Chapter 103: Fireworks

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“Enter the tubs.”

When Cheol Ryu-heun spoke with a chin gesture, over one hundred people divided into groups in orderly fashion and immersed their bodies, sitting in the six bathing tubs.

Ah, this is great!

Faces full of satisfaction.

When the warm water enveloped their fatigue-laden bodies, it felt as comfortable as being embraced in their mothers’ arms.

Suddenly, one disciple muttered barely audibly.

“It’s already been nearly a year since I last saw Mother and Father.”

At that, the disciple sitting beside him smiled.

“Hey, it’s already been three years for me. Of course, I plan to keep holding out as long as possible until I achieve some success as a martial artist, but…”

“Ah, has it been that long for both of you?”

“Didn’t you go see them once after the funeral last time?”

“Yeah. Since my home is nearby.”

“Lucky you. My home is in Cheonju, at the far southern end, so I can’t even think of visiting before regular leave.”

“My mother’s back isn’t well. Sigh, I’m her only child, yet I’m out in a distant place like this… Plowing the fields must be getting harder and harder.”

“I’m in the same situation as you, so there are times I resent my late father. Because he passed away when I was barely two years old…”

“For me, it’s the opposite – Father is living alone lonely. At least I worry a bit less since my younger sibling is living with him.”

“Ugh… No, why are you all suddenly bringing up such talk? Making everyone troubled.”

“I’m dying because my daughter’s face keeps appearing before me every day.”

“Ah, right. You celebrated her first birthday a few months ago?”

“Yeah. I briefly saw her face for a few days then. The saying that you wouldn’t feel pain even if you put them in your eyes – now that I’ve become a father, I understand what it means.”

“Mm, your wife must be having no small hardship.”

“That’s right. I’m a man with nothing to boast of, so I can’t send much money either… Really, my heart is heavy in various ways.”

“Hey, Lee… If you keep doing that, I’m going to cry. They say you couldn’t even go when your wife gave birth because your home is too far.”

“Urk, you fellows. This body is already over thirty and hasn’t even had dating experience yet.”

“Ah, Brother. Me too… How exactly do you even start dating?”

“I wonder where I can go to meet someone?”

“Hey, seniors, just try lowering your standards first.”

“My standards aren’t that high.”

“Mine either.”

“Well, putting aside all the this and that, honestly if you just have ability, you don’t need to worry about anything.”

“Ability, ability, ability, what a rotten world…”

“I’m going to send Father a birthday present with the money I’ve saved up. His birthday isn’t far off.”

“I’m newly in awe of the Fourth Sect Master. After the lower-level student course where we paid to learn ended and we gained upper-level student qualifications, he consistently paid us official training allowances every single month.”

“Right. Though the amount was less than other places because of our sect’s difficult circumstances, he never once missed the date.”

“Yeah, even selling various items in the sect… Just as they say, he showed the true character of a gentleman.”

“Indeed, he was a person who became a model for orthodox martial artists with upright conduct befitting the alias White Gate Sword Gentleman.”

“I’m grateful. Thanks to that Fourth Sect Master, I can prepare a birthday present for Father…”

“Ha, let’s all keep at it again. Our sect has now even discovered great hope for a new leap forward.”

“Right, for achieving the goal Sect Master Cheol mentioned.”

Hyeop Mu-geuk quietly sat and listened to the disciples’ murmuring, then glanced at the face of the person positioned to his left.

“Do you sometimes… Have thoughts of regret?”

The subject of the question was none other than Elder Yeop Hwon.

“Hm? Ah, you mean about not having children?”

“Yes.”

“Honestly, while suffering from illness, I did have thoughts that maybe I should have built a family… Ho-ho, but what can I do. It was a path I chose myself, not by anyone’s coercion.”

As he spoke, Yeop Hwon recalled one woman’s face in his mind.

One with whom he had shared deep affection decades ago, but ultimately had to let go of the hands they held due to worry about White Peak Sword Sect’s future…

If the sect’s circumstances hadn’t been difficult, he might have made a lifelong pledge with that woman, had children, and even seen grandchildren.

