Chapter 332: Darkness Returns (7)
Five days later.
‘Hmm.’
He had been so busy lately that he hadn’t been able to have a proper meal with his family.
Having found some time after a long while, he suggested they gather comfortably as a four to eat. Thanks to that, the eldest, the second, and Muk Bi were together in this place.
At that gathering, Yeon Wi was able to perceive Yeon Ho-jeong’s change at once.
“Ho-jeong.”
“Yes?”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was eating meat he had finely torn with his chopsticks, looked at Yeon Wi with questioning eyes.
‘…?’
Yeon Wi’s expression became peculiar.
The face of the son looking at him seemed quite innocent. His characteristic black and white pupils were also incomparably transparent.
‘It is strange.’
After the fight with the one called the Twelve Martial Generals of the Divine Fire Cult, something about his son had changed.
To be more precise, it felt as if he had revealed the true nature he had been hiding. It was as if the demonic madness he had nurtured while passing through a hellish shambles was only now raising its head.
Because of that, he had been very worried. If there was a wound on the body, one could call a physician to fix it, but the shaking of the heart and mind could only be overcome by oneself.
Today’s gathering was also made with the intention of providing even a little help in clearing the darkness dwelling in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes, but unexpectedly, his son’s eyes were only clear and deep.
‘Did something happen in the meantime? Or…’
Yeon Wi broke into a smile.
“Your appetite has decreased a bit.”
“Is that so?”
“Didn’t you used to consume enough for three or four grown men?”
Yeon Ho-jeong scratched his head.
“I haven’t overtaxed my body much lately. This amount is just right for me now.”
There was something people commonly misunderstood. They thought that martial artists were people who only ate and fought.
However, the truth was different.
While it was clear that the Murim was a world of dangerous spears and swords, there were far more people who hadn’t experienced actual combat than those who had.
Furthermore, there were far more people who died in a single real battle than those who grew by experiencing actual combat.
In the first place, actual combat was based on someone’s death. Although there were occasional cases where it wasn’t so, those facing actual combat usually didn’t keep survival in mind in case of defeat.
In other words, actual combat was an act of staking the entire life one had lived. Beyond simple physical exhaustion, the mental exhaustion was bound to be immense. It was extreme tension itself.
In that regard, Yeon Ho-jeong could be called a very peculiar case.
He had experienced more actual combat than any martial artist of the age, and he had also suffered numerous defeats. Nevertheless, he had survived to the end and was in this place now.
A life punctuated by countless victories and defeats.
In other words, to him, things like actual combat or life and death were no longer stages he had to resolve to climb upon.
Life itself was life and death, actual combat, and a continuation of tension. Therefore, his heart was peaceful, and he could approach actual combat like a spar and not even be tense.
The incarnation of actual combat.
Because he was the possessor of ghost-like skills that were rare in all the world, he could adjust everything, such as the amount of food, rest, and work, in proportion to the amount of his training.
“How is your wound? I heard you were hurt during the spar with the soldiers.”
“Don’t we have a skilled physician at our residence? It has all healed cleanly.”
“Yes. That is a relief.”
It was a relief that his body was healed, but his mind was at ease because it seemed he had returned to the wise and confident son of before.
Yeon Wi suddenly asked while looking at Yeon Ji-pyeong.
“Are you not bored?”
“Yes? Ah, me?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Ji-pyeong said as if embarrassed.
“I am busy pursuing the sword path every day, so how could I be bored? I’m just worried that I’m only wasting food. Father, as well as my brother and sister, are so busy, but I feel like I’m the only one doing nothing.”
“Do not think like that. The Murim Alliance is an alliance of the Orthodox Path Murim. You are also a member of the Orthodox Path and a bloodline of the Yeon family. It is right to train hard every day in preparation for when the Murim calls you. Make sure to keep that sword well-honed.”
“I understand.”
“The reason I did not stop you from coming to the Murim Alliance was that the family had stabilized, and I wanted you to come to a larger place and further broaden your perspective.”
