Chapter 448: Yeon's Heart (1)

Jo Yeon's life began in one of the territories of the Jo Clan, situated between Byeokra and the Northern Great Grasslands.

He was not born into the main family but rather a branch of a branch of the Jo Clan.

His father, who hadn't even reached the Qi Gathering stage, had spent a night with a slave woman captured from the East, and Jo Yeon was the result of that union.

However, something had gone wrong with the bloodline from one side or the other.

Jo Yeon was born with a hunched back.

Jo Yeon's father disliked him.

It seemed that he couldn't accept that such a deformed child was his own.

Before Jo Yeon had even been weaned, his father sold off his mother.

Afterward, his father intended to abandon Jo Yeon at some common mortal household, but as Jo Yeon was discovered to possess a spiritual root, his father had no choice but to raise him.

Jo Yeon grew up under his father's abuse.

Although Jo Yeon was born with a Three Elements Spiritual Root, which technically placed him in the True Spiritual Root category, the Jo Clan's prestige was at its peak at that time, and the number of True Spiritual Root holders in the clan was so abundant that they were overflowing.

Thus, Jo Yeon received no special treatment, and it was a miracle he survived the abuse and continued to grow.

However, when Jo Yeon turned 10 years old, things changed.

He escaped from his father's grasp.

One day, he dreamed of a giant bird trampling him, and on that very day, he awakened his Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.

Anyone who awakened an Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent, regardless of the spiritual root they possessed, had to be sent to the main family to be supervised.

Thanks to this, Jo Yeon was taken away from his abusive father and sent to the main house.

Jo Yeon had a thought.

That his life would get at least a bit better.

But he was mistaken.

His life only became more miserable.

A Seven-Colored Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.

The worst among all those who awakened the so-called Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.

Those who had not even a speck of talent but had hideous patterns appear on their faces when becoming excited, making them look grotesque.

These individuals were nothing more than trash, unable to do anything other than serve as breeding stock for the Jo Clan.

That is what the Seven-Pattern Law Talent holders were.

On top of that, Jo Yeon was born with a hunched back.

Naturally, he became a target for bullying by his peers.

Getting beaten up in some corner of the Jo Clan was the norm, and there was even a time when he was stripped naked and buried with only his face sticking out of the ground.

Whenever there was something delicious, it was either taken from him or he was forced to offer it up, and even the elders of the clan would frown in displeasure whenever they saw Jo Yeon.

Some of the more violent members of the clan would frequently kick him just because they were in a bad mood.

Jo Yeon spent half his childhood living as the Jo Clan's training dummy.

Getting beaten and ridiculed was part of his daily life.

Even so, Jo Yeon endured it.

After all, the Jo Clan was his family.

He held onto a simple dream of one day becoming an adult and finding his mother, who had been sold off, and living together with her.

Holding onto this simple dream, Jo Yeon endured.

And when Jo Yeon finally became an adult,

He heard shocking news.

"...What?"

"They said your father died, so go handle the funeral. Do you understand?"

At the sudden news of his father's death, Jo Yeon hastily returned to his hometown.

There, he was able to confirm with his own eyes that his father had indeed passed.

His father had reportedly died of mercury poisoning.

Apparently, during the refining of a magic artifact by a direct descendant of the Jo Clan in one of the territories, mercury was used in the refining process, and Jo Yeon's father was assigned to handle it.

This was because his father was the lowest ranked in cultivation.

As Jo Yeon conducted the funeral of his father who died of mercury poisoning, his heart became hollow.

'...My family...'

Though his father gave him nothing but bad memories, he had still been the only connection Jo Yeon had to the Jo Clan.

Feeling an inexplicable void, Jo Yeon attempted to organize his father's belongings.

But an absurd situation arose.

"Your father's belongings? Hmm...we burned them."

"..."

Starting at the direct descendant who had caused his father's death, Jo Yeon could only stare with his mouth open, unsure of what to say.

"Ahaha, sorry. I was testing a newly crafted magic artifact, you see. It was really a mistake. Sorry. Don't feel too bad. It really wasn't my intention. Instead, here...10 Building Emptiness Pills. Even excluding drug resistance, this can extend your lifespan by about 30 years, so this should be a fair compensation."

"...Thank you."

Jo Yeon didn't care much for his father's belongings.

However, his father's ledger contained information on where he had sold Jo Yeon's mother, the only clue he had to find her.

Jo Yeon had no choice but to hire some mortals to search for his mother, but they failed to find her.

With no other options, he focused solely on his cultivation.

Though the worst among the Extraordinary Patten Law Talent, as a cultivator, he wasn't entirely bad.

Jo Yeon swiftly reached Great Completion in the Qi Refining stage and rose to the Qi Building stage within twenty years.

Of course, reaching the Qi Building stage didn't mean much.

