"We want to learn that strange movement technique you use, Young Master."
"Huh? Movement technique?"
"Yes. You know, the one where you suddenly vanish and then pop up in some random spot to beat the living daylights out of us."
Oliver was asking to be taught footwork and movement techniques—the essential methods of maneuvering during combat.
In terms of their progress, he wasn't wrong.
Once the lower body has been tempered and internal energy has been steadily cultivated to a certain level, it is time to begin training in footwork.
That was the proper order. The problem, however…
"Already?"
"Is it not allowed?"
"Well, normally it wouldn't be, but…"
Patrick paused to think.
Originally, he had planned to spend about a year focusing solely on their lower body training.
Only after that would he start teaching them footwork and movement techniques, followed by basic fist and foot techniques. Only then did he intend to let them hold twin swords.
According to that original plan, it would have taken at least three years before they even touched a blade. However…
'Then again, their progress is remarkably fast.'
The soldiers' achievements were far beyond Patrick's expectations.
It wasn't because the soldiers were geniuses, nor was it simply because Patrick was driving them like rented mules.
There was a more fundamental reason.
It was the density of the Qi.
As Patrick had felt during his own training, the density of Qi in this world was far higher than in the Central Plains of his previous life.
To the point where the same exercise yielded three times the results.
'Honestly, at this rate, it's no different from training while constantly consuming low-grade spiritual medicine.'
Perhaps that was why some of the soldiers were already on the verge of forming Qi within their Dantians.
Even though the Basic Blessing was an excellent cultivation method, it hadn't even been half a year since they started, yet their "vessels" were already beginning to take shape.
"Your legs… I suppose they've graduated from being toothpicks to at least being firewood."
More than anything, Patrick liked the look in the soldiers' eyes lately—they had developed grit and a certain stubborn tenacity through their training.
In the end, Patrick made up his mind.
"Fine. I shall teach you the basic footwork."
The soldiers' training moved to the next stage.
The Nine Dragons Cloud-Walking Step.
A movement technique that visualized nine dragons playing amidst the clouds, it was a unique martial art of the Twin Dragon Sect.
It was a technique that allowed one to move freely—sometimes stealthily, sometimes with explosive speed, sometimes with overwhelming power, and always with unpredictable versatility.
It was no exaggeration to say it was the very foundation of the Radiant Dragon Hero, Jincheon.
However, there was one problem…
'It's the best movement technique, but also the worst.'
It was absolutely impossible to teach this technique to the soldiers in its original form.
To explain why, one had to understand a bit of the Twin Dragon Sect's history.
The Founding Patriarch of the Twin Dragon Sect was said to be a rising master who had made a great name for himself in the Jianghu of his time.
His skills were supposedly on par with the sect leaders of the Nine Great Sects or the heads of the Five Great Families.
However, as time passed, the name of the Twin Dragon Sect gradually faded into obscurity.
The reason was that the sect's martial arts were too difficult and esoteric.
The Founding Patriarch was a man of peerless natural talent, and the martial arts he created were second to none, even when compared to those of the most prestigious sects.
At least, in terms of raw power.
But every single technique he devised was incredibly complex and difficult to master.
They were so difficult that even the disciples he taught personally could not achieve more than fifty percent mastery.
The disciples of those disciples received even more incomplete instruction, and their achievements dwindled further. Eventually, there was no one left who could master even thirty percent of the Twin Dragon Sect's martial arts.
That is, until another genius named Jincheon, the Radiant Dragon Hero, entered the sect generations later.
Great power, but hellishly difficult to learn.
A martial art whose true essence could never be grasped unless one was a genius.
In a sense, it was a worse martial art than the basic Three Talents Sword Method.
'That Founding Patriarch fellow was really something else. How are disciples supposed to learn something that's impossible to learn? I mean, I mastered it just fine, though.'
It was a classic case of self-praise.
Regardless, teaching the Nine Dragons Cloud-Walking Step to soldiers who didn't know the first thing about martial arts was impossible.
'It would be easier to teach my pushover father how to be a loan shark.'
Fortunately, Patrick had a solution.
In fact, this solution was something he had been contemplating and preparing since his days as Jincheon.
To make his untalented junior brothers and young disciples stronger, he had put immense effort into simplifying, interpreting, and restructuring the difficult Twin Dragon martial arts.
'I caught the weaknesses of other sects… no, I mean, I politely asked to borrow various techniques… no, I mean, obtaining them was all part of that necessary process.'
Of course, every time he did that, his Master would foam at the mouth in opposition.
Changing the sect's martial arts at will was shocking enough, but the fact that he was causing trouble for every other sect in the process meant his Master ended up bedridden more than once.
'Tsk, tsk. How could a pushover understand the mind of a genius?'
At any rate, the process of remodeling the Twin Dragon Sect's martial arts had progressed significantly, and he had intended to officially implement it for the next generation of disciples.
Before he died as Jincheon, that is.
"Be grateful. I'm not doing this specifically for you, but I'll show you some mercy anyway."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind… Just watch. I'll demonstrate it now. Everyone, watch closely and follow along."
Patrick began to move, unfolding the footwork slowly, one step at a time.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
With every step Patrick took, a clear footprint was stamped into the hard-packed earth of the training ground.
