Silent Sword Forest, First Day of the New Year (3)
"Master. It's Seolha."
"What is it!?"
"Breakfast is ready, Master."
"Oh. Really? Well, we have to eat. Just a moment!"
I would usually let it slide, but today was the first day of the new year. So we should all sit together, look one another in the eye, and share a meal.
I channeled true energy into Yang Cheon-hak's body and wrapped the Wuji around it completely.
His trembling frame instantly stilled. The deep frown etched across his face eased into something far more peaceful.
"How is it? Can you endure it? You can speak now."
"Haaah… Heuk… Heuk… I-I'm fine. This is all to become stronger, after all… Keuheuk."
"Good. That's the right attitude. Glad to hear you're all right. Then get up. Let's go have breakfast."
"Yes, Master. Hoo…"
As expected, the Heavenly Martial Body is incredible. Yeah. That really was a blessing.
If he could say he was fine, that alone was remarkable. Truly.
When we arrived for breakfast, everyone was already waiting for me.
It wasn't a lavish Lunar New Year spread—there simply weren't enough people for that—but everything that should be there, was. Dumplings, red-bean pastries, rice cakes, dim sum, tofu, hearty soups…
Martial artists rarely fussed over food, so this could easily count as a proper feast.
Even while eating, Seolha, Yeon-ha, and So-hye kept stealing glances at Yang Cheon-hak, their eyes bright with curiosity. They seemed to be wondering whether what they sensed was real.
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
At my question, all three nodded in unison.
Of course it was. The reason they could accept it so readily was because I'd made creating new dantians and expanding internal energy look effortless. Had they not seen me do those things, they never would have believed Yang Cheon-hak's current state.
"In another couple of days it'll get even more interesting. This is only the beginning, so the kid's going to suffer a bit."
Yang Cheon-hak, who had been chewing a dumpling, flinched and looked up at me. He swallowed quickly.
"M-Master. Is this… all there is?"
"What are you talking about? You've barely achieved a tenth of it. So don't stuff yourself. Eat lightly. The pain will only grow stronger—if you're not careful, you'll end up vomiting everything back up."
"What!? Hehe…"
His appetite seemed to vanish on the spot. His shoulders slumped. Yet a moment later he gathered himself and continued eating what was left on his plate.
I liked that about him. He had real tenacity.
Come to think of it, the years he spent wandering as a sickly freeloader might not have been such a bad experience after all. Persistence, fierce survival instinct, the bitter taste of the world—he had already tasted them all. Ordinary hardship wouldn't break him now.
Having seen rock bottom, the only direction left for him was upward.
After breakfast we resumed forging his internal energy.
"I said we'd skip lunch, so we'll continue without rest for the next four hours. It'll be hard, but endure it. If it gets truly unbearable, focus on the sensation of your internal energy growing and take joy in that. That's how I got through it."
"Hoo… Understood, Master."
I settled into position and released the Wuji I had been containing.
His face twisted at once. His body began to shake violently.
The energy of the Wuji raged like a storm, widening his meridians and expanding his dantian.
I'm jealous. To be this sturdy…
When I first attempted this, it truly felt like dying and coming back to life. I didn't possess the Heavenly Martial Body, and no one stood guard behind me. The slightest mistake would have sent my qi and blood into violent revolt. I crossed the threshold of death dozens upon dozens of times. Some of those moments could only be described as miracles.
Still, the sense of accomplishment when I succeeded was immense.
"I don't know whether you'll be able to focus on my voice, but if you can hear me, listen. There is no chance of you failing. Right now you're climbing a cliff, but it's as if you have a sturdy rope wrapped around your waist—one that will never break or come loose. Someone above is holding it tight. So don't worry. You may make mistakes. You may misstep. There is no falling for you. All you have to do is keep climbing. Your body is far greater than you imagine, and your spirit is greater still. As long as you don't give up, all this pain will become fertilizer for your growth."
His expression relaxed noticeably. The trembling lessened as well.
Thankfully he was quick on the uptake. If he'd still hesitated after all that, there really would have been no hope.
Thanks to that, the absorption of Wuji progressed far faster than I'd anticipated. The more I watched, the more I realized just how broken the Heavenly Martial Body truly was.
At this rate, I could probably do the same for Seolha, Yeon-ha, and So-hye. They could already be considered acquired Heavenly Martial Bodies, couldn't they? The safety test was essentially complete.
Still, it was astonishing. How could someone be born with a body like this? And how could a person blessed with such talent have lived such a bleak life?
Fated opportunities. Connections. Was all of this someone's deliberate arrangement? Had this boy been destined to meet me?
I didn't know. If I hadn't kept an eye on Mount Tai Sect, our paths would never have crossed. If the Tang Family hadn't informed me that Mount Tai Sect and the Hongjeokmun were connected to the Unknown Poison… If I hadn't visited the Tang Family because of that poison… If I had never met Seolha and Yeon-ha and thus never learned of the poison's existence…
Such thoughts rose, then I quickly brushed them aside.
