Since Jin Cheon-hee was already committed to delving into the Sound Arts, he took the opportunity to experiment with various instruments. Ultimately, the guqin proved to be the most comfortable fit for his hands, yet the cramped confines of the carriage lacked the necessary space to set it up properly. Thus, he sat idle for a moment, and his thoughts drifted.
Suddenly, he recalled Mu Wol’s tearful expression just before their departure.
“Please… You must return in one piece, Young Pavilion Master. Just think of it as saving another life…”
The memory was vivid: his master glaring daggers at Mu Wol for having the audacity to plead with Jin Cheon-hee to simply “return in one piece” when he was about to face one of the Ten Greatest Masters under the Heavens. In that moment of recollection, a spark of inspiration struck Jin Cheon-hee.
His hands began to play a melody—grand and rapid, echoing the urgency of his thoughts.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-di-di-di-di-
It was a fast, upbeat rhythm, a repetitive beat that possessed an almost hypnotic quality. Wang Gak-yeon and Gongsun Yeong stared at him, their eyes wide with curiosity.
“Wow, what song is this?” Wang Gak-yeon asked, leaning in.
“Unni, I think it depicts a duel between swordsmen,” Gongsun Yeong ventured.
“Ah, I see. It mimics the sound of clashing swords.”
“Indeed, fitting for one of the new Ten Greatest Masters under the Heavens and a master of Sound Arts~”
Regardless of their lofty interpretations, Jin Cheon-hee was silently reciting the lyrics in his heart, the rhythm perfectly matching a tune from a life long past.
Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, I, I, I, fell, for, you, first, fell, for, you~
It was a tribute to Mu Wol. He would never forget the man’s unwavering, if slightly tearful, loyalty to the White Qilin Medical Pavilion.
***
Arc 32. The Princess Sorties
Traveling with Wang Gak-yeon, Gongsun Kang, Gongsun Yeong, and the escort unit of the Gongsun Clan turned the journey into a grand migration. As expected, with the banner of the Gongsun Clan—specifically the Heavenly Pine Squad, their strongest martial force—flying high, not a single bandit dared to approach. The journey was peaceful.
This was the weight of true authority.
No member of the Unorthodox Path would be foolish enough to attack these warriors head-on. If there were to be an attack, it would require an assassination squad paid an exorbitant sum, operating amidst a whirlwind of deep conspiracy. In wuxia novels, the cliché would dictate that the warriors collapse after ingesting Qi Dispersing Poison, but Hwanggu’s security measures were far too tight for such tropes to succeed.
Bark!
“Okay~ Passed.”
Hwanggu was personally inspecting every ingredient with a discerning nose.
Sizzle—!
Soon, the aroma of Spicy Stir-fried Intestine Rice Bowl, using Golden Egg Fried Rice as a base, wafted through the camp.
“Ooh-ooh-ooh! White-Robed Divine Dragon! White-Robed Divine Dragon!”
Wang Gak-yeon chanted Jin Cheon-hee’s nickname while cheering like a fanatic. Beside her, Gongsun Yeong wiped a line of drool from her mouth, staring at the bubbling pot with eyes full of bliss.
I think I understand why Gongsun Hyeon keeps these two by her side, Jin Cheon-hee thought. Just having them around poured a vibrant energy into the surroundings.
The moment they shoveled a spoonful of Jin Cheon-hee’s Spicy Stir-fried Intestine Rice Bowl into their mouths—Crunch—Wang Gak-yeon’s eyes sparkled with an almost dangerous excitement.
“Cheon-hee, marry me!” she exclaimed.
“No, you crazy…” Gongsun Yeong shouted, cutting her off. “What nonsense is that?! Cheon-hee is going to marry me! He said he’d make me ten meals a day!”
The two women claimed ownership of Jin Cheon-hee as if he were nothing more than a meal shuttle. Somehow, listening to them bargain over his culinary services, he found himself yearning for the sweet release of death.
After the delightful meal, Gongsun Yeong approached Jin Cheon-hee, wiping her mouth.
“Want to spar to help digestion?”
“I was wondering why you hadn’t asked yet.”
From what Jin Cheon-hee had observed, Wang Gak-yeon and Gongsun Yeong were a different species entirely from the sedentary Gongsun Hyeon. They physically could not sit still; for them, sitting quietly in a carriage for days was a form of torture. Their muscles were itching for action.
“Wooow! I want to watch!” Wang Gak-yeon cheered.
