Chapter 213: Let's Hold a Spar

After dinner came the historic first lesson with her little master.

Normally, the proper way for a master to begin the first lesson isn't by diving straight into the material, but by starting with a splendid overview.

Thus, the first words spoken by The Divine Thief in his role as master were these:

“Hmph. Didn’t I treat you reasonably well? And you just went and blabbed everything? I didn’t take you for such a disloyal girl.”

It was the kind of lingering complaint that would make an ordinary disciple fidget and fluster.

However, Qing already possessed qualifications more than sufficient to be called a giant in this particular field.

Qing soothed the pouting adult with a gentle eye smile.

“Why not think of it positively? It shows I kept my loyalty to Master, and besides, you're my master now too, aren’t you?”

“Ahem. Still, even if Venerable Master permitted it, did you really have to step in again and say it wasn’t necessary?”

“Come on. If I had just said ‘Thank you!’ right there, wouldn’t it make Master, you, and me all look like fickle people? I was cheering inside too, but it was a moment where I had to do that just once, you know? Don’t you agree?”

The Divine Thief softened considerably.

“Ahem hem. By the way, you call Master ‘Master’ [Sabeonim], but you call me ‘Master’ [Seuseungnim]?”[^*Sabeonim* typically denotes one's primary martial arts master, carrying a deeper sense of lineage than the more general term for 'teacher,' *Seuseungnim*, which Qing uses for him.]

“Isn’t that better than ‘Little Master’? Would you prefer ‘Little Master’? Or maybe ‘Second Master’?”

“Ahem. Can’t you drop the prefix? I wanted to hear ‘Master’ [Sabeonim]. There are already plenty of guys who call me ‘Master’ [Seuseungnim].”

“Oh? You already have many disciples?”

“You ignorant child. Didn’t you hear what Venerable Master said? I told you I’m a Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy!”

If the creator goddess Nüwa had sculpted Qing, one might say she poured extra effort into the appearance, but perhaps used the wrong materials or fired her incorrectly, leaving the inside completely hollow and bland.

Seeing Qing’s expression, Cheon Yuhak felt an ominous premonition, ‘Did I perhaps make a terrible choice?’

“…You don’t know?”

“…Should I?”

The Hanlin Academy was the premier educational institution in the Central Plains, the highest seat of advanced learning.

During the Tang Dynasty, around its founding, it was powerful enough to be involved in the Emperor's education and nearly all governmental affairs, including inspections, administration, and judicial matters.

However, as dynasties changed, so did its people. Now, it focused solely on education, book compilation, and research as the center of scholarship in the Central Plains.

The positions in the Hanlin Academy could be roughly compared to Qing's homeland terms: the Principal was the Hanlin Academician, and the two Vice Principals were the Reader Academician and the Lecturer Academician.

The Reader Academician, as the name suggested (‘reading poetry’), oversaw research, while the Lecturer Academician (‘teaching poetry’) was the head of the educational division.

Hadn't Ximen Surin mentioned that someone of the Lecturer Academician rank was considered a giant based on scholarship alone?

However, the fact that a giant of such stature—a Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy, no less—was moonlighting as The Divine Thief was truly baffling.

“Wow. Master, you were someone really amazing. Like a Great Master, a True Master, a Big Master, that kind of thing?”

Even if Qing’s head was empty, her appearance was genuine. Faced with the cute antics of his pretty disciple, the middle-aged man’s heart began to melt.

“Ahem hem. Well, enough chatter. For now, the Divine Thief… No, wait. You wench, did you know my identity all along and just pretend not to? No, how did you figure it out anyway?”

“Uh… because you showed me the Shadowless Divine Hand Secret Manual?”

“I knew it! You did recognize it!”

“I never said I didn’t recognize it. And why on earth would you make a Secret Manual into an erotic art book? And a poorly drawn one at that.”

“Poorly drawn! It’s the greatest masterpiece in art history, illustrated page by page by the Master Artist Geum Jo-hyeon himself!”

“Even if you say that about a dirty book…”

“Ahem.”

Cheon Yuhak cleared his throat in embarrassment.

