Chapter 19: In the Jianghu, One's Body is Not One's Own (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 19: In the Jianghu, One's Body is Not One's Own (8)
“Shall we start again, then?” Lee Yu-baek asked.
Yeon So-wol remained silent.
The state of Self-Oblivion?
It was a realm where one pours out their entire heart until they forget the very existence of the self.
Lee Yu-baek felt a sudden prickle of tension. He focused his Qi Sense, meticulously observing Yeon So-wol. All he could feel from the boy was an aura of profound serenity, as if his spirit had been smoothed out a thousand times with the finest of combs.
…Truly? He achieved such a profound state of mind? With just a few words? In an instant?
It was hard to believe. The study of the mind was simultaneously the easiest thing in the world and the most difficult. Though Lee Yu-baek had instructed him to reach for it, he hadn't expected it to happen in a single breath. Even if it did, he never imagined the state would be this deep right from the start.
Could it be real?
The flow of Qi around Yeon So-wol had settled, strand by strand. From what Lee Yu-baek could sense, the boy’s mind had truly reached a deep, meditative plane.
…I’ll know for sure once I throw him.
Suppressing the goosebumps prickling his skin, Lee Yu-baek leaped into the air. In a flash, he grabbed Yeon So-wol by the waist and hurled him toward the heavens.
Whoosh!
Yeon So-wol soared, his hair whipping wildly in the wind. This time, he didn’t struggle. He let all the strength drain from his limbs, entrusting his entire being to the sky as if he were returning home.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, a flame ignited within him.
The searing pulse of Innate True Qi heated his Twelve Standard Meridians and surged through his entire body. Fueled by that heat, the Gathering Fire he had collected through his breathing techniques coursed through his pathways, following the oral formula of the Flying Wind Drift.
At times, it was fierce. At times, warm. At times, gentle.
The flame spiraled through his form. As his body was heated evenly, his bones and flesh began to clarify—a subtle, almost imperceptibly fine transformation. A faint scent of white sandalwood wafted from him, accompanied by the internal sound of stones striking together.
Although it couldn't compare to the refinement Lee Yu-baek had previously forced upon him, Yeon So-wol’s body was undeniably undergoing a transformation. He was being refined in the way of the Flying Wind Drift.
In that very instant—
Whoosh!
The texture of the wind against his skin changed completely. The air that had once been mercilessly crushed by his weight now began to push back, supporting him.
Yeon So-wol curled his body. His ascent toward the sky quickened. He rode the wind, cut through it, and soared exactly as he willed. He could become lighter. He could become heavier. He could be anything he wished.
“…”
Yeon So-wol suddenly felt as if he might cry. Here, in the sky, he was no longer powerless. He was no longer a toy to be thrown about helplessly. Here, in the vast emptiness, he finally felt free.
Below him stretched the tiled roofs of the city. The walls and watchtowers rose at the edge of the black waves of the night. Beyond them, the mountain ridges rolled on, and at their end, the red sun tilted as if about to fall from the world.
Even as he floated serenely in the air, gazing at the horizon, his heart felt not a single shred of peril. His body rode the wind with ease. It was completely different from the first time Lee Yu-baek had refined his body and thrown him.
This time, he had achieved it with his own power. Generated by his own will. Controlled by his own will.
His own cultivation. His own Qinggong.
The heavy toil he had endured to become light now supported him firmly from within. In the wind that caressed his cheeks and the pressure that swelled along his body, he felt a sense of liberation he had never experienced in his life.
Right now… I’m flying.
“What in the world…” Lee Yu-baek muttered.
What was this? How was this happening? Why did the boy keep defying common sense?
“This world is…”
Yeon So-wol flipped his body over and tilted toward the ground. He fell like a raindrop, then turned his body like a falling leaf, landing lightly. He bent his knees, placing both hands on the ground to absorb the impact.
Thud!
The sound was louder than when Lee Yu-baek had thrown him, but the landing was still impossibly light. Yeon So-wol remained still, lost in the afterglow of the experience.
Lee Yu-baek stood stunned. Really? He did it? Already?
Mo Cheong whispered from the side, “Master… he’s already done it.”
Lee Yu-baek’s lips twitched. He hesitated for a moment. Should he stop here? It was already an incredible achievement. But a surge of greed rose within him. He looked at Yeon So-wol, who sat quietly, showing no outward joy in his success. The boy was still in that profound state of mind.
A moment like this didn't come often. Stopping here… wouldn’t that be a waste?