Her enthusiasm sparked a chorus of agreement from the warriors of the Heavenly Pine Squad.
“Me too!”
“Please let me watch as well!”
A fight was about to unfold between the possessor of the Supreme Yang Physique, Gongsun Yeong, and the Blue-Eyed Mad Physician, Jin Cheon-hee. Looking at their track records alone, Jin Cheon-hee’s achievements seemed to overshadow Gongsun Yeong’s. However, Jin Cheon-hee had a secret advantage. As a ‘reader’ of this world’s story, he had used cheat codes to grow by monopolizing fortuitous encounters from the start. In a way, his strength was a natural result of preparation.
“Do I have to fight with a sword?” Jin Cheon-hee asked.
“Hmm, I heard the Zhuge Clan uses any weapon freely,” Gongsun Yeong remarked, tilting her head.
“Yes, although the sword is my main weapon.”
“So, what will you fight with?”
Jin Cheon-hee hefted the Dark Fragrance Pipa, a weapon he had acquired through his cheat code-fueled growth.
“With this?” he asked, a hint of surprise in his own voice.
“You’re going to block a sword with a pipa… Normally, I’d say you’re crazy… but fine. Let’s do it.”
Gongsun Yeong’s eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she had discovered a new toy. Jin Cheon-hee was equally curious to see if he could block an enemy’s attack using this stone lute. Theoretically, it was possible. The weight distribution was actually quite good; since the center of gravity was in the body of the pipa, he could wield it like an axe. However, since it lacked a blade, he would likely have to use the Dark Heavens Blood Thread for cutting.
Deciding on the necessary martial arts and mentally formulating a rough set of moves, Jin Cheon-hee stood in the center of the clearing. Gongsun Yeong took her stance a few paces away.
“Oho, fighting with a pipa?”
“It seems he’ll attack with Sound Arts. Perhaps we should plug our ears.”
“Hmm. It must be Sound Arts, right?”
The warriors of the Gongsun Clan whispered among themselves, speculating on the techniques the Blue-Eyed Mad Physician would unleash as they prepared to cover their ears at a moment’s notice. They didn’t realize that plugging ears was useless against Sound Arts at the Transformation Realm—though, well, it was better than nothing.
But Jin Cheon-hee wasn’t planning to use Sound Arts. If he were purely using sound, the Seven Silver Zither that Sama Hyeon had given him would be far superior. What Jin Cheon-hee wanted to do was simple, brutish axe-work. The truth was, he was simply curious about the destructive power of a pure, heavy instrument.
“Phew.”
Gongsun Yeong stood firm against Jin Cheon-hee. In that moment, she felt as if she were facing an insurmountable mountain.
He’s strong.
In the past, he was a small child barely reaching her waist. Now, that child had grown and stood before her as a man. Even the pipa he held loosely radiated an oppressive pressure.
Why? Why does it feel like I am facing a mountain in human form, rather than a person?
You enlightened me in the past.
Back then, she had affectionately called him ‘Savior Kiddo’ and gifted him the Black Pine Cloud Sword. Jin Cheon-hee, claiming he would repay her kindness, had offered her advice on her swordplay. It had been an innocent question from a naive child, yet thanks to that question, she had gained enlightenment and shed her old shell. At the time, she had been so overwhelmed by breaking through her martial artist’s wall that she hadn’t given it much thought. But if Jin Cheon-hee had been born with an extraordinary eye for the sword, it all made sense. Even if the young man’s bone structure wasn’t suited for martial arts, his insight was sharper than any warrior’s.
That is why you chose the Zhuge Clan.
Among the Nine Sects, the One Beggar Clan, and the Eight Great Families, the Zhuge Clan most resembled him. However, many had wondered why he chose a place destined to fall and perish. After all, the White Qilin Divine Physician, Zhuge Rin, was terminally ill. Although people who witnessed Zhuge Rin’s martial prowess often denied it, the Gongsun Clan had never doubted that his days were numbered.
Yet, the boy before her had cured his master, transcended his limits, and now stood here.
As she observed his way of holding the pipa, she couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t appear to be serious about fighting. While it might have been tempting to take offense at being underestimated, Gongsun Yeong’s interest was piqued by the instrument he held. She wondered what kind of martial prowess he would display with it and what it truly meant to become strong.
Suddenly, her body slid forward.
She had learned that the principle of ‘Counterstrike to Seize the Initiative’ was the foundation of the Gongsun Sword Arts when she met this boy. However, knowing that Jin Cheon-hee wouldn’t attack first if she waited, she decided to take the lead.
