Chapter 22
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22
Seo Jin-myeong stared as Lee Hyun, lying comfortably on the ground, began to slide smoothly away.
Without flailing a single arm or leg, his body glided rapidly across the earth as if skimming over slick ice.
A stubborn competitive streak flared within Seo Jin-myeong.
He immediately activated his footwork and gave chase. With each step, his body shot forward twenty to thirty feet.
Yet just as the distance began to close, spiritual power burst from beneath Lee Hyun’s back and heels.
Bang!
His prone body bounced lightly, like a water strider kicking off the surface of a pond. With each bounce, his speed mounted.
Seo Jin-myeong’s eyes widened.
He’s accelerating?
Gritting his teeth, Seo Jin-myeong swerved to intercept him. When Lee Hyun slid right, he sprinted ahead to block his path; when Lee Hyun cut left, he thrust out his sword to cut off the escape route.
Yet every time, Lee Hyun would nimbly dart to the side. Sometimes he retreated feet-first, only to abruptly switch directions and shoot forward head-first, maneuvering with absolute freedom.
After crisscrossing the Martial Training Ground several times, Seo Jin-myeong finally stopped in his tracks.
As soon as he gave up the chase, Lee Hyun, who had retreated to the edge of the grounds, spun smoothly to a halt.
Swish—
His feet, which had been pointed toward Seo Jin-myeong just moments ago, pivoted to the side. Still lying flat, Lee Hyun simply turned his head to look over at him.
His expression seemed to ask, You can’t even catch me while I’m lying down?
Seo Jin-myeong’s grip on his wooden sword tightened instinctively.
I really want to hit him just once.
Gwak Cheon-ung, who had been watching in silence, finally spoke up.
“Retainer Lee.”
“Yes?”
“Was what you just used also a type of spell?”
“It is a spell I created myself.”
“Why on earth did you think to move while lying down?”
“Why must one stand up?” Lee Hyun replied. “One can also move covertly while hidden in tall grass.”
At first, Gwak Cheon-ung had thought it merely bizarre, but hearing Lee Hyun’s reasoning, it actually made a certain sense.
In actual combat, losing one’s balance and falling to the ground was perilous. But if one could move that quickly while lying flat, it was an entirely different story. That posture would no longer be a weakness.
“It seems I have been trapped by my own rigid preconceptions. Still, a martial artist could never replicate such bizarre movements with internal energy.”
Gwak Cheon-ung stared at Lee Hyun, who was still lounging comfortably on the ground, before continuing.
“For now, lying down is also forbidden. It is too bizarre for Martial Instructor Seo to teach you properly. In any case, you must learn how to fight while standing on your two feet, Retainer Lee.”
The spar with Seo Jin-myeong resumed.
After about an hour, Seo Jin-myeong’s wooden sword could barely touch Lee Hyun.
Lee Hyun occasionally showed clumsy reactions, but whenever Seo Jin-myeong pointed them out, he corrected them almost immediately.
When the spar concluded, Seo Jin-myeong lowered his sword, catching his ragged breath.
“You adapt remarkably fast.”
“It is thanks to you pointing out my flaws, Martial Instructor Seo.”
“Normally, even when someone has their mistakes pointed out, they repeat them several times, but…”
Gwak Cheon-ung interjected, “After a brief rest, let me see your swordplay.”
“May I use the sword formula cultivators practice?”
“Demonstrate only the sword techniques, without spiritual power. Martial Instructor Seo will not use internal energy either.”
“Understood.”
Seo Jin-myeong brought over two fresh wooden swords.
Completely suppressing his spiritual power, Lee Hyun assumed the opening stance of the Cheonggang Sword Formula.
Seo Jin-myeong raised his wooden sword as well.
“The sword art I have mastered is called the Returning Stream Seventy-Two Swords.”
Seo Jin-myeong’s wooden sword began to trace circular arcs.
A quarter of an hour later.
Clack! Clack-clack-clack!
Their wooden swords clashed in rapid succession.
Seo Jin-myeong was growing flustered.