He glanced at Mo Cheong. He hadn't originally planned to involve his other disciple in today's training; he had only brought him along to observe or take over if things got busy.
This won’t do.
He scrapped the original plan. It was time to bring in Mo Cheong.
“Mo Cheong.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Hit him.”
“Pardon?”
“Are you questioning me?”
“N-No, sir!”
“Now that he’s attached the Fire Phase to his body, he needs to deepen it, doesn’t he? Hit him.”
“Yes, sir!”
Mo Cheong shot forward toward Yeon So-wol, who was still sitting with his eyes closed.
I’m sorry! Mo Cheong thought. Shuddering at the feel of his master’s piercing gaze on his back, he prepared to kick the seated Yeon So-wol in the head.
At that moment—
!!!
Yeon So-wol’s eyes flew open as he threw himself backward.
Whoosh!
His body moved as lightly as a falling leaf. The speed and trajectory of his movements were completely different from before.
“Mo Cheong. What are you doing?”
“Yes! Yes! Master!”
Hooooo—
Puffs of white steam billowed from Mo Cheong’s mouth.
Thump!
Mo Cheong’s movements became a blur as he kicked off the ground, closing the distance in an instant.
Yeon So-wol muttered to himself, “I see. You control your weight in an instant.”
Heavy when stepping on the ground. Light when pushing off it. By altering the Fire Phase to control his weight instantaneously, Mo Cheong could spring forward like a coiled serpent.
Thump!
Yeon So-wol slipped past Mo Cheong’s grasp.
“You…!” Mo Cheong’s eyes widened at the absurd accomplishment.
“Mo Cheong.”
At the sound of Lee Yu-baek’s warning voice, Mo Cheong’s shoulders trembled. He drastically raised his internal energy.
“I’m sorry!”
Taaat!
Mo Cheong’s body shot forward, less like a leaf and more like a bird taking flight from the water’s surface. Yeon So-wol couldn’t react to the sudden burst of speed and took a heavy blow to the chest.
Thwump!
A heavy sound echoed from the strike. Yeon So-wol flew backward, bouncing three times across the dirt.
Scraaaape!
He skidded to a halt, leaving a long gash in the earth. Only then did Lee Yu-baek speak, sounding satisfied.
“How was that, So-wol? A good hit really wakes you up, doesn’t it? That’s what we call a shallow Fire Phase. What kind of martial artist could fight if their fire control breaks from a single hit? That’s why your Fire Phase must be deep. Deep enough that you can maintain it in any situation—even at the brink of death.”
The moment he finished speaking—
“Huuuuu…”
A thick cloud of pure white steam poured from Yeon So-wol’s mouth.
“Hm?”
Yeon So-wol pushed off the ground with extreme lightness, floating back to his feet.
“Ha!” The corners of Lee Yu-baek’s mouth stretched all the way to his cheekbones. “Mo Cheong! Hit him again!”
“Yes, yes!”
Thump!
Mo Cheong kicked off the ground and gave chase. Yeon So-wol evaded the pursuit, his movements becoming more varied. He ran up a wall, leaped off it, and landed on a thick tree branch in a single bound.
With a mind that was completely unified and a spirit wholly focused, he watched Mo Cheong, dodging again and again. Of course, that wasn't enough to close the massive gap in their skills.
Bam! Crack! Thwack!
Yeon So-wol did his best to evade, but he was inevitably struck. He was kicked in the stomach, punched in the cheek, elbowed in the chest, and thrown to the ground. Yet, his Flying Wind Drift never faltered. He would rise lightly to his feet and evade the next attack.
Each time, Mo Cheong would glance back at Lee Yu-baek. He’s doing incredibly well. Should I keep going?
But Lee Yu-baek just fanned himself and smiled, marveling to himself. “Excellent! His Fire Phase is already deepening! To make sure this remains in his body even after he leaves the state of Self-Oblivion, we have to push him harder now. Mo Cheong! Beat him soundly!”
“…Yes, sir!”
Mo Cheong gritted his teeth and charged. He decided it would be better to hit a little harder; that way, he might have to land fewer blows to finish the lesson.
Whoosh!
As Mo Cheong rushed in, Yeon So-wol leaped onto a tree branch.
“That won’t work!” Mo Cheong jumped up after him.
Whoosh!
Yeon So-wol leaped to the very top of the tree. However—
Wobble!
No matter how light his body had become, the tip of the tree was too thin and frail. The treetop bent sharply as Yeon So-wol landed on it.
“It’s over!” Mo Cheong thought he had seized his chance. He launched himself toward the boy.
