‘Why is he a destined one?’
Cheon So-hee looked at her destined one who was being examined by the doctor.
He was an ordinary man who hadn’t mastered martial arts.
So-hee couldn’t understand why he had just used a martial arts technique, but it was clear at a glance that he had no inner power.
Even if he truly was her only childhood friend, it wouldn’t make him a destined one.
So then, why?
So-hee recalled what Cheon Gi-ja had said.
“A person who defies the destiny of heaven. A person who has fulfilled their fate and returned from death. A person who can change the fate of others. The day you meet such a person will come.”
‘Did you also receive the destiny of heaven?’
So-hee stared at Kang Yoon-ho. Just as she had received the fate of the Heavenly Killing Star, he must have received some kind of destiny from heaven as well. And he had succeeded in defying that destiny.
‘Is that even possible?’
Having lived her entire life resisting the fate of the Heavenly Killing Star, she knew better than anyone how absurd that was.
He had become a destined one by overcoming his fate in the past. What on earth had happened?
‘I don’t know anything about Yoon-ho.’
What mattered most to So-hee all this time was her own past, not Kang Yoon-ho’s.
She longed to hear stories from him about their childhood to help her recall her past. Because of that, all the stories she shared with him were about their childhood together.
What kind of life he had lived until now wasn’t very important to So-hee.
‘I’m curious.’
What kind of life he had lived. Why he was her destined one. What destiny he had defied.
For the first time, So-hee felt curiosity about someone else.
‘Is it okay to ask?’
If she asked him something like that, being the Heavenly Killing Star, her killing intent would dissipate. Had there ever been a time she rejected heaven’s destiny? That would mean revealing that she was the legendary assassin known as the Heavenly Killing Star.
Though Kang Yoon-ho was taking a place in her heart, she was afraid to reveal that she was the Heavenly Killing Star.
‘I want to know about Yoon-ho’s past.’
She wanted to know about his past. To know him better. As much as she was afraid of revealing the truth, her curiosity about him grew stronger.
‘How should I ask?’
For someone who had never properly had a serious conversation with another person, this dilemma felt like a bigger challenge than any assassination.
One day, So-hee recalled what her master once told her.
“Focusing only on what you want to say is a bad habit. To get to know others, you should start with common interests.”
“Not necessary. Just train in martial arts, and that’s enough.”
When was it? It felt like advice from someone long forgotten.
Common interests.
The first thing that came to mind was the martial arts technique he had just used.
She understood martial arts better than he did. If she wanted to get to know him from something small, she would just ask about that first.
So-hee cautiously asked about the martial arts technique Kang Yoon-ho had mastered, trying to keep her nervousness from showing.
*
“Your wife taught me.”
He had barely managed to hold back the words that almost leaped out. For some reason, it felt like an absolute no-no to say.
Should he mention the Tonae Technique handed down through the Kang family for generations?
This inner cultivation technique that didn’t help with accumulating inner power was used by the Joseon army like their health regimen, similar to the eight body-twisting exercises. Should he say that?
No way. Speaking like that was a bad idea.
The Tonae Technique I learned is actually from the Murong family’s head’s vision Tonae Technique.
If she figured out where this Tonae Technique came from, it meant I had lied.
The fragile trust built so far could collapse over even the smallest lie.
So what should he say?
If he revealed the detailed origins of the inner cultivation technique, he would also have to disclose his marriage, the downfall of the Kang family, and their secret escape.
It would be like an ex-girlfriend asking about his personality type, and he ended up revealing all the childhood stories, traumas, and everything he had been through.
“I learned it after helping a woman in distress once.”
I chose to give a truthful answer without outright lying.
“A woman?”
So-hee’s tone suddenly dropped when she asked back.
“She told me it would help keep my body healthy and taught me this Tonae Technique. Although it doesn’t accumulate inner energy, she said if I practiced consistently, I wouldn’t have any minor illnesses. And sure enough, after mastering this, my health improved significantly.”
I touched my Dantian area, as if mimicking a woman caressing her lower abdomen in an NTR (netorare) scenario.
It indeed had helped a lot. There were times I needed to endure without money for treatment, and this Tonae Technique allowed me to hold on. My health improved so much that I even gained the upper hand in fights with ruffians.
Without that, I might have ended up living as a beggar.
Come to think of it, I wonder how Murong Sang-a is living now.
Suddenly, that night came to mind.
There was only one woman in this martial arts dating game who could compare to her looks, and the deep kiss we shared. It was her who made the first move, not me. She subtly touched my chest too.
I almost lost my life, but in hindsight, it was a worthwhile experience.
To have a more valuable experience, I would have to put my life on the line, but I certainly made sure to take the profits.
How delightful.
“Yoon-ho.”
As I reminisced about the memories with Murong Sang-a with a smile, So-hee’s cold voice pulled me back to reality.
“Uh?”
When I looked at her, her worried expression had suddenly turned into a frown. What’s up with that?
“That Tonae Technique. Can I take a quick look at it?”
“I didn’t learn any formal techniques, so I only know how to do it with my body.”
“Then I’ll put my hands on your back and observe the flow of your inner energy. Give it a try.”
Suddenly, her commanding tone changed. What was going on? Her demeanor was intimidating. It felt like refusing would lead to something dreadful.
As she placed her hands on my back, I sat cross-legged and began to demonstrate the Tonae Technique.
