Back to Normal (2)
When I returned home, the news about Yang Sobang had already reached us.
“It’s hard to believe.”
Father seemed deeply troubled by the revelation that Yang Sobangju had hired ronin to kill him and our family. No matter how dire the situation with his child, he never imagined such a vengeful act.
“He was far more wicked than we thought. If it weren’t for the chaos caused by Hyeolgyeon, we might have faced a great disaster.”
Father nodded silently at my words.
Mother, on the other hand, couldn’t hide her relief.
“Heaven was on our side! It’s truly a blessing.”
“Indeed, Mother.”
At that moment, Father spoke up unexpectedly.
“Still, we must repay our debt to Yang Sobang.”
“Yes.”
I had anticipated this. He would see it as a debt to Yang Sobang, not to Yang Gicheol.
But we wouldn’t need to repay it. I had already informed Jeongyeo, the new leader, not to collect the debt. Since Yang Sobang had tried to harm us, I suggested that they refuse the money as a way to settle the score. Jeongyeo, being astute, would find a suitable excuse not to accept it.
“And this, I read it thoroughly.”
I returned the secret manual of the Baekwol Sword Technique to Father.
“How was your training?”
“I think I made some progress.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Though it was only a few days of training, he would appreciate the fact that I had changed.
Mother looked at me with a smile.
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“Are you alright?”
A short question, but it carried a lot of meaning. She was happy about my change but also worried.
“Of course. I’m better than ever.”
“That’s good.”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
As I turned to leave, I glanced back at Father.
“I hope this incident hasn’t disheartened you too much… Father.”
Perhaps it was because it had been a long time since he received comfort from his son, but a look of gratitude crossed Father’s face.
In truth, the one who felt truly grateful was me.
It was the first time I had ever called someone “Father.”
In my past life, I had no father. Mother raised me alone from a young age. So, I had never had the chance to call anyone “Father.”
“Go and rest.”
“Yes, Father.”
Once I said it, it wasn’t so difficult.
And so, I returned to my everyday life.
I had two main tasks ahead of me.
Taking care of myself and looking after the household. I started with what I could do immediately.
The next day, I went to see Seojung.
He was just coming out after training the sword unit, and he looked surprised to see me.
“What brings you here?”
His gaze was softer than before. My recent actions, especially saving Gwangdu from Yang Gikang, must have changed his perception of me.
“Please accept this.”
“What is it?”
I handed him three thousand nyang. It was part of the thirty-two thousand nyang I had received from Yang Gicheol.
He checked the note and looked at me in shock.
“What kind of money is this?”
“It’s money I’ve saved up.”
“What?”
He seemed skeptical. It was hard to believe that someone like me, known for squandering money, had such savings.
“I was saving it for someone I liked.”
But I spoke so naturally that Seojung was half-convinced. Given how much money I had taken from the family, he might think it possible I had this much saved. I wanted to give more, but I settled on three thousand nyang for a reason.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Please use it to reorganize the sword unit. Raise the wages you couldn’t before and recruit new members.”
Seojung was even more surprised than when he received the money. The amount was shocking, but the intended use was even more so.
“Do you think we’re staying because of money?”
“I know that’s not the case. But the families of the sword unit members shouldn’t suffer because of money.”
“Why give it to me directly instead of the head of the family?”
“I suspect the head of the family wouldn’t accept money from Father.”
Seojung flinched. I had accurately guessed his thoughts.
He was a loyal man. Even if Father gave him money to reorganize the unit, he would refuse, insisting on paying off the family’s debts first. He believed he could manage the unit on his own.
“The head of the family and the sword unit are the core of our household. If they fall, the household will fall with them.”
“What are you saying? The head of the family is the core!”
He scolded me sternly, but there was an undeniable look of gratitude on his face.
Just like my parents, Seojung never expected to hear such words from a reckless fool like me.
“Will you accept my intentions?”
After a moment of contemplation, Seojung nodded.
“Can you promise to use this money solely for the sword unit? As a man and a warrior.”
He was worried I might return it to Father.
“I promise.”
I bowed deeply, filled with sincerity.
“Thank you so much, leader.”
As I turned to leave, Seojung called out from behind.
“Dana.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled at him. There was no need for many words, just as with Gwangdu. He would see much more in the future.
From the next day, the atmosphere in the sword unit became lively.
Even though I wasn’t part of the unit, I could feel it.
The warriors of the unit greeted me with smiles.
They had developed a favorable impression of me after the incident with Yang Gikang, and now they knew the money had come from me. Knowing Seojung’s character, he would have made the source of the funds clear.
As the mood in the sword unit brightened, so did the entire household.
