Xu Zhenming watched Lee Hyun slide farther away while lying comfortably on the ground.
He wasn't even moving his arms or legs, yet his body sped across the ground as though gliding over slick ice.
Xu Zhenming's competitive streak flared.
He immediately used his footwork and chased after Lee Hyun. With every step, his body shot forward two or three jang (about 6–9 m).
But just as he was about to close the distance, spiritual power burst from beneath Lee Hyun's back and heels.
Bang!
His prone body bounced along like a water strider kicking off the surface of a pond. Each bounce made him even faster.
Xu Zhenming's eyes widened.
‘He's accelerating?’
Gritting his teeth, he changed direction. Whenever Lee Hyun slid to the right, Xu Zhenming raced ahead to block his path. Whenever Lee Hyun moved left, he extended his sword to cut off his retreat.
But every time the ground rippled beneath him, Lee Hyun's body darted sideways. At times, he retreated feet-first only to instantly reverse direction and shoot away head-first. He moved with complete freedom.
After they had crossed the middle of the training ground several times, Xu Zhenming finally stopped.
When Xu Zhenming gave up the chase, Lee Hyun, who had retreated to the edge of the training ground, smoothly rotated his body.
Ssssh―
The feet that had been pointing toward Xu Zhenming turned sideways, and Lee Hyun looked over at him by turning only his head while remaining flat on the ground.
He seemed to be saying, ‘You can't catch me even when I'm lying down?’
"......."
Without realizing it, Xu Zhenming tightened his grip on his wooden sword.
‘I really want to hit him once.’
Guo Tianxiong also watched in silence for a moment before asking,
"Retainer Li."
"Yes."
"Was what you just used another kind of technique?"
"It's a technique I created."
"Why did you ever think of moving around while lying down?"
"Why should I have to get up?"
"......."
"I can also conceal myself in the undergrowth and move stealthily."
At first, Guo Tianxiong had thought it was merely bizarre, but after hearing the explanation, he had to admit there was some logic to it.
Losing one's balance and falling during actual combat was dangerous. But if someone could move that quickly while lying down, it was a different matter. That posture was no longer a weakness.
"It seems I've been trapped by my own preconceptions all this time. Still, no martial artist could imitate such absurd movement using internal energy."
Guo Tianxiong looked for a moment at Lee Hyun, who was still lying comfortably on the training ground, then continued.
"For now, lying down is forbidden as well. It's too unusual for Instructor Xu to teach you properly otherwise. In any case, Retainer Li still needs to learn how to fight while standing on two feet."
Lee Hyun's spar with Xu Zhenming resumed.
...
After about half a shichen (about one hour), Xu Zhenming's wooden sword could scarcely touch Lee Hyun.
Lee Hyun occasionally responded clumsily, but every time Xu Zhenming pointed out a problem, he quickly corrected it.
When the spar ended, Xu Zhenming lowered his sword and steadied his ragged breathing.
"You adapt remarkably quickly."
"It's because Instructor Xu points out what I'm doing wrong."
"Normally, even after someone has a mistake pointed out, they repeat it several more times..."
Guo Tianxiong spoke.
"After you rest for a moment, I'd like to see your swordsmanship."
"May I use a sword art practiced by cultivators?"
"Use only the swordsmanship, without spiritual power. Instructor Xu won't use internal energy either."
"Understood."
Xu Zhenming brought over two new wooden swords.
Lee Hyun completely suppressed his spiritual power and assumed the opening stance of the Azure Steel Sword Art.
Xu Zhenming also raised his wooden sword.
"The sword art I've learned is called the Seventy-Two Whirlpool Swords."
Xu Zhenming's wooden sword began tracing circles.
...
One ke (about fifteen minutes) later.
Clack! Clack-clack-clack!
Their wooden swords collided in rapid succession.
Xu Zhenming was growing unsettled.
Lee Hyun's swordsmanship contained almost no deception or feints, yet its precision and speed made it difficult to deal with. Above all, Lee Hyun was incredibly strong.
