"Ah, Yakseon-nim. Please...."
Kang Museong stood in front of the clinic, now reduced to chaos, and said with a sigh.
"Clean this up."
"You said working at Seongmu Academy was easy, Sage."
"I thought so too."
While the senior warriors took care of the children, Yakseon and Heo Un chewed medicinal herbs as they recalled Lee Seoha.
"He's a strange one."
Lee Gangjin's grandson.
In the eyes of that boy, only fifteen years old, it seemed as though there were years he himself had never experienced.
That was why he tested him.
By asking whether he would become his disciple.
"How do you know about the Life-and-Death Acupuncture, boy?"
Life-and-Death Acupuncture (生死鍼術).
A technique that could save or kill a person with a single needle.
Yet Yakseon had never once revealed the name of this acupuncture.
It was only known that the Heo family possessed an extraordinary acupuncture art, and that Yakseon used it to perform miracles.
But the moment this boy heard the name Life-and-Death Acupuncture, his attitude changed.
As if he knew it was a secret, inherited martial art.
'It could be that he simply wanted to learn acupuncture....'
But if that were the case, he would have been delighted from the moment he was accepted as a disciple.
"He's an odd one."
He did not dislike those with outstanding talent.
But if someone intended to use that talent to satisfy their own ambitions, it had to be stopped beforehand.
Yakseon decided to observe Seoha closely to see what kind of person he was.
If he proved to be good, he would teach him the Life-and-Death Acupuncture.
If he turned out to be evil, then he would seal his dantian.
Because he was too exceptional.
Lee Seoha must not become a villain.
"So you lamented that your sons were lacking."
To think your two grandsons would become monsters.
No, were they monsters from birth?
"Truly a golden generation."
Muttering that, Yakseon continued writing the medical text that Seoha had read before his regression.
A day is far too short.
That was the thought after a single lesson with Yakseon-nim.
The secret manual Yakseon-nim gave me contained the most basic of basics in acupuncture: the meridian points.
"Memorize all of these points by tomorrow."
"By tomorrow?"
"If you have talent, shouldn't you be able to do at least that much?"
"..."
I already know the meridian points.
Before my regression, I didn't socialize, and my only friends were Jonsoon and books.
But this text contained hundreds of points I didn't know.
For example, the palm has a total of seventy-five meridian points.
Yet this book listed exactly one hundred eighty-three points.
"Master. Normally, there are seventy-five points on the hand, aren't there? But this book seems to have far more."
"Of course. If it were the same as everyone else's, would it be a family's secret martial art? These are additional points discovered independently. As you said, the core points are seventy-five, but the additional points found by the Yangcheon family produce beneficial or harmful effects when stimulated together with the core points. You must know all of them to begin the Life-and-Death Acupuncture."
"I see."
Don't worry.
I'm confident in my memory.
Still, even so, there are too many.
Over a hundred additional points just on the palm. If this extends to the entire body, there would be over a thousand more.
All in one day...
"Do you want to give up even now?"
"Never. Once a master, always a master, isn't that right?"
I have to learn it.
If I can use the Life-and-Death Acupuncture, I'll be able to save more people.
How many times had I stood helplessly, watching comrades die because I didn't know medicine?
Compared to that, memorizing meridian points was nothing.
"Then I'll memorize everything."
If I have to memorize this while mastering the Nakwol Sword Art, training the Single Sword Style, and looking after Sanghyeok and Arin too...
"I'll just sleep less!"
In this life, I'll sleep when I'm dead.
While I immersed myself in training, sleeping less than two shijin a day, spring passed and summer arrived.
August, filled with fragrant flowers and blazing sunlight.
Vacation was approaching.
Which meant the time of Arin's rampage incident was drawing near.
The training grounds, shimmering with heat haze, were as crowded with students as ever.
The boys trained shirtless, showing off their meager muscles, while the girls practiced in shorts and sleeveless tops.
As I rested briefly atop a pavilion, looking down at the students, Arin approached.
"What are you looking at?"
"The kids training. They're all working hard."
Among them were several I would need to guide once Arin's issue was resolved.
So I had to assess their skills properly from now on, to give instruction at the correct level.
Before that, though, I hoped Arin and Sanghyeok would complete the Shinro Mind Method.
Only now was their training in Cheonro (闡路) nearing completion, and reaching Gangro would still take quite some time.
Wait a moment! It's only been three months, and they're finishing Cheonro?
These talent monsters.
I suddenly feel sad.
Then Arin spoke beside me.
"By the way, Seoha. What are you doing during vacation?"
"Oh, I'm planning to go to your house."
Arin blinked her big eyes.
Was that too sudden?
I quickly explained.
"We have to keep training. Sanghyeok has some leeway, but you don't. You need to finish the Shinro Mind Method as soon as possible."
"Yeah. That's right. Let's do that."
Arin accepted happily, her face bright.
Honestly, even if she'd looked uncomfortable, I was planning to force my way in anyway.
In any case, if she was this happy to invite me, I was grateful.
"Then let's go together during vacation. I'll head back to training."
After Arin left, Sanghyeok, who had been watching from behind, spoke up.
"Then what about me?"
"You go to Cheongsin and train with your grandfather. It'll be a good experience."
"Without you?"
"It can't be helped. I have to go to Arin's place."
"So friendship loses to love, huh. But my friendship supports your love, my friend."
He seemed to be seriously misunderstanding something, but I couldn't tell him the truth, so I decided to gloss over it.