“The most crucial quality when choosing a successor for The Divine Thief is keen senses. The book was made to test whether someone could resist being swayed by the greatest erotic art under heaven and either possess the eyesight to spot the minuscule engraved letters like you did, or have senses sharp enough to detect them by touch.”

“Ah. So that’s what it was.”

Qing had simply touched it and registered it, completely unaware of such profound meaning.

If Cheon Yuhak had known, he would have pounded the ground in frustration.

‘Hmm. Maybe I should rewrite it as the Dao De Jing[^(Dao De Jing: The foundational classical text of Daoism.)] instead of erotic art,’ Cheon Yuhak thought inwardly.

He mused that having a female disciple did have the drawback of making it awkward to joke around about such things together.

Of course, he was severely underestimating Qing.

“I don’t know who this Master Artist is, but isn’t the style too restrained for erotic art? It needs a more primal appeal. It’s not like you hang erotic art on the wall.”

“Hmm?”

“More like, this? Mm, it’s not coming out right…”

Qing started drawing on the ground with her Blue Sword.

Using one of the rarest and most famously sharp swords to scratch pictures onto the stone-mixed earth was an atrocity that would make anyone who saw it gasp and slap her cheek.

However, since Qing treated weapons as mere consumables and The Divine Thief regarded treasures like rocks, neither felt particularly bothered.

“Oh? This style? It’s poorly drawn, but still, hmm. The lines. Hooh. Isn’t that too bold? The human body isn’t really like that.”

“Eh, it’s just a drawing, it can be like that sometimes.”

“…? What bizarre logic is this?”

In Qing’s homeland, the existence of photography often served as an excuse for artistic freedom.

But such a thing didn't exist in the Central Plains, so it was natural that Cheon Yuhak couldn't understand.

“Nevertheless, hmm. It has feeling. It would be good if you learned to draw properly and tried again.”

“Eh, why would a martial artist learn to draw?”

“It’s what Master mentioned. She said I should teach you the four arts of a scholar—music, Go, calligraphy, and painting. She mentioned you play the instrument quite well, and your handwriting is that of the greatest calligrapher under heaven, so I just need to teach you Go and painting. Right. Let me see your handwriting. What kind of writing earns the title 'greatest calligrapher under heaven' from her?”

He then took out paper, a brush, and an ink bottle from his robes and thrust them forward.

Qing obediently wrote, producing four characters: Asajeil (아 사 제 일, 一 - My Master is the Best).

Qing’s calligraphy, aided by the system’s correction, manifested as the standard script style of the modern Korean people.

Each stroke was thick yet lacked any dullness, stretching smoothly and proudly. These beautiful strokes filled the characters completely, leaving no empty space.

Moreover, the height and width were perfectly matched, creating an unbelievably beautiful script that had never existed before in this world, enough to make anyone from the Central Plains faint in astonishment.

“My heavens. Each and every stroke settles with the weight of a thousand jin! You have already perfected a style with the Eight Principles, reaching the level of a master—no, a grandmaster! The spirit is magnificent, unfolding the majesty of Mount Tai in writing! This is truly the weightiest calligraphy under heaven! How could you possess such precious writing and not have gained fame as a calligrapher?”

He was so surprised that the dignified speech of a Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy slipped out.

It was simply because few people had seen Qing’s calligraphy, and martial artists didn’t get as excited about handwriting as scholars did.

In the end, the lesson was forgotten as the two spent the time playing and chatting enthusiastically.

Both master and disciple had a very enjoyable time, so there was no problem at all.

As a result, the main topic The Divine Thief had originally intended to discuss only came out much later, as the night deepened.

“The Divine Thief isn’t just any thief. He’s a thief beneficial to the world. Playing the righteous thief is good, and satisfying personal desires is fine too, but The Divine Thief must fulfill the role of removing items harmful to the world.”

“Harmful items?”

“Yes. Harmful items naturally refer to things detrimental to the world. Vicious demonic swords, Demonic Arts, or perhaps horrific deadly poisons.”

“Wow, demonic swords actually exist? Do they, like, talk and stuff?”

“…? What bizarre nonsense is this again? Hmm. Though, perhaps it’s not entirely wrong.”