Lee Hyun was restraining his strength as much as possible, but,
Bang!
At one point, Xu Zhenming's arm was knocked upward.
"Ah."
Lee Hyun hurriedly pulled back his wooden sword.
"I'm sorry. Did I use too much strength?"
"...No."
Xu Zhenming took a step back, hiding his tingling wrist.
Guo Tianxiong spoke.
"This time, let me have a look."
He took the wooden sword from Xu Zhenming.
"My sword art is called the Sea-Calming Sword Art. It contains the opponent's variations and suppresses even their next move."
Guo Tianxiong did not circulate his internal energy. He merely held the wooden sword upright before his chest, yet Lee Hyun had no idea what he should do.
If he struck high, it felt as though his attack would be blocked. If he aimed low, it seemed the tip of Guo Tianxiong's sword would reach his throat first.
Even if he tried to circle around, it felt as though Guo Tianxiong would turn to face him one step ahead.
‘So this... is someone who has reached the pinnacle of the martial path.’
...
One ke (about fifteen minutes) later.
Guo Tianxiong withdrew his sword in surprise.
"You've clearly practiced the sword for a very long time."
"Does it look that way?"
"You make almost no unnecessary movements. However, your sword is far too honest."
"Too honest?"
"Between one move and the next, you make no attempt to draw out your opponent's reaction. It looks as though you've barely ever crossed swords with another person..."
"That's right."
"If I had to point out one flaw, it would be this: never forget that your opponent is also a living enemy who can read your intentions and alter their sword path according to the situation."
"A living enemy...."
"No matter how great a sword art may be, if you merely move according to predetermined patterns, it becomes a dead martial art. Spar regularly with Instructor Xu from now on and learn to read your opponent's reactions. You'll improve greatly."
"Sounds good."
"The sword art Retainer Li practices seems to have been created with a cultivator's body and spiritual power in mind. It lacks the intricate deception and variations found in the sword arts of martial artists, but if performed with spiritual power, its sheer force could overwhelm most variations."
"When I learned the sword art, I thought of it as another kind of technique as well."
"In truth, the swordsmanship itself isn't low-level either. Even if I were to create a sword art specifically for cultivators, I'm not confident I could make anything better than what Retainer Li uses."
...
After finishing their sparring, the three moved to a pavilion beside the training ground.
Lee Hyun took a sip of tea, then suddenly asked,
"May I ask the two of you one more thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Are there martial arts that can change one's appearance?"
Guo Tianxiong raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You wish to change your appearance?"
"There are times when I'd rather have a different face. It would help me avoid getting dragged into pointless trouble."
"Then what you're looking for is a disguise art."
Beside him, Xu Zhenming pointed at his own face.
"There are indeed martial arts that actually shift the bones and joints. But they're difficult to learn, and using them incorrectly can damage the meridians or bones."
"I don't need to go that far."
"The most commonly used disguise techniques combine makeup with control of the facial muscles."
Xu Zhenming tucked his chin in slightly.
His breathing changed, and the muscles of his face and neck shifted subtly.
The scar running from his temple to his jaw remained unchanged.
Even so, once his eyelids drooped slightly and the corners of his mouth sagged, the rugged-looking man seemed to transform in an instant into a gloomy, exhausted middle-aged man.
His shoulders hunched inward as well, and his voice became slightly hoarse.
"Like this."
"Huh? You barely did anything, but you look like a completely different person."
"People are surprisingly poor at distinguishing faces. Even without making any major changes, a few tricks combined with props such as a beard can fool even people close to you to some extent."
"Can I learn that technique?"
"There is a Seven-Aspect Disguise Method taught to military scouts and spies. It isn't some great secret art, so there should be no problem showing it to a Retainer. What I just demonstrated was only the basics. If you reach Major Attainment in the Seven-Aspect Disguise Method, you should be able to fool most people."
