"Mine? You mean this spirit pill?"
"Yes. The leaders of the Divine Sword Alliance are groups comparable to the core forces of the Nine Factions. The supplies provided along with the budget include spirit pills and spirit elixirs. Though not in abundance... Of course, there are no grand items like the Spirit Herb or the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. I’ve heard that the Shaolin Temple has the Great Spirit Pill, but that is not my concern."
Majin smiled slightly.
"You have a face that wants to take me as your master. It's a pity, but the laws of the Yul Law of the Imperial City prohibit master-disciple relationships among those of the same nature. It’s because I worry it might affect your mission."
"I appreciate it, but I hadn’t thought that far."
"I understand."
"Should I bow in gratitude? Is it okay to do so here?"
"If you are not afraid of the consequences of the strict law, then go ahead."
He received the spirit pill that he tossed to him.
Jeong Yeon-shin stared blankly at the white pill.
He had never seen anything like this in his hometown.
He hadn’t even had the chance to see it.
Not because the family head disliked him, but simply because a rural martial family would never possess something like a spirit pill.
"With your level of inner strength, you should see great effects. Have you ever consumed a spirit elixir before?"
"No."
"Melting the effects of the elixir into your inner strength cannot be done with ordinary luck. If you’re not careful, you might waste the precious effects. I can help you. Let’s go."
"Master."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you being so kind to me?"
It was a question that someone tainted by the mundane world would not have asked.
It was a question that could only be asked by a boy with nowhere to go.
The scar crossing Majin's face twitched with amusement.
"I’m not particularly taking care of you. Everyone in the Ma Gwang Ik feels the same. Once you experience life-and-death missions a few times, you’ll understand."
He patted Jeong Yeon-shin on the shoulder and walked ahead.
Jeong Yeon-shin, who was staring at his back, slowly followed.
He lightly tapped the arm of Hyeon Won-chang, who was looking at him with envy.
There was a reaction.
It was not just the masters of the two martial factions present at the martial arts competition.
The rumors spread quickly.
"Yun Seong-kyung! I heard a great hidden talent has joined your side?"
"Hidden talent?"
"Why? The rumors are everywhere. That young swordsman who joined your White Faction. I heard he fought against the Changcheon Faction. Gu Ik-hwan from the Changcheon Faction is quite a skilled swordsman, isn’t he? His skills surely wouldn’t be inferior to those of the Imperial City’s Blue Faction."
"No. I don’t know about hidden talents, but he is certainly monstrous. How should I put it... I feel more anxious than excited."
"Anxious?"
In response to the question from another martial faction's warrior, Baek Mi-ryeo of the Yun Seong-kyung spoke again.
"He has a sincere and humble nature, and while it can be annoying when he sometimes speaks the truth without hesitation, he is fundamentally polite. However..."
"But?"
"He thoroughly analyzes martial arts. Cheongmyeong. Isn’t that right?"
The man with blue eyes next to her nodded with a light smile.
"It’s a talent I’ve never seen before."
"When I use the inch power during a duel with others, he somehow manages to adopt a different stance and apply the same principle beside me. It’s quite bothersome, but when I look back, my own technique has become much more precise. It’s to the point where I hesitate to use my martial arts in front of him because he has a natural talent for reinterpretation."
"Before that, he is already learning."
Cheongmyeong lightly added.
"That’s right. I believe if he hadn’t come to the Imperial City, he would have surely died somewhere."
"Would the martial sects allow someone like that to live?"
Before long, Baek Mi-ryeo and Cheongmyeong were deep in conversation.
The warrior who had been pushed to the back frowned.
"What are you talking about? Are you making fun of me? I don’t understand."
"I feel the same way," Baek Mi-ryeo muttered.
Then she gestured to Cheongmyeong as if to send him over.
The Ma Gwang Ik main hall.
Cheongmyeong, Baek Mi-ryeo, and the blue masters of Ma Gwang Ik naturally surrounded the area.
Warriors hidden on the roof and those who spoke calmly with visitors without moving from their spots.
Inside the main hall, which corresponded to the center of the surveillance network, were Jeong Yeon-shin and Majin.
Majin placed a hand on the back of the boy sitting cross-legged and spoke.
"You may not know how much of the elixir’s effects you can absorb. Even if it seems you haven’t reached the expected level, do not act rashly. You can build your inner strength at any time, but if your dantian or meridians are damaged, you will have to spend a long time recovering. If you don’t want to remain stagnant, keep this in mind."
