When Tang Jincheon and Seomun Hwa-rin brought me and Tang So-wol back to the top of the Heavenly Poison Sect, we were both unconscious.
Naturally, I also picked up a few martial arts manuals from the Heavenly Poison Sect while I was at it.
There was no time, and we were short-handed, so I couldn't take much… but I heard all the important martial arts were taken.
Anyway, at this very moment, the martial scholars of the Tang Clan must be busier than ever, researching the new poison arts that had developed into an independent system.
I skimmed through them myself, but all I could confirm once again was that poison arts just didn't suit me.
Still, there were a few things that stuck in my memory… among them was an experimental martial art that analyzed the techniques of the South Man Beast Palace, the hegemon of Yunnan, and was designed to counter them.
That made sense, of course—the Five Poison Sect had been wiped out by the South Man Beast Palace, and the Poison Demon had gathered the survivors and founded the Heavenly Poison Sect with the Tang Clan's poison arts at its core.
If he had promised revenge while rallying his subordinates, he ought to at least put on a show of preparing for it.
The martial arts of the South Man Beast Palace, which I had come to know indirectly through such roundabout means, were far more peculiar than I had imagined.
It was hardly surprising that they had taken the Xingyiquan style—which imitates the movements of animals like the tiger and mantis of the Central Plains—and pushed it to its absolute limit.
But to freely communicate with beasts, teach them martial arts to turn them into artificial Spirit Beasts, and then perfectly coordinate with them in battle?
The Heavenly Poison Sect considered this novelty to be the South Man Beast Palace's greatest strength, and so they continued their various analyses and studies.
As a result, they discovered that while it appeared to be communication through conversation, the beasts were actually being communicated with through body language.
They even learned that certain beasts expressed their intentions by repeating specific behaviors in response to specific emotions.
For instance, the wolves commonly seen at the South Man Beast Palace would chase their own tails in circles when anxious.
…Just like Seol Ri-hyang right now.
"You're making me nervous, so sit down."
"Ah, yes."
Seol Ri-hyang sat down, still wearing a dazed expression.
They had left the Diancang Sect and were on their way to the Murim Alliance in Muhan City. It looked like they would reach the next village by evening, but they needed to settle lunch somewhere along the way, so they had taken a corner spot and were preparing a simple snack.
And Seol Ri-hyang, unable to wait the brief moment for the water to boil, had been spinning around like that.
As expected, Seol Ri-hyang herself realized she was overdoing it and reduced the intensity of her training again.
…But when she wasn't training and simply sitting still, she grew anxious like that.
I pressed down lightly on Seol Ri-hyang's bouncing shoulders as I spoke.
"Like I said before, there's no need to be anxious about this. You're already doing well enough."
"I know. I know, but… once I start thinking I'm lacking, I can't stop worrying about it. Cheon Hwi, have you ever felt this way?"
"Of course I have. I imagine most martial artists go through it at least once."
"Really?"
"Really. The anxiety you're feeling, Seol Ri-hyang, isn't because you're weak right now—it's because you can't feel yourself growing stronger."
"Exactly! So you really have been through this, Cheon Hwi? I thought you were just saying that."
"As long as a person can dream of the future, they can endure even the harshest reality. But the moment the path ahead becomes invisible, that's when they begin to crumble."
That is precisely why a martial artist who hits a wall falls into Qi Deviation.
Quite some time has passed since Seol Ri-hyang reached the Peak Realm, so considering her rate of growth, she should be at the point where she can just barely see the wall from a distance.
And on top of that, the shame of having been in the same place yet unable to do anything herself burst forth, making it even worse.
I let out a snort and curled the corner of my mouth as I continued.
"Well, in most cases, once you get past it, it all turns out to be a misunderstanding or an illusion."
"Huh?"
Restlessness, anxiety, the inferiority complex that comes from comparing yourself to others. Even the image you hold of yourself.
In the moment, it all seems like such a huge problem, but once time passes, it often turns out to have been nothing at all.
