Chapter 45 : Solving the Mystery (2)

Chapter 45: Solving the Mystery (2)

Still, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

Yong Hwarin decided to test things out himself through swordplay.

It was safer to operate the internal technique through martial arts than to attempt it using only the cultivation method.

It just so happened that everyone was asleep—it was the perfect time to try.

Stepping outside, he unfurled the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword under the moonlight.

Indeed, unleashing the techniques using the Demonic Master’s internal energy was far more powerful than doing so with the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique.

Moreover, when he applied the incantations taught by Jong Munhye while using the Demonic Master’s energy, the strength amplified significantly.

Each and every move contained a power he could never have imagined before.

However, when he tried combining the Demonic Master’s energy and Jong Munhye’s incantations with Revolving Dragon Strike Fist, which he had always practiced to improve physical strength and endurance, the power instead felt diminished.

Revolving Dragon Strike Fist was most effective only when used in tandem with the Nine Dragons Heavenly Ascent Technique.

This reinforced the idea that the internal energy technique and the martial art had to be compatible.

There had long been a theory in the martial world that transplanting a martial art into a different internal technique could diminish its power.

Each martial art had its suitable cultivation method, but because learning one internal technique often meant being unable to learn others, the martial world had long developed techniques by applying various martial arts to a single method.

That method had its own strengths and weaknesses.

However, the martial arts of the Hidden Saint Cult were one of the few that strictly adhered to the foundational principle:

One martial art, one internal technique.

That was why learning multiple martial arts within the Hidden Saint Cult was difficult. Each person inevitably learned different arts, and when the protector who passed down martial arts to the Heavenly Central Sect secluded himself, the martial art he had taught had nearly vanished with him.

As Yong Hwarin tried various ways to wield the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword, he began to understand Ha Cheolryeong’s feelings.

“So that’s why Ha Cheolryeong wanted a martial art that could divide the mind.”

Yong Hwarin concluded that with his current level, it was impossible to merge his original energy with the old man’s energy.

Then, a sudden idea flashed in his mind.

‘What if I could fuse the forms of Revolving Dragon Strike Fist and the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword? Wouldn’t I then be able to use both energies at once?’

But he quickly shook his head.

It was too dangerous of an idea.

And soon, it occurred to him that Ha Cheolryeong might have had the exact same line of thinking.

Which likely led him to the conclusion that only acquiring Left and Right Divided Mind Technique could provide a solution.

‘No use overthinking. Once I get Chouhui’s Left and Right Divided Mind Technique, something will come of it.’

Once the dilemma was resolved, Yong Hwarin took off his top completely. After immersing himself in the techniques for nearly an hour, his clothes were soaked in sweat.

With his shirt off, a well-defined physique revealed itself.

Seeing that, Yong Hwarin let out an embarrassed chuckle.

It was a body he could have never seen in his past life.

Though it was his own, the physique honed through Revolving Dragon Strike Fist was firm and lean, not an ounce of fat to be found.

Revolving Dragon Strike Fist had been created by one of the ancestors of the Heavenly Central Sect who had enlisted in the military and reconstructed a practical boxing art from his experiences.

The logic behind it was that to strengthen one’s swordsmanship, physical strength and stamina had to be solid. Thanks to Revolving Dragon Strike Fist, the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword had indeed become stronger.

“Beautiful.”

It couldn’t even be compared to the plump, pork-like body he had in his past life.

And from a distance, Shangguan Mijong, who had been watching, echoed the same words.

“Beautiful.”

She never expected to find herself calling a man’s muscular body beautiful.

Despite growing up surrounded by martial artists and often seeing shirtless men, her heart still fluttered.

Perhaps it was the atmosphere, basking in the moonlight, but Yong Hwarin’s body possessed an unfinished beauty—like muscles sculpted yet unrefined.

But Shangguan Mijong hadn't come all the way out here to gaze at Yong Hwarin.

She had been drained from interacting all day with people who were treating her as if she had risen from the dead. She was used to relieving such stress through training.

That was her reason for coming out tonight too, but by chance, she had arrived at the training ground of the honored guest quarters.

Honestly, any training ground within the clan would have been fine.

Yet, in this late hour when everyone else was asleep, there was someone else still awake and training. Shangguan Mijong found herself hoping it was Yong Hwarin, and when it turned out to be him, her heart skipped a beat.

It was strange.

No man had ever made her heart flutter before.

Even Pang Giyok, who never stopped praising her younger brother’s looks, had never registered as a man in her eyes.

Shangguan Mijong, who pursued strength, preferred those who were strong in martial arts.

So, though Namgung Soomyung wasn’t as handsome as Pang Giyok or Shangguan Yuwon, she was naturally more drawn to him because he was stronger.

Yet now, she found herself drawn even more to someone else than Namgung Soomyung.

‘It’s only because he treated me and touched my body. That’s all it is.’

Women like Jegal Cheongyeong and Shangguan Mijong, who pursued the martial path, often made the same mistake.

They always believed that men would only interfere with their pursuit of martial arts.

Yong Hwarin, mid-training, suddenly stopped and turned his gaze toward where Shangguan Mijong was standing.

“What brings you out at such a late hour?”

Startled like someone caught doing something wrong, Shangguan Mijong stepped forward from the shadows.

