"…Why are you staring at me like that? It's making me uncomfortable."
The Beast Palace Lord set down the chopsticks he had been raising to his mouth, a sour expression on his face.
This happened at one of the meals we'd come to share more often since Tang So-wol began her treatment in earnest.
"I was just suddenly curious, that's all."
"Are you wondering how an old man on the verge of death can eat meat so well? It's because my teeth are still strong. Fortunately enough."
"I think you're looking at the world too cynically. I was merely curious whether, among the Beast Palace's martial arts, the beast-related techniques, when taught to another person, would connect person to person instead of beast to person."
"Oh my. Do you want to handle people like trained beasts, bending them to your will? That's a taste that's hard to view favorably, but I'll answer you anyway—it's impossible. In the first place, the Beast Palace's martial arts facilitate communication; they don't cloud one's reason or force one's actions."
"That was precisely my meaning as well. And I wonder if the distinction between humans and beasts is truly so important. After all, isn't a human ultimately just a clever beast?"
"…It seems we have a twisted one here."
The Beast Palace Lord shook his head with a chuckle. It was truly an outrageous slander, yet surprisingly, quite a few people nodded in agreement.
Representative of them were our party members, and Maeng Yu-baek, who unconsciously nodded along before startling and freezing in place.
The sole exception was the Palace Lord's eldest son, Maeng U-gak, who gazed at his own younger sister with a peculiar look in his eyes.
For reference, Maeng Gyeom had been making excuses to stay holed up ever since the Demon Physician left.
He probably realized he no longer had any chance of becoming Palace Lord, so he was preparing to take whatever he could and leave.
Of course, it was also possible he was preparing one final blow to overturn the settled board… but honestly, the odds of that were far too slim.
Maeng Gyeom might have been reckless, but he wasn't a fool. If anything, he was the sharp-minded sort. The problem was that his skill level was shoddy.
Maeng U-gak, who was practically already designated as the next Beast Palace Lord. I tried to picture what the future of the Beast Palace would look like through that honest, sturdy impression of his, but… it wasn't easy to imagine.
And that was only natural. Before the regression, Maeng U-gak had never inherited the position of Palace Lord right up until the moment I died.
It might have been because of the rival Maeng Gyeom, but more than that, it was probably because the current Palace Lord, Maeng O, was running around as if he were in the prime of his life, hale and hearty to the point of excess.
As I nodded inwardly, the Beast Palace Lord grinned slyly and spoke.
"Why have you suddenly gone quiet? If you're feeling guilty, don't worry. It's only natural for a martial artist of high standing to have some screw loose somewhere."
"Where would you find a more upright young man than me? It's just that I recently had an enlightenment, and I wanted to ask about it just in case."
"Enlightenment, you say. Now that I look at you, you do seem to have a subtly different air about you. It seems the Beast Palace's secret art has been of use to you. If that's the case, I'd like you to share that enlightenment with me as well."
Was it because he knew his treatment was progressing smoothly? The Beast Palace Lord asked with a playful expression, noticeably brighter than when they had first met.
I found the content itself reasonable, so I gave a sly smile.
"Not bad. I don't know if the Palace Lord thought this far ahead, but I've gained quite a bit, so it wouldn't hurt to give a little back."
"Hm? I'd be grateful if you did, but… that was just a joke a moment ago. I hope you don't misunderstand it as me forcing you."
"Don't worry. It's not like that. Have you ever met anyone from the Namgung Clan?"
"I know they're a renowned sword family in the Central Plains, but I've never seen them in person."
"They're a clan that has helped me greatly in many ways. They're not closed-minded when it comes to martial arts—they're open, so in exchange for learning my sword art, they taught me the Namgung sword as well."
"Oh ho… As far as I know, martial artists of the Central Plains value their martial arts more than their own lives. That's surprising."
"It's true that the Namgung Clan also values martial arts greatly. In fact, it's precisely because they value them so much that they act that way."
Sword art is also a form of technique. It develops faster through exchange than through hoarding it away.
What must be protected is not the movements, but the sky of Namgung.
Under this philosophy, the Namgung Clan showed a generous attitude toward martial arts, and were able to maintain their name as the greatest clan under heaven for a long time.
