Sixteenth day.

“Ughhh….”

Several pairs of eyes watched from behind as Hyun Jong stepped into his place, almost crawling.

“… I don’t see if anything has changed.”

“It is strange.”

Baek Cheon tilted his head.

“That idiot speaks a lot of nonsense, but he never lies.”

“… It could sound weird, but it is the truth.”

Baek Cheon frowned.

‘I don’t see any huge changes.’

Chung Myung said that they would be able to see the change with their own eyes, but there was no such change in how the sect leader looked.

Baek Cheon thought for a moment and sighed softly.

“For now, let’s watch a little longer. We cannot just go at him because it is him.”

“Yes.”

Eventually, the lights in the room turned on. Baek Cheon and the Five Swords turned, tilting their heads.

Seventeenth day.

“Ughh…”

Hyun Jong lifted up the blanket and struggled to get up.

Crack!

“Kuak!”

His back was screaming. It wasn’t like he was using his body in any way, but it still seemed like a lot of strain fell on his body.

Hyun Jong patted his back and sighed.

‘How long can my body endure this?’

He hadn’t lost his motivation yet. But he couldn’t describe the pain of having this needle pierce his body, and yet he could endure that pain.

This was nothing compared to the pain of sitting alone in the room when Mount Hua was collapsing and holding back the tears that would flow, the pain that felt like his organs were dying.

The problem was that his body couldn’t keep up with his mental power.

He didn’t know if it was because he was getting older, or if his body was naturally weak to deal with physical hardships, but it felt like he was falling further and further into the abyss as nothing improved day by day.

But.

‘I cannot cry now.’

Hyun Jong clasped his hands.

Even if his body could not keep up, even if he fell down while learning these new arts, he never had any intention of giving up.

Putting aside his sense of responsibility as Sect Leader of Mount Hua, he couldn’t say that he would give up after seeing his sajaes, who felt the same pain but somehow endured the training, or Chung Myung, who was sweating while teaching them.

So, even if it meant death, he had to endure it.

“Phew.”

Hyun Jong sighed deeply and got up as he folded the blanket. Every time he stretched out his hand or took a step, his body screamed and cracked, but he folded the blanket and even changed his clothes without groaning.

‘I guess it isn’t too late.’

It was a time in the morning when the sun hadn’t even come out, but Chung Myung’s training didn’t start from sunrise alone.

Hyun Jong stood in front of the door, having cleaned up his room with familiar and delicate hands.

‘Let’s not lose hope.’

No matter how hard he wanted to push, he was the sect leader of Mount Hua. His disciples could not help but be influenced by his appearance and gestures. So, no matter how difficult it was, he had to maintain a calm expression.

“Let’s go!”

Hyun Jong cheered himself and grabbed the door to open it.

Crack!

“Uh?”

Hyun Jong looked at his hand with wide eyes.

A torn door was held in the hand he had extended.

“… no, why did this…?”

The hinges on the door had been pulled out, and it was shaking as if it would fall at any moment.

“Why are you breaking the door?”

“Uh?”

Hyun Young, who was done with his chores, frowned, looking at the broken door and Hyun Jong. Hyun Jong, who looked at him, asked.

“Why are you looking like that?”

“… my bones are sore.”

“…”

“…”

Hyun Young cleared his throat and asked again.

“But I mean it; why did you open the door like that?”

“I didn’t open it like that; the door just broke down. It seems like the hinges are worn out.”

“The hinges are old? This time, we replaced everything while building the place for gathering guests.”

“Is that so? Then it looks like these were defective.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. This is why I have to check things individually. The Eunha merchant union isn’t what it used to be. We need to conduct more thorough inspections.”

“Right. That would be a good idea.”

“Put it aside then. I will ask the kids for help. Please go ahead. If you are late, Chung Myung’s mouth will start running again.”

“… right.”

Hyun Jong sighed as he was about to say something when Hyun Young smiled and said,

“Still, isn’t Chung Myung our kind? He is polite and all.”

What?

Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Young with a blank face for a moment. He couldn’t believe his ears either. But, Hyun Young, who was usually quick-witted but had no care, seemed to have been unable to read the expression and began to speak nonsense.

“If other guys were late for training, they would have had their heads broken right there, but look at how he just pouts to us. We could surely be cursed. How kind is he?”

“… worth being cursed?”

“We are adults, and if we do something wrong, we need to get criticized for it.”

“…”

“But look at how he doesn’t even sweat. Ah, right, how nice and cute he is. Hahaha.”

Hyun Young. It seemed like the concept of ‘nice’ was a bit different in his head. How did it end up like that, sajae…

“… let’s go for now.”

“Yes, sahyung is coming over there too.”

“Right.”

Hyun Jong turned his gaze and looked at the moon, which was still in the sky.

“We need to work hard today, too.”

Only then would we be able to gently shine like the moon on the disciples who were walking down this dark path?

Twentieth day.

“Are you alright?”

“… Does this look alright to you?”

“… sorry.”

Hyun Young sat down, biting down one of his worries.

“Right. How does it get harder with each day?”

Hyun Sang frowned as he looked at Hyun Young, who was casually sitting with a pale face.

“It hurts my pride when the kids are around.”

“Is your pride so important now? It looks like you will die right away. Isn’t sahyung also feeling this as tough?”

“Haha. Tough… I don’t know anymore.”

“Uh?”

As Hyun Young looked at him in surprise, Hyun Sang smiled.

“It would be comfortable if we just died. That is all I can think about now.”

“…”

“…what kind of things can I enjoy when I get old? Let it be the best martial arts or not…”

“Ehh! Ehh! We have kids around!”