——-
“Yoon-ho.”
Even after finishing the Tonae Technique, So-hee’s cold voice didn’t waver. She had removed her hands from my back and stepped closer again.
“Uh?”
“You lied to me.”
In an instant, my heart sank. What? What did she figure out?
“Why do you say that?”
Having lived together, I hadn’t lied a single time, so I had no clue what she had caught onto.
“The Tonae Technique you learned isn’t merely something you can learn from assisting someone in distress.”
The expression on her face demanded the truth quickly, with an intensity that seemed like she could ignite fire with her gaze.
Was that it? I had already thought of how to counter such an interrogation.
“It was more than just that. She was on the brink of death, and I devotedly helped her escape that danger.”
A life-saving grace.
In reality, many people won’t give any recompense even if you save their lives, but in the martial arts world, where恩 (grace) and怨 (grudge) are often clear-cut, it can be a debt so significant a person might devote everything in return for such a mercy.
I had saved a life, but the Tonae Technique, not accumulating inner power, should be something I could share.
I looked at her, hoping her suspicion would clear away with a smile, but her suspicious gaze remained unshaken.
What’s wrong?
“Even if it was a life-saving grace, there’s no way she would teach me this Tonae Technique.”
A shadow fell over her expression. It was the kind of look that suggested she had seen something she absolutely shouldn’t have.
“But I learned it.”
Instead of explaining, I looked at her as if to question what was strange.
Why? When I met her gaze, she momentarily pursed her lips, then finally spoke.
“The Tonae Technique you learned is not just any Tonae Technique. It’s one reserved for the top disciples of the Nine Great Sects. It’s the kind of technique that can only be taught to the absolute best among the best. If not from the Nine Great Sects, it would have only been allowed for direct descendants of martial arts families or successors of secretive sects.”
“Is… is it really that impressive?”
It felt strange. Murong Sang-a had claimed it was just a simple technique to strengthen the body before learning martial arts.
“Impressive? That’s an understatement. It’s an inner cultivation technique designed to prepare the best body for mastering martial arts. It’s a Tonae Technique that not only opens up the channels throughout your whole body but also has restorative effects that aid recovery without accumulating inner energy. It’s the ultimate technique.”
It would probably cause her to be even more shocked if I mentioned it also helps strengthen bone and muscle.
Murong Sang-a, what have you taught me?
I had thought it was nothing special since she taught it so easily, but was this a supreme technique from the Murong family?
Thank you, Murong Sang-a. You really didn’t just give me my first kiss.
“Are you absolutely certain you learned this in exchange for saving her life?”
She glanced at me with suspicion in her eyes, clearly prompting for more details. I felt there was no way she would believe me even if I said yes.
“I even gave her gifts.”
Gave her the entire fortune of the Kang family.
“Yoon-ho might not know as a non-martial artist, but the technique you learned is one that they would never teach even if a martial artist were tortured and their life was at stake. There’s just no way a life-saving grace would lead to teaching it. Only someone insane would do that.”
What’s wrong? So-hee expressed an alarming amount of hostility. It’s reasonable; if it were such a precious technique, it wouldn’t make sense to share it.
After all, So-hee was also a martial artist consumed with doubt over Murong Sang-a’s actions.
Well, it’s time to reveal a little.
“There was more than just a life-saving relationship; it developed into something more.”
I spoke with a nostalgic expression, reminiscing about the past.
At my words, So-hee’s eyes twitched slightly.
“Are you saying… you were lovers?”
Lovers? No, it was more like a spouse.
“I wouldn’t call it a relationship like that, I suppose. We were just acquaintances who parted ways after a brief meeting, I think.”
I gave a wistful look, like a youth nostalgically reflecting on an unfinished romance.
We were technically a married couple, but it wasn’t like we had any romantic feelings. I wasn’t lying there.
“… Were you closer to her than to me?”
She asked cautiously, which was unlike her.
Huh? Why would she ask that?
Could it be that she was jealous?
No, that was too self-involved of me.
If I went too far down that line, I’d end up with a narrative worthy of a dark history after a sentence about wanting to have dinner together later.
‘It must feel like discovering that your friend has a friend closer than you.’
It’s likely that feeling when you have few friends, and you discover your friend has a wide social circle, and you’re merely an acquaintance among many.
‘Wait! Could this be an opportunity?’
A brilliant thought struck me like lightning—how to fulfill a wish I had while living in this world.
“Haha! How could anyone be closer than you, So-hee? She was just one of many fleeting encounters.”
For now, I reassured her that my bond with her wasn’t anything special.
“… Really?”
I could feel a light but distinct blush in her voice.
“Even so, I’m grateful knowing such a precious technique was willingly shared with me. I thought she was just a passing acquaintance, but thanks to you, I realized how much she must have valued me.”
Even though it was a light relationship, she still taught me something valuable.
Got it, So-hee?
“That woman may have been lacking in judgment.”
She spoke with an annoyed tone.
“Don’t say that. Thanks to this Tonae Technique, do you know how many lives I’ve saved? If not for this technique, I could have been seriously injured earlier.”
“…”
She gazed at me as if betrayed, unable to refute my words.
“So-hee. I’ve been meaning to ask you. Please, just like she taught me the Tonae Technique, can you also teach me martial arts?”
Please, let me learn some martial arts too!
