“Young Master.”
“…”
“Young Master?”
“…”
“Um… Y-Young Master?”
Aenghwa was restless.
Three days ago, after returning from his audience with the Cult Leader, the Young Master had changed significantly.
Usually, he would practice his breathing techniques, force himself to eat properly, and visit the latrine five or six times a day. He would also sleep for at least three double-hours.
In other words, he ate well, relieved himself well, and slept well. It was an ideal schedule for a healthy life.
But how was the Young Master now?
He sat on his bed staring blankly out the window, with drool dripping from his gaping mouth.
She couldn’t dare wipe it without permission, but at this rate it looked like it might cause a flood.
He barely ate, and she wasn’t even sure if he slept. His trips to the latrine had decreased to only two or three times. Though that made sense since he wasn’t eating much.
At least he never missed his breathing technique practice, thankfully.
But once practice ended, he would return to staring blankly and drooling. It was concerning enough to wonder if he had developed a serious mental illness.
While Aenghwa was anxiously pacing back and forth, Cheon Hajin’s mind was racing furiously.
What is it? What’s going on? What could it be? What’s the deal? What?
He didn’t know. He really didn’t know.
What did the Cult Leader’s words mean?
At least “go back to your quarters and rest” meant exactly what it said, so there was nothing to interpret there.
But no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out what “I will send someone in three days” meant.
No, beyond that.
Is he letting me go or not?
Couldn’t he have just given a clear yes or no? Was it really necessary to torment my brain like this?
Cheon Hajin rolled his eyes endlessly.
He’ll let me go, right? He’s going to let me go, right? He’ll definitely let me go?
Of course he’ll let me go. Did you see that bear-like man’s disappointed face?
I guarantee that wasn’t an act.
Martial arts mastery doesn’t improve acting skills. Rather, it’s the weak who excel at acting. They have to read the room to survive.
Consequently, the Cult Leader wasn’t someone who could act well, nor was he in a position where he needed to act.
Cheon Hajin clenched his fist.
I’ll be able to leave.
Who knows, maybe he wants to have good clothes made for his once-beloved disciple’s long journey.
Though fine silk clothes probably couldn’t be made in three days, it might be a gift of similar value.
He’s swimming in money anyway, what couldn’t he provide?
Yes, that must be it. The Cult Leader is human too, he must have some feelings.
Cheon Hajin, busy rationalizing, forced a smile.
“I must be right. Yeah, definitely.”
But why am I so anxious?
As Cheon Hajin was frantically chewing his fingernails with his front teeth.
“Young Master!”
Startled, Cheon Hajin turned his head toward the source of the voice.
Aenghwa’s face had turned slightly pale after gathering the courage to shout.
“W-what is it? Has someone come?”
“Huh? Ah, no?”
“Then why?”
“You need to… eat. You skipped breakfast too.”
Cheon Hajin rubbed his stomach.
Come to think of it, he’d been so busy wracking his brains that he hadn’t even thought about eating.
“Oh, let’s eat.”
“Yes! I’ll bring it right away.”
Shortly after, a modest meal was served.
Long chopsticks moved ceaselessly between rice and side dishes.
With his cheeks stuffed full of food, Cheon Hajin pondered with an incredibly serious expression.
Before I returned, all the guard warriors around were cleared out too.
Orders must have come down from above. And those orders must have come through the Cult Leader.
Why would they remove the guard warriors? I’m still the Third Young Master after all.
He must be letting me go.
Moreover, the physician who had been coming regularly every other day stopped coming too. This must also be intervention from above.
A master of his level could probably see my body’s condition at a glance.
Even supreme masters below his level could probably tell.
This body no longer needs further treatment. Though there’s room for improvement, individual effort is sufficient.
They removed the guards and stopped the physician. In other words, they intend to reduce wasted manpower.
That intention points to only one answer!
“I can leave…”
“Pardon? Young Master, do you have any commands?”
“Huh? No… gulp! No, nothing.”
“Ah, yes!”
He resumed stuffing food into his mouth ravenously.
The hopeful and positive interpretation gave him energy. He needed to eat well since he’d need strength for what was ahead.
After finishing his meal with such fighting spirit, Cheon Hajin sat cross-legged.
“Burp! Shall we begin.”
Food means nutrition, and nutrition refers to substances obtained externally that humans need to maintain life.
The moment food enters the stomach, the internal organs work more actively to absorb nutrients.
And what could accelerate this process was internal energy and breathing techniques.
Let’s condition the body first. A person can’t get anything done while being sickly.
Cheon Hajin closed his eyes.
Shortly after.
Hiss hiss hiss.
A subtle haze rose above his shoulders.
Aenghwa, standing to one side, pressed her lips together.
The air will get heavy.
Whenever Cheon Hajin practiced his breathing technique, the air always became heavy. Though there wasn’t any particular smell, the air became humid and heavy enough to make breathing uncomfortable.
He said it’s because he’s expelling turbid qi[1]?
Awe spread across Aenghwa’s face.
Though only at a level sufficient for self-protection, she too was a practitioner who trained in breathing techniques.
She knew how difficult it was to expel large amounts of turbid qi with almost no internal energy.
Perhaps the Young Master’s improved condition wasn’t due to the acupuncture and medicine, but rather his own efforts.
After some time passed.
Huh?
Aenghwa tilted her head.
That’s strange?
