"Talent for the Erotic Arts."
"…"
"…"
A cold silence flowed through the carriage.
Perhaps it was because of the posture, offering my thigh as a pillow instead of a cushion. I could feel a slight tension in Tang So-wol's hand, which had naturally come to rest atop my head.
Only then did I realize how my words must have sounded.
Wasn't I saying it was a pity she hadn't learned the Erotic Arts, to someone who had nearly been reduced to a training tool for them? And saying it while lying with my head on my betrothed's lap, no less.
I hurriedly shook my head in denial.
"It's a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding… is it."
"I-I just think I don't need to learn martial arts…"
Tang So-wol muttered in a flat voice, while Seol Ri-hyang, watching her mood, subtly edged away.
I tried to get up from my seat to continue explaining, but—
Press.
Tang So-wol gently pressed her hand against my forehead, pushing me back down. I gave up and continued speaking while lying down.
"I'm not saying you must learn the Erotic Arts. I'm just saying you have a talent for that sort of thing."
"So what the young hero means is that Miss Seol has talent in that direction?"
"You… were looking at me with those eyes?"
Tang So-wol had now started poking my cheeks with her fingers. It didn't hurt, but there was a strange pressure to it.
Seol Ri-hyang, on the other hand, was frowning, but her voice didn't sound entirely displeased.
I let out a long sigh and grabbed Tang So-wol's hand, which was relentlessly tormenting my cheeks.
"I'm talking about the Pure Yin Constitution."
"…Ah!"
"That's right. There was that too."
Tang So-wol's face flushed as if she was embarrassed to have grabbed at the wrong thread. Seol Ri-hyang merely nodded quietly, as if her own affairs were no concern of hers.
Well, it was only natural—she wouldn't know anything about her own constitution, let alone martial arts.
"How much do you know about the Pure Yin Constitution?"
"I'm ashamed to say I know nothing about constitutions other than my own Poison Spirit Constitution. It seems to be related to Yin Energy… Is it something like the Nine Yin Severed Meridians?"
"I only just found out I had this constitution myself. Is it a good thing?"
The two of them clearly knew nothing. Well, that made sense. If I hadn't heard it from Seol Ri-hyang before my regression, I would have lived my whole life without knowing either.
Because the Nine Yin Severed Meridians was so famous as a constitution that accumulates Yin Energy, the other constitutions were hardly known at all.
Embarrassed by her misunderstanding, Tang So-wol kept trying to pull her hand away. This time, I was the one who grabbed her hand firmly and began tracing each finger meaningfully.
Every time I slowly tickled between her fingers, she flinched, but perhaps because she remembered poking my cheek just moments ago, she couldn't bring herself to pull away.
"Of course it's different from the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. The Nine Yin Severed Meridians are, literally, severed meridians. It's a constitution where the major energy pathways are blocked, causing Yin Energy to accumulate abnormally. Because the quantity and quality of that energy is so immense, without proper measures, it's a constitution that kills you by around the Age of Twenty at the latest."
"I'm going to die?! I'm fifteen now, so… that means I only have five years left…?"
Terrified, Seol Ri-hyang began counting on her fingers, trying to calculate her remaining lifespan.
Seeing that, Tang So-wol covered her mouth with her free hand and laughed.
"Hehe. The name 'severed meridians' is given to constitutions where blocked blood vessels lead to death. Since yours is the Pure Yin Constitution, not the Pure Yin Blocked Meridians, there may be side effects, but it won't be that severe."
"Tang So-wol is right. It's true that the Pure Yin Constitution is born with a massive amount of Yin Energy compared to ordinary people, but it's not enough to cause an early death. After all, the defining trait of the Pure Yin Constitution isn't the quantity of Yin Energy, but its purity."
"Purity?"
"Yes. Normally, people absorb a great deal of Turbid Qi as they live their lives. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a natural phenomenon that occurs from living among others. However, it's also true that such Turbid Qi interferes with martial arts training."
That's why many sects and clans teach martial arts from a young age, before too much Turbid Qi has accumulated.
After a certain age, the meridians narrow due to the accumulated Turbid Qi, and the circulation of internal energy becomes less smooth.
I was the same, having learned martial arts at fifteen. It wasn't too late, but I was still far behind those from prestigious backgrounds who had received Spiritual Medicines and Marrow Cleansing from childhood.
Though I had improved considerably thanks to the Hundred Poisons Clear Blood Pill I'd taken recently.
"However, the Pure Yin Constitution is a body in which such Turbid Qi does not easily accumulate. Because it is born with the purest Yin Energy of all, most Turbid Qi is simply washed away."
The Mistress of Honghua Pavilion must have intended to absorb Seol Ri-hyang's Yin Energy to purge the Turbid Qi mixed into her own internal energy.
Seol Ri-hyang hesitated for a moment after hearing my words, then let out an awkward laugh.
"Ah, um. If there's no Turbid Qi, what's so good about that? You said having it is natural."
"Having it is natural, but not having it is special. The speed at which you learn a Mental Cultivation Method increases, and its efficiency improves as well. It means that even if you start learning martial arts late, you can still achieve great success."
"So, you're saying I have talent in martial arts?"
"Didn't I say that from the beginning?"
"Hehe. I just wanted to hear it one more time. It's not like I've ever heard anyone praise me in my life."
Seol Ri-hyang laughed lightheartedly. Before the regression, she had reached the Peak Realm despite having learned a fundamentally flawed martial art.
She might not be able to show that eerie, gwigi-tinged presence like she did back then… but if she learned a proper martial art, she could aim even higher.
As I nodded inwardly, Tang So-wol, who had been listening to the story, asked cautiously.
