Chapter 63
Chapter 63
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Over the Ridge
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yeon Harin slowly opened her eyes.
She felt so refreshed. Her body was light and invigorated, as if she'd been born anew.
She blinked a few times, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Then, startled, she shot up and looked around.
This was Byeok Taesan's room. And she had come to see him last night.
And...
Yeon Harin lowered her head and lightly tapped her own head with her fist.
"You idiot, idiot, idiot, fool!"
How could she have been so tense all day, only to come here and just fall asleep?
She really couldn't remember a thing. She remembered closing her eyes, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up now.
Just in case, Yeon Harin checked her body. And despaired even more. Her clothes were exactly the same.
They had really done nothing but sleep.
"What is this? *Sob*."
Yeon Harin berated herself for a while before getting up and carefully opening the door.
The day was bright, but it was still early morning.
Byeok Taesan was nowhere to be seen.
Yeon Harin carefully returned to her own room.
She opened the door and went inside, so startled she almost screamed.
Yu Seoyeon was staring at Yeon Harin with wide eyes.
"So, how did it go?"
It seemed she had waited up for her all night. Seeing that, Yeon Harin suddenly felt tears welling up.
"Why, what's wrong? Was it too painful? That's strange. Everyone else was ecstatic... oh, forget I said that."
Yeon Harin shook her head, her face crumpling.
"*Sob*, that's not it. I just slept."
"Pardon?"
"I just slept. I fell asleep and couldn't do anything. *Waaah*."
Looking at Yeon Harin, Yu Seoyeon felt a laugh bubbling up. But she couldn't laugh here.
She forced back her laughter and gently hugged Yeon Harin.
"It's okay. There will be other chances."
Still in Yu Seoyeon's arms, Yeon Harin looked up at her face.
"But why are you smiling?"
Yeon Harin's lips jutted out in a pout.
"You're making fun of me, aren't you?"
Yu Seoyeon hugged Yeon Harin tighter.
"Of course not."
It wasn't because she was teasing her, but because she was so adorable.
Come to think of it, Yeon Harin's face seemed to be glowing even more today.
*Is it because she's acting so cute?*
* * *
Byeok Taesan had been out in the training grounds since dawn.
Calling Yeon Harin to his room last night had been an excellent choice.
Yeon Harin was, in fact, the owner of a soul more stable than Soso's.
The entire time he burned Yeon Harin's soul, she just slept soundly, breathing softly.
Byeok Taesan was able to draw immense and pure spiritual energy from Yeon Harin.
He couldn't bear it any longer, so he came straight out to the training grounds.
Normally, he would have started the process of assimilating the spiritual energy right in his room, but today, he felt like coming outside.
And wasn't Byeok Taesan the type to just do what he wanted?
Standing in the middle of the training grounds, Byeok Taesan calmly assimilated the spiritual energy.
Of all the spiritual energy he had obtained so far, this took the longest to assimilate.
In any case, a smile appeared on Byeok Taesan's lips after he had fully assimilated the energy.
"I've made it over the ridge."
The treatment of his qi veins was finally on the right track.
From now on, just training steadily would be enough to heal them step by step.
He no longer needed to devour others' souls to treat his qi veins.
Of course, he had no intention of giving that up.
However, he wouldn't be as madly obsessed with it as he had been until now.
Just consuming a decent soul every now and then would be enough.
Thinking that far, Byeok Taesan licked his lips at a sudden memory.
"Though those half-dead bastards from back then were the best..."
The Half-Jiangshi were an excellent elixir for Byeok Taesan.
If he were to rush into a place swarming with them, strike them all down, and swim through the thickened sea of spiritual energy, a vast amount of high-quality energy would accumulate steadily.
Byeok Taesan shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
What was the point of coveting something he didn't have? For now, he just had to do what he could.
Now that he had assimilated the spiritual energy, it was time to train his body.
Byeok Taesan slowly began to walk.
It was time to practice the Heavenly Evasion Steps.
In high spirits, Byeok Taesan practiced the Heavenly Evasion Steps over and over until the sun was high in the sky.
* * *
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon were practicing the Limitless Steps, their faces contorted in grimaces.
