Roses and Onions (2)
Baek So-cheon stepped out from the battlefield.
He had just handed over the three hundred thousand nyang he'd received from Myeol Ji-ryun.
Added to his original hundred thousand, his balance was back up to four hundred thousand nyang.
He'd spent almost every penny he'd earned in his lifetime—leaving just ten thousand—on spirit medicines, only for a sum large enough to live without financial worries forever to pile up again.
The massive fortune had appeared, vanished, and reappeared, and it still didn't quite feel real. But money was always better in abundance than not, especially if he wanted to live freely later on.
As Baek So-cheon entered the alliance grounds, he paused for a moment. Construction was in full swing at the Murim Alliance's central training grounds, where they were building a sparring platform.
The platform was enormous, filling nearly the entire vast field, and the laborers said it was the largest one they'd ever constructed in their lives.
Since sword qi and sword gangs might erupt, they'd made it as spacious as possible and kept the spectator areas far back.
In just over ten days, the duel would take place there.
Yeom Sa-won, thoroughly provoked by Yeom Hwa-sin, might pull any stunt, and who knew what other variables could arise.
Baek So-cheon headed toward the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji. Increasing his wealth was fine, but right now, boosting his martial prowess mattered more.
Stepping into the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji after so long felt welcoming.
And the most welcoming part was, of course, the Yong-cheon spring.
Baek So-cheon stripped off his clothes and sank into the Yong-cheon.
"Ah, this is good."
The bliss of soaking in a warm hot spring in the dead of winter was a primal joy that made him wonder what more a man could need.
And this was no ordinary spring—it was a miraculous one that amplified inner power accumulation during meditation.
Cheon-geuk was wonderful, the alliance lord was admirable, protecting the peace was noble... but sometimes, a man just needed his own private space.
After circulating his vital energy there once, all the fatigue that had built up melted away completely.
He'd chosen this spot over the secret training hall because he needed to practice without inner power. The Cheon-ryong Mil-ji forbade unrestricted use of it anyway.
Submerged in the Yong-cheon, Baek So-cheon reflected on Myeol Ji-ryun.
Pressuring her had yielded clear results. He'd confirmed she was truly Myeol Saeng's daughter and sensed she harbored other intentions. As a bonus, he'd pocketed that whopping three hundred thousand nyang.
Yeom Hwa-sin and Myeol Saeng.
Yeom Sa-won and Myeol Ji-ryun.
They were four individuals, yet two pairs; two pairs, yet one unified force.
They were pulling out all the stops to annihilate the Murim Alliance and eradicate the righteous factions' spirit.
Baek So-cheon had thought this during the recent war:
Goodness is always at a disadvantage against evil.
The righteous were bound by oaths of justice and righteousness, sometimes shackled by them. What passed as strategy in the unorthodox became hypocrisy when the righteous employed it.
Baek So-cheon believed the righteous needed to change, but from that point on, upholding their moral line became crucial. Cross it, and they'd be no different from the unorthodox.
Thus, the righteous moved slowly, frustratingly so.
Yet Baek So-cheon had never once regretted choosing the righteous path.
Yeom Hwa-sin had told him:
"You buttoned your first button wrong."
Maybe so. But that didn't mean he wanted to don the unorthodox robes. It was regret over a life swept along by currents, not longing for their path.
No—he despised them. Those who mocked righteous hypocrisy while disguising their atrocities as freedom.
Splash.
Baek So-cheon dunked his head under in the Yong-cheon and surfaced.
One thing never changed.
Cultivating the power to defeat Yeom Hwa-sin. Shatter his Geum-gang Bul-goe Ji-che, and all these worries would end.
Emerging from the Yong-cheon, Baek So-cheon trained his martial arts without inner power.
Switching from constant inner power use felt entirely different.
It wasn't like his old powerless training days at all.
'Ah!'
In the process, enlightenment struck.
His martial arts had advanced a step without him realizing.