Once again, Hyun Young dissuaded Hyun Sang.

However, once he opened his mouth, he continued to mumble with an expression that said he had lost it all.

“Be it martial arts or something, I should just live off the land. What am I doing by coming to Mount Hua and putting myself through such hardships at the last stages of my life? It would have been better for me to marry Yong-yong in my village and have…”

“Cover your ears! Cover your ears, you brats!”

As Hyun Young shouted, the disciples all covered their ears with both hands. Hyun Young sighed and asked the sect leader for help.

“Sect leader, say something.”

“…But Hyun Young.”

“Uh?”

“Doesn’t what Hyun Sang said make a lot of sense?”

“…”

Hyun Young painfully realized that the only two remaining sahyungs were growing senile. At that time, Baek Cheon quietly came next to him and said,

“Elder. I will help you out.”

“Ughh. There is no need to do that.”

“I…”

“No, it is enough. I will do that on my own.”

“Don’t do that, I….”

“Ugh, I said alright.”

Hyun Young lightly pushed Baek Cheon. It was a light push, just pushing with the hand.

But…the result wasn’t light at all.

“Kuaaak!”

Puak! Puak! Puak!

The eyes of Hyun Young widened in shock. No, not only Hyun Young but all those who saw this forgot to blink.

As if he had been suddenly kicked by a giant, Baek Cheon was hurled back at an incredible speed. He tumbled to the ground several times, bounced, and eventually plummeted down a distant cliff.

“Ahhhh!”

Baek Cheon’s screams echoed from below.

For a moment, silence enveloped the area. Everyone was speechless, their gazes darting between Hyun Young and the cliff. The first to break the silence was Hyun Sang.

“Ah, no… Are you just going to throw a kid off the cliff just because he said he would help? Is this guy insane or what?”

“N-No! It isn’t that, sahyung! It isn’t like that. I just lightly shoved him! What strength did I have to use to send a guy flying away like that?”

“… Uh?”

After listening…

Hyun Sang tilted his head with a confused look.

“Then why is he over there like that?”

“… I don’t know.”

The two elders stared at the cliff, bewildered.

Goosebumps slowly began to appear on the backs of the Mount Hua disciples who were watching this strange scene.

Twenty-fifth day.

“Don’t you think things have changed a little by now?”

“… Sasuk, the wounds they suffered then have healed fully now. It is alright. They look fine.”

“N-Not me!”

“Uh?”

Baek Cheon, his face red with tears in his eyes, responded to Yoon Jong’s words. He took a deep breath, put down his chopsticks, and pointed to the head table at the back.

“Those people.”

They narrowed their eyes toward the place he pointed at and saw the elders and sect leader. Yoon Jong exclaimed, ‘Ah’.

“After listening… it seems like something has changed.”

“Is it the same in your eyes, too?”

“But I am not exactly sure what has changed. Something feels different…”

“Hmm.”

Baek Cheon looked at the people with a strange expression. It was just as Yoon Jong had said. Clearly, nothing had changed enough to be noticed. The amount of change was so minimal that one had to look very closely to notice the difference.

But clearly, something had changed.

‘First… I think they gained some weight back.’

Their skin and bones were still bad enough to be called a corpse, but Baek Cheon noticed that the skeleton-like face had some flesh on it.

“A little fat?”

“Right?”

Yoon Jong quickly nodded in agreement.

“Isn’t that a good sign?”

“Well, it means that their condition has improved.”

The two people who were talking looked at each other. A hint of surprise and relief flashed across their faces. If it wasn’t for the voice, the atmosphere would have lasted longer.

“… it isn’t noticeable at all.”

“Be silent, you bastard!”

“Just hit that mouth!”

When Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong glared and scolded him at the same time, Jo Gul flinched and asked as if it was unfair.

“… No, these days, it seems like you two wait for me to say something?”

“…”

“What wrong did I do for you to treat me like Chung Myung? No matter what I did! You cannot treat people like Chung Myung! That’s what people like… ahhh!”

At that moment, Jo Gul was hit by something and was sent flying far away, crashing into the wall.

Woong!

“W-what?”

“Attack?”

Everyone who was eating got up from their places and looked around. Half of them looked at the chopsticks thrown against the wall and slowly sliding down, while the other half watched this in shock.

“N-no….”

Hyun Sang looked at Jo Gul, who was on the ground, squirming, and then at his chopsticks, and stuttered.

“I, I… no, kids. I just had a hard time picking up the meat, so I put some strength….”

“….”

“Why, why… is there sword qi on chopsticks…?”

Some of those who had been watching Hyun Sang in shock came to their senses and ran to Jo Gul.

“Gul! Gul! Are you alright?”

“He is fine! Idiots don’t die so fast!”

“This brat is foaming already!”

Jo Gul, limp like a corpse, was carried out on someone’s back. No one could believe it; it was as if he were possessed by a ghost.

Baek Cheon slowly turned his gaze to Hyun Sang, who was being scolded by Hyun Young.

“No! Why are you beating up a child?”

“N-No! I-I just wanted to eat meat….”

“Now you’re putting sword qi on your chopsticks, too! What would have happened if the kid got hurt?”

“I’m telling you! That wasn’t the case!”

Baek Cheon’s mouth opened slowly as he watched them in frustration.

-It will be of no use saying it 100 times. You will know when you see it.

-It is already about time for the effect to start showing up. Don’t panic when you see them. Hehehe.

“N-No way….”

Baek Cheon’s eyes began to tremble.

An unknown qi was spreading behind those old men, who were barely able to pick up food and shove it into their mouths with ghostly faces.

At this point, Baek Cheon had no choice but to be certain.

Surely, something… something was happening.