The Return to Origin Art
“You don’t need to overcomplicate martial arts. Just think of it as adding a few extra rules to how you use your body.”
“Really?”
Cheonhwa was in the middle of teaching Yi Cheon-sang martial arts. He had judged that the next head of the Haedong Merchant Group needed enough strength to protect himself so he wouldn’t be easily manipulated by others.
“If you have a good head on your shoulders, you’ll pick up martial arts quickly. So you’ll master it in no time.”
“Thanks. I’ll work hard to learn it.”
“By the way, where’s sister-in-law?”
“You mean Dan-hwa?”
Cheonhwa nodded.
“She’s probably in her room. Why are you calling her sister-in-law?”
“I don’t know. Everyone else does. You can call me that once I get married too.”
Cheonhwa spoke without thinking too deeply about it, and Yi Cheon-sang let out a small chuckle.
“So what about Dan-hwa?”
“I’m going to teach her martial arts too. That way she can help you a lot. From what I hear, people born with the Seven Yin and Seven Yang bodies are incredibly smart.”
“I did grow up hearing that I was clever.”
“Exactly.”
“Alright. I’ll ask Dan-hwa about it.”
“Do that. The martial art I’m going to teach you is called the Returning to Origin Art.”
“Returning to Origin Art?”
“Yes. Father said he obtained it from a nameless cave in the mountains during his journey to the Central Plains. After learning it myself, I realized it’s on par with any supreme divine art. It should suit both you and sister-in-law perfectly.”
“Even Dan-hwa?”
“Of course. They say husband and wife are one body and one mind.”
Yi Cheon-sang always felt both gratitude and guilt toward Cheonhwa, who gave help so freely.
“And for you, who possesses strong yin energy, I’ll also teach you the Yin-Yang Splitting Palm and the Chaos World Ten Swords. Conversely, for sister-in-law with her powerful yang energy, I’ll teach the Heaven and Earth Palm and the Fire Spirit Sword Art. Once you’ve learned these, protecting yourselves shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“Thank you, Cheonhwa. I will never forget the grace you’ve shown us.”
“Grace? It’s nothing… We’re family. We should help each other. Besides, if it weren’t for Grandfather and Grandmother, I wouldn’t even be in this world.”
Though he spoke lightly, teaching others martial arts was no simple matter. Moreover, these were all supreme techniques. His two younger cousins, who were already learning them, were astonished every day and trained even harder.
“Alright, let’s begin. I’ll help you first by creating your dantian.”
Cheonhwa took out a small box from his robe and opened it. Inside were medicinal pills wrapped in gold and silver foil. He removed the one wrapped in silver foil, tucked the box away again, and handed the pill to Yi Cheon-sang.
“Sit in a lotus position and take this.”
“What is it?”
“Something good for your body. I’ll guide the energy according to the Returning to Origin Art’s mental method, so memorize it well.”
Yi Cheon-sang nodded. Trusting Cheonhwa completely, he assumed the lotus position, carefully unwrapped the silver foil, and brought the pill to his mouth.
As soon as the pill entered his mouth, it melted and slid down his throat. Cheonhwa placed his hand on Yi Cheon-sang’s Mingmen acupoint, circulated his internal energy, and pushed his own qi into his cousin’s body. He then located the medicinal energy and began guiding it.
What Yi Cheon-sang had consumed was half of the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake’s inner elixir—the half that contained stronger yin energy.
The moment the fierce energy entered his body, Yi Cheon-sang felt intense pain, but he clenched his teeth and endured it.
Because his Seven Yin Body and Dan-hwa’s Seven Yang Body had met and achieved harmony, all the accumulated waste and impurities blocking his meridians had already been purged. The vast energy surged through his veins without resistance.
Cheonhwa tried to control that energy with his own, and for a while a fierce struggle between the two forces raged inside Yi Cheon-sang’s body, forcing him to suffer excruciating pain.
Once Cheonhwa’s energy gained control over the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake’s power, the agony on Yi Cheon-sang’s face finally began to ease.
Remember this well. I will guide the energy until you’ve memorized it.
