Murim Without a Heavenly Demon (4) "Sword. That's Not How You Use It."
Hong Yeonhwa's voice came from behind me, where she'd been watching at some point. My mind went blank for a moment.
Advice here, of all places? Well, that wasn't the issue...
But didn't Hong Yeonhwa say she was a total beginner when it came to martial arts?
"What the hell are you talking about?"
At my words, she thrust out her index finger with a snap.
"Mount Tai Crushing Strike, Horizontal Small Heaven Army, Eight Directions Wind and Rain—a linked sequence. A bit modified, but it's the Three Powers Sword Art. And that footwork is a variant of Eight Directions Step."
"Spot on."
The moves sound cool, but it's just basic vertical slash, horizontal slash, and thrust—the fundamentals of fundamentals, the Three Powers Sword Art. For reference, Eight Directions Step is footwork that covers all eight directions: forward, back, left, right, and diagonals. It's treated as basic third-rate stuff, just like the sword art.
My master tweaked them here and there, but what I'd just demonstrated was ultimately just applications of Three Powers Sword Art and Eight Directions Step. Both are beginner techniques, so it's no surprise Hong Yeonhwa knew them. What was surprising was her insight—piercing right through them after seeing it once.
"Your form was excellent. A solidly built foundation is always right. But that's all it is. Your sword is still just a practice blade. Lacking in power and practicality... Perhaps I can repay your kindness sooner than I thought."
She paused for a beat, then spoke with a serious expression.
"I'll teach you the Fierce Dragon Splitting Heaven Sword. It's one of the pinnacle arts even in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and it doesn't require demonic qi, so it'll mesh well with your cultivation method."
"Ah, sorry. No thanks."
"Good choice. Truth be told, it's a bit lacking compared to this lady's worth... Eeeek?!"
She must've assumed I'd accept, nodding in satisfaction—until she finally realized what I'd said, her eyes bulging as she jumped back.
"Wh-what?! Is it because of the arts your master taught you? Fear not! I'm not telling you to abandon them; it's just one more to learn. If you're really worried..."
"No, it's not that. Calm down."
They say the limit for ordinary humans is first-rate. Beyond that are those who've transcended human limits. Anyone can reach first-rate with effort—the difference is just time. But peak is different. To climb higher, you need enlightenment, spirit pills, or some catalyst. Pinnacle arts are one such trigger. Not just for their power, but because they contain profound principles that naturally break through the peak wall with practice.
For me, stuck at the first-rate wall, it'd be a godsend... but.
"Look, I have no talent. Even if you teach me, I won't be able to learn it."
"...Pardon?"
Hong Yeonhwa scrunched her face like she'd heard something utterly bizarre.
It's true, though. Reincarnating into the murim world was great, but I had zero talent. How zero? My master created new arts tailored to what I could learn faster than I could pick up his existing ones. Thanks to that, I mastered his unique heart method packed with all his insights, but it didn't create talent out of thin air—I still couldn't handle anything beyond third-rate. Too damn hard...
Of course, I didn't buy that what she offered was really the terrifyingly named Fierce Dragon Splitting Heaven Sword. Don't forget—Hong Yeonhwa's head was a bit off right now. No way a mere merchant house had a pinnacle art. Still, it'd probably be decent. Better than Three Powers Sword Art, at least. Which was why I couldn't learn it.
"For now, just move as this lady instructs."
I gave a rough explanation of my situation, but she wouldn't believe it and tried to teach me this Fierce Dragon thing anyway. It took a while, but she finally got it.
"Incredible. Truly... ngh... incredible."
Hong Yeonhwa bit her lip midway, holding back what was probably an insult from her so-called benefactor.
"Then all that's left is real combat or sparring like combat to forcibly raise your level... but that's impossible for this lady right now."
"Yeah, figured. So when you're up for it, we can spar. For now, prioritize recovery. You didn't forget—you only woke up today, right?"
"Mm... Understood."
Hong Yeonhwa nodded obediently. By then, the surroundings had been dyed red by the sunset.
Better prep dinner before the sun fully sets.
After wrapping up the day's chores, as I was drifting off to sleep.
