The Martial God with Psychic Powers

The problem wasn’t panic—his attacks hadn’t landed at all.

Yeon Woo Jin’s clothes remained immaculate, not a speck of dust on them.
What in the world was that transparent barrier surrounding Yeon Woo Jin?
It’s not a qi shield…

He was using that strange, transparent film without exerting any force at all.
There wasn’t much time to dwell on it.
Because Yeon Woo Jin’s counterattack had already begun.

“Was it like this? Then like this?”
Watching Yeon Woo Jin move, the Mad Wind Divine Dog nearly lost his mind.
The very same Gangryong Gangcheon he had just performed was now being replicated by Yeon Woo Jin—no, even more flawlessly executed.

If he dodged here?
Manpa Cheongang would come flying right after.
In this situation, dodging meant death. Attacking was the only way to survive.
As he avoided Gangryong Gangcheon, the Mad Wind Divine Dog rushed toward Yeon Woo Jin.

He extended his left hand, releasing a burst of palm force toward him.
But just as he was about to unleash the right hand’s follow-up strike—
Yeon Woo Jin, already having approached without a sound, grabbed his right arm and flipped him backward.

“Divine Dragon Sways Its Tail?”
Yeon Woo Jin was using the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms better than he was.
As the Mad Wind Divine Dog lost his balance—

Manpa Cheongang poured down upon him.
Dammit.
There was no way to dodge.

He closed his eyes, having surrendered himself completely.
The heavy blow landed—and with it, the Mad Wind Divine Dog lost consciousness.
 

****
He opened his eyes.
Seeing his completely healed body, the Mad Wind Divine Dog let out a hollow laugh.

These were injuries that should’ve required months of recuperation.
But now, upon waking the next morning, his body was perfectly restored.
If this were a dream, he’d have dismissed it as utter nonsense.
By now, though, he’d gotten used to it. He simply rose to his feet.

What was even more surprising was this:
Every time he passed out like that and woke again, his body was in even better condition than before.
Even now—look.

His entire being overflowed with vitality.
At this point, he felt a tinge of unease.
Is he modifying my body or something?

More than that, it was simply astounding.
How could someone so young possess all these abilities?
Martial arts so overwhelming he couldn’t even compete… miraculous medical skills that restored a shattered body in a day… and a mind so brilliant it was hard to believe he was human.

And it’s not like he was of humble origin.
He was the only grandson of the Lord of Mushincheon.
On top of that—he was handsome.

If there was a heaven, this just wasn’t fair.
But what was the point in thinking about it?
It only made him feel emptier.

Still—thanks to Yeon Woo Jin, he had completely mastered the Heaven-Mixing Dragon-Subduing Divine Art.
He’d also become fully proficient in the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, able to unleash it at any time, instinctively.
To the Mad Wind Divine Dog, Yeon Woo Jin was now both benefactor and teacher.

“You’re awake?”
“Urgh… Young Master… are you really human?”
“Of course.”

“No, you’re not. No normal person has abilities like that.”
“Let’s just say I’m a little special.”
A little? No—extremely special.

Humans called beings like that “divine.”
Yeon Woo Jin was undoubtedly one of them.
Asking again would be pointless—he’d just insist he was human.

Now that he thought about it, it had already been over a month since he entered this sealed chamber.
Every day had passed in a blur.
Yeon Woo Jin had been confined in this stifling place for a whole month because of him.

He was immensely grateful for that.
They hadn’t even known each other.
It’s not like he was being forced to teach, either.

He taught with genuine sincerity, in a way that was easy to understand.
…Well, except during sparring—then he showed no mercy whatsoever.
There were multiple moments when the Mad Wind Divine Dog had truly thought he might die.

But thanks to those endless death-defying duels, not only did his practical experience skyrocket—his cultivation realm soared as well.
If this wasn’t a fated encounter, what else could it be?
To him, Yeon Woo Jin had been a divine opportunity that dropped out of the heavens.

