I Must Show You My Abilities
The greed to climb higher.
Probably not, right?
He asked himself, but no answer came. The question simply hung in the air.
Damn it…
His heart felt heavy, yet he had no desire to stop.
As he drew a deep breath, a shining thread surged upward from his dantian. By now the motion was so familiar it required no hesitation whatsoever.
Flash!
Dan Yeop opened his eyes amid the explosion of light.
“Huh?”
An oil lamp glowed on a small table tucked in the corner of the narrow room.
“What is this place?”
His gaze swept the room and settled on the letter lying on the table.
“A letter?”
Muttering to himself, he picked up the paper and began to read.
It seems you wish to believe I am your heart demon…
Dan Yeop’s words trailed off. Truthfully, even he could not say with certainty whether he was a heart demon or merely a fractured personality.
“Then again, where in the world would you find a heart demon this clever?”
Still muttering, Dan Yeop opened the door of the small room and stepped outside.
Judging by the full moon, it was around the middle of the ninth month.
“Looks like Dan Yeop has finally made something of himself—moving on from an underground tomb to Chang’an Castle.”
The air that touched his nose was unmistakably different. The atmosphere in Byeongmachong had always carried a certain oppressive weight, but here in Chang’an it felt light and clear.
He left the house to explore the surroundings. The neighborhood was packed with houses both large and small. He wandered among them for some time until distant footsteps reached his ears.
Huh? Who’s out walking at this hour?
Driven by curiosity, Dan Yeop moved toward the sound. Moments later he came face-to-face with six soldiers of the Golden Guards at the mouth of an alley.
One of them spoke in a commanding voice. “Wandering the streets during curfew! Are you a thief?”
Startled by the abrupt accusation, Dan Yeop spun on his heel.
“Stop!”
But Dan Yeop was not the sort to obey simply because he was told to. He stamped the ground and shot forward like a gust of wind.
Papapat—!
Using the Thousand-Li Step of the Porters’ Branch, he raced ahead like a wild stallion.
“He’s getting away! After him!”
“Chase him down!”
The soldiers ran hard, yet the distance between them and Dan Yeop only grew. When he finally vanished into the darkness, they slowed and stopped one by one, panting.
“Huk… huk… He’s ridiculously fast.”
“Haa… haa… I swear he’s quicker than a horse.”
While the men caught their breath, their leader asked, “Did any of you get a clear look at his face?”
“It happened too fast. There wasn’t time.”
“He was a young man.”
Captain Gwak Geom-jin turned to the soldier who had spoken. “Did you memorize his features?”
“It was over in a blink. I’m sorry, sir.”
“Hmm. It couldn’t be Haomun, could it?”
“That movement was too fast even for their qinggong, don’t you think?”
“True. A faction capable of such footwork would have to be…”
“Most likely a master from the Black Tortoise Hall or the Fading Moon Pavilion.”
Names of the powerful orthodox and unorthodox factions that ruled Chang’an Castle rose one after another. Captain Gwak Geom-jin nodded slowly, then glared into the darkness.
“I don’t know who he is, but he is clearly connected to the disturbance Haomun caused.”
“They say a bloodbath occurred yesterday at the ancient royal tomb in Munsan. He could be running errands to clean up the mess.”
“Murim folk really are…”
Shaking his head, Captain Gwak turned back the way they had come. The four soldiers followed quietly behind him.
After running for a long while and confirming no one was chasing him, Dan Yeop finally slowed his pace.
“Aigo, so you’re not allowed to wander around late at night. I had no idea.”
When he returned home, he sat down on the edge of the porch. Strangely, Chang’an felt more stifling than the underground Byeongmachong.
“So that’s why the dunce called me out. I thought he was a bear, but the fellow’s actually a fox.”
The small room reeked of mold. He was trapped working at a fabric shop all day and forbidden from leaving the house at night. On top of that, he had to cook his own meals morning and evening. It was a reality he, too, wanted to escape.
“He wants to raise his martial skills quickly and get out of here, doesn’t he?”
Dan Yeop nodded. Establishing communication with Dunce Dan Yeop was something he desired as well.
“Still, Zhuangzi once dreamed he was a butterfly and wondered whether he had dreamed of being a butterfly or the butterfly had dreamed of being him. You call me a heart demon, but I think you might be the heart demon instead. Even so, I will respect your wish that we decide nothing for now.”
He picked up a wooden stick from the yard and began to slowly practice the Six Gates martial arts.
Dan Yeop unfolded each form of the Six Gates martial arts he had personally refined. As expected, the movements felt smooth and natural, filling him with satisfaction. More than that, he no longer felt he was wasting time—an improvement he welcomed.
Beneath the moonlight his figure appeared elegant and almost beautiful, like a court lady performing a sword dance.
After finishing the Seven Injuries Blade Technique, he paused in thought.
How outstanding are the martial arts of the other factions? Will the Six Gates style I improved actually hold its own in the gangho?
If the chance came, he wanted to observe their techniques. Yet he doubted a mere fabric-shop clerk would ever receive such an opportunity.
Maybe I should save money and visit a nearby training hall?
But he soon shook his head. He had remembered Dunce Dan Yeop’s request not to make any decisions. At times like these he regretted that he did not hold full control over this body.
