Chapter 7

Was it a mistake? Yeon Woo-jin’s reaction seemed strange. He, too, looked surprised, as if he had seen something. But then his expression hardened, and he refocused on the wooden sword in front of him. Had he discovered something? Jeok Seong swallowed nervously and continued to observe. And then— Twitch—twitch— This time, he saw it clearly. The sword was moving. A ghost? Was a spirit manipulating it? Or perhaps— Jeok Seong quickly scanned his surroundings. It had to be Yeon Cheon-baek playing some sort of trick. At that moment— The wooden sword began to rise into the air. Seeing this, Jeok Seong was convinced. Yeon Cheon-baek was definitely messing around. ‘The old man’s playing tricks again.’ But it didn’t seem as smooth as something Yeon Cheon-baek would do. The sword floated up, then dropped back down, only to rise again and fall once more. ‘No way... No, that can’t be it...’ The idea that Yeon Woo-jin was the one moving the sword crossed his mind, but he shook his head. Then he saw it. Yeon Woo-jin, drenched in sweat, staring intently at the sword. “Huff, huff!” Woo-jin collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, and the sword fell to the floor with a clatter. For him to be breathing so hard—it meant he had been focusing intensely on something. Could it be? Jeok Seong cautiously asked, “Was it... you who just moved the sword?” “Huff, huff! Yes. When I concentrated, the sword started trembling. So I focused even more, and it moved.” Jeok Seong’s eyes widened in disbelief at Woo-jin’s response. He had never heard of such a thing. Moving a sword without even touching it? And without any internal energy? Was he seriously supposed to believe that concentrating had made the sword float in the air? “Are you and the old man messing with me?” “Huh? Why would I play a prank on you?” “Because it’s more believable than you moving the sword without any internal energy.” “I get how you feel. I was shocked, too.” “What?” “I don’t know what’s happening either!” “What do you mean by that?” “Think about it. I was frustrated because my skills weren’t improving, so I glared at the sword—and it moved. I don’t have any internal energy! Wouldn’t anyone be surprised?” “Maybe the old man’s pulling a trick from somewhere...” “At first, I thought it was you or Grandpa playing a prank, too. But no. The sword really moved by my will.” “Are you serious?” “Yes. What’s going on here?” “I don’t... Maybe you should talk to the old man about it.” “Even you don’t know?” “No. This is the first time I’ve ever seen something like this... But if anyone knows, it’d be the old man.” “Grandpa would know, right?” Looking at Woo-jin’s serious expression, Jeok Seong had to admit it. The sword had moved—not by tricks, but by some unknown force. “He probably knows.” That was all Jeok Seong could say. ***** That night— Yeon Cheon-baek did not return. He had said he would be back by today. Perhaps he had too many matters to handle after being away for so long. Meanwhile, Yeon Woo-jin was still trying to make sense of what had happened earlier that day. ‘I definitely felt something leaving my body. What could it have been?’ It wasn’t internal energy. His internal energy barely amounted to the size of a chestnut. If he had lost even a fraction of it, he would have noticed immediately. But that precious little internal energy, earned through two years of diligent training, remained untouched. In other words, it wasn’t internal energy that had moved the wooden sword. Then what was it? Woo-jin focused on the teacup in front of him, just as he had stared at the sword earlier. Clink— Once again, he felt something draining from his body as the cup began to move. Unlike earlier, now that he was aware of the mysterious force, he could feel it more distinctly. As he continued concentrating, his head grew lighter, and a faint dizziness crept in. ‘My head! It definitely came from my head.’ ***** “If Woo-jin tries to overuse that power today, stop him immediately.” “Yes, sir.” “You said this was his first time using it yesterday?” “That’s right. But what exactly is happening here?” “I don’t know.” “...What?” “This is my first time witnessing something like this too. Using Hogongseobmul (허공섭물) without any internal energy? How am I supposed to make sense of that?” Even Yeon Cheon-baek, with all his experience, had never seen such a phenomenon before. He had also sensed the energy flowing out of Woo-jin’s body. It was an energy unlike anything he had ever encountered. One thing was clear. Woo-jin wasn’t an ordinary child. It was an unfamiliar and mysterious energy that even Yeon Cheon-baek himself had never experienced. ‘Could he be a child sent from the heavens?’ No—he was a gift from the heavens. Thinking of it that way filled Yeon Cheon-baek with joy. Then, the image of Woo-jin’s nosebleed flashed through his mind. His expression darkened. Woo-jin needed nourishment. Wait—nourishment? “Ah! What’s wrong with me? I even brought the elixir for Woo-jin and completely forgot about it. Go fetch him.” “Yes, sir.” Yeon Cheon-baek had been so stunned by what he saw earlier that he had forgotten about the elixir he brought to help Woo-jin absorb and stabilize his energy. A short while later— Woo-jin appeared, rubbing his sleepy eyes. It seemed he had just drifted off. Yeon Cheon-baek suddenly felt guilty for waking him. “Ah! Were you sleeping, my boy? I must have disturbed you.” “It’s okay. I’d rather be with you than sleep.” Thump— The words pierced Yeon Cheon-baek’s heart, filling him with warmth. ‘Damn it! My boy is so sweet! He’s perfect!’ At that moment, Yeon Cheon-baek felt he would gladly give his life for Woo-jin. He had never understood what it meant to sacrifice everything for one’s child, but now he did. Truly. For Woo-jin, even his own life felt insignificant. His affection for Woo-jin only deepened with time. After staring lovingly at Woo-jin for a moment, Yeon Cheon-baek finally spoke. “Sorry, my boy. I brought an elixir for you, but I completely forgot about it. I could’ve given it to you tomorrow, but it’s better to take it as soon as possible. That’s why I called you.” “I’m fine, Grandpa.” “Haha. You rascal.” Yeon Cheon-baek smiled and opened a wooden box. Inside was a radiant, golden elixir. “This is called the Mushin Golden Pill (Musin Geumwondan, 무신금환단).” At those words, Jeok Seong’s eyes widened in shock. The Mushin Golden Pill was practically the treasure of Mushincheon. If an ordinary person consumed it, they would gain a long, healthy life free of illness. For a martial artist, it granted internal energy surpassing even higher-grade elixirs. It was a divine pill—far above any other. Only the Lord of Mushincheon could access it. Only the Lord could touch it. Even Mushincheon had only a few of these precious pills. Yet here Yeon Cheon-baek was, offering one to Woo-jin. Surely there had been objections when he took it. But any complaints would have been silenced quickly. After all, the one taking it was Yeon Cheon-baek—the Lord of Mushincheon and the Martial God himself. “Now, take this and focus your energy circulation. I’ll guide you.” “Yes!” Woo-jin carefully placed the pill in his mouth. It melted instantly, like snow, sliding down his throat. At the same time, Yeon Cheon-baek’s energy flowed into his back. “Focus and follow the flow of my energy.” As soon as Yeon Cheon-baek spoke, Woo-jin’s energy began to stir. A warm heat spread throughout his body. Watching this, Yeon Cheon-baek couldn’t help but be amazed. Woo-jin might not have the martial bones of a natural fighter, but his comprehension was extraordinary. A genius. He never forgot what he saw or learned, not even once. If Woo-jin had pursued academics instead of martial arts, he would have been hailed as the greatest scholar in the world. Yeon Cheon-baek had initially considered that path. If Woo-jin lacked talent for martial arts, wouldn’t it be better to make use of his brilliant mind elsewhere? But Woo-jin wanted to learn martial arts. And Yeon Cheon-baek wanted to let him do whatever he wished. That’s why he had even brought the Mushin Golden Pill—to give Woo-jin every possible advantage.