This house was built for my master to live alone, so there's no separate bedrooms. Just the kitchen and bathroom off to the side.
Which means... Hong Yeonhwa and I had to share a room.
...I'd slept in the same room while she was out for four days, sure. But back then, she was utterly motionless—like a fragrant totem more than a person.
Rustle.
I'd kept some distance, but hearing her move like this made my body tense up on its own. The realization we were in the same space, maybe?
In the end, after flipping my eyes open and shut for ages, I finally dozed off.
And the next day.
I woke at my usual near-dawn hour. Turning my head slightly, I saw Hong Yeonhwa sleeping soundly a short ways away.
I stared blankly, admiring her face, before snapping out of it.
Not the time for this.
I tiptoed out—heel-first so I wouldn't wake her—modern memories making this era's life one endless inconvenience. Infrastructure gap and all.
No running water meant hauling it daily—one of those pains. Though that's how I found her, so silver lining.
With her awake now, I fetched extra. Carefully setting the sloshing buckets in the kitchen without spilling, I noticed the door—definitely closed before—was ajar.
"You're back."
Inside, Hong Yeonhwa was staggering, clutching a blanket pile as big as herself.
"What're you doing?"
"Can't you see? Organizing the blankets."
"...Not about to get smothered by them?"
"Ngh!"
She huffed like she'd suffered an indescribable insult, but that was it. No energy for more.
Lips clenched in defiance, arms trembling, legs barely holding balance—like she'd lifted something beyond her capacity but pride wouldn't let her drop it.
I snatched the blanket pile from her arms.
"Here, let me."
"Ah! G-give it back! This lady can! This lady can do it!"
Panicked, she hopped in place. Her ample breasts jiggled accordingly.
Always a sight to behold.
Come to think of it, Hong Yeonhwa seemed oblivious to how her chest looked to others. More precisely, she didn't imagine anyone daring to ogle her lewdly?
Hence the full-body rubs as she bounced against me. I schooled my slackening face against that soft, heavy give, and spread the blankets on the floor first.
They weren't folded properly—just bunched up. I swiftly folded and stacked them into the wardrobe.
"Hup."
"Ah... ahh..."
Hong Yeonhwa's expression dimmed. She'd tried to pull her weight, only to fail at folding blankets—disappointed in herself, probably.
I patted her slumped shoulders, and she burst into excuses like a dam breaking.
"This—this isn't it! If my inner power returned, mere blankets would be...!"
"Don't sweat it. Next time, don't try moving them all at once—one by one, okay?"
"......"
After that, she attempted dishes, cleaning, cooking—anything—but failed at everything. By dinner's end, as the day wrapped up.
Just yesterday, she'd brimmed with Heavenly Demon confidence... now she stared blankly into space, soul seemingly adrift.
"Uh, yeah. It happens. You're without inner power right now, after all."
"Inner power..."
In the darkening room after sunset, lit only by a single candle, my lore-fitting comfort made her nod slowly.
"Indeed. Inner power—that's the issue. When I first awoke, I thought my dantian merely empty from the fierce battle. But now I know better." She sighed again, voice thick with loss. "I can't fathom it, but my dantian isn't empty—it's gone. So I must start from scratch."
Hmm. Bridging the lore gap with reality like that?
"Of course, this lady is confident. I excelled the first time; the second will be even better. Given some time, I'll effortlessly reclaim my former realm. However..."
"However?"
"However, today's events made this lady realize—with my martial arts lost, I'm just a useless girl who knows nothing."
So... pampered by her clan her whole life, now clanless, she'd discovered her own incompetence and sank into depression?
Honestly, I didn't care if Hong Yeonhwa was a helpless lady. She could learn from here. Today's fails were all from pushing herself to help me with unfamiliar tasks. No major screw-ups—just laughable stuff.
How to convey that? I was picking words when—
"Eeek!"
Hong Yeonhwa shot up, face set, striding toward me.
"Even without inner power, this lady is the Heavenly Demon. Your talent is... regrettably lacking—no, somewhat deficient—so you can't receive my teachings, but this lady can do something!"
Bathed in the candle's crimson glow—almost flushing—she whispered low.
"Take off your clothes."