MC: Yeon Mu Hwi (Ma Bi Gwang)
Age: 8
[1 — The Quiet Courtyard]
Behind the storage building, hidden behind tall bamboo and an old stone wall,
was a small, quiet courtyard.
No servants came here.
No family members wandered past.
No distractions.
Just silence.
Perfect.
Mu Hwi sat on the cool stone floor, the three martial manuals laid neatly before him.
He inhaled deeply.
MC (thought):
Five months.
That's all I have.
I must make every breath count.
He opened the first manual—
Iron Flow Breathing.
At a glance, it was simple. Ordinary.
But to him…
MC (thought):
This is my own theory.
Just incomplete… lacking the deeper cycle.
Hong Gi, you truly tried…
He placed his palm on the page and closed his eyes.
[2 — Restoring the True Form]
His mind, sharpened by seventy years in his past life, pieced together the missing threads instantly.
The fractured meridian lines
The half-written breathing patterns
The missing reversals in qi flow
The broken transitions
In his head, he rearranged every detail…
…and the original Heaven–Earth Indestructible Vessel resurfaced.
MC (whisper):
"…Found it."
He did the same with the next manual.
River Palm → Limitless Ten Thousand Form Hands
Low Stance Footwork → Flowing Void Step
Hong Gi's "basic manuals" were like broken pieces of his masterpieces—
but Mu Hwi knew exactly how to restore them.
[3 — First Test: Breathing Art]
He stood up.
His heart thumped nervously.
He inhaled—
slow, deep, steady.
MC (thought):
Heaven…
Earth…
Merge the breath…
Let qi circulate gently…
His meridians tingled—
a soft warmth running through him.
For the first time since reincarnation…
martial cultivation flowed.
He smiled.
MC:
"…It works."
[4 — Testing the Palm Art]
He opened his stance and tested the reconstructed Limitless Ten Thousand Form Hands.
Soft movement—
Hard strike—
Flowing transition—
Internal vibration—
Even at 1% power, the air rippled around his palm.
His body trembled from the shock.
MC:
"Hah… even reduced, this is dangerous."
He almost felt proud of his past self.
[5 — Testing the Movement Art]
Then came the hardest part:
Flowing Void Step.
A movement art requiring:
perfect balance
absolute control
strong stabilizing muscles
qi-assisted footwork
His young legs were not ready.
But Mu Hwi still tried.
He inhaled.
His foot slid forward—smoothly, silently.
He pushed qi into his muscles—
Another step—
Another—
And then—
WHOOSH—
The world tilted.
His body twisted in mid-step—
And he collapsed.
[6 — Passing Out]
The courtyard spun wildly.
His tiny body couldn't withstand the strain of technique designed for adults—
or rather, for someone with a trained martial body.
MC (weak thought):
Ah… right…
This body… is only eight…
His consciousness faded.
The last thing he felt was the cold stone beneath his cheek.
He passed out instantly.
[7 — Waking Up in Pain]
When he finally woke, the sun had moved across the sky.
He tried to sit up—
MC:
"…A—ARGH!"
A sharp pain shot through every bone and muscle.
He clenched his teeth.
MC:
"My body… hurts like hell…"
He lay there, staring at the sky, unable to move even a finger without agony.
Then, slowly…
He began to laugh.
A dry, painful, breathless laugh.
MC:
"…HAHA… Ow—Ow ow ow—HAHA…"
"…Maybe I should… focus on training my body first…"
He wasn't mocking himself.
He was excited.
This pain meant he was alive.
This pain meant he could grow.
This pain meant he was finally on the path.
[8 — Sister Appears]
Footsteps approached.
Light, energetic…
familiar.
Su Rin peeked around the bamboo, holding a food tray.
Su Rin:
"Oppaaaa—Mom asked me to bring—"
She stopped.
Her eyes grew large.
Su Rin:
"…Oppa? Why are you lying on the ground like a dead frog?"
Mu Hwi stared at her without moving.
MC:
"…I can't move."
Su Rin:
"Huh?! Did you fall? Did you fight a tree? Did a squirrel attack you?!"
MC:
"…I trained too hard."
Su Rin broke into a huge grin.
Su Rin:
"PFFT—HAHAHAHA!!"
"You?! Trained too hard?!"
She put the food tray down and squatted beside him.
Su Rin:
"You look like a worm that can't wiggle."
MC:
"…Your sympathy is overwhelming."
Su Rin:
"Hehehe~ Should I get Mother?"
MC (eyes widening):
"No—NO. Absolutely not."
Su Rin smirked mischievously.
Su Rin:
"Oho~ You're desperate."
MC:
"…Just help me sit up."
She tugged his arm, struggling dramatically.
Su Rin:
"You're heavy! Oppa, did martial arts make you fat already?!"
MC:
"…Su Rin. Stop talking."
Su Rin:
"Hahaha!"
Her laughter echoed across the courtyard.
END OF CHAPTER 4