‘Hmm, I wonder if she’s living well. Above all, she was a person with such a gentle heart… I’m still quite regretful that I couldn’t do much for her back then.’

Having briefly reminisced about those days and grown sentimental, Yeop Hwon soon wore a strange smile and spoke again.

“In my youth, I experienced a fiery love… I’m content with just that. When I parted with that woman back then, I resolved to devote the rest of my life to this sect’s revival, and that mindset remains firm.”

At that, Hyeop Mu-geuk smiled back.

“Everyone in the sect would agree that Elder is as admirable as the Fourth Sect Master.”

“Ho-ho, you’re the one who should build a family before it’s too late. How long are you going to keep going like this?”

“What are you saying… It’s not the time yet.”

The moment Hyeop Mu-geuk spoke with an awkward expression.

Three people sitting to one side muttered with expressions as if brimming with tears.

“Elder, Chief Supervisor…”

“We also want to be lovey-dovey…”

“And be in… love… sob.”

It was Guyang Cheon, Guyang Ji, and Guyang In.

They originally had fierce-looking faces, and wearing such teary expressions on top of that made it feel like watching hideous demons.

“Love… Doesn’t work with just passion, does it.”

“Our series of efforts… to lose our bachelor status… were futile.”

“Last year, I fell for a young woman from a nearby village and persistently pursued her with grit, but… The result was… sob.”

Hyeop Mu-geuk frowned upon hearing the three Guyang brothers’ laments.

Urgh!

Are you asking because you really don’t know?

It’s not a matter of passion, effort, or grit.

Rather, the three Guyang brothers went even further.

“As you can see, aren’t our looks quite passable?”

“Definitely not a level to be insulted anywhere.”

“When bright sunlight shines, it even feels more handsome… sob.”

Hyeop Mu-geuk let slip an incredulous gaze before surreptitiously letting out a sigh.

Sigh… Even another man looking at them, the most frightening reason is those ferocious faces that make one’s legs go weak.

I can only feel pity.

No, besides that… Stop making teary expressions!

It’s scary, it’s creepy!

Yeop Hwon beside them was even turning his head and completely ignoring them, pretending not to hear.

Suddenly.

POP.

Cheol Ryu-heun uncorked the gourd bottle he had brought from Mountain Patriarch Hall and said indifferently.

“Alright, attention.”

At that, the gazes of everyone seated in the six bathing tubs simultaneously focused on his face.

“What I’m about to perform is a kind of Crown Opening Grand Method. Well, there’s nothing particularly complicated, but it requires extreme concentration. So everyone stay sharp.”

“Yes, Sect Master!”

Cheol Ryu-heun soon walked over and poured the Sky Clear Stone Milk from the gourd bottle into each bathing tub in equal portions.

TRICKLE, TRICKLE, TRICKLE…

The disciples wore slightly tense expressions as they waited for the next command, fully immersed in the fragrance they were smelling for the first time in their lives.

‘Wow, good heavens… What kind of smell is this?’

‘Just from the fragrance alone, my body feels lighter.’

‘Indeed… An elixir of the highest grade that just anyone can’t obtain, so even the smell is different.’

The Sky Clear Stone Milk, which had spread cloudily like rice wine, soon turned transparent as if completely dissolved into the bathing tub water.

Tae Sa-ja and the other workers rummaged to put their clothes back on while harboring questions.

‘What is that? It’s a truly amazing smell…?’

They might not know for sure, but it certainly seemed to be an elixir.

Having finished the task, Cheol Ryu-heun suddenly asked.

“What’s needed to display strong sword power?”

At that, Hyeop Mu-geuk responded on behalf of everyone.

“Fundamentally, muscle-meridian strengthening and internal strength increase.”

Cheol Ryu-heun nodded lightly and continued his voice.

“Not long ago, through the body tempering method and elixir consumption, you all achieved great results. Like encountering fortune.”

