The Martial God with Psychic Powers

It was true.

They had only ever looked at him like he was a thorn in their side. Never once had they shown him real affection.
Jo Deok had always known.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never return to how things used to be.

In fact, they would probably prefer it if he didn’t come home at all.
They were likely praying that he’d stay away for good.
Jo Deok let out a faint sigh and gave a slow nod.

“…Understood.”
At those words, Yeon Woo Jin smiled in satisfaction.
The students of Cheongseok all bowed their heads to him in silent acknowledgment of defeat.

Jo Deok, whose Qi had surged to the point even Yoo Ji Gwang couldn’t restrain it, had been pacified like a tame lamb.
There was no defeating Baekyeong, not when it produced monsters like this.
The Cheongseok students thought:
Baekyeong will soon have every upper academy in Mushincheon kneeling before it.

They wanted to get out of there as fast as possible—to tell the world about what they had just witnessed.
But then—
Yeon Woo Jin said, “Look here.”

As if on cue, everyone raised their heads… and a haze passed through their minds.
They blinked, confused. Their expressions shifted—like they’d just forgotten something important.
“What… did you do?” Jo Deok asked.

Yeon Woo Jin smiled faintly.
“I erased their memories of me.”
“…What?”
Could such a thing be possible?

No ordinary human could do that.
And that meant the man before him… wasn’t human.
He was a god.

Only a god could have tamed the divine energy of the White Tiger.
And now that god wanted him.
Jo Deok’s chest swelled with emotion.

He made up his mind.
He would offer Yeon Woo Jin everything—his complete, unwavering loyalty.
 

****
Some Time Later
Yoo Ji Gwang stirred.

“Khrrgh…”
Clutching his throbbing head, memories came flooding back.
The memory of utter defeat.

“Goddamn it…”
He gritted his teeth, trying to shake it from his mind.
“You’re awake?”

The voice came from nearby—Jo Deok’s.
Yoo Ji Gwang looked up.
“Jo Deok… How long was I out?”

“A day.”
“I see…”
“Mm.”

“…We lost, didn’t we?”
“Yeah. Completely. Baekyeong… they’re the real deal.”
“…I suppose they’ve gone back?”

“Yeah.”
“Did they demand anything for the win? Compensation? Tribute?”
“I’m going with them.”

“What? Why you?”
“More like a hostage, I guess. Don’t worry about it. We’re graduating soon anyway.”
Jo Deok had expected… something. Some resistance.

He’d hoped Yoo Ji Gwang might try to stop him.
They were… weren’t they friends?
“…Right. Makes sense. Just think of it as staying there briefly. Not much time left until graduation. Still, I wonder—will they make you an official affiliate before then? If not, they might push for something else.”

No regret.
No hesitation.
Only concern about logistics and diplomacy.

Jo Deok felt the weight of disappointment settle in.
Yoo Ji Gwang hadn’t even considered him a friend.
There was nothing left tying him to Cheongseok now.

“Guess that’s good, then. Graduation’s around the corner. Whatever comes after… it’s up to whoever’s left.”
Even Yoo Ji Gwang seemed ready to walk away from it all.
Despite being the academy’s top student.

He gave a bitter smile.
The students who remained had already lost their spirit. Cheongseok would face a long, bitter dark age.
Even if new students entered, they’d be swallowed by the despair in the air.

With the last lingering trace of attachment stripped away, Jo Deok rose from his seat and looked at Yoo Ji Gwang.
“Take care of yourself. And thanks… for everything. I leave Cheongseok in your hands.”
That was the reason he’d come.

To say goodbye properly.
“…What, trying to guilt me? Just get lost.”
Jo Deok smiled bitterly.

He’d been foolish to expect warmth.
He left the room, the cold words still echoing behind him.
Looking up at the clear blue sky, Jo Deok made a wish.

Please… let Yeon Woo Jin be different from everyone else I’ve ever met.
 
****

White Tiger Gate.
Jo Deok stood in front of a grand, gleaming gate—so new it looked like it had just been built.
“This… this is where I’ll be staying?”

“That’s right,” the man beside him replied.
“I’ve never heard of a place called White Tiger Gate before…”
“Of course not. It’s brand new.”

“…What?”
“You’re the Gate Lord.”
“…Excuse me?”

