Training and Hidden Traces
Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa finally slept soundly for the first time since returning home.
When they woke, the morning sun was already high in the sky. Startled, they leapt from their bedding, dressed in haste, and hurried out of their rooms.
The two met in front of their grandfather Yi Sang-woo's room in the inner courtyard. Their eyes met with a silent "You too?" before they exchanged awkward smiles.
"Grandfather, it's So-ryong."
After announcing himself, a voice from within invited them in. They opened the door carefully and found Yi Sang-woo and Ja-yeong seated, sharing tea.
"We overslept. We're sorry."
"It's fine. Sit down."
So-ryong and Jin-hwa took their seats across from the elders.
"If it was that difficult, why didn't you tell your father?"
"I'm sorry. I tried to endure it, but it was too much."
The words stirred a pang in their hearts.
"This old man seems to have burdened you with unnecessary weight. I'm sorry."
"No, Grandfather. Life at the Wulin Alliance was hard, but we learned a great deal."
Yi Sang-woo felt both pity and pride. Though the family was in decline, he was grateful that his grandchildren had grown well without resentment.
"If that's how you feel, then all is well. If you can endure in society as you endured at the Wulin Alliance, you will succeed at whatever you do."
"We'll keep that in mind."
"Good. Go rest now."
After bowing, So-ryong and Jin-hwa left the room.
"It's hard to adjust."
"Still, I like being home. I never want to go back to the Wulin Alliance."
Sometimes the cruelty of women was more vicious than that of men, and Jin-hwa had endured such torment during her time there.
"I feel the same."
"Little siblings, are you finally awake?"
In the courtyard stood Cheonhwa, Cheon-sang, and Arin.
"We overslept. We're late."
"It's fine. You haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? I'll ask Granny Jeok-sang to prepare something."
"No need, Brother. Lunch will be soon enough. We can wait."
"Really? Then let's train in martial arts."
The cousins recalled that Cheonhwa had promised to teach them.
"Please take care of us, Brother Cheonhwa."
"Alright. First, we'll build stamina. Run slowly to Taihu and back. How about it? Easy, right?"
"Slowly?"
"Yes. Running fast or walking won't do much. Only slow, steady running gives proper exercise."
"Is that so?"
"So you two should follow along at the same pace. Let's go!"
Cheonhwa set off at a slow jog to demonstrate the method, passing through the gates of the Haedong Merchant Group.
The others exchanged glances.
"What are you waiting for? Come on."
At Cheonhwa's call, they began running at his measured pace.
The steady rhythm proved taxing. Cheon-sang and young Arin breathed heavily, while So-ryong and Jin-hwa, who had already trained in martial arts, kept up with Cheonhwa.
"Cheon-sang and Arin, rest here for a bit. We'll do one lap and come back."
"Got it. Sorry we can't keep up."
"Don't worry. We'll increase the distance gradually. You two rest."
The three continued onward while the other two caught their breath and sat down.
"Have you learned internal energy?"
"We learned the basic Three Talents Art."
Cheonhwa nodded at So-ryong's answer.
"Good. Then try circulating your internal energy each time your right foot touches the ground."
"Only the right foot?"
"Yes. You too, Jin-hwa."
The two followed his instructions.
"I'll keep making you use internal energy until you can control it freely."
"But the Three Talents Art we learned..."
"It doesn't matter. The specific method isn't important. What's important is being able to use internal energy unconsciously."
Cheonhwa explained it simply.
"You know that when the body repeats the same movement for a long time, it reacts unconsciously, right?"
"Yes."
"Internal energy works the same way. You have to build the habit of using it constantly so it becomes unconscious. We call this imprinting."
The cousins listened carefully.
"You'll also need to train by continuously emptying the internal energy in your dantian."
"We'll do our best."
"Good. I know you'll both do well."
About a month after So-ryong and Jin-hwa returned from the Wulin Alliance, Yi Ja-saeng prepared a merchant caravan for departure.