Now he understood why Pang Hon treated him with such deference.
Pang Hon must have gone through the exact same thing.
The Mad Wind Divine Dog rose, cupped his fists, and bowed low.

“I don’t know how to repay your kindness. From now on, should you ever require the aid of the Beggars’ Union, we will mobilize without hesitation.”
“I actually do need something.”
…Huh?

Already?
He looked at Yeon Woo Jin blankly—then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha. Truly, Young Master, you are impossible to predict.”

Most people would say, “Alright, I’ll remember that,” and leave it there. But not him.
“So what is it? All our Beggars’ Union can offer is intelligence.”
“And that’s exactly what I need.”

“Then tell this old beggar what kind of information you’re after.”
Yeon Woo Jin pulled out a piece of paper with a drawing on it and handed it over.
“What is this?”

“It’s called Jimaha. I need to find it.”
“Jimaha? I’ve heard that name before… where was it…”
The Mad Wind Divine Dog furrowed his brow in thought.

Then, suddenly, his eyes widened and he looked at Yeon Woo Jin.
“Isn’t this the sacred artifact said to detect rifts to the Demonic Realm?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why are you looking for something like that?”
“A celestial omen revealed that the Demonic Sect will soon erupt into the world.”
“A celestial omen? You mean… the Celestial Truth Immortal?”

“Yes.”
The Mad Wind Divine Dog’s face darkened.
“When?”

“That part is unclear. But he said, when the light of the Star of Destruction appears, we’ll still have a little time.”
“I see… then this is the most urgent matter, isn’t it? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“If I had, would you have been able to focus on your training?”

…No. He wouldn’t have.
All his attention would’ve been consumed by the Jimaha.
Hearing this, the Mad Wind Divine Dog’s eyes gleamed with emotion.

He had delayed this… for his sake.
But still, wasting a whole month when every day counted…
“Ah, right. But we’ve only been in this sealed chamber for a day. So don’t worry.”

…What?
Every time Yeon Woo Jin said something incomprehensible, it sent chills down his spine.
Because it always turned out to be true.

“What do you mean? We’ve been here for over a month.”
“You’re right. But outside, only a day has passed.”
He understood the words, but not the meaning.

It had been a month in here… and only a day outside?
Was this a joke?
“Will you be able to complete the rest of your training alone?”

“O-of course!”
“Then let’s go. I’ve been craving a warm meal.”
At the mention of warm food, the Mad Wind Divine Dog reflexively swallowed his saliva.

“That sounds great. Let’s get out of here.”
Even as he stepped outside, he still didn’t believe a word of what Yeon Woo Jin had said.
 

****
The moment he came out, he ran straight to Pang Hon to share the ridiculous, hilarious “joke” Yeon Woo Jin had told him.
“Can you believe it? The benefactor actually told me something so absurd! I mean, come on—even for him, that’s too much. Hahaha.”

But Pang Hon wasn’t laughing.
“Haha… ha…”
The Mad Wind Divine Dog’s pupils began to tremble.

“No way… right?”
“It’s true.”
“What is?”

“No joke. You entered just yesterday.”
“Did you two plan this? Is this some prank?”
“Sigh… I understand how you feel. I went through the same thing.”

“No… no, that doesn’t make sense. I trained in there for a month. A whole month… and outside, only a day?”
“I thought the same. Denied it, just like you are now.”
The Mad Wind Divine Dog stared at Pang Hon, utterly dazed.

Pang Hon patted him on the shoulder.
“Things that happen around that man… are not for ordinary humans like us to understand.”
Just like that, the Patriarch of the Beggars’ Union had been demoted to an ordinary human.

And he had no words to dispute it.
“By the way… your skin’s looking great.”
“Got beaten so badly, all the dead skin peeled right off.”

Pang Hon chuckled.
“You think this is funny?”
“Of course. You went through the same thing I did.”

