The Three Talents and the Orphaned Siblings
"That guy has always been a shady piece of work, hasn't he?"
So-geol-a, having given a middle finger to the retreating figure of Zhuge Mujin, turned back to Seong-jin with a much more refreshed expression.
"Now then, would you mind telling me how our Grand-Master ended up working as a guest warrior for the Murim Alliance...?"
When she turned around, Seong-jin was already unconscious, the aftereffects of the internal injuries he had accumulated before his Hwangol-taltae (rebirth of the bones and body) finally catching up to him.
"...Did he just die standing up?"
"The Grand-Master is still breathing perfectly fine, Master."
So-geol-a pouted after her nonsense was dismissed by Gwae-geol-gae. It was a sight that made it impossible to tell who was the master and who was the disciple.
Seong-jin woke up inside the Dokjak-dang. As he sat up, he met the eyes of So-geol-a, who had been keeping watch in the room where the fishy scent of Lake Dongting mixed with the subtle aroma of alcohol to create a peculiar fragrance.
"I've witnessed a rare sight."
She was an absolute master capable of purging alcohol with her internal energy. To see such a person sitting with a wine jar, her face flushed with intoxication, was certainly a sight one would be hard-pressed to see even once in a lifetime.
"Huh? Mmm, you're awake already? I thought you'd be bedridden for at least a few days."
"I kept smelling something delicious from somewhere. Could you spare me some?"
So-geol-a tossed a wine bottle to Seong-jin, who caught it and moistened his throat. It was just plain water.
"Even so, I couldn't possibly feed alcohol to a patient."
"Isn't it just because you don't want to share what you're drinking?"
"Even if that were true, it can't be helped. I still have no idea if the person in front of me is someone I can share a drink with."
The moment So-geol-a’s playful voice turned serious, Seong-jin straightened his posture.
"I’ve set up a barrier to block sound, so you can speak freely."
"You mentioned Mount Bongnae. How much do you know?"
Seong-jin showed respect to So-geol-a. He had no other choice.
The score floating above her head was one worthy of deep respect. 'And she isn't even practicing the Taoist path.' It was an astonishing figure. Even Seong-jin, who had gone out of his way to hunt demons to accumulate points, had struggled quite a bit just to earn 100 points at a time.
The fact that such a number was possible while living among ordinary people spoke volumes about the kind of person So-geol-a was.
"I know about the Bongsin-gyuyak (Sealing Covenant). And that the immortals who descended from Mount Bongnae looked after this land. I’ve never met them in person, but I’ve heard stories from demon clans from time to time."
"Demon clans, you say?"
"Exterminating every single demon would only lead to new ones being born, so the immortals didn't go after the demons who lived by the covenant."
There was no need to capture demons who lived quietly among themselves, avoiding entanglement with the human world. Just dealing with the likes of the Bokma-jeon (Palace of Hidden Demons) that were actively throwing the world into chaos was a task that would take a lifetime. Because of this, the immortals of Mount Bongnae often built cooperative relationships with the more reasonable types of demons.
"I’ve heard from the immortals about cooperation with moderate demons, but this is the first time I’ve heard of them growing into something called a 'clan'."
"That would be the case. The demon clans were formed in the last few years as the immortals of Mount Bongnae stopped coming out, so the moderate demons could protect themselves from humans."
That was exactly what she wanted to ask Seong-jin.
"What happened on Mount Bongnae?"
The immortals had now left this land. Seong-jin was the only person in the world left to uphold the Sealing Covenant. If this fact were to spread, the demons who had been lying low would begin to run wild, and forces like the Bokma-jeon would sprout up everywhere.
'Normally, this should be a top-secret matter, but...'
The score visible on So-geol-a proved that she had been roaming the world, extending a helping hand to those in need after the immortals had left. This was what it meant to be a person who could live without the need for laws. Someone who became a model for others even when the immortals weren't there to enforce the covenant.
'A character incomparable to the likes of the Zhuge Clan Leader. Indeed, the Beggar Sect is truly a sect of righteous heroes, and the Sect Leader is clearly a great elder of the righteous path.'
Seong-jin decided not to hide the truth from her.
"It all started with my own mistake."
The children rescued from the Chang-gwi (tiger ghost) had to stay on Mount Bongnae for a while to receive treatment. One day, while Seong-jin was tending to the herb garden, the children came to find him.
"We are so sorry! We failed to recognize the Immortal and caused you trouble!"
Seong-jin had to stop the siblings, who had come to find him since morning, from suddenly banging their heads against the dirt.
"There's no need for that. I’m not an immortal, and the real immortals wouldn't be the type to get angry over such things."
"You are a Taoist in training? As expected...!"
The older brother’s eyes shone even brighter at the news that Seong-jin wasn't an immortal.
"Thanks to your grace, we saved our lives, so we have already incurred a debt we could never repay even if we spent our whole lives trying. If it’s not too much trouble, would you accept my sister and me as your disciples?"
"Why would you say such a thing?"
"The truth is, the story of how we were being chased by a tiger in the mountains is this..."
