Chapter 99
Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Twenty Days in Beijing
Before I knew it, twenty days had already passed since arriving in Beijing.
And during that time, I was enjoying the scant rest I had left with complete peace of mind.
'No issues I was worried about, either.'
On the first day, Eun Garyeon and Moyong Hui had shown some wariness toward me, which made me a little concerned, but fortunately, none of the things I feared actually happened.
Because both Eun Garyeon and Moyong Hui had become too busy.
The reason for Eun Garyeon's busyness was simple.
It was because I had mentioned that the Shandong Wicked Clan was about to collapse soon and suggested that the Eun Merchant Group might want to look after their businesses.
-Then we don't have much time.
I figured she might dismiss it as too far-fetched—a story about one of the Five Great Families going under—but she didn't question my words at all and immediately got moving.
The Eun Merchant Group already had a ton on its plate lately, and after that day, with Shandong added to the mix, Eun Garyeon looked utterly swamped.
To the point where it was hard for me to even catch a glimpse of her.
'Well, since she's going all-in, I hope it works out for her.'
It was something I had tipped her off about, but honestly, I thought the odds of it succeeding were slim.
Her abilities and savvy aside, the Eun Merchant Group was missing one crucial thing.
'Martial prowess.'
When the Shandong Wicked Clan was wiped out in the past, surely there weren't no major merchant groups in Shandong.
Yet the Baek Family Clan was able to swoop them all up because they had the muscle to back it up.
The Orthodox-Demonic War that would erupt soon.
In Shandong, which would take the full brunt of the aftermath, nothing would be more prioritized than 'the martial force to protect themselves.'
'...Eh, Eun Garyeon will figure it out.'
If it works out, great. If not, then that's that.
The important thing was that she was giving it a shot.
And who knows.
Maybe she could snag some scraps left behind by the Baek Family Clan.
'From the Eun Merchant Group's perspective, even just grabbing those crumbs would fill them up.'
In any case, Eun Garyeon was spending her days in a frenzy over these external matters.
And then there was Moyong Hui.
In complete contrast to Eun Garyeon, she was utterly absorbed in her own internal breakthrough.
-Young master. With this chance... I might actually break through that wall.
Thanks to the Blissful Creation Art, Moyong Hui already had more inner energy than your average Flower Realm martial artist.
No sooner had she ascended to the Transcendent Realm than she found herself up against the wall of the Flower Realm.
'Hmm, I hope it works out for Hui, too.'
In my view, it was a coin toss.
Her inner energy was overflowing, but she still lacked experience.
Especially since she'd rocketed through the Transcendent Realm so quickly—that worried me.
The one thing I could count on was her talent.
Moyong Hui, who had earned herself the title of Sword Phoenix at such a young age, was on a whole different level from me when it came to natural gifts.
That's why it was fifty-fifty.
'Man, if Hui breaks through to the Flower Realm, it's gonna cause a stir.'
Especially for Cheon Woojin.
Just two months ago, someone weaker than him suddenly soaring beyond his reach?
No martial artist could stomach that easily.
But oblivious to the wall Moyong Hui was facing right now, Cheon Woojin was busy tormenting Baek Rihyeon.
"Hm? My lord, when did you get back?"
Cheon Woojin, who had been bullying Baek Rihyeon in the garden under the guise of training, looked at me with a puzzled expression.
The reason for his expression was nothing special.
"Just stopped by to check if anything was up. Where's Hui?"
Lately, I'd practically been living at the Silver Flower Pavilion.
Eun Garyeon was tied up with merchant group affairs, and Moyong Hui was deep in training to break through her wall, so it was hard to see either of them.
Which meant I had no real reason to stick around at the Eun Merchant Group either.
'Plus, the annex they gave me at the Silver Flower Pavilion is nicer than this place.'
This building was Eun Garyeon's way of showing some consideration, but it still fell a bit short compared to the top-tier annex at Beijing's renowned Silver Flower Pavilion.
"Lady Moyong hasn't come out of her room yet."
"I see."
Truth be told, I didn't expect results already.
I'd just dropped by in case.
In case she failed to break through and was moping, so I could comfort her.
'Of course, succeeding in reaching the Flower Realm would be ideal.'
But that's something I couldn't help her with.
As I headed toward the lodging to change clothes while I was already at the Eun Merchant Group, Cheon Woojin grabbed me.
"You're heading to the Silver Flower Pavilion again today?"
"Yeah."
"...Does wandering around alone like that really satisfy you?"
Cheon Woojin, who had gotten a taste for pleasure houses while hanging out with me, grumbled.