Hearing Cheonhwa’s voice transmission, Yi Cheon-sang focused with everything he had. Incredibly, he displayed his genius by memorizing the entire mental method of the Returning to Origin Art after only two repetitions.
Even Cheonhwa was slightly surprised by the display, but he sent another transmission telling him to try moving the energy on his own.
Yi Cheon-sang moved the energy with his own will, and just as Cheonhwa had said, he perfectly recalled and controlled the Returning to Origin Art.
Then I’ll also teach you how to perform the Great Circulation along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
Cheonhwa conveyed his intention through voice transmission. Yi Cheon-sang learned and practiced exactly as he was taught.
About one sijin later, Yi Cheon-sang had perfectly memorized not only the Returning to Origin Art but also the method of Great Circulation along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. He could now operate his energy on his own.
Cheonhwa looked at his cousin still sitting in lotus position and smiled.
With his experienced grandfather still alive and his uncle, who was respected by many as a merchant, by their side, if Yi Cheon-sang, Yi So-ryong, and Yi Jin-hwa worked together, they would surely be able to restore the Haedong Merchant Group to its former glory.
“To do that, we first need to take control of Jiangsu Province.”
In Jiangsu, besides merchants, there were numerous large and small martial sects.
Two or three sects existed in each major city, and even small counties had at least one or two. In total, roughly fifty orthodox and unorthodox sects had taken root across the province.
Among them, the most powerful was the unorthodox Moon Shadow Sect, but after losing many warriors recently, its strength had weakened somewhat. Taking advantage of this, the smaller sects beneath it—Sa Young Sect, Eumsabang, Hobangpa, and Akcheongok—were now challenging its dominance.
The remaining sects couldn’t intervene in this power struggle, so they weren’t worth much attention.
The only thing that slightly bothered him was the orthodox sects quietly building their strength while watching the unorthodox factions fight among themselves. Still, Cheonhwa didn’t think seizing control of Jiangsu would be particularly difficult.
“If Akcheongok and the others keep irritating the Moon Shadow Sect, they won’t notice the changes happening in Cheolsa Hall. That should buy us the time we need to grow.”
“Cheonhwa.”
Yi Cheon-sang opened his eyes and called out to him.
“How do you feel? Any pain?”
“I’m fine. My body feels so light it could fly away.”
“Good. From now on, circulate your energy once when you wake up and once before you sleep.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“Then it’s time to learn the other techniques.”
Cheonhwa taught him the Yin-Yang Splitting Palm and the Chaos World Ten Swords. Yi Cheon-sang once again displayed his genius by memorizing both the forms and techniques in almost no time at all.
He’s incredible. Even before I achieved the Heavenly Spiritual Body, I don’t think I was that fast.
Cheonhwa was inwardly astonished by his cousin’s talent.
Is Dan-hwa just as smart as him?
* * *
Cheonhwa also taught martial arts to Dan-hwa, who would become Yi Cheon-sang’s wife. She didn’t show the same level of genius as her husband, but she was still far sharper than most people. Perhaps because of her yang energy, she also had a rather active personality.
After confirming that Dan-hwa’s illness had been cured, the Divine Physician of Life and Death stayed as a guest for a short while before leaving the Haedong Merchant Group.
Dan-hwa had now become part of the household. Together with Ja-yeong, she took charge of managing the inner affairs of the merchant group.
As more people gradually joined the Haedong Merchant Group, the place began to regain its vitality. Former associates who had once done business with them started returning, saying they wanted to work together again. The merchant group slowly grew busier.
With the group becoming busier, Yi Cheon-sang naturally became busier as well. He was setting out on a trade journey alone as the person in charge. It was his first time taking on such responsibility, so he felt some anxiety, but his enthusiasm burned even brighter.
There were four full carts loaded with goods that could be obtained in Jiangsu Province, and the porters carrying packs on their backs carried enough to fill yet another cart.
“We’ll be going now.”
“Be careful on your journey. If anything happens, it’s fine to lose all the goods. Your life and the lives of the others must come first. Understood?”
“Yes. I will do so.”
“Cheonhwa, I’m entrusting Cheon-sang to you.”
