Not all of the Gongsun Sword Techniques were fast.
Some were even slower than ordinary swords.
However, they were not deeply studied because they were not suitable for real combat.
As her sword became faster, it also began to slow down.
It was a contradiction, yet it felt natural.
It was like an endless line of pine needles.
Watching her enter a state of no-self, Jin Cheon-hee stood quietly.
"Wow... Is this the phenomenon of enlightenment? It was so interesting when I read about it in novels, and it's just as fascinating to see it in real life. By the way, I wonder if this repays the debt of the Black Pine Cloud Sword? Well, to be honest, I intended to leave a debt for the future."
As he thought about this, he saw someone approaching in a hurry.
A woman wearing a veil.
He knew that such a person could only be Gongsun Hyun here.
Jin Cheon-hee put a finger to his lips and said, "Shh."
Gongsun Hyun stopped abruptly, clasped her hands, and bowed her head.
Jin Cheon-hee returned the gesture and quietly left the place.
Gongsun Hyun stood guard over Gongsun Yeong as Jin Cheon-hee walked away with a smile.
The long time of no-self was coming to an end.
Gongsun Yeong's world slowly moved from the past to the present.
She forgot herself and everything she had learned.
She forgot the sound of birds and the scent of grass.
Beyond forgetting everything, only the whisper of a boy helped her.
However, she couldn't remember the boy's name.
Who was he? It didn't matter.
She had already forgotten even her own name.
Only the quiet state of no-self dominated her.
Her sword moved forward silently in any situation.
One second.
The answer lay in that one second, slower than others.
Why was speed considered speed? To make that slow second the second that overturned everything, she had to hone her speed.
"I was intoxicated by the trees, not the forest. The beautiful thing is the forest..."
Her sword dance headed towards its conclusion.
Finally, a single strike unfolded from her hand.
Gongsun Sword Technique: Blue Pine Returning Sword, Single Strike
The stronger the enemy's sword, the more the path of the sword advanced from her fingertips.
Her sword energy pierced through the massive black granite in the clearing.
It wasn't broken.
It wasn't shattered.
To cut through it like a radish required an immensely high level of sword enlightenment.
Her sword did not cut.
The condensed sword path became a point and pierced the space.
The line became a point.
And the point became a line.
It looked like a pine needle.
"Huuu--"
At the end of no-self, she felt regret.
The time of no-self, which a martial artist might experience once in a lifetime, was over.
She had grasped it and achieved success.
But she wanted to gain more.
It was the desire of a martial artist.
"More..."
At that moment, her sword changed.
The sword energy finally became sword threads.
From the shape of a mirage, the energy began to thinly extend like threads.
And then the threads broke.
At that moment, the broken threads began to stretch out, drawing dozens of straight lines.
Kwa-cha-cha-chang---!
If Jin Cheon-hee had seen it, he would have been shocked.
"It's beyond the problem of counterattack; it means just touching it will kill you," he would have shouted.
The state of no-self finally ended.
She pondered what name to give this sword path.
With two realizations, she felt that she had entered the ranks of supreme masters.
"It's the blessing of the Gongsun family."
At the voice, she looked up.
Gongsun Hyun was standing there.
Around her, the martial artists of the Gongsun family were standing guard.
"Sister."
"Congratulations on becoming a supreme master."
Her voice was stiff, and her face expressionless, conscious of others' eyes.
But she couldn't hide the blush on her sister's cheeks.
Her cheeks were redder with joy than ever before.
Following her words, the martial artists of the Gongsun family each spoke.
"Congratulations, young lady!"
"My goodness, congratulations."
"It's a joyous occasion. We must inform the family quickly."
The people who had been chattering looked at each other's faces and then shouted in unison.
"Congratulations on becoming a supreme master!"
Gongsun Yeong waved her hand.
"This is all thanks to Jin Cheon-hee, that child. I have incurred a debt that cannot be repaid with the Black Pine Cloud Sword. Where is that child?"
After begging to see the Black Pine Cloud Sword in action, he had instead given her a great opportunity.
She had to repay this great favor that couldn't be repaid with a sword.
Whether it was silver or gold, she had to return what she received.
That was Gongsun Yeong's code.
But at that moment, Gongsun Yeong's body swayed and collapsed.
It wasn't an ordinary sword, but a sword of no-self.
She had exhausted all her energy to gain enlightenment in the state of no-self.
She had swung her sword with energy for half a day.
It was stamina far beyond that of ordinary martial artists.
But even that had its limits.
Her sister, Gongsun Hyun, shouted in surprise.
"Support her. Quickly! No, I will support her myself."
Forgetting the eyes around her, Gongsun Hyun personally embraced and supported her sister.
"I have to go, I have to go..."
Inside the body that had reached its limit, Gongsun Yeong's consciousness slowly flickered out.
While the Gongsun family was turned upside down by Gongsun Yeong's enlightenment, Jin Cheon-hee met Little Heavenly Demon, Yeo Ha-ryun.
Even though they met, they didn't do anything special.
Like children of their age, they shared delicious food and chatted.
Yeo Ha-ryun seemed eager to know Jin Cheon-hee's secret plan regarding the Blood Palace, but there was nothing he could do.
