-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Taking the Bones (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Even after being chased out by the Grumpy Old Baldy's gesture, I didn't immediately wake up.
Instead, I floated aimlessly on the fringes of the consciousness world.
Perhaps it was because I had heard the topic of "the Way."
Floating aimlessly in a small boat in the middle of a vast ocean, I watched fragments of the past bubble up like foam.
My past life and present life overlapped, creating a chaotic landscape.
The memory of waking up in bed with intense pain, only to find the monitor gone and myself thrown into primitive, ancient, uncivilized China.
The bittersweet memory of Yasuo, successfully achieving a pentakill in an unfavorable team fight, and vowing to play it at my funeral.
The memory of seeing *tangsuyuk* with the sauce poured on, shouting "Pour-on sauce is evil!", and being met with strange looks.
The memory of working a server management part-time job, unable to resist hunger, ordering *tteokbokki* for a late-night snack, and spilling it all over the server computer.
The memory of picking up a sword for the first time, clumsily dropping the hilt, and having the sword stick into my instep, making me wail in pain.
The memory of attending a temple-affiliated kindergarten, reciting the Heart Sutra without understanding its meaning, and playing with my childhood friend, making mud beads.
Even with my perfect recall, those memories I had subtly pushed into a corner, unable to handle, now swirled around me, shimmering like droplets.
Without sails or oars, I drifted along with the currents, encountering countless memories.
But in none of them.
Was there any indication of where I should go.
Or which path was the right one.
Perhaps it was because, during my recollection, I recalled the beat of a Heart Sutra remix.
Suddenly, among the Buddhist philosophies I had learned in a lecture, the concept of 'Emptiness' (空) flashed through my mind.
That all myriad things, including humans, have no fixed, unchanging substance.
Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is precisely emptiness, and emptiness is precisely form, so hooligans must surely be connected by the Khala...
: : You crazy bastard. Live properly. : :
As soon as my thoughts tangled like a skein of yarn, the Grumpy Old Baldy's voice reverberated throughout the entire space.
Immediately after.
"Squid deopbap...!"
My mind, which had been aimlessly swimming through my unconscious like an empty boat drifting in a tempestuous sea (漂流空舟), returned to reality.
I pushed myself up from my lying position and sat on the bed.
By now, moonlight streamed through the window, and I took in the full view of my room, which I had entered earlier with Master Seo.
Checking the time on my smartphone, I saw it was well past midnight, nearing one in the morning.
It seemed I had been unconscious for at least three *shijin* (six hours).
Hmm.
As expected, Master Seo is reliable and trustworthy.
If it had been Old Man Dad, he'd probably be diligently carrying me off to the Demonic Cult by now.
If it had been Sword Dad, he'd probably be taking this opportunity to grope me all over, committing sexual harassment.
First, I sat cross-legged on the bed and contemplated my inner self.
"Oh..."
The Grand Rejuvenation Pill, as expected.
Its performance is certainly guaranteed.
It felt as if the Buddha's compassion had filled not just my Dantian but all the meridians throughout my body.
My internal energy reserves, which were already close to Sister Seol's level, had become even fuller.
However.
I instinctively felt that any further increase in internal energy would be ineffective for the time being.
Because it had been restructured based on the Northern Sea Divine Art, I thought my Dantian had become like a great ocean (大海).
But in the face of such an overwhelming influx of energy, I realized I was merely a trifling lake at the Peak stage.
"Hmm..."
Geum Sihyeon needs Transcendent Peak.
A genius like me has no time for wall-gazing meditation...
I desire a swift metamorphosis through instantaneous enlightenment.
It's better than Peak.
This Transcendent Peak is free. Probably.
However, even through a 2.2-second Sihyeon-Marathon Conference, I couldn't come up with a way to instantly achieve enlightenment and rapidly reach the Transcendent Peak stage.
The truth in such situations.
If you don't know, you have to ask.
I got up and began to carefully put on the clothes that had been neatly folded in a corner.
"Hmm..."
I distinctly remember just casually taking them off and tossing them aside.
Someone must have come and tidied them up while I was out.
As soon as I straightened my clothes and stepped outside.
"You're awake."
"Ah, Master."
Had she been sacrificed to Mother's doll-playing today as well?
Master Seo, dressed in a simple, elegant *gungjang* that suited her appearance but not her age, making her look like a fresh-faced young woman of eighteen, greeted me.
"You look so young in that outfit... Ack! Why, why are you hitting me...!"
"If you don't know, you deserve a beating...!"
Waving her robe with smooth, subtly muscular forearms, Chicken Dad beat me for a while.
Then suddenly.
"...This is also part of *Chugunggwahyeol*."
If I had refuted her, it felt like a fist would fly towards my solar plexus or face this time, so I exercised my right to remain silent.
A slightly awkward silence fell.
"Um, Master. How, by any chance, did you reach the Transcendent Peak stage?"
Chicken Dad, who had been glaring at me with a pouting expression unsuited for her age, cocked her head upon hearing my question.
"Quite a long time ago... No, it feels as vivid as yesterday. Why, with your internal energy increasing, are you starting to glimpse the next realm?"
