Learning Mugong (3)
“If it's uncomfortable for you, I shall keep my eyes closed.”
Heukryeon's voice drifted in from outside. I cracked open the bathroom door and peeked out. There she was, kneeling gracefully with her eyes shut, her refined features serene.
No need to kneel all the way down like that.
“D-don't look!”
I bolted out and dashed to the closet, fumbling blindly to grab whatever clothes I could find. My usual white long-sleeved T-shirt.
“Hup... ngh!”
Grunting with effort, I barely managed to pull it over my head. But...
...It looks like a dress.
What had been a normal fit before now draped all the way down past my knees like a dress. The sleeves flopped way past my fingertips, and the neckline hung so loose that one shoulder slipped right out.
Still, it covered everything that needed covering, at least.
“O-okay, it's fine now.”
Heukryeon knelt demurely on the floor. Her gaze turned to me, those golden eyes scanning me up and down.
“Might I ask...”
Her voice, soft and polite, echoed gently in the room.
“...if your preference, Heavenly Demon, is to wear nothing but a thin layer of silk over bare skin?”
“No! I don't have anything else to wear!”
Truth was, this was literally the only option right now. A single guy's rundown studio apartment—no way was there kids' clothes or underwear for a ten-year-old girl hanging around. If there were, that'd be way creepier...
Sure, buying new clothes was my first thought after the change, but I couldn't go out like this. No clothes meant no shopping—an absurd catch-22.
Only option left: delivery. I'd ordered some via rocket shipping before washing up, but even the fastest would arrive tomorrow morning at earliest. No helping it today.
Heukryeon covered her mouth with her sleeve and let out a light laugh at my lame excuse.
“Hee-hee, I was only teasing to ease your tension. But that look suits you quite adorably, so rest easy.”
“C-cute's not the goal here.”
I cleared my throat with a hem-hem and plopped down across from her, rolling up the floppy sleeves. Fixing a somewhat serious expression, I looked her in the eye.
“Alright, time for some explanations, Heukryeon... miss. What's this Nongcheonma Shingong all about?”
Heukryeon's gaze sharpened with focus. She straightened her back and spoke in a formal tone.
“The Nongcheonma Shingong you have learned is, at its core, the same as the Cheonma Shingong.”
“Huh? The same martial art?”
I spread my tiny hands wide for emphasis. The Heavenly Demon? Weren't they supposed to be hulking mountains of muscle with scars slashed across their faces... y'know, the ultimate macho murim badasses?
“Th-this isn't some scam, right?”
Who'd bother scamming a loser like me? But that message before I blacked out—[The power of Nongcheonma Shingong reconstructs your body.] I saw it clear as day. The name had an extra 'Nong' tacked on. Sketchy from the start.
“Yes. The technique you learned is indeed the Cheonma Shingong.”
“So anyone who learns Cheonma Shingong turns into a kid like me?”
Was that the Heavenly Demon's art? My whole understanding of wuxia was crumbling. And with this puny body, I'd get wrecked in a street fight with an elementary kid. No way the Heavenly Demon was that lame.
“That is the difference between Nongcheonma Shingong and the standard Cheonma Shingong.”
Heukryeon nodded calmly.
“The body you now inhabit is no ordinary child's form.”
“It is the ultimate vessel, forged from the collective aspirations and subconscious of Heavenly Demons across countless dimensions... optimized perfectly for mastering demonic arts.”
My jaw dropped a little without me realizing.
Heavenly Demons from multiple dimensions? Their wishes combining into this body?
I looked down at myself.
“...”
So all those Heavenly Demons' tastes averaged out to this? Was that murim folks in general, or just the Heavenly Demons? Either way, terrifying.
“The Heavenly Demon's arts were renowned for their explosive power—splitting mountains and parting seas.”
“Yet behind that overwhelming might lay a fatal flaw.”
“A flaw?”
“Yes. They prioritized raw destruction over finesse. Poor efficiency meant they couldn't sustain full power in prolonged fights.”
Big swings were great, but inner energy drained fast, leaving them tapped out.
“The old foxes of the Murim Alliance exploited that relentlessly.”
“They'd deploy formations to wear them down, then strike in unison once their qi waned.”
Sneaky bastards. Orthodox sects were the real villains. Not that I'm biased from learning a demonic art or anything...
“To overcome it, their brutal, domineering style needed infused with ultimate precision—not wasting a single wisp of energy.”
Heukryeon's golden eyes met mine.
“The subconscious wisdom of countless Heavenly Demons converged, seeking the answer.”
“And the solution they found to conquer that lack of finesse?”
