"Are you curious?"

Churyeong pursed her lips tightly, staring at Seo-jun.

A slight smirk crept up on his face.

"It’s nothing special. I just felt a bit sorry, I guess. In a way, it's fate."

They met by chance, went through incidents together by chance, gained power by chance, and reunited by chance.

Though Seo-jun didn’t believe in destiny, he knew how to cherish the connections that had formed. Once a bond was established, regardless of its nature, it was something that couldn’t easily be undone.

"It’s nothing, really, right?"

"...Right."

Churyeong let out a weak smile, one Seo-jun hadn’t seen from her before. She then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke as if reciting poetry.

"It may have been nothing to you, but to me, it was everything. If it weren't for this bond, I would have lived and died as a lowly courtesan, never meeting you. By chance, our fates intertwined, and for me, that was a miracle. This is fate too, isn’t it?"

She smiled brightly. Seo-jun chuckled softly as he looked down at her.

"Now that I see you, you would've done just fine as a courtesan, reciting poetry or singing songs."

"I’d probably be dead before that could happen."

"Maybe. But it’s something that won’t happen now, so it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?"

Stretching his back, Seo-jun noticed Chun-bong glaring at him with an annoyed expression, which made him smile despite himself.

‘Yes, it’s all fate.’

One of the most precious bonds connected to him stood there.

After thoroughly training the courtesans until they were covered in dust and dirt, Seo-jun helped them settle into their new quarters and returned to the training hall.

The battle with the Gajugwi had been an overwhelming victory, but it left him with more to ponder than any fight before.

Honwon Ilwolji and Hoshingong.

Those two techniques aside, there was one crucial concern weighing on his mind.

‘When yang energy and yin energy collide, they explode. Is that really true?’

It was strange when he thought about it.

If that were the case, then whenever a martial artist who wielded yang energy fought one who wielded yin energy, neither would be able to guarantee their survival. If a practitioner of Yeolyangjigong faced one of Eumhanejigong and they both decided to self-destruct, the resulting power could easily surpass their usual limits.

But honestly, it wasn’t something he particularly cared about.

After all, he was using his techniques just fine.

However, there was one reason he couldn’t just brush it off.

‘Chun-bong could be in danger.’

Back when he gave her the elixir and used Yin-Yang Reversal to heal her blocked meridians—what if the yin and yang energy inside her had collided and exploded?

“Huuu…”

Seo-jun exhaled, closing his eyes.

Light flickered beyond his eyelids.

He began walking, following the faint glow of the setting sun.

Soon, a shadow fell over his eyelids.

He opened his eyes.

A wall loomed in front of him, blocking his path.

He placed his hand on the wall.

A solid stone wall. With his current strength, it wouldn’t be difficult to break through it.

Thud! Thud!

But no matter how hard he pounded it with his fists, the wall didn’t budge.

Staring blankly at his bloodied hands, Seo-jun looked down at his fists.

Blood dripped from his knuckles, staining his clothes as he wiped it away. He absentmindedly looked up at the sky.

“What is this…”

With his bloodied hand pressed against the wall, Seo-jun began walking along it.

A line of blood trailed after him, marking his path.

Eventually, he reached a door at the end of the wall and stepped through the threshold.

"There we go."

Staggering like a drunk, he enveloped his hands in yin energy.

Cold wind swirled around his palms, freezing the air.

Recalling the tree he had passed earlier, he turned back and stood before it.

Knock knock.

Tapping it gently, the tree turned a ghostly white, encased in frost.

"How cold…"

With a pale smile, Seo-jun leaped to the top of the tree using the Hwangryong Doha technique.

The view from the top wasn’t anything new.

The setting sun, the reddening sky, and the rising moon.

The moonlight glistened off the frozen tree. Seo-jun rubbed a leaf with the warmth from his fingertips.

Whoosh!

All the leaves melted and fell from the tree.

As he watched them fall, Seo-jun let out a sigh. But just as he was about to turn away, a small green shoot sprouted at the base of the tree.

"Ah, yang energy!"

Delighted, Seo-jun jumped down from the tree and danced with joy.

Winter passes, spring comes, and then winter returns again.

The cycle of yin and yang—that is the true meaning of the Taegeuk.

"Ah, how fleeting life is!"

Seo-jun cried out, lamenting the transience of life.

Tears streaming down his face, he tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.

The moon, now fully risen, gazed down upon him.

He reached out his hand.

But his fingertips never touched the moon.

The martial world, this cruel, unfeeling world.

The moon in the sky hadn’t changed, but everything around him had transformed beyond recognition.

“This too… is fate.”