Lee Hyun’s swordplay was almost devoid of feints or trickery, yet it was so precise and fast that it proved difficult to counter. Above all, Lee Hyun possessed terrifying physical strength.
Though Lee Hyun was holding his strength back as much as possible—
Crack!
At one point, the sheer impact of a block sent Seo Jin-myeong’s arm jarring upward.
“Ah.”
Lee Hyun hastily pulled back his wooden sword.
“I apologize. Did I exert too much force?”
“…No, not at all.”
Seo Jin-myeong stepped back, discreetly concealing his tingling wrist.
“Let me have a look this time,” Gwak Cheon-ung said, taking the wooden sword from Seo Jin-myeong.
“My sword technique is known as the Sea-Calming Sword. It envelops the opponent’s attacks and stifles their follow-up moves.”
Gwak Cheon-ung did not channel any internal energy; he simply held the wooden sword upright before his chest. Yet Lee Hyun found himself at a complete loss.
If he slashed high, it felt as though he would be blocked effortlessly. If he aimed low, the tip of Gwak Cheon-ung’s blade seemed poised to pierce his throat first. Even if he attempted to circle to the flank, he felt certain Gwak Cheon-ung would pivot half a step ahead of him.
As expected… Is this what someone who has reached the pinnacle of the Martial Way is like?
Gwak Cheon-ung lowered his sword with a look of surprise.
“It is obvious you have trained with the sword for a long time.”
“Does it appear that way?”
“There is virtually no wasted motion. However, your sword is far too honest.”
“Honest?”
“Between stances, there are no maneuvers to draw out your opponent’s reactions. It looks as though you have almost no experience crossing blades with another person.”
“You are correct.”
“If I must point out a flaw, it is that you must never forget your opponent is a living enemy who reads your moves and alters their sword path according to the circumstances.”
“A living enemy…”
“No matter how magnificent a sword technique may be, moving strictly according to a predetermined routine makes it a dead art. Sparring regularly with Martial Instructor Seo to learn how to read an opponent’s responses will improve you considerably.”
“I understand.”
“The sword formula you practiced appears to have been devised for a cultivator’s physical body and spiritual power. It lacks the intricate deceptions and variations of a martial artist’s sword art, but if executed with spiritual power, its sheer might would crush most counters.”
“When I learned the sword formula, I considered it a type of spell as well.”
“In truth, the sword art itself is by no means low-quality. Even if I were to devise a sword technique for cultivators, I have no confidence I could create one superior to what you use, Retainer Lee.”
Having concluded their spar, the three men moved to a pavilion at the edge of the training grounds.
Taking a sip of tea, Lee Hyun asked on an impulse, “May I ask the two of you one more thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are there martial arts that alter one’s physical appearance?”
Gwak Cheon-ung raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Do you wish to change your appearance?”
“There are times when I would like to change my face, if only to avoid getting entangled in pointless disputes.”
“Then it is disguise arts you seek.”
Beside them, Seo Jin-myeong pointed a finger at his own face.
“There are indeed martial arts that shift one’s bones and joints. However, they are exceedingly difficult to master, and improper execution can damage one’s meridians or bones.”
“It doesn’t need to go quite that far.”
“The most widely used method is the disguise art that combines makeup with muscle control.”
Seo Jin-myeong tucked his chin slightly.
His breathing shifted, and the muscles of his face and neck subtly moved. The scar running from his temple to his jaw remained unchanged, yet as his eyelids drooped slightly and the corners of his mouth sagged, the once-formidable warrior transformed in an instant into a gloomy, weary middle-aged man.
His shoulders hunched inward, and his voice took on a raspy quality.
“Like this.”
“Oh? You barely changed anything, yet you look like a completely different person.”
“People are surprisingly poor at discerning faces. Even without drastic changes, a bit of technique combined with simple props like a beard is enough to deceive even close acquaintances.”
“Could I learn that art?”
“There is the Seven-Form Disguise Art taught to military scouts and spies. It is no grand secret, so there should be no issue in letting you peruse it, Retainer Lee. What I demonstrated just now was merely the basics. If you achieve major accomplishment in the Seven-Form Disguise Art alone, you can deceive most ordinary people.”