"Isn't it natural for a martial artist to desire to advance?"
"Hmm..."
Chicken Dad narrowed her brows and looked me up and down.
"Now is not the time. I'd like to advise you, but right now, there's nothing I can tell you. If a day comes when I can share such things, I'll certainly be happy... No, a day will definitely come when I can explain it to you."
Why did she suddenly evolve into Kelsy?
Seeing my frown, Chicken Dad sighed.
"A martial artist's enlightenment isn't gained from a topic someone else brings up. Your path and mine are different, and the origins of the martial arts we've learned also differ. So, my enlightenment might not suit you. No, it's ten to one it won't. If it doesn't, you might even stumble onto the wrong path, so don't be too hasty. If you set your mind straight on your own, you will surely reach it."
"Hmm... Is that so..."
Her words were almost identical in tone to the Grumpy Old Baldy's.
"Well, I guess I have to live diligently."
"Indeed. Don't the sun and moon also diligently revolve to find their places?"
With those words.
We looked up at the moon together for a while.
A bright, round full moon floated high, scattering its light.
It was too late to return to the academy, so I spent the night at the main residence and the next morning.
"You've gotten quite full of yourself. Was the Grand Rejuvenation Pill tasty?"
Seeing Old Man Dad loitering around looking for something to do, I also asked him about the path to Transcendent Peak.
"Transcendent Peak? You can reach that paltry realm right now if you master the Purple Lightning Demonic Art (紫電魔功). Shall I tell you the incantations?"
"Go wash your feet and sleep... Kkuaak!"
The heavy thud of a scabbard hitting my head came with a flash of realization: I had made the right choice asking Master Seo.
* * *
A week passed since then.
Despite a month-long break, my body had once again fully adapted to the diligent life at the academy.
And now.
"Victory for Disciple Jang Chusam!"
"Waaaaah!"
"I knew you could do it!"
"Third-rate Fist Art! Third-rate Fist Art!"
"The morning sun scatters the mists of Dongting Lake...!"
The talent show of these 'first-rate wannabes' was in full swing.
The unfortunate thing was.
That I, too, would soon have to perform on that stage.
As the saying goes, 'A white heron should not go where crows play'.
If I lingered here too long, I might become contaminated by the aura of these 'first-rates'.
Fortunately, perhaps Instructor Namgung Baek had rigged the bracket, but my match against Namgung Sang was set even before I reached the main tournament, in the preliminaries.
I'll quickly achieve my objective and then forfeit the rest of the matches.
"Victory for Disciple Ha Yeong-un!"
"Seven-Second Invincibility! Seven-Second Invincibility!"
"His punching is always so exhilarating to watch!"
"Was it called Six-Shadow Chain Lightning? That fist art certainly seems quite tricky..."
Seven seconds of invincibility is certainly quite broken.
For monkeys who don't use weapons, all the participants who just won seemed quite skilled in martial arts.
If I hadn't been in this era, they would certainly have become strong practitioners.
Sorry. I am strong.
The strongest under heaven is mine. Probably.
"Next up, Disciple Geum Sihyeon of the Mangum Stronghold and Disciple Namgung Sang of the Namgung Clan!"
Flap!
Donning my beloved long robe #0, the Heavenly Silkworm Black Dragon Robe, which I had saved for an important stage like today's, I majestically ascended the platform.
Even though it was just a martial arts spar, watching fights was entertaining content, so the spectator stands were packed to the brim with people.
"Young Masteeeeer── Good luck──!"
The best among the first-rates, the undisputed queen of the first-rate elite.
A smile naturally spread across my face at the sound of Na-rang and Sojeo, with Ruri on their laps, flapping their hands and shouting.
Ruri's expression was a little more sullen than usual.
It was Ruri who had secretly canceled my participation application last time because she had teased me for entering the martial arts tournament despite being only at the Peak stage.
As soon as she heard I was participating in the tournament, she immediately flew over, huffing and puffing, flailing her arms, and pummeling me with 'Heavenly Demon Punches'.
Savoring a sliver of guilt.
"Gungsang, let's go easy."
"...Shut up."
We engaged in a light verbal skirmish, just by wagging our tongues.
In truth, there was no need to even use a provocation tactic.
Honestly, Namgung Sang was merely a one-second opponent.
He was a commoner who could be defeated in one second.
A guy who relied on his clan's martial arts and the elixirs he'd consumed so far, neglecting training and only eager to live a life of leisure, riding on his family's prestige.
Guys like Murong Wicheon at least trained diligently and could 'launder' their image with the title of 'devoting themselves to national defense against foreign invasion,' but this guy was hopeless.
It was almost insulting to compare him to Murong Wicheon.
Well.
That means he's best used as a disposable card.
Seeing that his complexion was quite normal and his vital energy was stable.
It seemed he hadn't taken an Explosive Energy Pill yet.
I suddenly looked up at the judges' stand and met Namgung Baek's eyes.
His expression was nonchalant, but I knew a snake was coiled within him.
But I am a man among men.
I grinned, giving him a hearty smile.
"Begin!"
Then.
I'll play with him a little.