The route would start in Jiangsu, pass through Shandong and Hebei, then travel via Henan and Anhui before returning to Jiangsu.
Cheon-sang, who usually accompanied such trips, stayed behind. Instead, the Sword Crazy Baek Do-san would join them.
"Father, I'll be going now."
"Travel safely."
"Then I'll greet you again upon my return."
Once the caravan left the Haedong Merchant Group, Cheon-sang looked a little disappointed.
"How long are you going to stand there watching? We should head to Taihu too."
Cheonhwa spoke to Cheon-sang, So-ryong, and Jin-hwa before leaving the compound. The three followed, and Arin soon caught up, running alongside them.
Unlike a month ago, Cheon-sang and Arin could now keep up with Cheonhwa all the way around Taihu and back home.
"Well done."
The round trip to Taihu took about two hours.
"Rest for a bit. We'll practice martial arts in the afternoon."
After speaking to the children, Cheonhwa left the Haedong Merchant Group again.
"Where are you going?"
"I have something to take care of."
Cheonhwa walked for a long time before approaching a man resting by the roadside and sitting down beside him.
"How does it feel, watching all this time?"
The man answered calmly.
"You resemble the Great Princess so much that I was shocked. Your personality and actions are exactly the same. It felt like seeing her again, Young Master."
This man had come from the Wulin Alliance after hearing news of Cheonhwa and had been observing him for several days.
"I've heard that a lot since I was young. When I did well, they said I took after my father or mother. But when I did wrong, no one mentioned who I resembled. That was a little disappointing."
The man laughed at Cheonhwa's words.
"Perhaps everyone's heart is the same in that regard."
"Now that you've watched me, you should make up your mind, shouldn't you?"
The man looked at Cheonhwa.
"Isn't that why you came to observe me?"
"That's true. I was surprised by how suddenly you appeared."
"From the maternal family's perspective, we can't just keep waiting."
"I expected as much. I've already called the others."
"Good. How many are there?"
"Twenty-four."
"Twenty-four... That's perfect. Won't there be problems if that many leave the Wulin Alliance at once?"
"No. We're the kind of people who can stay or leave without issue. They don't pay us much attention."
"That's fortunate. For now, find and purchase a house near the maternal family."
"A house?"
"Yes. I'll cover the purchase and living expenses, so please handle that. Also, gather detailed information on the relationships between the large and small merchant groups in Jiangsu."
"Understood."
"Once you've found a house, contact me."
Cheonhwa stood and left. Watching his retreating figure, a faint smile appeared on the man's lips.
"How can he be so alike? This must be what they mean when they say blood doesn't lie."
After meeting the man, Cheonhwa returned, ate lunch, rested briefly, and then taught the children martial arts in the afternoon.
The techniques Cheonhwa taught were not advanced; they were basic stances meant to build physical strength.
Though So-ryong and Jin-hwa, who had already learned martial arts, might have found the training tedious, they studied diligently.
Through Cheonhwa's lessons, they gradually began to understand their own shortcomings.
"Cheon-sang, you can rest if you're tired."
Cheonhwa could see that Cheon-sang's body was genuinely weak. It seemed like a chronic condition rather than innate frailty, though he couldn't be sure.
"Okay, I'll rest a little and then continue."
From the inner courtyard, watching through the window as the children trained, a smile formed on Yi Sang-woo's lips.
"Ever since Cheonhwa came to the main family, the place seems to have gained vitality."
"That's why I feel energized too."
Ja-yeong had become much more lively after learning that her eldest daughter Hwarin was alive. Perhaps that was why she now took charge of household affairs with renewed enthusiasm.
"It would have been nice if they had come together."
"It's because of their relationship with the Wulin Alliance. Let's wait a little longer. Still, they sent this child to us."
The couple's gazes turned to So-ryong and Jin-hwa, who were practicing martial arts.
Entrusting the family's future to these two children while pretending not to know weighed heavily on their hearts.
"Don't worry too much. They're strong children. They'll grow up splendidly."
"I believe they will."