Tsk. No wonder the dunce calls me a heart demon.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Dan Yeop continued practicing the sword arts of the Taego Sect. Whether it was the Six Gates style or the Taego Sect techniques, he needed to train them until they became second nature.
He repeated the Great Void Shadowless Sword and Boundless Sword until the eastern sky began to brighten.
When the sun rose, he carried the wooden stick into the kitchen. The old man apparently never tended the stove; the hearth was stone cold.
“Guess I need to light a fire before I can cook.”
Dan Yeop stuffed the stove with firewood and kindling, but without flint he could not produce a flame. He returned to the room and rummaged through his belongings, yet found nothing useful.
“I was a fool for expecting anything from that guy.”
Grumbling, he went outside again to search for anything that might serve as a fire-starter. By the time he had circled the house once, the old man had woken and stepped out.
“Looking for something?”
“Ah, yes. I wanted to light the stove, but there’s no flint.”
“My goodness! You must have come from a well-off family. Only someone who never had to worry about fire would walk around without flint.”
“Hahaha! Truth is, I’m so poor I don’t even own one.”
“I see. Wait here a moment.”
The old man fetched a small pouch from a drawer beneath the porch and held it out.
“A man who can start a fire properly will have women lining up after him. Take it.”
Dan Yeop accepted the pouch with both hands in a polite gesture.
“It’s pyrite and iron flakes from Sichuan. Nothing beats them for starting a fire. The previous tenant left them behind, so use them as you like.”
“Oh! Thank you. Why would he leave behind something so valuable?”
“He went somewhere he no longer needs it.”
With those words the old man pointed a finger at the sky. The man was dead.
“Ah…”
“You’re not the superstitious type who refuses a dead man’s belongings, are you?”
“Not at all.”
When Dan Yeop shook his head firmly, the old man smiled with satisfaction.
“Go light the fire, then. I think you’ll like it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Dan Yeop carried the pouch into the kitchen and struck the pyrite with the iron. Sparks flew onto the dry leaves, but no flame caught. He kept striking, producing only bright showers of sparks.
At some point the old man followed him in, retrieved something from beneath the kitchen shelf, and tossed it onto the leaves. When the sparks landed, smoke rose and fire bloomed.
As Dan Yeop pushed the burning clump into the stove, he asked, “What is that? It catches so easily.”
“Dried mugwort powder. Dried tree bark works too, but mugwort is best. Looks like you’ve never lit a fire before.”
“No, this is my first time even stepping into a kitchen.”
“Learn well. A man who can light a fire properly will have women…”
“Lining up after him?”
“That alone is a little lacking. You must do the next part well, too.”
“What’s the next part?”
Flames surged from the stove along with the smoke. The old man pointed at the pot.
“Obviously, you must cook good rice. Wash the grain, put it in the pot, and boil it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Dan Yeop followed the old man’s instructions, washing the rice and placing it inside the pot. The old man patiently taught the kitchen novice various small tricks.
“…There’s pickled cabbage in the kitchen. Feel free to eat it. But are you truly not from a noble house?”
“I’m not.”
“If not, why cook with white rice? I usually eat millet or sorghum…”
“Ah, I had some stored away.”
“Sigh! Young and handsome, so your earnings must be decent. Still, don’t spend too much on food. Save up if you want to marry.”
“Haha, yes.”
Dan Yeop laughed awkwardly. He had to preserve his virginity and therefore had no intention of marrying, but he kept that to himself.
“Buy grain flour when you can and make flatbread. When I was your age I saved money eating nothing but flatbread and a bowl of soup. If you want, I’ll teach you how to make it this evening.”
“Please do.”
“Come home early. Now, what should we prepare? Plain vegetable soup seems safe enough.”
The old man gathered cabbage and withered vegetables as he spoke. “Plain vegetable soup is simple. Chop whatever vegetables are lying around the kitchen, throw them in, and boil. Season with fermented black beans and salt. Think you can manage?”
“Yes.”
“Once the rice is ready, start the soup.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Dan Yeop offered the old man a respectful bow. A pleased smile spread across the old man’s face.
“You have good roots, young man. You will achieve great success.”
Just then smoke billowed from the pot. The old man took the lead in scooping rice, then set the soup pot on the stove and filled it with water.
“You must measure the water carefully. This amount is right for the two of us, but when you eat alone, half that will suffice.”
Only then did Dan Yeop realize the old man intended to share the meal with him.
The rice might run a little short…
He had only used a single handful. While he worried, the old man brought out the salted cabbage. When the water boiled, the old man tossed in the cabbage and wilted vegetables. He hummed cheerfully as he worked, clearly in high spirits.
At last the plain vegetable soup was complete. Dan Yeop and the old man carried the dishes to the table in the yard. Once the food was set before him, an exclamation escaped Dan Yeop’s lips.
“Wow, this is a proper meal.”
Rice, pickled cabbage, and vegetable soup filled him with boundless emotion. It felt as though he had created something from nothing. Only moments ago he had been staring helplessly at raw rice; now he seemed to have become a capable housekeeper.
The old man chuckled. “For a first attempt, the rice turned out well. You’ll be very popular with the ladies.”
“It’s all thanks to your guidance.”
“How about this? We take turns making breakfast and dinner. The workload would be cut in half—good for both of us. What do you think?”
After a brief pause, Dan Yeop shook his head.
“It’s a generous offer, but it might be difficult. I eat—”