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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Ha-yeong retrieved the needles and examined my body in more diverse ways. She used the ominous artifacts she had placed earlier, chanting spells and meticulously checking my condition.
After a long while, the result was simple.
“I’m certain. There’s nothing wrong with your internal energy. This definitely isn’t ominous energy.”
“You’re sure there’s no problem with the internal energy itself? But I heard this from Seonui as well.”
“Huh? I’m the expert here! I conducted a more thorough examination!”
Ha-yeong scolded me with her small, delicate hands.
“Hehehe, alright, alright. Thank you.”
“Thank me more. Anyway, the problem is that purple energy sparks when you draw out your internal energy.”
“So it is that after all.”
“Want to try it?”
“Let’s give it a shot!”
I immediately stood up, grabbed my Sky Thunder Sword, and went outside.
Purple energy.
Time to manifest it.
“Hup!”
I circulated my internal energy through my meridians using the Azure Wing Heart Technique, I slowly took the starting stance of the Great Flow Sword Technique.
Precise movements like performing forms in Taekwondo.
At the same time, I observed my inner body, guiding the internal energy flowing through my meridians, imagining it flowing through my hand and being released into the sword.
I’d done this before.
So there’s no way I can’t do it!
“Haaaaaaaaap!”
Thinking so, I shouted and executed the Great Flow Sword Technique.
Is it coming out?
Are purple sparks flying from my sword now?
Flash!
Uh, it’s not coming out.
I danced with the sword until I was exhausted, but no energy was released. I was just tired and sweating profusely.
“Haah, haah!”
Well.
There’s no way it would be easy.
“What? Did you fail?”
“Uh…a complete failure.”
This was a little embarrassing.
“You can’t even channel your internal energy into your sword?”
“Well, that…”
“Wow! How can a man be weaker than a woman! Even Serin can do that!”
“Hey! She’s a peak master! Sword Qi is the realm of the peak! I’ve just barely gotten past third-rate!”
“Yeah, yeah. I can’t hear you. I don’t understand what you’re saying, but I get that you’re weak!”
“This kid?!”
She was teasing me, thoroughly enjoying herself!
“You talk a lot for a Taoist who can’t do it either, Ha-yeong!”
“Hmm? Give it here. The sword.”
“What…?”
Could she actually do it?
I carefully handed her the sword, and Ha-yeong closed her eyes and chanted a spell. Soon, a strange energy began to gather around the sword…
Whoosh!
It caught fire!
“Whoa?!”
“Who can’t do what now?”
Swish! Swish!
Ha-yeong, the flame mage, having created a flaming sword, swung it haphazardly, leaving trails of fire. The sight was so wondrous that I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
“But, wait!”
Wait a minute, my sword!
“Hey! Who told you to set my sword on fire!”
“You said I couldn’t do it, so I showed you!”
“That’s true, but! Put it out quickly! And how did you even do that?!”
It was truly astonishing.
Could Taoists do things like this?
“It’s Taoism. I can set swords on fire and stuff. How is it? Looks like Sword Qi, right?”
“This isn’t Sword Qi…! Argh! If a Taoist can do it, I should be able to too!”
I absolutely couldn’t accept such a blow to my pride!
Flash!
I took back my sword and diligently slashed at the air, but…
The purple energy didn’t reappear.
“Kyahahahaha! You really can’t do it! You weakling! You’re a weakling!”
“I’m not a weakling!”
I couldn’t stand her mocking laughter!
“Chuckle, chuckle. Well, don’t be too discouraged. You did do it, even if it was in the past. It means you can do it if the conditions are right. You’ll be able to use it regularly someday.”
Giving me a hard time and then comforting me?
Ha-yeong stroked my back and consoled me in a gentle voice.
“Thanks for the encouragement…”
“You’re welcome, right? I’m quite nice. Nice enough to be kind to a weakling like you.”
“It would have been better without that last part. Ah, but.”
It was difficult.
“When the purple energy sparked, I was in a pretty…extreme emotional state.”
“Uh-huh. You were.”
“Do you think I should focus on that aspect?”
“Hmm.”
Ha-yeong crossed her arms and hummed.
“Look, I’m a Taoist, not a martial artist, but whether it’s a martial artist or a Taoist, to reach a higher level, you need enlightenment, right?”
She was right.
“To do what you can’t, you need to raise your level, and for that, you need enlightenment. In other words, spiritual growth.”
Spiritual growth.
“According to you, that purple energy is…intense emotion. Extreme situations. Sadness. Rage. A power derived from such emotions. So.”
“So.”
I eagerly awaited her next words.
But then…
Ha-yeong looked at me and smiled mischievously.
“That’s all!”
“What?! Why stop there?!”
