Chapter 139: A Legendary Physique
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For a moment, transparent ripples formed in Namgung Heon-rin’s jet-black pupils as if in surprise.
What Cheol Ryu-heun had just said was quite shocking.
‘He’s already restored our family’s lost sword arts…?’
Jeon Kwae beside him also looked extremely surprised.
‘What… Is he being serious?’
Both their dazed gazes rested on Cheol Ryu-heun’s expressionless face.
Just from looking at his eyes, they couldn’t read him at all.
Whether it was empty words or what…
Soon, Jeon Kwae sent a covert sound transmission.
<Hey, Heonrin. It’s a bit awkward to bring this up but… That Sect Master Cheol person – his body recovered and is normal, but maybe his head hasn’t recovered yet and isn’t normal?>
<W-well…>
Namgung Heon-rin’s thoughts were complicated.
This was the first time he’d seen someone talk about his family’s rebuilding as if it were nothing special.
Moreover… What was that confidence, openly declaring that anyone under him could rise to become a martial world powerhouse?
<There’s no way he could know the essence or formulas of your family’s lost sword arts, right?>
When Jeon Kwae expressed his doubt again via sound transmission, Namgung Heon-rin seemed to agree internally.
Indeed, that’s right.
It was a statement that was hard to accept by common sense.
Could the opportunity of fate that Cheol Ryu-heun obtained perhaps be related to the Namgung Family?
If so, could it perhaps be an arrangement by an ancestor from a previous generation, like the first Sect Master?
No.
That was absurd.
If such a thing had existed, his late father would have at least given some hint.
At that moment.
Cheol Ryu-heun, who had been casting an indifferent gaze, shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking.
“Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”
At that, Namgung Heon-rin quickly organized his thoughts.
This was someone that Ju Yu-gang, who was known for being meticulous without gaps, had joined hands with for the operation to sweep out the Thousand Snake Group.
Let’s just trust him.
If there was something abnormal about Cheol Ryu-heun, would Ju Yu-gang have recklessly pursued a joint plan?
That’s right – no.
Absolutely not.
Namgung Sang-rin, who had become a White Peak Sword Sect Guest Retainer, was the same. He too must have had some conviction to make such a decision and act on it.
Namgung Heon-rin fixed his expression and soon wore a faint smile.
“Ha, Sect Master Cheol. Honestly speaking, it’s hard to believe everything you just said… But if my brother chose to become a Guest Retainer of White Peak Sword Sect, I believe there must be a reason I can accept. And… I appreciate the offer, but it doesn’t seem like the right time now due to my current mission. If the opportunity arises later, I’ll stop by and see my brother’s growth with my own eyes.”
“As you wish.”
“By the way, did my brother say why he suddenly left Jingzhou Ban Family Family?”
“I don’t know.”
“Pardon?”
“I was busy too, so we only briefly crossed paths on the road.”
“Ah… Then my brother had just left there and was heading to White Peak Sword Sect.”
“Right, with a flower seeking butterflies in tow.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s something like that.”
The flower seeking butterflies probably referred to Hae Su-yeon.
Namgung Heon-rin tilted his head but didn’t pry further and continued speaking.
“Hmm… I see. Anyway, I can roughly guess the reason my brother left Jingzhou Ban Family Family.”
“Being treated like an outcast.”
“Ah, you heard. About Jingzhou Ban Family Family…”
“When I first met him, he mentioned that they had promised to provide part of the capital needed for independence if he succeeded in a certain mission.”
Namgung Heon-rin’s gaze darkened upon hearing Cheol Ryu-heun’s words.
“Now I understand clearly. The reason my brother left there… The promises of my aunt and uncle aren’t to be trusted.”
“To earn another’s trust, one must show something. I’m no exception.”
With that, Cheol Ryu-heun whistled.
Immediately after.
CRASH!
Following the loud sound of hooves striking the ground, the sound of galloping struck their ears repeatedly.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE, RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE-!
As Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae flinched in surprise, Divine Wind soon appeared close by, creating a fierce gust of wind.
CRASH CRASH CRASH-!