“Cheon-sang has gotten healthier, and both So-ryong and Jin-hwa will be helping him. They’ll complete this first trade journey safely and return.”
“I see.”
When Yi Cheon-sang looked at Dan-hwa standing beside his father Yi Ja-saeng and said he would be back, she told him to be careful.
As Yi Cheon-sang and Cheonhwa left the Haedong Merchant Group, the members of the Black Wind Squad, now working as escorts, followed behind them.
Yi Ja-saeng and his father Yi Sang-woo watched until they disappeared from sight, then exchanged satisfied smiles.
“It reminds me of when you first set out on a trade journey.”
“Did my back look the same as Cheon-sang’s?”
“It did. But you looked more driven by enthusiasm than worry. That actually made me uneasy. Cheon-sang, on the other hand, doesn’t seem anxious at all.”
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“You are still healthy and strong. The merchant group’s affairs…”
“I already told you. If I start intervening in the group’s business, the other Ten Great Merchant Groups won’t sit still. Our group would be unable to withstand their checks and attacks and would collapse.”
“But now the workload has increased so much…”
“Isn’t that fortunate? At the very least, we can pass on the family business within Jiangsu Province. Ja-saeng.”
“Yes, Father.”
“When the time comes to choose—as the head of a family and the head of a merchant group—will you choose the family, or the merchant group?”
“I will choose the family.”
It was an answer without the slightest hesitation.
“Then be satisfied with your current life and work. Leave the merchant group to the children.”
Yi Ja-saeng realized that his father Yi Sang-woo had also chosen family over the merchant group at a similar crossroads.
“That is how a family is protected. A merchant group must experience rise and fall to become stronger.”
“I was short-sighted.”
“Enough of this dull talk. Let’s go inside and discuss our plans for the future.”
Meanwhile, Yi Cheon-sang, Yi So-ryong, and Yi Jin-hwa of the Haedong Merchant Group, aware that this was their first trade journey and that they were still young, all wore slightly excited expressions.
“Brother, do you think we’ll do well?”
“Why wouldn’t we? We just deliver goods, buy goods, obtain what’s needed, and supply it to the shops. It doesn’t seem that difficult.”
Having accompanied his father Yi Ja-saeng on several trade journeys before, Yi Cheon-sang chose to think simply rather than make things complicated.
While paying close attention to the goods to be delivered to the merchants, he clearly organized their responsibilities to prevent unnecessary complications or distractions.
“Don’t worry too much about things that haven’t even happened yet. You won’t be able to do anything if you do.”
“Understood, Brother!”
“Let’s travel cheerfully and make lots of money.”
Thanks to Yi Cheon-sang’s bright personality—made possible after his Seven Yin Meridians were cured—the departure of the trade caravan was unexpectedly cheerful.
You seem far too excited. Will you be alright?
Dang Cheong, who had joined the journey as an escort, sent a voice transmission to Cheonhwa.
It will be fine. After teaching him, I realized Cheon-sang is incredibly smart. He doesn’t just focus on what’s in front of him—he’s sharp enough to see several moves ahead. You don’t need to worry. By the way, now that it’s known we’re going on this trade journey, there will surely be people making moves, right?
The Jiangsu Merchant Group has already made a move. There’s a group of bandits that recently entered Untae Mountain. It seems they asked those bandits to deal with us and steal the merchant group’s goods.
Is that so? How interesting. What’s the level of martial prowess among those bandits?
They don’t seem particularly strong.
I see. Then we can leave them to these brothers. Since we’re already out here, we should use this as an opportunity to test how much they’ve improved through real combat.
Then what about us…?
We’ll focus on protecting the porters. And once we cross into Shandong Province, we may encounter people from the orthodox sects, so you understand we must be careful, right?
The Black Wind Squad was formed from warriors of the Demonic Cult who followed Cheonwoo. There was a chance demonic energy could leak from their internal energy, so Cheonhwa had warned them in advance.
He had also taught them the Heavenly Flower Wild Dance to prepare for such situations, but he believed there was no harm in being extra cautious.
Do not worry.
Yes. Once we cross into Shandong Province, I expect many interesting things will happen.