Even if he asked, Jin Cheon-hee would just smile slyly and say there was no need to rush.
The two sneaked out of the escort agency and headed to the market.
There, they sold sparrow skewers.
They caught sparrows, removed the innards, and grilled them.
While grilling, they brushed them with soy sauce seasoning, making the meat chewy and the taste exceptional.
"It's tastier than the sparrows I ate when I was young."
"How young are you talking about?"
At Jin Cheon-hee's words, Yeo Ha-ryun asked with a look that said he was saying something absurd.
Jin Cheon-hee chuckled at the question.
"Indeed. How young was I... I thought I'd never eat it again."
To eat something he couldn't eat while alive, only to eat it after dying, Jin Cheon-hee thought life was truly unpredictable.
"You don't have money, do you? I'll pay."
At those words, Yeo Ha-ryun's young cheeks turned red with shame.
He had spent all his silver to follow the escort agency.
Jin Cheon-hee casually handed Yeo Ha-ryun a sparrow skewer.
"I got a lot of pocket money. These days, the elders of the escort agency seem eager to give me something whenever they see me. Since I'm treating, just eat."
It wasn't just because he was acting like a polite and cute boy.
Thanks to Jin Cheon-hee, they were able to save people who would have died.
He had saved people that even the renowned White Lin Physician couldn't save.
The grace of saving a life was a heavy burden for people of the martial world, and Jin Cheon-hee knew this well.
It was only natural that the families of those who survived, the survivors themselves, and their friends and colleagues at the Yunryong Escort Agency viewed Jin Cheon-hee favorably.
As he was thinking about this, Jin Cheon-hee noticed that Yeo Ha-ryun's expression was strange.
"Did you say brother...?"
Yeo Ha-ryun responded as if he had heard something he shouldn't have.
Although still young, his handsome face promised a bright future, and looking at it made Jin Cheon-hee feel mischievous for some reason.
"I decided to be your brother. And that's what brothers do."
"Ugh, but..."
It seemed he wasn't entirely convinced.
Yeo Ha-ryun stared at the sparrow skewer Jin Cheon-hee handed him and eventually took a bite.
His eyes widened, and he began to eat it eagerly, bite after bite.
"Yes, yes. Being an orphan is tough."
Wasn't it something he had wished for at least once in his life? To have a family like other kids.
Watching siblings buy delicious things for each other, he often felt envious.
Jin Cheon-hee patted Yeo Ha-ryun's back.
"Live well, kid. Don't get discouraged. You have a brother."
"Without any internal energy?"
"What's the big deal about that? Look at the people here. They all live well without internal energy. The problem with martial artists is that they don't treat you like a person if you don't have internal energy. Do you think you can live without eating if you have martial arts? Do you not need a house? Do you walk around without clothes?"
Jin Cheon-hee answered shamelessly.
At first, it seemed like nonsense, but listening to Jin Cheon-hee's words, there was something persuasive about it.
"Oh, it's tanghulu. I'll go buy some, so wait here for a moment."
Jin Cheon-hee bought a few tanghulu to give to Yeo Ha-ryun.
The hawthorn berries coated in syrup made his mouth water.
"Here's the money."
Although he hadn't been in this world for long, Jin Cheon-hee was skilled at handling money.
Perhaps it was thanks to his experience volunteering overseas? Jin Cheon-hee quickly handed over the coins before the street vendor could even say how much it was.
At that moment, he heard a shout from behind.
"You brat!"
Hearing the commotion, Jin Cheon-hee ran over with the tanghulu, and sure enough, people had gathered.
In the middle of the crowd were Yeo Ha-ryun and some burly men.
It was clear that some sort of dispute had arisen.
"To pick a fight with such a young kid, those guys are really something."
Trash exists everywhere, and it seems this place is no exception.
At least they hadn't drawn their swords, so they must have some conscience left.
One of the men swung his fist at Yeo Ha-ryun.
Yeo Ha-ryun's afterimage disappeared.
Swoosh— Then he appeared right behind the man.
Whack! It was a light kick without internal energy, but the man's waist bent.
"What is this...!"
Without saying anything, Yeo Ha-ryun quickly took down all three men.
He won.
It was a one-sided fight that couldn't even be called a battle.
People murmured in surprise.
"To take down those Three Dogs, is he the young master of some prestigious family?"
As expected, their nickname included the word "dog."
"They were already causing trouble by overturning stalls and hitting old ladies, but now I feel relieved."
"Hehe, he's my little brother."
His shoulders naturally puffed up.
Now they just needed to share the tanghulu and head back, Jin Cheon-hee thought.
It was then.
Yeo Ha-ryun grabbed the arm of one of the fallen Three Dogs.
Then he twisted the arm in the opposite direction.
Crack— "Aaaah!" A scream echoed painfully.
Yeo Ha-ryun didn't care and twisted the man's other leg.
Crack— "Argh! Aaaah!" Then he climbed on top and started pounding the man's face with his fist.
The sound of a skull breaking echoed.
The relentless and brutal actions froze the onlookers.
Jin Cheon-hee ran over.