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Chapter 36
Ten days had passed since his daughter and honorary nephew entered the Five Trials of Proper Sound
Despite his usual composure, Jegal Seon couldn’t help but express his anxiety. His legs bounced uncontrollably beneath the table until he abruptly stood up—then quickly sat back down after glancing around.
“……”
To his right, seated with refined grace and sipping tea in the garb of a humble inn attendant, was Eumhu, a young-looking girl who seemed utterly unfazed.
‘I want to check on Seolha’s condition. But...’
“……”
Jegal Seon couldn’t bring himself to voice the thought. He worried it might come off as nagging.
Despite her youthful appearance, Eumhu was a figure believed to be over a hundred years old—by seniority, she was practically a relic from two generations ago. More importantly, she was one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Martial World—someone not easily rushed.
“……”
His trembling legs spoke louder than words. Though he was the head of a prestigious clan and possessed a warrior’s physique, the quivering of his well-trained body reverberated across the wooden floor of the teahouse.
His eyes darted constantly to the entrance, then to Eumhu, then back again.
A silent outcry. A voiceless plea.
Finally, as the fragrant steam rose gently from her teacup, Eumhu sighed.
“Child of the Jegal clan. It’s only been ten days. At most, they’re probably just wandering through the first or maybe the second gate of the trial.”
The moment Eumhu finished speaking, Jegal Seon jumped in as though he had been waiting.
“But Lady Eumhu, Seolha, and Yang-hwi were thrown—no, entered the initiation ritual without even basic supplies! It’s been ten full days. Seolha doesn’t have the stamina to endure such a long trial!”
“That’s why I have sent young Baek along with her, didn’t I?”
“But Yang-hwi is still a child!”
“A child, yes—but one who saw through my hidden nature, something not even the young head of Jegal Clan could detect. Despite having no innate powers.”
“……”
Before Jegal Seon could argue further, Eumhu continued.
“If you’re worried about them starving, don’t be. We’ve allowed some wild beasts into the Five Trials’ grounds for them to hunt.”
“There’s no actual food in there?!”
What was meant to ease his mind only served to startle Jegal Seon even more.
“This is no time to be sitting around! The children might be starving to death as we speak!”
“A person can live over two weeks without eating even a single meal.”
“That’s based on adults! Seolha and Yang-hwi are just eight years old!”
“If they dream of becoming martial artists, they must learn to survive anywhere.”
With that, Eumhu took another leisurely sip of her tea, making it clear she had no intention of checking on them.
But Jegal Seon couldn’t just sit idle.
This was the longest he’d ever been apart from Jegal Seolha. More importantly, she was trapped inside a potentially unsafe mechanism-based trial. No father could rest easy knowing that.
Unable to bear it any longer, he stood up and bowed respectfully toward Eumhu.
“Lady Eumhu, I, Jegal Mo, humbly ask you this favor. Please, let me at least see them from afar—just enough to know they’re safe.”
“…Haah.”
Eumhu looked at him in silence, then sighed in resignation.
She knew the root of his persistence wasn’t distrust—it was fatherly love. That softened her heart.
“Child of the Jegal clan. I yield.”
Just as Jegal Seon’s face lit up in relief watching her stand—
“Hm? Already?”
“What is it, Lady Eumhu?”
Her eyes widened slightly—subtle, but enough to show a flicker of surprise and admiration.
A look that said: Well, would you look at that?
She sat back down.
“No need to go anywhere. Looks like they’ve already returned.”
A moment later, Jegal Seon understood what she meant.
As a seasoned warrior himself, he could sense the approaching presence of two familiar energies.
‘No way… already…!’
“Father!”
As Jegal Seolha burst through the inn’s doors, Jegal Seon launched into a full sprint using his martial technique and swept her into his arms.
“S-Seolha! How are you already—wait, more importantly, you’re speaking! And with such blooming internal energy!?”
“A lot happened! I love you, Father!”
* * *
Leisurely walking in through the inn’s doors a step behind the others, Yang-hwi gave a passing glance to the tearful reunion between the Jegal father and daughter before turning his gaze to Eumhu.
‘Ugh. Just thinking about how we were tossed in there out of nowhere makes me want to—!’
