Chapter 4: Jin Tang

"Yes, I am Jin Tang, and I'm surprised a boy like yourself knows about my reputation. Now tell me, what happens to be your name?"

 

"My name is Sung Ho, it's nice to meet you, Master Tang."

 

"Now, are you boy's going to accept my offer or not?"

 

"Yes, we would like to accept." Replied both boys in unison.

 

"Good, now hurry and collect your belongings if you have any. I will speak to the manager about taking you two while you do so." Jin Tang said as he waved his hand to call for the manager, who was still standing in the hallway where the two boys had been fighting just minutes ago.

 

While walking with Sung Ho towards the hallway, Myeol Mang asked, "So, can you show me where my room is now?"

 

"Sure, saying that last time didn't go so well," Sung Ho replied as they walked past Dae Hyun and his friends.

 

Reaching the end of the hallway, Sung Ho directed Myeol Mang to the second to last door on the left side of the hallway.

 

Upon entering the room, Myeol Mang found a standard room with a bed and a small wooden cupboard with clothes hanging out of the drawers.

 

Shoving clothes from the drawer into the makeshift bag made from spare shirts knotted together. Standing up and turning around to where the bed was, he noticed a folded piece of paper on the nightstand next to the bed.

 

Unfolding the paper, Myeol Mang was shocked to see a painting on the page. In the picture, two adults in traditional clothing held a child in their arms as they smiled.

 

'These two must be my parents in this world.' Myeol Mang thought as he folded the paper back into shape and put it in the bag full of clothing.

 

After putting everything he needed into the makeshift bag, Myeol Mang walked out of the room and went back down to the hall where Dae Hyun and his friends were, smirking as he walked past them, he thought.

 

'The next time I see you bastards I will be so strong that it won't even be worth my time to get revenge for that punch earlier.'

 

Arriving at the dining hall, he noticed that Sung Ho had arrived before him, and Jin Tang was still conversing with the owner of the Inn. Seeing Myeol Mang walk over, the manager asked.

 

"Myeol Mang, I want you to tell me the truth, did you scuff the floors or not?"

 

"The truth is sir, I scuffed the floors but only because Dae Hyun punched me in the face."

 

"Well then, I guess you two are free to travel with Master Tang, I will have Dae Hyun clean up the floor." Replied the manager as he walked over to Dae Hyun and his friends.

 

"Now, Sung Ho, Myeol Mang, come with me to my place. That is where I shall teach you how to use martial arts. Said Jin Tang as he walked toward the Inn's doors.

 

Quickly realizing that they would be left behind, the two boys ran after Jin Tang, desperately trying to keep up with him. After the boys caught up with Jin Tang, he started to explain how their schedules would work during the time that he would train them.

 

"For the first few months, you boys will do nothing but physical training, for without a strong body to withstand the movements of martial arts you will break your body apart before even reaching your first battle. After that, for the next few weeks, you will continue your workouts to keep in shape, but during your downtime, you will learn the fundamentals of internal energy and how to use it."

 

"Master, can I ask you a question?" Sung Ho asked.

 

"Yes, please do."

 

"What type of martial arts will we learn? Will it be Sword, Blade, Spear, Axe, or Fist styles?"

 

"Now, don't assume that I will pick for you, that is what the next stage of your training will teach you about. For you see the third stage of your training will be the training of your connection to the weapon."

 

"What?" Asked both boys in unison.

 

"To truly learn the art of whatever style you want to learn, you must first have a complete connection to the weapon of your choosing, so the third stage will be you two finding out what type of weapon you want to use by learning how to forge."

 

"So fully understanding our weapon will allow us to use martial arts better?" Myeol Mang asked.

 

"Yes precisely, knowing every single part of your weapon will let you know the best place to strike with, how hard you need to strike with on certain spots and how much speed is needed in others. Knowing the blade of your weapon like it is family is just an extra bit of experience to let you survive for longer in the world of Jianghu."

 

"So, after we learn how to forge our own blade, that's when you'll teach us martial arts?" Myeol Mang asked.

 

"Precisely, now for the first part of your training, you must keep up with me until we reach my house, and we must hurry if we want to get there before nightfall."