"Young hero. I believe the most important thing about a constitution like this isn't how great a talent it grants, but what side effects come with it. Do you happen to know what problems the Pure Yin Constitution carries?"
"Of course I do. It won't shorten your lifespan, but it's true that the amount of Yin Energy is high, and since it's extremely pure, if left alone, you'll suffer from minor problems caused by the accumulation of Yin Energy."
"Ah, what kind of problems…?"
Seol Ri-hyang, who had been delighted, gulped. Looking at her, I briefly chewed over what I had heard before the regression.
"Let me see… First, you'd be extremely sensitive to the cold. Aside from that, your complexion would be poor, making your skin look pale, the strength in your limbs would weaken, and you'd suffer from hallucinations and talking in your sleep."
"…Isn't that super serious?!"
"Right. It won't kill you, but it's enough to drive a person insane. However, the solution to this is clear."
"Phew. So there is a way."
"If there wasn't, I wouldn't have brought it up."
"Then stop dragging it out and just tell me. I'm in a hurry."
I chuckled at the sight of Seol Ri-hyang stamping her feet inside the carriage, then continued.
"It's simple. You just need to learn a martial art that handles Yin Energy."
"Something like that exists?"
"Of course. The most representative ones would be the Erotic Arts, but…"
"…"
"Relax your expression. I won't tell you to learn it."
"You're being awfully suspicious. It feels like you're trying to get me to learn something strange by any means possible…"
Seol Ri-hyang, who had flinched mid-sentence, began cautiously gauging Tang So-wol's reaction. Having said it out loud, she seemed to have realized belatedly that this wasn't the sort of thing to discuss in front of her betrothed.
Fortunately, Tang So-wol either didn't catch the meaning behind that gaze or simply found it amusing, letting out a playful giggle.
"It's not like those are the only kinds. Don't worry. Isn't that right, young hero?"
"Correct. There are also Yin Cold Arts, and while they're rarely found even among the Unorthodox Sects, martial arts that deal with gwigi are also deeply connected to Yin Energy."
In her previous life, Seol Ri-hyang had mastered the latter.
The Ghost Spirit Yin Crying Voice. What had begun as merely channeling Yin Energy into her voice had been refined into a martial art with the help of the Yin Art she'd earned through meritorious service in the Black Alliance and the assistance of the Iron Blood Faction Leader.
I haven't mastered it myself, but having watched it from the sidelines, I at least know the oral formula.
But I can't just teach it to her as is. Even if I did, it wouldn't mean much.
Seol Ri-hyang's Ghost Spirit Yin Crying Voice was able to display its full power because of her own dark past.
However, the current Seol Ri-hyang doesn't harbor that much anger or resentment. With the well of emotions gone, it's only natural that the martial art's power would be halved.
Besides, she no longer limps, so there's no need to cling to Yin Arts.
…And there's also the small reason that I don't want to see her tearing open old wounds and suffering every time she uses her martial arts.
"Both are rare martial arts, but of the two, Yin Cold Arts would be easier to find. Tang So-wol, what do you think?"
"The quality isn't particularly outstanding, but the Tang Clan's secret vault does have some Yin Cold Arts. I'm sure we could find something better if we put in the effort."
"Well, that's a grateful thing to hear… but do you really intend to go that far for me?"
"Ah, come on. You know well enough that I don't have the final say. I can only do what I can—in the end, it's my father who decides."
"That's true. You're right. There's no point in us getting all worked up over it now. The master of the Tang Clan is your father-in-law, after all."
As the conversation settled on Tang Jincheon, Seol Ri-hyang asked with a worried look.
"Um… do you think the clan head will actually allow it…?"
"If you tell him that instead of living an ordinary life in Chengdu, you want to become a martial artist and pledge yourself to the Tang Clan, he'll help you. How much he'll help, I can't say."
"Yes. Young hero Cheon is already a member of the Tang Clan, and Miss Seol is the daughter of that young hero's benefactor. And from the Tang Clan's perspective, it would be a shame to let someone with the potential to become a master slip away."
"A master… me?"
After a moment of deliberation, Seol Ri-hyang nodded with a firm expression.
"Yes. I'll give it a try. You said you were just returning what you received, Cheon Hwi, but to me, it felt like someone who appeared out of nowhere had solved all my problems. …So this time, it's my turn."
"Huh?"
"Just as I received help this time, I want to be the one who helps next time. To put it in the way of a martial artist, I want to repay the favor."
"…"
I never expected to hear those words from Seol Ri-hyang… no, from anyone.
That was only natural—until now, I had only ever returned what I had received, but I had never been the first to give.
As I stood there with a blank expression, Tang So-wol, who had pulled her hand away, gently stroked my hair and spoke.
"Young hero Cheon. Do you know why the Tang Clan repays favors even more than they receive, not just grudges?"
"…Is that so."
"Yes. It's important to deal with enemies decisively, but making friends is just as important."
I had always been focused on the grudge side of Karmic Debt.
That was because taking things from others, or having things taken from me, had occupied too much of my life. But now, things would be different.
I raised the corners of my mouth in a smile that came naturally.
"We'll be busy once we return."
I had felt something during this battle. My current body was too frail to fully unleash my Enlightenment.
Until now, I had thought that since I was still young, I could slowly train my body and build up my internal energy. But it seemed I needed to hurry things along a bit.
I would have to retrieve that thing ahead of schedule, the one I had originally planned to take a few years from now…
I was just beginning to map out my plans in my head when Tang So-wol's voice cut through my thoughts.
"See, I was right, wasn't I? It's a little embarrassing, but I'm happy too. I never imagined the young hero would be looking forward to our Engagement Ceremony that much."
"…"
I had completely forgotten about that.
It seemed my plans would have to be postponed a little longer.