****
Fortunately, the duel opponents who came from the next day did not admit defeat before even clashing swords.
“Did you come?”
“Yes, Gongja-nim.”
Like Cha Myeong-hak, they were people who had piled up grudges against Cheon Muryang in the past.
Most thought Cheon Muryang was arrogant, insolent, and a person who acted up trusting only his status.
“Then shall we start?”
“Yes. Please be careful.”
He even kindly warned.
Thinking that was the last kindness, he swung his sword toward Cheon Muryang.
Hoo-woong!
It was a strike without superfluity.
Backing away, dodging, or rolling on the ground in fear.
That appearance seemed vivid in his eyes.
“Careful?”
However, Cheon Muryang did not back away.
Nor did he show signs of dodging, nor was he afraid.
‘When did he move?’
He did not know.
A sword soaring above the sky was seen.
That sword struck down as it was.
Just like a thunderbolt.
“Heok!”
He had no choice but to be startled.
Although it was he who moved first, it felt as if Cheon Muryang’s sword would reach first.
Hwi-ik!
Therefore, he made the worst move.
He withdrew the advancing sword and tried to block Cheon Muryang’s sword.
Ka-a-ang!
Sword and sword met.
However, the result was horrific.
The sword that blocked Cheon Gwang, which had already started to gain speed, shattered as it was.
Cheo-eok!
Cheon Gwang, which was falling toward the crown of the head, slightly missed the side and stopped between the shoulder and neck.
Woo-woong!
However, due to that sharp aura, the skin split open.
Blood flowed through that small wound.
“H, how?”
It seemed he couldn't believe this result.
In his two eyes denying reality while trembling his whole body, his own sword shattered horribly was seen.
“You should have been careful. Tsk.”
Cheon Muryang withdrew the sword.
The duel ended.
Then, Wolyeong approached urgently and tended to the wound.
“What on earth was that sword……?”
“Downward strike. You don't know even after seeing it?”
“……!”
“Anyway, good job. If there is an opportunity again next time, let’s fight.”
Tuk.
Cheon Muryang patted his shoulder a few times and headed to the corner of the training hall.
Hwi-ik!
It was to swing the sword again.
He lost his words in this absurd situation.
“…….”
“Are you okay? First, I did simple first aid.”
“Th, thank you.”
“Don't mention it.”
Wolyeong felt somewhat proud to use the medicine and bandages she prepared just in case Cheon Muryang got hurt like this.
“Does he always train like this?”
“Yes. Every day without missing a single day.”
“…….”
He clenched his fist tightly.
Just a month ago, on a rainy day.
Back when Cheon Muryang was only running in the training hall.
He was one of those who joined the bet on whether the mangnani Eldest Gongja would come out to run in the training hall or not.
‘Was the foolish one…… me?’
He left the training hall without a word.
Suddenly, Neung Ryeo-un came to mind.
‘There was a reason why he suddenly devoted himself to training.’
From a certain moment, Neung Ryeo-un immersed himself only in training without mingling with anyone.
He just thought it was because he was defeated by the mangnani Eldest Gongja.
‘That wasn't it.’
Cha Myeong-hak was the same.
Although the two people had no friendship with each other, they shared something.
‘I think I know what…… that is too.’
The Cheon Family was a martial family.
Therefore, many training halls existed inside the family.
Among them, there were training halls that no one used because they were too far on the outskirts.
Neung Ryeo-un and Cha Myeong-hak.
For some time, the two people used to gather at a training hall where no one used to train.
‘Would they be there?’
He, who was defeated by Cheon Muryang, also headed there as if possessed by something.
Wolyeong tilted her head.
‘For some reason, it seems everyone involved with Gongja-nim changes.’
Didn't she change herself?
Wolyeong could realize herself looking at the Eldest Gongja with warm eyes before she knew it.
“Cheer up.”
Wolyeong lowered her rolled-up sleeves.
<><><>
After that, Cheon Muryang’s daily routine was the same.
Training. And sparring.
Surprisingly, Cheon Muryang was never defeated even once.