"Wo… Wow…"
"Is that even possible?"
"He's like an Ogre in human skin…"
Patrick intentionally moved slowly, ensuring the soldiers could see the connection between each movement.
He also adjusted the stride length so that the soldiers, with their adult physiques, could step naturally.
Having carefully trodden the ground, Patrick left behind footprints for five types of situational footwork.
Advancing forward.
Retreating backward.
Turning right.
Turning left.
Holding one's ground.
Thud!
"Whew…"
Having finished the demonstration and closed his stance, Patrick looked at the footprints he had left with pride.
'Ah, yes. This is it. This is what a normal martial art should look like.'
Originally, the Nine Dragons Cloud-Walking Step began with eighty-one steps, representing nine dragons moving in nine different situations.
If you added the variations needed to perform the Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles, there were a total of six hundred and forty-eight forms.
'What kind of crazy lunatic would learn all that… Oh, wait, I did.'
Patrick briefly spat at his own reflection.
Anyway, the point was that unless one was a true genius, mastering such a precise and meticulous martial art was impossible.
Thus, Patrick had remodeled the Twin Dragon Sect's arts by simplifying them to their core and supplementing the resulting weaknesses with techniques "obtained" from other sects.
The new movement technique created through that process was…
"The Five Elements Step. Simple, right? Man… I really went through hell to create this."
He had snatched the Floating Cloud Movement from Wudang.
He had stolen the Lingering Dark Fragrance from the Mount Hua Sect.
He had swindled the Nine-Turn Phantom Step out of the Emei Sect.
Poor Nine Great Sects.
"The footwork you wanted is right here. First, focus on learning the forms. Practice moving repeatedly according to the footprints I've marked."
He had kindly provided a sample and even left footprints to make training easier.
'Where else could they find a master as kind as me?'
While Patrick was feeling proud of his excellence as a teacher, the soldiers looked utterly appalled.
Among them, Oliver spoke up.
"Young Master."
"What now?"
"Are you telling us to perform these… complicated movements?"
"...."
Complicated?
This? Wow… this is complicated?
If he had left footprints for the Nine Dragons Cloud-Walking Step, they would have covered the entire training ground. And they thought this was complicated?
As Patrick's common sense began to fail him, the soldiers continued to grumble.
"This isn't social dancing. What's the point of such complex footwork?"
"He's right, Young Master. This seems meaningless."
"You're not just doing this because you don't want to teach us real techniques, are you?"
"Be honest with us. We'll let it slide if you tell us now."
'Ho ho ho… look at these cute little rascals.'
The soldiers had certainly grown bold.
Barking at Patrick without a hint of fear—it felt like they had graduated from being day-old puppies to two-day-old puppies.
Facing the soldiers who were full of doubt and distrust, Patrick flashed a bright smile.
"I see. So you doubt the effectiveness of the footwork I worked so hard to create. I see, I see."
Patrick picked up his twin wooden swords again.
The soldiers flinched reflexively, but it was already too late.
"Then I have no choice. I'll have to let you experience the true value of the Five Elements Step firsthand."
"Huh? Young Master?"
"Wait a second! Didn't sparring end already?"
"Young Master! Put down the wooden swords and let's talk this out calmly…"
"Die, you bastards!"
Patrick began to thrash the soldiers once more, actively utilizing the Five Elements Step. The soldiers quickly realized the importance of movement techniques—to their very bones.
And by "to their bones," it wasn't a metaphor.
*
After ordering the soldiers to continue their movement training, Patrick found he had a reason to leave the territory for a while.
"You're going yourself, Young Master?"
"I have to. There's no other way."
At Patrick's serious tone, Butler Lawrence spoke with a confused expression.
"I find it hard to understand why you must go personally just to sell monster byproducts."
The reason Patrick wanted to leave the territory was to dispose of the monster parts he had collected.
Starting with the Saber Tiger hide, he had Troll blood and skin, Owlbear hides, and more.
A mountain of monster byproducts had accumulated.
Normally, one would simply summon merchants and tell them to buy the goods. However…
"I can't trust the existing merchants. Those bastards were in league with Brian, lowballing the prices. How can I trust them?"
"That is true."
Lawrence also wanted to sever ties with the previous merchant groups and open trade with new ones.
Even so, he still couldn't understand why Patrick had to go out and sell the goods himself.
"Young Master, if you call for merchants, they will come running. Why must you go to them?"
"Tsk, tsk. Lawrence, you clearly don't understand commerce."
The butler, who had managed the Schneider Baronry's finances for his entire life, was being lectured on commerce by a ten-year-old.
Lawrence felt a bit stung, but he didn't get angry.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you know the best way to sell something at the highest price?"
"There are many ways. Monopolizing a specific necessity, or stockpiling food and waiting for the price to rise before selling."
Lawrence certainly knew the basics of trade.
Patrick nodded.
"Right. Then why do grain prices rise during a famine?"
"Because many people need it, but the supply is low. People have no choice but to pay more to get what they need."
"Exactly. In other words, the demand of the buyers and the supply of the seller are the keys that determine the price."
"...."
Lawrence looked genuinely surprised.
He knew the Young Master was good with a sword, good at swearing, good at hunting monsters, and good at driving the soldiers. But…
'I didn't know he had this side to him.'