Chapter 214

청 returned to Muchen Pavilion, placing both Gyeokgong Sunshin and Yulryu Yeonryeon into the first stage of his training.

Mugeong Shinsu had already reached the sixth stage, and there was no need to waste training points since he was properly learning Inner Strength Meditation Technique.

If he were to go by the usual nature of things, he would have prioritized Inner Strength Meditation Technique that benefits from excess—spilling available training points into Swift Movement.

But nowadays, he couldn’t take down any villains, which left his training points stagnating.

Training points gained through pure practice were minimal, and even then, they increased meaningfully only in correlation to the specific martial art, while free training points felt like mere extras.

Thus, Cheong believed he had to be extremely careful about distributing his dwindling training points.

It’s like someone who’s rich, who spends freely, but when the money runs out, starts agonizing over every coin—“Just because I got a few more pieces of meat in my soup, did I need to pay three coins more? Is it worth that much? Maybe I should just have another dumpling instead?”

After reaching the first stage, all secret techniques of martial arts were easily acquired after an uninvited, unauthorized takeover.

Boasting to Cheon Yu-hak about his prowess as a disciple was practically a cakewalk.

And just like that, it was already late at night.

After chatting away with Cheon Yu-hak, they were more like two buddies joking around than having a pure learning session, having only brought back some martial arts texts.

“For the time being, train with the scholar Si-gang.”

“Then won’t you be lonely, Master?”

“Lonely? An old man like me doesn’t have many acquaintances. Surely, there’s something to do. No matter how unsophisticated that brat Cheon is, a scholar from the Hall of Literature wouldn’t just have read a couple of books; the standard is at least a thousand tomes! It’s about time for my disciple to accumulate some knowledge too.”

“Knowledge, you say? Isn’t it enough for a warrior to just swing a sword? Hmm. But I do want to snack on some knowledge.”

“……? Such gluttony.”

Seomun Sulin chuckled a little and said, “The evening greetings can end here. You may take your leave now, disciple.”

But Cheong hung back, looking like he had something to say.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Why are you delaying sleep?”

“Master, um….”

“What’s it now? Just spit it out.”

“Um, perhaps… if I sleep with you tonight, maybe that wouldn’t be a problem…?”

“Hmm?”

Seomun Sulin raised an eyebrow.

Was it not a rather shameful and embarrassing thing for a grown-up disciple to say at her age?

Watching Cheong fidgeting anxiously, Seomun Sulin realized—it dawned on her—

This silly disciple is lonely, craving warmth!

With the heart left adrift, wishing for human kindness, she knew this is not something meant for someone with roots, like a drifter.

But how could the Divine Maiden Sect not provide a warm home for the disciples?

Recalling her past, Seomun Sulin felt a pang of regret.

How had she treated her last winter?

Always telling herself that the silly, silly girl seemed fine because she was always smiling and laughing.

If one were to classify it, it wasn’t an especially hazardous type of loneliness.

But if left unchecked, that loneliness would ultimately tip her to the extreme of desiring affection or being entirely detached.

One could easily become a foolish loyal dog wagging its tail, disregarding the significance of right and wrong; or just become a cold-hearted, indifferent being, showing no interest in others!

Seomun Sulin forced a caring smile.

“Alright, it sounds just right since the old man is feeling a little empty. Come here, let’s have a hug, pretty disciple.”

“Hehe….”

Cheong giggled like a child and, as she always did, discarded her robe and crawled into bed next to her.

Seomun Sulin felt a vein pop on her forehead.

This girl hasn’t yet learned to dress decently and acts outrageously!

But then again, she couldn’t deny that this girl had just been through a heartache, letting herself be vulnerable.

Seomun Sulin clenched her fist, pondering seriously whether she should scold her or not.

As the right moment slipped away, Seomun Sulin finally sighed and wrapped her arms around her disciple who had nestled in.

—-

Breakfast was shared with Seomun Sulin.