At that moment—
Fwoosh!
Yeon So-wol’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians stirred. The Gathering Fire flowed through his Twelve Standard Meridians and Twelve Collateral Vessels, making his body even lighter. His bones and muscles underwent another layer of refinement—becoming clearer and more resilient.
Piiing!
With his sudden loss of weight, the bent tree snapped back into place with a sharp crack. Yeon So-wol used that momentum to accelerate.
Thwack!
He leaped from the very tip. No—he flew.
Flutter!
“…Huh?”
Having lost Yeon So-wol right before his eyes, Mo Cheong kicked off the tree and landed on the ground. He frantically cast his gaze to the sky.
Flutter-flutter!
Yeon So-wol’s dopo billowed in the air. His body drifted gracefully, like a single willow leaf caught on the wind. Following the path the breeze offered, Yeon So-wol crossed the sky.
Tap.
His foot touched the peak of a roof without breaking a single tile. Atop the high roof, Yeon So-wol stood tall and graceful.
“M-Master?” Mo Cheong looked back, his eyes asking if he should chase him up there.
But Lee Yu-baek wasn't looking at Mo Cheong. For once, he was completely and utterly dumbfounded.
“Is this… possible? In a single day?”
Hear one, know ten. Until now, Lee Yu-baek had thought it was just an exaggerated figure of speech. Where in the world could you find a genius who understood ten things after being told only one?
“Unless he’s a celestial being who fell from the heavens…”
And yet, there was one standing right before his eyes.
*
“Huuu…”
Yeon So-wol let out a long, white breath. The thrill of a moment ago swept through his entire body—the sensation of riding the wind and soaring into the sky like a bird. The feeling of having no fear at all.
Now… even if I were to fall from the sky like when I first arrived…
He felt he wouldn't fall into a panic like he did then. Of course, with his current level of movement techniques, he wouldn't be able to escape death from such a height, but he wouldn't be helpless.
Then I’ll just have to grab the threads of heaven again.
A sense of pride swelled in his chest. The realization that he was no longer powerless. The conviction that he would become even freer in the future. The world seemed a little less frightening, little by little. He was acquiring the strength to dodge whatever unfair blows life threw at him.
Yeon So-wol raised his head.
“Ah.”
The view spread out before him in a single glance. Xinxing County was bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. The black tiles on every roof glowed red, and the undulating curves of the eaves stretched out like winding roads toward the distant mountain ridges.
The sun had half-buried its head below the mountains, and smoke from evening meals rose from within the reddened city walls. Yeon So-wol lost track of time. Soon, he even forgot where he was. He just stared, mesmerized. He felt an impulse to leap with all his might into that beautiful scene.
Tap!
Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
“You flew.”
“I was lucky.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it.”
As Yeon So-wol glanced back, something came flying toward him. Whoosh! He caught it in the air. It was a small cup that fit perfectly in his hand. Its exterior was black, but the inside was coated with gold dust, making it shimmer.
Lee Yu-baek shook a liquor bottle. “Let’s have a drink.”
As if mesmerized, Yeon So-wol approached and respectfully offered his cup. Red liquor flowed from the tilted bottle.
“This is Jade Crown Red. A fruit wine made from lychee. The flesh of the lychee is white as ice, but if you brew it with plenty of its red skin, you get a liquor like this.”
The sunset was already fading, but inside the golden cup, a red sun rose once more.
“Drink.”
Yeon So-wol swallowed the dawn. The first liquor he had ever tasted was bitter. And hot. Incredibly hot. Then, at the end, it suddenly became fragrant. So fragrant.
“How is it?”
“It was my first time.”
“Fragrant, isn’t it?”
“…Yes.”
Now, and before.
“That’s how it is. There’s no liquor in this world that is only bitter.”
Yeon So-wol quietly held out both hands. “This time, allow me to pour.”
“Alright.”
He filled Lee Yu-baek’s cup to the brim. Lee Yu-baek tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp.
“Ah! This liquor tastes good! Really good. Here.”
“Yes.”
One cup, two cups, three cups. Bound by a bond of loyalty, the master and disciple shared their drinks. After emptying the last cup, Lee Yu-baek spoke.
“We’ll take the elixir tomorrow.”
Yeon So-wol flinched in surprise. “Have I reached the First Stage?”
He had thought it would take a few days. Just as he was feeling pleased with his faster-than-expected progress, Lee Yu-baek spoke nonchalantly. Without looking back, he lifted the bottle to his lips and drained the last drop.
“It’s the Third Stage.”