Sichuan Journey - Deepening (7)
Sichuan Journey - Deepening (7)
Pop!
A burst of heat bloomed at my fingertips with the snapping sound of air. The atmosphere shimmered faintly, and sweat streamed down my entire body. Hong Ye nodded, her expression blank with surprise, and I gasped for the breath I had been holding. Condensing my inner energy and sending it outward—it had taken longer than expected, but either way, I had succeeded in taking that first step.
"You've improved a great deal. I think it's time we gradually increased the speed."
Of course, I was still far from true mastery. Simply recognizing that an opponent's energy had infiltrated my body and then safely expelling it was taking a full ten minutes. At this rate, if anyone used something like the Penetration Sutra on me, I would freeze up, take a beating, and end up dead nine times out of ten.
"You can only be said to have truly mastered it when you can achieve the flow you just felt in the blink of an eye."
"It's difficult, as expected."
"But you are progressing smoothly. Once you grow accustomed to handling energy in this way, your use of special techniques will become more proficient, and you'll be able to unleash greater power with less inner strength. And later, you will be capable of counterattacks that reverse the opponent's energy and make it your own."
I recalled the technique Hong Ye had shown me during our last spar—the strike she had landed by deflecting Im Seo-ryeon's attack and twisting her waist. Had she applied this same method of handling energy back then? When I asked, Hong Ye shook her head, her cheeks reddening.
"To my shame, I haven't reached that level yet either. Those who master Taijiquan and reach the peak are few, and among those few, only a handful perfectly master its deeper processes. As of now, aside from the elders and the Grandmaster, no one in the sect has attained that realm."
As soon as she mentioned the elders, my expression involuntarily stiffened. Ever since I had arrived at the sect, the elders had been a constant source of irritation. It wasn't that they openly kept Hong Ye and me in check or displayed outright hostility. On the contrary, they were excessively cordial. Sometimes they would pack strange health tonics for me, calling it a gift, and they never stopped prying into whether I had any discomforts.
In another sect, I might have been grateful for such concern, but this is the Taiji Sect. It's a den of beasts who never even treated Hong Ye as a person and found her very existence as a direct disciple displeasing. So how could they possibly be this kind?
They were definitely scheming something. This was by no means paranoia getting the better of me. Those old elder bastards were absolutely plotting something.
But Hong Ye was far too naive to discuss this topic with. She wore a touched expression simply because the elders seemed to be acknowledging our relationship and treating us well. Because of that, I couldn't confide in her and could only devise countermeasures on my own, while Hong Ye, knowing nothing, smiled and spoke to me.
"Then, how about we stop here for today? It's not good to bury yourself too deeply in training."
That was quite a slacker-like thing to hear from Hong Ye's mouth. My eyes widened as I looked at her. Hong Ye averted her gaze, and like a mountain bird, pouted her lips and chirped.
"W-well, but... that is... Hav-haven't you done nothing but train ever since you arrived here? A married couple ought to, well, enjoy various pleasures and spend their youth together... At th-this rate, it's n-no different at all from the last time you were here."
At her words, I couldn't help but laugh. Come to think of it, she was right. I had come to see Hong Ye, so there ought to be time spent happily enjoying each other's company. But mindful of Hong Ye's strictness about training, I had focused even more rigidly on it, leaving us almost no time together as a married couple.
"Ah, please forgive me. My wife takes Taijiquan so seriously, I couldn't bring myself to suggest we take a break."
Hearing my words, Hong Ye clasped her arms demurely and swayed as if trying to hide her embarrassment. She fidgeted with herself here and there, putting on a show of indifference, and then, in a hesitant tone, laid out everything she wanted to say.
"I-I'm a person too. How could I do nothing but train? Sometimes, it's nice for the two of us to spend time together joyfully. A-and, this is also, in the sect's teachings, not laziness but a way to relieve the fatigue of a stiffened body and mind..."
If I let her go on, she would surely come up with half a dozen reasons why we absolutely had to go out today. I smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"I understand. I understand. I was just thinking I wanted to rest myself. It's been a while since I came to see my wife. How could I claim to be doing my duty as a husband without taking my wife out? It seems I prioritized training over my wife's feelings, and I'm starting to feel sorry. So, let's set aside training for today and go out."
"G-good."
"This time, I'd like my wife to guide me and show me around Chengdu. Have you, by any chance, gone out since then?"