Lee Hyun’s eyes brightened.
“Could I also learn martial arts manuals or internal cultivation methods?”
This time, Gwak Cheon-ung answered.
“A martial artist’s personal secret technique is tantamount to their life. Showing parts of the sword paths of my Sea-Calming Sword or Martial Instructor Seo’s Returning Stream Seventy-Two Swords is an entirely different matter from passing down their internal cultivation formulas.”
“Ah, of course. I am not coveting your personal techniques. Even martial arts open for anyone to peruse would be fine.”
“Standard martial arts used by the military and the Martial Training Courtyard can be perused by retainers. The cultivation method called the Cloud-and-Water Origin-Returning Art is the internal energy formula most widely practiced by military officers and elite soldiers of the Untaek Kingdom.”
Seo Jin-myeong added, “There is also a standard martial art called the Formation-Breaking Eighteen Forms. It compiles basic footwork and methods of exerting force so soldiers wielding swords, spears, and sabers can employ them together.”
“I would like to see that as well.”
“I will compile the martial manuals generally held in high regard by the Bureau of Heavenly Service’s Battlefield Retainers and send them to your villa. I will also include books on disguises.”
“Thank you.”
Gwak Cheon-ung set down his teacup.
“However, do not expect them to be of great help. The internal energy used by martial artists and the spiritual power of cultivators are entirely different matters. What is more, the greatest issue is time.”
“Time?”
“Though mortals of the secular world have short lifespans, the depth of the Martial Way is by no means shallow. It is the culmination of generations of insights and research by countless geniuses. In some respects, there are martial disciplines far more difficult than the spells of immortals—for they must produce miraculous results with minimal power.”
“I see.”
“And therein lies the problem. Though cultivators are long-lived, the lifespan of Qi Refining Stage retainers is not so extraordinarily vast. In truth, it is hardly any different from my own, having attained the Profound Realm. From their perspective, do they truly have the luxury to learn mundane martial arts? Spending that time practicing spells and elevating their realm is vastly more practical.”
“Indeed, cultivators are the ones truly pressed for time. Besides, aren’t grandmasters of the Martial Way individuals of staggering genius who merely lack spiritual roots?”
“Precisely! How many people could possibly possess talent in both the Immortal Dao and the Martial Way? Mastering martial arts takes time, yet they do not harmonize with a cultivator’s spiritual power nearly as well as spells do, so interest inevitably fades.”
Seo Jin-myeong spoke up as well.
“Do not squander too much time on them. It would be best to use them as a casual reference—focusing on the forms of the stances, footwork, breathing, and the principles of transmitting force—just enough to contend with martial artists of the Heavenly Yang Kingdom.”
“I understand.”
That evening, a wooden box arrived at Cool Clarity Villa.
Inside were military martial manuals including the Cloud-and-Water Origin-Returning Art, Formation-Breaking Eighteen Forms, Twelve Swords of Autumn Water, Calming River Sword Technique, Shadow-Chasing Twelve Forms, and Barrier-Locking Spear.
There were also several books on footwork, such as the Duckweed Water-Crossing Step, Rooted Step, and Inch Shadow Step.
In addition, there was the Seven-Form Disguise Art, the Eight Methods of Disguise which detailed the use of makeup tools and dyes, and a draft copy of the Bone-Shifting, Muscle-Shrinking Art for altering bones and joints.
Lee Hyun opened the Seven-Form Disguise Art first.
On the first page were inscribed the seven elements that shaped a person’s impression:
「Eyes, mouth, voice, stride, posture, breath, habits.」
“This will take a lot of practice.”
After skimming through the Seven-Form Disguise Art, Lee Hyun next opened the Cloud-and-Water Origin-Returning Art and read for about a quarter of an hour.
“The approach is far too different…”
From then on, Lee Hyun visited the Martial Training Courtyard every few days, and upon returning to Cool Clarity Villa, he read through the martial manuals.