There were indeed types of demonic weapons that could bewitch people—those that had drunk human blood for ages, those imbued with deep resentment for some reason, or those created through human sacrifice, and so on.

It was said that once grasped, the urge to cut someone down became irresistible, leading some to describe it as the demonic sword whispering to its wielder.

“I wouldn’t know, having never held a demonic sword. Anyway, other harmful items include famous treasures. Such treasures fan the flames of human greed, leading to great conflagrations, because those with eyes red with avarice do not hesitate to spill blood.”

“…Isn’t that just saying steal anything that looks good?”

“That’s why I’m the greatest thief under heaven. But if the world finds peace because of it, isn’t it acceptable for one person to bear the name of a thief?”

Cheon Yuhak was a man who had accumulated Good Karma.

If someone with Bad Karma had said it, one might have snorted dismissively, calling it bullshit. But coming from someone with Good Karma, it held persuasive power.

Moreover, hadn’t she directly witnessed him lose two points of Good Karma just by forcing her to buy a book?

Considering he likely lost Good Karma in similar ways over time, one could infer he must have originally possessed a very high amount.

“This is the work you must inherit. You can dispose of the stolen items as you see fit. Burn them, bury them, find suitable new owners, whatever. I used to melt down gold items and make them into gold sycee.”

“Steal anything good. Do whatever you want with it afterwards. Sounds like I’d be losing out if I didn’t do it.”

“And you must not forget to find and train a successor with the greatest talent. Honestly, this is more important. Treasures can always be stolen, but the lineage of The Divine Thief must not be broken.”

“Got it. Raise the best disciple.”

At that, The Divine Thief nodded with satisfaction.

“There are four martial arts passed down by The Divine Thief…”

The Shadowless Divine Hand, a Catching Hand Art also used for pickpocketing.

Phantom Step, a peerless Lightness Skill boasting absolute silence and maximum short-distance speed.

Lithe Grace Refinement, an External Art that dramatically increases the body’s joint mobility.

And there was an internal energy cultivation technique, but this merely needed to be memorized, not necessarily learned.

This was because The Divine Thief often moonlighted, so most already had their own internal energy cultivation technique.

“Come to think of it, Master mentioned it was fine for you to learn multiple internal arts simultaneously. You inherited the legacy of Jiutian Xuannü?”

“Yes. That’s what they say.”

“Indeed, Jiutian Xuannü is a master of martial studies and the embodiment of the Golden Mean, responsible for tuning the nine worlds. It could truly be called the highest of Divine Arts among martial arts.”[^Jiutian Xuannü is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity in Chinese mythology]

This was one of the excuses Qing had coordinated with Ximen Surin.

It was the explanation to use if she were ever caught using multiple internal energies.

Until now, Qing had wondered if it would actually work, but seeing it accepted, she thought, ‘Master truly is amazing, she really does have a plan for everything.’

“Excellent. Then you can learn the Awakening Divine Art. It’s an internal energy cultivation technique perfectly suited for The Divine Thief, originally meant to be taught even if I had to adopt a child should I fail to find a proper disciple.”

Qing did a quick mental search. Somehow, there wasn't a single purple-grade martial art among them.

Shadowless Divine Hand - Gold. Phantom Step - Gold. Lithe Grace Refinement - Gold. Awakening Divine Art - Gold. All dazzling gold.

Qing felt a little disappointed.

Those guys from the Shaolin Temple… every time I overheard something and searched, it was always purple this, purple that…

Well, it was natural, given that Shaolin prided itself as the progenitor of all martial arts under heaven, claiming every technique originated from them.

“Here. These are yours now.”

Cheon Yuhak handed over the books.

As soon as Qing touched them, the Martial Arts Window displayed notifications, confirming they were legitimate martial arts manuals.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you in earnest. For today, skim through them and get a rough idea in your head. Consider it an all-nighter. That’s how studying is supposed to be done, you know. Heh heh.”

The laugh Cheon Yuhak let out was mischievous.

It sounded like he expected her to suffer quite a bit.

However, for Qing, it was instantaneous. Including the time needed to roll her eyes back and make croaking noises from the aftereffects, the whole process would take merely one ke.