Outside Tang Clan, on a small hill.
Although it was usually a place where wolves, specifically the ones Tang So-yeol raised, roamed freely, today not a single one was in sight.
Thud! Thud, thud!
A lone man with black hair, stripped down to his waist, was in the midst of intense training, holding a massive boulder with one hand. His body, drenched in sweat, showed muscles rippling as sweat trickled through every crevice.
His densely packed muscles, brimming with strength, were enough to make anyone watching gasp in admiration.
“Huff…”
After an intense round of lifting, the young man set the boulder down, catching his breath.
Thump! The ground sank slightly from the weight of the boulder.
Twisting his body to check his condition, the young man then reached for a cloth nearby and began to wipe himself down.
As he wiped himself, a man who had been watching descended from a tree. Already aware of the observer, the young man showed no particular reaction.
The observer, seeing the state of the young man’s body, muttered,
“Quite the sight.”
Hearing this, Paejon smirked.
“The first thing out of your mouth is pure drivel.”
“Didn’t you say you were worried about your disciple? Looks like you got beaten up.”
“Haha!”
Paejon laughed at Amwang’s remark.
In truth, Paejon’s left cheek was swollen and red—a leftover from the fierce battle with his disciple last night.
“Tough as he is, that kid has a fierce bite.”
Recalling his relentless disciple, who refused to give up, Paejon couldn’t help but shiver slightly.
At first, he’d come only to check on Gu Yangcheon’s condition after hearing that he’d ingested poison at Tang Clan. Yet, after only a few days, Gu Yangcheon had changed dramatically.
Even aside from his heightened skill level, his physical transformation was extraordinary.
“What could he have taken to end up like this?”
He’d gained some remarkable opportunity; perhaps it was an elixir or some breakthrough in understanding.
“His body itself has changed.”
No matter what opportunity he encountered, the results were undeniable.
His frame had grown, and his skin had toughened. It was like the rare phenomenon of bone renewal… only more pronounced.
“But the shift in his dantian is strange.”
With his lower dantian gone, all his Qi had concentrated in his central dantian.
Even Paejon couldn’t predict what such a change might bring.
What could he have experienced to transform so dramatically in such a short time? Though Paejon was curious, he didn’t ask Gu Yangcheon.
The look on his face said he wouldn’t answer anyway, and for now, it wasn’t the main issue for Paejon. As long as Gu Yangcheon could inherit the Tua Pacheonmu, that was all that mattered.
Besides,
“It doesn’t seem like he’d misuse it.”
Even if Gu Yangcheon inherited the Tua Pacheonmu and his reputation, Paejon trusted he wouldn’t bring shame upon either.
Still…
“That body of his is enviable.”
Whatever he’d done to achieve such a physique, Paejon couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.
Although he’d resigned himself to it, Paejon had hit a wall with his own cultivation due to physical limitations.
Opening and closing his hand repeatedly, he mused over how building external power and cultivating inner Qi hadn’t fulfilled his vessel’s fundamental requirements.
“This is frustrating.”
Had he finally reached his limit?
After taking an elixir from his own stash following his youth restoration, he’d managed to reach the peak, but touching upon the Haegyeong stage still seemed out of reach.
“Cluck.”
While he could attempt forced bone renewal using his inner Qi, he didn’t have the necessary reserves for such a feat.
No matter how much he consumed elixirs, his inefficient body failed to store Qi fully. In fact, it became more of a burden.
“So, do you regret it?”
Paejon turned to look at Amwang.
The man had reverted to his usual appearance, with a youthful, prematurely white-haired look.
“No, I don’t regret it. Had I stayed as I was, I wouldn’t have reached where I am now.”
Sometimes he wondered.
If he hadn’t undergone youth restoration, might things have turned out better?
But that was all.
Even if circumstances had changed, it was his choice, and the path he wanted to follow hadn’t altered, so he’d simply keep going.
“Even after taking a slap from your young disciple?”
A faint twitch appeared on Paejon’s lips at Amwang’s words.
“…Are you teasing me?”
“I’ve been doing so since the beginning; it just took you a while to notice, Bi-ju.”
“Ha.”
The way Amwang joked with such a cool expression was almost absurd.