He wanted to ram straight into her—but Eumhu, even by his past life’s standards, was a master far beyond his reach.
‘Gotta manage my expression. If she sees through me, I’m done for.’
Yang-hwi performed a respectful martial bow toward Eumhu, masking his irritation behind a victorious smile—one befitting a boy who had just conquered a difficult trial.
“Master, I report that your disciple has safely passed through the Five Trials of Proper Sound.”
Eumhu regarded him silently for a moment before finally speaking.
“Unexpected. I assumed with you accompanying her, death was unlikely—but I expected it to take at least a month.”
“I’ll take that as praise for my remarkable talent, Master.”
“That may be true, but hearing it come from your mouth makes it feel oddly grating.”
Just then—
“Yang-hwi!”
Jegal Seon rushed forward and scooped Yang-hwi into a tight embrace.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. For helping Seolha, for calming her Peach Blossom Qi… I will never forget this debt.”
It seemed he’d been told that Yang-hwi had used Heavenly Harmony Art to temporarily suppress Jegal Seolha’s destabilizing energy.
“It was nothing, Uncle. It was only possible because of my clan’s martial traits. I didn’t do much at all.”
“No. For one so young, you’ve done something immense. I owe you a great debt.”
In just ten days, Jegal Seolha had changed so dramatically that it was hard to recall her former self.
While children do grow and change quickly, for Jegal Seon, it was like seeing his daughter smile brightly for the first time in years.
Grateful beyond words, he gave Yang-hwi one more rib-crushing squeeze before finally setting him down.
‘Ow, my ribs...’
As Yang-hwi rubbed his sore chest and coughed lightly—
“Well, I believe the reunion has been enjoyed quite thoroughly now?”
A weightless yet overwhelming aura slowly filled the inn’s interior.
Yang-hwi’s eyes instinctively followed the figure of Eumhu as she stepped toward the center of the room.
“Jegal Seolha. Baek Yang-hwi. Stand before me.”
Yang-hwi immediately dashed forward, and Seolha, snapping out of her father’s embrace, followed quickly behind.
“Direct disciple: Seolha of the Jegal clan. Outer disciple: Yang-hwi of the Baek clan.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Lady Eumhu.”
“I hereby declare that the two of you have passed the initiation rite of the Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Sect. Congratulations. You are now qualified to become my disciples.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Lady Eumhu!”
Tears of joy brimmed in Seolha’s eyes as she expressed her gratitude again and again. Yang-hwi, too, felt a deep sense of accomplishment.
‘I may only be an outer disciple and won’t get access to all the techniques… but still, being a disciple of one of the Ten Sovereigns of the Martial World will be a huge gain.’
What should he ask her to teach first? Probably not sound techniques—those were for direct disciples only. Maybe a movement technique?
Honestly, just having the right to call Eumhu his master was a tremendous benefit in itself.
In a way, it meant the Baek clan could now claim one of the Ten Sovereigns as their backing.
“Quiet. Now I ask you both—do you still wish to become my disciples?”
“Yes!”
“I wish for it with all my heart, Master!”
“Then both of you, perform the Nine-Bow Salute.”
Jegal Seolha and Yang-hwi quickly kneeled and bowed nine times.
“With this, the three of us are now bound in a master-disciple relationship stronger than blood. Let the heavens and earth bear witness.”
Eumhu’s gaze then turned toward Jegal Seon.
“Child of the Jegal clan. Father of my disciple. As of today, you will return home. From this point forward, Seolha will remain with me. She will be allowed to meet with members of the Jegal clan only once a year.”
It was a sudden farewell, but one they had agreed to beforehand.
Jegal Seon nodded solemnly, a stiff expression on his face.
“I shall obey the will of Master Eumhu.”
Watching the exchange, a thought suddenly crossed Yang-hwi’s mind.
If Jegal Seolha can only meet her family once a year… what about me?
‘If I’m in the same boat… that’s going to be very problematic.’
“Lady Eumhu—no, Master. May I ask… does the same once-a-year restriction apply to outer disciples returning to their clan as well?”
Eumhu nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Didn’t you say it yourself? That it’s a master’s duty to raise their disciple into an immortal.”
