Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Growth

"A duel, you say?"

Jeong-un's eyes widened at those unexpected words.

The man before him was clearly at least five or six years older than himself.

The very fact that he was requesting a duel was quite surprising.

Yang Se-ok nodded and spoke.

"As you are no doubt aware, young hero, martial families like ours may strive to send many of our members to the Heavenly Martial Hall, but we do not send direct blood relatives. It is different from sects where master and disciple are closely bound."

"......"

Jeong-un nodded at this, recalling Peng Mu-gyeol of the Hebei Peng Clan whom he had met before.

He too seemed to desire the Heavenly Martial Hall, if only slightly.

But as a direct bloodline member and the young clan leader, he hadn't even taken the entrance exam.

Instead, he had sent no small number of collateral relatives to the Heavenly Martial Hall.

Thinking back, among the renowned martial artists from the great martial families within the Heavenly Martial Hall, direct blood relatives were rare.

In Tang Yerin's case, she was a direct line, but even the Tang Clan's young leader did not take the exam to enter.

'... Namgung Jihwa, was it?'

The young lady he had greeted once—she too was a direct descendant, but it seemed the young leader of the Namgung clan had not joined the Heavenly Martial Hall.

He still remembered how striking it was to see her always accompanied by a collateral retainer.

In contrast, the old sects and their disciples showed no such hesitation in sending their people.

Hadn't Yong So-myeong, the Wudang sect's chief disciple, entered the Hall the same year as Jeong-un?

Even that one case showed just how differently the martial clans and the sects regarded the Hall.

Yang Se-ok continued.

"That's why some who venerate the five great families and other martial clans claim that the Heavenly Martial Hall is missing its most select candidates. But even so, how can one speak of the best rising stars without including the Hall's members? Just by how often your name is spoken by martial artists everywhere, young hero Yu, we can tell."

"My name..."

"You wouldn't deny it, would you?"

Yang Se-ok asked with a smile, though the question didn't seem to seek an answer.

"So, I implore you. Please allow me to witness a taste of Young Hero Yu's martial arts."

"... Very well."

As Jeong-un nodded, Yang Se-ok's face immediately brightened.

He truly looked as if he had obtained an incredibly precious opportunity.

'It's hard to refuse.'

Originally, Jeong-un intended to return to his room and cultivate his internal energy.

Since he planned to set off early the next morning, he needed time to introspect and examine his body.

But, faced with such an earnest and sincere request, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

So, the two of them moved to the central garden of the residence.

Without any onlookers, they stood alone, facing each other.

It was the time of sunset.

The sun hung at a slant on a not-so-tall mountain, and on the other side of the sky, the faint moon had already begun to rise.

"I know that your martial arts, young hero Yu, are on a whole other level compared to mine. I have heard much about your duel with Light-Flowing Sword."

It was a voice as if he had already accepted his defeat. But Jeong-un didn't nod.

The sharp gleam in Yang Se-ok's eyes was too bright for that.

No martial artist who had truly trained would assume defeat even before a fight.

Jeong-un asked,

"Do you know Cheon Hwi?"

"Of course. The Light-Flowing Sword was also one of the rising stars who knew nothing of defeat. But to face the very swordsman who bested someone like him—my heart can't help but race."

"You flatter me."

With that, they assumed their starting stances. The distance between them was already appropriate.

Yang Se-ok spoke with a grim face.

"Please do not go easy on me."

Jeong-un silently nodded.

Even if those words hadn't been spoken, he wouldn't have considered holding back.

That would be a grave discourtesy for any martial artist.

Of course, it wasn't as if he intended to go all out as in a fight to the death.

'Perhaps I'll just exchange a single slash lightly.'

Thinking so, Jeong-un reached for the sword guard.

The cool feel of the black sword against his palm was a pleasant sensation.

The determination in Yang Se-ok's eyes mirrored that feeling.

The moment their gazes met,

The duel began.

Chakang! Kudangtang!

Yang Se-ok lost his sword and rolled several times across the ground.

"......."

"......."

Truly, it had been just a single exchange.

* * *

Jeong-un returned to his room.

He had already packed everything to depart. There wasn't much to carry anyway.

Yang Se-ok had tried to hand over various things as reward for a favor received, but Jeong-un had refused them all.

For Jeong-un, things like silks or silver coins would have been nothing but baggage.

He already had enough silver from the Heavenly Martial Hall for travel expenses.

Staying at the White Stone Teahouse, all his daily necessities were provided—he hadn't needed to spend money at all.

Above all, Jeong-un was never greedy for amassing wealth.

It wasn't as if he intended to settle somewhere and establish a sect.

With no specific aim, worldly rewards felt empty to him.

"......"

Jeong-un gazed quietly at the wooden box he'd left on his bedding.

He didn't know which craftsman had made it, but not a trace of the immense energy inside leaked out.

It looked like a mere ordinary box.

He stepped closer and opened it.

Click.

At once, a tremendous wave of energy asserted its presence.

The Human-shaped Ginseng, though not very large, looked incredibly precious just from its appearance.

Any martial artist would instantly covet it at the sight.

'There's no other way.'

He hadn't told Yang Se-ok about the ginseng—not because he distrusted him, but because it was obvious he wouldn't know how to handle such a thing anyway.

If word spread that such an item was in Kaifeng, what would happen was all too predictable—he himself had seen thousands of martial artists swarm to Yangyang just on a rumor that the Divine Physician's tomb was there.

"......"

Staring quietly at the Human-shaped Ginseng for a moment, Jeong-un murmured,

"I'll take it myself."

No other solution came to mind. It wasn't that he hadn't considered this from the start.