Despite witnessing the shabby sight of her giving the utensils a thorough thrashing at the table, she said nothing. After all, she had already heard about the weapon training.

Since they had brought martial arts training into everyday life, even if it looked a little clumsy, was it not admirable?

So long as she didn’t act out in front of others, she could be horrendous! Observing her own thoughts while always emphasizing proper conduct, she realized that this was beyond her own capacity.

Of course, Cheong had become much more cautious after the harsh lesson from the last time and wasn’t acting recklessly anymore.

Immediately after finishing breakfast, she headed for the medicinal bath, a demand from Cheon Yu-hak the previous night.

As soon as she entered, the air was thick and rank, and the odor—a pungent, rotting smell—pricked her nose to the point of tears.

“Eww, Master, what in the world did you do to the bath?”

“External training can often be quite revolting. Is it easy for a human body to soften up? It’s all about medicine. Here, I’ve prepared a medicinal bath for you.”

Cheon Yu-hak spoke with a congested tone.

Indeed, with his nose stuffed with cloth and a clip pinching his nostrils, it was only natural he sounded that way.

Turning her head to follow his finger, Cheong found a cauldron emitting a sickly greenish smoke, absolutely filthy.

“Um, you want me to go in there? That color can’t possibly exist in this world.”

The smoke was green, while the water had a hue tinged with purple and red.

“That much is on the milder side. Ever heard of a ‘Hell Bath’? It’s the most famous of external trainings.”

The Hell Bath was known for being boiling hot with iron sand, mixing with cool water for a painful training experience.

When mastered, one could reach the state of being utterly impervious, and the water would be stained with iron poison, they said.

“Do you think external training is simply sitting down, breathing, and spinning Qi? Most of it is about pouring out sweat mixed with blood and tears. Even with external training, you’re just combining four methods.”

Firstly, there was ‘exhaustion’—physically punishing aspects.

Then, there was ‘torture’—striking, beating, grilling, distinguishable only in regards to who was receiving the pain and who was dishing it out.

And last were ‘poisons’ and ‘medicines,’ that made up the four.

“So, being dunked into that medicinal bath is kinda luxurious in the realm of external training.”

“Seriously, if I went in there, I’d feel like I’ve just entered paradise. And by the way, it’s not boiling? Are you trying to cook me?!”

“That’s not boiling; it’s just that there are many medicinal ingredients in there. The temperature is just right, so if you soak in it, ah, I remember soaking in that at a young age during training— it feels kind of slimy and squishy, a sensation like being planted in a cesspool.”

Cheon Yu-hak didn’t even hide his laugh.

“You’ll know once you get in. That wretched feeling from the start to the end—it’s downright disgusting, and there’s not a single clean part! If you feel wronged, you can always take a disciple of your own down the line for a taste.”

“Is that the legacy of hatred you’re passing down?”

“Exactly, that’s what bonds a bunch of thieves! But have you memorized the Awakening Skill’s secret technique? Didn’t Dogo say you’d learn it all in one night?”

“Just having you demonstrate the True Energy technique would suffice.”

That earned a frown from Shintu.

“Do you think the True Energy technique is just your neighborly master? Do you know how tough that is? This girl is turning thievish!”

“Well, I haven’t tried it, so I wouldn’t know. Hehe, but you told me to become a master thief, so doesn’t that make it okay?”

“Ugh. If you do it, you’ll be exhausted for three days.”

“Oh come on, Master, just one time. One time!”

“Cough, cough.”

That plea wouldn’t work on Seomun Sulin, but it was directly effective on Cheon Yu-hak.

Ultimately, Cheon Yu-hak grumbled as he placed his palm smack on Cheong’s back.

The True Energy technique wasn’t easy; guiding someone’s internal energy down a path that wasn’t there originally was a big task, even Seomun Sulin— a master of the realm of Qi—sweated bullets after letting her disciple memorize Zhu Yang’s Mindfulness Sutra.