“What are you talking about! Enlightenment must be attained on your own! Do you think it’ll work if someone tells you?”
Ah!
“That’s true!”
She was right.
Enlightenment was something you had to achieve yourself.
“I’ll meditate for a bit.”
“Go ahead.”
I immediately began meditating.
And I looked within myself.
When I killed the Hayagriva. And when I killed Yeon Mi-pyeong. I was consumed by intense emotions. Intense rage, terrible sadness, resentment. A mix of such negative emotions.
The purple sparks also appeared then.
My emotional state seemed to be the key. So, as Ha-yeong said, if I achieved some kind of enlightenment, I would surely be able to freely wield that purple energy.
“Interesting.”
It was interesting.
Should I call it a martial art?
Exploring and contemplating the power I possessed was incredibly interesting. It was slightly different from swinging a sword, but the essence was the same. I lost myself in thought and meditated endlessly.
Then I stood up.
“Feeling anything?”
“Not yet. But I think I have a grasp of it.”
I seemed to need a little more of a trigger.
If I could feel it just one more time, I might be able to do it.
“Chuckle, chuckle, that’s good. Ah, right. But you seem to have a lot of nightmares.”
“Nightmares?”
“Could that also be related? You have really bad sleeping habits.”
“Really?”
I knew I was having nightmares, but were my sleeping habits that bad? Well, I did wake up cursing sometimes, so it was plausible.
“Then let’s rest. Actually, there are some Taoist spells that can control a person’s emotional state to some extent, but I don’t want to use them.”
“Oh? There are such things? Then why not try them?”
“You’re a martial artist.”
“That’s right.”
“You’ll make progress if you realize it on your own. But what if you achieve results through such unorthodox methods? Would it be good for you? Probably not.”
The moment I heard those words…
I stopped and couldn’t help but look at Ha-yeong’s face.
“You’re even considering that much?”
“Yeah. I’m nice, right?”
A bright smile.
“You’re really too nice, Ha-yeong. You’re so thoughtful.”
“Wh, what are you saying with such a serious face? Don’t be silly and go wash up.”
She really was thoughtful.
“Hehehe, thank you. Really.”
“Well, we’re close friends, right? That’s why.”
That’s what close friends are for.
“Ah! But then, this means I’m closer to you than Serin, right? Right?”
“Uh, uh…”
Closer?
“It’s true. We slept together, and we’ve connected like this.”
“What do you mean slept to…!”
“But it’s true, right?”
Ha-yeong clung to me, demanding an answer.
“Hurry! Answer me! I’m closer than Serin, right? I’m closer to you, right?”
Serin and Ha-yeong.
To the question of who I was closer to, I answered like this.
“Close friends…”
“Yeah?”
“…don’t have things like who’s closer or further away.”
“No, not that kind of answer.”
“Ha-yeong. You’re a close friend I’ve acknowledged. Your kind heart is enough to move me. So no other words are needed.”
“Oh, uh, uh…is that so?”
That’s how it is.
“Yes. Both Serin and you. You’re my precious friends.”
“Then…I’ll keep that in mind.”
The subdued Ha-yeong moved away from me. She really did have a cute side. She was a bit hyper, but kind, thoughtful, and energetic, so she definitely had a different feel from Serin.
“Then I’ll train a little more and come in!”
“Go ahead. I’ll prepare dinner.”
“Extreme gratitude!”
I focused on my training.
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For several days, Ha-yeong and I lived together at her house, continuing our research. Unfortunately, I was still stuck, unable to release the purple energy.
It was incredibly frustrating.
“Argh! This is annoying! The research isn’t going anywhere! You weakling! If only you were better at this!”
“Hey, I want to be good at it too, but it’s not working…”
“Whatever, go chop some wood!”
“Okay.”
If she tells me to chop wood, I chop wood.
“I’m going to wash up.”
Ha-yeong said so and dashed off to the bathroom.
The atmosphere was just like a newlywed couple’s.
“Let’s see.”
I tidied up the place. Cleaning and organizing was fundamental. After neatly cleaning the room, I was about to grab the axe when…
“Hey!”
The bathroom door opened slightly, and Ha-yeong peeked her head out.
“What?”
“I forgot to bring fresh clothes. Could you get them for me?”
“Fresh clothes?”
“Yeah. There are clothes and talismans in there, right? Bring them to me. Oh, three talismans!”
There was a dresser for clothes.
I went straight to it and opened a drawer.
“Hmm.”
I saw the clothes with very little fabric and the talismans. I quickly grabbed the clothes and picked three talismans… Wait a minute.
Why talismans?
And why specifically three?
“Hey, Ha-yeong.”
“What!”
“Why the talismans?”
“Asking weird questions? Do you want to die?”