"Yes, Master."
The sincerity that the entire Ma Gwang Ik poured into the youngest was truly immense.
Jeong Yeon-shin felt it was more than he deserved.
Was this what it meant to be part of a sect?
An unfamiliar feeling tickled the top of his head.
"Listen. It’s truly amazing that you have already reached the Great Master level. There’s no need to circulate your vital energy in your lower body. Think of connecting the main meridians of your upper body by linking the Yin and Yang meridians from end to end. Place the elixir’s energy into the flow of your vital energy and continuously circulate it until it melts. That is the essence of consuming a spirit pill. I will intervene if your energy becomes unstable, so don’t be surprised and just comply."
"Yes."
Jeong Yeon-shin took the spirit pill and placed it in his mouth.
As he swished it around, he felt no taste.
They say that the supreme spirit pills like those from the Shaolin Temple dissolve on the tongue the moment they are consumed, but the one in his mouth had to be chewed and swallowed.
Soon, energy surged from the spirit pill that had entered his body.
In the time it took to drink two cups of tea, the circulation of his energy was complete.
Majin didn’t even have time to help him.
He now wore an expression that seemed to have given up on understanding.
"... Congratulations. You’ve fully absorbed it. All the effects of the elixir."
"Yes. The increased vital energy is incredibly robust. It’s incomparable to what I had before."
Having consumed a spirit elixir and a spirit pill for the first time, Jeong Yeon-shin marveled as he observed his internal state.
It was as they said.
The amount of inner strength that had originally been pitiful was even less than the supply spirit pill from the Imperial City.
‘How did I manage to fight with such inner strength? Only now do I have a bit of vital energy that befits the White Faction.’
Majin spoke, his face now showing a sense of relief.
"I must go out. Not just you, but the seniors as well. This is not something we can do."
"Is it burdensome?"
The scar that had descended to Majin's chin was pulled up.
Now, it was a smile that felt almost friendly.
"There’s no need to worry. Once you go out into the martial world and exchange your life a few times, it will become second nature. The better your martial arts, the better."
"And you’ll also build your reputation, right?"
If he survived, he would repay the favor, no matter how big or small.
Seeing Majin nod, he spoke as if to himself.
"I want to go out into the martial world."
He expressed his gratitude for the seniors' congratulations more than a dozen times.
Preparing the tea was exhausting.
‘Cheongmyeong and Baek Mi-ryeo don’t even seem like warriors.
They casually touch my shoulders and head.’
Excessive physical contact among martial artists is always awkward.
The martial world is a tangled web of gratitude and grudges.
How could he know if he wouldn’t end up stirring things up with the Internal Family Heavy Hand techniques?
While he had gained the favor of the seniors through the duel with the Changcheon Faction, Jeong Yeon-shin himself had yet to fully integrate into Ma Gwang Ik.
The power he had gained from accepting the spirit pill had become stronger, but his mind felt exhausted.
When he returned to his lodging, it was different.
"Are you going to practice again?" Hyeon Won-chang asked with a look of exasperation.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded vaguely and left the room.
‘The Great Martial Hall is burdensome right now.’
Ma Gwang Ik had two types of training halls.
The Great Martial Hall was for preparing for group battles or receiving instructions regarding missions and laws.
And now, he was heading to the Small Martial Hall, where the masters of Ma Gwang Ik practiced martial arts other than the Ma Gwang Gyeol.
He passed by the back of the Great Martial Hall.
A large building without a ceiling came into view.
It felt like a maze of the Yellow Tomb built on the ground.
The energy waves resonating from within were already extraordinary.
Training was not something Jeong Yeon-shin was doing alone.
For someone who had reached a certain level of inner strength, discerning the energy waves of others was not difficult.
He passed by rooms with people and searched for an empty one.
Even if he couldn’t feel the energy, he passed by places covered with nameless cloth that served as doors, just in case.
It was when he discovered an empty training room that he heard a voice.
-Youngest! Not a loud voice, but a soft one.
It was the etiquette of the Small Martial Hall.
They said to be cautious as someone might gain enlightenment.
Looking back, Baek Mi-ryeo of the Yun Seong-kyung stood there, her hands radiating waves of vital energy.
She had a trained body that seemed to have learned a powerful martial art, exuding a formidable aura that made it hard to approach her.