“Tch…”
He didn’t have a response; it was simply the outcome.
“Ugh…”
What a pitiful end to his days.
“Damn kid…”
Thinking of his disciple, a curse slipped out. That infuriating brat.
Attempting to help him adapt to his body’s unfamiliarity and to ease the frustration of his recent cultivation breakthrough, Paejon had used it as an excuse to beat him and release some pent-up tension.
Moreover, he used the opportunity to align his inner energy flow.
“Yet… the brat…”
Grinding his teeth, Paejon recalled Gu Yangcheon’s overzealous actions.
Gu Yangcheon wasn’t unperceptive when it came to martial arts. Surely, he’d realized Paejon was aligning his meridians with each strike, using it as an excuse to hit harder.
“The nerve to retaliate based on that?”
Paejon remembered how his disciple’s attacks had intensified the moment he caught on.
Unbelievable. How could a disciple act that way?
“I’ve taken on a madman as my disciple.”
Paejon was only now realizing the truth, though it was far too late.
After all…
“Damn it. If he hadn’t had talent, I would’ve thrown him out ages ago.”
Even in Paejon’s eyes, Gu Yangcheon was extraordinarily talented. Though he harbored an unspoken inferiority complex, Paejon couldn’t understand it.
Despite his chosen disciple,
The level of cultivation and skill Gu Yangcheon had achieved was beyond reach for most his age.
Most of the current Three Masters had reached Haegyeong only in their thirties. If Gu Yangcheon’s rumored level of Haegyeong became known…
“It’d cause an uproar.”
Every clan and martial sect would go wild.
The idea of a young man, not yet twenty, reaching Haegyeong implied that he would likely become the best under heaven.
Even the Namgung family might offer a marriage proposal if they had a charming daughter, despite the engagement he already held.
Why Gu Yangcheon remained so insecure was beyond Paejon’s comprehension.
While he trusted that Yangcheon would handle it, Paejon was prepared to step in if this inferiority complex threatened his progress.
Paejon suddenly remembered a question for Amwang.
“By the way, did you finish what you needed to do?”
For the past couple of days, Amwang had left to check on something in Sichuan.
Amwang nodded slightly at Paejon’s question.
“Yes.”
“Did it go well?”
“No.”
“Then did it fail?”
“No.”
“Do you want to die?”
“No.”
“…”
Paejon pressed his fingers to his temples, feeling as if the conversation with Amwang was giving him a headache.
After a series of sighs from Paejon, Amwang finally spoke up slowly.
“I simply gained certainty.”
“Certainty about what?”
“…”
Over the past two days, Amwang had visited the location where Gu Yangcheon mentioned the Golden Dragon’s Secret Treasury was rumored to be.
There were traces.
Signs of some sort of formation or hidden power, but nothing else remained.
Seeing that, Amwang gained renewed certainty.
“My ancestors… didn’t consider their descendants even once.”
“…”
Paejon could only listen in silence to Amwang’s bitterness.
Only Amwang, who had shaped the current world, could speak ill of his ancestors.
“Nothing was left behind. He must have known his bloodline would suffer greatly.”
The quiet words held a chilling anger.
“And learning about the existence of the treasury only through others? It’s enough to make one want to die.”
“Yeon…”
Paejon almost uttered Amwang’s real name, catching himself just in time. Amwang detested his own name more than death.
“Unable to die even if I wanted to… quite amusing, isn’t it, Bi-ju?”
Paejon bit his lip at Amwang’s dry tone.
There was little he could say to his friend, and even if there were, it wasn’t his place.
“When do you plan to return?”
Paejon forced himself to ask, changing the subject.
Amwang would eventually have to return. He couldn’t leave his position as a leader vacant for too long.
“Hm.”
Amwang shifted his gaze to a distant point where a strong presence lingered.
It wasn’t a warrior’s aura he sensed but something his core instinct reacted to.
“A bit longer.”
It was his last hope, one might say.
But no—hope wasn’t something Amwang had anymore. Only time remained.
“Just a bit longer. There are still things left to do.”
“I see.”
Paejon merely nodded, not pressing further.
“Oh, and don’t seek me out for the next seven days and nights.”
“Hmm?”
Amwang tilted his head, puzzled.