“Thinking back now, I must have been out of my mind, but I never got to thank you, Young Master Yong.”

“You came at this hour just to say that?”

“You don’t believe me, do you? But it’s true.”

The prouder a woman was, the harder it was for her to say thank you.

But at the same time, not saying it stung her pride even more.

Wanting to repay a favor properly was a trait common among the prideful.

“I believe you.”

Yong Hwarin knew it did no good to bruise the pride of women like her, so he simply accepted it.

“And I figured tonight might be my only chance. I came here because I wanted to spar with you. I heard the swordsmanship of the Flying Dragon Sword Hero is quite exceptional. Could you show me the swordplay of Soaring Dragon?”

One might say this was madness under moonlight, but Shangguan Mijong looked utterly serious.

Yong Hwarin wasn’t naive enough to indulge every request women made. He had long since realized that once he started giving in to them, he’d be endlessly pestered with demands.

He had learned that lesson well from his past life, so he rejected Shangguan Mijong’s request.

“Sorry, but I’m not in the mood for a duel right now.”

Shangguan Mijong knew it was a stretch when she asked, so she had no right to be upset about the rejection.

She had even prepared herself for it. Yet strangely, it felt like she’d just been dumped—her chest ached.

‘How strange… It was just a duel, and I feel like this?’

Yong Hwarin shook his head as he watched Shangguan Mijong walk away with a pained expression.

Perhaps because he had treated and saved her, he felt a tinge of tenderness toward her.

But regaining his composure, he returned to his quarters.

Early in the morning, Yong Hwarin focused first on circulating his qi for two hours, concentrating all his energy on cultivating his inner strength. No matter how urgent things were, he never skipped qi circulation. He was well aware that, having started martial arts later than others, he had to invest several times more time and effort.

After that, he stepped outside.

Though he already felt eager to leave the Shangguan Clan, there was still unresolved business holding him back.

‘Should I just leave like this?’

But turning a blind eye after receiving help just because the incident had been resolved wasn’t something a true man would do.

At the very least, he didn’t want to live like the Yong Hwarin from his previous life.

‘Still, I don’t want to play Jegal Yohye’s fake lover anymore.’

Without Jegal Yohye’s help, saving One Who Connects All Lives and rescuing Shangguan Mijong would’ve been impossible.

It had only been possible because she had moved Shangguan Byeokin through Hayanggyo.

As Yong Hwarin wandered the courtyard deep in thought, he suddenly felt eyes watching him and turned his gaze toward the source.

“What brings you here?”

He was startled and asked the purpose of the visit before even greeting her.

Jegal Yohye smiled faintly and replied.

“I came to keep watch, just in case you tried to sneak away without saying anything.”

Though it was a harmless remark, Yong Hwarin felt a pang of guilt and laughed awkwardly. It was a feeble attempt to mask his true intentions.

“Pang Giyok and Seomun Yuwon will be here soon.”

Jegal Yohye, when alone, didn’t bother with honorifics.

“And when they arrive, we’ll probably have to share lunch. At that time, I’ll call on you, Young Master Yong. You know what you should do, right?”

Yong Hwarin nodded.

Suddenly, he felt a heavy wave of anxiety. Emotionally, he was closer to a chubby man in his fifties.

He had no confidence when it came to romance.

At first, having returned to the past in a twenty-something body, he thought he’d have fun dating young women—but that had only been a fleeting fantasy. His body simply wouldn’t cooperate.

The morality and ethical values that had governed him for fifty years now obstructed any romantic feelings.

Whenever he felt attracted to women Jegal Yohye’s age, he viewed himself as a pervert, a vile man.

‘How could I pursue someone young enough to be my daughter…’

His body was in its twenties, but his mind remained in his fifties—he had yet to overcome that gap.

He had adapted to many things, but when it came to women, he was still trapped in the mindset of his past self.

“I’m not sure I’ll do well. Even if things don’t go smoothly, please don’t blame me.”

“Hohoho, I’ll handle everything. Young Master Yong, all you need to do is enjoy the show and eat your rice cakes.”

When she laughed with her chin raised like that, she truly lived up to the nickname she was given in the Jegal Clan—Seducing Witch.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

Her tone was sweet to the point of tenderness, but for some reason, it gave him chills.

Thududududu—

Wagons and horses clattered noisily as they entered through the east gate, the main route for guests.

Yong Hwarin heard the noise while still in the Honored Guest Pavilion.

‘They must be here. But how many people did they bring for the sound of hooves to carry all the way here?’

The young heads of major clans from both north and south of the river—figures of real power—were not ones to travel lightly.

Usually, such young leaders never journeyed through the martial world without protection.

This was because there were frequent ambushes from those who harbored grudges against the great clans, and they risked death should they encounter masters from the demonic path on the road.

As a result, the Honored Guest Pavilion became busier than ever.

The best rooms in the Honored Guest Pavilion were assigned as their quarters.

Yong Hwarin gave a wry smile.

While he had been given just one servant girl, each of them was assigned not only three attendants per room but also two additional manservants—nothing was spared in hospitality.

‘Well, it’s not like the Heavenly Central Sect can compare to the Seomun or Pang clans.’

The martial world was a place where power and hierarchy were strictly respected.

Yong Hwarin began sifting through his memories from his past life, digging up whatever information he had about Seomun Yuwon and Pang Giyok.