Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 125
Chapter Title: Return to Nang-ya-gak
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After Namgung Un returned to his clan, Heuk-pyo was a bit crestfallen.
The boisterous presence he brought each day was gone, leaving a palpable emptiness.
“Young Master. Where will you be going now?”
Heuk-pyo asked Bu Eun-seol, who was sitting at a table, writing something with a brush and ink.
“Where to…”
Putting down his brush, Bu Eun-seol gazed out the open window.
Nearly a year had passed since he began his journey through the martial world.
He had fought countless powerful opponents, but he couldn't tell how much stronger he had become. He had simply done his best.
As Bu Eun-seol stood there blankly, Heuk-pyo asked cautiously.
“How about we start by renting a carriage?”
“Let's do that.”
Leaving the inn, Bu Eun-seol headed for the post station to rent a carriage.
Haggling over the price of a carriage was always Heuk-pyo's job, so he confidently took the lead.
But as they neared the post station, a man approached Bu Eun-seol and respectfully gestured to a carriage in front of him.
“Please take this carriage, Young Master.”
The man's features were ordinary, but he had a powerful build and a sharp gaze.
He moved closer to Bu Eun-seol and whispered in a very low voice.
“The Grand Master has ordered you to return to the main pavilion as soon as possible.”
Bu Eun-seol's eyes gleamed.
He now realized the man was a member of Nang-ya-gak's intelligence unit, the Pung-un Brigade.
*'The Grand Master has been keeping close tabs on my whereabouts.'*
For a moment, the face of Baek Yeon, the cold-featured but ever-worried leader of the Pung-un Brigade, flashed through his mind.
“Must I go right now?”
In response to Bu Eun-seol's question, the man murmured softly.
“Yes. We have already arranged for a driver.”
Hearing this, Bu Eun-seol fell into deep thought.
“Heuk-pyo.”
“Yes.”
“I will be handling matters at the main pavilion for a while.”
Bu Eun-seol took a booklet from his robes and handed it to Heuk-pyo.
“In the meantime, return to Dong-pyo-seo-rang and master this.”
Heuk-pyo accepted the manual. On its cover were the words *Dagger Compendium*.
“This is…”
“I've noticed you primarily use daggers, aside from your hidden weapons.”
Knowing Heuk-pyo favored daggers, Bu Eun-seol had written down the essentials of dagger techniques based on the martial arts he had learned.
“For me… you wrote another manual?”
“It was for my own sake.”
That was half-true.
After all, studying and reviewing what he had learned was a way to deepen his own martial understanding.
“I understand. I will train diligently.”
Heuk-pyo respectfully tucked the manual into his robes.
He didn't offer words of thanks or pledges of loyalty. Any skill he gained from the manual would be used to help Bu Eun-seol anyway.
“Take care until we meet again, Young Master.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded and boarded the carriage. The man skillfully took the reins.
Heuk-pyo's gaze deepened as he watched the carriage depart with a clatter of hooves.
He had a premonition that a long time would pass before he saw Bu Eun-seol again.
“I must become stronger.”
Heuk-pyo clutched the manual in his robes.
All he could do now was train hard so that he could be of help when he and Bu Eun-seol were reunited.
***
Click-clack.
The carriage, which had been moving swiftly, gradually slowed.
The journey from Anho to Geommi Mountain was a long one, lasting fourteen days. Bu Eun-seol had spent the entire time in the carriage, continuously circulating his energy.
Woooong.
As his energy circulation reached its peak, faint red motes of light began to appear around his body.
As his Ban-geuk-sim-beop reached the final stage of the third level, the Ban-geuk-hwa-gwang that had once been confined to his eyes began to linger over his entire body.
*'My internal energy has deepened.'*
Not only had the internal injuries he sustained in the fight with the masked man completely healed, but his internal energy had also grown more profound.
*'This is strange.'*
For one's internal energy to deepen each time they recovered from an internal injury was nearly impossible according to martial theory.
While bones and muscles could grow stronger through repeated cycles of injury and recovery, internal organs lost their elasticity and were easily displaced the more they were damaged.
