Chapter 36: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (7)
When Yeon So-wol woke up, he found that fresh, pale skin had already knitted over his hand.
“Incredible…”
The Golden Wound Medicine he had applied was no ordinary salve; it was crafted from rare medicinal ingredients imbued with the mystical power of Qi. Combined with the Innate True Qi and Acquired Qi circulating through his meridians via his mental cultivation method, his recovery speed had been boosted to a supernatural degree.
“My hand was in such a state, yet it’s perfectly fine after just one day.”
Yeon So-wol slowly clenched and unclenched his fist. There wasn't a hint of discomfort. And yet, the heavy, stinging sensation of the Finger Flicking Art he had deflected yesterday still seemed to linger on his skin like a phantom ache.
Squeeze!
Yeon So-wol tightened his grip.
“As I thought. I can’t just let Seo Mu-ryang be.”
Why had Seo Mu-ryang appeared so suddenly? No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t shake the suspicion of a connection to Mount Cheonro. Then there was the information Cho-ran had given him.
“I don’t care what bullshit Uncle Hang In-woo spouts. I have to get to the bottom of this.”
Recalling the previous day's events, he couldn't bring himself to think kindly of Hang In-woo either.
‘What? A misunderstanding?’
When he was the one who had nearly died? The more he dwelled on it, the more his blood boiled. Still, Yeon So-wol forced himself to settle down.
“Hoo. Don’t get worked up. Let’s try to explain it to Father properly.”
Seo Mu-ryang, Hang In-woo, Lee Yu-baek, and the entire power structure of Xinxing County—it was a tangled, messy web. It was so complex that even a man of Lee Yu-baek’s stature would find it difficult to make a decisive move.
Guessing as much, Yeon So-wol did his best to suppress his emotions. When dealing with intricate problems, one had to remain calm and follow logic step by step, rather than being swept away by impulse.
*
Yeon So-wol spoke plainly.
“Father. We must kill Seo Mu-ryang.”
“...You must think this through carefully. Seo Mu-ryang is the face of the Black Path in Xinxing County. If we kill him, every lowlife and thug in the district will rise up against us.”
“Even so, he is too dangerous to leave alive.”
“You’re right. But again, consider the consequences. It would be one thing if the Black Path attacked us head-on. But they won’t. If they hold a grudge, they will vanish into the shadows and torment us from the dark. There is nothing more miserable than fighting an enemy who refuses to show their face. It is a threat that could linger for years.”
“...”
Yeon So-wol swallowed a sigh and spoke again.
“Father, you must also be careful of Uncle Hang In-woo.”
“Are you worried In-woo will betray me?”
“No. Even if Uncle Hang In-woo bears you no ill will, if Seo Mu-ryang were to deceive him to harm you, it would be a significant threat. Even without malicious intent, he can still be used as a pawn. For the time being, you must remain wary of him.”
“...You’re right. I will keep my guard up and never let it down.”
“Thank you.”
“As for Seo Mu-ryang, I am devising a plan, so do not worry yourself too much.”
“Yes. That’s a relief.”
Though somewhat mollified, Yeon So-wol still felt a lingering sense of frustration.
‘In the Jianghu, one’s body is not one’s own, but still…’
It was agonizing to be unable to eliminate such a blatant threat immediately. He worried this hesitation would return to haunt them later.
‘But Father must have his own reasons.’
A man as seasoned in the Jianghu as Lee Yu-baek was unlikely to be complacent. Yeon So-wol chose to believe in him. Even so, the reason he couldn’t stop worrying was likely because the Pungryu Sect and Lee Yu-baek had become so deeply ingrained in his heart.
It was morning, just as the first light of dawn broke. Since it was the fourth lunar month, the air was no longer biting.
The training ground where they practiced swordsmanship was covered in soft earth. This was intentional—to teach them how to move nimbly even on unstable footing, and to minimize injuries when rolling or being thrown.
Lee Yu-baek gazed down at his adopted son.
The concerns Yeon So-wol had raised were all things Lee Yu-baek had already considered. In fact, he had been weighing the problem of Seo Mu-ryang far longer and more deeply than So-wol realized. After this latest provocation, he had already made a silent decision.
