Guidance Letters and Special Heukgokdan
"……."
"……."
His naturally fierce impression grew even more intimidating with that scowl, making it hard for Seo Geuk-rim to even strike up a conversation. He hesitated, just standing there awkwardly, until Mae Sin-yu, who had scanned his own letter from top to bottom, suddenly spoke up.
"Aren't you going to read yours?"
"Ah…… I was planning to look at it back at my room."
"Let me see yours too."
"What? Why?"
When Mae Sin-yu suddenly eyed his letter, Seo Geuk-rim reacted defensively. He clutched it without thinking, crumpling the paper slightly, and flinched.
"I'll show you mine."
"No, I'm not really interested in yours……."
He was about to flatly say he wasn't curious at all, but something deep inside him stirred faintly. What did Danmok Ryeon write to Mae Sin-yu? And what did she say to me?
"Read yours first anyway."
"Open it quick."
"Fine……."
Seo Geuk-rim shot Mae Sin-yu a slightly resentful look before unfolding the letter.
— Seo Geuk-rim.
— When stepping with your right foot, take care not to press too hard on the outer edge. Pay attention to treating your left foot injury.
Seo Geuk-rim read that far and looked down at his left foot in surprise. Once, long ago, he'd badly injured it by stepping on a shard of broken pottery. He'd limped for quite a while, but he'd thought it was fully healed by now…….
— Bad habit of glancing left when swinging your sword. No more worrying about others—focus only on your opponent.
— When a star falls to earth, it crushes all hesitation and shatters everything in its path.
— Strengths: Good shoulder mobility, high potential for hand-to-hand combat. Quick reflexes and strong adaptability mean you'll see great results with diligent basic training.
He'd expected something like a casual letter, but it was far more formal and businesslike, laid out in bullet points.
"Uh……."
"Swap with me."
Before he could say anything, Mae Sin-yu snatched Seo Geuk-rim's letter. At the same time, he thrust his own forward.
The two boys silently read on. After a brief silence, Mae Sin-yu asked,
"……Did you hurt your left foot?"
"Y-yeah. Long ago…… You hurt your back?"
"Yeah, me too. Long ago."
"……."
"……."
At the end of the silence, Mae Sin-yu handed the letter back to Seo Geuk-rim once he'd finished. Seo Geuk-rim returned the favor. Unlike the rough way he'd yanked it open, Mae Sin-yu folded his carefully away.
"Guess I'll head out. See you tomorrow."
Mae Sin-yu seemed like he'd just breeze off without a goodbye, but he tossed a curt nighttime greeting over his shoulder before turning away.
"Uh…… yeah……."
Seo Geuk-rim mumbled his response to empty air long after Mae Sin-yu had gone, mulling over the letter's words as he headed back to his quarters.
The children were given about a week to adjust.
And now that they'd all memorized each other's names—and some had grown closer while others remained distant—training finally began.
"Seo Geuk-rim!"
"Yes!"
"Danmok Wan!"
"Yes!"
"Danmok Gyu!"
"Yep!"
Seven more names followed. Gong So-ok, Danmok Pung, Danmok Gwon, Danmok Ban, Yeo Seon-hwon, Danmok Hae, Mae Sin-yu.
Standing before them, Danmok Hyeon-u looked a bit awkward but glanced down at Ryeon beside him, steeled himself, and spoke.
"We are family and friends, so when we face hardship, we fight together. When joy comes, we gather everyone to share it. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
The ten boys and girls shouted in unison.
Danmok Hyeon-u rubbed the back of his neck to hide his awkwardness and added,
"We'll focus on basics this week. Starting next week, Danmok Ryeon will join morning training too. Any questions?"
Murmurs erupted instantly. No one had imagined a direct descendant training alongside them.