Vitality sprang into Hong Ye's voice.
"I had many occasions to go out around the time of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, so I wandered all over Chengdu. There are places I thought I'd like to visit with you, husband, so if we go together, it should work out nicely."
Seeing her this excited, she must have been quite downcast if I hadn't suggested going out today. Hong Ye's personality was truly like a puppy's—expressing her happiness with her whole body whenever she was in a good mood.
"Well then, let's go."
*******
"You're going out?"
Having run into Hong Ye and Docheol, the junior martial sister widened her eyes and asked. It wasn't just Hong Ye's relaxed expression—the fact that she was ending training early to go on a personal outing was a truly rare sight. Just as the junior martial sister wore a surprised look, Docheol was also staring intently at her.
The junior martial sister couldn't tell why Docheol was looking at her that way. It didn't seem like hostility, but it wasn't a friendly gaze either. The junior martial sister put some distance between herself and Docheol as he scanned her over.
"Yes, I plan to go out with my husband for the first time in a while. There are many places to visit, so we might come back late."
"Then I shall convey that to the elders."
"I'd appreciate it."
The junior martial sister bowed her head and backed away. From behind, she could hear Docheol and Hong Ye talking.
"That was the junior martial sister I saw last time."
"She's a very kind child. Her talent in martial arts is also outstanding, so she's favored within the sect."
"Hmm..."
The junior martial sister was pleased that Hong Ye thought so highly of her. But apart from the corners of her mouth twitching upward, she was coolly racking her brain. So far, there had been no warning signs, yet the elders' goal was to harm Hong Ye.
If so, when would be the best time to make preparations? In the junior martial sister's judgment, the most opportune moment was when both Hong Ye and Docheol were absent. The junior martial sister took a deep breath and moved her feet to report the situation to the elders.
She was the only one who could protect Hong Ye.
*****
"Oh? They went out? I was just about to say that nothing but training is no good. This is perfect timing."
The elder, upon hearing the junior martial sister's report, revealed a glad expression instead. It was strange just seeing the old man speak so gently, when normally he would have grumbled that the direct disciple had grown lazy, or that her actions were unbefitting the honor of the Taiji Sect. Before such an elder, the junior martial sister showed little emotion, lowering her head as she spoke.
"They said they would be coming in late, so it seems they plan to enjoy themselves for quite some time."
"Then that's even better. You go in and rest."
"Yes."
The junior martial sister turned and went out, but she didn't rest. The moment she emerged from the elder's house, she minimized her presence as much as possible and hid herself at the furthest spot with a clear view of the elder's residence. No matter how high the elder's level of martial arts, he had no ability to monitor the inner energy of the entire sect—and no reason to do so.
Especially now, since it was training time, inner energy flowed from all directions, so there was no way for him to notice the junior martial sister's concealment. As soon as the junior martial sister had left, the elder called for the servant waiting outside.
"Come here."
The servant wearing a black hood was someone the junior martial sister was seeing for the first time, but even when the elder spoke vaguely, he understood at once what was wanted.
"It is time to prepare that. Go to the warehouse."
The servant emerged into the corridor without answering and ran toward the warehouse.
The junior martial sister, pretending to know nothing, took a wide detour and headed to the warehouse as well. The Taiji Sect was quite a large sect, so even if she put some distance between them, it was easy to conceal the fact that they were heading to the same place. By the time the junior martial sister had briskly and hurriedly looped around to the warehouse,
the servant glanced around and then slipped into the warehouse like a little rat.
The moment the junior martial sister, startled by the swift movement, held her breath and approached the warehouse,
"Do not interfere."
The junior martial sister felt a blunt, dizzying pain strike her from behind, and she staggered.
It was training time now.
There was no one on the path to the warehouse, and the junior martial sister, feeling her limbs tremble uncontrollably, tried to scream.
"We can't very well kill a disciple of the Taiji Sect, so just rest for a bit."
But no voice came out.
Beyond her fading consciousness and dimming vision, the junior martial sister saw the servant rummaging through the tea items in the warehouse. As if preparing tea to serve a guest, he scooped out a small amount of tea leaves and packed them separately into a pouch.
Then the servant took out a medicine bottle from his waist and sprinkled the drug softly over the tea leaves he had taken out.
The junior martial sister's consciousness cut off there.