Episode 70

The everyday routine of mealtime followed by self-defense practice.

It was exhausting enough to sleep without a thought after it was over, but these days, I could feel my skills definitely improving.

If I had the willpower to go to the gym after dinner every day like this in reality, I probably wouldn’t have gained belly fat, I guess.

Maybe it’s because in reality, there wasn’t a buxom beauty of a personal trainer who put me through hellish training every day.

“Yun-ho, try to dodge.”

Sohee swung her sword immediately as she spoke.

Shouldn’t she give me a chance to breathe?

I quickly stepped back to create distance. Then, Sohee instantly changed her sword’s trajectory, aiming it at my neck.

How was I supposed to dodge this?

“Yun-ho. I told you. If you move too much, you’ll get hit by the next attack.”

I had to dodge when the Heavenly Death Star was swinging a real sword.

“If you move a little, you’ll get cut by the sword.”

“Estimate the gap between attacks and just step back about the width of a palm.”

“Ha ha.”

I laughed weakly.

Although she taught me how to gauge distances, I couldn’t easily dodge because of the fear of being cut.

In arcade shooting games, where I could calculate missile trajectories and bullet speed, I often died on the first stage because of misjudging gaps, let alone dodging a sword with my life on the line.

“Is that difficult?”

Sohee asked me with a genuinely puzzled expression. It wasn’t disdain but sincere incomprehension.

That’s why geniuses were no good.

“Even if I estimate the gap, the fear of being cut by the sword makes it hard.”

I sighed softly while looking at the ground. I think I’m doing quite well in learning other self-defense skills, but it’s hard to shake off the fear of the sword.

“Yun-ho. Give me your forearm.”

Sohee held out her palm and reached out to me. Since I hadn’t learned any martial arts like shooting my forearm like a rocket punch, I obediently extended my forearm and placed it on her palm.

Without giving me a chance to react, Sohee slashed my forearm with her sword.

“Argh! Sohee!”

Was I going to end up using the once-in-a-lifetime rocket punch?

“Don’t scream and look.”

“What?”

My forearm wasn’t cut.

“Yun-ho, you’ve learned the Jade Skin Self-Protection Technique. You won’t get hurt by a clumsy sword cut. Don’t be afraid to move.”

Wow. It really didn’t cut. Not a scratch on my arm. How was this possible? My skin seemed the same as before.

For a moment, I thought of all sorts of things. Fortunately, I didn’t have to go around saying I lost my arm and gave it as a present to the new Heavenly Death Star.

“Alright! Sohee. Then let’s try to dodge and counterattack as I’ve learned.”

I can do it! I can do it! If my body was always in a shield state, it’s possible.

“Okay. This time, I’ll try to stab you. Dodge and come in.”

Sohee openly assumed a stabbing posture.

I calculated the direction and timing by watching her shoulders and eyes. My body, enhanced by the Small Circulation technique, made it possible.

Flinch. Sohee’s shoulder showed an exaggerated movement.

The direction was towards my left shoulder.

Let’s dodge.

Just twist my shoulder…

“Ah!”

“Ah.”

A regretful sigh came from both of us.

Before I could dodge, she stabbed. Sohee’s stabbing seemed twice as fast as usual.

“I stabbed faster because Yun-ho looked enthusiastic. Sorry.”

“It’s okay, Sohee. I won’t get hurt now. Look at this.”

Now that I couldn’t get hurt, she could be more aggressive with the stabbing.

I slightly took off the shirt on the left shoulder where Sohee had stabbed to show her I was fine.

“Ah.”

“What?”

There was a small but definite wound on the shoulder.

“…I’m hurt.”

“I am hurt. Ugh!”

I collapsed on the spot, overwhelmed by the delayed pain.

The sword of the Heavenly Death Star pierced through the Jade Skin Self-Protection Technique. Indeed, a perfect hierarchical order in the martial world.

“Yun-ho! I’ll bring the gold wound medicine!”

No. It’s just a scratch.

Before I could even speak, Sohee vanished from my sight with a panicked expression.

Next time, I must ask her to limit her movements to third or second-class levels.

Those eyes.

“Sohee, let’s try again.”

Cheon Sohee, looking directly into Yun-ho’s eyes, thought to herself.

- Internal energy technique. Who did you learn it from?

She wanted to know about his past.

What life he had lived. What kind of deadly crises he had faced. Why was he her benefactor?

Being someone who had never really engaged in deep conversation, she thought it right to start by asking about the internal energy technique.

- I learned it from helping a woman in trouble.

Cheon Sohee felt as if she had been struck by a hammer by his response.

- She said it would keep my body healthy and taught me this Tonap Technique.

One didn’t simply teach martial arts for such reasons. She barely held back the words she was about to say.

Yun-ho touched his lower abdomen as if holding something precious. No. What you’ve learned can’t be that important.

Even though she had swallowed the words that had come up to her throat just moments before, looking at him made her want to belittle the martial arts he had learned.

- Yun-ho.

Don’t. Stop. Stop right there.

Sohee recalled her actions, which she would regret.

- That Tonap Technique. Can I take a look at it for a moment?

What she felt inside him was an ascending martial art. A martial art that should never be given to outsiders. Such techniques were never taught to mere acquaintances.

Sohee unconsciously bit her lower lip behind Yun-ho’s back.

- What were we to each other, I wonder. Even I was not sure. After a short meeting, we decided to go our separate ways.

Yun-ho. Why are you making that face?

