Even after achieving Bone-Exchange Rebirth, my body felt oddly heavy and sluggish. With a mind still clouded by sleep, I stared blankly at the ceiling before finally speaking.
"It's been a while since this happened."
I must have passed out from overexerting my strength. I had already been pushed to my mental limits, and then I had squeezed out even more Intent, burning through what little stamina and internal energy I had left.
This was probably the first sleep I'd had since I decided to escape the bell. I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but I couldn't.
"Why is the first face I see upon waking always my father-in-law's? Could you switch it to your daughter's?"
"Have you ever seen such a troublesome son-in-law? Even when I worry about you, this is how you repay me?"
"I'm joking. …I'm just a little disappointed, that's all. Don't mind me."
"It's already too late, you brat. So it's true what they say about hearts softening with age. I'm so hurt I can hardly stand it."
I chuckled at Tang Jincheon's long-winded grumbling as I slowly rose to my feet.
"Hm?"
I had only lifted my upper body and leaned my back against the wall, yet there was a dissonance in that brief motion.
A martial artist who has achieved Bone-Exchange Rebirth has their body reconstructed to match their martial art, so every action and intention becomes one.
What that means is that, at least within the confines of one's own body, one holds the most powerful control imaginable.
If even such a simple movement felt off, then whatever problem had arisen must be a serious one indeed.
With an uneasy heart, I closed my eyes to contemplate my inner self—and at that very moment.
"Don't worry. It's only natural that even a Harmony Realm martial artist's body can't keep up when you've achieved such a sudden enlightenment."
"Pardon?"
"Simply put, your Intent has grown so rapidly that your body hasn't been able to catch up."
"Even a body that has undergone Bone-Exchange Rebirth?"
"It's precisely because you underwent Bone-Exchange Rebirth that the damage stopped there. It'll just take some time—your body will adapt on its own. Be careful until then."
"I understand. …Surely not—has my father-in-law experienced something similar?"
"Perhaps not to the same extent as you, but I've had similar experiences a few times when I created and absorbed new Extreme Poisons."
"Ohh."
I nodded and lightly clenched and unclenched my hand.
Perhaps it was thanks to having heard Tang Jincheon's explanation just now. Without much contemplation, I could identify the source of the dissonance.
It felt like my body was putting in too much force, as if I were drunk. I clearly intended to exert the strength of one, but the result that came out was closer to three or four.
The state of the Harmony Realm was when Essence, Qi, and Spirit became one, and Intent was directly transmitted to the body, manifesting as movement.
Unless my body was broken, Tang Jincheon's words must be true—that my Intent had suddenly grown too powerful.
…Actually, I had a guess as to the reason.
My body had only been lying still, but in the dream created by the gourd, hadn't I endured all sorts of hardships for decades?
The gap in time, and the gap in experience—they must have manifested as a temporary discord in the Essence, Qi, and Spirit that should have been united.
"Just what happened to you while you were unconscious? I asked So-wol about it, but she said she didn't know exactly either, and that she couldn't share her guesses without your permission."
"Ah, that is…"
"…"
"…"
"No, why did you suddenly stop mid-sentence?"
"…"
"You know what? They say there are two ways to make a person angry. One is to cut off mid-sentence, and the second is…"
"…"
"…Ah? So it's something that falls under the seal?"
Tang Jincheon, who had been wearing a thoroughly provoked expression, finally seemed to catch on and smoothed the furrow between his brows.
"This must have been a real headache of a situation."
"Still, I think I can tell you a few things."
Even if it was impossible to reveal the contents of what he had experienced in the bell's dream, a bit more general information should be fine.
For instance, that the bell had shown him a blissful illusion, and that he had refused that dream.
"However, since I'm explaining anyway, let's just finish it all at once. I'll tell you when the others are present as well."
"In that case, I can just call them over now."
"Pardon? But judging by how dark it is outside, it seems rather late."
"The sun has set, but it's not that deep into the night. Besides, I was told to call you the moment you woke up."
Tang Jincheon let out a small laugh and called for the servants in a loud voice. As if they had been waiting, servants approached immediately.
They muttered something among themselves, and before long, Tang So-wol, Seol Ri-hyang, and Seomun Hwa-rin came bustling into the room.
