No one knew how long it would take for Chun-bong to heal her blocked meridians on her own.

The only certainty was that it would take at least a few months. Chun-bong needed a safe place to stay during her seclusion.

Finding a location wasn’t difficult. One call to my father-in-law, and I secured a building from the Namgung family, specifically designed for seclusion training.

It was a sturdy stone structure. On top of that, a finely crafted array fortified its safety, directing the flow of qi around the building, enriching the qi within.

“Wow, this is nice.”

Inside, I found a small stream flowing through the room. Drinking water.

In the corner, several large jars stood, filled to the brim with wall-breaking pills.

Nodding in satisfaction, I tapped the floor.

“Come here and sit.”

Chun-bong walked over and sat down. She looked at me for a moment before speaking.

“Oppa, take it easy. Be careful, okay? Don’t keep throwing yourself into dangerous situations. Promise?”

“What am I, a kid?”

“I told you before, you’re even more reckless than a kid.”

She sighed softly and closed her eyes.

“I’m ready.”

“Alright.”

I sat behind Chun-bong and took out the elixirs: snake inner cores, Azure Pill, and inner cores from the monster outbreak.

‘Will this all fit in one bite?’

After some thought, I split it up and swallowed it in parts.

As the various energies began to swirl inside me, they clashed and threatened to explode. I wrapped them with my mixed energy, merging them and dropping a single drop of Hunwonqi at the center to stabilize.

The ownerless energies yielded to that faint qi. I commanded them to transform into Yang energy.

The swirling, chaotic energies settled into pure Yang energy, blazing with heat.

‘The Qingyun Divine Qi is fundamentally Yin.’

But just because it was Yang didn’t mean it wasn’t Qingyun Qi. For Chun-bong to handle it, it needed to be in the form of Qingyun Qi.

I refined the pure Yang energy into Qingyun Qi.

“I’m starting.”

“Okay… Oppa.”

My chest tightened. I sniffled, laying my hand on her back.

Using the Absorbing Soul Technique in reverse, I transferred the Yang energy stored within me to Chun-bong.

“Hmm…”

She moaned slightly, feeling the strange sensation, and drew in the energy using the refined Qingyun Divine Art.

The vast energy flowed into her. It took a considerable amount of time, and as I passed the energy to her, I examined her interior.

Deep within, a massive, cold Yin energy intertwined with her essence.

My mind gazed upon it. It was like a giant iceberg.

As much as I wanted to shatter it instantly, doing so would destroy Chun-bong’s psyche.

That would mean mental death, which is no different from actual death.

‘This sucks.’

I glared at the iceberg and reached out.

The moment my hand touched it, my fingertips froze. Clicking my tongue, I used the Absorbing Soul Technique to draw a tiny amount of energy.

Then, I immediately released it and analyzed it.

‘Yin energy. Specifically, with an extremely cold nature.’

Definitely from the ice technique school.

‘It reeks of evil. Most likely from the Black Lotus Sect. At least one of those who attacked the Golden Sword Sect used Black Lotus martial arts.’

Having passed all the energy to Chun-bong, I opened my eyes.

Thin ice had formed around Chun-bong’s body.

Crack— As I lifted my hand, the frost on the spot where my hand had been crumbled, only for fresh ice to spread over it again.

I sat there, watching her.

An hour, two hours… Time passed, and eventually, the ice covering Chun-bong grew thick, encasing her entirely.

“Damn…”

I clicked my tongue and stood up. Rage boiled within me, focusing into a single point against the unknown enemy.

‘I’ve identified the energy.’

When I encounter someone with similar qi, I’ll recognize it instantly.

And that person will not leave alive.

Without a word, I left the building.

 

Outside, Namgung Sua was waiting.

She had already said her goodbyes to Chun-bong. She approached cautiously, observing my expression.

“Don’t worry too much. If it’s Geum, she’ll be back before you know it.”

“…Yeah.”

With a resolute look, she hugged me gently, comfortingly.

I took a deep breath, feeling a distant warmth.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Let me know if you need anything.”

After a brief conversation, I parted ways with her.

My feelings were mixed. I wanted to be alone, so I climbed to the highest visible spot.

The moon in the sky. I looked up at it, and then at the surrounding stars.

‘Could I bring it down?’

The lofty sky looked down on me, aloof. Today, I threw my fist towards it in frustration.

Rumble─────!!!

The heavens paid no mind to a mortal’s outburst. Only an innocent cloud was torn apart.

Clenching my teeth, I glared up at the sky.

‘It’s not enough.’

Not nearly enough to reach the heavens.

To avenge Chun-bong, I needed more strength. To crush those filthy bastards.

Without a word, I turned away.