He cautiously approached at her gesture.
-What’s wrong?
He had learned the soft voice technique with Ma Gwang Gyeol, but he was still a bit clumsy.
The voice needed to be solidly condensed and projected, but to Jeong Yeon-shin, it still felt like a gentle breeze.
It was due to his lack of mastery over the level of inner strength known as "fire timing."
Fortunately, Baek Mi-ryeo didn’t seem to mind much.
-I need a partner.
Would you like to take a move from me?
-Did you gain some insight? Congratulations.
-It’s just a small hint.
I wouldn’t say I can’t mix hands after showing such a martial art, would I?
-Wouldn’t it be noisy?
-Let’s go outside.
The two left the Small Martial Hall.
As they walked in silence, when they got close to the Great Martial Hall, Baek Mi-ryeo spoke.
"If you had a planned training session, I apologize. I was in a hurry. The inspiration suddenly came to me."
"This might be better. Training alone is always possible, but receiving the guidance of a senior like you is a rare opportunity."
"My name is in swordsmanship, so why am I talking about guidance?"
"Weren’t you focusing with both hands while holding the sword? If you were training in drawing the sword, it would be another matter. A senior like you would immediately unleash a swift sword regardless of where your hands are."
As they chatted, they soon arrived at the Great Martial Hall.
Those who enjoyed training in the open without caring about showing off their postures and those who were practicing Ma Gwang Gyeol nodded their heads.
"Alright. Let’s start by sparring."
"I’ll take the first move."
Since coming to the Imperial City, he had heard the phrase about yielding the first move so many times it was exhausting.
At Jeong Yeon-shin’s bold words, Baek Mi-ryeo chuckled and gestured.
She held nothing in her hands, and Jeong Yeon-shin drew his sword without hesitation.
And in an astonishingly quick moment, his wrist was caught.
She had swiftly closed in and seized him.
The speed of her Golden Needle was incredible.
The blue warrior, who was not caught off guard, was this strong.
He barely saw her hand coming.
‘Not yet.
Ma Gwang Gyeol.’
His left hand remained.
He tried to strike with the energy following the flow of his vital energy, but the distance was too close for him to exert his strength.
Instead, their bodies pressed closer together.
At that moment, Baek Mi-ryeo’s hand, which was also about an inch away, struck his abdomen.
"Ugh!"
It was a powerful strike that was hard to believe given the distance.
His body was pushed back, but his captured wrist remained still.
Immediately, Jeong Yeon-shin’s Ma Gwang Gyeol instinctively guided his body, and in an instant, he struck upward with a knee filled with the energy of the moment.
With a thud, his arm, which had been flung back, was now being caressed by Baek Mi-ryeo.
Her face showed both surprise and satisfaction.
"You applied the energy of the strike with elasticity. I felt it, and indeed, the efficiency of the inch power has improved. I could apply even more force."
She spoke as if she were pleased.
"Have you trained in inch power?"
"A swordsman who has learned Ma Gwang Gyeol cannot only use the sword. In close combat, inch power is extremely useful. If the opponent has layered energy on their body, you can start by breaking that defensive energy."
Jeong Yeon-shin cautiously opened his mouth.
"May I, a humble newcomer, say something? I’ve been sensitive to energy since I was young, and your handling of vital energy caught my eye."
"You can see the movement of the vital energy? I can’t believe it, even from you."
"I can only observe the flow of vital energy spreading outward along with the experience of the strike. How could I see the vital energy that remains within my body?"
"Just that alone is hard to believe. Such sensitivity to energy... Perhaps only a purple master would possess it."
She was referring to the hierarchy of the Imperial City, which was divided into Baek Cheong Heuk.
Baek Mi-ryeo, who had slightly widened her eyes, soon continued with a calm expression.
"But you... we also felt something. Yes. Thank you for listening, youngest."
At the end of her words, she smiled playfully.
Jeong Yeon-shin opened his mouth with a puzzled expression.
"I’ve recently been learning the strike technique from the Master, and I feel that your technique is more suited for internal energy than inch power. The way you handle your vital energy seems to fit the Internal Family Heavy Hand techniques."
"Hmm?"
"If you had released your internal energy with the same experience, it would have been much... Ah, are you already at that level with the Internal Family Heavy Hand techniques?"
"What?" Baek Mi-ryeo's eyes widened slightly.