Lee Hyun's eyes brightened.
"Could I also study martial arts secret manuals or internal energy methods?"
This time, Guo Tianxiong answered.
"An individual's secret martial arts are as precious as their life. Showing you part of the sword path from my Sea-Calming Sword Art or Instructor Xu's Seventy-Two Whirlpool Swords is entirely different from transmitting the underlying inner method as well."
"Ah, of course I don't mean that I covet either of your martial arts. I'm fine with martial arts that anyone is permitted to study."
"A Retainer may also consult the standardized martial arts used by the military and the Martial Training Academy. There is an internal energy method called the Cloud Water Origin-Returning Art. It is the internal energy method most widely practiced by military officers and elite soldiers of the Yunze Kingdom."
Xu Zhenming added,
"There is also a standardized martial art called the Eighteen Formation-Breaking Forms. It lays out basic footwork and methods of exerting force so that soldiers wielding swords, spears, and sabers can all use it."
"I'd like to see that as well."
"We'll gather some of the martial arts books that the Fengtian Bureau's Military Retainers generally hold in high regard and send them to Qingliang Villa. We'll include books on disguise as well."
"Thank you."
Guo Tianxiong set down his teacup.
"But they probably won't help you much. The internal energy used by martial artists is completely different from the spiritual power of cultivators... And the greatest problem is time."
"Time?"
"Although mortals in the mundane world have short lifespans, the depth of the martial path is by no means shallow. It is the culmination of the insights and research of countless geniuses across generations. In some respects, there are martial arts even more difficult than the techniques of Immortals. After all, martial artists must produce astonishing results with limited power."
"I see."
"And that's where the problem arises. Cultivators may live long lives, but the lifespans of Qi Refining Retainers aren't all that long. In fact, they're not much different from mine now that I've reached the Profound Realm. From their perspective, then, do they truly have the leisure to learn martial arts of the mundane world? Spending that time learning techniques and advancing their realm is far more practical."
"True. Cultivators are the ones who are actually short on time. Besides, aren't the grandmasters of the martial path people of tremendous talent who simply lack spiritual roots?"
"Exactly! How many people can possibly possess talent in both the immortal path and the martial path? Martial arts take time to learn, yet they aren't as well suited to a cultivator's spiritual power as techniques are. Naturally, cultivators eventually lose interest."
Xu Zhenming also spoke.
"I recommend you don't spend too much time on them. It would be best to use them only as light reference material, focusing on the forms of the moves, footwork, breathing, and the principles of transmitting force. Just learn enough to deal with martial artists from the Qianyang Kingdom."
"Understood."
...
That evening.
A wooden chest arrived at Qingliang Villa.
Inside were military martial arts books, including 《Cloud Water Origin-Returning Art》, 《Eighteen Formation-Breaking Forms》, 《Twelve Autumn Water Swords》, 《River-Suppressing Sword Art》, 《Twelve Linked-Shadow Forms》, and 《Long Dike Spear Art》.
There were also several books on footwork, including 《Duckweed Water-Crossing Step》, 《Coiled-Root Step》, and 《Inch-Shadow Step》.
The remaining books included 《Seven-Aspect Disguise Method》, which dealt with disguise, 《Eight Methods of Disguise》, which explained how to use disguise tools and dyes, and a draft of 《Bone-Changing Sinew-Shrinking Art》, which involved shifting the bones and joints.
Lee Hyun opened the Seven-Aspect Disguise Method first.
The first page listed the seven elements that made up a person's overall impression.
「Eyes, mouth, voice, gait, posture, breathing, habits.」
"This will take a lot of practice."
After briefly skimming the Seven-Aspect Disguise Method, Lee Hyun opened the Cloud Water Origin-Returning Art and read it for about one ke (about fifteen minutes).
"The method is completely different..."
...
From then on, Lee Hyun visited the Martial Training Academy every few days and read martial arts books whenever he returned to Qingliang Villa.