“No, wait…!”
“Just bring them!”
“Alright!”
I immediately placed the clothes and talismans in front of the bathroom door, turned around, and ran away.
“No, no!”
Talismans?
Three talismans?
She was washing up and changing clothes, so the outer garments made sense, but there were no undergarments. But she specifically asked for three talismans.
That meant…!
“Did you forget I told you to chop wood?”
“Uh, uh…”
“Why is your face so red? Were you thinking something strange?”
I looked up and saw Ha-yeong wearing the clothes I had brought. That’s right. She was naked and put on only what I had given her.
In conclusion, those three talismans…
“H, Ha-yeong. About the talismans…”
“What about them? Do you want them?”
“What?!”
“Should I give them to you?”
“Gasp!”
She’d give them to me?!
I immediately nodded!
“Why are you nodding! Kyahahahaha! Like I’d give them to you!”
“Hey!”
“Kyahaha! You’re funny! You idiot!”
Grrrr…!
“You sly little…!”
“Now, now! Stop thinking weird thoughts and massage my shoulders! They ache because of you!”
“Ugh…!”
I’ll let it slide just this once.
I immediately sat behind Ha-yeong, who was sitting cross-legged.
“…”
Fair, smooth skin.
She smelled nice, having just washed up.
I held her soft shoulders and slowly massaged them.
Squeeze, squeeze.
“Haa…Mmm. You’re good at this…chopping wood, massaging shoulders, preparing meals. You’re so lovely.”
“Right?”
“It would be great if your level was a little higher!”
“I’m working on it!”
Press!
I pressed hard with my fingers.
“Hyaa! Ah, oh! Right there, right there!”
Ha-yeong straightened her back, asking for more. Did she secretly enjoy painful sensations?
Anyway, I was incredibly focused at this moment. Honestly, if I lowered my hands even slightly, I would touch sensitive areas.
I concentrated to avoid that and massaged Ha-yeong’s shoulders for a long time.
“Mmm…that’s enough. Let’s stop here for today. I’m getting drowsy.”
“Should I prepare the bed?”
“No. I have one last thing to try.”
“To try?”
Ha-yeong got up and rummaged through a shelf.
“Where did I put it…ah, here it is.”
“What’s that?”
It was a small box.
Click.
Inside the box was a small bead.
Dark in color.
“It’s the Great Rat’s core.”
“The Great Rat’s core!”
The core of that giant rat?!
Was she going to make me eat it?!
“Am I eating that?”
“Honestly, I don’t want you to eat it. It should be fine, but we don’t know for sure.”
“That’s true, but…”
“But since you seem frustrated that things aren’t working out…I’ll give you a choice. Whether to eat it or not. I recommend not eating it.”
Would I be a man if she set the table and I didn’t eat?
“I’ll eat it! I’ll absorb it, just watch!”
“Um…alright.”
It was the smallest core I’d ever seen. And it came from the most insignificant creature. Would there be any effect?
I sat down, crossed my legs, and put the core in my mouth.
Melt.
The now-familiar sensation.
The core quickly dissolved and went down my throat. At the same time, I felt a slightly pure energy in my stomach. I circulated my energy, performing a small heavenly cycle to accept the new internal energy.
“…”
But…it was too small.
The tiny amount of internal energy tickled my lower dantian as it settled. I didn’t feel anything special.
Was it because its level was low?
Just as a slight disappointment flashed through my mind…
Tsss.
As the existing internal energy and the newly acquired internal energy combined, something, something hot, began to be felt. The internal energy in my lower dantian began to stir, trying to move violently!
“Hup…!”
It wasn’t difficult to calm it down with a little focus.
But what was that?
That feeling just now?
“Huu!”
I exhaled and opened my eyes.
“Ha-yeong.”
“…”
Ha-yeong was concentrating, her hand resting on my back.
“I’m done.”
“Oh…? Ah, yes. You’re done. How was it?”
“I felt something. But there doesn’t seem to be much of an effect.”
“You felt something? What?”
I briefly explained the sensation I had just experienced.
That stirring feeling.
There was definitely something there.
“Hmm, then maybe you’ll figure something out if you consume more cores.”
“I’m suddenly eager to eat more cores.”
“Really?”
I nodded.
“Then what would be good…Hmm, hey. I’m going to Mosan School for a bit. Wait here.”
“What, you’re going up there now? It’s dark.”
“Hey, I lived here for years.”
Ha-yeong said so, lightly put on a coat, and zipped out. I was left alone in the room.
“I should do what I need to do.”
Since I was alone, I was going to do some light training…
“Ah.”
I couldn’t focus at all.
The talismans!
Because of the talismans!
“She was wearing the talismans…!”
What in the world!
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Thanks Simzy!