Preparation (2)
The Crown Prince approached.
Jeong Yeon-shin stood still, holding his sword.
At this moment, the foundation of skills capable of handling a group was being established.
"See you often," said Crown Prince Joo Yun-myung.
That was it.
The Crown Prince showed no more emotion.
It seemed he had lived that way.
'Does he mean not to die a lonely death somewhere?' Jeong Yeon-shin raised his head after bowing.
It was after the Crown Prince had entered the armory.
Cheong-myeong, who approached slowly, wrapped an arm around Jeong Yeon-shin's shoulder.
"That's how people's goodwill is. It's not something you can gain at once. If you want the position of the Divine Sword Leader, even goodwill is not enough. You have to build trust. Consistency is the answer, you could say."
"You're right. Anyway, accumulating achievements comes first," Jeong Yeon-shin replied nonchalantly.
He sheathed his sword and hung it at his waist along with the Imperial Yellow Sword.
A sword was a consumable.
A sword that didn't dull was said to be a rare masterpiece in the world.
The feel of the newly acquired Northern Sword approached with a pleasantly cool sensation.
"Go ahead. I have somewhere to be."
"Alright," Cheong-myeong answered plainly and turned away.
Cheong-an Sword Cheong-myeong.
Though he seemed friendly, he was a person who had no regrets in everything.
Jeong Yeon-shin watched his back for a moment before moving his steps.
It was the time promised as the sunset approached.
At the end of his steps, stepping on the twilight, was the true nature of the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord.
He entered without any particular hindrance and climbed the stairs.
Since becoming a Blue, he felt completely integrated into the Imperial Yellow Castle.
"Seomyeip..."
It was the moment he uttered the name that became his courtesy name after the coming-of-age ceremony.
The thick stone door of the Lord's office opened by itself.
It was the same as during the Imperial Yellow Ceremony.
Now, he could feel a very slight energy wave.
It was called Void Grasping.
A realm where one could touch all things without laying a hand on them.
Was it a fragment of martial arts that single-handedly destroyed the royal family of Daeli?
The period right after the founding of the Ming was said to be turbulent.
The Imperial Yellow Castle Lord could have entered the imperial palace but did not marry anyone.
Even when the former Empress Dowager, who was said to still be in good health, repeatedly urged, she refused.
She simply lived as the Grand Tutor, teaching the emperor's successors and living as the Divine Sword of the Great Ming.
The overwhelming martial power of the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord was thus formed.
'I need to increase my internal energy.' Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
He imagined himself as the Divine Sword Leader, floating two swords in the air.
If the sword moved on its own, separate from his main body deploying the Flowerless Ultimate Fist, the utility would be tremendous.
If it were to that extent, he wouldn't need to worry about martial power to achieve merit.
It was a distant matter.
"You seem relaxed, thinking of other things in front of me."
A clear voice rang out, turning his gaze.
The thick tree trunks that pierced through the office were always strange to see.
A woman lying slantwise on the tree came into view.
Her presence was unchanged.
Her beauty, which seemed only a few years older than Jeong Yeon-shin, was said to be a symbol of immortality.
Her deep green eyes, which seemed to stiffen the soul, were overwhelming.
They were different from the gaze of any other top master.
Her long, light green hair did not move at all.
It meant she had completely gathered her energy wave.
'Yet, I can feel her rank.
What realm could it be?' He first apologized for the intrusion.
The Imperial Yellow Castle Lord slowly opened her mouth.
"It seems you have made up your mind."
"Yes. I request a mental cultivation method from you, Lord. I hope it is a martial art with a fast energy absorption rate."
He had come to request the martial art promised before.
Thanks to the reckless request for a duel by Ma Se-in of the Imperial Yellow Horse Family.
A reward tied to the friendship between his maternal grandfather, the former Divine Sword Leader, and the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord.
There was no need to delay further.
Jeong Yeon-shin was now clearly aware of what he lacked the most.
"A mental cultivation method. Yes, the amount of true energy is also important. Once the vessel is polished, it must be filled with water."
She continued with a smile.
"Something comes to mind. Come here."
"Yes."
Jeong Yeon-shin moved without hesitation.
He had already completed the vessel of nothingness.
The Jeong Family's Martial Arts was unparalleled for refining the body.
However, there were various absorption methods in the world for accumulating energy.
It was called energy accumulation.
'I must create a mental cultivation method with a fast energy accumulation rate.' This couldn't be inspired by watching someone else's energy circulation.
It was right to directly feel a divine skill.
It was enough to know by what mystery the energy of the world was quickly drawn in.
Afterward, he planned to create a mental cultivation method most suitable for his body.
"What are you doing?" The Imperial Yellow Castle Lord asked.
It seemed to be because Jeong Yeon-shin stood blankly in front of her.
"You told me to come closer."
"Closer, I said."
"What do you mean by closer?" At his puzzled words, the corners of the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord's mouth slightly lifted.