Occasional groans of pain escaped their lips.
In truth, since Byeok Taesan hadn't said anything, they had planned to skip today's training.
But that wasn't possible.
They were truly shocked. Around the time the sun rose and the world filled with yang energy, their bodies suddenly began to ache as if they were being torn apart.
The nature of the pain was so familiar that the two of them immediately knew the cause.
This was definitely because of the training.
So they ran to the training grounds.
But who should be in the training grounds but Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan was practicing his footwork slowly, and they had a feeling that entering would not end well for them, so they quickly found another spot.
The place they chose was a wide, open area a short distance from their lodgings.
The fact that the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric were there was one of the reasons they chose that spot.
In other words, near the two who were training, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric were present, along with a few corpses.
"What in the world are those two doing?"
"It seems they're training."
"I can see that. But why are they groaning like that?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I think it would be best to pretend we haven't seen them."
"What? Why all of a sudden?"
"Because I have a feeling that if we show any interest, we'll have to do it too."
"We'll have to do it?"
The One-Needle Eccentric's eyes widened. He glanced at Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon, then turned his gaze back to the Divine Doctor.
The Divine Doctor's expression was serious and grave.
The One-Needle Eccentric immediately lost interest.
"That black bead you used when fighting these things before, can you tell me what it was?"
"It's a type of spiritual pill."
"A spiritual pill?"
"It has the effect of invigorating smoke."
"You used something that precious?"
The One-Needle Eccentric's eyes widened in surprise. He also understood why those things had collapsed after inhaling the smoke.
"So you disrupted their harmony."
"Precisely. To be honest, I wasn't sure it would work, so I'm glad it did."
The One-Needle Eccentric thought for a moment, then said.
"Then, to deal with them, we just need to disrupt their harmony."
"But it won't be as easy as it sounds."
"True, you can't just make an infinite number of those precious spiritual pills."
"It's not just the cost; the ingredients are a problem. A hard-to-find ingredient is required, and it seems that ingredient played a crucial role in disrupting their harmony."
"So you mean not just any kind of invigoration will work."
"Correct."
"Then we just need to find a way to produce the right kind of invigoration... or a similar effect."
"It won't be as easy as it sounds."
The One-Needle Eccentric stroked his chin with a meaningful expression.
"No, perhaps we can find the answer more easily than we think."
"What do you mean?"
"We ask the Young Master."
The Divine Doctor showed his disapproval.
"Will that really give us an answer?"
"You saw it that day, didn't you? How those things just keeled over whenever they got near the Young Master. Some special power he possesses must be disrupting their balance."
"You should be the one to ask him, elder brother."
"What? You're closer to him. It would be much more effective if you asked."
"What does that have to do with anything? The elder brother is supposed to handle these things. The younger one just runs errands. Isn't it so that when the elder brother buys drinks, the younger one drinks, and when he buys food, the younger one eats?"
"Stop barking and make sense."
"Barking? How could you use such crude language?"
"It means you're talking bullshit. Let's decide this fairly with our fists."
"Are you kidding me? Everyone knows your martial arts are superior to mine."
As the two were bickering, Byeok Taesan appeared.
"So everyone's here?"
At Byeok Taesan's appearance, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric fell silent.
"What's this? Why are you acting so shifty? Did you cause some trouble again?"
"Oh, who's acting shifty? We are merely expressing our reverence for the Young Master with our entire beings."
Byeok Taesan chuckled and approached the two.
"Made any progress?"
"Uh... about that, there's something I'd like to say."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages spoke up first. When Byeok Taesan looked at him, he quickly turned his head to look at the One-Needle Eccentric and continued.
"My elder brother has something to say to you, Young Master."
The One-Needle Eccentric's face twisted. He glared at the Divine Doctor, but the latter didn't even glance his way, only offering Byeok Taesan a sycophantic smile.
"Oh? What is it? I'm in a pretty good mood today, so I'll hear you out, as long as it's reasonable."
The One-Needle Eccentric's eyes lit up. Come to think of it, Byeok Taesan's face seemed to be glowing today.
His complexion was good, and the slight air of a sick person that had clung to him was completely gone.
