Chapter 13

While Yeon Cheon-baek was smiling, Yeon Woo-jin’s energetic voice rang out. “Just wait! I’ll definitely become someone that makes you proud, Grandpa!” “Hahaha! I’m already proud of you. How much prouder do you expect me to get? If I get any prouder, I might not be able to handle it!” There had never been a doting grandfather quite like him. Who would believe this man was the greatest martial artist of all time and the Lord of Mushincheon? “Let’s have a meal together today, just the two of us. It’s been a while.” “Yes! Are you staying over tonight?” “Why? Do you want me to stay?” “Yes! I want to sleep next to you, Grandpa.” “Hahaha! Is that so? Then let’s do that! Come on, let’s go.” “Yes!” Yeon Cheon-baek’s radiant smile reflected his joy, while Yeon Woo-jin, looking at him, mirrored that happiness. Those who watched them felt a warmth spreading through their hearts. Two years had passed since Yeon Woo-jin entered the Boundless Library. In that time, he had devoured nearly all the books within its walls. Today, however, he was preparing to step into a new place— Heavenly Gate (Cheongwan). The most secretive location within Mushincheon. It was a forbidden area accessible only to the Lord himself. Now, Yeon Woo-jin stood before its entrance. Carefully, he inserted the identification token given to him by Yeon Cheon-baek into the door of the Heavenly Gate. Clack. The inserted token began to glow brightly, and soon a heavy sound echoed from all directions. Clang—Boom. Rumble—Groan. Screeeech. The massive door creaked open. Dust filled the air, untouched for countless years. It was no surprise—the Heavenly Gate was forbidden territory. Without wasting time, Woo-jin decided the first task was cleaning. ‘Suction.’ Whoosh! A sudden gust of wind swept through the sealed space, sending the dust swirling into the air. The airborne dust quickly gathered toward Woo-jin, forming a swirling mass in front of him. Years of accumulated dust had created a sizable heap. ‘Compress.’ Crack. The swirling dust began to shrink, compacting until it was no larger than a fist. Thud. The dust had hardened into a rock-like clump. In those two years, Yeon Woo-jin hadn’t only gained knowledge—his abilities had also advanced by leaps and bounds. He could now wield his powers with effortless precision. With just a wave of his hand, he had cleaned the long-neglected Heavenly Gate. Though all he had done was clear the dust, the space already felt fresher. “Now this feels like a place worth reading in.” Before delving into the books, Woo-jin decided to survey the room. He clasped his hands behind his back and slowly inspected the shelves. They were filled with rare and exotic books. Woo-jin’s eyes sparkled with excitement. While exploring, he came across a shelf entirely dedicated to martial arts manuals. It held treasures such as: Yangyi Infinite Divine Art (Yangui Mugeuk Singong) from Wudang Sect.Supreme Pure Divine Art (Sangcheong Musang Singong) from Kunlun Sect.Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Technique (Isipsasu Maehwa Geombeop) from Mount Hua Sect.Bodhidharma Muscle-Tendon Changing Scripture (Dalma Yeokgeun Gyeong) from Shaolin Temple.Avalokiteshvara Golden Summit Divine Art (Gwaneum Geumjeong Singong) from Emei Sect. The shelves were packed with these priceless manuals. “So these are the martial arts of the Nine Great Schools and the Five Noble Families that I’ve only heard about in stories.” Carefully, Woo-jin began pulling out the books and reading them. One by one, the pile of finished books grew. Then suddenly, he stopped. He had noticed something all these manuals had in common. The martial arts books he’d seen in the First and Second Halls were techniques anyone could learn. They were designed to integrate naturally with various internal energy methods. However, the manuals here were different. They required specialized energy techniques and unique methods of circulation. This was extremely dangerous. If such a collapse happened in front of an enemy, it would mean certain death. That’s why understanding his limits was critical. When Woo-jin first discovered his abilities, even floating a single sword in the air caused him to collapse from overload. Now, he could control hundreds of swords without difficulty. His limits were steadily increasing as time passed. Still, there was no harm in being cautious. To avoid over-reliance on his psychic powers, Woo-jin had created the Transcendent Gates as safeguards. Despite his rapid growth and extraordinary transformation, Yeon Woo-jin still couldn’t recall his childhood memories. An unshakable feeling told him that recovering those memories was important. ‘If my powers grow stronger, maybe my memories will return.’ All he could do was hope that one day, he would regain his lost memories— And remember the faces of his parents. ***** A year had passed since Yeon Woo-jin entered the Heavenly Gate. Over that year, Yeon Woo-jin had thoroughly absorbed all the supreme martial arts manuals that existed in the world. He had spent more time analyzing and internalizing those techniques than simply reading through the texts. With even the books stored in the Heavenly Gate completely embedded in his memory, Yeon Woo-jin felt it was time to leave. He asked Chun Ho-seong to deliver his request to Yeon Cheon-baek. He now wanted to return home and fully make the knowledge he had gained his own. After receiving Woo-jin’s request, Chun Ho-seong stepped away. Jeok Seong, in the meantime, had gone out to buy ingredients to cook a delicious meal, hoping to reward Woo-jin for his hard work. The librarians were scattered across the vast Boundless Library, busy tending to their duties. Left alone, Yeon Woo-jin decided to help the librarians, as he had nothing better to do. He began dusting off the shelves, just like the librarians. While he was dusting, a man dressed as though he had descended straight from the heavens entered the library. The elderly man wandered around as if searching for something. Eventually, he noticed Yeon Woo-jin. Unaware that the old man had approached him, Yeon Woo-jin remained focused on dusting the shelves, humming a tune. Tap, tap, tap. The old man, who had been quietly observing Woo-jin, finally spoke. “Who are you?” Startled by the sudden voice, Yeon Woo-jin quickly turned his head. “W-who are you?” The old man’s eyebrows twitched at Woo-jin’s reaction. He was young. Typically, the librarians in this place were scholars who had failed to achieve fame and fortune. Those who first entered the Boundless Library were usually between thirty (Irip, 而立) and forty (Bulhok, 不惑). Yet standing before him was a boy who was clearly much younger. “A child who doesn’t belong here? How in the world did you get in?” “Uh... well...” What excuse could he make? He had been told to avoid being noticed by anyone outside the Boundless Library. But by trying to help the librarians, he had ended up drawing attention to himself. “Whose son are you? Are you from the Baek family? The Im family? Or the Yeom family?” The old man seemed to think Woo-jin was the son of a noble clan leader. “So they’ve been adding more people lately, and now they’re sneaking in their own family members too?” The misunderstanding continued to grow deeper. It was natural for the old man to think that way. The Boundless Library was guarded by the Heavenly Martial Corps under strict security. No unauthorized outsiders could enter. The Heavenly Martial Corps protected the library to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from sneaking in during staff recruitment. Every time new recruits were brought in, the Heavenly Martial Corps temporarily reinforced security. Thus, the old man had no reason to doubt the situation. “Tsk, tsk. Are you keeping silent because you’re worried about your family getting in trouble? That’s admirable.” Yeon Woo-jin had simply been too flustered to respond, but the old man had already drawn his own conclusions. “Very well. Go deliver this message. I’ll let it slide this once out of respect for old ties. But tell them there will be no forgiveness next time.” “Yes.” “And make sure to inform the other clan leaders as well. Understood?” “Yes. But... if they ask who sent this message, what should I say?” Hearing Woo-jin’s question, the old man smiled proudly and replied. “Just tell them it’s a message from the Commander (Gun-sa).” “Yes.”