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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Mancheon began by cooling Gwahae’s feverish head with a wet towel. When the towel became lukewarm from the intense heat, he dipped it into a basin of water kept nearby to cool it down again.
He repeated this process, silently tending to Gwahae.
“Young Master, I’ll take over from here. You should get some rest.”
“It’s fine. I’ll do it. And, excuse me, but could you bring me a fresh basin of water?”
‘To hear the words “excuse me” from that little devil’s mouth… I don’t know what happened, but he seems really down. I should make him some meat dishes tomorrow.’
Jang-sam thought to himself as he left with the basin.
Once I confirmed Jang-sam was completely out of the room, I rolled up Gwahae’s sleeve and checked her pulse.
Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong. Her internal energy was completely depleted, and she had collapsed from exhaustion after pushing herself too hard despite this.
“Calm the mind, forget emotions. If the body is weak, strengthen the Qi.”
I adjusted my posture and circulated the Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method, channeling my internal energy through Gwahae’s wrist. This wasn’t the first time I had used the internal energy cultivation method for healing. I had used it before to heal minor scrapes and bruises from training, concealing them from my mother.
“When the heart dies, the spirit lives. When Yang prospers, Yin dissipates.”
It was my first time using my internal energy to heal someone else, but it was alright. I was Sima Mancheon, the genius who deceives even the heavens. Besides, both Gwahae and I practiced the same Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method. There was no risk of our internal energies clashing and causing her to suffer a Qi deviation.
Perhaps because she was naturally robust, Gwahae’s Qi recovered quickly as I circulated the cultivation method. Now, all that remained was to change the wet towel and wait for her fever to subside.
Blinking, I came to. It seemed I had dozed off while tending to Gwahae. The towel must be lukewarm by now. I needed to change it.
In the dim room, I saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring intently at me. It was Gwahae.
“Are you awake?”
“Yes.”
“Does anything hurt?”
“No.”
“That’s good.”
Silence fell between us. After a moment of contemplation, I asked an important question.
“Gwahae, do you like martial arts?”
“I don’t know.”
Her answer surprised me. Gwahae’s eyes always sparkled with enthusiasm whenever I taught her martial arts. She was always eager to learn. I had assumed she enjoyed them.
“Then why did you train so hard?”
Gwahae cautiously studied my face, then suddenly hid her face under the covers.
“Because I like it.”
The covers shifted slightly, revealing her round, beautiful blue eyes as she looked up at me.
“Because Mancheon likes it. I like it too.”
“I like martial arts?”
“Yes. Mancheon’s eyes sparkle when you talk about martial arts. So I like it too.”
She likes it because I like it? Is she a child? …Well, she is a child. My enthusiasm deflated. What had I been so worried about? How foolish.
I touched Gwahae’s forehead; her fever had subsided. Deciding there was no longer a need to tend to her, I lay down beside her and wrapped my arms around her small frame. She fit perfectly.
“!!!!!”
“You’re going to climb on top of me when I fall asleep anyway. Let’s just sleep like this tonight.”
I gently patted her small back.
“I don’t just like martial arts. I like other things too.”
I whispered softly to Gwahae, who remained silent with her face buried in my chest.
“Martial arts are nothing special. There are so many other fun things in the world. So, let’s play together tomorrow.”
Pat, pat.
“Let’s go to the market and buy snacks. We can look at toys too.”
“Oh, and looking at flowers would be nice. Let’s go play in the water too.”
Pat, pat.
“Yes… yes… Chippy can come too.”
“Speaking of which, I haven’t taught you how to play Yut Nori yet. It’s the most fun game.”
Pat, pat.
“Well, we have plenty of time. We can play it a lot… a lot… together… I’m getting sleepy now… Goodnight.”
Mancheon drifted off to sleep with a sense of contentment, but Gwahae couldn’t sleep. Even though her fever had broken, her face felt hot. Burning. She needed a cold towel.
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Contrary to my initial boredom, life at the Jegal Clan estate had become quite busy.
I taught Gwahae various games while continuing her martial arts training. After all, I had to teach her properly if I was going to teach her at all. I don’t do things half-heartedly.
As I continued teaching her, I realized that aptitude for martial arts truly did exist.
“You still don’t get it? This is really easy.”
“No. It’s hard.”
Gwahae had mastered the Orthodox and Upright Internal Energy Cultivation Method and the Emptiness Illumination Fist with remarkable ease, so I had assumed she would also quickly learn the Seven Star Formation. But, contrary to my expectations, she struggled with it.