"Young Master, we wish to disrupt the harmony of these things through martial arts. Would it be possible for you to help us?"
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
"So... you want me to hand over my martial arts?"
The One-Needle Eccentric waved his hands furiously.
"Goodness, absolutely not! I was merely asking if there might be a way to disrupt their harmony."
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"I know. I was just joking. Since I'm in a good mood today."
The One-Needle Eccentric grumbled to himself.
*'A couple more jokes like that and my heart will stop. Shit.'*
Of course, his expression was filled with respect and awe as he tried his best to mimic the smile on the Divine Doctor's face.
"Don't do that."
"Pardon?"
"I said don't. I'll do it."
"Pardon?"
"I'm saying that when these things appear, I'll go there and deal with them myself."
"Why would you go to... such troublesome lengths?"
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"I can't just pass up on elixirs because it's a hassle. I'll need them for a while, so I'll handle it myself. So instead of that, research ways to hold out while fighting them. They must have weaknesses, right?"
"Uh... that is true, but."
"Then it's settled. What are you doing? Shouldn't you hurry and go find the leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance?"
The two left the place with bewildered expressions.
Byeok Taesan slowly turned to look at Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
"How is it? Quite an interesting training method, isn't it?"
*Grind!*
The two of them ground their teeth at the same time. They clenched their molars so tightly that the sound echoed like thunder.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon were surprised at their own reaction. They then anxiously watched Byeok Taesan's expression.
"Looks like you're getting used to it. Maybe I can make it a little heavier?"
Cheon Gyeongwan's and Yu Seoyeon's eyes widened as if they would tear.
*What in the world is he planning to do now?*
"Ah, come to think of it, Harin is going back today. What about you? You can go with her if you want."
At Byeok Taesan's words, Yu Seoyeon's eyes widened. She continued her steps, looking back and forth between Cheon Gyeongwan and Byeok Taesan. Her gaze wavered with conflict.
"Young Master, *ugh*. When... when will you be returning?"
Yu Seoyeon asked, enduring the pain.
"Hmm? I'll probably be here for at least ten more days. If something comes up, it might be longer."
He believed there had to be an elixir near the Hubei Martial Alliance. After finding and consuming it, he would also have to confirm the location of the next elixir, so it would take quite some time.
"*Ugh*. This training... is it impossible for me to do it on my own?"
"You can. You can even do it only when you want to."
Yu Seoyeon's eyes widened. *Then why is it like this now?*
Not only her, but Cheon Gyeongwan's expression also wavered uncontrollably.
"Which do you think is more effective? Doing it on your own, or having me make you do it? Think about it for yourself. When you decide, come find me. I'll send you on your way anytime."
Leaving those words behind, Byeok Taesan left the area.
Yu Seoyeon and Cheon Gyeongwan continued to practice the Limitless Steps even after he left. Their expressions were incredibly complicated.
* * *
"The rising generation has departed."
At the general manager's report, the leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance nodded. A hint of worry was etched on his face.
"Have you taken the proper measures?"
"I've assigned as many available warriors as possible to them. I also advised the young talents to travel together in groups if their destinations were in the same direction."
"Did they accept the advice? I'm a bit worried, given how proud they all are."
"It seems they will."
"Oh? From your expression, it seems it went more smoothly than expected."
"The young lady of the Yeon family played a big part."
"The Yeon family? You mean Yeon Harin?"
"Yes. As soon as I made the suggestion, the young talents heading in a similar direction as the Yeon family were delighted. Thanks to that, it was resolved smoothly."
"That's a relief. By the way... there won't be any trouble, will there?"
"Yes. It will be fine. Please do not worry too much. The Divine Doctor and the Eccentric have figured out a few ways to deal with those things, haven't they?"
"You've thoroughly briefed them, I assume?"
"I explained it to them repeatedly. Our Hubei Martial Alliance warriors have mastered it, and the warriors from the various families also took it quite seriously."
Given the weight of the reputations of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric, they couldn't have just brushed it off.
Despite that, the leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance remained anxious.
*'I don't know why I feel so anxious.'*
The leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance suppressed his surging anxiety and looked up at the sky.
The sky was filled with clouds.
Seeing them somehow made him feel even more ominous.