“Damn it…”
“Come on now. Let’s go. I’ve prepared a feast. Today, let’s eat to our heart’s content and wash away all that hardship.”
“Sounds good. I’ve got a feeling things will get crazy starting tomorrow. Let’s enjoy today while we can.”

“Tomorrow? What’s happening?”
“You didn’t hear? He’s looking for the Jimaha.”
“Ah, that.”

“Right. So starting tomorrow, things are going to get busy. I’ll have to return to the union, mobilize the beggars, search for the artifact, prepare for what’s to come…”
Pang Hon nodded.
“I’ll be busy too, then. Good. Tonight, let’s drink until we forget everything.”

“Perfect. I’ll empty every wine jar in your house!”
“Hahaha! We’ll see if you can. Just don’t pass out ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) halfway through!”
 

****
The next morning—
The Mad Wind Divine Dog departed at first light.

As he left, he handed Yeon Woo Jin the command token of the Beggars’ Union’s Patriarch.
He said that if Woo Jin ever needed the union’s strength, all he had to do was show that token at any sub-branch across the Central Plains.
They would treat him just as they would treat the Patriarch himself.

“You’re leaving?”
“Yes. For now.”
“Where will you head next?”

“Next… I’m thinking of entering those two in the Divine Dragon Tournament.”
He gestured toward Jang Woon and Sunwoo Baek.
Pang Hon replied, “I believe registration for that has already ended.”

“Really? Then is there no way in?”
“If you receive recommendations from at least three of the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Houses, entry is possible. Naturally, I’ll recommend them. And so will the Hwangbo Clan, and the Namgoong Clan. That should suffice for special admission.”
“That’s a relief.”

“If you give me their names, I’ll handle registration myself.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Of course.”

“If three isn’t enough, please also ask the Jegal Clan and the Dianchang Sect. They’ll vouch for them.”
“You’ve been to the Jegal Clan?”
“Yes.”

Pang Hon smiled.
“Then among the Five Great Houses, only the Sichuan Tang Clan remains.”
“Right. Now that I think of it, aren’t the Qingcheng and Emei Sects in Sichuan?”

“They are. Wait one moment.”
Pang Hon briefly left and returned with something in hand.
“This is a map of the Central Plains. The major sects are marked—should be helpful.”

“Thank you. Let’s see…”
Yeon Woo Jin smiled as he studied the map.
“I’ll stop by Sichuan, then head to Qinghai for Kunlun. On the way to Mount Hua, I can visit the Gongtong and Zhongnan Sects.”

Shaolin would be saved for last.
“I just hope the Tang Clan’s temperament doesn’t offend the Young Master. Their whole house deals in poison, so they’re always on edge.”
“With poison, one small mistake could be fatal. It’s understandable.”

“Yes. And they’re extremely wary of outsiders. They live with the paranoia that everyone’s trying to steal their poison recipes. They might even try to secretly poison you.”
“No need to worry. I’m immune.”
“Immune to all poisons?”

“No. Just… immune.”
Just immune, he says.
“It detoxifies on its own.”

Not even his body was human.
“I… I see.”
He was never someone to worry about in the first place.

Yeon Woo Jin rose from his seat.
“I really must get going now.”
He stood, and Namgoong Myeong and Hwangbo Gwang rose to follow.

Pang Hon looked at them with reluctant eyes.
If I had known, I’d have kept him a little longer… sent my son with him too…
Something stirred in Pang Hon’s mind.

He bowed his head and spoke earnestly.
“If you happen to run into my son along the way… please take him in.”
Yeon Woo Jin smiled.

“Sure. But will he believe me?”
In response, Pang Hon handed him the clan lord’s command token.
“If you show him this, he will.”

“What is it?”
“Our clan’s command token. Before that, all Pang family members must obey.”
“Are you sure it’s okay to entrust me with something so important?”

“If it’s you, I can entrust it without worry.”
Yeon Woo Jin nodded.
“Then I’ll keep it safe and return it to you later.”

But Pang Hon had no intention of ever taking it back.
He had just given Yeon Woo Jin the symbol of his allegiance.