He was beginning to feel that becoming a retainer of the Bureau of Heavenly Service wasn’t bad at all. He could use the Martial Training Courtyard’s facilities free of charge and receive guidance from masters of martial arts. At Cool Clarity Villa, even his meals and lodging were provided.
In the process, he also discovered that he was quite formidable.
In front of Gwak Cheon-ung and Seo Jin-myeong, he restrained his spiritual power as much as possible. Even when demonstrating the Yang Metal Formula, Fireball Technique, and Cheonggang Sword Formula, he took great care to match what he believed to be the level of an ordinary third-layer Qi Refining cultivator.
Even so, the two men forbade him from using offensive spells in spars because they were simply too lethal.
It seems I underestimated myself. At the very least, there’s no need to shy away from missions out of fear of ordinary Heavenly Yang martial artists.
As he continued frequenting the Martial Training Courtyard, Lee Hyun grasped just how powerful masters of the Transformation Realm and Profound Realm were.
He reckoned that if he fought in earnest, merely unleashing his Spherical Qi Barrier with full force would send a martial artist of Seo Jin-myeong’s caliber flying, shattering bones throughout his body.
Even if surrounded by multiple Profound Realm masters, so long as he had the split second to properly deploy his Spirit Light Shield and Spherical Qi Barrier, he was unlikely to be defeated in an instant. Merely sinking into the earth with the Earth Escape Technique would make it nearly impossible for them to find him. And his Yang Metal Formula, having reached major accomplishment, seemed potent enough to inflict fatal wounds even on masters shielded by Protective Aura.
When he thought about it, it was only natural.
Lee Hyun could continuously unleash a barrage of spells that would normally require dozens of Qi Refining cultivators taking turns. Considering this alone, by the standards of the Untaek and Heavenly Yang Kingdoms, he was a terrifying monster.
Once I train a little more at the Martial Training Courtyard, I can probably take on Battlefield Retainer missions.
Before he knew it, more than twenty days had passed since he arrived in the Cloud Capital.
Lee Hyun left Cool Clarity Villa to inspect Tunnel No. 1.
He informed Choe Dal that he would be away for a few days, then stepped outside the Cloud Capital, alternating between the Earth Escape Technique and Earth-Shrinking Step. Although he had installed an automatic watering system that should, in theory, keep his spirit plants unharmed for nearly a year, he had never left the tunnel unattended for so long and felt uneasy. He decided to return and check on it.
In a rugged mountain valley roughly halfway between the Cloud Capital and Tunnel No. 1.
Swish—
Lee Hyun’s body glided across the mountainside.
Skimming along the earth as if flying via the Reclining Escape Technique, he kicked off forcefully against the base of a tree blocking his way.
Bam!
His prone body vaulted into the air. Spinning half a turn midair, Lee Hyun planted his foot against a boulder on the opposite side.
Thud.
His form shot across the gorge.
Lee Hyun was growing increasingly familiar with the terrain connecting the Cloud Capital and Tunnel No. 1. He had internalized where to cross mountain ridges for gentler slopes, which riverbeds to follow to bypass villages and official roads, and exactly how much spiritual power to expend in deserted stretches for optimal efficiency.
Thanks to his spiritual power reaching 206 according to his Handmade Status Window, he could move all day without resting.
In terms of his past life, Lee Hyun’s average travel speed was now close to eighty kilometers per hour. That meant he could travel nearly five thousand li in a single day. The distance from the Untaek Kingdom’s capital to Tunnel No. 1 was roughly eight thousand li, yet now a one-way trip took less than two days.
Two days later, Lee Hyun dropped down from the ceiling of the cultivation room in Tunnel No. 1.
Thud.
The automatic watering devices, which he checked first, were all functioning normally.
“Good.”
Lee Hyun recorded the status of the spirit fields, starting from No. 1-1, finding no issues whatsoever.
Finally, he stepped into spirit field No. 1-7, where the Rock Honey Peaches grew. A sweet, refreshing fragrance permeated the cave. Hanging from the branches of the three aged Rock Honey Peach trees were over a dozen fruits as sweet as honey.
