Chapter 159: Crossing the Wall-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 159: Crossing the Wall-2
[Typification of Internal Energy]
It was something entirely different from the flames she shot or the ice crystals Cheong-yeon created.
The Fire Energy produced by her internal energy was fire, and thus it retained the inherent properties of fire.
However, the Typification of Internal Energy demonstrated by her master, Yeom-jin, was not about creating flames; it was more akin to creating something else entirely.
'See? I can even do this.'
Her master had said, wielding a whip fashioned from flames.
That whip, flickering with a vivid vermilion glow, could be used to strike or to coil around and seize an object.
"She never asks for the impossible."
Her master’s teaching philosophy had always been thus.
Surely, this was a realm she could reach by applying everything she had learned so far.
Yet, lately, crossing over into that realm felt agonizingly difficult.
As she had done when she first mastered Ignition, So-yu tried various approaches until, suddenly, In-ho came to mind.
Yeom-jin had already retired to the room provided by the village head, and In-ho had left again to help with the remaining chores in the village.
Something about a broken barn, apparently.
Thinking of the village maidens who would cautiously approach In-ho and speak to him with shy faces made So-yu’s stomach churn with discomfort.
"What kind of cows would a slash-and-burn village even have?"
Seeing her disciple obediently go off to help despite such an obvious lie made a surge of irritation rise within her.
At times like this, In-ho seemed remarkably naive about the ways of the world.
"The claim that he’s a farmer must be a lie, too."
She recalled the sight of In-ho clumsily gripping and swinging farm tools.
Had it been back when he first became her disciple, she would have tied him up immediately and interrogated him about his origins, but the current So-yu had no intention of doing so.
She simply understood him, thinking, He must have his reasons.
She had suspected as much since that day they drank together while watching the moon from the roof of the pavilion.
That In-ho’s background was far from ordinary.
"Could he perhaps be related to the Imperial Family?"
But if that were the case, it made no sense for him to be illiterate.
"Hmm... I just can't tell."
Her head began to throb, and a sense of frustration washed over her.
It had been like this lately whenever she thought of In-ho.
And was it only her head?
Whenever she saw In-ho’s face, her heart would race.
Whenever she resolved to strike up a conversation, her mouth would go bone-dry.
Seeing him with other women made her feel needlessly angry.
And if he remained sullen and silent, she grew anxious, feeling as though she had done something wrong.
"......."
So-yu was far too mature and intelligent to ask the foolish question: What is this emotion?
"I'm crazy. I've gone mad."
She muttered, pulling her knees to her chest.
A master in love with her disciple—she had never heard of such a thing.
"Haha... I suppose this is another first."
The first Flame Wheel Master to lose to the Ice Wheel Art.
The first master to fall in love with her disciple.
It left a bitter taste in her mouth, feeling as though she were monopolizing titles that were hardly prestigious for a martial artist.
"Sigh.... What should I do?"
Since that day she had been turned away at the door, So-yu had come to rely on In-ho for much of her emotional support.
On days she wanted to cry, she leaned on his shoulder and wept; on days she was frustrated by her lack of progress in martial arts, she eased her mind by talking to him.
On days when her chest felt tight for no reason, rubbing her face against his chest made her feel better.
Yes, this was undoubtedly it.
It was yearning, it was affection, and it was love.
When she was with In-ho, she found herself constantly wanting to spend time with him rather than focus on martial arts.
Rather than wasting time on training, she wanted to hold his hand, stroll through the market, and buy food to share.
— Slap! Slap!
She struck her cheeks hard with both hands to snap herself out of it.
"Focus on training."
As if commanding herself, she forced her body upright.
As she took a deep breath, the chilly mountain night air filled her lungs.
She recalled the conversation she’d had with In-ho a short while ago.
'What if you changed the order?'
'The order?'
'Well... instead of igniting first and then trying to shape it, you could create the shape with internal energy first and then load the Fire Energy into it.'
'How can one create a shape with internal energy? Ignition must be the fundamental first step.'
'There’s no harm in trying, is there? I just happened to overhear it somewhere.'
He had said, his eyes darting back and forth.
So-yu knew he was lying, but she didn't bother to point it out.
'Fine. Was there anything else in this thing you "overheard"?'
'I think it might be similar to circulating internal energy rapidly through the body. In a way, it’s the concept of granting speed to the energy.'
'Hmm....'
Faced with this new perspective on internal energy, she began to take In-ho’s words seriously.
'Of course, internal energy doesn't have a will of its own, but... if you can freely control its flow within your body, wouldn't it be possible to grant it a shape or specific properties?'
*
Recalling the conversation, So-yu closed her eyes.
With her eyes shut, she turned her focus inward.
Though she couldn't literally see it, she felt the internal energy circulating through her body.
She tried making the flow faster, then slower.
She felt an intuition that she could command it as easily as her own limbs.
Slowly, she gathered the energy in her palm and began to regulate its flow.
Fast in some sections, slow in others.
Controlling the speed, she pushed the internal energy toward the surface of her skin.
As she pushed, she molded the shape.
She felt the sensation of a tiny thread springing forth from her palm.
Upon that, she layered the Ignition.
— Whoosh.
Something like a strand of hair made of flame danced upon her palm.
"Oh?"
Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, she opened her eyes, and the flame flared up before vanishing.
So-yu blinked at the spot where it had disappeared without leaving a trace.
"You've caught the knack of it."
A seductive voice drifted from behind her.
It was her master.
"Master? I thought you were sleeping."
"How could I, as your master, sleep while you are training like this?"
Yeom-jin, still covering her mouth with her fan, patted So-yu on the shoulder.
"At any rate, it seems you've grasped the principle. If you keep practicing, you'll see results soon."
"Uh... did I succeed?"
"I should say you've found the signpost toward success. You haven't mastered it perfectly yet, after all. Still, it is impressive. It couldn't have been easy to break the stereotypes of handling internal energy."
"...I found the clue while talking to In-ho."
She said, her thoughts drifting to him.
"Is that so? In-ho is a blessing in many ways."
Yeom-jin’s eyes curved into a smile, and So-yu turned her gaze away awkwardly.
"So-yu. Do you like In-ho?"
"What? A-ah, no!"
"Hahaha, there’s no need to hide it. Your eyes are fixed on him all day long; how could I not know? I believe there is no issue even if the two of you are in love."
Yeom-jin laughed warmly.
"Ah... that is...."
So-yu’s face turned bright red, and she hung her head low, unable to offer a proper rebuttal.
"Yes. I do like him."
Then, after a long silence, So-yu slowly lifted her head and spoke.
"I see."
Snap. Her master folded her fan.
"It seems the time has come."
Yeom-jin looked at So-yu and smiled brightly.