#6: It Begins With Me (1) — The Patriarch of Sichuan

“…….”

Jin-hyeon looked at the splendid house before him, his expression sour.

He had asked to rent a small hut, yet Seol Hong-baek had given him a house big enough for ten.

‘They’re loaded.’

The White Sword Seol Clan might not be Sichuan’s foremost, but it ranked easily in the top ten.

Considering Sichuan’s size, that alone was impressive. Naturally, they had many businesses and considerable income.

Even so, he hadn’t expected them to get him a house this large.

He recalled his conversation with Seol Hong-baek.

‘How could we house the benefactor who would return our ancestors’ legacy outdoors? The main estate has plenty of quarters. Stay here…’

‘I prefer to be alone. It’s not that I dislike the Seol Clan. I just wish to avoid noise and disorder.’

‘Then I will allow no one near your quarters.’

‘I’m not going to run away.’

‘N-no! That’s not why…!’

‘A hut will do. If that’s asking too much, I won’t insist.’

That had decided it.

Foaming with urgency, Seol Hong-baek scoured the area for a house.

He was a capable man indeed. Within half a day, he had secured a residence, and a day later he brought Jin-hyeon over.

And that place was here.

‘So be it.’

At this size, cleaning alone would take half a day.

Sighing inwardly, Jin-hyeon opened the door, and then sensed several presences.

‘People?’

A moment later.

“Ah.”

A plainly dressed girl widened her eyes at the sight of him.

With braided hair, she looked quite cute. She was fair-skinned, and short, which made her appear rather young.

She bowed politely.

“Greetings, my lord. I’m Do Min, assigned to manage this household from today.”

Jin-hyeon tilted his head.

“My lord?”

“Eh? Ah, yes! The Patriarch personally ordered me to be stationed here.”

Orders were orders, but he didn’t know why she was calling him lord.

He was about to tell her not to, but then gave up.

‘The homeowner is, technically, a lord.’

The real owner was someone else, but he chose not to dwell on the complications.

The thing that was odd was.

‘She’s trained in martial arts.’

The girl calling herself Do Min possessed formidable skill. Judging by internal energy alone, she was nearly on his level.

‘She didn’t learn some half-baked martial art. She put in real work.’

Servants were sometimes taught martial arts, usually to double as guards.

‘At her age, this is decent…’

No, not merely decent. It was outstanding. It only seemed otherwise because his standard of measure was the close aides of the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader.

They must have assigned a trained attendant in case his safety was threatened.

Perhaps uneasy under his silent gaze, Do Min began chattering answers to questions he hadn’t asked.

“Of course, I won’t be the only one here. A cook will come, and some hands for odd jobs. Four more in all, but they won’t disturb you, my lord. No, certainly not.”

Jin-hyeon nodded.

It seemed Seol Hong-baek had misunderstood his dislike for bustle.

He truly wanted to be alone. Seol had taken that to mean “no clan warriors,” apparently.

Still, after such consideration, sending them away would be rude.

“Although it’ll only be for a while, let’s get along.”

“That’s too formal, my lord. Please speak freely.”

“Very well.”

“Yep!”

She was spirited, that much was clear.

Leaving her with a few simple instructions, Jin-hyeon went to his room.

It was simple. There was a large room, a large bed, a table, and two chairs. He liked that.

He sat on the floor and folded his legs into the lotus position.

‘This isn’t easy.’

He’d never practiced internal methods in his twenty-odd years. Lacking flexibility, even the lotus position was hard.

Forcing the posture, he glanced down at his body.

‘I’m lean.’

His smith’s body had been heavily muscled, especially the upper half.

Yet in the past few days, all that mass had vanished. It was too drastic a change for mere days.

The reason was obvious.

’Body-Refining Art.’

The Body-Refining Art began by stripping away unnecessary fat and muscle.

It also reshaped one’s frame toward the practitioner’s ideal. Fused with Tianshan’s cultivation method, the new Body-Refining Art was a divine art that forged both body and internal energy.

‘If I’m to teach it right, I must first master it myself.’

Having a manual alone made proper mastery nearly impossible unless one was a rare genius.

The Eight Wastes Alliance Leader’s ability to decipher manuals in an instant was due not only to his genius, but also to the fact that he was already the strongest in the world.

Jin-hyeon retained that insight and memory. But unless he trained in his own body, he couldn’t draw out the original form.

The Eight Wastes Alliance Leader had personalized Tianshan’s arts, and not every memory was vividly intact.

Of course, there was another reason.

‘A new start.’

The world is rough.

Even in the martial world, money matters. There is no world where it doesn’t.

But those with strength bury others with power and steel.

Be it a century ago or now, danger and brutality are the same. Only after skirting death did he truly know.

He needed strength, if only not to be prey.

‘I’ll build my own ground.’

He had no house, no surname.

But he wasn’t a helpless orphan. He had skill, experience, and his memories.

He would stand tall, alone.

If he received help, he would repay it. If a grudge formed, he would settle it.

Thus he would reclaim a life that was his.

‘Let’s begin.’

Wooooong.

A heat-haze of energy rose from his body.

The internal energy built by the Body-Refining Art slowly coursed through him.