Their swords were a sky that embraced all swords, and they were the emperor who reigned above those very swords.
To me, who had always thirsted for advanced martial arts, this attitude was bound to leave a deep impression. There was also a great deal I agreed with.
"Therefore, I too no longer wished to be stingy with martial arts. Though no matter how much, it would be difficult to reach the level of the Namgung Clan, who say, 'If you can steal and learn it, go ahead and try.'"
"…Indeed. If that was your thinking, then I shall listen gratefully."
Since we were to share a boat anyway, I had judged it better to maintain a close relationship, but the effect was better than expected.
Under the gazes of the Beast Palace Lord, Maeng U-gak, and Maeng Yu-baek, who were looking at me with impressed expressions, my face flushed for no reason.
I drove away the slight embarrassment with a short cough and opened my mouth.
"Ahem. Didn't you mention before? That a spirit beast on the level of a divine beast leaves something behind even upon death."
"That I did."
"And so, I contemplated what it had left, and thanks to the Beast Palace's teachings, I was able to accept it."
"What it left to the one who killed it, right before its death, doesn't seem like it would be anything good."
"My murderous intent was far more vicious, so it was fine."
"…"
I smiled lightly at the Beast Palace Lord, whose expression had turned dumbfounded, and continued.
"Since I added the Azure-White Flood Dragon's Intent to my own, whenever I wish, I can see the world through the eyes it had in life."
"Its?"
"It was female. I killed its young as well, so I remember it well."
"…"
At the look in her eyes, which now seemed to regard me as nothing less than a crazed murderer, I hastily added.
"It was a battle to the death, where both sides used every means at their disposal. It was simply a matter of who died first, in order of weakness."
"…Let's go with that, then."
The atmosphere had somehow grown awkward. Since this wasn't what I had intended, I decided to quickly move on to the main point.
"In any case, that's the gist of it. I've gained the vision of a divine beast—one that perceives the world in a way completely different from that of a martial artist."
"Specifically, what's different?"
"I can see the flow of energy."
"Hm?"
"I mean that I see it with my eyes, rather than sensing it."
It goes without saying, but no matter how exceptional one's Qi Sense might be, it can never compare to seeing something directly with one's own eyes.
In my case, it wasn't that my Qi Sense had disappeared—rather, I could now see with my eyes as well, allowing me to observe the flow of energy in even greater detail.
"You can see the Beast Palace Lord and the black panther… did you say its name was Black Claw?"
"That's right."
"I could also see how the two of them operate their internal energy."
"What?"
Unable to let this one slide, the Beast Palace Lord's eyes flew wide open.
I understood. It must have sounded like I wasn't just revealing a portion of a secret art, but claiming to see straight through their Mental Cultivation Method itself.
I gave a bitter smile and shook my head.
"I don't know if you'll believe me, but it's not to that extent. If I could see through your Mental Cultivation Method just by looking at you, I would have sensed something with my Qi Sense long ago."
"Ah, is that so. So you see with your Qi Sense as if it were eyes, not just a vague feeling."
"That's right. All my Qi Sense can tell me is that you and the black bird are connected through your Mental Cultivation Method, so that's all I can see."
Having said that, I quietly studied the black bird. Would a Spirit Beast at the Transcendent Peak level be able to understand human speech?
As if responding to my words, the creature, which had been completely relaxed, began to grow wary.
I felt the energy flowing through its body with my Qi Sense, and put into words what I had learned by seeing it with my own eyes.
"Palace Lord, have you never thought about this? The other Martial Artists of the Beast Palace all possess a martial level similar to that of their companion Spirit Beasts. That's only natural, since you share your energy through your Mental Cultivation Method. But you and the one called Black Bird—that balance doesn't match."
"That's because the level called a divine beast isn't something so easily attained."
"The Harmony Realm isn't an easy level to reach either."
"That's true, but…"
"Or, among all the past Palace Lords of the Beast Palace, how many have managed to raise their companion to the level of a divine beast?"
"…Aside from the founder, who befriended the Heaven-Winged White Tiger that was already a divine beast from the start, not a single one."
The Heaven-Winged White Tiger, was it? Did that mean it was a tiger with wings?