"It seems this is your first time receiving proper instruction in energy absorption methods. If training with a manual were enough, there would be no need for a master. Reciting formulas is not sufficient."
She slowly rose.
Her long legs, which had been stretched out, were drawn in.
The hem of her light green martial robe brushed against the tree bark, making a small sound.
She sat with each foot placed on the opposite thigh.
It was a lotus position.
"Sit properly in front of me. I will guide your true energy. A mental cultivation method must be learned in this way, all at once."
"Yes. But before that."
Jeong Yeon-shin stepped back three steps.
He slowly began to bow.
It was because of the meaning martial arts held in the martial world.
It was an era where the honor of a sect was valued more than personal advancement.
Passing down a technique that would remain in history for a long time.
It was impossible not to serve as a master.
Prohibiting the master-disciple relationship? The Lord was above the laws of the Imperial Yellow Castle.
'She doesn't stop me.' It seemed to mean acknowledgment.
Jeong Yeon-shin bowed once and stood up.
That was enough.
One does not bow more than twice to the living.
The customs of the Central Plains, where Taoism had taken root, were like that.
The martial world was still the same.
He sat in front of the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord, who wore a mysterious smile.
Seeing her face up close, her skin was astonishingly white and transparent.
She laughed softly.
"That's not it. Turn your back."
A faint breath brushed Jeong Yeon-shin's cheek.
It was a very thin exhalation.
He wondered how much internal cultivation she had accumulated for her breath to be so deep.
Feeling a renewed sense of awe, Jeong Yeon-shin turned his body. 'I thought she would teach me the formulas first and then guide my true energy.'
It seemed she intended to finish the martial arts transmission early.
He remembered when he passed on the energy of the Small Heavenly Pill to Yoo Hyun, a disciple of the Volcano Sect's Head.
Jeong Yeon-shin could speak while circulating energy.
It seemed the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord could do such a thing too.
"It's called the Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula. It's my unique martial art."
With her voice, her hand touched Jeong Yeon-shin's back.
It was very warm.
Separate from her appearance, which seemed like a sister, he wondered if this was what the feeling of a mother he had never seen would be like.
A pure internal energy, more than he could have imagined, penetrated his body.
A stream of pure energy, as if it contained the energy of nature itself, entered.
All the meridians and acupoints in his body began to fill one by one.
It was a movement showing the energy accumulation path of the Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula.
"This is how it's done. Feel it."
Jeong Yeon-shin calmed his mind and closed his eyes.
He felt the flow of true energy along with the voice of the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord, who was teaching him the formulas.
As time gradually passed, his consciousness began to circulate the energy on its own.
"Yes, that's right."
Her low voice encouraged the flow.
Half a shichen was enough.
As the fingertips of the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord, who had been touching his back, withdrew, her internal energy also dispersed.
Jeong Yeon-shin acquired the divine skill with just one cycle of circulation, feeling it while listening to the formulas.
There was no need for more.
A breath with a hint of laughter tickled Jeong Yeon-shin's nape.
Her whisper reached his ear.
"If you encounter any blockage, come and ask."
"Thank you for the reward."
Jeong Yeon-shin turned around after stepping down and politely cupped his fists.
She smiled at him again.
On the way to Ma Gwang-ik Pavilion after leaving the office, his heart was elated.
Jeong Yeon-shin realized anew how vast the world of martial arts was.
It was different from the true energy operation of various sword techniques and fist techniques.
He realized that there was transcendent martial arts even in the method of drawing in the energy of nature and storing it in the body.
Was it the Lord's consideration? The Moon Spirit Harmonization Formula did not reject the energy of the Jeong Family's Martial Arts.
Like her energy, which seemed to embrace all things.
"Very good."
He muttered to himself without realizing it.
It felt like all sorts of inspiration were surging.
It seemed he could create a mental cultivation method that far surpassed the third-rate level right away. 'I miss Se-in.'
He felt very grateful to his distant relative Ma Se-in and his foolish maternal grandfather Ma Yeon-jeok.
Jeong Yeon-shin devoted himself to mental cultivation training and creation until the evening of the next day.
Sitting under the bed and refining internal energy was something he hadn't done since childhood.
Focusing solely on the living energy inside and outside his body didn't feel bad.
It was when he completed a full cycle of the major circulation throughout his body.
Do Yu-won from the General Affairs Department visited Jeong Yeon-shin's room.
"It's truly a congratulatory matter. Another direct disciple of the Lord has been born."
Do Yu-won said with a wide smile, holding two sets of blue clothes on his arm.
"What is that...?"
"You received a new martial robe just the other day, but you'll have to wear something else."
Do Yu-won carefully unfolded a set of clothes he had in his arms.
It seemed to be a martial robe.
There wasn't much difference from the blue martial robe the Imperial Yellow Castle Lord had given him during the promotion ceremony.