Most were ripe and plump.
Lee Hyun reached out to pluck the nearest fruit, only to freeze.
Near the stem of the fruit was a tiny hole, with a fine brown powder clinging around it.
“Hm?”
Lee Hyun brought the fruit closer to his face and examined it. A faint trace of spiritual qi radiated from inside the hole. When he cast the Qi-Observation Technique, a slender speck of light squirmed inside the fruit.
Lee Hyun’s expression hardened.
“No way…”
He carefully split the fruit open using the Yang Metal Formula.
Inside the flesh, narrow tunnels wound in every direction. Wriggling among the browned pulp was a white larva about the length of a finger joint. Its head was black and hardened, and short bristles sprouted along each abdominal segment.
“Ugh!”
A silver gleam flashed from Lee Hyun’s fingertip.
Squelch!
The Yang Metal Formula pierced clean through the larva. The larva writhed a few times inside the pulp before slumping limp.
“Eating my spirit fruit…”
This was the first time he had ever discovered such a bug on his Rock Honey Peaches.
Lee Hyun inspected the remaining fruits one by one. Two more bore similar holes, and on the skin of another clung tiny white eggs, smaller than sesame seeds. Checking the undersides of the leaves, he found patches of fine gray dust.
If there are larvae, that means an adult laid them.
Scouring the surroundings with his Qi-Observation Technique, Lee Hyun spotted a faint point of light where the tree trunk met the cavern wall.
A gray moth the size of a fingernail clung there with its wings folded. It looked like an ordinary moth, but extremely faint spiritual qi circulated through its tiny body.
Lee Hyun eliminated the moth with the Yang Metal Formula.
“Where did it get in from?”
Tunnel No. 1 was located ten li underground. Yet from the very beginning, various species of spirit insects had naturally inhabited the soil and bedrock around the spirit fields.
After the reservoir and water channels were created, new types of tiny bugs that hadn’t been seen before also began appearing.
The moth could have entered through the ventilation shafts or water channels. Or perhaps it had lain dormant all along as a larva or pupa in the soil packed around the roots of the Rock Honey Peach trees.
The reason it hadn’t been an issue previously was likely that Lee Hyun had always picked the fruits as soon as they ripened, either eating them immediately or placing them in his storage pouch.
Whenever I leave in the future, I should make thin paper bags to cover them. Don’t tie the stem too tightly, and leave a small ventilation hole at the bottom…
It wasn’t as if he was managing hundreds of fruit trees, so bagging them one by one wouldn’t be too difficult.
Spurred by the incident with the Rock Honey Peaches, Lee Hyun inspected the rest of his spirit fields far more meticulously than usual.
Near the roots of the Earth Vein Flowers, he found the same translucent eggs he had occasionally spotted before. Beneath the lily pads of the Yin Water Lotuses clung small, six-legged spirit insects. In the experimental spirit field, a black beetle crawled about, somehow enduring the faint miasma without dying.
“Ugh…”
Lee Hyun tossed the spirit insects into jars as he found them. He had collected a few in the past, but his general dislike for bugs meant he had never bothered to study them properly. He scooped up the eggs from around the Earth Vein Flowers, dirt and all, and dumped them into another jar.
In the end, a row of jars lined the storeroom, each classified according to some unknown criteria.
What if these bastards break out…?
Lee Hyun moved the ordinary jars to the training ground, which was made of crystalline bedrock. Using the Soil-Softening Technique, he softened and excavated a block of granite near the training ground, fashioning it into several thick, crude breeding enclosures.
After transferring the contents of the jars into these new containers, he covered them with granite lids, using the Yang Metal Formula to poke a few minute holes so they weren’t completely airtight. It was hardly an ideal habitat for spirit insects, but Lee Hyun didn’t care if they died. He wasn’t interested enough to raise them with any tender care.
The following day, Lee Hyun procured thin mulberry paper and fine hemp twine in Cheongryu County City. He also purchased several sheets of tightly woven silk mesh from a cloth shop, along with small, thinly split bamboo rings and clamps.