Why seven days and nights?
Not understanding, Amwang frowned and stared at Paejon.
“...Just something that needs to be done.”
Paejon had no intention of explaining.
******************
“Damn, it stings.”
I examined my swollen cheek, the pain flaring intensely.
“Damn it…”
Not just my face; my entire body was in rough shape.
My body was swollen and aching from all the hits, and, honestly, walking was a struggle.
“He sure let it all out.”
Recalling the relentless beating from Paejon, I grit my teeth.
That old man had a lot pent up; he didn’t hold back for a second.
“Sigh…”
Even so, Paejon was still in the peak stage, and I had only just reached a stable Haegyeong.
The fact that there was still such a disparity left me speechless.
“Can’t reach him.”
I had used every bit of power I could, though I hadn’t resorted to secret arts, considering the potential impact on our surroundings.
This was the same for Paejon, so it didn’t matter.
“I was definitely faster.”
I thought my speed would overwhelm him, but despite my ample Qi and higher level, he countered every move as if reading my mind.
I couldn’t land a single hit. No matter how fast I was.
[The depth of understanding from enlightenment differs.]
“…”
[It helps that he has exceptional vision, but his level is remarkable, and he fully understands his own body.]
I knew that already, but still…
“To evade every attack like that…”
Realizing he’d even used the opportunity to align my meridians made the gap feel insurmountable.
Despite having a higher level, Paejon remained an impenetrable wall before me.
If I continued mastering Tua Pacheonmu, would I, as Paejon wished, surpass him one day?
I wasn’t sure. Remembering Paejon in his prime, he could only be described as a monster.
If pre-youth-restoration Paejon was stronger than him, then…
“At his peak, Paejon might have truly been the best under heaven.”
Without seeing the Three Masters’ might firsthand, I couldn’t be certain. Yet, it was easy to imagine.
“Still, I landed one hit, so technically, I won.”
Even if my whole body ached from the beating, I managed to win in the end.
[And you call that quick thinking? Beating up a man who’d lowered his guard to help you?]
“That’s what’s called adapting to circumstances.”
[Even with all that justification, you’re still far from innocent.]
“Lack of a conscience doesn’t bother me much.”
[You’re impossible.]
As Shin Noya gave off an exasperated vibe, I held my throbbing cheek and looked forward.
There stood an old man, giving me a strange look.
“How have you been?”
“You can still talk with that face…”
“Well… I’m used to it. Haha…”
I’d taken so many beatings that this was nothing.
After the spar with Paejon, I’d come directly to see the Divine Doctor. Originally, I hadn’t planned on coming so early, but I wanted to get this over with quickly.
“So, what brings you here?”
The Divine Doctor seemed to hold back questions about my battered face.
Since I preferred not to be pestered, I decided to get straight to the point.
“Well, yesterday, I stopped by Baekhwa Trading Company and heard some things.”
“Huh…?”
The Divine Doctor’s face twisted, seemingly catching on. After all, he’d seen me there, and I’d gone inside the company afterward, so it wouldn’t have been hard to guess.
“That fool must have forgotten his duty as a merchant. I’ll have to give him a stern lesson.”
“Please, don’t be too hard on him. I did squeeze it out of him through intimidation.”
Since I’d already sent a letter to Madam Mi, it would be awkward if he got in trouble. Hearing this, the Divine Doctor’s anger shifted.
“Then I should be angry at you. How dare you…!”
Just as the Divine Doctor was about to unleash his wrath—
Rustle.
I seized the opportunity to pull out an item I’d brought with me, showing it to him.
“...!”
The moment he saw the radiant white object, the Divine Doctor froze.
“I heard you were in need of this.”
Upon hearing this, the shock in his eyes overrode his reaction to my bruised face.
Judging by his expression, the words of the chief were likely true.
“Do you need it?”
The Divine Doctor’s expression confirmed my suspicions.
He desired the White Demon Stone far more than I had anticipated.
Seeing that, I smiled slightly.
This was good.
The stronger his need, the easier it would be to use to my advantage.
_______________________
TL Notes: "Bi-ju" was used as Amwang's address to Paejon. Judging by the context, "Bi-ju" is a nickname or an informal name that Amwang uses for Paejon.