But for this moment, he cleared his mind of politics and schemes. He thought only of Yeon So-wol and the sword technique he was about to impart.
Hear one, know ten.
Yeon So-wol, who learned ten things for every one taught, had achieved a level of martial prowess at a speed that defied common sense.
However...
‘Perhaps this training will be the first wall the boy has ever faced.’
Deep down, that was Lee Yu-baek’s concern.
‘Will he be able to endure it? The first true obstacle.’
He didn’t doubt Yeon So-wol’s character. But those who were used to mastering things quickly often struggled the most when faced with a long, dark tunnel where no progress was visible. They could be defeated by their own talent. When they assumed things would work out as they always had, only to face a stalemate, they wavered. They grew impatient and made irreversible mistakes.
‘Of course, there are always exceptions…’
Lee Yu-baek believed Yeon So-wol would be that exception. But being human, he couldn’t help but worry.
‘If he were to barely survive a battle where not only his own life but the lives of others were on the line… if he had an experience that intense, he might master it faster, but…’
Lee Yu-baek shook his head. That wasn’t something one should wish for. Steeling his resolve, he spoke in a solemn voice.
“So-wol.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Welcome to the world of Gyeong.”
“The world of Gyeong…”
Gyeong. The force created through the union of internal and external martial power. Specifically, it was a meticulously aligned force, directed by pure intent.
Lee Yu-baek continued, “Gyeong is a fragment of transcendence, achieved only when a person’s training reaches its absolute peak and finally surpasses a certain limit.”
Therefore, to unleash it—and to block it—required one’s entire body and soul.
Shin (身) is the body, and ryeong (靈) is the soul. To handle Gyeong meant mobilizing not only physical strength but every ounce of mental and spiritual power.
At those words, Yeon So-wol suddenly recalled the moment he had disembarked at the Chief Daoist’s pier.
‘Was that Gyeong back then?’
The spear thrown by the military officer. It was unlike anything Yeon So-wol had ever seen. Although he had shattered it with the power of the Heavenly Killing Star, the memory of the immense force carried by that spear still made his hair stand on end. It was a power he could never have hoped to withstand with his own strength.
Naturally, he also thought of Seo Mu-ryang’s Finger Flicking Art. Though significantly weaker than the spear, it was still an overwhelming force. A direct hit would have carried enough power to instantly rupture his muscles and shatter his bones.
“Father. Was Seo Mu-ryang’s Finger Flicking Art also Gyeong?”
“It was. For a Gyeong technique, its power is lower since it strikes through the empty air, but it is Gyeong nonetheless.”
As he thought. Yeon So-wol compared the spear and the Finger Flicking Art.
‘They were both Gyeong, but I was able to destroy the officer’s spear with the power of the Heavenly Killing Star. Yet I couldn’t even think of doing that to the Finger Flicking Art.’
And that was despite the spear being far more powerful. Why?
‘The Finger Flicking Art was much smaller. It was fired from closer range. And it was formless.’
The power of the Heavenly Killing Star was possible because Yeon So-wol had crossed dimensions, experienced the foundation of the world, and embodied its "cracks." He now roughly understood the conditions for activating that power.
He summarized them into three points:
In this regard, the Finger Flicking Art made the third condition difficult. Yeon So-wol’s Qi Sense was incredible, but it wasn’t yet nimble enough. His perception was slow when it came to formless qigong. Moreover, the Finger Flicking Art was small and fired from a much closer distance than the spear, making perception that much harder.
‘…Still, it was actually possible to destroy it.’
He could have blocked it with his palm. Once it touched him, he could have perceived it and destroyed it. He had destroyed a ghost that way on his first day in the Jianghu.
‘But what if my perception was delayed? What if the timing of the cut was even slightly off?’
If he couldn’t nullify the Gyeong force immediately and had to take the impact with his bare skin first...
‘Then every bone in my hand would have been pulverized.’
He would have been toyed with and killed. That was why he hadn’t dared to use the power of the Heavenly Killing Star.
‘It’s difficult. So difficult.’
