Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Yue Maiden - [1]
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Martial artists often get blood tests after consuming spirit elixirs.
It's to check how much their internal energy has increased. It's the same method commonly used in the sports world to detect doping through internal energy cultivation, and the martial arts community follows suit.
Yi Do-hyeok had gone to the relevant facility for a test on the day he took the elixir.
Yi Pung let out an exclamation of delight as he looked over the test results.
"Whoa, your internal energy shot up like crazy? And this is just from a three thousand won one. At this rate, you're practically prodigy material, right?"
Yi Do-hyeok scratched his head.
"Well, I don't know..."
"It is impressive, man! When I took a three thousand won one, nothing happened. Same with the hundred million and four hundred million won ones."
"You've consumed a fair share of elixirs, huh?"
"Me? Yeah, quite a bit. Probably around 1.9 billion won worth."
Yi Do-hyeok was shocked.
"That much?"
Yi Pung grinned.
"I'm Korea's most famous piece of trash. And get this—that 1.9 billion worth? Not a single one bought with my own money. Big Bro paid for all of it."
This was another shocker.
"Invincible BB Bullet treated you to that much?"
"Yep. And since they did nothing for me, I threw a fit, saying he was skimping out with cheap stuff. Bawling my eyes out, cursing up a storm... Man, thinking back, I really was a total scumbag."
After a moment's hesitation, Yi Do-hyeok spoke carefully.
"I heard you're not his official disciple."
"Yeah. Unofficial."
"If he took care of you that much, doesn't that make you a real disciple?"
"Invincible BB Bullet definitely treated me better than his actual disciples! But since I couldn't even absorb it properly, how could I dare call myself his disciple? If a worthless hack like me went around claiming to be the student of a peerless master, it'd be like begging, 'Please take me hostage.'"
Yi Pung said it so cheerfully that Yi Do-hyeok felt awkward.
"Ah..."
"So it works out for both of us to just call it unofficial discipleship. Crazy how I bitched endlessly back then about why not make it official. I even smashed a bunch of his treasured stuff by hurling it around... How am I still in one piece? If it were me, and some kid I'd raised from age seven pulled that, I'd have ripped his limbs off."
At this point, Yi Do-hyeok realized bringing up the topic had been a mistake.
Yi Pung kept smiling as he spoke, but Yi Do-hyeok kept glancing at him nervously, averting his eyes.
Invincible BB Bullet's disciple caught his eye. When their gazes met, Yi Do-hyeok flinched.
The disciple seemed bothered by the conversation too. He had stopped reviewing Yi Do-hyeok's results and was staring right at them.
His usually emotionless face was still blank, but there was a subtle shift now.
A complicated expression—understandable for an official disciple hearing his senior brother's lament.
"Sorry."
Yi Pung laughed at Yi Do-hyeok's apology.
"Why apologize? It's ancient history. Don't sweat it! Anyway, Do-hyeok, you little punk—if you snag a few more elixirs and get results like this again, you could really be recognized as a martial arts prodigy. Then sects would send scouts with massive signing bonuses to recruit you.
You know internal energy growth like this only happens with innate talent, right? Trash like me shits out 2 billion won worth with nothing to show, but talented kids like you..."
Heo Pung-gae listened to their conversation, lost in thought.
Disciple...
Truth be told, Heo Pung-gae had another disciple besides Yi Pung. Also unofficial, just like him.
In Yi Pung's case, he was so utterly worthless it couldn't be publicly acknowledged. That would only bring shame to master and disciple alike.
But with his first disciple, it was the opposite—the master himself was too lowly to dare claim her as his student.
She had wanted to declare him her master, but he forbade it, worried his existence would harm her.
Come to think of it, it had been ages since they met, but that didn't matter. If he wanted to see her face, he could just turn on the TV.
The Yue Maiden was one of Korea's proud heroes. She was always beloved by the people. Unlike him, skulking in the shadows like some martial arts thug...
It was that afternoon.
As Heo Pung-gae tended to patients at the acupuncture clinic, he was suddenly called to the office.
Wondering if something big had happened, he hurried over. Yi Pung said,
"Big Bro? Word from the Imperial Guard."
Heo Pung-gae narrowed his eyes.
"The Imperial Guard?"
"Yeah. The Yue Maiden wants to see you. What should I say...?"
There were plenty of renowned masters even in modern times, but few left marks in modern history.
The Yue Maiden was one of those rare few.
Her real name was Ha A-rin, born in a rural village during the late Joseon era.
Like most peasants of that time, she was a girl with unwavering loyalty to the royal family, fiercely outraged by the Empress Myeongseong assassination scandal that reached even her remote village.