Karma, perhaps? The logic Yang-hwi had once used to persuade Eumhu was now circling back at him, leaving him without a retort.
‘Still… I’ve got too much to do back home. I can’t just be dragged off like this.’
If he didn’t know what the future held, he might have surrendered to the comfort of tutelage—but that wasn’t an option.
In just a few years, his mother would fall ill. He had to find a skilled physician and bring them in as a permanent guest. He also needed to write and regularly submit novels to the White Scroll Antique Bookstore.
‘Most importantly, I was planning to go fetch Chudal soon. I can’t let myself be tied down now.’
Of everything, retrieving Chudal had a strict window. If he missed the timing, there was no telling when—or if—he’d be able to find him again.
Yang-hwi wet his lips and looked at Eumhu.
“Master, what would you say to this suggestion?”
“Hm? Baek Young Master?”
“Yes, Master.”
Eumhu looked at him with a subtle, knowing smile.
“Trying to sway me again with that silver tongue? Go on, let’s hear it.”
“……”
Well, not much to say when she puts it that way.
Still, no matter how he weighed the options, sticking with his clan would be more advantageous in the long run than being dragged around by Eumhu.
So maybe… he should just drop the whole disciple thing?
‘Wait. That’s not a bad idea.’
As Yang-hwi grinned slyly, Eumhu suddenly felt a twinge of unease.
And that premonition proved true.
“Master. No—Lady Eumhu.”
The title shifted, from master back to her name.
“I have a question. As an outer disciple of the Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Sect, what kind of teachings will I actually receive?”
Even Eumhu, a martial artist who had attained a state beyond ordinary comprehension, couldn’t completely hide her reaction this time.
The implication in Yang-hwi’s question was far too obvious.
“So, you’re asking me to prove I’m worthy of being your master?”
“A mere child like me would never dare. I’m just… asking.”
Not disciple—but child. He’d said it with courtesy, but the message beneath was crystal clear.
In the end, Eumhu couldn’t help but laugh.
“One of the Ten Sovereigns of the Martial World, Heaven-Breaking Sound Queen, is me. And yet you ask me to prove my worthiness? Ahaha! Do you truly think you’re qualified to pose such a question?”
Watching the laughter still dancing on Eumhu’s face, Yang-hwi grinned again.
“Yes. After all, my talent was enough for one of the Ten Sovereigns, Heaven-Breaking Sound Queen, to take me in as an outer disciple on the spot, wasn’t it?”
“Aha… Ahahahaha!”
The inn rang with her clear, infectious laughter.
Then, her aura began to pulse with power, and the room shook as though an earthquake had struck.
And just as suddenly—the tremors stopped.
“I can’t refute your words. Fine, then. Let’s do this.”
Eumhu took a step forward.
Yet, she remained exactly where she was.
In other words—now there were two of her.
“Transformation Art.”
Jegal Seon shouted in utter shock, his voice nearly cracking.
Shifting one’s form and trading places. Dividing one’s presence to manifest multiple forms.
That was Transformation Art—a mystical art so advanced it was said that those who mastered the highest state of the techniques could manifest up to nine copies of themselves.
This was not a technique just any martial artist could pull off. It was a divine skill—one only someone who had transcended the very limits of martial arts could wield.
And yet, Eumhu summoned it as naturally as breathing.
“Baek Young Master, I offer you a proposal.”
She took another step forward.
Now there were three of her.
Each of the three Eumhus smiled in perfect sync.
“If you become my disciple, you will learn the secret movement art of Transformation Art—‘A Thousand Miles in a Single Step.’ What say you?”
“……”
The air in the room practically assumed Yang-hwi’s answer already.
So did everyone else watching.
It was only natural.
What Eumhu had just shown was a divine technique no martial artist could witness without being awed.
And yet…
Instead of kneeling or accepting her offer on the spot, Yang-hwi calmly closed his eyes.
‘A single step, yet a thousand.’
He had just witnessed a realm that transcended human limits.
A divine technique that commanded reverence and awe.
It was overwhelming. Unreachable—for now.
But still…
‘A single step as vast as a thousand.’
And then, Yang-hwi opened his eyes—and took one step forward.
“……!”
Eumhu’s eyes widened in astonishment.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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