A Husband Worthy of the Heavenly Demon
"The man who becomes this lady's husband must possess the proper caliber. From now on, this lady shall aid your martial arts training with her full power."
That sounded great to me, but what exactly did she have in mind? As I stared at her in confusion, Hong Yeonhwa thrust out her ample chest and adopted a deliberately stern tone.
"You there. Have you perhaps attained any enlightenment?"
"Uh... no."
"Then do you know anything about supreme martial arts?"
"Third-rate stuff, maybe..."
"Is your combat experience abundant?"
"Truth be told, that last one was my first real fight..."
"Is your inner energy plentiful?"
"For a first-rate, I guess...?"
As I answered each question one by one, I started feeling more and more deflated. She'd only lost her inner energy, but Hong Yeonhwa was originally a martial artist on the verge of the Present Realm. She was already stronger than me now, and as time passed, that gap would only widen. Could I really stand tall by her side once she regained all her power?
I had no idea. They say men with girlfriends or wives who are way too amazing end up stressed out in all sorts of ways—this must be what that's like.
In my frustration, my posture slumped without me realizing it. Then Hong Yeonhwa's next words turned all my anxieties upside down.
"It's fine. This lady has it all. Warriors not born into great sects or clans are all like that anyway. And above all... didn't this lady say she'd help you with her full power?"
"Ah."
With her arms crossed under her chest, lifting it from below, Hong Yeonhwa nodded.
"From now on, this lady intends to pass down everything she has to you—everything except the Heavenly Demon Divine Art."
"Everything?"
"That's right. This lady's enlightenment, martial arts, experience... and even her inner energy. She'll give you everything, truly everything. You just focus on getting stronger. Understood?"
"Got it...... Wait, hold on. Inner energy seems iffy, doesn't it? Instead of passing it to me, wouldn't it be better for you to recover even a little more yourself?"
There are methods like direct energy transfer or whatever to pass inner energy to others. But they're notoriously inefficient. It might be somewhat okay if we shared the same cultivation method, but since we don't, it's basically pointless.
But upon hearing my words, Hong Yeonhwa blushed for some reason and twisted her upper body coyly. Her breasts swayed gently right in front of me... What was this? Was she tempting me to touch them?
I was debating if it was okay to reach out, given the serious atmosphere just moments ago, when Hong Yeonhwa spoke in a voice that was completely different—almost shrinking, like she was creeping in.
"W-Well... this lady obtained it when she raided a place called the Secret Palace, but... she knows a bit of the Energy Absorption Yin Technique."
"Isn't that a sex art?"
The one where a woman sucks up a man's inner energy dry? I involuntarily made a horrified face, and Hong Yeonhwa hurriedly shook her head to reassure me.
"Worry not! This lady will properly refine it into a harmonious yin-yang art, so just leave everything to her without a care!"
"...For real?"
"Of course. But if you're still anxious... uh, well, this lady will hold your hand tight."
I'm not a kid... Wait, no. Was she saying that because holding my hand would make her feel reassured? Looking into her earnest eyes, I thought maybe that was it.
Anyway, she was talking about creating a bedchamber technique just for us? Wow! Heavenly Demon Bedchamber Art! I had no idea how effective it'd be, but with that, I could build up inner energy fast without elixirs.
Still, there was one problem it wouldn't solve: my lack of talent. No matter how much inner energy she poured into me, or supreme arts she taught, or experience she shared, if I couldn't keep up, it'd all be meaningless, right?
Hong Yeonhwa, who had already dropped Menglong Patchian Sword once for the same reason, smirked with the corner of her mouth curling up.
"Even if this lady puts in her utmost effort, overcoming your talent will be difficult... But after hearing about the cultivation method you've learned, this lady found the answer."
"In the Martial Spirit Divine Art?"
Hong Yeonhwa nodded and pointed her index finger at me with a snap.
"What do you think is the standard for dividing martial realms?"
"Uh... strength?"
"Strength is merely the result. It follows once the realm advances. Martial realms are divided by the harmony of mind, qi, and body."