Lee Hyun thought becoming a Retainer of the Fengtian Bureau hadn't been a bad decision.
He could use the Martial Training Academy's facilities for free and even receive instruction from masters of the martial path. Qingliang Villa provided him with food and lodging as well.
In the process, he also discovered that he was fairly strong.
In front of Guo Tianxiong and Xu Zhenming, he restrained his spiritual power as much as possible. Even when demonstrating the Yang Metal Art, Fireball Art, and Azure Steel Sword Art, he tried to limit himself to what he imagined was the level of an ordinary Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivator.
Even so, the two men judged Lee Hyun's offensive techniques too dangerous and forbade him from using them in sparring.
‘It seems I've been underestimating myself too much. At the very least, there's no need to avoid missions out of fear of ordinary martial artists from the Qianyang Kingdom.’
As Lee Hyun continued attending the Martial Training Academy, he developed a sense of how strong masters of the Transformation Realm and Profound Realm actually were.
He thought that if he fought seriously, merely unleashing the Qi Sphere Barrier forcefully in every direction would send a martial artist on Xu Zhenming's level flying and break bones throughout his body.
Even if he were surrounded by several masters of the Profound Realm, as long as he had enough time to properly deploy the Spirit Light Shield and Qi Sphere Barrier, he didn't think he would be defeated instantly.
Simply escaping underground with the Earth Escape Art would likely make it difficult for his opponents to find him, and with the Yang Metal Art at Major Attainment, he believed he could inflict fatal wounds even on masters who protected themselves with Protective Aura.
Thinking about it, that was only natural.
Lee Hyun could continuously unleash by himself the techniques that dozens of Qi Refining cultivators would otherwise have to pour out one after another. By the standards of the Yunze Kingdom and Qianyang Kingdom, that alone made him something close to a monster.
‘Once I've trained a little more at the Martial Training Academy, I should be able to take Military Retainer missions.’
...
Before he knew it, a little over twenty days had passed since he arrived in Yunjing.
Lee Hyun left Qingliang Villa to inspect Tunnel No. 1.
After telling Cui Da that he would be away for a few days, he left Yunjing and alternated between the Earth Escape Art and Distance-Shrinking Step.
Since he had built an automatic irrigation device, in theory his spirit plants should remain fine even if he stayed away for nearly a year. But he had never left the tunnel unattended for so long before, and the thought made him uneasy enough to return and check on it.
...
A rugged mountain valley roughly halfway between Yunjing and Tunnel No. 1.
Ssshhhk―
Lee Hyun's body slid swiftly across the mountainside.
Skimming over the ground as though flying with the Reclining Escape Art, he kicked hard against the trunk of a tree blocking his path.
Bang!
His prone body shot into the air.
Lee Hyun rotated half a turn in midair and planted his feet against a boulder on the opposite side.
Thud.
His body shot across the valley.
Lee Hyun was becoming increasingly familiar with the terrain along the route between Yunjing and Tunnel No. 1.
He had learned where to cross the mountain ranges to find gentler slopes, which rivers to follow to avoid villages and highways, and how much spiritual power to use in sparsely populated stretches for maximum efficiency.
Thanks to the 206 spiritual power shown on his handmade status screen, he could keep moving all day without rest.
Lee Hyun's current average travel speed was close to eighty kilometers per hour by the standards of his previous life. That meant he could cover nearly five thousand li (about 2,000 km) in a day.
The distance from Yunjing, capital of the Yunze Kingdom, to Tunnel No. 1 was about eight thousand li, but a one-way trip now took less than two days.
...
Two days later.
Lee Hyun dropped from the ceiling of the cultivation chamber in Tunnel No. 1.
Thump.
The automatic irrigation devices were the first things he checked, and all of them were operating normally.
"Good."
Starting with Spirit Field No. 1-1, Lee Hyun recorded their conditions one by one and found no problems.
Finally, he entered Spirit Field No. 1-7, where the Stone Honey Peaches grew.
