Chapter 196: Time Flows Like Water (3)

So-mu was immersed in deep meditation, leaving his body to the wind. Without even moving for several days.

The purpose was to raise the potential of Hwagyeong to its limit. It was impossible without new enlightenment.

“What am I and what am I not?”

Universe. So-mu’s question was about the universe. A being like a speck of dust in a vast space and time.

“If I were the universe, I could change all things in the universe according to my will.”

He was unaware of the changes taking place in him now. A subtle golden halo appeared and surrounds the head.

“All the emptiness that dominates the universe was my space. I am not conquered by the universe. “My will can destroy the universe and dominate it.”

My closed eyes suddenly opened. A dazzling radiance emanating from her eyes. A brilliant light spread like waves.

And that moment. So-mu”s mouth was soft.

“That”s why I can cut down the black sky and cut down the universe.”

So-mu held the top of the sword sheath in his left hand, lowered his upper body, and adjusted his posture.

Pacheon Sword Technique, Jeolcho, destruction of heaven.

It requires a high level of concentration as it was a form that releases enormous internal energy in a short moment as if exploding. I only came up with it as a theory, and so far I haven’t even dared to put it into practice.

If even the slightest mistake occurs, it will lead directly to fatal internal injuries. So-mu concentrated all his attention and took one last deep breath.

And in a split second, his blade swept across the front, leaving an afterimage.

Belatedly, a ray of thunder shook the basin of Taigong Mountain.

Kwakwang-!

It was a move that unfolded at the speed of light so that the eye could not follow it.

Compared to other forms, it wasn’t flashy. However, this form contained all the energies of pleasure, fantasy, strength, and pleasure, so it was the closest to perfect form that a human could create.

“Is it a success?”

Although I haven’t tried it in real life yet, it was a satisfactory result.

Due to my new realization, my whole body moved a little lighter. I was also able to see farther away and hear quieter sounds.

The goal was to reached the pinnacle of enlightenment so that one can use the legendary martial arts sword technique, but it was not possible to fill up on the first technique. I decided to be satisfied with this for now.

So-mu, whose complexion became brighter, slumped down on the floor.

This was because the consumption of internal power was so extreme that even after executing a single stance, he had to sit and circulate his qi.

“But how many days has it been since I came here?”

Because I was in a trance and had forgotten the concepts of space and time, I had no idea.

All he remembered was coming up before winter. And now the surrounding temperature was not that cold. It seemed like less time had passed than expected.

So-mu, who had started the breathing exercises, stood up after half hour. It was to descend.

Paang-!

His body, which flew up from a high, rugged mountain, moved like the wind.

I gradually began to feel better thanks to the much lighter light techniques. I wanted to quickly return to my home and see the faces of my wife and daughter.

So-mu ran home a month later and opened the front door with a light gesture.

Wow!

The huge beast that was crouching in the yard suddenly stood up.

“Dalong! How have you been?”

Did you hear a welcome voice? At that moment, the left door burst open.

A girl wearing pajamas ran out of the room barefoot.

“I missed you, father!”

So-so came running after a month and clung to my waist like a cicada.

My daughter’s eyes were watering. Even though it had only been a few days, something was strange.

Plus, I felt like I had grown a little taller. And the bald head that used to shine has now grown out like a bowl.

“My daughter, what did you eat that made your hair grow so fast?”

The answer came from the room on the right.

Seolhwa, with her arms crossed, was glaring at the door frame with a gloomy expression.

“I thought you abandoned us and ran away, but it looks like you didn”t forget. Even though it”s a closed training course, you disappear for half a year?”

So-mu was shocked. No matter how much I wandered through space in a state of foolishness, I could never have imagined that such a long time would have passed in an instant.

“…Half a year has passed?”

Seolhwa looked at So-mu”s expression and headed to the kitchen.

“I don”t think it”s an act. I”ll prepare the table first, so just wait a moment.”

“Thank you, Yeonmae. Thank you for your hard work.”

What more needs to be said between a couple? They could guess each other’s feelings just by looking at their eyes.

When I looked up and saw the brightness of the sky, it was time for dinner.

Now that I think about it, I was very hungry. It seemed to be the first time he, who had no appetite, felt this level of hunger. It was natural since I hadn’t eaten anything for half a year. Without realizing it, I survived by consuming the energy of nature.

When Seolhwa disappeared, So-mu lifted his daughter and held her in her left arm.

It must have been a good meal so it became heavy. And it seemed like he didn’t neglect his training. The internal energy felt in the Dantian was refined like a lake, and the energy flowing in the eyes became clearer.

“Our So-so is now nine years old.”

So-so nodded, made eye contact, and asked.

“Did you miss me?”

Half a year passed by in a flash, so there was no time to feel anything. The passage of time I felt felt like it had only lasted a few days.

But how can we tell the truth?

“I missed you every day, my daughter. What have you been doing?”

So-so chattered about the events that had happened so far. Even the part where I learned the martial arts of Shadow Gate and practiced Formation Art with my friends. In the meantime, he also visited a snow garden and talked non-stop about his training in Tung Flute and Lion’s Roar.

The smile on his dimpled face never ceased. He seemed excited to meet and talk with his father after a long time.

After a long conversation, Seolhwa finished preparing the meal.

“Now, both of you, sit down.”

As the days passed, Seolhwa’s cooking skills improved.

The first thing I saw was braised tofu with carrots cut into snowflake shapes and garnished.

I could see the vegetables arranged neatly, and the main dish in the center was the most impressive.

“…Cheonpayuk? How did you make this?”

Cheonpayuk . The name came from the fact that one-character-long pork was cut into 1,000 pieces. It was a difficult dish that only the most skilled among the royal chefs preparing the emperor’s table could make.