I mean, all she had to do was memorize the core principles and move accordingly. Why couldn’t she grasp it?
Apparently, she wasn’t suited to group tactics. But then, she learned Twin Hand Combat incredibly easily. How?!
“What? I only explained the theory. How are you already using it?!”
“Huh? It’s easy. Like this, like this, and then like that.”
It seemed Master was right. Twin Hand Combat was a technique only idiots could use.
Honestly, I didn’t care if she couldn’t use Twin Hand Combat. I wasn’t jealous at all. I had the Dog Beating Staff Technique. Dog Beating Staff Technique is the best~ We’ll be together forever.
Thwack, thwack! (Of course, partner!)
While I polished my staff, savoring the bitter taste of defeat, Gwahae started playing with Chippy, feeding it.
“Chirp~ chirp~ chirp, chirp~”
Chippy had recovered significantly and could now fly short distances. Well, I had paid a hefty sum to have the physician treat him. If it couldn’t fly, it would’ve ended up as roasted sparrow.
“Looks like the physician’s treatment worked. It’s flying around now. But treating a sparrow… I bet the physician was surprised. How much did it cost?”
I pulled out a piece of dried meat from my pouch, chewed on it, and held up two fingers in response to Jang-sam’s question.
“Two silver coins. The physician said it was harder to treat smaller animals.”
“What the… You should’ve just bought a new one.”
I watched Gwahae playing with the sparrow, a bright smile on her face. Although we were in the same room, it felt as if we were separated by an invisible barrier: one side tainted by the harsh realities of the world, the other pure and innocent.
“Don’t be like that. There are many sparrows in the world, but Chippy is the only one for Gwahae.”
Touched by my profound words, Jang-sam’s eyes suddenly widened. He then extended his hand towards me.
“Then I’m the only Jang-sam in the world, so give me two silver coins.”
I brought my well-maintained, gleaming staff down on Jang-sam’s head.
Clang!
“Ouch?!”
“You think I’m easy to take advantage of just because I’ve been quiet lately? Go make some food, you brat.”
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I had taught Gwahae martial arts, and how to play indoors and in the courtyard. She was surprisingly good at hide-and-seek and tag. It was time to teach her how to have fun outside.
I was making plans to take Gwahae out with me during the upcoming festival, but a problem arose. The Jegal Clan forbade Gwahae from leaving the estate.
Furthermore, a member of the Jegal Clan sought me out and warned me – or rather, advised me – to stop associating with Gwahae.
Even if Jegal Bi-yeong, my father’s friend, had been present at the Jegal estate, he might not have been able to help me. Could a little boy who knew a bit of martial arts really protect a helpless girl within the territory of a clan that operated like a mafia cartel? The answer was a resounding no.
However, that didn’t mean I should give up thinking. I had to figure out why and how this situation had come about. I had to keep my mind working.
There are a few universal truths. One of them is that a fish dies when it stops swimming.
I didn’t think Clan Leader Jegal Gyu-geun was behind Gwahae’s renewed isolation. He was responsible for her current state of abuse, but I doubted he was involved in this particular incident.
The Clan Leader was generally indifferent. He didn’t care whether Gwahae was abused or not. He simply wanted her out of sight and out of mind.
However, this also meant that as long as she remained out of sight, he wouldn’t interfere even if someone cared for her. Indeed, he hadn’t sent anyone to check on Gwahae despite me washing, feeding, and caring for her for several weeks.
This meant he wasn’t interested in what I was doing. Therefore, there was no reason for him to prevent her from briefly leaving the estate during the festival.
Hmm… this meant that someone else, for reasons unknown, had taken an interest in Gwahae and was trying to isolate her. This was complicated. I needed to consult someone knowledgeable about the Jegal Clan’s internal affairs.
Another universal truth: when faced with a problem you can’t solve on your own, consult with others.
It was also time for my appointment. That old man was very particular about punctuality, so I had to hurry. I grabbed my staff and headed towards the old pavilion in the corner of the garden.
“Hey, old man, long time no see.”
I raised a hand in greeting, but Jegal Liang, my Go playing partner and the bane of my existence, flicked a Go stone at my forehead.
Click!
“Oww!”
“Stop your nonsense and sit down. We’re wasting time.”
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LOL how fast is it for them to became friendly like that.🤣