Returning to Tunnel No. 1, he harvested all the fully ripened Rock Honey Peaches, then slipped paper bags over each of the young, remaining fruits. He secured the tops of the bags with the bamboo rings without tightening them completely, leaving small gaps at the bottom for airflow. Finally, he installed the silk mesh over the entrances and ventilation ducts of spirit fields No. 1-6 and No. 1-7.
Two days later, Lee Hyun returned to the Cloud Capital and headed for the Alchemy Hall of the Bureau of Heavenly Service. He intended to get an appraisal for the spirit plants he cultivated, hoping the Bureau might purchase them in exchange for spirit stones. For this purpose, he had brought along several varieties of young spirit plants from the experimental field, as well as some withered ones whose medicinal properties had degraded.
A spacious courtyard for drying medicinal herbs lay before the Alchemy Hall, surrounded by storage warehouses. Herb boys bustled about carrying wicker baskets, and the steady thud of grinding and pounding herbs echoed incessantly from within the pavilion.
Lee Hyun asked a clerk in the Alchemy Hall if there was anyone knowledgeable about several spirit plants, including the Bone-Corroding Flower and Yin Soul Grass.
The clerk tilted his head in confusion as he jotted down the names. “I’m not familiar with any of these medicinal ingredients.”
“Could I inquire with an alchemist, then?”
“Please wait a moment.”
The clerk stepped inside. After a good while, an elderly man clad in a long robe steeped in the scent of medicinal herbs emerged. His hair and beard were white as snow, yet his back was straight. The hands extending from his sleeves were rough and calloused, bearing the marks of frequent burns.
The clerk introduced him deferentially. “This is Lord Mun Seong-hak, Chief Alchemist of the Alchemy Hall.”
Mun Seong-hak clasped his hands toward Lee Hyun in greeting. “Some call me the Medicine King, though it is an undeserved moniker.”
“I am External Retainer Lee Dong-il.”
“Let us speak inside.”
Lee Hyun showed the specimens he had brought to Mun Seong-hak and told him their names.
A short while later, the alchemist delivered his verdict. “To be frank, it would be difficult for the Bureau of Heavenly Service to appraise or purchase these spirit plants.”
“Are they all useless?”
“That is not what I mean,” Mun Seong-hak said, shaking his head. “The value of a spiritual herb depends on which pill recipes require it, what quantities are needed, what can be used as a substitute, and how difficult it is to detoxify and preserve. Only by knowing all these factors can one appraise its true worth.”
“I see.”
“The Bureau of Heavenly Service doesn’t possess a single pill recipe that calls for these spirit plants. To be frank, the Bureau has very few pill recipes to begin with.”
“It’s truly impressive that you’ve continued refining pills in such an environment,” Lee Hyun commented.
“My greatest masterpiece is the Barrier-Breaking Pill. Beyond that, I have nothing worth boasting of, much to my embarrassment.”
Lee Hyun stepped out of the Alchemy Hall.
So I won’t be able to offload my spirit plants through the Bureau of Heavenly Service. With their accumulated medicinal properties, their value should be considerable… Later, if I come across a large-scale market or an auction where cultivators gather, I should consider putting a few up for sale.
* * *
Three months later.
Lee Hyun occasionally made trips to and from Tunnel No. 1 but spent the majority of his time studying martial arts and sparring in the Martial Training Courtyard. Both Gwak Cheon-ung and Seo Jin-myeong deemed that he had sufficiently mastered the basics of real combat.
While there was still plenty to learn and explore, he decided it was time to start earning merit points. Only then could he learn alchemy and acquire the pill recipe for the Barrier-Breaking Pill.
The Battlefield Hall of the Bureau of Heavenly Service.
A map of the southern region of the Untaek Kingdom hung across one wall. Red flags were densely pinned along the border with the Heavenly Yang Kingdom. Around Nosu Pass in particular, they clustered so thickly that the map beneath was practically obscured.
“You wish to serve as a Battlefield Retainer?”
“Yes.”