She had expected the air to become heavy, but today it wasn’t like that.
Rather…
Oh, how refreshing!
Aenghwa found herself flaring her nostrils unconsciously. The air was so clear she wanted to take deep breaths continuously.
As Aenghwa grinned at the unexpected freshness.
What?!
Cheon Hajin was shocked internally.
What is this?
The circulation of the Boundless Arts was different from usual.
More precisely, its level had suddenly jumped up.
Third Stage[2]?!
The Boundless Arts is divided into stages from First to Fifth.
While reaching the Third Stage wasn’t difficult with consistent practice, from the Fourth Stage onward, one needed exceptional insight into the Boundless Arts itself to advance step by step.
In his previous life, when he was at his peak as the Assassin King, he had reached the end of the Fourth Stage.
Considering his strength as one of the world’s ten greatest masters, one could understand how challenging the Boundless Arts was.
But now he had reached the end of the Third Stage. It felt like he could settle into the Fourth Stage after just two or three more circulations.
How is this possible?
It was utterly baffling.
He’d said reaching the Third Stage wasn’t difficult, not that it was easy.
He’d thought it would take at least five years even with insight.
The reason being that the integration between martial arts and body was more important than insight.
Even if he’d focused solely on the Boundless Arts for three months, how could he already be approaching the Fourth Stage?
No way…
Cheon Hajin’s expression became serious.
Am I a genius?
This isn’t the time for jokes, man.
I really can’t understand this.
Whiiiiiing.
A pleasant resonance spread from his body.
When he inhaled, the subtle turbid qi floating in the room was absorbed into his body,
When he exhaled, purified qi transformed the room’s air to pristine clarity.
Cheon Hajin’s expression brightened.
Even the True Formula of Purification[3] activates automatically.
The Purification Formula of the Boundless Arts.
The essence of the Boundless Arts is to expel turbid qi and maximize healing ability.
However, the Boundless Arts has a unique skill called the Purification Formula, which literally purifies the surrounding air.
Contrary to expelling turbid qi, it draws in turbid qi. Naturally, air cleared of impure energy becomes clean.
Wouldn’t absorbing turbid qi strain the body when there’s barely enough being expelled?
Not at all!
The remnants of turbid qi in his body shrink through the Boundless Arts’s power and transform into internal force.
Of course, it was only a tiny amount smaller than a sparrow’s eye crust, and regular circulation of the Boundless Arts produced far more internal force.
Nevertheless, the Purification Formula was important because of its virtuous cycle[4].
It purifies the air in an area, and when accumulating true qi with other internal martial arts afterward, one can obtain higher quality energy than usual.
Naturally, martial arts achievement becomes faster and the body becomes stronger.
Though the difference might not be apparent immediately, after one year or ten years, the gap becomes jaw-dropping.
What an unexpected windfall?
He felt like dancing with joy. After three months of desperately clinging to the Boundless Arts like he was coughing blood, such fortune comes!
Now I’ve got it! I can recover much faster.
He had estimated it would take between three to five years to recover his former martial power.
Of course, that timeline assumed access to spiritual medicines within the compound.
But with the ability to use the Purification Formula, that period would be even shorter.
This body is twenty-three years old, right?
If it takes three years at most to recover, he would have power equivalent to one of the world’s ten greatest masters at age twenty-six.
Wow… at this rate I really might be called the greatest genius of all time?
Cheon Hajin’s expression turned greedy.
Though he claimed to be done with the martial world, how could he not have desire for fame?
Moreover, wielding supreme master level martial arts in this young body and shaking up the martial world would truly make life worth living.
Wouldn’t the martial world cheer the emergence of a genius? Wouldn’t women who aren’t murderers take notice of me?
With fame rising, wouldn’t money naturally follow?
…Gulp.
Lost in his fantasies, Cheon Hajin violently shook his head.
Stupid bastard. Even after what happened, you still don’t understand? The martial world is no place for humans.
Cheer the emergence of a genius?
Sure. They’ll cheer while holding daggers behind their backs.
Women would just be happy to find someone to bleed dry, they wouldn’t truly understand me.
Fame? Can you eat that? There’s plenty of money in the compound already.
Crucially, whether it’s three or five years, I’d still be young. Getting excited over a slightly shorter cultivation period, you’re really simple-minded.
Know your place and live accordingly.
Don’t ruin your life over momentary desires.
Half a day later.
“Nnnngh!”
Cheon Hajin stretched.
Aenghwa prostrated herself.
“Congratulations, Young Master!”
“Huh? For what?”
“Eh? No… just…”
She couldn’t say she felt like he had achieved something.
Cheon Hajin roughly patted Aenghwa’s head.
“Haha! Why so tense? Thanks anyway.”
Aenghwa’s body suddenly stiffened.
…The Young Master patted my head?!
It was incredibly honorable.
And simultaneously a bit deflating.
I took such care styling it today…
She had spent over half a double-hour working on this hairstyle.
But well, it’s fine since the Young Master is happy. Hair can be styled again.
As one young man was crying with joy and one young woman was at a loss with complex feelings.
Boom!
Cheon Hajin’s head whipped toward the window.
The main gate of the quarters visible in the distance.
“A message from the Divine Demon Palace! Third Young Master Seo Ryang, quickly open the gate and receive the Cult Leader’s sacred command[5]!”
Cheon Hajin broke into a broad smile.
“Come in! Please come right in!!”