Only the color of the 'Rough Yellow' character embroidered on both shoulders and the back was different.
The 'Huang' (荒) character was embroidered with golden thread.
"Those who have been instructed in the Lord's martial arts possess a symbolic significance regardless of the color of their martial robe. They are bound to become famous in the martial world. Therefore, it is only right for you, Jeong So-hyeop, to receive the ceremony of the main castle like the other royal family members. The General Affairs Department has prepared it."
"I see. Thank you."
Jeong Yeon-shin accepted the blue martial robe with golden thread.
At the same time, Do Yu-won, who had a look of realization, added more.
"Actually, we were mindful of the Crown Prince, whom you are already serving. Although the Lord doesn't care, people like us are different. But for some reason, he let it pass smoothly."
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded calmly and saw him off.
He immediately changed his clothes and left the room.
There was a summons from Ma Jin.
The golden letters were very eye-catching.
The eyes of the seniors he encountered here and there widened in surprise.
He brushed it off, saying it just happened, and arrived at the Grand Martial Arts Hall, where Ma Gwang-il's team and Ma Jin were gathered.
The junior Shin So-bin, who had been assigned to the team this time, was also present.
"So, So-hyeop! What is that resplendent golden appearance?!"
Jeong Yeon-shin casually responded to Heon Won-chang's fuss.
Ma Jin spoke.
"I'll speak plainly. We've all agreed on a short mission cycle. First, under the leadership of the Blue Seomye, Heon Won-chang and Shin So-bin will initially go on the mission. The three of you are suitable. It's a task that requires young faces."
"Young faces?" Jeong Yeon-shin quietly asked back.
Suddenly, he remembered the young martial artists' romance that the Shaolin monk had talked about.
"There are those whom the world calls a righteous martial family. You've heard of them. The Hwangbo Family."
Ma Jin said, twisting the scar on his lips.
"The truth is different. The Changcheon Sect already uncovered the secret long ago. Those guys are using commoners to build a new foundation for their family. Without compensation, not allowing them to engage in their livelihoods. They're making them do labor that the royal family hasn't ordered. Forcing the people."
"Those scoundrels!" "It's a common thing."
Heon Won-chang and Shin So-bin's reactions contrasted at that moment.
The martial artists of the great sects are superhumans.
They possess martial power that allows them to act as gods in the lives of the people.
With manpower that can be commanded with a finger at their disposal, there are those who can't help but wield their power.
"There are over a thousand forced laborers. The livelihood directly connected to tribute is a very sensitive issue. There's a limit to turning a blind eye to the local martial aristocrats. However, when it comes to punishing the righteous sects, we must be meticulous. All public sentiment and perception must support the Imperial Yellow Castle."
After pausing for a moment, Ma Jin continued.
"They completely dominate the land of Jinan in Shandong. They act as if they're already a royal family. There's a limit to exposing their behavior. Seomye, you're important."
"What is the mission content?" "Participate in the Yongbong Gathering with the two Whites, hiding your identity. This time, the Yongbong Gathering is hosted by the Namgung Family in Namjiye. It's right above Shandong, so the young master of the Hwangbo Family will come."
After pausing for a moment, Ma Jin finally delivered Jeong Yeon-shin's fourth mission.
"Your mission is provocation. Agitate him so that the young master goes crazy. Make it so that he can't help but mobilize his family to eliminate you. The Hwangbo Family's power must move greatly. Their dominance over the entire Jinan area must show a gap."
"What happens if I succeed?" "While you're in Namjiye, we'll immediately extract reliable witnesses and evidence. It's something we've prepared for a long time. Three of the seventeen Divine Sword Teams will gather. The Ma Gwang-ik Team, Changcheon Team, and Myeolseom Team will attack the Hwangbo Family."
It was a statement of intent to annihilate one of the Eight Great Families of the righteous martial world.
It was truly an enormous matter.
The cooperation of three Divine Sword Teams was also significant.
There are thirteen evil sects in the Central Plains, and with missions being carried out all over the vast world, seventeen teams were enough.
If three groups gathered, they could discuss invincibility.
'Crazy...!' Jeong Yeon-shin felt a thrill.
Heon Won-chang and Shin So-bin seemed to feel the same, their eyes wide open.
He opened his mouth with as calm an expression as possible.
He had to ask the most important thing.
"About the young master of the Hwangbo Family. If the behavior or situation is unfavorable, can I take his head?"
"That's left to the discretion of the Blue Warrior. That's the hierarchy of the Blue. You can handle anything as long as you can take responsibility."
Ma Jin answered with a smile.
Baek Mi-ryeo, who was next to him, spoke with a worried expression.
"Seomye. Be aware that it's a very dangerous mission. Don't overdo it. That young master, he's destined to die anyway. He gained tremendous talent but was born with a short-lived constitution. He's already famous."
Cheong-myeong added a word.
"They say he's a genius of the Solar Divine Vein. He'll be quite strong."