When So-mu recognized it, a subtle smile appeared on Seolhwa”s face. She asked back, managing her expression again.

“Isn”t this enough?”

The skill of cutting meat was not enough. This was possible thanks to the delicate hand skills he had mastered to the peak of Demonic Arc, the ascending martial art of the Demonic Cult.

At that time, my daughter picked up a handful of Cheonpayuk with chopsticks and held it out.

“Father, ah~.”

So-mu, who suddenly took it, couldn’t help but be amazed.

The pork was sliced …”as thin as paper, so it had the best texture.

“It melts in your mouth. Eat a lot of So-so.”

So-mu sat across from his daughter and began to eat Osondoson rice.

And Seolhwa sat down on the floor and told me about what had happened. Among them, there was one part that was particularly interesting.

“Il-gwang and Cho-hee”s sisters-in-law?”

“You two are really good these days. You two have become closer.”

So-mu suppressed laughter and looked at Cho-hee’s house site beyond the fence.

I could clearly see the yard next door. The house was structured so that people could not meet secretly.

At that time, my daughter laughed and helped me.

“That”s right. My uncle comes to visit often these days.”

It seemed like a lot of progress had been made to the extent that So-so was aware of it.

“What about Youngyoung?”

“The child who seemed to have everything in the world has become much brighter now. It looks like Cho-hee wants to take him in as family.”

“That”s good news. We have similar personalities and we”re both lonely, so I thought we”d be a good fit.”

Seolhwa, who was nodding her head, suddenly changed the subject as if she remembered something.

“So, you haven”t stopped by the palace yet? Then I guess you haven”t heard the news.”

“What news?”

“Eat everything first.”

How could there have been only bright news for six months? Judging by the tone of his voice, it seemed like the content wasn’t very good.

After a while, when So-mu finished eating, Seolhwa let his daughter into the room.

So-mu asked with a puzzled expression.

“What happened?”

“They said Hamgokwan is under attack.”

So-mu”s body froze at a single word of Seolhwa speaking calmly.

Hamgok Pavilion was the lifeline of the audience and was a strategic point so important that people had to risk their lived. It was a gateway that must be maintained in ordered to advance to the midfield.

“What? Why are you talking about it so… leisurely?”

“It”s already been more than 15 days. I came back after half a year, so one meal is okay, right?”

Still, it was fortunate that the information was delivered in such a timely manner. Wasn’t she not interested in war when she was in Korea?

“Yeon-mae is right. You have to have a strong stomach to fight well. Anyway, you”re saying you”re holding on at the gate?”

“That”s right. Wolf Fang Squad left ten days ago. Seven days ago, Ming Gong himself led additional troops and left to support.”

Wolf Fang Squad would have been led by Il-gwang, the unit commander. And if Mingong went to help, King Sal would also be there. The reason why Seolhwa took her time became clear.

“Mingong moved it himself? But why didn”t he come to call me?”

“I heard you should never call it? If the flow is broken during the closing training, it could end up in vain. It looks like the gloomy guy next to you gave me some advice.”

The term “gloomy guy” probably refers to Baek Ri-hyeon, the king of murder. It was clear that if the training had been stopped midway, enlightenment would not have been achieved.

“But how does Yeonmae know all this?”

Even though she was the general’s wife, she was clearly a civilian. She knew a surprising amount of information.

“When Mingong was on his way out, he stopped by my house. I asked him if he wanted to help me, and he asked me to stay here.”

“You said Yeonmae would help you first?”

“I was wondering if I should go to war in your place.”

I knew the story that if the gate was breached, the nest would be threatened.

I wasn’t in the mood to laugh, but I burst out laughing at the joke of the folktale that had been told for so long.

“Anyway, if Yeonmae said she would help, I should have welcomed her with both hands. But why do you think she asked me to stay here?”

“All the experts have flocked to Hamgok Gwan. Isn”t this place in Jangan empty now?”

So-mu nodded as if he agreed.

“That”s right. It doesn”t make sense that they went out of their way to attack Hamgok Pavilion. They took advantage of the perfect timing while I was away. Isn”t there something strange?”

“You think there”s a spy here?”

“Of course. I think Mingong also thinks so.”

There were still enough troops left in the military camp, and the streets were guarded by gunners from Guard Battalion.

The problem was that the level of spies was unpredictable. Moreover, isn”t this the capital? If any operational activity was carried out in the palace, fatal defeat would have been unavoidable.

However, it was impossible not to go to war. As if she understood his feelings, Seolhwa stood up and spoke.

“Don”t worry about this place. If there is someone doing something stupid in the store, I will feed it to Darong.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Mountain Lord licked his lips and purred. Seeing that, So-mu asked with a puzzled expression.

“That guy is an animal, right?”

“When I look at what you”re doing, sometimes I wonder if I”m even human. Anyway, I”m going to take out my armor and take a shower. It”s been a while since I”ve seen my subordinates, so I can”t go looking like that, right?”

Since I came down the mountain after six months, I didn’t look like a beggar.

Sieges rarely take place at night when visibility was poor. There must be a lull now. We had to arrive before dawn, so there was still plenty of time.

When I entered the kitchen, I found a wooden bathtub filled with water. It seemed like Seolhwa had received it in advance while preparing dinner.

It was when I was thawing my body in hot water and washing for a while.

“Hehe. It”s refreshing.”

Just as joy appeared on So-mu’s face, the kitchen door opened again.

Sigh-!

It was a folktale. She was wearing light clothes and was approaching me step by step with a seductive gait.

Seeing his appearance, So-mu”s mouth was open and he couldn”t move.

“It”s been a while. Should I give my husband a push on his back?”