon and whispered.

"When instructing Disciple Jeong as a teacher, there's one thing you absolutely must pay attention to."

"What's that?"

“You must, and I mean must, start with praise and end with praise.”

In Il-mok's view, one of the biggest reasons people find it difficult to perform in front of others is their lack of confidence.

"Even when you spot glaring flaws, never say 'that's wrong' or 'poorly done.' Start with encouragement first, then suggest improvements in a way that doesn’t lower Jeong Hyeon’s self-esteem. Frame it as 'if you do this, you'll get even better.' Understood?"

“I can see the logic in this, but why use this approach?”

"People gain more strength when they receive praise. Didn’t you experience this yourself, Senior Baek?"

"Ah!"

Understanding dawned across Baek Cheon's features.

Being a man thirsty for praise and attention, he knew how good it felt when the people in his surroundings validated his efforts.

While they whispered their strategy, Jeong Hyeon continued her awkward archery display. She stumbled through the entire set of the Ghostly Spirit Divine Archery forms and had just let out a ragged sigh when a sudden storm of applause erupted.

Clap clap clap!

“That was magnificent!”

"Ha! I knew you had it in you, Disciple Jeong!"

The praise didn't stop there. Il-mok and Baek Cheon lavished her with enthusiastic encouragement.

‘Wh-what exactly did I do well?’

Jeong Hyeon wanted to disappear into the earth itself.

The pattern continued. Every time she finished performing her botched forms, a round of applause and encouragement would pour from Il-mok and Baek Cheon. The applause and encouragement never ceased as she collected the arrow she had shot from the target.

Clap clap clap!

“Hahaha, look how carefully he picks up his arrows! Wonderful!”

Clap clap clap!

“Exactly! Look at that disciplined form! Such sharp, precise movements!”

The constant praise from behind made her hands shake violently as she gathered her arrows.

One thing became crystal clear to Jeong Hyeon: this was psychological torture disguised as training.

***

The following afternoon, instead of directly heading to the clearing to help Jeong Hyeon again, Il-mok first headed towards the training ground.

He decided to recruit one more audience member to watch Jeong Hyeon’s training, to get him accustomed to the people’s attention.

Bringing one more person when he was still rattled by just two might have been risky, but Il-mok had a reason.

‘Right. When it comes to grinding, setting things on autopilot is always best.’

He planned to bring in one more person, introduce them to the cheering squad, then make a graceful exit when the situation stabilized.

And the chosen candidate for the cheering squad is none other than Ju Seo-yeon.

"Young Master Il-mok!"

She, who had been devoted to training alone in the training hall, welcomed him warmly. But her warm greeting wasn’t particularly welcome to him.

She greeted him warmly from her solitary training session, though her enthusiasm felt somewhat overwhelming.

Il-mok had actually spoken with her shortly after he returned to the Hall of the Demonic Way.

"When I heard the news that you had gone missing, I almost passed out, Young Master!”

She had greeted him enthusiastically.

"Were you that worried?"

"Of course I did! If something bad happened to you, I would’ve had to find another way to get close to Miss Jin Hayeon.”

"..."

Her follow-up had left him so moved that he was at a loss for words. He couldn’t decide if he should admire her honesty or despise her for her utter lack of tact.

In any case, they had exchanged greetings a few times since then. He just didn't want to get close to an unnervingly honest lunatic and honestly wanted nothing to do with her.

But Baek Cheon had taught Il-mok a valuable lesson.

"I need you to come somewhere with me."

Il-mok had realized that even dog shit has its uses.

He turned his heel to the clearing with Dog Shit Number Two following behind him and gave her a briefing on the situation.

“You were in the same class previously, so you should know each other. Your task is simple; from now on, your job is to watch Disciple Jeong Hyeon practise archery with us.”

"???"

Ju Seo-yeon's confusion was evident on her face.

“Young Master, didn’t you say you’d only take me as your attendant if I ranked second in the Hall? I don’t have time for this. I need to train.”

Il-mok had a feeling she’d say that. The fact that he could now predict the behavior of a madwoman was depressing, but it was predictable nonetheless.

“Don’t worry. You won’t just be watching. You’ll be alternating between observing and sparring.”

"!? Y-Young Master?"

Jeong Hyeon shot him an alarmed look, but he pressed on.

“Observe Disciple Jeong’s Ghostly Spirit Divine Archery and think of ways to counter it, then apply your own insight during your sparring. Afterwards, watch his archery again and reflect on how you might better face it. Don't you think that would be a great way to improve?”

Ju Seo-yeon's face lit up with a moved expression. “As expected of the Young Master! You were planning to accept me as your attendant all along! I won’t disappoint you, I will take the second rank, Young Master!”

While her interpretation was wildly inaccurate, Il-mok saw no benefit in correction.

Soon, the three of them—Il-mok, Baek Cheon, and Ju Seo-yeon—sat cross-legged as Jeong Hyeon’s demonstration began.