Jo Deok had just been admiring how magnificent it was… when the bombshell dropped.
He was the Gate Lord?
“I… I’m the Gate Lord?”

“Correct. A gift from the Young Lord. Accept it with gratitude.”
He had heard Yeon Woo Jin would prepare a place for him.
But he hadn’t expected to receive an entire martial sect.

The scale was incomprehensible.
But then came the worry.
Would he be expected to manage all this on his own?

“Go on in,” the man said.
Jo Deok nodded and pushed open the gate.
Inside, to his shock, stood a sizable group of people—all bowing their heads in unison.

“We greet the Gate Lord!”
“…H-Huh?!”
He’d expected an empty house, but it was filled with people.

And not just a few.
“They were wanderers. But don’t worry—they won’t betray you.”
“Wh-What?”

“They’re people who, like you, had no place to belong. Treat them well.”
Hearing that, Jo Deok felt an unexpected sense of kinship.
A desire to treat them well took root.

“Go about your duties, all of you. Your Gate Lord will now begin his training.”
At the man’s command, the crowd dispersed.
Jo Deok turned to him.

“Training…?”
“Of course. If you want to control the White Tiger’s Qi, you’ll need to grow stronger. The Young Lord has entrusted you to me personally.”
For Yeon Woo Jin to entrust him to someone… he had to be extraordinary.

Jo Deok asked carefully, “If you’re to guide me… that makes you my teacher. May I ask your name?”
His tone was respectful—earnest.
The man gave a faint smile.

“You’ve got the right attitude for learning. My name is Chun Ho Seong.”
Jo Deok bowed deeply.
He recognized the name.

“You’re… the Lord of the Chunmu Corps.”
Yes—the Sword Emperor of Instant Death.
The Sword Emperor!

Jo Deok's head snapped up, eyes wide with shock.
His new master… was the famed Sword Emperor?
Chun Ho Seong chuckled at Jo Deok’s astonishment.

“You're really surprised, huh? Let’s work well together.”
“Y-Yes! I-I’ll do my best, sir!”
But a question lingered.

Who exactly was the lord I’ve pledged myself to…?
Jo Deok realized he still didn’t know the true identity of the one he now served.
He asked carefully, “Um… Master…”

“What? Master?”
Chun Ho Seong twitched at the word. Jo Deok immediately lowered his head, panicked.
“S-Sorry! I wasn’t sure what to call you…”

Chun Ho Seong cleared his throat.
“Hmph. Just call me Master.”
“…Yes, sir!”

The reason Chun Ho Seong frowned wasn’t annoyance—it was satisfaction.
The White Tiger Physique—a treasure every master dreamed of—had willingly called him Master.
How could he not be pleased?

Even Yeon Woo Jin had given his blessing.
Telling him: Raise him well. As your disciple.
 

“No, rather than leaving it vague,” Chun Ho Seong said, “let’s make it official. From this moment forward, we are master and disciple.”
It was clear—he intended to bind him tightly, so there’d be no room to escape.
But Jo Deok was overwhelmed with emotion.

The Sword Emperor himself—the famed Slayer of a Thousand Shadows—was offering to take him in as his disciple.
This couldn’t be a dream… could it?
He had forgotten entirely that he possessed one of the Four Guardian Physiques—the White Tiger Physique itself.

“If you accept me as your master,” Chun Ho Seong said, “then offer the Nine Bows.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jo Deok fell to his knees and began the ritual bows right there on the spot.
“Disciple Jo Deok offers his body and soul! From this day on, I shall honor and serve my Master as I would my own father!”

“Good. Let’s walk this path well together.”
“Yes, Master!”
“Now, what was it you tried to ask me earlier? Was there something you were curious about?”

“Oh! I… I was wondering about our lord’s identity.”
“Our lord?”
“Yes. I was curious—what kind of man must he be, to have sent you to me?”

“So… he didn’t tell you.”
“W-What do you mean, Master?”
“The one you now serve… is my lord as well.”

Jo Deok’s jaw dropped.
The Lord of the Chunmu Corps served someone else?
He’d assumed the Lord of Mushincheon was the one at the top.

“Surprised? That man… is the sole bloodline of the Celestial Lord of Mushincheon. And someday, he will rule all of Mushincheon.”
“Wh… What?!”
Jo Deok had been shocked many times today—but this topped them all.