The three stood still, staring at me with expressions mixed with worry and joy. It was as if time itself had stopped, but when I lightly waved my hand, their time finally began to flow again.
The first to move was Seol Ri-hyang. She quickly approached, ran her hands over my body with practiced movements, then handed me water she had prepared and chilled in advance.
"Here."
"…I haven't even said anything yet."
"It's been two days since you collapsed, Cheon Hwi. You can endure hunger, but thirst is harder to bear, isn't it?"
"I was actually feeling thirsty, so I'll drink gratefully."
Seol Ri-hyang's water was indeed cool.
After I emptied the cup, Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been waiting to take over from Seol Ri-hyang, pressed her small hands firmly into my arms and legs as she spoke.
"Young hero. If this one saw correctly, it seems you overexerted yourself with the Thunderclap Divine Skill at the end. Is your body feeling better now? The Poison King says rest will heal it, but as one who understands the mysteries of the Thunderclap Divine Skill, this one cannot help but worry."
"There's no pain or anything like that. However, my body did slip somewhat out of control… but my father-in-law said it would improve once I get used to it, so I just need to be careful in the meantime."
"In short, rest will cure it. This one will properly support you from now on, so just leave it to me!"
Seomun Hwa-rin puffed out her flat chest and boasted. Watching that sight for no particular reason, my feelings grew complicated.
Windfall Hwan… a Spiritual Medicine that could only exist in dreams, is what you're saying.
Does it not exist in reality? No, even if it doesn't, couldn't it be created?
I'll have to casually ask Tang So-wol about it later. But first, I need to deal with another problem.
"I'm grateful, but Senior Seomun Hwa-rin and Seol Ri-hyang as well—why have you both been feeling up my body since a while ago…"
"Ahem. I am merely checking whether you have any other wounds that you might have overlooked."
"It's to confirm that you're truly alive, so accept it quietly, Cheon Hwi."
"…"
Is this really how it's supposed to go?
It was absurd, but honestly, this kind of absurdity was something I hadn't felt even in the dreams of the Flow, so I was secretly glad to feel it.
Though there was the minor problem of Tang So-wol watching my every move.
When I cautiously raised my head, Tang So-wol was wearing her usual gentle smile.
A reaction that seemed to say she understood everything. But that was simply an illusion.
"Seomun unni. And Hyang-i. Step aside for a moment."
A calm, composed tone. But the two of them flinched at the words, then quickly moved to either side.
And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Tang So-wol sat down on my lap.
The warmth and weight that pressed down on my knees and thighs. As her scent washed over me, I shook my head and asked.
"What are you doing?"
"Why, I'm just sitting in my spot, aren't I?"
"Your spot? What do you mean…"
Tang So-wol plopped herself down on top of me as if she were some oversized cat, declaring this to be her place.
A corner of my chest itched for no good reason, but at this point, I found myself reading the room in a slightly different sense.
"Hmph!"
Tang Jincheon, who had been treated as half-invisible since a while ago, cleared his throat to make his presence known. But.
"Young hero Cheon. I knew you would wake soon since you had no serious wounds, but seeing you in such fine shape, I can finally rest easy."
"Hey, So-wol? I'm here too, you know."
"However, you didn't summon all of us at this hour simply to announce that you've woken up."
"How about you stop there and step back a bit?"
"If my guess is correct… I can't say exactly what it was, but whatever the young hero Cheon experienced within that sorcery must be connected to us as well."
"…So it's true that raising a real daughter is utterly useless."
Tang Jincheon let out a hollow laugh, gazing up at the empty air with a distant voice. At this point, one might honestly feel a bit sorry for him, but Tang So-wol paid him no mind and continued what she was saying.
Perhaps sitting with her back against me rather than facing me was her minimal show of consideration.
Tang Jincheon could only heave sigh after sigh, but at Tang So-wol's next words, his eyes flew wide open.
"Young hero Cheon. By any chance, is the seal you're hiding related to us?"
"…"
"I knew it."
Tang So-wol nodded at the sight of me, unable to say a word under the seal's constraint.
At that, not only Tang Jincheon but also Seol Ri-hyang and Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been fidgeting on either side, were startled.
"Sister Tang? Cheon Hwi's seal being related to us… how is that possible?"