I won't deny that it was truly important to me back then, but it's also true that I was making an excessive fuss about it.
"Widen your perspective and just accept things as they are. There's no need to cling so tightly to trivial matters."
"…You're saying something similar to what Seomun unni would say, even though you're much younger than her. But you know it's not as easy as it sounds, right?"
"Hic?!"
Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been secretly roasting a piece of dried meat over the fire beside us, flinched at the mention of age.
Because of that, she accidentally burned the edge of the meat, and though she shot us a resentful glare, both Seol Ri-hyang and I brushed it off and continued the conversation.
"Of course it's not easy. I didn't say it expecting it to be possible right this moment. Above all…"
"Above all?"
"Seol Ri-hyang, your martial arts achievements absolutely require a massive amount of Yin Energy. However, finding that much Yin Energy in the Central Plains is no easy task."
Although Seol Ri-hyang is classified as a retainer rather than a member of the Tang Clan… thanks to her outstanding abilities and Tang So-wol's strong recommendation, she does receive considerable support.
Thanks to that, she occasionally receives Spiritual Medicine imbued with Yin Energy and can even peruse related martial arts manuals, but…
Since each of these is incredibly hard to come by, she doesn't receive such support often.
It's not without reason that Seol Ri-hyang seems to be in a good mood when winter arrives. Nowhere else in the Central Plains has she ever been surrounded by this much overflowing Yin Energy.
Until now, she has grown rapidly based on the pure and massive Yin Energy of her Pure Yin Constitution, but to rise beyond the Peak Realm and reach the Transcendent Peak, she will need even more Yin Energy than that.
It's only natural that Seol Ri-hyang's growth has slowed down.
"Calling it 'slowed down' is strange. It would be more accurate to say she's returning to her original pace."
"Hah. So it's as I thought? I'd been feeling it little by little too."
"Hmm. Tang So-wol was born with the Poison Spirit Constitution, and she was born into the Tang Clan, which is famous for its poison arts—so everything fits together perfectly."
"It must be rare for things to align that well."
"Indeed. And on top of that, the age at which Tang So-wol reached the Transcendent Peak is…"
"Young hero Cheon?"
Tang So-wol's voice came from behind. It was the same gentle tone as always, yet why did it feel colder than any Yin-Cold Energy cultivation?
"…She was twenty-four, but that's not really that old, is it? Even for someone from a noble house, the fastest would be reaching the Transcendent Peak around thirty."
"It's all boiled now. Please take your time letting it cool before you drink."
Only then did Tang So-wol, her voice finally calm, serve my portion of the meal.
As I accepted it and let out a sigh of relief, Seol Ri-hyang clicked her tongue and shook her head.
"Cheon Hwi, you really need to treat Sister Tang well. I know I've just been tagging along, but after looking around here and there, I can tell you there's no one like Sister Tang."
"I already do."
"Next, you should treat me a bit better too."
"Don't I already?"
"I mean even better."
With that, Seol Ri-hyang let out a giggle, took a big spoonful of her own meal, and wore a satisfied expression. I tried a bite as well—it was quite delicious.
"So I get what you're trying to say, Cheon Hwi. It's not about me trying harder—what I need is something more fundamental… time and an environment where I can accumulate Yin Energy, right?"
"Correct."
"And you're also saying I shouldn't push myself out of frustration over a situation I can't change, but instead look for another way."
"You understood exactly."
"Yeah. Putting it that way does make me feel better. If it's not a lack of training but a lack of internal energy… then maybe next time I should visit the North Sea Ice Palace? That place must be overflowing with Yin Energy."
"Not a bad idea. Honestly, I've been feeling guilty about dragging you all along every time I go to see the sword I've been looking for. If we go somewhere next time, it might be good to go wherever you, Tang So-wol, or Senior Seomun Hwa-rin wants to go."
"…Really? Ah, but would that be okay? After all, the Glacier True Energy I've cultivated came from a martial art that Elder Gwiyeong Sin-tu picked up on the sly."