A sweet, refreshing fragrance filled the cavern.
More than ten honey-sweet fruits hung from the branches of the three mature Stone Honey Peach trees.
Most were fully ripe.
Lee Hyun reached for the nearest fruit, then stopped.
There was a tiny hole near its stem, with something resembling brown powder clinging around it.
"Hm?"
Lee Hyun brought the fruit close to his face and examined it.
He could sense faint spiritual qi from inside the hole.
When he used the Aura-Reading Art, a thin thread of light writhed inside the fruit.
Lee Hyun's expression stiffened.
"Don't tell me...."
He carefully sliced open the fruit with the Yang Metal Art.
A thin, winding tunnel ran through the flesh.
A white larva about one finger joint in length wriggled among the browned flesh.
Its head was black and hard, and short hairs sprouted from each segment of its abdomen.
"Ugh!"
Silver light flashed from Lee Hyun's fingertip.
Shnk!
The Yang Metal Art pierced straight through the larva.
It writhed a few times inside the fruit before going limp.
"You ate my spirit fruit...."
This was the first time Lee Hyun had found such an insect in a Stone Honey Peach.
He inspected the remaining fruits one by one.
Two had similar holes, and a white egg smaller than a sesame seed clung to the surface of another.
When he checked the undersides of the leaves, he found a little gray powder.
‘If there's a larva, there must be an adult that laid the eggs.’
Lee Hyun meticulously scanned the surroundings with the Aura-Reading Art and spotted a tiny light where the tree trunk met the cavern wall.
A gray moth the size of a fingernail clung there with its wings folded.
It looked like an ordinary moth, but an extremely faint trace of spiritual qi flowed through its body.
Lee Hyun disposed of the moth with the Yang Metal Art.
"How did it get in here?"
Tunnel No. 1 lay ten li underground.
However, many kinds of spirit insects had always lived in the soil and bedrock around the spirit fields.
After the reservoir and waterways were created, small insects that had never appeared before began showing up as well.
They might have entered through the air shafts or waterways, or perhaps larvae or pupae had already been hiding in the soil around the roots of the Stone Honey Peach trees.
There had probably been no problems until now because Lee Hyun had always picked the fruits as soon as they ripened and either eaten them or stored them in his storage pouch.
"From now on, whenever I'm away, I'll make thin paper bags and cover the fruits with them. I shouldn't tie them too tightly around the stems, and I'll leave a small opening at the bottom...."
It wasn't as though he had hundreds of fruit trees to manage, so covering each fruit individually with paper shouldn't be difficult.
...
The incident with the Stone Honey Peaches prompted Lee Hyun to inspect the other spirit fields more carefully than usual.
Near the roots of the Earth Vein Flowers, he found the translucent eggs he had occasionally seen there for a long time.
Under the leaves of the Yin Water Lotuses, a small six-legged spirit insect was clinging to one of the pads.
In the test spirit field, a black beetle crawled about, surviving despite the faint toxic qi.
"Ugh..."
Lee Hyun tossed the spirit insects into jars whenever he found them.
He had collected spirit insects before, but because he disliked bugs, he had never studied them properly.
He also scraped up the eggs he found around the Earth Vein Flowers along with the surrounding soil and put them into jars.
Before long, the storeroom was lined with jars sorted according to criteria even Lee Hyun could no longer make sense of.
"What if these bastards chew their way out...?"
Lee Hyun moved the ordinary jars to the training cavern, which was formed from crystalline bedrock.
He softened some granite near the training cavern with the Soil-Softening Art, broke it loose, and shaped it into a thick, crude breeding case.
After transferring the contents of all the jars into the breeding case, he covered it with a granite lid and used the Yang Metal Art to bore several tiny holes so that it wasn't completely sealed.
It wasn't a good environment for spirit insects, but Lee Hyun didn't care if the creatures died. He still wasn't interested enough in them to raise spirit insects with any real care.
