“Ughhh.”

Baek Cheon’s steps to the dining hall were slow.

‘I am dying.’

His entire body felt like soaked cotton. No, it wasn’t just that; it felt like he could barely walk while carrying a rock the size of a house on his shoulder.

-What? Purple Cloud Divine Arts? Do you want to learn that skill? What would the sect leaders of the previous time say if they saw this? Don’t even dream of it until dirt gets in my eyes, you bastard!

Hyun Young’s harsh words were unpleasant to his ears. Baek Cheon trembled.

‘That is the devil. The devil.’

He thought Chung Myung was the only devil in Mount Hua, but who would have imagined that there was a devil older than that?

While Chung Myung was a person who pushed a person’s body to its limit and made them wonder, ‘Can my body really endure this?’, Hyun Young pushed the mental strength of the person to the brink with thoughts like, ‘Will I really be able to not give up till the end?’ He was a person who made such things happen.

“I feel like I am going to die, sasuk…”

“…me too.”

Baek Cheon sighed as he looked at Yoon Jong, staggering next to him.

Swinging the sword in the water wasn’t too difficult. Breathing in the water and using internal qi was tough, but it didn’t push a person to the limit like climbing a cliff with rocks all over the body.

The key was to endure through sheer will.

The cliff ended once they climbed it. No matter how difficult it got, there was an end.

But swinging the sword in the water was an endless task. Even Baek Cheon had the urge to cut the rope tied to his feet and leap out several times.

So, after this training was done, not only was he tired, but his mind felt heavy, as if there was a fog.

‘But if I think about it, it is a really reasonable training method to do.’

Now, they were not just proving their qi but rather proving their qualification to learn the new cultivation arts.

Cultivation arts consisted of two methods: using internal qi and controlling the mind.

In other words, being skilled with the sword and having a strong body were of no help in learning these skills. Only strong mental strength would form the foundation for mastering it.

In that sense, this training method could be considered optimal for determining the patience and strong will of the disciples.

Right… it was optimal….

‘The problem is that I think I will collapse now.’

Baek Cheon awkwardly lifted his heavy hand, opened the dining hall door, and entered.

“… I don’t think I can eat today.”

“Still, you need to eat if you want to endure tomorrow’s training.”

Baek Cheon sighed and looked around to find an empty spot.

“Uh?”

Then he realized something strange.

‘Where is everyone looking?’

The eyes of everyone sitting in the dining hall were focused on one side. For some reason, their expressions weren’t normal either.

Baek Cheon, too, turned his head and nodded as if he understood.

“It’s Chung Myung.”

“Right, it’s Chung Myung.”

“Nothing new, just Chung Myung.”

Everyone tried to turn their heads with a composed look on their faces. Was it for the past one or two days that the disciples couldn’t take their eyes off Chung Myung? He must have done something again.

Even the Five Swords, who always stuck with Chung Myung, couldn’t predict what new trouble he might cause. But Baek Cheon didn’t have the will or desire to find out today, as he felt he would collapse right away.

Baek Cheon decided that looking away would be good for his mental health, but then he flinched. Something odd caught his eye.

“Uh?”

He turned his gaze to Chung Myung and then blankly opened his mouth.

Haha.

That brat.

If his sasuk had come, he should at least pretend to nod. He was now turning his head as if he couldn’t see anyone.

Right. Turn your head all the way to the back…

Chung Myung… why did he eat like that?

“Can you eat your food with your neck turned like that?”

“…why is he doing that?”

“Don’t bother. It isn’t like he acts crazy once in a while.”

“It isn’t once in a while. But how does he do something so different and new every time?”

Baek Cheon frowned.

Chung Myung, sitting at the table across from him, was still eating in an odd posture. Even though his shoulders were straight, only his neck was turned to the back, which was odd.

“…he is spilling it all.”

“It seems like it is falling from his mouth.”

Baek Cheon couldn’t bear to see anymore and closed his eyes tightly.

‘Chung Myung, please.’

Now that everyone in Mount Hua knows full well that he was insane, there was no need to go this far, right?

In the end, Baek Cheon couldn’t bear it any longer and trudged helplessly towards Chung Myung. Because he had approached the front of Chung Myung, all he could see was the back of his head.

“Chung Myung?”

“Uh? Sasuk?”

…When someone calls you, you should look at them and speak.

Baek Cheon opened his mouth with a shocked look.

“That…right now, I feel like it is really meaningless to ask this again…is there any problem?”

“Uh? What problem?”

“Unless there is a problem, is there any other reason why you are eating with the feeling of ‘I will ignore the whole world from today’?”

“Ahh, this?”

Chung Myung grinned…no, he replied with his head still turned to the back.

“It is nothing. Just a little…while I was training, I ended up facing Qi Deviation.”

“Ah, is that so? I asked for something useless…what, brat?”

Baek Cheon, who had roughly answered and turned around, suddenly approached Chung Myung like lightning.

“Wh-what did you say?”

“Ah, it seems like I ended up with Qi Deviation…ah, shit. Everything else is fine, but my neck isn’t turning.”

As Baek Cheon was left speechless, his mouth was wide open and Chung Myung spoke like he was annoyed.

“This is…”

And then he suddenly grabbed his head and started turning it.

Crack! Crack!

“D-Don’t… don’t do that, you bastard!”

They could hear his neck breaking, that insane shit!

What could they even do when he spun his neck like that?

“Well, that is strange… it definitely seemed like it was working, but where do I start the fixing process?”

“…”

“Ugh. I will eat later and try to figure out what to do with this first.”

Chung Myung fumbled with the table and then got up.

“A-are you alright?”

