Desire and the First Flow of Internal Energy
“My Lord?”
Yoo Eunhyeon recoiled in shock at the completely unexpected proposal and asked again.
“That’s right. If you, young brother, have any interest in the martial world and find something you desire there, whatever it may be, I shall grant it to you. I promise.”
“No, I don’t even know how to use martial arts…”
“Martial arts can simply be learned. Young brother, you possess something that no prodigy of the ages has ever had. In truth, I covet that very thing.”
“All I know how to do is farm, though?”
Yoo Eunhyeon replied in a dazed voice, but Sa Unsik only raised his voice further.
“Exactly that. Farming is the act of raising something, is it not? No matter how gifted a talent may be, that gift is only for themselves; there is no guarantee they can pass it on well to others. But you, young brother, have the ability to raise others. Of course, whether they gain something from it or not depends on the individual… but the mere possibility is enough. I simply covet that possibility.”
As he spoke, Sa Unsik’s expression burned with conviction, as if he himself were living proof of it.
“Even so, from farming to martial arts…”
“Have we not spoken of it ourselves? Martial arts is the act of recreating the laws of farming and nature in reality. Seen that way, you have already reached the Yeonhwagyeong in martial arts… no, something beyond it, have you not?”
Yoo Eunhyeon tilted his head, wondering if the conversation they had shared a few days ago had really been that profound. Yet Sa Unsik’s faith remained unshaken.
“And if someone like you were to devote himself fully to martial arts as well… I am curious what would become of you. No, personally, I covet your very existence, young brother.”
Having said that much, Sa Unsik gazed at Yoo Eunhyeon again, as if asking what he would do. Yoo Eunhyeon still could not answer.
It did not feel real yet, and moreover, Sa Unsik’s proposal somehow felt chilling.
“I’m sorry, but… it would be difficult for me to follow you, my Lord.”
At Yoo Eunhyeon’s words, Sa Unsik’s face briefly furrowed. He had clearly expected him to follow without question.
“Why is that?”
“I feel I must at least see this year’s farming through to the end. And this land has been passed down since my grandfather’s generation… I cannot make such a decision lightly.”
Although Yoo Eunhyeon had thought of leaving Mount Taesan, there was no way he could abandon the farming he had done all his life without lingering attachment. Especially now that Su Hwa-seon was not here; if he left this place, this year’s harvest would end right there. For Yoo Eunhyeon, a farmer by nature, such a choice was simply impossible.
“……Indeed, it would be hard to leave such a fine foundation behind.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. There is no need to apologize at all. If there is no opportunity, one simply creates one.”
“What do you mean…?”
Yoo Eunhyeon asked again, not understanding what Sa Unsik’s mutter meant. Sa Unsik shook his head as if it were nothing.
“After digging a pitfall, one must toss in a delicious bait, must one not?”
With a sly grin, Sa Unsik tossed out words whose intent was hard to grasp.
“Young brother. Do you by any chance have someone you have promised to marry, or the like?”
“Ah, no. When Mother was still here she always told me to get married soon, but living in a place like this, there are no opportunities for such connections.”
“But you have the desire to?”
“It’s not that I don’t. Of course.”
When Yoo Eunhyeon answered honestly, Sa Unsik burst into hearty laughter.
“Hahaha! There is nothing shameful about a young man desiring a woman.”
“Desiring is a bit…”
“No. I do not mean it is bad. It is simply the way of nature. Then, I wish to arrange a marriage for you, young brother. How about it?”
If he said yes, Sa Unsik looked ready to bring a woman over right that moment. Normally in such cases one would make light inquiries about who the other party was, but Yoo Eunhyeon answered without much concern.
“Uh… if you introduce her, I’ll meet her.”
Yoo Eunhyeon knew better than anyone that marriage was being used as bait to lure him. But he could not simply refuse outright either. So he accepted readily. After all, there would be no daughters of martial families who wanted a farmer for a husband.
Just as he thought that, Sa Unsik’s voice rang in his ears.
“Do not worry. She will surely be to your liking. And if she is not, I shall simply make her so.”
At Sa Unsik’s words, a thought suddenly struck Yoo Eunhyeon.
What if he really goes through with marrying me off?
And as if roughly grasping even that thought, Sa Unsik added again.
“I never force a choice. I simply create a situation where one has no choice but to choose.”
“I-I see.”
Yoo Eunhyeon wondered just how remarkable a person he had prepared to be so confident. But that was as far as Yoo Eunhyeon could think.
“But this much will only serve to bind you. Now then, is there nothing else you desire?”
It was far too sudden a question for Yoo Eunhyeon, who had been relieved that it was over. From the way he spoke, Sa Unsik already seemed to have a certain answer in mind and was simply continuing to ask. It made answering carelessly even harder.
“Uh… um… that is…”
As Yoo Eunhyeon fumbled without answering, Sa Unsik let out a snort of laughter as if he had expected it.
“Still unable to be true to your desires. I knew it.”
At the somewhat mocking tone, Yoo Eunhyeon’s brows twitched. Thinking that if the answer was already decided it did not matter what he said, he simply spoke the first thing that came to mind.
“If farming this year could become even a little easier, that would be more than enough.”
At that request from Yoo Eunhyeon, Sa Unsik roared with laughter. Yoo Eunhyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Heh heh. Yes. That is it exactly. That is desire. Desire does not come from deep thought. That is a wish. Desire is instantaneous, and that is precisely why it shines all the brighter.”