For Cheon Yu-hak, a master of Realm of Transformation, it was a matter that would sap your strength for three whole days.

But really, he had no way out when a pretty disciple was acting cutely.

Cheon Yu-hak’s disciples, those from the Hall of Literature, were all hulking boys lacking even the most basic sense of the martial arts, often just talking nonsense instead of living up to their responsibilities.

And Cheon Yu-hak was indeed a giant from the Hall of Literature—a modern-day distinguished professor, looking at disciples with an exacting gaze.

Thus, Cheon Yu-hak worked through the Awakening Skill’s secret technique, pulling Cheong’s True Energy and hardly managed to make her go through a full round around the core.

“Whoa, no way I can do that again. I’d rather die.”

Cheon Yu-hak tossed out those complaints sprawled on the bath’s floor, and indeed, in just half an hour, his clothes were totally drenched.

And finally, Cheong’s dantian accepted a new mate.

The heaven’s Qi that entered through her breath congregated into a minuscule wisp of weak True Energy, and it was called the “Awakening Skill’s True Energy.”

After a thorough sweep that familiarized itself with its area and returned, Cheong realized her once-private space of dantian was overrun with new guests living together.

In truth, it was more like a dormitory of sorts rather than a single-family house.

Over there, in the farthest corner, was a grotesquely dark and messy form of demonic energy bound tightly, merely flashing its horrible eyes.

This True Energy was affiliated with the more passive energies, proving effective for physical refinement rather than sorcery, making it somewhat awkward to attach to either of the paths.

In situations like this, one had to instinctively find their place, and so True Energy slinked along as it homed in on the stronger side.

The True Energy from the Dao and the Buddha glanced at the new family member with interest and merely nodded, pointing with their jaw— a subtle way of saying they would reluctantly accept.

As True Energy fidgeted, struggling for a position, the overly sophisticated and elaborate Hwanhee Jin-gi poked and prodded at her to see whether she was sorcery or not.

Should they purify her…or not?

Then their eyes met.

“Hm?”

Cheong tilted her head.

What was that? What was it? A strange feeling, something familiar from before…

She couldn’t precisely grasp it, but it tickled her brain.

A peculiar sensation, something reminiscent of a past encounter…

“Oof, I’m gonna die. You made the first stage? Then you can just go dip in there. Oh god, I feel like I aged a hundred years.”

Cheon Yu-hak expressed his exhaustion with every fiber of his body as he crawled toward the exit of the bath.

“Hey? Where are you going?”

“Even if I’m a thief, I’m not a pervert. Am I just gonna stay here while you’re bared?”

“I reckon you’ve already crossed a line before, no?”

“Cough. While it’s true I have, there’s no need to be that indecent. A man should be a little brazen; otherwise, you might just as well be a eunuch or a goat. After all, would I peek at you? Anyone who breaks through the natural law isn’t even human; they’re beasts.”

“Can’t you just turn your back? How do I train alone? Can’t I just soak and not worry?”

“What kind of woman are you? You trust men too easily. Beasts are all over the place!”

“Hey, but you’re my Master!”

That drew a smirk from Cheon Yu-hak.

Why was she being so sweet with her words?

“Eventually, I’ll be out that little ventilation window over there, so just talk through that. Agh, the smell’s getting unbearable, I can’t stay here anymore!”

That little ventilation window was a tiny opening at the floor meant for airflow.

Once Cheon Yu-hak was out of there, Cheong stood in front of the cauldron.

Even from afar, it looked horrendous, and up close, it was truly ghastly: bubbling thickly, it almost seemed viscous enough to reduce her bones to mush.

Was this demon’s bath supposed to look like this?

Cheong yelled out, “Are you really sure I can get in there!? It looks like I’m gonna die the moment I dip a toe!”

A voice answered from beyond the window.

– That cauldron’s full of medicinal ingredients worth three gold coins. You think I’d waste a fortune just to kill you? Just soak in, you won’t die!