...
The next day, Lee Hyun obtained thin mulberry paper and fine hemp cord in Qingliu County Seat, then bought several pieces of tightly woven silk mesh from a fabric shop. He also acquired small rings and clips made from thin strips of bamboo.
After returning to Tunnel No. 1, he harvested all the ripe Stone Honey Peaches and covered each unripe fruit with a paper bag.
He secured the top of each bag with a bamboo ring without tightening it completely and left enough of a gap at the bottom for air to pass through.
He installed silk mesh over the entrances and air shafts of Spirit Field No. 1-6 and Spirit Field No. 1-7.
...
Two days later.
Lee Hyun returned to Yunjing and headed for the Fengtian Bureau's Alchemy Hall.
He intended to find out how valuable the spirit plants he grew were and, if the Fengtian Bureau would buy them, exchange them for spirit stones.
For that purpose, he had brought several kinds of young spirit plants from the test spirit field, along with wilted ones whose medicinal potency had become unstable.
...
Around the Alchemy Hall were a broad courtyard for drying medicinal ingredients and several storerooms.
Apothecary apprentices carried baskets back and forth, while the sound of medicinal ingredients being pounded rang constantly from within the hall.
Lee Hyun asked the Alchemy Hall clerk whether anyone there recognized several of the spirit plants, including the Bone-Rot Flower and Yin Soul Grass.
The clerk tilted his head as he wrote down the names of the spirit plants.
"I don't recognize a single one of these medicinal ingredients."
"Could you ask one of the alchemist Retainers?"
"Please wait a moment."
The clerk went inside.
A long while later, an elderly man appeared wearing a long robe permeated with the scent of medicinal ingredients.
His hair and beard were white as snow, but his back was straight, and the hands protruding from his sleeves were rough, as though they had been burned many times.
The clerk introduced him respectfully.
"This is my lord Wen Shenghe, chief alchemist of the Alchemy Hall."
Wen Shenghe cupped his hands toward Lee Hyun.
"Some call me the Medicine King. It's a sobriquet I hardly deserve."
"I'm External Retainer Li Dongyi."
"Let's go inside and talk."
...
Lee Hyun showed Wen Shenghe the samples he had brought and told him their names.
A short while later.
"To be frank, it would be difficult for the Fengtian Bureau to appraise or purchase these spirit plants."
"Are they all useless?"
"That's not it."
Wen Shenghe shook his head.
"To put a price on a spirit herb, one needs to know many things: how much of it is used in which pill recipes, what can substitute for it, and how difficult its detoxification and storage are."
"I see."
"The Fengtian Bureau doesn't possess a single pill recipe that uses these spirit plants. More precisely, the Bureau doesn't have many pill recipes at all."
"It's impressive that you can practice alchemy under such conditions."
"My finest creation is the Barrier-Breaking Pill. I'm ashamed to say I have little else worth boasting about."
...
Lee Hyun left the Alchemy Hall.
‘So I can't sell my spirit plants through the Fengtian Bureau. Their medicinal potency has accumulated for so long that they should be quite valuable... If I find a large cultivator market or an auction where cultivators gather, I should consider putting a small amount up for sale.’
***
Three months later.
Lee Hyun occasionally traveled back and forth to Tunnel No. 1, but spent most of his time researching martial arts or sparring at the Martial Training Academy.
Guo Tianxiong and Xu Zhenming judged that he had learned enough of the basics to handle himself in actual combat.
There was still much for him to learn and research about martial arts, but he decided it was time to start earning merit points. Only then could he learn alchemy and obtain the pill recipe for the Barrier-Breaking Pill.
...
Fengtian Bureau, Military Service Hall.
A map of southern Yunze Kingdom hung on one wall.
Red flags densely covered the areas bordering the Qianyang Kingdom. Around Lushui Pass in particular, there were so many that the surface of the map could barely be seen.
"You intend to serve as a Military Retainer?"
"Yes."