 

You are reading story Memories of the Unorthodox Murim at novel35.com

"WHAT? Now?" Sung Ho asked.

 

"Yes now, we must hurry so move," Jin Tang replied as he started to pick up his pace and move faster down the open street.

 

Hurrying after their master, the two boys took off down the street, trying to keep up with him, but to no avail; they couldn't even come close. The closest they came to him was 30 meters, just after he started to speed up.

 

---

 

After Chasing Jin Tang until nightfall, the two boys finally reached Jin Tang's house.

 

However, Jin Tang's house was not a small house meant for a single family but a large palace that could house about a hundred families simultaneously.

 

"Good, you two made it here. Now come with me, I will show you to your rooms." Jin Tang said as he walked toward one of the many buildings inside the walls of the palace.

 

"Yes … Sir," both boys replied as they gasped for air.

 

Grabbing their bags, the boys walked behind Jin Tang as he explained the layout of the palace.

 

Pointing to a building on the right, Jin Tang said, "That building over there is where you can clean yourself after training and where the servants will do laundry if you need something washed or to get your clothes then you have to go there."

 

"Over there is the library, which has martial arts books, general information, and anything else you could wish to learn," Jin Tang said as he pointed to a building on the left.

 

Arriving at a building in front of the main building, Jin Tang said, "This building is where you two will stay during your training. I've made sure that there is room for your belongings. Now, get cleaned off and get some rest, your training will begin in the morning."

 

After showing the two boys where their rooms would be, Jin Tang walked off to the palace's main building. Finally getting a moment to rest, the two boys let out an exhausted sigh as they walked into their new rooms to set down their belongings.

 

Falling onto the bed in the corner of the room, Myeol Mang said, "Hey Sung Ho, I am going to clean off first if you don't mind."

 

"Alright, see you in a bit," Sung Ho replied as Myeol Mang got up from the bed and left the room with a change of clothes.

 

While walking over to the washrooms, Myeol Mang tried to understand everything that had happened during the day, from his dream to when he woke up in this world and when Jin Tang offered to train him and Sung Ho.

 

'So, when I touched the sword, I became the man in my dream? Meaning that dream wasn't just a dream, but it happened. But in that dream, I was an old man, so I couldn't have gone back in time, … could I be in his memories? Or have I just been brought back into a past life?'

 

Not completely understanding the situation, Myeol Mang racked his head with questions, trying to understand where he was, how he could get back home to his family, and why he was here.

 

However, he put those thoughts aside as he reached the washrooms. Thinking about why or how he got here could affect his sleep later. Myeol Mang got into the hot bath one of the servants had prepared for him.

 

Yet there was one fact that he couldn't get out of his mind, the fact that the man in his dream had requested to let his family keep his sword, and that sword ended up in Thomas's house after an unknown amount of time.

 

'Did the old man know this would happen? Or did he just not want that cult to have his sword?' Thought Myeol Mang while slumping farther down into the bath.

 

'Wait, do I even look the same here as I do in Texas?'

 

Sitting back up in the bath, Myeol Mang looked down at his reflection in the water.

 

'Huh, decently long black hair, my face is paler looking than before, and... wait, why do I have amber eyes?'

 

Myeol Mang continued with his bath so as not to keep Sung Ho waiting too long while pondering on the questions of how and why he was in this new world.

 

After around fifteen minutes, Myeol Mang exited the washrooms, changed into his new outfit and walked back to his room.

 

"Hey, Sung Ho, I'm done now so you can go get in if you want." Said Myeol Mang as he entered the room.

 

"Finally, you took forever man."

 

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

 

"Yeah, well you've thought enough for today, just go to sleep now. We're going to need it." Sung Ho replied as he grabbed some clean clothes and left the room.

 

Falling onto his bed in the corner of the room, Myeol Mang's eyes started to drift until he passed out on the edge of his bed.

You can find story with these keywords: Memories of the Unorthodox Murim, Read Memories of the Unorthodox Murim, Memories of the Unorthodox Murim novel, Memories of the Unorthodox Murim book, Memories of the Unorthodox Murim story, Memories of the Unorthodox Murim full, Memories of the Unorthodox Murim Latest Chapter