Believing that she carried his expectation, Ju Seo-yeon's eyes sparkled with the same unsettling intensity as Baek Cheon's.

‘Do all unhinged people share that particular gleam?’

At this rate, he felt like he’d develop the ability to spot crazy bastards just by looking at their eyes.

But that wasn't what was important right now.

‘Time to set up the auto grind system.’

Once the system was in place, he wouldn’t have to deal with these psychos for a while.

“Listen carefully, Disciple Ju. You need to praise Disciple Jeong constantly.”

***

“Haaaah…”

With a deep sigh, Jeong Hyeon wondered, ‘Why? Why has my life become this nightmare?’

As if to prove her point, the moment she fired an arrow, a thunderous wave of applause and cheers erupted from behind her.

“Hahaha! Magnificent skill!”

“You were aiming for the edge of the target on purpose that time! You almost fooled me there."

"So that's what it was! Disciple Jeong is amazing!"

The relentless praise from Baek Cheon, Il-mok, and Ju Seo-yeon made her face burn so hot she thought it would explode. Her body trembled, and she couldn’t focus at all. Her arrow had flown wildly off course, but now they were praising it as if it were intentional.

‘I-I I'm going to die. Actually, I want to die.’

She felt she was on the verge of either dying from Qi deviation or simply shooting an arrow straight up to her Baihui Acupoint to end it all.

(TL Note: The crown of her head.)

Either way, the cause of death would be the same: death from shame.

Noticing her constant trembling, Il-mok briefly hesitated.

‘Hmm? Is the praise not working?’

While he contemplated stopping, Jeong Hyeon, standing at a crossroads between life and death thought.

Why on earth would Young Master Il-mok go to the trouble of bringing other people here just to praise her?

‘Could this be his payback for avoiding him back then?’

But even if she grasped Il-mok's intention, nothing changed.

Understanding his intent changed nothing about her predicament. The humiliation remained unbearable. If this kept up, she was truly going to die one way or another.

‘Please, just make the praise stop…’

She could endure their stares, but the constant verbal praise was driving her toward madness.

It was strange. Not long ago, just making eye contact with Il-mok was enough to send her reeling, but now she couldn’t care less about his gaze. As long as she could block out the noise, the stares didn’t matter.

But that was impossible.

The core function of the Ghostly Spirit Divine Archery she had learned was tthe maximization of senses.

It sharpened an archer’s awareness, allowing them to react to threats with superhuman speed and execute the precise shots needed to hit distant targets. By its very nature, it meant dulling one’s senses was out of the question.

‘…But what if it’s not about dulling them, but redirecting them?’

In that moment of crisis, an idea she had never before considered sparked in her mind.

She, who had been trembling and nocking arrows with a reddened face, suddenly closed her eyes and concentrated her mind.

She focused inward and guided her internal energy according to the mysteries of Ghostly Spirit Divine Archery.

Within her heightened senses, everything in a ten-foot radius was perceptible as if her eyes were wide open.

‘This is my domain.’

After confirming the extent of her sensory field, she began to twist the flow of her internal energy, going against the very current she had cultivated for years. Because she was going against the path she had repeated for years, pain came as if her meridians were being twisted and blood surged up to her throat, filling her mouth with the taste of blood.

Standing at the crossroads between Qi deviation and enlightenment, Jeong Hyeon made a choice that was uncharacteristically bold for her.

She continued to twist the flow of internal energy.

After all, if things continued as they were, the only future left was death from humiliation.

Her internal energy fought back against her will, but then…

Whiiiiiing.

She was certain. Her choice was right.

The spherical domain that had enveloped her began to change. Subtly at first, the shape started to warp, narrowing in some places and expanding in others.

"Huu…"

Breathing deeply, she refined her domain like a sculptor creating a work of art.

‘I won’t hear the sounds from behind me.’

She radically reshaped her territory. She pulled her senses from all sides and concentrated them into a single, forward-facing point, shaping it like a needle.

Externally, she was as still as a statue, standing motionless with her bow drawn and eyes closed. However, Il-mok, who was watching her, noticed the change.

It wasn’t just the cold sweat pouring down her brow; it was the violent tempest of qi swirling around her. Standing there motionless, she looked like she was in the eye of a typhoon.

Il-mok had seen a sight like this before.

This is just like what happened with Jin Hayeon!

He'd witnessed this exact scene when Jin Hayeon achieved her breakthrough with the White Hand Demonic Art. The thought spurred him into action. He quickly made a hushing gesture to Baek Cheon and Ju Seo-yeon.

“Looks like she’s having an enlightenment. Silence.”

When Il-mok muttered in a whisper, Ju Seo-yeon and Baek-cheon nodded with uncharacteristically serious faces.

With the troublemakers properly warned, Il-mok observed Jeong Hyeon's transformation with a satisfied expression.

‘Just as I thought. They say praise can even make a whale dance.’

He was certain his little experiment had been a resounding success.