One day, she resolved to master martial arts and avenge the empress.
To seek instruction, she climbed Jusan Mountain, famed for housing true immortals.
Usually, you'd be lucky not to meet anyone; most end up conned by frauds and suffering the consequences.
But astonishingly, she succeeded in meeting the true immortal she sought.
Even more shocking, he taught her exactly what she desired: Mosan Sect swordsmanship and Daoist cultivation methods. And incredibly, he gave these teachings freely, without asking for anything in return.
Upon completing her training and earning recognition, she descended the mountain early. Armed with her newfound skills, she headed to the palace, aspiring to become a royal guard.
Emperor Gojong welcomed her warmly—not because he thought a young girl fit for guarding, but likely due to her beauty.
However, she was already a considerable master, an astonishing feat for her age, as he later discovered.
Recognizing her potential, Emperor Gojong decided to make her a proper royal bodyguard.
He lavished her with inner treasury funds, buying up every elixir rumored to be miraculous and making her consume them.
Even a fallen royal house was royal. The elixirs bought emptied the treasury, worth several times the national budget at the time.
With her already remarkable talent bolstered by this support, she reached peerless heights in just a few years.
Afterward, the Yue Maiden served loyally as Emperor Gojong's bodyguard. She aided his exile and thwarted numerous assassination attempts.
She then crossed to Japan, exterminating the Black Dragon Society to avenge Empress Myeongseong.
Her battles with Japanese right-wing groups remain legendary in both Korea and Japan. Movies and dramas about it flood the market even today.
Despite her lifelong dedication to independence and anti-Japanese movements, this celebrated hero wasn't particularly thrilled after liberation.
To her, loyal to the royal house, the superficially restored monarchy was far from satisfactory.
Since then, she became a senior figure in the Imperial Guard, focusing solely on training the palace guards, staying within the palace without public activities.
Yet she remained a figure of immense public interest, always surrounded by reporters and politicians.
Six years ago, a reporter casually asked,
'Are you enjoying these days?'
And the Yue Maiden replied,
"The Japanese colonial era was better."
This was spun into an article accusing her of glorifying colonial rule.
It even aired on the 9 o'clock news, humiliating a figure revered in the martial world.
The entire martial community raged, flooding the broadcaster with protest letters.
Among the furious martial artists was Invincible BB Bullet. Having once rescued her from Japanese captivity on behalf of Dr. Heo Pung-gae, he couldn't overlook the slander against this connected figure.
That was the backstory to the martial master raid on the broadcasting station.
The person sent by the Imperial Guard to receive the guest was a young woman. Her aura marked her as a master.
True to her Imperial Guard status, she carried a pistol. Introducing herself as Hong Na-yeon, she opened the car door herself.
"Please get in."
Yi Pung boarded, sweating nervously.
An Imperial Guard master treating him this way? Was it deference for raiding the broadcaster on behalf of their elder? But if they found out he was the disciple of that terrorist, it'd be disastrous.
Unable to comprehend, Yi Pung fidgeted, but Heo Pung-gae remained calm.
He settled into his seat casually and asked,
"How's the Yue Maiden these days?"
Hong Na-yeon replied while driving.
"I'd love to say she's fine... but no. She's not well."
"Not well? Her?"
"It's understandable. She's over 120 years old."
Heo Pung-gae started to say something but stopped.
"True. Even she..."
The car stopped at Gyeonghui Palace. Hong Na-yeon guided them.
"This way."
Gyeonghui Palace wasn't currently used for the imperial family.
In truth, it hardly resembled a proper palace. They'd bought up the palace grounds and rebuilt a few large hanok buildings, calling it Gyeonghui Palace.
The largest structure had a space prepared for her.
Heo Pung-gae entered the building. With the lights off, she sat in the dim distance.
There was the woman once coveted by an emperor for her beauty.
Even after 120 years, her youthful allure remained unchanged. But the vitality radiating from her face had shifted.
The vibrant energy that outshone any woman was gone.
With an utterly languid expression, almost weary, the Yue Maiden spoke.
"It's been a while. Master."
Heo Pung-gae gazed at his first disciple.
She hardly seemed like a disciple. She was older than her master and far superior in skill.
Still, he was her master, so he spoke casually.
"Why'd you call me?"
"Got something for you. Still greedy for elixirs?"
"Always. What, you got one for me?"
"Can't give you an elixir. Like I'd have the cash for something that pricey. But I do have something else."
"What?"
The next instant, her words made Heo Pung-gae's eyes widen.
"Master, want me to transfer my internal energy to you?"