Chapter 3-9

“You’ve improved a lot.”

“Pardon?”

Bai Shixuan had expected to be thoroughly scolded, so he stared at Jin Yuha in surprise when the man unexpectedly praised him. Jin Yuha gave a faint smile.

“Yeryeong is stronger than I am. The fact that you can tell means your skills have improved that much.”

Bai Shixuan nodded with a bewildered expression at Jin Yuha’s unexpectedly frank admission. Dan Yeryeong covered her lips with her sleeve and laughed.

“That is only when it comes to sparring, of course. My swordsmanship is well suited for one-on-one combat like sparring. What you learned is different. Your swordsmanship exists solely to survive on the battlefield, so I would be weaker in an actual war.”

Bai Shixuan understood what Dan Yeryeong meant. Jin Yuha did not use any particular forms. The same was true of Bai Shixuan. Dan Yeryeong, however, was different from Bai Shixuan and Jin Yuha in that her swordsmanship had fixed forms. Dan Yeryeong herself had long since transcended the boundary between forms and formlessness, but when sparring with Bai Shixuan, she deliberately used set forms.

“How about it? Wouldn’t you like to learn this swordsmanship?”

“Yeryeong!”

It was not Bai Shixuan but Jin Yuha who was startled by Dan Yeryeong’s words. Jin Yuha shouted loudly at her, but Dan Yeryeong merely smiled as she looked at Bai Shixuan.

“But that swordsmanship is…….”

“It is somewhat feminine, but that does not mean it would be useless to you. As you already know, his swordsmanship has no defense and consists solely of attack. My swordsmanship, on the other hand, is fundamentally based on defense.”

So that was why Dan Yeryeong had never attacked first. Bai Shixuan wanted to learn it. Jin Yuha’s martial arts were powerful, but Dan Yeryeong’s were surely no less formidable. It would have been a lie to say he felt no desire to learn them.
At Dan Yeryeong’s words, Bai Shixuan looked toward Jin Yuha. Since he was currently learning martial arts from Jin Yuha, he needed his permission first.

“Go inside now. I have something to discuss with Yeryeong.”

“Yes.”

At Jin Yuha’s words, Bai Shixuan stood, picked up the Black Saber, bowed to the two of them, and walked toward the house. After confirming that Bai Shixuan had entered, Jin Yuha looked at Dan Yeryeong.

“Yeryeong.”

“I know. But even if we cherish and love that child, they are still our blood descendants. We may never have seen their faces even once, and that child truly is like our own son, but that is precisely why I want to ask him. Because I trust him.”

Jin Yuha sighed at Dan Yeryeong’s words. Dan Yeryeong and Jin Yuha’s children had died. But their descendants were still alive. They had not passed down all of their martial arts, but they had at least left behind enough as family martial arts that their descendants would never be looked down upon. It was not the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but a slightly modified Internal Cultivation Method. Even so, it should have been more than sufficient for surviving in this world.

However, the situation had become far more serious than the two of them had expected. Everything Dan Yeryeong and Jin Yuha had built had collapsed. When Dan Yeryeong heard the news and tried to return to the world, Jin Yuha had somehow managed to stop her, saying that it was no longer their concern. Even so, Dan Yeryeong still could not let go of her lingering attachment to the matter. That was why Dan Yeryeong and Jin Yuha still remained in this world.

“Very well. If doing this will put your heart at ease, then I will allow it.”

“Thank you.”

Dan Yeryeong smiled at Jin Yuha’s words. But even seeing her smile, Jin Yuha could not bring himself to smile.

“However, you will begin only after that boy’s Heavenly Demon Divine Art reaches the eighth stage.”

“Understood. Then I’ll have to work even harder.”

Dan Yeryeong raised one slender arm as she spoke, and Jin Yuha finally let out a small laugh.

“Do not overdo it.”

“Yes. Don’t worry. And thank you for indulging my stubbornness.”

Once Jin Yuha gave his permission, Dan Yeryeong stepped into his embrace. Jin Yuha wrapped his arms around her small body as she leaned against him and kissed her on the lips.

‘What an embarrassingly affectionate couple.’

After washing up, Bai Shixuan had been watching the two of them through the window of his room. He sighed, turned away, climbed onto his bed, and took out the booklet of the Four Divine Beasts Martial Art to read.

“Huff, huff.”

“You’ve improved considerably. You endured for quite a long time even without Internal Energy.”

At Jin Yuha’s words, Bai Shixuan, who was breathing heavily, tried to say something, but he was too out of breath. In the end, he gave up and collapsed onto the ground.

“Thank you.”

“Begin circulating your qi. Starting this afternoon, you will learn swordsmanship from Yeryeong.”

As Jin Yuha turned to head inside, Bai Shixuan immediately sat down and began circulating the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. He had completely exhausted the enormous amount of Internal Energy he possessed at the seventh stage. Now, once he began absorbing the energy of nature, he would enter the eighth stage, his entire body would transform into a Spirit Pill, and the Heavenly Demon Divine Art would continuously circulate on its own even without conscious effort. Then, once the natural energy he had gathered was converted into demonic qi, the eighth stage of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art would be complete. From that point onward, simply circulating the Heavenly Demon Divine Art would no longer produce any further change. As Jin Yuha had told him, he would have to find the remaining answer within the Four Divine Beasts Martial Art. In other words, Jin Yuha had now taught him everything he could.

“Hup!”

Bai Shixuan did not even have enough strength left to assume the lotus position, so he lay on the ground and began absorbing qi through the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Almost immediately, the energy of nature began pouring rapidly into his body. Bai Shixuan trembled for a moment from the pain of his Spirit Pill expanding, but soon became still and lay there as quietly as though he were dead. Only after roughly two shichen—four hours—did Bai Shixuan finally open his eyes.

“Finally, the eighth stage.”

At last, he had reached the eighth stage. He thought there was no particular difference compared to the seventh stage aside from having more Internal Energy, but that was only because he could not consciously perceive the changes. In truth, every one of his senses had improved to a degree incomparable to before. As soon as the eighth stage was complete, Jin Yuha immediately walked toward the well. After removing his upper garment and pouring water over himself, he felt refreshed.

“I left some clothes over there. Change into them and come over.”

“Yes.”

Dan Yeryeong’s voice reached Bai Shixuan’s ears while he was washing. Bai Shixuan quickly changed his clothes and headed toward the place where Dan Yeryeong was waiting.

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

Dan Yeryeong spoke as she sat on a rock, and Bai Shixuan sat on another rock opposite her. When Bai Shixuan looked at Dan Yeryeong, she gazed back at him with eyes that were gentle yet tinged with apology.

“It’s all right, so please tell me.”

When Dan Yeryeong hesitated because she felt sorry for him, Bai Shixuan noticed what she was feeling and spoke first.