"It is indeed strange. I clearly heard from the abbot of Shaolin that Hwi's seal was innate. How could it possibly be connected to us, whom he met much later?"
"That, I don't know either. Perhaps young hero Cheon might know the reason, but… hmm. The moment the topic of the seal came up, his breathing, his heartbeat, and even the faint twitching of his muscles all settled unnaturally. It seems tricks don't work after all."
"So that's why you were sticking so close to me?"
"Oh my? Were you a little disappointed? If young hero Cheon wishes, I could stay like this even without a reason… but unfortunately, that will have to wait until Father is away."
Tang So-wol shrugged and rose from my lap. I knew she had entered my mindscape, which had been seized by a certain technique through some method.
That was why I thought she had also seen the me from before the regression… but it seemed that part hadn't been properly visible to Tang So-wol's eyes.
Still, she must have noticed what kind of state I was in. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said the words I most wanted to hear at that time.
I chewed my lips once out of gratitude and a strange embarrassment before opening my mouth.
"Let's start from the beginning, then. The opponent we fought that day was not the Vajra Arhat."
"Huh? He did act strangely, as if he had become a different person, but he didn't seem to be wearing a human-skin mask, did he?"
"Ah, the body was indeed the Vajra Arhat's. The problem was that the spirit dwelling within it belonged to someone else. The Vajra Arhat… strictly speaking, he could be called a victim who had his body stolen."
"Then I understand why young hero Cheon was so wary of the Vajra Arhat from the start. You already knew, didn't you?"
"I didn't know he had already been taken over, though."
Perhaps it was because the Blood Buddha had caused such chaos, and everyone had felt a sense of unease at his words and deeds claiming to be Maitreya.
This much I could say without barely crossing the seal.
…If so, I could also inform them about the secret art and the Blood Buddha.
After all, they had seen me lose consciousness to the secret art, and Tang So-wol had even gone so far as to enter it herself.
"Have you heard of the Blood Buddha?"
"Pardon? This is my first time hearing of it…"
As everyone tilted their heads in confusion, Tang Jincheon, who had been sulking, cautiously opened his mouth.
"…Could it be that the Blood Buddha my son-in-law speaks of is the previous generation's master of the Potala Palace?"
"So you knew, father-in-law."
"It was a matter from my father's generation, but at the time, the Tang Clan wanted to expand its trading caravans a bit further. However, the Central Plains were already firmly held by the existing powers, so we turned our eyes toward the Outer Murim. We thought that the Potala Palace, being disciples of the Buddha, would be easier to deal with than the prideful North Sea Ice Palace or the ill-tempered Beast Palace."
"Pride? The North Sea Ice Palace…?"
Seol Ri-hyang blinked, unable to imagine it, but the North Sea Ice Palace of that era would have been at its peak, with the Ice White Divine Skill just completed—the atmosphere must have been quite different from now.
"First, we sent a man to the Potala Palace. Along with a letter asking whether they were interested in a trade, what they needed from the Central Plains, and what the Tang Clan wished for in return."
"How did it go?"
"Well… they returned safely without any serious injuries, but… there was nothing much to show for it either."
According to the merchant caravan that had returned from the Potala Palace, the Blood Buddha had carried out a purge, leaving the internal atmosphere tense and unstable—and every survivor had an eerie look in their eyes, as if possessed by something.
"So what happened then?"
"What could happen? We simply gave up on expanding the trade route, regretfully. I don't know much about the Blood Buddha myself. I only know that he was a former master of the Potala Palace."
"Knowing even that much makes things far easier to discuss. Do you all remember? When Great Master Gakjeong of the Diancang Sect performed the Grand Ritual to seal the Heavenly Killing Star's killing intent, he also used Vajrayana techniques. The Blood Buddha was not merely a master of martial arts—he was practically a grand master of Vajrayana as well…"
A brief explanation followed. Tang So-wol, who had listened calmly to the end, nodded and summarized the contents.
"So you're saying that young hero Cheon was nearly taken from right before our eyes?"
"That's not wrong, but the way you put it sounds a bit off, doesn't it…?"
"You killed him well."
"…"
"Hah. If I'd known it would come to this, I would have wanted to kill him with my own poison."
Tang So-wol's eyes were a little frightening.