“A young girl's body, capable of wielding qi with extreme precision and flexibility.”
“Your body now, Heavenly Demon.”
Ah. So that's what their 'aspirations' meant. A body tailored to fix Cheonma Shingong's weaknesses.
“Thus, learning Nongcheonma Shingong triggers a transformation unlike typical hwangol taltae.”
“H-how so?”
“Your old, worn shell crumbles to dust in the air, replaced by this ideal form crafted from their wisdom.”
Heukryeon held out her palm.
“And your soul slips neatly into this new vessel.”
So this soft little girl's body was optimized for demonic arts? One that fixed the finesse and stamina issues?
“Uh...”
Plenty I wanted to argue, but nothing came to mind.
Heavenly Demons were murim old-timers—stagnant waters of wisdom. Hard to second-guess their collective genius.
“But if it's such a perfect body, couldn't anyone just hop in?”
“Impossible.”
Heukryeon shook her head firmly.
“Even with a flawless vessel prepared, finding a soul that fits perfectly is exceedingly rare. Every aspect must align exquisitely.”
So they made the body, but needed the right soul to match. And apparently, I won that lottery.
With the picture mostly clear, one last burning question popped up.
“But why's it called Nongcheonma Shingong specifically?”
Heukryeon smiled faintly.
“Because the will and wisdom of Heavenly Demons from myriad dimensions is concentrated to its utmost in this petite form.”
Ah, nong as in condensed. Not 'squishy' like I thought.
“R-right! Anyway, so I can use Cheonma Shingong, yeah?”
Demonic or not, Cheonma Shingong was peak mugong. Skillbooks with 'shingong' in the name were ultra-rare worldwide. The Heavenly Demon's legendary art? Had to be busted. Plus this optimized body? Total win.
Even if I lost something irreplaceable.
Heukryeon nodded ever so slightly.
“Of course. Let us begin with the breathing method.”
“Breathing method?”
“The heart method.”
Her voice flowed soft and measured as she continued.
“The foundational process of gathering the pure and turbid qi scattered throughout heaven and earth, accumulating it as inner power.”
Seeing my blank look, she added,
“Focus your mind on your dantian and try to gather qi.”
Then she appended,
“Mastering qi control doesn't happen overnight.”
Her tone carried gentle warmth.
“It's no easily grasped sensation, so don't despair if you fail at first. It takes time.”
In other words, failing was normal. Relax and give it a shot.
Dantian—lower abdomen, where inner power gathers, right?
I recalled scraps from wuxia novels.
“Mm.”
I awkwardly crossed my legs into a half-lotus and closed my eyes, focusing every nerve on my lower belly.
Sip... whoosh.
Breathing in and out slowly as she'd instructed. A short while passed.
I snapped my eyes open.
“S-something feels... there!”
“You've already awakened qi sense?”
Surprise colored her voice.
“N-no, wait... uh...”
I relaxed the tension in my lower abdomen, scratching my head sheepishly.
Too much strain down there? My bladder started to ache faintly.
“G-gonna hit the bathroom real quick...”
“...Please do.”
Was that hint of pity in her calm tone just my imagination?
Shhh—
I rushed through it and came back.
“Phew.”
Settling back into lotus position, eyes closed again.
Breathing.
Deep focus on my breath, imagining pulling in the surrounding air—no, qi.
But it wasn't that simple.
Learning a skill isn't the end.
Acquiring it was easy—just read the skillbook to the end and accept. But truly making it yours? Whole different ballgame.
Not just for murim folk; even regular awakeners faced this.
Skillbooks dumped knowledge into your head. Understanding, adapting, embodying it—that was on you. Analyze the principles, ingrain it in your body, then it activates.
My Nongcheonma Shingong was no exception.
Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon means...
Ultimate tyranny, overwhelming dominance, the ferocious pinnacle of the demonic cult.
So its breathing method wouldn't be some gentle orthodox style.
Forcefully absorb everything.
I pictured a massive black hole in my mind. Stripped away all mental filters, visualizing devouring every scrap of worldly qi without mercy.
With total concentration, I repeated the breaths.
How much time passed?
Slurp—
A foreign sensation bloomed in my empty lower abdomen, near the dantian. Warm, heavy qi welled up softly, then coalesced firmly.
The distinct feeling of solid inner power stacking up.
Eyes still shut, I murmured quietly,
“...I feel something.”
Heukryeon sighed lightly.
“Did you not just return from the bathroom?”
“No, this is real...”
Before I finished, translucent text floated in the air.
Cheonma Shingong - Cheonma Heart Method