The Small Scenic Pavilion in Chang'an (1)
Full spring proudly displays its lush greenery.
The chill in the air is barely noticeable anymore.
The garden of Silent Sword Forest is overflowing with fresh verdure, and Seolha, Yeon-ha, and So-hye's expressions brighten in kind.
Perhaps because of that, their steps toward the training ground early this morning look light. The swords in their hands are the same.
Today, as always, the three women and my one disciple begin loosening up by engaging in light sparring with one another.
In truth, it isn't light at all. Their skills have grown considerably by now.
Realms aren't like game combat power, something that can be expressed with numbers.
It's not as if anyone can simply declare "Super Peak once you exceed fifty thousand combat power!" or "Transformation Realm once you pass a hundred thousand!"
Realms must be judged through comprehensive evaluation, yet most people find that impossible.
They cannot accurately gauge even their own capabilities, let alone evaluate others.
That is why the common standard relies on the quantity and type of qi one can manifest.
Manifesting sword qi means Peak Realm, forming sword aura means Super Peak, and creating sword gang means Transformation Realm. That sort of thing.
Proficiency further divides them into early, middle, and late stages.
By that measure, Seolha and Yeon-ha can be considered mid-stage Super Peak.
Of course, if we judged solely by the amount of internal energy, calling them Transformation Realm wouldn't be strange either.
The quantity of energy they absorbed through Wuji was enormous, far beyond what ordinary people could compare to.
That makes their actual strength overwhelming compared to others at the same realm. Because they possess so much internal energy, each attack can carry a relatively greater amount.
Those whose internal energy far exceeds their skill level generally fight in two ways.
One is to drag the fight into a prolonged battle. The other is to pour even more energy into a single strike.
Either way works in their favor. That is why everyone seeks superior mental cultivation methods and spiritual elixirs.
So-hye is similar.
She absorbed every elixir that had been inside Dang Myeong-un's body.
Moreover, So-hye is a special case.
Most of her internal energy is tailored specifically to the Tang Clan's style, making it difficult to assess her through ordinary standards.
Spiritual elixirs synthesized from various poisons. Consequently, the energy itself carries poison.
The Tang Clan receives extra points for good reason. Those who wield poison are troublesome opponents.
Even attacks that could normally be blocked must instead be dodged, and the slightest graze produces immediate effects. Naturally, they are difficult to face.
Thus, while So-hye is also Super Peak, her actual level could be considered higher.
If we are talking about uniqueness, no one surpasses Yang Cheon-hak.
One second. At most, two.
In other words, until he swings his sword once or twice, he can hold his own even against a Transformation Realm expert.
Overflowing internal energy. The innate Heavenly Martial Body.
That single explosive strike, packed with every drop of energy, is nearly impossible to block.
Even if that Tyrant fellow were still alive, he would probably swallow a groan after the first or second exchange and think, "How is this possible?!"
Of course, from the third exchange onward, he would calmly raise his blade and sever Yang Cheon-hak's head after watching that increasingly erratic swordplay.
It is a rather malformed form of growth.
And it is not limited to Yang Cheon-hak alone. Seolha, Yeon-ha, and So-hye are the same.
This is not the normal path of growth in the martial world. I can say with certainty that it is not.
But there is no helping it.
No matter what I do, I cannot buy them more time.
Martial arts are martial studies.
No matter how much talent or method shortens the process, a certain amount of time is fundamentally required.
Seolha and Yeon-ha receive customized, dedicated training, while So-hye studies through a special track.
Yang Cheon-hak is simply cramming.
Still, time accumulates for them as well.
Through mutual sparring, they gain experience and deepen their understanding of their own martial arts.
That is why, for now, this is the only way.
Tempering. A fine sword is born from the number of times a craftsman sweats and strikes with the hammer.
After training in the practice field ends, everyone, looking thoroughly exhausted, heads off to wash before dinner.
The day is not over yet. Before sleep, there is still training in hidden weapons and reaction speed.
The day is short, so we must use it wisely. This is not me being harsh.
They are doing it because they want to.
That evening, at the quiet dinner table, I spoke to Yeon-ha.
"Yeon-ha, come with me tomorrow. Let's go see the flowers. So-hye will go catch poisonous creatures with So-hye, so prepare accordingly."
Yeon-ha and So-hye's expressions brighten at once.
Seolha watches the two of them and smiles prettily, as if pleased.
"Seolha, you still haven't decided?"
"I'll save mine, Great Hero. Just having one such opportunity is already delightful."
"You don't need to save it so carefully. I can create as many of these chances as you like."
"Then that would simply mean one more opportunity. That is delightful as well."
She looks at me with eyes full of affection.
What kind of fortune do I possess to have such a woman by my side?
This is exactly why I have no choice but to treat the chief steward of the Seo-an Trading Company well.
If he had not recommended the Jade Radiance Pavilion, I would never have met Seolha.
This connection would never have formed either.
The next day.
After breakfast, Yeon-ha and I left Silent Sword Forest together.
Since we were going flower-viewing, it would have been fine to dress up brightly, but Yeon-ha only wore a neater-than-usual martial robe and a face cloth.