“Wouldn’t you know it if you saw me? I am fine!”

“…”

What was the extent of the meaning ‘fine’ in his mind?

At this rate, it might be alright to treat someone as fine as long as their limbs were intact…

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. This kind of thing gets better once you sleep.”

“…”

“Hahaha. To see all these things in my long life. Hahahaha.”

Chung Myung hurriedly walked to the entrance.

Thud!

“Uh. The entrance isn’t here…”

Thud!

“Eh, fuck!”

Thud! Thud!

After hitting the wall a couple more times, Chung Myung found the door and went out, laughing. There was silence in the restaurant.

J Gul and Yoon Jong, with shocked eyes, approached Baek Cheon, who was watching this bizarre scene.

“Will he be fine?”

“… he should be….”

Baek Cheon looked at the closed door in confusion and said,

“He should be… right?”

“…”

No answer came back.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The soul gradually drained from the eyes of the three people looking at Chung Myung.

“Sasuk, sasuk.”

“…”

“Come and grab this for me. Ahh, this eye…”

Baek Cheon’s relaxed eyes barely regained their focus.

Fortunately, Chung Myung’s neck, which was turned to the back, had now come back to its original position. That was a fortunate thing.

However, if there was a minor problem…

“… what is wrong with your arm now?”

“Uh… it’s not a big deal. It’s just a trivial change…”

“Trivial?”

“Yes. Trivial.”

“Your arms are behind your shoulders now?”

His right arm was behind his head and touching his back, while his other leg was completely turned backward with the heel pointing forward. As a result, his back was bent to the side, and it felt like his head was going to hit the ground at any moment. So to speak, this person was twisted and bent to resemble a sickle.

‘Even if I was told he did it on purpose, he wouldn’t be able to attain this perfection.’

But what? Trivial?

“No, you crazy bastard! What is happening? Why does your body keep doing that?”

“Weird… this cannot be happening. I obviously changed it to perfect.”

Chung Myung tilted his head like this made no sense.

“Is the direction from the neck acupoint to the one near the back wrong? It couldn’t be that.”

“First, let us go to the Medicine Hall, Chung Myung! To the Medicine Hall! If this continues, you’ll die!”

“Eh. I am telling you, this isn’t that. This will get better quickly.”

“…”

“But it was hard to get dressed. Tsk. Alright, sasuk. For now, I will handle this later.”

“…”

“Then see you later.”

Chung Myung, who greeted Baek Cheon brightly, was about to run ahead and suddenly tilted his head.

“Ahhhh!”

Yoon Jong and Baek Cheon rushed with pale faces and caught Chung Myung as he fell.

And then Chung Myung asked like he couldn’t understand it.

“What? Why did I go back when I was trying to walk ahead?”

“Yah, you bastard! One foot is twisted to the back; how can you move ahead?”

“Ah, right!”

Chung Myung had a shy smile and took a stance again.

“Hehe. Don’t worry. I made a mistake because I wasn’t used to it.”

“If you make the mistake twice, you might die! Let’s just go to the Medicine Hall now!”

“Don’t worry. I know my body so well. This kind of thing gets better with time.”

“…”

Chung Myung gently put his foot out a couple of times, and as if he thought it wouldn’t work, he turned his head to the right.

“Nice! See you later.”

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Chung Myung was jumping like a jiangshi.

Baek Cheon, who was watching the scene with a face like his soul was lost, heard a dejected voice in his ears.

“Is this… really fine?”

“…”

Baek Cheon covered his face with both hands and sobbed.

“Please…”

“Uh?”

“Please… can he not live a normal life? Uh?”

“… it is easier to give up, Sasuk.”

Tears flowed from Baek Cheon’s misty eyes.

Baek Cheon and Yoon Jong looked at Chung Myung with quite nervous expressions.

‘Does he seem fine?’

‘He looks fine on the outside, doesn’t he?’

They exchanged glances and checked again, but fortunately, Chung Myung seemed fine today. At least, on the outside, he seemed alright.

‘But it is too early to be at ease.’

Baek Cheon approached him cautiously. Suppressing his pounding heart, he called out.

“Chung Myung.”

Chung Myung smiled brightly and raised his head. Baek Cheon looked at him and asked in anger.

“Are you fine now?”

Chung Myung smiled even brighter.

“The treatment is done… Chung Myung?”

A brighter smile?

But that was all. Baek Cheon slowly lowered his gaze. Chung Myung’s hands were fluttering under his sleeve. When they looked closely, it seemed like he was holding something and pretending to write.

“Gul.”

“Yes, Sasuk.”

“… bring in paper and ink.”

“….”

Shh. Shhhhk.

He put a brush in his hand and laid the paper out. However, it seemed that his arm couldn’t be extended ahead. Only when Chung Myung brought the paper right in front of him did something appear.

[Voice isn’t coming out.]

“…”

[Can’t walk ahead.]

Baek Cheon’s eyelids twitched.

“Yah, this…”

Baek Cheon, who was looking for something to say, finally gave up and pulled back his head.

“Then how did you even come here, you bastard!”

Chung Myung smiled and scribbled on the paper again.

[Don’t worry. I’ll get well soon.]

Chung Myung put down the brush and suddenly got up. Then, he abruptly fell back with a smile on his face.

“Eikkkk!”

Baek Cheon was startled and extended his hand to catch him. However, as if this was all intentional, Chung Myung extended his hand behind his head to support his body, then moved away like a spider with his arms and legs raised in the same position.

Yoon Jong looked blankly at him as he quickly walked away and spoke in a weak voice.

“… isn’t he almost a monster now?”

Baek Cheon just covered his face with both hands without saying a word.