It didn't matter. There was no need to worry about such things. I had moved according to my own judgment and my own heart. This was my life. My choices. I was not dancing in someone's palm.
And if I ever discovered that I was, I would cut that hand away. Without hesitation.
Before I knew it, a great deal of time had passed. The surroundings had grown dark. Yang Cheon-hak no longer showed any sign of pain or trembling. The Wuji had been almost entirely absorbed.
Seriously. It felt a little unfair. He had absorbed it all? With almost no loss?
I had clearly underestimated the innate Heavenly Martial Body. I hadn't expected it to be this extraordinary.
Yang Cheon-hak had gained a dantian of truly enormous size and an overwhelming amount of internal energy—more than the combined power of Shaolin's Great Return Pill and the Demonic Cult's Magic Spirit Divine Pill. Even So-hye hadn't reached this level. I could only sigh in admiration.
"All right. We'll finish up now. You understand your body's condition better than anyone. The absorption of Wuji went perfectly. All that remains is to make it truly yours. Circulate it slowly. No need to rush. Just once. Do it properly, just once. Begin."
Yang Cheon-hak immediately started the small heavenly circulation.
The sight of that vast internal energy flowing smoothly through his thick, widened meridians was truly spectacular—like sweet rain falling on parched earth. As if dry, cracked ground were drinking in moisture and returning to its original fertile, lustrous state.
"Hoooo…"
When he exhaled after completing the circulation, I understood.
Superhuman. That was the only word for it. Like a high-end PC that had only been running minesweeper finally receiving software that matched its specs and now displaying its full potential.
But he was still far from complete. Only one program had been installed, and he didn't yet know how to operate it. Even so, it was enough. With just his body and internal energy, he could now crush most opponents.
"How do you feel?"
"Haha… Master. It feels like this body isn't mine."
"It would. You've gone from a crawling caterpillar to a butterfly. Then you'll want to test your new limits. Let's go outside."
Yang Cheon-hak rose from his seat, and even that simple motion left him marveling at his own body. Of course he would. I had experienced the same thing.
The difference between an ordinary body and one brimming with internal energy was night and day—not just in movement, but in what you could see, feel, and perceive. The gap between a toddler's first steps and an Olympic sprinter's dash was inevitable.
There was no need to go all the way to the training ground. We simply stepped out in front of his room and faced each other.
"Do the swinging drills you perform every morning."
"Yes, Master."
Yang Cheon-hak drew his sword. For a moment his face wore the expression of someone holding a blade for the very first time, yet his grip and stance were already familiar. He swung.
"Huh?"
Surprise flashed across his face. Naturally. In that single motion he had cut through his own limits. The sword moved with natural grace, slicing away the inadequacy that had bound him until now.
One cut. One swing. That was all it took for him to understand himself—what he had become, and how far he could go.
"Wow… This… Master! May I do it again!?"
"Do you really need my permission to swing your sword in front of your own room?"
He grinned and swung again. Samjae stance. Horizontal cut. Vertical cut. Thrust.
Watching him, I became certain. Even without special forms or advanced techniques, he could probably defeat most opponents with just those fundamentals.
Forms were simply the most efficient way to swing a sword—the optimal path in response to any attack. Through countless repetitions they became reflexive, like macros.
But he didn't need them. He already possessed solid basics and a body capable of supporting them. If one swing could subdue an enemy, there was no need for a second.
"How is it?"
"I can hardly believe it."
"Really? Then it's time to receive my sword."
"Eh!?"
I picked up a practice wooden sword, stepped in, and brought it down toward him.
With a crisp thwack, he blocked it.
Oh ho. So he can stop this much?
I widened the distance slightly and swung again, much faster this time.
"Ugh!"
He couldn't block the second strike. My sword stopped just short of his head.
Hmm. That much was still too difficult? Then we'd have to keep going.
I continued pressing him, adjusting the margin by the tiniest increments. After several exchanges I had a rough measure of his current limits.
At the very least, he had reached the level of that Mount Tai Sect first-generation disciple—the one who had lost his left arm. So Jin-woong, was it? His physical ability and reaction speed seemed to match that man's.
"Congratulations. Your current physical abilities are on par with Mount Tai Sect's first-generation disciple."
"What!? Me!? With Great Hero So Jin-woong!?"
"Ah, yes. So Jin-woong. That's the one. But you're not going to be satisfied with just that, are you? Not even a full day has passed. This is only the beginning for you."
When I laughed, Yang Cheon-hak stared at the hand gripping his sword as though he still couldn't believe it.
Yes. This was only the beginning.
There was no way I would have gone through all this trouble just to reach the level of Mount Tai Sect's first-generation disciple.
This was going to be fun. I wouldn't be bored for a while.
I should start testing all sorts of things right away.
And of course, I would do the same for Seolha, Yeon-ha, and So-hye.
As expected, teaching was a joyful thing.
Of course, it did feel a bit like enthusiastically experimenting on a male disciple… but that was merely a misunderstanding on the part of whoever thought so.
I was purely giving instruction. With complete sincerity.