When tiger attacks began to occur in the village and children were being dragged away, the people asked the local magistrate for help. However, the magistrate just dragged his feet without giving a proper answer, claiming they couldn't search the entire mountain range just for a few people living in the woods. When his younger sister was eventually snatched by a tiger, the brother, who didn't have enough money to hire a hunter, climbed the mountain himself to find her. If it weren't for Seong-jin, both of them would have lost their lives.
"You did a reckless thing."
"With no parents or other relatives, and just the two of us living together, how could I abandon my sister?"
What could children without parents do to earn a living? Even begging didn't pay in a poor rural village, so to survive, they had no choice but to climb the mountain and dig for herbs. Even if tigers appeared, the siblings had no other way.
"So, because you have no way to make a living even if you return to the village, you’d rather cultivate the Tao?"
"I have no wish to become an immortal and summon wind and rain. If I could just build a strong body like yours, Taoist, I wouldn't have to go hungry outside, so if you permit it, I want to be your disciple."
"A strong body, you say..."
Seong-jin felt a complex mix of emotions at the fact that he was the one hearing such words. It was true, as the children said, that it would be difficult for them, with no guardians, to live properly in a harsh world. While he couldn't just pass on Lee Cheol-goi’s martial arts or his own family's techniques, teaching them a martial art he had created himself wouldn't be a problem.
"Then I will give you a Gugyeol (oral formula); would you like to practice this?"
"By Gugyeol, you mean...?"
"I will create a martial art for you, and if you master it, it will be enough to take care of yourself in the outside world."
Seong-jin quickly gathered the martial arts he had seen, weaving together the formulas that caused the least pain—and thus could be learned by anyone without issue—to create a new martial art.
"Let's call it... Samjaegong (Three Talents Art)."
Although their external wounds had all healed thanks to the efficacy of the Baekryeon-tang (White Lotus Soup), the children had been starving for so long that they needed convalescence to recover their depleted energy. Seong-jin taught them the Samjaegong while they were recovering.
"Do you know how to read?"
"We haven't learned, so we are illiterate."
"Then I will tell you orally, so try to memorize it."
Seong-jin recited the formula on the spot and checked what they had memorized.
"Try it again. You must remember not just the sentences, but the rhythm as well."
"The rhythm, too?"
"The reason martial arts formulas take the form of poetry is that the imagery contained within is also necessary for operating internal energy."
A person’s limbs move according to the movement of their muscles. Then, what moves internal energy?
"Internal energy accumulated in the body through eating and breathing is moved by a person's Uinyeom (will/intent). Also, the power of a technique is only fully unleashed when the body's form and the movement of internal energy are in sync."
In other words, the power of a martial art could change depending on one's mindset when using it.
"To fully make a martial art your own, you must know not only the techniques or how to emit energy, but also the mindset with which you must perform it."
"Is that why there are so many metaphors and allegories in martial arts formulas?"
"Yes. But the human heart is treacherous and doesn't always do as one wishes. A martial art that heightens emotions to unleash stronger intent is called Magong (Demonic Art), and a martial art that seeks to completely control emotions through cultivation is called Jeonggong (Righteous Art)."
"Then Samjaegong is a Jeonggong!"
Seong-jin confirmed that the children had memorized the entire formula and moved on to the next step.
"Now, sit in a cross-legged position and practice Ungitonap (circulating energy and breathing)."
Memorizing the formula doesn't mean one can master the martial art. After memorization, understanding must naturally follow, and even if one understands the martial art perfectly, it is meaningless if not embodied. And embodiment is ultimately a realm of repetition and mastery; one has no choice but to repeat it endlessly so that what has been practiced can come out consistently in any situation.
"Concentrate your mind and steady your breathing. Accept energy through inhalation, and exhale only breath through exhalation. Recall the imagery of the formula so that the remaining energy can settle in your Dantian."
The imagery contained in the Samjaegong formula was as follows:
"Even if you are separated from your family and become alone, the warmth of people will heat the cold room, so now that energy accumulated in your Dantian will protect you like iron."
It was an honest story, almost to the point of being embarrassing. But there is no imagery more powerful than honestly depicting one's own experience, so the intent of Samjaegong began with his meeting with Lee Cheol-goi.
"Can you feel the energy in your Dantian?"
"Yes, it’s warm..."
"That is the first day's worth of internal energy for Samjaegong. Internal energy cannot be taken out and measured with a ruler, and its properties differ depending on the martial art learned, so accurate comparison is impossible."
Therefore, the amount of internal energy is expressed by the cultivation method and the period of training. This is why people talk about '10 years of accumulation' or 'one Gapja (60 years) of internal energy' when measuring quantity by training duration.
"If you repeat this every day from now on, you will be able to live a life that doesn't envy anyone."
"Then can we become strong like you, Taoist?"
It was the younger sister, who had been quiet and only nodding until then, who asked that. Seong-jin, who had previously seen the ambition to change their fate of being born orphans and living as beggars in the older brother's eyes, now saw a thirst for strength in the sister's eyes. They say a person changes 180 degrees after surviving death, don't they? There was a venomous edge in the eyes of the child who had been nothing but gentle.
Orphaned children would need a certain amount of venom to survive in a harsh world. Seong-jin taught the children martial arts whenever he had time. While repeating those days, there was a being on Mount Bongnae who had been watching all of this.
"What is that? Playing house?"
It was Seo-heun.