"True. They say the North Sea Ice Palace's situation is worse than expected, so they won't make an issue of it, but they might try to recruit you, Seol Ri-hyang, as a member of the North Sea Ice Palace."
"Mm-hm. I don't plan on going that far. Even if we don't go all the way to the North Sea Ice Palace, the area nearby should have more Yin Energy than the Central Plains, so that should be enough."
"Alright. Let's think about it for now."
After finishing the meal with Seol Ri-hyang, who no longer had her shoulders shaking with laughter, I began to move swiftly with my Lightness Skill once more.
It didn't take long to reach the Murim Alliance.
***
Perhaps it was because I had made a name for myself, and recently, word had even spread that I had reached the Harmony Realm.
This was the center of the Orthodox Sects' martial world, where such information gathered and key figures frequently passed through.
The gatekeepers of the Murim Alliance recognized my face right away.
"T-this… Sword Demon, what business brings you here without any notice?"
"Am I not allowed to come unless I have a reason?"
"Of course not! I only meant that if you told me your purpose, I could assist you more quickly."
"…"
I had only tossed out a light joke, yet the gatekeeper flinched and frantically shook his head.
This was, after all, the gate of the Murim Alliance—not just any place. The gatekeeper himself was a martial artist who had reached the Peak Realm, someone who would be recognized anywhere.
Was it because of my martial level, the Harmony Realm? Or was it because of the story that I alone had exterminated the Heavenly Poison Sect?
The gatekeeper stood frozen with tension. Seeing his reaction, Tang So-wol let out a deep sigh and lightly slapped my back.
Slap!
"Young hero Cheon, don't joke around too much."
"Hmm. I just thought he seemed overly tense and wanted to loosen him up a bit… I didn't expect him to react like that."
I shrugged my shoulders once and took out the letter I had received from Great Master Jeonghyeon from my bosom, showing it to him.
The gatekeeper took it carefully and, upon seeing the Shaolin Temple seal stamped on the letter, his expression turned serious.
"This is… it's indeed from the abbot. It's just that, due to circumstances, I've been entrusted to deliver it in his stead. It's important content, so I'd like to have a private audience with the Alliance Leader."
"I'll guide you right away. However, there's another guest here at the moment, so I'll escort you to the guest chamber first rather than the Alliance Leader's office."
"He's a busy man, and I came without notice, so that's understandable. As long as I can see him today, it's fine."
"Thank you. Then, this way."
The gatekeeper exchanged a few light hand signals with the other gatekeeper before taking the lead and guiding our party.
Back when I had stayed at the Murim Alliance before, I had lodged in the guest quarters, so I'd never had occasion to use the guest chamber.
The Murim Alliance's guest chamber, which I was entering for the first time, was a fairly impressive place.
It was appropriately lavish, appropriately neat, and had everything one could need for a comfortable rest.
The Tang Clan wasn't negligent in receiving guests either, but not to this degree, so Tang So-wol looked around with a sharp gaze, taking note of what could be worth referencing.
As for me, I kept committing to memory every rare sight of Tang So-wol, not letting a single thing slip.
A servant came to inform us that our turn had come.
This time, following the servant's guidance, we arrived at the office. It was the moment I opened that door and met the Murim Alliance Leader for the first time in a long while.
But there was an unexpected sight there.
"…Is there truly no way?"
"We have already made many concessions on our end."
Several martial artists dressed head to toe in white pleaded with desperate expressions, and the Murim Alliance Leader was refusing them with a look of difficulty.
These were likely the previous guests, still lingering here.
As the door opened, gazes naturally turned toward us. And one of those who had been pleading with the Murim Alliance Leader widened his eyes and pointed at Seol Ri-hyang.
"We found the Young Palace Mistress…!"
"Yes."
A flustered Seol Ri-hyang hid behind Seomun Hwa-rin, who stood right beside her.
It didn't hide her much, though.