He completed a full small circulation in less than a moment. It was unbelievably fast, given his condition and reserves.

‘In that case…’

He intended to temper his body with the art, then drill sword forms at once.

But with the field prepared, it would be a waste not to summon the storming clouds.

‘I can proceed straight to the Soul-Refining Art.’

With his eyes closed, Jin-hyeon began to master the martial art of Body-Refining, Soul-Refining, the foundation of the Eight Wastes Alliance Leader.

Unlike the Body-Refining Art, the Soul-Refining Art bore risks, but the memory of thousands of repetitions eased his nerves.

Thus Jin-hyeon sat all day, immersed in cultivation.

Four days later—

‘I’m late.’

He was supposed to visit the Seol Clan yesterday. The night before, he’d fallen into the state of selflessness while finishing up his cultivation and lost a full day and a half.

He hurried to wash, changed clothes, and took the manuals he’d prepared.

‘My apologies.’

Promises must be kept. Trust was a weapon stronger than blades and dearer than gold.

Reflecting deeply, Jin-hyeon arrived at the Seol estate.

“Ah, Young Master Jin.”

He’d said it wasn’t a surname, but to those receiving orders, “Jin” could only be a family name.

“We were informed. I’ll escort you straight to the inner court. Please follow me.”

The gate captain was courteous. It seemed that Seol Hong-baek had stressed it.

As he guided him, the captain kept sneaking glances.

Not just him. Everyone passing by stole looks at Jin-hyeon.

It was not unbearable, but it was hardly comfortable. Jin-hyeon followed the gate captain silently.

They neared the Patriarch’s hall when—

“Ha-ha, then I’ll take it as settled.”

“Let’s do that.”

A flamboyantly dressed youth stepped out of the hall.

Seeing him off, Seol Hong-baek did not look pleased. His expression wasn’t exactly dark, but anyone could tell it was stiff and rigid..

“Ah, and—”

The youth cleared his throat.

“I’d like to pay my respects to Lady Seol as well…”

“So-ha is in private training.”

“Ha-ha, is that so? So she’s training diligently.”

“The Radiant Sword Festival is near, so it’s only natural.”

“Ahem! Since we’ll meet again soon, might I greet her then?”

Seol Hong-baek’s gaze deepened.

“We’ll see.”

“Ha-ha-ha, splendid. I’ll take my leave.”

“Go safely.”

Walking away with his attendants, the youth suddenly looked at Jin-hyeon.

His eyes glinted.

“Most curious, is it not?”

He blurted thoughts better left unspoken. It seemed that was his nature.

Jin-hyeon didn’t spare him a glance. The guilt over breaking his promise weighed on him. It wasn’t the time to mind others.

He passed the youth and went straight to Seol Hong-baek.

Seol brightened and welcomed him.

“You’ve come.”

“My apologies. I’m a day late.”

“No. You must have had matters of your own. I’m only embarrassed for setting too short a time.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“No, no, say no more. Though…”

Seol’s eyes widened.

“Your hair…?”

“Pardon?”

“…Never mind. Let us go to the training grounds first.”

“As you wish.”

Thus the two went down to the training grounds.

Watching with a strange look, the youth asked the gate captain who escorted Jin-hyeon:

“Hey, you. Who is that person?”

The captain bowed his head.

“A honored guest of the Patriarch. I don’t know the details.”

“Hmm?”

The youth cocked his head.

“Just what kind of man is he?”

Seol Hong-baek was stiff-necked. He rarely brightened, much less bowed.

He was curt even with the youth himself. Were future ties not at stake, he’d have flipped the table already.

The corners of the youth’s mouth lifted.

Turning, he called out:

“Let’s go, you lot!”

“This is…?”

“The Ice Wheel Heart Method, the Seven Purities Sword, and the Half-Moon Step.”

Jin-hyeon handed over three manuals.

While the cultivation method and footwork manuals were thin, the sword manual was as thick as the other two combined.

With trembling hands, Seol Hong-baek opened the Seven Purities manual.

Soon after.

“Ah!”

A sigh burst from Seol Hong-baek.

It was admiration, realization, and self-reproach.

He’d tried to make the altered Seven Purities Sword work, but the results were not good. And now, seeing the original mnemonics, he understood why.

Murmuring the mnemonics and turning pages, Seol Hong-baek looked at Jin-hyeon with shaken eyes.

“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

Just a few pages from the start and middle were enough to know this was the true Seven Purities Sword.

Jin-hyeon shook his head.

“I’m repaying a debt. There’s more to pass on. This isn’t something to thank me for.”

“No. This truly is…”

Indescribable emotion flushed Seol Hong-baek’s face. It was as if he was a child with his first toy.

Jin-hyeon said,

“With the Patriarch’s martial might, a few demonstrations of the sword forms will suffice for you to comprehend every technique. There is no time to waste. Let us begin immediately..”

“Would you?”

Seol Hong-baek ordered a warrior to bring a sword.

Moments later, the warrior handed it to Jin-hyeon.

Srrring.

“Then I’ll—”

It was just then.

As he drew the blade, Jin-hyeon’s eyes darkened.

Seol Hong-baek asked with a puzzled expression,

“What is it?”

“Patriarch.”

“Speak.”

“This sword, where was it forged?”