Yeon Wi pointed at Yeon Ho-jeong and Muk Bi with his hand.
“Your brother and Bi-ah are not simply just strong in martial arts, nor are they just busy. You must also take a good look at what these two see and experience, and how they resolve conflicts and incidents.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s expression was calm, but Muk Bi needlessly blushed. She felt embarrassed because it seemed he was praising her when she wasn’t such a great person.
Yeon Wi smiled and looked at Muk Bi.
“By the way, congratulations.”
“Yes?”
Muk Bi blinked her eyes.
“M-me?”
“Yes.”
“For what…?”
Yeon Wi frowned and looked at Yeon Ho-jeong.
“Did you not tell her?”
Yeon Ho-jeong replied calmly.
“I thought it was important for her to realize it herself. Since she just needs to continue as she has been doing, I didn’t think it was something to make a fuss about from the perspective of progress in martial arts.”
“You punk. She’s a genius who has half-demolished the wall that signals the first destination of martial arts. It’s something that wouldn’t be enough even if celebrated for three days and nights.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled awkwardly.
“She’s in the middle of demolishing it, it’s not like she’s completely demolished it.”
“Even so, it’s not like that.”
It was a strange conversation. At least it was so for Muk Bi.
Yeon Ji-pyeong looked at Muk Bi in surprise.
“Sister!”
“U-uh? Why?”
“Congratulations!”
“…What for?”
“To think you’re demolishing the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End! You’re amazing!”
Muk Bi blinked her eyes.
“Martial Arts´ End… Huh? Demolishing what? Who? Me?”
Honest admiration was evident on Yeon Ji-pyeong’s face.
“I thought your true qi had strangely deepened, and as expected, that was it.”
“Ehh?”
Muk Bi looked at Yeon Wi in confusion.
Yeon Wi nodded.
“You are in the process of breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End. If you do it steadily as you have done so far, it seems you will rise to the superior realm before this month passes.”
“Gasp!”
Muk Bi was startled.
“I-I’m breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End?!”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head.
“You should speak correctly. You’re in the middle of breaking through. You haven’t broken through yet.”
“That’s the same thing!”
“It’s different, you brat. So don’t overdo it just because you’re excited for no reason, and just do as you’ve done so far, like Father said.”
Muk Bi’s face became completely flushed.
Yeon Ho-jeong clicked his tongue.
“This is why I didn’t say anything.”
Yeon Wi shook his head.
“It is right to be sufficiently joyful. You are you, but Bi-ah is also young. A master who breaks through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End at this age is by no means common.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Muk Bi swallowed her saliva.
‘I’m… the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End…!’
At the surging joy, her fists clenched unknowingly.
But only for a moment.
“But then.”
“Hmm?”
Muk Bi’s face became dazed.
“I didn’t know about my own change… How on earth do you know that I’m breaking the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End?”
“Ah, that?”
Yeon Wi smiled.
“In truth, breaking through a certain realm is an extremely personal feeling, so it is not easy for an outsider to judge. However, there is a ‘gateway’ that countless people experience just before reaching a similar realm.”
“Ah, yes.”
“However, the process of passing through that gateway varies greatly from person to person. In Ho-jeong’s case, he bloomed all the martial arts of the Four Gods and reached the great completion of the tenth level of the Jade Gauze True Formula, passing through it in one breath. In my case, I had quite a bit of trouble at the gateway of the Martial Arts´ End.”
His sons’ talents were exceptionally outstanding, but Yeon Wi was also a person who was second to none in terms of talent. Since even such a rare swordsman said it was a difficult gateway, the difficulty of the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End could be said to transcend imagination.
“The method of breaking the wall and moving forward is different for each, but when one reaches the peak meaning, anyone meets a similar wall. Of course, that wall of peak meaning would also have a different shape and different difficulty.”
“Yeees. So what I mean is…”
“However, one characteristic is seen in those who demolish that wall and move forward.”
“A characteristic?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of characteristic?”