Eun-yeong, who had approached him stealthily. Seo Mu-ryang, who had used only his Finger Flicking Art. Moments where it was difficult to use the Heavenly Killing Star kept arising.
‘This is still my limit.’
The conclusion was simple: To properly use the power of the Heavenly Killing Star, he first had to become a powerful martial artist in his own right. Even the greatest divine sword is just a novice’s blade in the hands of a novice.
“Hoo.”
Yeon So-wol steadied his breathing. Swordsmanship would be a grueling path. It would definitely be harder than the lightness technique. There was a reason his father had set the mood so solemnly.
‘Still. I will do it. If I don’t want to suffer the sorrow of the weak, I have to do it now.’
“Your eyes are good,” Lee Yu-baek smiled. “From now on, you will create and receive Gyeong with your sword. You will train until you can wield it as easily as your own limbs. This is the essence of swordsmanship.”
He swung his sheathed sword, carving characters into the dirt.
“These are the rules you must observe when training in Gyeong.”
“...”
Even though he had just steeled his resolve, Yeon So-wol felt cold sweat drenching his back. A question suddenly arose.
‘What kind of person created martial arts in the first place?’
Was it some madman who jumped off clouds?
Lee Yu-baek added another warning.
“Handling Gyeong is a completely different study from the lightness technique. If the lightness technique is about expanding your Qi Sense to feel the whole world and react to it freely, then Gyeong is about narrowing your Qi Sense—honing it down to a single point and throwing your entire soul into it.”
The difference between broadening one’s view to respond flexibly and narrowing one’s view to strike with absolute power.
“That is why studying Gyeong carries the risk of an Inner Demon. The more you narrow your vision, the more intoxicated you become by that singular focus.”
Yeon So-wol flinched.
‘An Inner Demon?’
He had experienced it during his closed-door training. Seeing a Mo Cheong who wasn’t there, a Lee Yu-baek who wasn’t there. That had been truly terrifying.
“The warning ‘Do not become intoxicated’ is directly related to the Inner Demon. Therefore, while you must devote your entire body and soul, you must always keep one part of your mind awake to observe yourself.”
“How can I do that?”
“By simply doing it. Keep one part of your mind awake.”
“...Yes, sir.”
For the first time in a while, Yeon So-wol cursed his adoptive father in his head. These crazy martial artists!
“In this training, the State of Selflessness is actually dangerous. My master’s senior fellow disciple was said to have fallen into a State of Selflessness and swung his sword for three days and nights until his entire body was over-tempered and scattered into the air. When my master went to find him, only his sword and clothes remained, scattered over the flattened grass. People who don’t know any better call such things 'ascension.' But no. He simply died.”
“...”
“I have lost a direct disciple only once. That child became completely engrossed in unleashing Gyeong and grew overconfident. He forgot how strong his own sword force had become and overestimated what his body could endure.”
“Then…?”
“He couldn’t withstand his own Gyeong wave. His entire body was torn to shreds. He was in so much pain that I had to put him out of his misery myself.”
Yeon So-wol saw Lee Yu-baek’s jaw tighten.
‘…What a insane world.’
The people of this world learned martial arts because they hated their circumstances and wanted to escape them. Scholarly pursuits were often blocked by social status, and it was a field that required even more innate talent than martial arts. When they didn’t want to live like dogs, when they wanted to change their fate even at the risk of their lives, their only option was the blade.
But some would ultimately shatter without ever taking flight. Evaporating into thin air. Bodies torn to shreds. And even while watching this happen to others, they pushed forward, believing, I will be different.
That was the life of a martial artist.
‘This really isn’t easy.’
Lee Yu-baek said, “But you will succeed.”
“Yes.”
Yeon So-wol answered, his voice short and firm. But it wasn't the blind confidence of a youth.
‘One wrong move and I’m dead. One wrong move and I’m dead. One wrong move and I’m dead. So-wol, get a grip. One wrong move and you’re finished.’
Just as when he had faced Seo Mu-ryang in the dead of night, he summoned a taut tension that made every hair on his body stand on end.
“Excellent,” Lee Yu-baek said, satisfied. “That’s the right attitude. Be afraid, be very afraid—but never look away.”