But what made him hesitate was the fact that it was a treasure accumulated through the oppression of commoners by that scoundrel.

He was unsure if he, himself, had the right to take it.

'... On the other hand, I can't exactly carry it around with me.'

That would be the riskiest choice.

More than anything, he was heading for somewhere that would attract massive crowds.

Carrying such an item there would surely invite disaster.

There was no other way.

He had to take it into his own body.

Resolving himself, Jeong-un picked up the Human-shaped Ginseng and raised it to his mouth.

"......"

A foreign texture, along with an intensely fragrant scent, swirled in his mouth.

It was an indescribable sensation he'd never experienced before—and, most likely, never would again.

Soon, a powerful energy spread from the area around his solar plexus throughout his entire body.

Unlike the chilly feeling he'd noticed when holding the box, the energy flowing into his body was warm.

Jeong-un immediately raised his true ki in his dantian and guided it through his meridians, savoring the energy spreading through his body at the same time.

The ginseng's energy, as if it had been waiting, was drawn into his true ki and began surging through the meridians together.

'Incredible.'

The amount was far beyond what he'd expected.

It truly was befitting of a legendary spiritual herb—a storm ceaselessly raged within his body.

Even so, Jeong-un's expression remained serene.

Even though his internal energy surged violently, his meridians were no longer so weak as to be damaged.

All those years of cultivation had granted them remarkable durability and resilience.

He was more than ready for this much.

But that wasn't the problem.

'... Wait.'

While circulating the ginseng's energy through his meridians, absorbing it as his own—

It touched the unfamiliar internal energy that had been lying dormant in his dantian.

"...!"

As if it had been waiting, all that slumbering internal energy was drawn out at once and merged in.

It was hard to believe this was the energy that had so stubbornly refused to move before—nor could he fathom how so much ki had been quietly stored within his dantian.

Jeong-un's expression twisted.

'Th-this is too much...'

Sitting cross-legged, Jeong-un's bedding began to tremble faintly.

Soon, colorless energy surged up from below, lifting even his hair.

He couldn't properly control the surging energy that filled him in an instant.

It spilled out, causing ripples through the air.

'Calm down. You can do it.'

Any ordinary martial artist would have lost consciousness under such overwhelming force, unable to control the energy.

But Jeong-un possessed both naturally forged resilient meridians and extraordinary patience honed by daily mental training.

Above all, he was no longer the weak child who'd spent years locked away in a room—he would not collapse and give up from just this much of a crisis.

Whooong—

So he focused, drawing in the energy.

The method wasn't difficult; his innate sense guided him.

Had he not always excelled at gathering and storing energy?

As an indeterminate length of time passed,

His breath gradually steadied without him even realizing it.

The swirling waves of true ki around his seated form also calmed.

He inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

Opening his eyes,

"... This..."

His body had changed.

It wasn't as if he had been completely remade or transformed into someone new.

Yet Jeong-un felt he had achieved an ability even greater than that.

Not only had he fully absorbed the Human-shaped Ginseng's energy, but he had completely taken in all the unfamiliar internal power that had resided in his dantian as well.

He had perfectly converted it into his own true ki.

What he'd struggled to convert day by day was now accomplished in a single swoop, rendering all that effort nearly meaningless.

His meridians, having withstood the flow of overwhelming energy, were now even more solid.

His twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians had gained truly incredible durability.

Once again, Jeong-un exhaled deeply and raised his energy.

His now-immense internal energy circulated through his meridians as lightly as a feather.

His sharpened senses told him, ceaselessly, that he had reached a domain unrecognizable compared to before.

Jeong-un slowly clenched and unclenched his fist.

As he did, he recalled a moment he'd let pass.

The enemy who had called himself the Ming Cult leader.

The moment when, despite giving his all, Jeong-un's sword could not sever that man's neck.

Sssh.

Unconsciously, Jeong-un brushed his hand over his empty waist—a motion as if grasping his sword guard.

'If it were now...'

The youth had taken a great step forward.

* * *

A chilly air swirled through the blue-tinged dawn.

If one did not possess cultivated martial power, it was a season to tighten one's collar.

Though hours remained until business opened, there were already quite a few people lined up inside the front gate of the White Stone Teahouse.

They were members of the Yang Clan, including Yang Se-ok.

"......"

Jeong-un, leaving his quarters and passing through the central garden, stopped at the sight.

'This is a bit much...'

Hadn't he requested that his activities here remain secret?

Looking at this, he wondered if they really intended to keep that promise.

Still, he resumed his steps and approached slowly.

"Ah, young hero Yu! We were waiting, thinking you'd set out early...!"

Upon spotting Yu Jeong-un, Yang Se-ok started to call out, then paused.

Mouth still half-open, he simply stared, stunned.

As Jeong-un approached, he spoke.

"I never expected such a send-off."

"Ah, no, it's just..."

Yang Se-ok seemed at a loss for words, simply staring wide-eyed at Jeong-un.

'How could this be, in just one day...?'

No, not even a day—he had only just sparred with Jeong-un the previous evening.

Barely half a day had passed.

'And yet...'

The boy was gone.

Yu Jeong-un was now unquestionably a young man.

"Handsome" was hardly enough to describe him.

His appearance hadn't changed that much.

Still, the atmosphere he gave off was utterly different.

The meticulously gathered energy surrounding him was so refined it gave off an almost mysterious aura.

At last, Yang Se-ok muttered blankly.

"It seems... something about you has changed."

"Ah, I had a minor enlightenment last night."

At that, Yang Se-ok's eyes grew even wider.

"From our duel, you mean?"

"...?"