“True qi.”
“…?”
Muk Bi tilted her head.
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
“The density of your true qi changes. When put like this, you might wonder what’s so great about it, but it’s completely different.”
“How?”
“When the density of true qi changes, the dantian one originally possessed rapidly shrinks. Naturally. Because the density has to be increased.”
“…!!”
“The dantian becomes smaller, but the true qi contained within it becomes harder and denser, and depending on the practitioner’s method of operation, the efficiency is also maximized.”
Yeon Wi took over Yeon Ho-jeong’s words.
“Furthermore, when you pierce the wall and the density of true qi increases, even the true qi dwelling in your bones and muscles gathers in the dantian.”
“What?!”
“Don’t you have to empty it to fill it? As the pure and gentle qi of great nature dwells in the emptied bones and muscles, not only the dantian but even the physical body develops more perfectly and flawlessly.”
Hwarrrrk!
Yeon Ho-jeong lit a fire on a single chopstick.
The chopstick burned black in an instant, and then it was tinged with white.
Squeeze.
Crushing the chopstick that had turned like charcoal with strong grip strength and trapping it within his fist, he pulled up the Black Tortoise Qi this time.
Chiiiiik!
Along with white smoke, a small bead was created in his hand. He had compressed it so strongly that its size was as small as a thumbnail.
“A physical body of the absolute peak with impurities removed, and a dantian with increased density.”
“…!!”
“It is the reconstruction of the physical body to gain further enlightenment. With the current body, one cannot fully contain the supreme enlightenment that the people of the world speak of. That is why the internal and external parts of the body start to change from the roots. To embrace a stronger martial art.”
Muk Bi’s eyes shook.
“…Are you talking about Rebirth?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s different, but if you only consider the aspect of change, that too can be seen as Rebirth. Although the bones and muscles themselves don’t change.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smacked his lips.
“Anyway, I wasn’t going to say anything until you realized it yourself, but it’s come to this. Congratulations.”
“Yes? Ah, yes!”
Normally, Muk Bi would have grumbled at Yeon Ho-jeong even as a joke.
But she couldn’t do that now. She was dazed, and she was happy. Her mind was in a whirl.
Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.
“Since we’ve gathered like this, shall we have a drink?”
“That’s good. You and Ji-pyeong go and see to the drinks. Since the subject has come up, I should look after Bi-ah’s internal energy a bit.”
“I understand.”
It was when Yeon Ho-jeong was about to get up from his seat.
‘Hmm?’
He and Yeon Wi turned their eyes to the window almost at the same time.
Yeon Wi tilted his head.
“Huh, what brings him here at this hour?”
“Indeed.”
“Perhaps, is there something you requested of him?”
“I did, but it’s not something that results would come out of in a few days. It seems he came for another matter.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Wi said to Muk Bi.
“Wait for a moment with Ji-pyeong.”
“Yes!”
It was an answer with an unusual amount of strength in it. Yeon Wi stood up from his seat with an awkward face.
Like that, Yeon Wi and Yeon Ho-jeong opened the main gate of the Destroying Army Pavilion.
Tang Kwan was there.
Yeon Wi cupped his fists.
“Welcome.”
Tang Kwan also briefly cupped his fists. There were no separate greetings.
Yeon Ho-jeong asked point-blank.
“What brings you here?”
Tang Kwan glanced at Yeon Ho-jeong.
Tang Kwan, who looked at him without a word, said to Yeon Wi.
“Clan Head Yeon.”
“Speak.”
“Let me borrow your son for a moment.”
Yeon Wi asked with a questioning face.
“For what…?”
Tang Kwan smacked his lips.
“I’ll tell you after we’re back. For this matter, I think this rude brat would be better than Clan Head Yeon. Well, since it’s the mess he made, he should be the one to clean it up.”
“Hmm?”
Tang Kwan turned his body.
“Follow me.”
Yeon Wi and Yeon Ho-jeong looked at each other.
The gazes of the father and son looked similar for the first time in a truly long while.