This was precisely why martial artists sometimes failed to recover after suffering severe internal injuries.
*'Could it be that I've already entered the fourth level?'*
Upon reaching the fourth level of the Ban-geuk-sim-beop, true energy would surge forth endlessly.
This allowed one to cultivate a protective aura and recover from internal injuries in an instant.
But Bu Eun-seol was still at the third level. So why was this happening?
Chirp, chirp, chirp.
Meanwhile, the chirping of birds drifted in from outside the window. They had arrived near Geommi Mountain.
“We've arrived.”
At the voice from the driver's seat, Bu Eun-seol slowly disembarked from the carriage.
Despite having driven the carriage nonstop for fourteen days, save for breaks to rest the horses, the driver's eyes were clear and sharp.
He was no ordinary driver, but likely a martial artist with profound internal energy.
“It was a comfortable journey, thanks to you.”
When Bu Eun-seol took out a money slip from his robes and offered it, the driver waved his hands.
“I have already been paid in full.”
“This is a gift from me.”
As Bu Eun-seol offered the slip again, the driver bowed his head.
“Thank you.”
Click. Clack.
As the carriage turned to leave, Bu Eun-seol looked up at Geommi Mountain with a sense of nostalgia.
*'It's been a year.'*
After a moment of reflection, he employed his lightness technique and began to ascend the mountain.
Swoosh.
Bu Eun-seol's figure, now a faint shadow, reached the mid-slope where Nang-ya-gak was located in a single breath.
Passing through the wide-open gates, a scene resembling a small city unfolded. He walked past the marketplace and into an alley, where the small house he had repaired himself came into view.
Bu Eun-seol took a deep breath.
*'I'm back.'*
It felt like returning to a cozy home that had been empty for a long time.
In truth, Nang-ya-gak was Bu Eun-seol's home.
Here, he had a sanctuary where he could rest. No one treated him with hostility, and there were elders who would shelter him in times of hardship.
“You're here.”
A low voice came from behind Bu Eun-seol as he stood in front of his house.
In the once-empty blacksmith's forge now stood a stern-faced, elderly man.
It was Master Cheol, Wang Geol.
“Have you been well, Master Cheol?”
Bu Eun-seol politely clasped his hands, and Master Cheol stared at him for a moment before nodding.
“It seems you had a proper journey through the martial world.”
His voice was gruff, but his eyes were filled with interest.
Just then, from the opposite alley, a dozen or so figures emerged with a boisterous clamor.
“Master Cheol! Are you still not done with the weapons?”
At the head of the group stood a man of imposing stature and a gaunt-looking man. They were So Jeon, the leader of the Chang-sin Brigade, and his deputy, Je Un.
“Huh?”
Je Un spotted Bu Eun-seol and clapped him on the shoulder with a pleased expression.
“Bu Eun-seol, you're back.”
“Deputy Leader.”
Bu Eun-seol bowed, and Je Un nodded.
“Have you finished your journey?”
“Yes, I have.”
At that, all the members of the Chang-sin Brigade surrounded Bu Eun-seol, each offering a word.
“Wow, your presence has changed so much I almost didn't recognize you.”
“You could be an official member of our brigade now.”
Having risked their lives together on a mission in Pung-roe Valley, they treated Bu Eun-seol with great familiarity.
“Thank you.”
After bowing to the brigade members, Bu Eun-seol greeted So Jeon, who was standing beside them.
“Bu Eun-seol greets the Brigade Leader.”
Before, it would have been difficult to face So Jeon's formidable presence head-on.
But now, Bu Eun-seol calmly and easily withstood So Jeon's cool, sharp aura.
“Hmm.”
So Jeon let out a sound of admiration, looking Bu Eun-seol up and down before licking his lips.
He looked like a drinker smacking his lips at the sight of a fine spread of alcohol.
“After a few journeys through the martial world… you've certainly changed.”
He exclaimed in admiration, tapping the greatsword slung over his shoulder.
“How about it? It's about time you had a sparring match with me. A real one, of course.”
Before Bu Eun-seol could answer, Je Un chided him.