Divine Wind, stopping abruptly while digging deep into the dirt ground, exhaled brief puffs of white breath from his nose and mouth.
Meanwhile, Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae wore expressions mixing bewilderment and wonder at the sight.
What, what kind of horse is that?
The bulging muscles immediately captured their gaze.
The lines finely divided along his body, and the thick veins protruding like earthworms… It gave the feeling of looking at a master who had trained extreme external arts.
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun stepped forward while muttering.
“A taste should be fine.”
Having rummaged through the luggage on Divine Wind’s saddle, he pulled something out and tossed it.
“Here.”
A gleam crossed the pupils of Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae as they caught it reflexively.
‘Hmm? It’s not ginseng… Could it be a special wild ginseng?’
‘This looks like it’s been aged for decades at least.’
At that moment, Cheol Ryu-heun said.
“It’s Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.”
Simultaneously, both their faces turned pale.
‘C-Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng…!’
A supreme elixir that couldn’t be easily obtained no matter how much money one had – to think this in their hands was that.
“Wha! S-Sect Master Cheol, is this really Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng?”
At Namgung Heon-rin’s startled question, Cheol Ryu-heun nodded once and asked in return.
“Do you need to leave immediately?”
“Pardon? Ah… It’s not necessarily urgent. An enemy appeared and our progress was delayed here, but since this matter has determined our final destination anyway…”
“Where are you going?”
Namgung Heon-rin briefly exchanged glances with Jeon Kwae beside him between them, then lowered his voice.
“The Shiwan Mountains… is where.”
“That place can be quite dangerous, so this will be a great help. Take it immediately. Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng is most effective when eaten raw.”
“…!”
“What are you waiting for?”
“But to eat this…”
“Having doubts?”
“N-no, it’s just so sudden…”
“What, worried about the time it takes? Don’t worry. With my help, it’ll be done within one quarter hour. Regardless of internal energy attribute.”
“…!”
“Hurry up – I’m busy too.”
Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae hesitated for a moment but soon seemed to make up their minds and began chewing and swallowing the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.
CRUNCH CRUNCH, CRUNCH CRUNCH-
Before long, when the two had completely consumed every last rootlet of the Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng.
“Circulate your energy.”
Cheol Ryu-heun gestured with his chin toward the ground beside them.
Having exchanged glances, the two sat cross-legged on the ground beside them, unable to hide their half-doubting expressions.
After some time passed.
SSSHHH… SSSSHHHH… SSSHHH…
Haze accompanied by faint sounds danced and flickered around the forms of the two who were circulating their energy with eyes closed.
Right then.
‘URGH.’
Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae sensed hot energy surging like great waves within their energy seas.
It was the process of new internal energy melting into their existing internal energy.
But.
Because of the rapidly churning energy, their energy seas were gradually expanding, and stinging pain was spreading.
‘Done.’
Muttering internally, Cheol Ryu-heun sent out gentle wind fingers in succession.
TAP TAP TAP, TAP TAP TAP TAP-
The sound of wind-like energy hitting several vital points on Namgung Heon-rin.
Following that, Cheol Ryu-heun shot wind fingers at Jeon Kwae beside him and clasped his hands behind his back with an indifferent expression.
As if the work was already finished.
Sure enough, Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae felt their energy seas, which had been causing pain, settle down in an instant.
When the two opened their eyes a moment later, their expressions were one of disbelief.
Because in just one session of circulating energy, over ten years’ worth of internal energy had been added.
What was even more surprising was that it hadn’t even taken a quarter hour.
“Fast, right?”
At Cheol Ryu-heun’s casually tossed question, Namgung Heon-rin quickly steadied his breath and rose to his feet.
“Sect Master Cheol, that was truly tremendous! No matter how rare an elixir Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng is, for its effects to manifest this quickly… Was it because of that acupressure technique you used?”
Jeon Kwae also sprang to his feet, casting a bewildered gaze.
Cheol Ryu-heun, with hands behind his back, spoke in an offhand manner.
“The acupressure technique just now is a true transmission of Celestial Sword Sovereign. It may look simple, but it’s an art difficult for just anyone to perform. Because it includes several lethal points that could cause death if struck wrongly.”
Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae were immediately stunned.
‘GAH! Celestial Sword Sovereign, he says…?’
The supreme master of the martial world who had made his name with unparalleled swordsmanship and medical arts in the distant past, and also the teacher who had raised that great Martial Immortal Dongbang Ya.
“C-Celestial Sword Sovereign – you mean the one who, in the old days, is said to have kept someone alive for days even after their head was cut off…?”
“That’s right.”
“Ha…”
“Inside my head, all of Celestial Sword Sovereign’s medical skills and knowledge are stored. An elder of my sect who couldn’t even move recovered completely thanks to it.”
“G-good heavens… Is this an achievement related to that opportunity of fate?”
“Right. Do you have writing supplies? If you have them, give them to me.”
“Pardon? Ah, yes.”
Namgung Heon-rin rummaged through his belongings that had fallen on the ground and pulled out a small brush and blank paper.
SCRATCH, SCRATCH, SCRATCH…
Cheol Ryu-heun wrote something at considerable length on that paper, then handed it back to Namgung Heon-rin while advising.
“Read it on your way.”
“Ah, what is this?”
“Useful information.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ll understand when you read it later.”
“Understood. By the way, I don’t know how to express this gratitude.”
“As Heonrin says, I don’t know how to repay this… Sect Master Cheol, please wait just a little longer. When this mission ends successfully, I will definitely visit White Peak Sword Sect and pay my respects.”
“Well, do as you wish.”
With those words, Cheol Ryu-heun glanced at the robed figure’s corpse.
“Even if another one like that appears, now the two of you combined should be able to face them on even terms.”
“Yes, Sect Master Cheol! Thank you!”
Just as Namgung Heon-rin and Jeon Kwae clasped their fists in salute and answered.
SWISH.
Before they knew it, Cheol Ryu-heun had mounted the saddle and lightly gripped the reins.
“Shall I go?”
At that moment, Namgung Heon-rin hurriedly spoke up.
“Ah, wait! Sect Master Cheol, do you… Have more Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng?”
“The bundle is full of them.”
“Wow… That’s amazing. That those are all Hundred-Year Snow Ginseng… Hmm, it’s shameless, but actually there’s one favor I’d like to ask…”
“I know what it is.”
“Pardon?”
“You want to ask me to set aside a portion for your brother if there’s any extra, right?”
“Ah… Yes. That’s right… I’m sorry. Having already received so much here, to say something like that… But my brother absolutely needs elixirs.”
“Sang-rin has hidden talent.”
“That’s correct.”
Namgung Heon-rin soon switched to sound transmission to share the secret.
<My brother was born with a very special physique. It was a fact only Father, Mother, and I knew before. We wanted to keep it secret until he was complete as a martial artist, to avoid becoming an unnecessary target…>
Soon Cheol Ryu-heun asked via sound transmission.
<What is it?>
<A legendary physique – the Nine Grade Martial Bones. The moment that power blooms to its peak, it’s said to be able to transcend even some of the limitations set by nature’s law…>
The moment Namgung Heon-rin’s sound transmission ended, Cheol Ryu-heun laughed internally.
Nine Grade Martial Bones was a physique rare in the mortal world that manifested tremendous talent that could be called a blessing from heaven.
‘Ha, interesting.’
Indeed, how could it not be interesting… In the past thousand years, there had been only three martial artists who possessed Nine Grade Martial Bones.
Moreover, one of them was none other than the “Sword Emperor” – counted alongside the Heavenly Demon, Evil Emperor, Martial Immortal, and Blood God in the highest tier of martial world history.
To think Namgung Sang-rin was a possessor of Nine Grade Martial Bones.
Cheol Ryu-heun was already beginning to formulate a series of plans regarding his development in his mind.
‘I’m going to deliberately make you into a superhuman rivaling that Sword Emperor fellow of the past.’
In fact, there was no formula for awakening the latent power of Nine Grade Martial Bones.
That’s right – there was no correct answer.
But that was fine.
Because I know everything.