It was to the extent that rumors circulated, ‘Was the Eldest Gongja hiding his power?’
Of course, Lee Seok-gi and some groups slandered it as false rumors saying there is no way that is true, but every time they did, Lee Seok-gi’s reputation hit rock bottom.
Hoo-woong!
Watching a trainee falling away without fail today as well, Wolyeong smiled.
“Come here. I will look at your wound!”
Now Wolyeong was quite skilled at tending to wounds.
“How was it?”
When asked like this, usually.
“…….”
They responded with silence.
Or.
“Damn it! If only I didn't let my guard down!”
They got angry.
It was one of the two.
Today belonged to the latter.
“Ah, yes. I see.”
Kku-uk!
Whenever she met the latter type, Wolyeong used to grasp the wound hard on purpose.
“Ah!”
“Oh my! I am sorry. I am still a bit clumsy so just!”
“…….”
What could he do when she said it was a mistake?
Wolyeong grumbled at the back of the head of that person leaving.
“Letting guard down my foot. While he engaged seriously. Who is he trying to fool.”
Watching that scene, Cheon Muryang could not hold back his laughter.
“Your mouth has become rough, Wolyeong?”
“He is telling a lie through his teeth. While anyone can see he did it properly.”
“He must be doing that because it is embarrassing.”
“Even so, if he picked up the sword, he should admit the outcome. Being a manly man and all. Not being a petty person!”
“C, calm down.”
Wolyeong was very angry.
It seemed because recently more of the latter type came than the former type.
“This, somehow, it seems all the people coming recently harbor malice toward Gongja-nim.”
“Pro, probably so.”
It seemed Cheon Seon-hak was selecting such people on purpose.
Maybe there was no need to select.
Because it would be overflowing with volunteers.
“They probably volunteered as if to show off?”
“Why?”
“I even defeated the head trainee. And I am undefeated until now. If they beat me in this situation?”
“Aha! Now that I hear it, it is so.”
Wolyeong nodded her head.
Come to think of it, Cheon Muryang had never been defeated even once until now.
“He probably picked those full of complaints against me among them first.”
“Are you okay?”
“Of course. This is rather much better.”
Cheon Muryang laughed.
That was rather good.
Since they were people who picked up the sword, isn't speaking with the sword the best?
The problem was those who were not like that.
“What I asked for…….”
“Ah. I am still organizing it.”
“Right. I ask you.”
He asked one thing about Wolyeong.
It was exactly the record of evil deeds he committed in the past.
‘It is a matter I must shoulder.’
There was a reason why the Eldest Gongja’s exclusive sibi was Wolyeong alone.
Because others could not endure Cheon Muryang’s tyranny and left the family or moved to other places.
Since then, the position of the Eldest Gongja’s sibi became a position everyone avoided.
‘So, except for Wolyeong who insisted on the position of exclusive sibi until the end, they didn't assign any more sibis.’
Cheon Muryang left indelible scars and insults on them.
Unless he resolved this, Cheon Muryang would not be able to move forward anymore.
“Wolyeong.”
“Yes?”
“You too, if there is something you suffered from me…… do not try to hide it. Tell me everything.”
“…….”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes, Gongja-nim.”
Wolyeong’s complexion was not good.
Cheon Muryang continued training with effort.
Concentration was particularly difficult today.
<><><>
The boundary between dawn and morning.
In Cheon Muryang’s room, the sun rising from the east was seen through the window.
Doing breathing exercises while watching this was how Cheon Muryang started the day.
The heavy energies of spiritual elixirs like huge boulders were still blocking the Im-dok-yang-maek (Ren and Du Meridians), the largest path flowing into the Dan-jeon (Elixir Field).
‘Originally, circulation should happen, but…….’
Yang energy through Hoe-eum (Perineum) to Baek-hoe (Crown of Head).
Yin energy through Baek-hoe to Hoe-eum.
This loop of circulation had to be connected.
However, Cheon Muryang’s body did not have that circulation properly.
‘It is fortunate that the acupuncture points widened.’
Generally, for spiritual elixirs, one had to strive tirelessly from the time of ingestion until making them completely one’s own.