"No, lower your stance more. And move the sword even slower. That way you'll clearly see how my sword moves."
Cheonhwa's voice carried through the air.
"That child is a blessing."
A smile spread across Ja-yeong's face. Seeing it, Yi Sang-woo thought of his eldest daughter.
'I'm sorry. You always sacrificed yourself for the family.'
"It's not easy to find traces. I even checked Anhui, Shandong, and Zhejiang just in case, but found nothing."
The Black Wind Squad, elite guards of the Demonic Cult who had once served Cheonwoo, the former Great Prince and Young Cult Leader, had been searching Jiangsu for nearly a month. Staying in a private annex of the Manhwaru courtesan house near Hongze Lake, they had scoured the province for any sign of Cheonwoo but found none.
"Squad Leader."
"What is it?"
"It's about the Haedong Merchant Group, the family of the Divine Sword of Heaven, Hwarin."
"Leave them be. It's the family of Yi Hwarin, who once crossed swords fairly with our lord."
"That's not what I meant. There's a strange rumor I thought you should hear."
"A strange rumor?"
"Yes. According to our informants, about three months ago, a young boy joined the Haedong Merchant Group."
"A boy?"
"Yes. And this boy is a bit..."
The Black Wind Squad member relayed what he had heard through their intelligence network to Hyeok Cheon-gwang.
"That boy is the son of the Divine Sword of Heaven?"
"There's a high possibility. The only person who could call Yi Ja-saeng 'maternal uncle' would be a child born to the Divine Sword of Heaven."
Hyeok Cheon-gwang pondered for a moment before nodding.
"I'll look into that boy myself. You all focus on secretly investigating the movements of the Wulin Alliance's Jiangsu branch and the orthodox sects."
"Why...?"
"If that boy really is the Divine Sword of Heaven's son, they'll make a move as well."
"Understood."
When night fell, Cheonhwa left the Haedong Merchant Group. His destination was a dark alley by Taihu. Buildings with closed doors lined both sides of the eerie alley.
Cheonhwa knocked on the door of one building. After a short while, the door opened. He exchanged a few words with the man inside before entering.
Unlike the outside, the interior was lavish.
Under dim lighting, people gathered in small groups to gamble. Some played a card game where matching pairs determined the winner, others played mahjong. There were those rolling dice and those betting on odd or even numbers.
This was an illegal gambling den operated by the Gangso Merchant Group.
Young women moved between the gambling tables, serving tea and alcohol. The men frequently harassed them.
"An interesting place."
Cheonhwa smiled brightly and strode toward the card game tables.
Over the past month, he had learned various gambling techniques from Ga-wol, the manager of Sang-a-ru and Taihu branch leader of Haomun. His skill now surpassed even hers.
"Gambling is only fun when the stakes are high. Mind if I join?"
Seeing only his youthful appearance, the players assumed he was some rich young master and let him sit.
As the cards were dealt, people examined their hands in their own ways. Cheonhwa didn't look at his cards at all. Instead, he watched the others.
"Ten taels!"
"Ten taels? Fine, then I'll add twenty more."
Convinced their hands were superior, the gamblers raised the stakes.
"I fold."
Cheonhwa declared his surrender without even glancing at his cards and pushed them forward.
"Look at this young fellow, not even checking his cards."
"They say that's how you do it on the first round. Books say it makes you look like a master."
"Haha, since when is gambling learned from books? Young friend, try following what you read in those books."
"Yes. And no asking for your money back after losing."
"Haha, I'd rather you didn't say such things, young friend."
"Are we gambling with words? Show your cards already. Let's see who won."
"Haha, then I'll show mine first. I have a full moon."
Both of the man's cards bore the character for "moon."
"Ah, I have a lesser yang."
"You challenged me with a lesser yang? What a shame."
The man who swept up the winnings cheerfully patted the rear of a passing young girl and placed two taels on her tray.
Cheonhwa narrowed his eyes at the sight, but he knew everyone lived differently and had no right to comment.
"Alright, shall we deal again?"