This wasn't growth in a specific technique—it was an overall elevation in his martial comprehension, a natural gift from mastering the four supreme arts of past and present.
'I hadn't noticed.'
Never before had he missed such progress. He'd always sensed achievements immediately, but this time, he'd overlooked it. It meant his realm had transcended 'immediate awareness' into something deeper.
More refined, more profound. Once he grew accustomed, he'd sense changes instantly again.
"Hahaha!"
Baek So-cheon laughed heartily. As a born warrior, nothing brought him greater joy than ascending martial realms.
'Can I achieve Great Success in all four supreme arts? How far can my martial prowess go?'
Beyond killing Yeom Hwa-sin, he wondered purely as a martial artist.
Training resumed, with focused practice on the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon.
He had to suppress Yeom Sa-won without inner power—or at least make it look that way to onlookers. The guy would come at him desperately, so one knockout punch to end the duel swiftly.
Swordsmanship wouldn't do; fists were better, especially the Beon-cheon Gu-gwon's early forms, which turned the opponent's force against them.
He alternated meditation and Beon-cheon Gu-gwon drills in the Yong-cheon. This went on for days.
When Baek So-cheon finally left the Cheon-ryong Mil-ji, a message from Je-gal Hyeon awaited.
Visiting him, he received the news he'd been waiting for.
"Report on what you asked for has come in."
He'd requested intel on Blood Cult internal strife earlier.
"What'd you find?"
"Myeol Ji-ryun was right. Conflict arose between Myeol Saeng and Jeok Pa-rap."
"Their relationship now?"
"They argued publicly and have been at odds since."
"Hm."
"Something wrong?"
"Just a hunch their split might be fabricated."
"Reason for that?"
"No, just a feeling. Sorry, shouldn't have said it."
"No need. Your hunches have been spot-on lately—uncannily so."
"I've been wrong plenty."
"And if you're right?"
"Then sending Myeol Ji-ryun was the Blood Cult's collective will."
Je-gal Hyeon's face grew grave. A threat as dire as Yeom Hwa-sin sending Yeom Sa-won to kill.
"Treat her as if you know nothing for now. Leave Yeom Sa-won and Myeol Ji-ryun to me. And quietly bolster security for the lord and you strategists."
"Understood. What about you?"
Baek So-cheon smiled faintly and left cryptic words.
"Onion scent clings to my skin—makes me miss the rose."
"Why bring me here again? So sneaky."
Baek So-cheon had brought Cheon-geuk back to the secret training hall.
"Sneaky? What do you mean?"
"You know. You're up to it again."
Her face flushed red.
Of course, Baek So-cheon knew. That's why he could tease her like this.
"Come here."
"Why?"
He drew close. Cheon-geuk closed her eyes slightly.
Lips hovering as if for a kiss, he whispered in her ear instead.
"I've got a favor to ask."
Cheon-geuk pouted and opened her eyes.
"What favor?"
"Teach me your stealth technique."
"What?"
Cheon-geuk was startled by the request.
"Among stealth arts, yours is the best, right?"
As Baek So-cheon said, her Jam-yeong Shin-bo ranked among the top three in the murim world.
"Not really. You find me like a ghost anyway."
"That's 'cause I'm a ghost. Hard to find another like me."
"Cocky as ever—yep, that's my Baek So-cheon."
"Teach me."
Cheon-geuk blinked and replied.
"What's with the confidence? You think my secret technique comes with a line out the door?"
"I taught you Pung-sin Haeng-gong."
"I didn't ask!"
"Result's the same."
"Forcing it like that—what do you need stealth for anyway?"
"I need it."
"You'll pick it up too fast."
"The student's brilliant, teacher's even more so—I'll learn quick."
"Respect for your master: pass!"
"Haha."
"Fine, I'll teach you. But tuition first."
Baek So-cheon kissed her properly this time. Their tongues entwined, drawing out deep passion from their hearts.
"You think this covers it?"