In smaller clans, reaching the Qi Building stage would warrant a position as an elder, but his clan was the Jo Clan.

As the continent's number one clan, the Jo Clan had so many cultivators at the Qi Building stage that one could trip over them on the ground. Jo Yeon had to be content with the slight elevation in status within the clan.

After reaching the Qi Building stage, Jo Yeon temporarily left the clan.

He claimed to wander the martial world to solidify his cultivation, but in truth, it was to properly search for his mother.

And after about five years of wandering, Jo Yeon finally succeeded in finding traces of his mother.

It was said that his mother had been sold off in a dispute involving a mortal martial clan, where she lived out the rest of her days.

Jo Yeon secretly entered the servants' graveyard of the martial clan and offered wine and a bow.

'...Where should I go now?'

For no reason, Jo Yeon felt himself becoming empty.

Of course, he would eventually have to return to the Jo Clan.

The Jo Clan allowed those with the Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent a period of 49 years to wander. If they didn't return within that time, the clan's Soul-Chasing Squad would come after them to capture and bring them back.

However, Jo Yeon felt as if his sense of belonging had disappeared.

He felt that no matter where he went, he wouldn't feel a sense of attachment.

It was as if he became a piece of duckweed, floating about on the vast ocean called the world.

It was when he was staring emptily at the sky.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before... For what reason did you enter the burial grounds of our Kangju Wol Clan?!"

A mortal scolded Jo Yeon.

Jo Yeon looked at him, chuckled, and said,

"There's nothing to know. Get lost, mortal. I'm not in a good mood right now..."

"You! How dare you enter the grounds of the main house and speak such insolence! It seems you are a family member of one of the servants here, but even family members need to inform the steward before entering this place. I've heard nothing from the steward, so how dare you disregard protocol and barge in here—"

Pebeong!

Jo Yeon, irritated by the man's noisy chatter, casted a basic spell toward the man's head to threaten him.

"Shut up. I told you I'm not in a good mood, you mortal. A small family like this, which doesn't even know of the existence of cultivators, can be destroyed right now without a second thought...this is your last warning. Get lost."

Jo Yeon didn't want to create unnecessary conflict, so he merely threatened the man. But that was the problem.

Clink!

Instead of backing down, the man's eyes gleamed with a burning desire to fight as he gripped his two short spears in both hands.

"Oh...so you're a distinguished guest! This Wol has failed to recognize the noble. I apologize. However, there are rules in a clan! If you wished to visit the burial grounds of the main house, you should have informed the steward first!"

"This bastard, to the end..."

Jo Yeon, floating several spells around him, glared at the man.

And then, for a brief moment, Jo Yeon flinched in surprise.

"Hmm, you have a spiritual root?"

The consciousness that flowed around the man suddenly condensed into a spherical form, similar to that of cultivators.

The man smirked and said,

"I don't know what that is, but I do know one thing. This is the realm called Five Energies Converging to the Origin!"

"Hah, a mortal's confidence...good. Let's give it a go! If you bore me, you'll pay the price for disturbing my mood!"

"Ha, you're quite arrogant. Just a few months ago, this body realized the essence of the spear! I am stronger than even the Number One Spear Under the Heavens!"

That day, Jo Yeon, at the early Qi Building stage, clashed with Wol Bi (月比), a reclusive martial master of Byeokra's martial world.

"Huuu...Hu..."

Jo Yeon, looking at his slowly healing wounds, glanced over at Wol Bi.

'I almost died.'

If Wol Bi hadn't fainted while standing, and had instead thrust his spear into Jo Yeon's head, what would have happened?

He would have surely died.

A Qi Building cultivator like him, dying to a mere mortal.

After waiting for all his wounds to heal, Jo Yeon approached Wol Bi, pried open his mouth, and crushed a medicinal pill for external wounds, placing the powder inside his mouth.

Not long after, Wol Bi regained consciousness.

"Ha, haha! I lost! Truly...I never expected there to be someone this strong."

"..."

Jo Yeon clicked his tongue as he looked at Wol Bi.

"In my clan, I'm an existence lower than a bug. Yet, you struggled against someone like me, and what. Stronger than the Number One Spear Under the Heavens? Ridiculous fool."

"Hahaha, Big Bro's clan must be truly terrifying. For there to be so many stronger than Big Bro..."

"You...do you not know anything about the cultivation world? And why am I your Big Bro?"

"Isn't it normal for men to address each other as brothers after exchanging blows? Ahaha!"

"..."

Jo Yeon clicked his tongue again as he looked at Wol Bi.

Strangely though, it didn't feel as bad and upsetting as when he was beaten by his own clan's brothers.

Instead, a rather refreshing feeling?

Before he knew it, Jo Yeon found himself unconsciously laughing along with Wol Bi.

"You, how about becoming my disciple?"