Danmok Hyeon-u clapped his hands sharply to refocus them and shouted,
"Alright, warm up and then laps!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The Danmok family had a longstanding training regimen passed down by previous instructors, but Ryeon and Danmok Hyeon-u had tweaked it together. The branch family children had arrived in Hangzhou in varying states of nutrition, so they prioritized feeding and resting them to build their foundations, incorporating functional exercises in engaging ways to avoid boredom.
And having Ryeon join morning classes was her idea. Danmok Cheon-gi had been a bit disappointed, but he accepted the logic.
— I'll train with Grandfather in the afternoons, play with the kids during the day, watch them up close to see how they're doing, and get motivated myself. It should let me develop them from a different angle than an instructor like Uncle Hyeon-u.
Knowing Ryeon's sharp eye, Danmok Cheon-gi had no choice but to agree.
Ryeon watched the children run diligently with a pleased smile, checked the time, and pulled out what she'd prepared.
They can't build their bodies without dietary control!
Some had grown up in harsh poverty from birth. Without proper nourishment in childhood, they'd suffer lifelong. A single injury could set them back years.
The children followed Danmok Hyeon-u's movements but kept glancing curiously at Ryeon bustling nearby.
Finally, after finishing their laps on the training ground and panting heavily, Ryeon handed each a lukewarm cup of water and a prepared rice cake ball.
"Wh-what is this……?"
Its round shape made them wonder if it was an elixir, but the sweet, sugary scent quickly dispelled that. A closer look revealed the truth: crisped, fried grains pressed together.
"The Danmok family's special……."
Ryeon started confidently, then hurriedly glanced at Danmok Hyeon-u. They'd forgotten to name it.
"Special……."
"Sp-special Heukgokdan!"
Danmok Hyeon-u's eyes darted frantically before he blurted it out. Made from herbs like black stone root and grains, it fit well enough.
Ryeon shot him a grateful look and quickly explained.
"It's special Heukgokdan. Blended with various herbs and grains for your health—we'll have one each week from now on."
The children, hearing "Heukgokdan" for the first time, didn't ask what it was. Instead, they murmured in touched awe.
"It's packed with good stuff, but too much wouldn't be healthy, so just once a week. Eat this, get strong, and become the world's greatest martial artists!"
"Yes!"
The dream title every murim child aspired to drew them clustering around as Ryeon distributed the Heukgokdan.
"Thank you, miss!"
"Thank you."
"Thank you……."
"Even if it tastes weird, chew it all the way."
Once all ten had theirs, Ryeon added with a hint of worry.
She'd held a tasting after making the first batch and could never forget Hwaryun's grimace.
— You made these just to poison the kids……?
She'd insisted it wasn't poison multiple times. They'd refined several more baskets, but the oddly minty coolness mixed with sourness, bitterness, and sweet grain couldn't be perfected.
Without the spiritual energy, it's…… somewhat edible.
It was a youth-exclusive elixir crafted with maxed Harmony and Purification. Black stone root balanced vitality, beans and grains with malt added sweetness and texture—fine so far. Jeon ssi's prototype even earned praise as sellable snack material.
But adding spiritual energy ruined the taste. Without it, what was the point?
Kids, no choice. Bear with it—it's all for your own good.
Ryeon gazed at them fondly. The children, lured by the sweet, nutty aroma, bit in—and their faces twisted grotesquely.
Yet none dared spit it out in front of her. Danmok Wan, who'd swallowed half-chewed the rest, approached timidly.
"Th-thank you for looking after us…… thank you."
She's not crying because it's that bad, is she?
Danmok Wan's eyes glistened—not likely from one rice cake ball alone. Ryeon felt even guiltier and added defensively,
"I really only put good stuff in it……."
Really…….
Did I regret saying I'd join……?
"Alright, Danmok Ryeon! Demonstrate!"
"Uncle, no……."
"Ahem. It's Instructor."
"Instructor……."
Danmok Hyeon-u was…… on a high.
No other way to put it. With a grin like he was having the time of his life, hero's band tied around his forehead, he taught forms to the kids—and clearly reveled in every "Instructor."