No matter how much Spirit Beasts could grow in ways people never expected, this was truly beyond imagination.
For a moment, the image of a white tiger soaring through the sky and letting out a lion's roar flashed through my mind. I shook my head vigorously to dispel it, then continued.
"…The reason we can't share the same realm after the Harmony Realm is simple. Humans have the path of humans, and beasts have the path of beasts."
"Didn't you just say that humans are clever beasts?"
"That's my way of saying that different beasts need different paths."
As soon as I changed my words, the Beast Palace Lord fell into troubled thought.
I spoke to him in the most careful tone I could manage. One wrong move, and it could sound like I was picking a fight.
"It's not that the Beast Palace's martial arts have a problem. Rather, how about thinking of it this way? If two martial artists reached the Harmony Realm with the same martial art, would the two truly be the same martial artist?"
"Ah."
Only then did the Beast Palace Lord's eyes widen, as if he had realized something.
That's right. The Harmony Realm is a state where one connects the mind, energy, and body into one, where the Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantians achieve harmony, and thereby one realizes the purest version of oneself.
Of course, it's bound to differ from person to person. Even those who grew up in the same environment learning the same martial arts cannot be perfectly identical, so it's only natural.
How much more so for humans and beasts?
The Beast Palace's martial arts are excellent—they can turn beasts into Spirit Beasts and raise them to the Transcendent Peak realm.
But because of the characteristic of sharing another's energy and will, it becomes difficult to nurture something of one's own.
"…White Moon Sword Lord, are you saying that the Beast Palace's martial arts actually become shackles?"
"I'd say it's more of a wall that must be broken through."
Before one reaches it, the wall serves as a milestone to run toward with full strength, but after reaching it, it becomes a limit that must be shattered.
"That's how the flow appeared to my eyes. The Beast Palace's martial arts lean slightly more toward the human side between human and beast, and that has become a thick eggshell preventing Spirit Beasts from being reborn as divine beasts."
"I see… Well, that's a fair point. After all, unlike humans who have limbs and walk on two feet, beasts come in all kinds of forms, don't they?"
Frogs, dogs and cats, monkeys, tigers, and even birds that fly through the sky or fish that swim in the water — all of them are grouped together as beasts.
Given that countless species are bound together under the single name of "beast," there must have been a few things that had to be given up along the way.
"Finding a martial art that suits the Black Crane. That should be the priority if we're to move toward something different."
"Exactly."
"…Thank you. I'll look into the detailed plans separately, but the fact that you've been a great help to me doesn't change. I will repay this debt someday, without fail."
"Then, could you give me a slightly better price on the goods for the trade with the Sichuan Tang Clan…?"
"Other people need to make a living too, don't they?"
"…Even if you can't give me a better price, you could at least provide a guide, couldn't you?"
"I promise that no matter how dense the jungle, you won't get lost within Yunnan."
Given that Yunnan is a place the Imperial Court dares not touch even with its full might, purely because of the harsh natural terrain, this is a decent outcome.
I nod in satisfaction, but only for a moment. Something I'd forgotten suddenly comes to mind, and I open my mouth.
"Ah, now that you mention it, there's one more thing I'd like to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Now that I can see energy with my own eyes, I believe I can control the risks that follow the Beast Palace Lord's antidote to a certain extent."
The reason I couldn't immediately cure the Beast Palace Lord's poison was that the different poisons had become entangled with one another, locked in a state of antagonism.
If I treated one, the other two would run wild and tear through the body, and a weakened body would not be able to endure it.
That was why I had decided to resolve the problem by sharing this burden with the Beast Palace Lord's companion, the Black Panther, and it had taken time to research that method.
But poison energy was still energy, wasn't it? With my current abilities, I could intervene in it to some extent.
I could delay the timing of the poison energy's rampage, avoid the collision between the two poisons, or even take on part of the poison energy myself with my Immunity to All Poisons.
In other words, even if Tang So-wol's research wasn't perfectly complete, there was now a way to cure the Beast Palace Lord.
After listening to my entire explanation, Tang So-wol cried out in a resentful voice.
"Th-this isn't poison art…!"
It was an empty cry.