 

After that day, I kept myself busy.

First, I visited the Grand Overseer and collected my reward. I took everything in cash instead of elixirs, and adding the reward for stopping the monster outbreak, it was a hefty sum.

I saved the money for Chun-bong’s future cheek maintenance fund.

Sometimes, I trained with Namgung Jincheon, refining my martial arts.

Occasionally, I helped the Grand Overseer handle Namgung family affairs, and during my breaks, I chatted with Namgung Sua about various things.

After about a month, everyone in Anhui knew the name Jingi Jaecheon.

In the shadows, people had another name for me: Gwanghyeolgwaema, the Mad Blood Demon. Those who saw me often quit their crimes out of sheer terror.

They said the Mad Blood Demon relished killing, viewing human lives as less than bugs, and with Namgung family manpower stretched thin, crime rates plummeted.

And now, the Mad Blood Demon was lying on the ground, whining.

“Hey, noona! Isn’t ‘Mad Blood Demon’ a bit much? Couldn’t they have picked a name with some class?”

“Hehe, it just means people fear you that much. The Grand Overseer seemed thrilled about it.”

Namgung Sua, who had been worried about my unstable condition and stuck by my side daily, had become very close.

The Namgung family was now another home for me, and Namgung Sua, a dear sister.

“The Overseer needs to take it easy. He’s going to work himself to death at this rate.”

“What can you do? He doesn’t listen when you try to stop him.”

“Ugh.”

I stood up, and Sua smiled at me.

“Training?”

“Yeah.”

“Good luck.”

She hugged me as usual and patted my back.

“If you’re struggling, you can come to my room at night.”

“Well, uh, noona, that’s…”

“What? I could sing you a lullaby to help you rest. You weren’t thinking anything strange, were you?”

I looked at her sly smile, and then—pinch!

“Hmm.”

“Eek?”

I gave her a light pinch on the cheek and patted her shoulder.

“Do you sleep well at night? You might get brittle bones if you don’t rest.”

“I-I’m not doing anything strange!”

“Hmm.”

“Seriously, I’m not!”

Her eyes darted, unsettled, and then she pouted.

“Maybe I’m too used to this. I think it’s time for some fresh excitement.”

“Excitement?”

“Do you know what comes after Mount Tai’s Pressing?”

“Horizontal Cloud and Army?”

“Correct. Clever boys deserve rewards.”

Namgung Sua tugged at the neckline of her outfit, and I flinched.

With a sudden movement, she rushed over and pulled my head close.

“Yap! Horizontal Cloud.”

Indeed… Horizontal Cloud. The valley that could crush a thousand troops.

From there, I saw the path to the Sage’s Road.

I didn’t think I could withstand the next strike if it was connected.

“Hah…!”

Breaking free, I quickly backed away.

“Noona, please! Have some decorum!”

“Hehe, you’ll be my brother-in-law soon, so what’s the big deal?”

“What?”

A tactical retreat.

Defeating a Supreme Martial Artist with just the Three Calamities Swordplay, Sua was indeed a worthy member of the Namgung family.

“You’ll see!”

And with that, I ran.

It was training time. There was still much to refine in my martial arts.

 

“This damn world,” said Jang Geuk, leader of the Green Forest bandits.

“It’s full of fools worse off than us.”

He was proud. Even as a bandit who preyed on others, he had no shame.

He had become a bandit to survive, and when he gained power, he learned compassion.

Though a hideout of fools, it was his family.

Other Green Forest bandits? They didn’t matter.

For him, only this hideout was the true Green Forest.

“In such a world, opportunity has come. I’ve grabbed hold, and together we’ll rise to the heavens.”

He raised his blade, his aura spreading across the mountain. He grinned wickedly.

“Let’s go! The Black Lotus Sect awaits. Once we join them, our lives will change!”

Jang Geuk knew he was at his limit. They could be crushed by martial masters at any moment.

Reaching the Flower Realm was the only solution, but he knew it was impossible.

The boundaries of his martial art, Ghostly Demon Art, were clear. It was a miracle he had reached Supreme Master level.

Going further required inventing a whole new path, a task for Grandmasters.

Jang Geuk knew he wasn’t capable of that.

So, he planned to join the Black Lotus Sect, earn merit, and receive a martial art.

Then, with the Flower Realm achieved, the Green Forest would be free.

He raised his blade to the sky.

“Green Forest rises, shaking the wilds!”

The bandits responded.

“Green Forest rises, shaking the wilds!”

The mountain trembled beneath Jang Geuk’s aura, shaking as if it feared him.

Boom!

The tremor ceased, and silence returned. Jang Geuk shouted.

“Let’s go!”

“Yeahhh!”

The war had begun.