"I'm not interested in dating. I'm a committed bachelor."
"Don't toy with Arin. Are you trying to make every man in the academy your enemy?"
"Every man? Not just the freshmen?"
"Of course. I hear the second- and third-years are all waiting for next semester's festival."
"Oh? How do you know that?"
"The second-year noona told me."
"Ah..."
Sanghyeok was handsome too.
So I'm the only squid.
Father, I'm sorry. I turned into a squid with your face.
"Take good care of her. Before weird guys start hanging around."
"I will."
So that she doesn't go out of control this time.
Sanghyeok smiled and headed back down to the training grounds.
The moment of decisive confrontation was truly approaching.
Yoo Arin tied a letter to a messenger pigeon and sent it off.
"He'll allow it, right?"
She murmured anxiously, biting her lower lip as if nervous.
"He acknowledged it."
Her father had always drawn a line, telling her not to get any closer to the children she had grown close to.
Yet when he met with the Sage, he told him to take good care of Seoha.
That was essentially permission to be friends.
"It'll be fine."
The messenger pigeon she sent returned the very next day with a reply.
She received it while training the Yin-Yang Harmonization Divine Art with Yakseon-nim.
The letter contained only two characters.
– Disallowed (不許)
Arin had never once gone against her father's will, nor had she ever argued back.
When her father spoke, she obeyed without question, and had lived that way until now.
So this time, too, she had no choice but to give up.
But she didn't like it.
"He's my friend..."
Don't friends visit each other's homes?
And was Seoha just a friend?
He had accepted her yin energy and even saved her life.
But she couldn't think of what to write in reply.
'What should I do?'
Seeing his disciple looking distressed, Yakseon spoke.
"What's wrong? You don't look well."
"Yakseon-nim."
After hesitating briefly, Arin spoke.
"Well..."
She explained the situation and asked for advice.
Yakseon tilted his head and said,
"Why does that boy want to go to your house?"
"He's helping with my training. He said he'd help even during vacation because he's worried about me..."
"Hm. Is that all?"
"Yes."
When Arin nodded, Yakseon let out a small laugh.
'He doesn't seem like a bad one, but.'
He had yet to see inside that sly fellow's head.
With the eyes of someone in his seventies, reading the thoughts of a fifteen-year-old should have been easy.
"Did he say he'd go first?"
"Yes, he suggested it first."
"Hm."
It felt like he might be able to see what the boy was really thinking through this opportunity.
'There's only one thing I've confirmed about him.'
He never does pointless things.
Seoha was a classic hard worker.
To be honest, that surprised him.
Because his talent wasn't that outstanding.
Geniuses always skipped two or three steps at a time.
The saying that one taught them one thing and they understood ten wasn't for nothing.
Having seen countless geniuses, Yakseon was certain that Seoha was not one of them.
But he had a different kind of talent.
Diligence and detachment.
Fifteen years old.
At an age before adulthood, seeing other children advance ahead of you would naturally make you impatient.
That was the weakness of geniuses.
They climb too fast, and fail to take everything with them.
They only move forward.
But Seoha was different.
Slowly, without missing a single thing.
Yet never resting, he climbed each step one by one.
That was diligence and detachment.
Why do geniuses collapse?
Isn't it because they grow impatient, envying those more talented or already at the top?
In that sense, Seoha had talent.
Because the final victor is always someone like Seoha.
'And such a boy wants to go to Arin's house during vacation, when he could train comfortably? There must be a reason....'
There was definitely another reason.
Certain of that, Yakseon opened his mouth.
"Then I'll allow it."
"What?"
Arin blinked her big eyes.
"What do you mean...?"
"I mean I'll ask them to take in my disciple. Seoha is my prized disciple, after all. Let's see."
Yakseon quickly scribbled a letter.
– I am sending my disciple. Take good care of him until I arrive. Yakseon Heo Un. –
After stamping it with his seal, Yakseon handed the letter to Arin.
"This should be enough. If he has any sense, he won't dare turn him away. Enjoy yourselves until I arrive."
Arin read the letter and quickly nodded.
"Thank you, Yakseon-nim."
"No need to thank me. This is what I want as well."
If he learned why Seoha was following Arin this time, he would be able to clearly discern the boy's nature.
And then it would be one of two things.
'Either there's another monster in Cheongsin, or....'
A hero had been born.
The open space in front of the dormitory.
The children, having packed their belongings to take home, were excited for vacation.
This place, praised as the finest academy sought by warriors, was no different from hell.
Even more so than I had expected.
Or was it because I caused an unusually large number of incidents?
In any case, as everyone basked in the joy of vacation, Kang Museong spoke.
"When vacation ends, the Seongmu Tournament begins immediately. Those who intend to win, do not rest and keep training. I wish you all a safe return. That's all."
The Seongmu Tournament (星武對戰).
It was one of Seongmu Academy's annual events.
Each grade competed in a knockout format, and the winner would attend a royal banquet and be granted a wish.
Past wishes included royal weapons, official positions, and territories—so long as one wasn't overly greedy, almost any wish could be granted.
In any case, that was something to think about only after surviving vacation safely.
After the closing ceremony ended, I went with Arin to board the carriage.
"They said it'll be fine if we bring this. Yakseon-nim did."
– I am sending my disciple. Take good care of him until I arrive. Yakseon Heo Un. –
The letter was forceful, but I'd planned to push my way in anyway, so it didn't matter.
At least with this, persuading Arin's father would be easier.
And so, I headed toward Hwagang (花鋼).