The reason for his reaction was simple—he'd received five silver taels as pay recently, but even that wouldn't cover a single night at the Silver Flower Pavilion.
I shrugged and jerked my chin toward a corner of the garden.
"Looked like you were having fun earlier yourself."
At the end of my gesture was Baek Rihyeon.
Still sprawled on the ground, panting and catching his breath.
Cheon Woojin gave an embarrassed laugh.
"Having fun? I've been suffering trying to teach this sudden little martial brother of mine some martial arts."
For someone 'suffering,' Cheon Woojin's face earlier had been way too bright.
The real suffering was Baek Rihyeon over there.
"Anyway, how's your little brother doing? Learning well?"
Instead of answering aloud, Cheon Woojin sent me a transmission.
[As expected of the Heavenly Martial Physique. Give it one more month, and he'll shake off the second-rate warrior label.]
He must not have wanted to praise him to his face.
It made sense—Cheon Woojin was working Baek Rihyeon to the bone under the excuse of 'you started late, so train harder,' and hearing that might make the kid slack off.
'Already gearing up to become first-rate?'
That's too fast.
Not just fast—way too fast.
Baek Rihyeon was about to turn nine.
Compared to me, who was second-rate until past thirty...
'Nah, no need to go there.'
He'd been seriously training for less than a month.
According to Cheon Woojin's estimate, Baek Rihyeon would reach first-rate in almost exactly two months of training.
'...Does that even make sense?'
Of course, Baek Rihyeon had plenty of advantages.
One-on-one instruction from Cheon Woojin, a genius among the top five in the entire Central Plains.
And when advancing from second-rate to first-rate, the amount of inner energy wasn't that critical.
'His inner energy is actually way less than mine right after regression.'
Even after reaching first-rate, he'd probably lose to a seasoned third-rate warrior.
But that didn't change how insanely fast his progress was.
'Wonder how long till he hits Peak Realm.'
The line between third-rate and second-rate is the presence of inner energy.
Between second-rate and first-rate, it's how you wield it.
In simple terms, if you only manipulate inner energy inside your body, you're second-rate. If you can project it externally, you're first-rate.
So inner energy quantity doesn't matter much for reaching first-rate.
But Peak Realm?
'Sword aura.'
Insights and techniques matter, but you still need enough inner energy for that formless qi to become visible to the naked eye.
And without spirit elixirs or special arts like the Blissful Creation Art, inner energy only builds up steadily over time.
'Baek Rihyeon has a huge edge there, too...'
I'd confirmed it myself before.
His body, utterly free of any impurities.
[...Why the frown, my lord?]
As I furrowed my brow staring at Baek Rihyeon, Cheon Woojin cautiously asked.
He must have expected praise, but my sour mood threw him off.
I asked Cheon Woojin aloud instead of via transmission.
"How long do you think it'll take him to reach Peak Realm?"
[Five years at most. With spirit elixirs, maybe down to three.]
Three years would make Baek Rihyeon twelve.
'Reaching Five Dragons and Five Phoenixes level at twelve?'
Plus, no need for the bone refinement and marrow cleansing for Flower Realm, so he might even hit Flower Realm before twenty.
I'd expected him to climb fast to Flower Realm, but...
'Still, it bugs me if he breaks my record.'
Flower Realm at twenty.
Already unprecedented in murim history, and this kid might shatter it.
Of course, by then I'd be in the Mysterious Realm, but it was still a matter of pride.
'Hm, thinking it over, the odds of that are low anyway.'
This all assumes steady access to spirit elixirs whenever needed.
But Baek Rihyeon would be tagging along with me from here on...
'Where am I gonna get elixirs to feed him? Too busy providing for my second sister and youngest sibling.'
He wouldn't even catch a whiff of them.
And his new senior brother, Cheon Woojin.
That greedy bastard would gobble up any elixirs that slipped my grasp, prioritizing himself over his promising junior.
Factoring that in, Baek Rihyeon would probably hit Flower Realm in his mid-twenties.
If Moyong Hui succeeded this time, she'd be twenty-four as well.
That thought cooled my irritation.
Instead of sharing it, I sent Cheon Woojin a transmission to rib him.
[Cheon Woojin, you even training properly? What if he laps you?]
[No way. I'm working hard enough myself.]
The guy brimmed with confidence as he said it.
Well, he probably was training diligently.
He never skipped even when we were out carousing at pleasure houses.
'Still not enough.'
What I wanted from him wasn't 'hard work'—it was excellence.
I rated Cheon Woojin higher than Baek Rihyeon, after all.
'Gonna be fun if Hui makes it to Flower Realm.'
I silently cheered on Moyong Hui, who was no doubt pushing herself right now.