“Leader, is that any way to greet someone who's just returned after a year?”
“What are you talking about? What's wrong with a sparring match?”
“You should at least offer him a warm meal before saying something like that. Besides, whenever you spar with the brigade members, you use your true energy, and now there's not a single one of them left unscathed.”
“Hmph. The martial arts of this pavilion are meant to be learned through injury.”
“Is that just getting injured? It's more like getting beaten to a pulp.”
“Ah, I see I've got the order wrong. I should start by pulping that mouth of yours.”
While So Jeon and Je Un bickered pointlessly, Wang Geol spoke.
“Pay them no mind and go to Cheong-pung-jae. The Vice Pavilion Master is looking for you.”
“Understood.”
Bowing his head, Bu Eun-seol also bid farewell to So Jeon and Je Un.
“I'll be on my way, then.”
“Bu Eun-seol! Don't forget to spar with me next time.”
“Good grief, I told you not to suggest sparring, didn't I?”
Watching the two bicker endlessly, Bu Eun-seol gave a faint smile and slowly made his way to Cheong-pung-jae.
On his way to Cheong-pung-jae, he encountered many people from Nang-ya-gak.
They looked at him with surprise and sometimes with curiosity.
*'Something's strange.'*
When he first came to Nang-ya-gak, they had always maintained an indifferent attitude, whether their eyes met or they simply passed by.
But now, their gazes seemed to say, 'Oh, a new disciple has come to Nang-ya-gak?'
In reality, it was because Bu Eun-seol's presence and martial skill had not only become worthy of a Nang-ya-gak disciple but had grown astonishingly powerful.
However, Bu Eun-seol remained unaware of this, wearing only a puzzled expression.
“How may I help you?”
When he finally arrived in front of Cheong-pung-jae, a passing maidservant asked.
“I am the disciple Bu Eun-seol. I am here to see the Vice Pavilion Master.”
“Please follow me.”
Following the maidservant's lead into the pavilion, he saw a garden of rare and beautiful flowers and an elegant, old-fashioned gazebo.
After guiding him past the garden to an office adorned with traditional paintwork, the maidservant spoke in a small voice.
“Vice Pavilion Master. Young Master Bu has come to see you.”
“Let him enter.”
The door opened to reveal Dang Cheong, seated at a desk piled high with books, her brush moving ceaselessly.
Being the head of a sect meant there were many duties to attend to.
Although small in scale, Nang-ya-gak was one of the Ten Demonic Sects. The daily workload was beyond imagination.
“Vice Pavilion Master.”
“You've returned.”
As Bu Eun-seol bowed respectfully, Dang Cheong smiled brightly and nodded.
“You've become a fine, strapping young man. I've heard all about your exploits from the Pung-un Brigade.”
Hearing this, Bu Eun-seol was not particularly surprised.
If his movements hadn't been reported in detail, they wouldn't have been able to have a Pung-un Brigade member waiting at the post station just when he needed a carriage.
“Have a seat for a moment.”
Dang Cheong smiled and gestured to the seat opposite her.
“I just have a few more letters to write. Bring another cup of tea here.”
“Understood.”
The maidservant brought a cup of steaming hot tea to the table where Bu Eun-seol was sitting.
He took a few sips of tea, but there was little else to do. After glancing around, Bu Eun-seol's gaze settled on the working Dang Cheong.
Rustle. Swoosh.
With her left hand, Dang Cheong turned the pages of a book while writing with her right.
She was naturally using the technique of dividing one's mind not only in martial arts but in everyday life.
Furthermore, the speed at which she turned pages and wrote was three to four times faster than an ordinary person.
Yet her handwriting was neat, and the pace of her page-turning was steady.
*'This is only possible because the Vice Pavilion Master's martial skill is so high.'*
Dang Cheong's reflexes and senses were several times sharper than those of an ordinary martial artist. That's why she could divide the same amount of time and use it several times over.
“I've kept you waiting.”
Having apparently finished her work, Dang Cheong rose from her seat.
She, who had been smiling faintly, suddenly looked Bu Eun-seol up and down and opened her mouth.
“What on earth happened to you?”