His outstretched hand remained empty as the moonlight faded into the night.

“…Hey!”

A faint voice stirred him awake.

“Hey! Snap out of it! What are you doing here!?”

Chun-bong? Startled, Seo-jun jumped to his feet to find Chun-bong standing over him with a concerned expression.

“Are you… okay?” “Huh? What do you mean?”

Seo-jun stood up, brushing off the dirt clinging to his clothes.

“Oh, blood.”

The dried blood on his knuckles had turned brown. Seo-jun sighed and shook his head.

“Did I drink last night?” “No.”

Chun-bong stepped closer, her face serious.

“Are you sure you’re not losing it?” “No? I’m perfectly fine.” “Well, that’s a relief…”

Chun-bong sighed as she scanned Seo-jun’s body from head to toe.

“If anything happens, you better tell me, got it?” “So you can help?” “Of course. Whatever it takes.”

Hearing her say that so earnestly made him feel a bit embarrassed.

“You, you little rascal…! You’re so damn sweet!”

Seo-jun lifted Chun-bong up and placed her on his shoulders like a child. For some reason, she didn’t protest and stayed calm.

“…Just for today, I’ll let you do this.” “What!? A free day to carry Geum Chun-bong on my shoulders!?” “You bastard… You’re faking it, aren’t you, you jerk!?” “Ahhh! Not the hair!”

Seo-jun desperately protected his hair from Chun-bong’s grasp.

“Would you really like it if oppa went bald?” “Hmm… I’ve always wanted to smack a bald head. It’d be fun, I think.” “…I’ll find you a bald head to smack later. Just don’t shave mine.”

Geum Chun-bong, you’re a scary girl…!

Returning to his room to wash up, Seo-jun looked down at his bloodied knuckles.

“Hm.”

The vague memories of the previous night lingered.

What bothered him the most was the elusive realization that hovered just out of reach, like a mirage in the distance.

Had that been the end of it, he might’ve just cursed his luck and moved on. But there was one comforting realization that made him feel better.

"At least Chun-bong won’t blow up."

It wasn’t as simple as yin and yang meeting and causing an explosion.

The explosion occurred because the balance between yin and yang failed, and the energy became too concentrated.

To put it simply—it’s like heating water in a confined space.

As the water turns to steam, its volume increases dramatically, and the container can’t handle the pressure.

In that case?

Boom!

He had perfected Honwon Ilwolji.

“Hm.”

Feeling a sudden impulse, Seo-jun enveloped his hand in the energy of Hwangun Singong.

“Huh?”

The golden energy flickered more intensely than usual.

Seo-jun stared at it in wonder, then dashed out of his room.

“Geum Chun-bong! Look at this!” “Huh? What are you—pfft!”

Chun-bong jumped in surprise.

“Hey! Hey! You crazy bastard! Your clothes! You’re not wearing any clothes, idiot!” “That’s not important right now!” “There’s nothing more important than that, you lunatic!” “Look at this!”

Seo-jun extended his hand.

Chun-bong, after an initial glance downward, quickly jerked her gaze upward.

“W-what am I supposed to look at!?” “It’s gotten stronger! Is this Kanggi?” “That’s not Kanggi!” “What? Really?” “No, now get back inside! What if someone sees you like this…?”

Suddenly, Chun-bong turned her head.

“…Oh my.”

Churyeong covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide.

“At that level… Oh my….”

She quickly disappeared after blushing and rubbing her bellybutton with her fingers.

“That, that perverted woman!”

Chun-bong turned bright red and jumped up and down in place.

Why is she so angry? I’m the one who was exposed.

“Alright, I’m going back inside.”

So, it wasn’t Kanggi after all. Too bad.

After finishing his bath and getting beaten up by Chun-bong for no apparent reason, Seo-jun stared intently at the strengthened energy in his hand.

“Did I just gain some insight into the Taegeuk?”

“Seems… like it.”

For some reason, Chun-bong slapped her own cheek and shook her head in frustration.

She couldn't let this go.

“Wait, why did you slap my cheek?” “What are you talking about? I slapped mine.” “Your cheeks are mine!”

“…Idiot.”

Chun-bong sighed, extending her hand.

“Kanggi isn’t that simple. Have you heard of Geomgiseonggang?” “Uh… roughly?” “It means ‘the sword’s energy forms a star.’” “A star? Is that some poetic phrase?” “No, it’s literal.”

Chun-bong’s eyes drifted as if she were recalling a distant memory.

“…I once saw my father’s Geomgang. That’s when I realized—the ultimate realm is when you engrave your own star into your energy.”