A linear sword path cut through the air, pouring down like rain.
Gongsun Sword Strike, First Stance: Verdant Pine Spanning the Sea!
Dozens of sword strikes rained down on Jin Cheon-hee. At that moment, a blue flower bloomed in the young man’s eyes. He stopped his performance mid-strum and swung the pipa like a shield to block the sword strikes. The rounded back of the stone instrument deflected the blows effortlessly.
Clang!
“Nice sound,” the young man spoke cheerfully.
He swung the heavy stone pipa with a terrifying whoosh, immediately attempting a counterattack against Gongsun Yeong.
Don’t tell me… Supreme Unity Immortal Severing Sword?
The arc cutting through the sword energy was unmistakably the trajectory of the Supreme Unity Immortal Severing Sword. Was this crazy bastard performing high-level sword arts with a stone pipa?
Clang-clang-clang!
The stone pipa moved in a circular motion, cleanly knocking away Gongsun Yeong’s sword. Then, spinning his body a full circle, he rested it on his shoulder with a heavy thud. This attack utilized the unique weight of the stone instrument.
How strong are his arms?
A pipa made of stone was far heavier than any oversized blade. Gongsun Yeong could swing it, sure. But to swing it while applying the delicate principles of the Supreme Unity Immortal Severing Sword and blocking the fast-paced Gongsun Sword Arts? At this speed? Even infusing internal energy into his arms shouldn’t provide this kind of stability.
“How long have you practiced this?” Gongsun Yeong asked, breathless.
At her question, Jin Cheon-hee answered calmly, “Today is the first time.”
“What?”
“Still, my brother sent me a gift; I should use it.”
Saying this, Jin Cheon-hee’s afterimage scattered.
Three Talents Footwork.
Having reached the peak of proficiency, the footwork hid his presence like a shadow. When Jin Cheon-hee reappeared, he was directly above Gongsun Yeong’s head.
Dammit…!
Whoosh—
The pipa flew down as if to split her head open. As if waiting for this, Gongsun Yeong struck back with the principle of Counterstrike to Seize the Initiative. In the process, Sword Aura manifested from her hand.
CLANG!
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised that she not only blocked it but launched a counterattack simultaneously. His mouth formed words silently.
As expected, Transformation Realm?!
At the same time, Gongsun Yeong thought, This guy. He predicted it.
Yes, she was indeed in the Transformation Realm. While the kids were playing around, there was no way she, the possessor of the Supreme Yang Physique, wouldn’t have reached this level. Gongsun Yeong heard his mutterings but couldn’t comprehend them.
‘Is wuxia really just Dragon Ball logic? If the protagonist transforms into Super Saiyan, do all the allies and enemies become Super Saiyans too?!’
The young man’s habit of muttering incomprehensible nonsense when focused hadn’t changed a bit.
Boom!
Time for the counterattack. Gongsun Yeong launched her next strike.
***
Everyone watched Jin Cheon-hee’s sword dance—no, his Pipa Dance. He held a simple pipa, carved from stone, which everyone could tell was incredibly heavy. Despite its weight, he swung it like a fire poker, repeatedly blocking and dodging Gongsun Yeong’s attacks.
Clang, Kang!
Strangely, Jin Cheon-hee’s movements resembled a monkey, specifically the nasty kind that lived in temples and stole tourists’ belongings. He would attack playfully, then flee rapidly, always leaving a hidden move in his retreat. Lowering his stance with his upper body deliberately hunched, he swung the pipa once.
Tang!
Recalling the move, he spun his body around.
Thud!
Using that as the basic rhythm, he was recreating the trajectory of the Supreme Unity Immortal Severing Sword with the stone pipa.
Wang Gak-yeon, who had been watching intently, muttered, “Ah, I see. He’s using the principle of ‘Return’. Since the Gongsun Sword Arts is a style of Counterstrike to Seize the Initiative based on Speed and Illusion, he’s countering it using Weight and Return.”
Hearing her words, the warriors read Jin Cheon-hee’s Pipa’s Path and realized he was indeed disrupting Gongsun Yeong’s sword path using heaviness and rotational force.
“He’s doing that with a stone pipa?” someone gasped, and the crowd groaned in collective disbelief.
At that moment, Jin Cheon-hee sent a telepathic message to Gongsun Yeong.
[Noona, you’re in the Transformation Realm, but something feels stagnant.]