“I wouldn’t go that far…”
Yoo Eunhyeon trailed off and closed his mouth. Honestly, listening to it, it did not seem wrong. It had only been a momentary thought, but if farming really became easier, would that not be ideal? And honestly, he was also curious how Sa Unsik intended to grant it. Other things aside, when it came to farming, there seemed nothing Sa Unsik could teach Yoo Eunhyeon. So how could he make farming easier?
“But is that even possible?”
“Of course. I shall teach you martial arts.”
At the completely unexpected proposal from Sa Unsik, Yoo Eunhyeon’s eyes went wide as he asked again.
“Pardon? Martial arts?”
Martial arts all of a sudden. Why was martial arts suddenly coming up for making farming easier? But as if wondering why he was so surprised, Sa Unsik said,
“The first benefit one feels upon learning martial arts is the enhancement of physical abilities. Farming is done with the body. If your physical abilities improve, would that not help with farming?”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
It was common knowledge that martial artists were strong and fast. If Yoo Eunhyeon could become like that, it certainly seemed it would help with farming.
“That is the simple way of thinking. Recall the conversations we have shared. You too now acknowledge that farming and martial arts have related aspects, do you not?”
“Yes.”
Since Yoo Eunhyeon himself had felt that to a fair degree, he nodded readily.
“Then learning martial arts will be of help somewhere.”
“Will it?”
“Have you forgotten how I asked you about farming? At least in my case, it was of help. A great deal of help.”
When Sa Unsik put it that way, Yoo Eunhyeon could ask no further questions. And decisively, the word “martial arts” itself was making his heart pound. He had never imagined he would encounter martial arts in this way. He did not have any grand dreams of what he would do after learning it, but the name “martial arts” alone was enough to make him excited—that was also true.
“Turn around and sit. Cross your legs in the lotus position.”
“Pardon?”
“It is for learning martial arts.”
Though Yoo Eunhyeon made a blank sound, unlike farming he was a complete novice when it came to martial arts, so he turned his body as Sa Unsik said and settled himself on the floor. The lotus position was uncomfortable as it was his first time, but he managed to sit properly somehow. Once Yoo Eunhyeon was settled, Sa Unsik placed both hands on his back.
“Breathe calmly and steadily.”
Yoo Eunhyeon had no idea what was happening, but this time he decided to follow obediently.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Yoo Eunhyeon let out a sound as he felt a strange energy flowing in from where Sa Unsik’s hands touched. Soon Sa Unsik’s solemn voice came.
“Do not disrupt your breathing!”
At Sa Unsik’s shout, Yoo Eunhyeon regulated his breath again. Before long he could feel a somewhat alien energy. That energy had a very peculiar sensation. When it first entered it seemed warm, yet as those energies moved through Yoo Eunhyeon’s entire body it also felt cool and refreshing. It was contradictory, as if possessing warmth and coolness at the same time—a strange feeling—yet it was by no means unpleasant.
It feels strangely familiar…
Then those energies made one full circuit through Yoo Eunhyeon’s body before moving to the dantian below his navel and lingering there for a moment. It was a sensation of fullness and satisfaction that defied explanation. The energy seemed to scatter after a while, but it had not completely disappeared. A very faint yet clear trace remained in that place.
“Do you feel it?”
Sa Unsik asked, as if waking Yoo Eunhyeon who was still lost in the sensation. With slightly dazed eyes, Yoo Eunhyeon turned his head and nodded.
“A warm yet cool… energy. I felt it very clearly.”
“That is precisely what is called internal energy.”
“It seems similar to the energy I usually sense from my surroundings.”
“The root is the same. Internal energy is natural energy converted so that it can remain within a person’s body.”
Of course Yoo Eunhyeon also knew what internal energy was. It was the energy used by martial artists, the source of their power.
“To explain in a bit more detail, taking natural energy into the body and circulating it as just now is called a full circulation. Accordingly, the energy gathered in the dantian transforms into internal energy.”
Yoo Eunhyeon realized that Sa Unsik was explaining the action he had just performed through his body.
“Let us do it again. This time keep your wits about you and remember the order in which the energy moves through your body.”
When Yoo Eunhyeon nodded, Sa Unsik performed another full circulation of internal energy through his body just as before, then asked.
“Did you remember?”
“About half of it.”
At Yoo Eunhyeon’s answer, Sa Unsik snorted a laugh as if he had expected it, then repeated the same action twice more afterward.
“Now I remember it completely.”
“Just as I thought.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The pathways through which internal energy flows in the body are called the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. How wide and sturdy these meridians are, and how unobstructed they are throughout the entire body—that is what can be called a true martial artist’s talent. Your body… by that standard, is by no means lacking.”
Of course, terms like meridians and pathways were things Yoo Eunhyeon was hearing for the first time in his life. When he showed a blank face, Sa Unsik nodded as if understanding.
“But you must not grow arrogant. I have seen many who possessed outstanding talent yet failed to achieve greatness, so continue to train diligently.”
“Then have I learned martial arts now?”
At Yoo Eunhyeon’s question, Sa Unsik raised a hand as if telling him to stand. Yoo Eunhyeon rose from his seat as if drawn by the gesture.
“There is nothing harder to master overnight than martial arts. Yet there is also nothing easier to get a taste of than martial arts. Try turning around once.”
At Sa Unsik’s words Yoo Eunhyeon tilted his head, but soon he could not help but let out an exclamation of wonder.
“Ohh?”
The fresh sensation he felt the moment he stood. His body had become incomparably lighter than before.