However, because he missed that right time, it became to the extent that what would have taken ten efforts was not enough even with a hundred efforts.
‘There is a time for everything. Isn't it that I am suffering this hardship because I missed that right time? Tsk.’
Cheon Muryang was inwardly regretful.
Because it felt like if he could just absorb that energy of spiritual elixirs filling the Dan-jeon enough to fill it tight or make it move out of the Dan-jeon, he could aim for the opening of the Im-dok-yang-maek riding that momentum.
‘Regretful.’
However, that was impossible.
Because they had taken root so firmly, something was needed to slowly melt that energy with mental cultivation methods or encompass that huge energy of spiritual elixirs.
‘Unless it is something like Gong-cheong-seok-yu (Stalactite Milk), Dae-hwan-dan (Great Return Pill), or Tae-cheong-dan (Supreme Blue Pill).’
Spiritual elixirs other than those would rather become poison to Cheon Muryang.
Cheon Muryang did not want to lean on impossibility.
‘Entering the Cheonryong Library and learning a high-level mental cultivation method is the top priority task.’
Because he operated the Cheon Yang Divine Art diligently, he reached 7 stars.
‘Cheon Yang Divine Art is clearly a good mental cultivation method, but that is all.’
Insufficiency was seen a lot.
The feeling that something core was missing was strong.
‘What supplements that core must be the high-level mental cultivation method.’
Therefore, he believed if he entered the Cheonryong Library, it would become much easier than now.
Beon-tteuk.
Cheon Muryang, who finished breathing exercises, got up from his seat.
“Hwi-yu.”
He felt his body was refreshed.
It must be due to the waste discharged through breathing exercises.
“The stench is no joke.”
“Gongja-nim, did you wake up?”
Scheduled time.
Wolyeong entered as if she had waited.
“Ah, right.”
“Oh my, Gongja-nim! I think you lost weight again!”
Wolyeong made a fuss.
“Hm. It seems so too.”
He felt he had clearly changed.
‘Well, the temperament was a mangnani, the original appearance wasn't bad.’
It wasn't just not bad.
If only he had equipped common sense (concept), he might have been called a romantic Gongja (Pung-ryu-gong-ja).
‘Euk.’
Of course, the appearance of Cheon Muryang reciting poems by the lakeside was unimaginable, though.
“You will go straight to the training hall, right?”
“I have to wash and go.”
“Yes! Ah, you must eat breakfast too.”
Under the pretext that he must lose weight.
Cheon Muryang was eating thoroughly according to Wolyeong’s diet.
“Is it grass again today?”
“No. I prepared a special meal today! Of course, only for lunch!”
Kkum-teul.
Cheon Muryang’s eyebrows twitched.
“Special meal?”
“Yes. You can look forward to it!”
“Really?”
“Ah, of course! Instead, you must come to the room on time? Since eating at the training hall, the surrounding gazes are a bit…….”
“Ah-ah, that is true. Understood.”
“Ah, right. Gongja-nim.”
“Hm? Why?”
“They say the Gaju-nim returns today.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The other kids must be out of their minds busy right now?”
Didn't they call it protocol?
Even if the superior does not particularly care, the subordinates are bound to care tremendously.
“It must be chaotic.”
“Yes. In that gap, sa-sa-sak, I intend to prepare the special meal!”
“Aha. I will look forward to it.”
“So I cannot go to the training hall in the morning?”
“Understood. I am not a kid.”
Cheon Muryang took off his clothes and washed his body.
In the meantime, Wolyeong changed the bedding and left the breakfast she prepared herself.
“Then shall I go again?”
They said the Gaju returns today.
To Cheon Muryang, he was a father.
And to Mumyeong, he was a benefactor who took in himself who had nowhere to go.
‘To think I have to call the Gaju father……. There was a time when I dreamed of this, albeit briefly.’
Who would have known that dream would be realized in this form?
I wanted to see him even a day sooner.
“It would be good if he returns quickly.”
Cheon Muryang headed to the training hall.
With the expectation that he would be able to meet the Gaju soon.