Jo Yeon, having never formed a relationship with anyone, proposed the best kind of human relationship he knew to Wol Bi.

But Wol Bi shook his head.

"Hmm, I'm sorry Big Bro, but I already have a master."

"..."

"But even if I can't become Big Bro's disciple, I can become your friend."

"Friend...?"

Jo Yeon was taken aback by the unfamiliar word.

Having never had a single friend since childhood, the word 'friend' felt all too strange.

But whether Jo Yeon found it strange or not, Wol Bi simply pushed forward.

"That's right, a friend. From today on, Big Bro and I are friends and brothers. Hahaha!"

"Wait, hold on..."

And so, Wol Bi became Jo Yeon's first friend.

Five years passed.

Jo Yeon spent the past five years working as a blacksmith for Wol Bi's family.

He made weapons for his best friend, Wol Bi, and also came to learn about the martial world.

The martial arts created by mortals to survive in their own way.

A world where those who practiced these martial arts competed to determine supremacy, different from the world of cultivators.

Although it was a much smaller world compared to the world of cultivation, Jo Yeon found beauty in that small world.

He came to understand the beauty of martial arts.

The disciplined movements.

The countless meanings of martial arts exchanged beyond them.

The extreme where those martial arts meanings manifest as the interaction of intent at the Pinnacle and Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, and beyond that, Five Energies Converging to the Origin.

All kinds of thrilling martial art realms...

For the first time in his life, Jo Yeon wanted to use all of his talent to create the best weapon for his friend who lived in this world of martial arts.

Thus, he lived as a blacksmith at the Wol Clan, forging and forging thousands and tens of thousands of weapons.

Wol Bi was always satisfied wielding the weapons he made.

Since Wol Bi could handle all sorts of weapons, not just the short spears, Jo Yeon also found enjoyment in crafting various weapons.

Whenever Jo Yeon made a weapon, Wol Bi would wield it, demonstrating martial arts that suited the weapon and explaining the meaning behind those martial arts.

"This Sacred Swallow Folding Crane martial move was created with the feeling of..."

"This Dignified Joint Restraining Technique is..."

"The Three Iron Canon martial art requires a strong rebounding force. And that rebounding force comes from..."

They were such enjoyable moments.

However, those enjoyable moments did not last long.

"What? Wandering the martial world?"

Just as Jo Yeon had left his home to wander, it seemed that something similar existed in the martial world as well.

"Yes, Hyung-nim. Now that I've completed my martial arts, don't I need a disciple? As I need to find someone to inherit my progress...please understand."

"Hm...I see."

Jo Yeon nodded.

"Since I was preparing to create a cultivation method based on the intent you taught me...it's actually good timing. Go ahead."

"Mm...I originally wanted to ask you to come with me..."

"Heh heh. That sounds good too, but parting for a while will also be good."

Jo Yeon smiled as he spoke.

He was excited at the thought of creating a cultivation method using intent to surprise Wol Bi.

"I'll head to my clan's territory for a while to make a cultivation method and prepare a gift for you, so you go build your reputation and come back."

"Haha, understood. If Hyung-nim says so...then, I'll also prepare a gift for Hyung-nim and meet you later. Until then!"

"Good!"

And so, the two parted ways.

Jo Yeon went to a nearby territory of his clan, referencing the clan's resources to create a cultivation method, and began crafting a weapon for Wol Bi.

It was a pair of short spears.

For Wol Bi, through Wol Bi, to be unfolded by Wol Bi.

Short spears made solely for his martial arts!

To create the perfect weapons, Jo Yeon secluded himself and worked on them for several years.

Ten years passed.

Jo Yeon finally completed the pair of short spears that best suited Wol Bi's martial art, the Paired Wings Spear Technique, and set out to gift them to him.

However, Jo Yeon had misjudged one thing.

It was that the sense of time for cultivators and mortals are entirely different.

For Jo Yeon, a cultivator in the Qi Building stage, ten years was merely 'just' a short time, but in the martial world, ten years was enough time for even mountains and rivers to change.

Having been abused, bullied, and ostracized since childhood, Jo Yeon had always lived keeping the doors to his heart closed.

Aside from Wol Bi, there was virtually no one Jo Yeon had properly opened up to. Thus, he completely failed to perceive that the sense of time for cultivators is completely different from that of mortals.

Other clan members at least interacted with others enough to be aware of the sense of time for mortals, but not Jo Yeon.

As he stared at the completely ruined Wol Clan, he dropped the spears he had been carrying in his embrace.

"This...what...?"

It was a tragedy born from the difference in the sense of time between cultivators and mortals.

Jo Yeon quickly inquired about the cause of the Wol Clan's downfall.

He soon learned the truth.

The Wol Clan had rapidly risen to prominence centered around Wol Bi, the Number One Spear Under the Heavens, but at the same time, they attracted the jealousy of countless others.