True to his words.

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk had achieved Seven Energies Returning to Origin and Five Energy Root Return, and the three Guyang brothers had completed White Peak Mental Cultivation Method.

And the disciples, through the mixed brew boiled from combining Heavenly Moon Bean, Earth Spirit Herb, Red Flame Fruit, Red Crane Inner Core, Yeowa Fruit, Century-Old Jade Essence, and others, had the profound use of White Peak Core Mental Method reach its peak, gaining twenty years’ worth of internal cultivation.

“But there was no effect of muscle-meridian strengthening.”

“Yes, since muscle-meridian strengthening is work of building, gathering, and refining muscles through training that uses various types of strength…”

“Hence, I plan to shorten that time as much as possible.”

“…!”

“The biggest purpose of this Crown Opening Grand Method is muscle-meridian strengthening. Well, depending on each person’s level of realization, you may also additionally gain internal cultivation.”

Hearing Cheol Ryu-heun’s words, the roughly one hundred people including Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk wore surprised gazes and stuck out their tongues.

“Superhuman muscle strength – this is the first step toward obtaining it. The greater the development and achievement of muscle-meridians that support energy meridians, the greater the force that comes out when swinging a sword. Therefore, anyone who fails to reach this Crown Opening Grand Method’s goal will be immediately expelled. You’re not qualified to eat rice here.”

“We shall keep that in mind!”

Right after everyone answered almost shouting in unison.

“Everyone, begin Circulating energy and regulating breathing. On your own, when you detect changes, operate vital energy according to that flow. I won’t teach separately.”

Cheol Ryu-heun, ending with that statement, went and sat leaning against a tree on one side of the yard.

Immediately after, the sect’s executives and disciples crossed their legs, closed their eyes gently, and entered meditation for Circulating energy and regulating breathing while rotating their dantian.

Quiet inhales and exhales.

Yet.

It wasn’t long before Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk detected a great change in their bodies.

‘…!’

Because some mysterious energy from the water filling up to their chests, as if drawn by the internal cultivation mental method, wrapped around their skin and caused a sweet thrill.

How to put it.

It felt like a force like warm light was rapidly flowing along each strand of muscle.

Nine out of ten, it was a strange phenomenon caused by the Sky Clear Stone Milk.

In the time it took to breathe a few times, the thrill grew even greater.

TINGLE-TINGLE.

Soon, the muscles of their entire bodies could be seen slightly swelling.

TUK, TUK… TU-TUK…

Thus, thick sinews bulged out on Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk’s entire bodies.

As if they had been doing intense movement training without rest, their muscles expanded little by little, and blue veins began to stand out prominently.

Before long.

SSSSSS… SSSSSS…

White currents sprayed out from those two’s bodies and soon transformed into mountain shapes.

Large and distinct.

It was the unique phenomenon of the White Peak Mental Cultivation Method.

Right at that moment.

‘Mm!’

Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk felt the Yintang Point at the exact center between their eyebrows open wide.

From that point, all the vital points comprising the Upper Dantian seemed to faintly vibrate when.

SHU-SHU-SHU-SHU-SHU…

The pure white mountain-shaped currents floated above their heads, compressed like large beads, then burst out in circles like small firecrackers.

BANG… BANG…!

Tae Sa-ja, seeing that sight, asked in surprise.

“Oh! What is that?”

At that, Cheol Ryu-heun said indifferently.

“A signal that the Crown Opening Grand Method has successfully begun.”

“Ah…!”

“Each time it bursts, muscle density increases a little, and one year’s worth of internal cultivation is also accumulated.”

The workers heard those words and dropped their jaws.

GASP!

O-one year each… time…?

Meanwhile, Yeop Hwon and Hyeop Mu-geuk shot up a second burst of white energy above their heads, bursting it like firecrackers.

BANG… BANG…!

Tae Sa-ja and the others cast dazed looks and smacked their lips.

TSK, how enviable.

We want to do it too, no, we want to experience it too!

Those fireworks…!