"Of course not."
He scooped her up and soared into the air. That same soft energy enveloped them gently, just like before.
The cushioning energy not only supported their bodies but formed an invisible barrier, blocking even the wind.
In that cozy haven, they made love.
Different from their first time.
Pleasures they'd missed amid the excitement and tremors now pulled them into even deeper ecstasy.
After breathless passion, they swam in a nearby lake, bathed under a waterfall.
Roasted a rabbit to sate their hunger, strolled hand in hand. Time that made him think they could live like this forever.
Only after proper tuition did Cheon-geuk impart the Jam-yeong Shin-bo.
Baek So-cheon memorized the incantation perfectly on one hearing, astonishing her again. Though he'd once memorized the entire Beon-cheon Gu-gwon on the carriage ride, wowing her before.
His memory wasn't his only gift. With his martial realm elevated another step, he grasped the stealth art in a flash. She even said:
"You've known my Jam-yeong Shin-bo all along, haven't you?"
"Just love from your master."
Cheon-geuk thought:
'It's devouring my martial art whole.'
Her teaching was thorough, of course.
Imparting a technique sparingly versus generously made a world of difference. She held nothing back, sharing tips she'd never reveal to others—insights from years of wielding it, the art's true essence.
The result showed three days later.
Three days after.
Cheon-geuk stood alone, scanning slowly as she moved. Baek So-cheon was hidden somewhere nearby.
'There? Or over there?'
Several suspicious spots, but none pinpointed.
Concentrating fully, she sought his presence—only faint traces, no exact location.
Whoosh!
She struck decisively with her dagger.
Empty air.
Baek So-cheon appeared from the opposite side.
"You held back, right? To spare my feelings."
Of course not. She knew he was teasing, fully aware.
"Sure. No high master escapes my eyes."
"Thought I'd nailed it—got my hopes up for nothing."
"Stop it!"
Cheon-geuk snapped.
"I'm seriously having an inferiority complex here!"
In just three days, he matched her stealth prowess. Absurd.
"When that happens, don't blame yourself—blame the opponent."
She yelled at him.
"You're insane!"
Not an insult—her highest praise for Baek So-cheon.
Even he couldn't have learned so fast without his recent breakthrough.
"My skills advanced a step lately."
"Lord have mercy—room to grow more?"
"Plenty."
"Explains why your midair cushion felt smoother. Jealous. Seriously jealous."
"No need. You can advance too."
"What?"
"You're younger, lower realm than me. Why assume you can't if I can?"
"Lord have mercy—you're saying I can too?"
Baek So-cheon understood her reaction. She'd started as an assassin, not a martial artist—approaching via killing arts, not pure martial enlightenment.
"Don't limit yourself."
"Got it."
If she could grow stronger, she'd do anything. Especially for such a sweet goal?
"Murim Seol-yeol-log: me first, you second. Sound good?"
"Thrilling just thinking about it."
They smiled at each other.
"But why learn stealth now?"
"Reasons aplenty. Great chance to master the best one."
"Besides ones where I feel ripped off—what else?"
"Time to peel the onion."
"Huh?"
Her eyes widened; he chuckled.
"Gonna probe Myeol Ji-ryun's intentions."
Then she got it—the onion metaphor.
"How?"
"Sneak in."
"Her bedroom too?"
"If needed."
"I'll watch her."
"No. I have to do it myself."
"Worried I'll kill your pretty fiancée?"
"Nah."
"Then?"
"That scheming Blood Cult girl might end up dead—less pretty than you, but still."
"Spot on again!"
Truth was danger. If her plot tied to the whole cult, perilous times lay ahead.
Baek So-cheon thanked her formally.
"Truly grateful for the Jam-yeong Shin-bo."
Cheon-geuk bowed slightly, murmuring low.
"But... tuition feels a bit short."
"Then I'll pay more."
He swept her up, soaring into the air again.
That day, Baek So-cheon paid triple tuition.