The expression he always had when talking about memories with her, full of longing. But now, that expression on Yun-ho’s face was for someone else, not her.

That expression belonged to her.

A feeling she had never experienced towards anyone else in her life engulfed her. Her insides twisted with this inexplicable emotion.

‘What should I do?’

The most comfortable method she had for solving problems was murder, but she couldn’t kill Yun-ho. She struggled to understand how to release this boiling and twisting emotion.

He had said it was a passing encounter. But did that woman think the same? No, did Yun-ho really think so too?

He had said he wanted to learn martial arts. But she couldn’t teach him the martial arts of the Salmaek clan, unless it was the martial arts of a non-Salmaek clan master.

The master’s martial arts?

Cheon Sohee recalled what her master had said shortly before she left the Salmaek headquarters.

-You’re the last one.

-What is?

-Raising disciples who just keep dropping like flies. I don’t plan to teach anymore.

-Demigod Asura and the Welcoming Mirrors. It’s a shame for such martial arts to be lost.

-If you find it so regrettable, you teach them. I have no more attachment to it.

-Me?

-If you see a suitable child, teach them. Maybe then you’ll think less about dying.

-I don’t have the talent to teach others.

-Who starts off with the ability to teach? It doesn’t have to be a child. A man is fine too. Just teach someone as you please.

-I’ll consider it.

Permission was granted. But was it really okay to teach him martial arts?

She was supposed to be by his side to protect him, but was it right to teach him martial arts? Was it right to turn him into a martial artist?

Her dilemma was shattered by a few words Yun-ho said with a face full of longing.

-I understand. She must have treated me specially.

‘I’ll teach him.’

‘I have to regain that expression.’

‘If he reminisces about her because of martial arts, I can make him forget her with martial arts.’

And so, Cheon Sohee began teaching Yun-ho martial arts.

“Sohee?”

Yun-ho, lost in thought, called out to Sohee.

“Yeah.”

“About the footwork technique for self-defense you mentioned earlier. I can follow the others, but this technique of gathering internal energy at the Yongcheon point and leaping out, I just can’t get the feel of it.”

What he was asking about was one of the footwork techniques from the Welcoming Mirrors. While teaching self-defense techniques, Cheon Sohee had shown him one of the movements from that martial art.

“I’ll teach you. And with Yun-ho’s two years of internal energy, using it once will cost you half your internal energy. Only use it when you really have to escape or approach.”

“Thanks.”

Yun-ho smiled at Sohee.

It was good to teach him martial arts.

His gaze was now on her, not on the woman he once passed by.

Sohee quietly smiled to herself, watching Yun-ho practice the footwork on the marks she had made in the yard.

She had regained his gaze and expression.

She had taught him a bit of her master’s martial arts, but no one would ever find out.

- In exchange. If you teach martial arts, bring him to me later.

- I just won’t teach.

Sohee tried to erase from her memory the last words her master had said when she was allowed to teach martial arts, watching Yun-ho’s training to the very end.

Kang Yun-ho’s return to his life as a storyteller.

“That storyteller tells the same story every time.”

“Why complain, man? It’s interesting.”

“You’re new here. That’s why. I’m getting tired of his same old stories.”

The first return was a huge success, but sadly, the second comeback wasn’t met with all positive responses.

“Master Hamurin!”

“I heard rumors and sneaked out without Mom knowing!”

“A lot of girls and kids. Just let them listen, and if it’s a story we’ve heard, let’s go.”

“Let’s go have a drink of white liquor.”

As negative reactions and dwindling audiences weighed down on Yun-ho’s shoulders, they began to feel heavier.

Returning to the An Family home after his storyteller job.

“What story should I tell next?”

Yun-ho sighed, pondering over other stories suitable for a storyteller.

“Can’t you just tell any story?”

Sohee spoke, trying to lighten his burdened shoulders with worry. With his storytelling skills, any story would be interesting.

But her words failed to lighten his heavy shoulders.

Sohee had no choice but to continue watching Yun-ho as he paced around the room, pondering what story to tell next.

“Yun-ho.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll bring some food.”

She couldn’t solve his problems, but she could at least bring some tasty food.

Sohee headed to a guesthouse known for its delicious food, although it was quite a distance from the An Family home.

‘How should I ask about Yun-ho’s past?’

On her way to the guesthouse, Sohee continued her private worries.

She had just started with a common interest, as her master had said. But she ended up experiencing something she didn’t want to go through again.

If she asked about his past and he again wore a longing expression while thinking of someone else, could she bear it next time?

‘I don’t want that.’

She didn’t want to rush into asking and experiencing that again.

‘There’s plenty of time.’

Her murderous intent disappeared when she was by his side.

If she spent time with him by her side, she could naturally learn about his past without getting hurt.

There’s no need to rush.

Just as she slowly walked towards the guesthouse, she just needed to walk the same path with him.

Cheon Sohee thought this as she headed towards the guesthouse in front of her.

No, she was about to head there.

[Death……]

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks.

[……seeker]

Something was boiling up inside her heart.

An unburned flame.

A flame that could burn everything.

‘No.’

Cheon Sohee quickly headed into an alley between the stores.

Calm down. It’s not the first time. It’s just been a while.

Sohee, clutching her startled heart, tried to fill her brain with clear thoughts from the tip of her head, barely calming the single will trying to take over.

‘Murderous intent… has it resurfaced?’

The remaining embers of the unburned Heavenly Death Star were trying to reignite.

They aimed to burn down the life Cheon Sohee barely held onto.