The whispers about me changed. Initially, they thought my change was a precursor to some major trouble, but now they were starting to believe I might have truly changed.
A notice was posted about recruiting new warriors for the unit. While three thousand nyang wouldn’t allow for a large expansion, it was enough to add about twenty members.
Increasing our strength was important, but boosting morale was even more so.
For the first time in a long while, the Baek family sword clan was filled with energy.
When Mother heard the news, she scolded me for having such a large sum of money, but in the end, she had no choice but to believe me. With my recent actions being so commendable, what could she do?
The next day, Mother invited the wives of nearby martial families for a gathering. She took the opportunity to boast about her son, something she hadn’t done in a long time. Of course, she didn’t forget to mention the money I had given for the sword unit. The only difference was that the story had changed from saving money for a woman to saving it for the unit.
While taking care of the household, I didn’t neglect my physical training and martial arts practice.
Through dedicated training, my body was gradually transforming. The soft flesh was disappearing, replaced by firm muscles.
The real challenge, however, was my internal energy.
The pinnacle of the Chuhon Sura Sword Technique I had learned lay in its final three forms.
The problem was that the fourth form required one cycle of internal energy, the fifth form required two cycles, and the sixth form required three cycles.
My immediate goal was to achieve one cycle. I wasn’t even hoping for two or three cycles.
If I could just use the fourth form, Talhonggeop, I would have a trump card.
Most skilled fighters could be handled with the first three forms, but one could never be too sure.
I spent every moment, except for sleeping, practicing the Cheonmuho Simjeol, but the amount of internal energy I was accumulating was insufficient.
The Cheonmuho Simjeol allowed me to accumulate internal energy three times faster than ordinary methods.
It would take twenty years of training to accumulate one cycle of internal energy.
There was only one solution at present.
“I must find a way to open the Ren and Du meridians.”
If I could open the Ren and Du meridians, the speed at which I accumulated internal energy would triple again.
That would reduce the time needed to achieve one cycle from twenty years to seven.
Considering I already had five years’ worth of internal energy and would likely need to consume an elixir to open the Ren and Du meridians, I could potentially achieve one cycle in two to three years.
I needed an elixir to help open the Ren and Du meridians.
There was a time when elixirs were abundant.
But in this era, elixirs were rare. The reason I had been able to possess four cycles of internal energy was because I was the leader of the martial alliance and had fought life-and-death battles against the demonic sects.
If I could obtain a legendary elixir like the Great Rejuvenation Pill or the Millennium Snow Ginseng, it would be ideal, but it was impossible with my current funds.
Such elixirs were not only hard to find, but even if someone were selling them, they would be priced at tens or hundreds of thousands of nyang. They were items that never appeared on the market.
Could I find the necessary elixir with nineteen thousand nyang?
I thought it might be possible. I needed an elixir that could help open the Ren and Du meridians and provide about ten years’ worth of internal energy.
Having only ever consumed what was given to me, I had no idea of the price of elixirs.
Nineteen thousand nyang.
Could it be enough?
Two days later, I found myself entering a building in Jinan.
This was the Jinan branch of the Black Market.
There is a saying in the martial world:
“If it’s not in the Black Market, it doesn’t exist in the martial world.”
The Black Market serves as a marketplace for trading martial goods. In the past, it dealt with stolen goods, hence the name, but in this era, it only trades in items with clear provenance, having emerged into the light.
The person most responsible for this transformation was the chief strategist, Gal Saryang. He monitored the Black Market while gathering various information. Sometimes, the flow of goods was more valuable than information obtained through people.
Thanks to this, I knew a lot about the Black Market. I knew where it was and how it operated.
There were three Black Markets in Shandong, and the largest was the Jinan branch.
I had told them I needed a few days to clear my head, and then I rode out here. I considered bringing Gwangdu along to keep me company, but given the nature of my task, I decided it was best to leave him behind.
When I told the guard at the entrance that I was here to purchase some elixirs, he led me to a well-appointed guest room in the inner courtyard.
A servant came by to serve tea, but I didn’t touch it.
Back in my days as a leader, I often faced the same question.
What’s the secret to surviving so long in the martial world?
My answer was always the same.
Be cautious in everything you do.
Caution must become second nature. There was a time when I was relentlessly targeted by assassins. The most skilled among them are those whose patience knows no bounds.
What they wait for is a single moment of carelessness. You could do everything right ninety-nine times, but it’s the hundredth mistake, the one you make thinking “surely not this time,” that they exploit.
Want to live a long life?
Never let your guard down, not until the very end.
An old man in a lavish robe entered the room.
“So, you’re here to buy elixirs?”