"Mind, qi, and body... Yeah, that was the first thing I heard when learning martial arts—the importance of their harmony. That's why basics were emphasized."
"Correct. But it seems you haven't fully grasped its meaning, so this lady shall explain it simply."
She poked my cheek with her extended index finger as she continued.
"Mind means will, qi means inner energy, body means flesh. Harmony of mind, qi, and body means you must wield your inner energy and will as freely as your body."
"...By that logic, haven't I already achieved harmony? I can think what I want, move my inner energy and body as I desire."
After poking my cheek for a while, she lowered her finger and pressed it gently against my lips.
"Can you manifest sword qi whenever you want? No? Then just listen to this lady's explanation."
"......"
Was it because this was her field of expertise? Hong Yeonhwa's demeanor felt different from usual.
"Most martial arts aim to temper the body to cultivate qi, then temper qi to cultivate mind. Once you can wield qi proficiently, you're called Peak or Super Peak accordingly. Likewise, wielding mind leads to Fire Realm and Present Realm."
She added that you gain sword qi at Peak, and sword beams at Fire Realm, because that's when you can wield qi and mind.
"However, the Martial Spirit Divine Art you practice diverges from the norm. It's specialized in forging will into mind, so your advanced mind pulls qi and body along—allowing you to temporarily surpass realm gaps, like last time. A technique truly worthy of being called divine."
Only after her detailed explanation did I vaguely understand what happened when I defeated Cheok An Geum Gwi. The endless surge of inner energy from somewhere, my lightened body, and the white glow that blocked his sword qi. In that moment, I'd stepped into the Peak realm.
"But its usage is exceedingly tricky. Without intense will, you can't even activate it properly, and if your will wavers, it cuts off midway or fails to unleash full power."
That must be why I hadn't drawn out the Martial Spirit Divine Art's true potential until now, and why my strength drained whenever I relaxed.
"Even passing down everything this lady has is just support. What you must focus on is cultivating intense will—and maintaining it."
Hong Yeonhwa removed her finger from my lips and asked.
"When you intervened between that Cheok-something and this lady, what were you thinking? Were you angry? Or did passion for this lady ignite within you? Be honest."
Her lips twitched slightly as she said it. She was putting on a serious face, but desperately holding back her expectations. She clearly wanted to hear how much I liked her.
...It was a bit embarrassing to say outright. Instead, I grabbed her retreating hand and pulled it close, then rubbed my cheek slowly against her small palm, eyes closed—as if savoring her presence.
"Desperate. Earnest."
I said no more. But was that enough? When I opened my eyes, there was Hong Yeonhwa, grinning ear to ear as I nuzzled her hand.
Her relaxed smile spilled forth with voices brimming with satisfaction.
"Hehe... Mm-hm..."
A weird but cute sound I'd never heard from her before. Feeling oddly ticklish, I tried to pull away, but her expression suddenly sharpened like she'd snapped to attention.
"D-Don't let go of this lady! Say that again! Just once more?!"
Then she pressed her palm firmly against my cheek. As I watched, the Martial Spirit Divine Art I'd been habitually circulating suddenly slipped my control, racing up my spine to my crown and tailbone, then back.
It was far weaker than before, but the vitality from my inner energy began filling my body as a warm heat.
"......"
"......"
...It worked like this? I'd tried countless times before and failed, but now?
Hong Yeonhwa stared wide-eyed, alternating between me and her hand on my cheek. When she hurriedly pulled it away, the Martial Spirit Divine Art's effect cut off in sync.
"......"
"......"
She gazed at me intently, then smiled slyly with crinkled eyes and a smug look. Then she scooted her hips right up next to mine. Not satisfied, she craned her neck and started rubbing her face against my nape.
Like a cat acting cute. After marking her territory for a while, she whispered in a sly voice.
"You there. Just how much do you like this lady?"
"......"
Instead of answering, I pulled her slender waist into an embrace. Whatever the process, I'd intentionally activated the Martial Spirit Divine Art's power—today's training was done, right? No point pushing further when I'd already won, so I quietly locked the door.