Furthermore, the Wol Clan was filled with the highest-grade weapons made by Jo Yeon. Coveting those weapons, the larger martial factions banded together and sought help from the cultivator clans.

It was the Jo Clan that had directly intervened, executing Wol Bi, and the Wol Clan was destroyed by the large martial sects.

Jo Yeon clutched his chest and wept bitterly.

"Why!? Why!? Why!!?? Even though you've never given me anything, why did you take my friend away from me!? Why!!??"

He wailed, looking at the heavens.

At the same time, these words were directed at the Jo Clan.

For several months, Jo Yeon lived like a recluse.

Then, after several more months, he regained his composure.

'I must take revenge.'

He couldn't take revenge on the Jo Clan.

Having 5 Heavenly Being, 29 Nascent Soul, and 160 Core Formation cultivators under its banner was the great faction known as the Jo Clan.

On top of that, even though he felt no affection for it, the Jo Clan was still his own.

Thus, Jo Yeon decided to target the martial sects that had requested the Jo Clan to annihilate the Wol Clan.

It might be difficult if they had someone at Five Energies Converging to the Origin, but since the martial sects only had one or two peak masters at Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, he was not scared at all.

Revenge was swiftly executed.

Jo Yeon petitioned the Jo Clan for the Sect Annihilation (滅門) of three large sects.

The reason he gave was that they had insulted him.

And the Jo family granted Jo Yeon, a Qi Building stage cultivator, permission for the Sect Annihilation of the three large martial sects.

To them, martial sects were nothing more than livestock.

Even though Jo Yeon was considered useless within the Jo Clan, he was still a human in their eyes.

For livestock to insult a human, regardless of their size or scale, annihilation was the only proper response.

Jo Yeon destroyed two of the sects, leaving a ten-day gap between each, and ten days later, he went to the last sect.

Huarururururu!

The signboard of the large martial sect, Qi Spear Pavilion, was engulfed in flames.

The entire pavilion was ablaze.

All the servants had fled, but those who practiced martial arts—especially those who wielded the weapons stolen from the Wol Clan—none of them escaped alive.

Standing at the topmost floor of the Qi Spear Pavilion, he faced the Pavilion Master who stayed behind to wait for him.

The Pavilion Master looked at Jo Yeon with empty eyes and spoke.

"...What wrong did our Qi Spear Pavilion commit, Elder Cultivator"

"..."

"We offered our tributes on time. So why...why are you exterminating us...?"

Jo Yeon did not respond.

Because this was simply an act of violence.

A senseless act of violence, where the stronger oppressed the weaker for no reason.

It was nothing more than violence to repay old grievances, a meaningless act.

Thus, Jo Yeon remained silent and prepared his spell.

The Pavilion Master raised his spear, ready to confront Jo Yeon.

Jo Yeon's spell flew toward him.

And, it was at that moment.

Kwagwagwang!

'Someone' appeared between the two of them.

'Someone' severed Jo Yeon's spell and, as if dancing, took a stance.

The moment Jo Yeon saw the 'someone's' movements, he had no choice but to freeze.

A woman, masked, wielding two short spears.

Her stance was shockingly similar to his friend Wol Bi's.

After glancing between Jo Yeon and the Pavilion Master, 'she' asked,

"Who is the Pavilion Master?"

The Pavilion Master, his face lighting up with hope, shouted,

"Reinforcements?! It's me! I am the master of Qi Spear Pavi—"

Pukwak!

Before he could even finish, the Pavilion Master's heart was pierced by 'her' Spear Gang, and died.

'She' spat out her words as if chewing on them.

"This is Master's revenge."

"You...you're...Wol Bi's...disciple..."

The Pavilion Master couldn't even finish his sentence before dying.

It was a futile death.

'She' laughed lightly, as if relieved, on the top floor of the burning pavilion.

"...Revenge...is completed...Master."

Then, Jo Yeon spoke as he looked at 'her.'

"You're Wol Bi's disciple?"

"...?"

Jo Yeon's hand trembled.

His friend who had died such an absurd death.

His trace now stood before him.

He, at that instant, on that day, recalled the moment he first met Wol Bi and prepared his spell.

Jo Yeon's eyes reddened.

"Fight me."

"...Who are you? And why should I...?"

"If you win!"

Dozens of spells floated around Jo Yeon.

Jo Yeon retrieved two short spears from his storage artifact and showed them to her.

"I will give you your master's spears!"

'She' quietly listened to Jo Yeon's words before silently assuming a stance.

Even through her mask, Jo Yeon could feel her fighting will.

The fighting will to claim her master's belongings, no matter what!

The next moment, the two of them collided on the top floor of the burning pavilion.

That was the first meeting of Jo Yeon's and 'her.'