It was astonishing that the Celestial Lord even had a direct descendant—and even more shocking that the Sword Emperor served the same person he now did.
For someone to gain Chun Ho Seong’s loyalty… that meant the Celestial Lord himself had given his blessing.
That alone said everything about how much he cherished this successor.

And he was strong.
Unimaginably so.
Hadn’t Jo Deok felt it in his bones—that overwhelming presence that blanketed the entire world?

There could be no °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° doubt.
His lord… would become the next ruler of Mushincheon.
“He has high hopes for you,” Chun Ho Seong said. “To meet them, you must work hard—tirelessly.”

That such a being had expectations for him—
Jo Deok’s chest tightened with excitement.
“Then let’s begin your training,” Chun Ho Seong said with a low chuckle. “Let’s make sure our Young Lord’s expectations are met.”

“Yes, Master! I’m ready!”
“Good! Hah! I’ll make sure you taste blood and fire before we’re through.”
 

****
Meanwhile, at the main estate of Manchwi Gate, chaos had broken out.
“What?! He filed for full withdrawal?! Who the hell gave him permission?!”

“Please… grant him leave.”
“I will not! Who does he think he is, filing for withdrawal?! He’s supposed to stay back a year and look after Jo Gun when he enters Cheongseok! And now he wants out? Has he lost his mind?!”
“I’m perfectly sane,” came the reply.

“You want to die, boy?”
“Look at us right now. Does this look like a conversation between a father and son? Or between a master and a slave?”
This was not the usual Jo Deok—the one who always obeyed in silence.

The one screaming at him was Jo Sang, head of Manchwi Gate, and Jo Deok’s foster father.
He strode forward, livid.
“Well said,” he spat. “You are a slave. A servant. You exist to serve Jo Gun. That’s your place. You’d better act like it now that it’s clear.”

Hearing his foster father call him a slave, Jo Deok clenched his eyes shut.
That sound had snuffed out even the last flicker of hope.
“The withdrawal is denied,” Jo Sang said coldly. “And for talking back to me, you’ll go without food for three days.”

With that, he turned and entered the main hall—for dinner.
From inside came laughter and the aroma of a rich, warm meal.
Jo Deok remained on his knees on the cold floor.

No one came to comfort him.
No one helped him up.
Pff.

He let out a quiet scoff.
His mind was made up.
He would sever all ties with this family.

Slowly, Jo Deok stood, turned toward the main hall where Jo Sang had gone, and bowed deeply.
It was his final farewell—a last act of courtesy for the man he once called father.
Then, with a face gone completely cold, Jo Deok walked out of Manchwi Gate.

 
****
Days later.

“What? He still hasn’t returned? What do you mean, he’s disappeared?!”
A report had come in from the Mushincheon branch of Manchwi Gate.
Jo Deok hadn’t come home for days.

“That little bastard… he’s still rebelling, is he?”
Jo Sang scoffed.
“Arrogant brat. Fine, let him stay out there a while. Once I break that spirit of his, he’ll fall in line and serve Jo Gun properly.”

Jo Sang knew Jo Deok was talented.
What he didn’t know was that Jo Deok had the White Tiger Physique—one of the Four Guardian Physiques.
He simply believed the boy was a gifted subordinate—one worth grooming to support Jo Gun in the future.

He’d even forced Jo Deok to repeat a year, just to make sure he’d be at Cheongseok when Jo Gun arrived.
So when Jo Deok suddenly filed for a full withdrawal, Jo Sang couldn’t help but feel furious.
After all, full withdrawal required parental consent.

No matter how much Jo Deok struggled, he had nowhere else to go.
He had no home, no money.
Where could a boy like him possibly escape to?

“Let him go,” Jo Sang said with a smirk. “Let him suffer. He’ll come crawling back once he realizes how good he had it.”
He meant to put the matter to rest—but then, a servant arrived holding something.
“What’s that?”

“A letter. From Cheongseok Academy’s upper division.”
“From Cheongseok?”
Jo Sang ripped it open.

It was a formal approval notice—for Jo Deok’s full withdrawal.
“What the hell?! I never signed off on this! Who gave them permission?!”
“…Perhaps Young Master Jo Deok forged your seal and submitted it to the academy.”

“Don’t call him Young Master! From now on, never refer to that bastard as family again! He’s not my son!”
“…Understood!”