"Aren't you disappointed?"
"It's fine, Great Hero. I still have to hide my identity, after all. This is more comfortable right now."
As if comfort has anything to do with it. She is a woman, too.
Any woman would want to wear colorful clothes adorned with hairpins and ornaments.
That made the child all the more admirable.
Exercising restraint. Practicing self-control. These are not easy things.
They are important virtues for both a person and a martial artist.
So I feel I should treat her even better. At least for today.
Once we reached the marketplace, Yeon-ha looked quite excited.
Her eyes sparkled so brightly it felt as if they might pierce through the face cloth.
Thinking about it, it made sense. From a young age, the declining and increasingly dangerous state of the Namgung Family had prevented her from seeing much of the world.
Moreover, during the prime of her youth, she had been bedridden due to illness.
Even after her body fully recovered and circumstances improved, she had remained only within Silent Sword Forest.
So this could truly be called her first proper outing.
"Great Hero, I want to go over there. To the tearoom!"
So we went to the tearoom with Yeon-ha, enjoying the scenery and the people while drinking tea.
Alongside the tea came sweet snacks filled with honey and grain syrup.
It seems women love sweet things regardless of the era.
Well, she is a martial artist, so perhaps even more so.
After enjoying our time at the tearoom, Yeon-ha next visited a fabric shop.
Not a dreary place selling martial robes, but one women would enjoy.
A shop filled with colorful garments and fine silks.
Yet Yeon-ha only looked around and did not step forward to buy anything.
Even when the clerk approached and chattered on, she merely listened without choosing or purchasing anything.
"If you see something you like, you can buy it. Why are you hesitating?"
"Just looking is enjoyable enough. It's fine, Great Hero."
"Wouldn't trying them on be even more fun? You can pick as many as you want. Don't tell me you think I can't even afford this much."
"Still… um…"
She seemed unaccustomed to this sort of thing and looked quite troubled.
So I chose for her instead. Things that would suit Yeon-ha.
"This one looks good. A light blue light robe that matches you. Go try it on."
"What!? But…"
"Oh my, the young master has excellent taste. It truly suits the young lady!"
The older woman who had been recommending various items immediately chimed in, and Yeon-ha finally looked tempted.
[It matches the Namgung Family's color, doesn't it? Like a blue sky. Or am I the only one who thinks so?]
When I sent the message via sound transmission, Yeon-ha finally made up her mind and nodded slightly.
She eventually went inside with the clerk and soon emerged before me in a radiant appearance.
"As expected, it suits you. It would have been even better without the face cloth."
Yeon-ha looked quite embarrassed, yet also satisfied.
Since we had chosen one outfit, she tried on several more after that.
Things like a sheer inner robe that was still a bit early for the season, or a slightly flashy palace dress.
In the end, however, the one she chose was the light blue light robe she had tried first.
She must have liked how similar it was to the Namgung Family's color.
"I'll take all the ones she tried on. Someone will come to pick them up, so have them ready."
"Oh my, young master. Thank you very much."
When I bought all the clothes like that, Yeon-ha spoke up in surprise.
"Great Hero…? You don't have to buy all of them…"
"I want to see you wear them again and again."
Yeon-ha had nothing more to say. She simply looked pleased inside.
Besides the clothes, I also bought several bolts of silk.
White and red silk that would suit Seolha, and teal silk that would suit So-hye.
After purchasing all of them and instructing the shop to prepare everything, we left the fabric store.
Yeon-ha, now outside, seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood as she linked her arm tightly with mine and showed no sign of letting go.
"Shall we go see the flowers now?"
"They say there's a place along the river where the flowers bloom in full glory. I think going there would be nice."
"Really? Let's go."
We strolled leisurely and indeed found a decent spot.
Still, it fell a little short of my standards. My expectations were higher than I thought.
"This place is nice too, but there's an even better one. Want to go?"
I had wandered around Chang'an whenever I had time. I was now quite familiar with the geography of this area.
Though it was a bit on the outskirts, the distance posed no problem for Yeon-ha and me.
So we moved immediately, and upon arrival, Yeon-ha gave me the reaction I had hoped for.
"Wow!"
It was a lake on the western side of Chang'an. A rarely visited place densely planted with flowering trees.
It looked as if someone had planted them in abundance long ago.
The reason I thought so was because an old pavilion had been built in a spot perfect for flower viewing.
A pavilion with a plaque reading "Small Scenic Pavilion."
It was tranquil, yet showed signs of having been untouched by human hands for some time.
Climbing up to it, flowers and trees blooming everywhere delighted the eyes.
"This is truly a beautiful place."
"Isn't it? Do you like it?"
"Yes! It's so beautiful I feel it's a waste to see it alone! It would have been nice if Hwimae and Hyemae came too… Ah. Are you going to Sichuan tomorrow, Great Hero?"
"We can delay it by a day if So-hye is fine with it. And today, think only of yourself."
"Understood, Great Hero."
Yeon-ha smiled prettily and rested her head on my shoulder as she spoke.
As if she were truly happy. As if this moment were truly joyful.