Thanks to Yakseon personally taking care of me, I was able to throw off the blankets and get out of bed in just a week.
Looks like Life-and-Death Acupuncture really can bring back the dead.
I should study it seriously.
Even after a week had passed, the city was still shrouded in grief.
Arin and I headed to the funeral grounds first thing.
When we arrived at the cemetery, the names engraved on the tombstones were painfully familiar, making my chest feel heavy.
Oh Junbeom and Lee Jihyun.
The graves of the squad leader and vice squad leader.
Casualties had been inevitable in that incident.
I had prepared myself for it.
So that my heart wouldn't waver no matter who died.
But the death of someone close is something you never truly get used to.
Arin spoke quietly beside me.
"If I hadn't been here, these people wouldn't have died, right?"
"It's not because of you. That Rakshasa killed them. You didn't kill anyone."
Words like that probably wouldn't comfort her.
After all, it was true that the Rakshasa had targeted Arin, and people had died trying to stop it.
At that moment, someone spoke up.
"Miss."
It was Jeong Doyun.
They said he hadn't left the patrol members' graves even once since the battle ended.
Perhaps it was a sense of responsibility as the captain.
Jeong Doyun noticed me and bowed deeply.
"I'm relieved that you're safe, Young Master."
"Captain, what's with the sudden formality?"
"Thank you for protecting Hwagang."
Jeong Doyun looked at me with eyes full of respect.
"You are our benefactor."
"Stop it, you're giving me goosebumps. Geez. You should've treated me well from the start. You've changed completely."
When I joked back, Jeong Doyun smiled awkwardly and lowered his head.
"Someday, I will repay this debt. I'll take my leave now."
As Jeong Doyun walked away, Arin said to me,
"Want to go see the sea?"
It was the place we had promised to visit together when I first arrived.
Long, upright black rocks formed shapes like flowers.
Hwagang.
The black flowers that had once shattered in the war against the Rakshasa were now radiating a majestic presence.
Arin walked quietly along the shore before speaking.
"They say I'm a Rakshasa. I thought I was just someone with a strange constitution, but I guess that's not it."
I didn't answer.
She probably already knew the answer herself.
"Dad was right. I shouldn't make friends."
She suddenly ran ahead of me, met my eyes, and said,
"So I won't be friends with you anymore."
"Why?"
"Because you're kind. That's why you came all this way for me, right? It's okay. I'm used to living alone. And I made up with Dad, too."
"So why do you get to decide that on your own?"
Arin looked up at me.
"I have no intention of cutting ties with you. Even if you say you don't want me around, I'll keep following you. I need you."
Arin's power is necessary.
Silver-Blood Heavenly Demon.
From now on, Arin has to become my right-hand ally.
If she can just control her power, it's no different from holding an unbeatable trump card.
"I'll make sure you don't lose your reason even if you go berserk. So don't worry—stay with me."
As soon as I said that, tears spilled from Arin's eyes.
No one had ever seen her as normal, so Arin had been isolated all this time.
Eating meals.
Talking with parents.
Making friends.
What is a tedious daily routine for some is an unattainable dream for others.
"Please. I really need you."
"…Yeah. I'll never leave you."
Arin smiled brightly.
Wait, that's too stimulating.
My heart still hasn't fully recovered.
Embarrassed, I lifted my head and looked out at the sea.
Hwagang, which had once been destroyed before my regression, was still displaying its magnificent form.
The greatest crisis had passed, but several problems still remained.
Even if not in the immediate future, the Silver Moon Group would continue to target Arin.
Before that happened, Arin needed to gain complete control over her power.
And I had already devised a plan.
I hadn't spent three days at the signal fire tower just idly gathering inner energy.
While wracking my brain day after day trying to solve Arin's berserk issue, one clever idea had come to me.
With Yu Hyeonseong and Arin present, I explained the plan.
"I think I can solve Arin's problem."
"How? Is there a way to control yin energy?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"We approach it from a different angle. The Immovable Mind Technique."
At my words, Arin asked,
"The Immovable Mind Technique?"
"It's something monks on the continent practice. Unlike other cultivation methods that focus on understanding inner energy or opening the body's meridians, this one is solely about controlling the mind. The goal of the Immovable Mind Technique is to maintain a heart that never deviates from its standard, no matter the situation."
"Then even if yin energy goes berserk…"
"You'll never lose your reason."
An immovable mind means fixing your heart to a single standard.
Monks use the teachings of a sage as their standard, but in truth, the standard can be anything.
At one point, I had considered learning the Immovable Mind Technique myself.
But I ultimately gave up.
Because I couldn't find a standard.
What should I use as my 기준?
Peace for all?
The safety of family?
Power? Fame?
None of them were suitable as an absolute standard.
The only truth I'd realized after living so long:
Humans are imperfect beings and can never know an absolute standard of good.
But Arin was different.
No matter what standard she chose, it would be better than losing herself to slaughter in a berserk state.
"If that happens, Arin will become an unmatched master whom no one can touch."
When Arin's yin energy goes berserk, she is nothing short of a walking catastrophe.
But if she can maintain her composure?
Then she'll only be a catastrophe to her enemies.
"This makes sense. The Immovable Mind Technique… I remember seeing it in a report."
Yu Hyeonseong nodded.
"I was too fixated on one side. I was obsessed with controlling yin energy alone."
If you can't control yin energy, then don't control it.
Rather than hiding a weapon, it's more efficient to learn how to wield it.
"But do you know the training method?"
"Yes, I do. I can't say how I know, but…"
"That's fine. I know you're not the type to spout nonsense. I'm counting on you."
"I wrote down the training method yesterday."
I handed over the bamboo scroll.
For now, I had written only the most basic meditation techniques and the fundamentals of the Immovable Mind Technique.
Even just this would take years to master.
I turned my gaze to Arin.
"It's simple, but it requires a lot of effort. Though I don't think diligence is something we need to worry about."
"Yeah. I'll work hard. So I can be useful to you."
"Arin, could you bring some more tea?"
"Yes, Father."
Arin suddenly went out to fetch tea, and I spoke to Yu Hyeonseong.
"Do you have something you want to say?"
"…How do you get close to Arin?"
"Huh?"
"No matter how much I ask her to go out, she says she needs to train and refuses. But I heard she went out with you yesterday. How do you do it?"
Was he joking?
No—he looked too earnest for that.
In that case, I'd give him some sincere advice.
"Think about it, sir. How many conversations have you had with her until now?"
"Once a day, maybe? Sometimes not even that."
"Then what would you think if someone who barely talked to you suddenly acted friendly?"
"…I'd wonder why they're pretending to be close."
"Exactly."
"…."
"Why are you pretending to be close?"
Shock spread across his face.
This is karma. Pure karma.
No matter if they're blood-related or if he confessed before death, awkwardness doesn't just disappear.
"Then what should I do?"
"Start by eating together."
"Eating?"
"Do you know what Arin likes to eat?"
"…She eats everything."
"No. She has favorites. Start with small things like that. Share what you like and talk."
Just as I finished giving my heartfelt advice, Arin came back and set down the tea.
Yu Hyeonseong glanced at me, and I nodded.
"Um, Arin…"
"Yes, Father?"
"Shall we eat out tonight? See the townspeople a bit…"
"I think I should train tonight. I need to master the Immovable Mind Technique as soon as possible."
"R-right! That's right. Of course… I see."
Looking embarrassed, Yu Hyeonseong couldn't bring himself to say anything more.
After pacing around for a bit, he cleared his throat and left.
"Then do your best in training."
"Yes, Father."
It seemed it would still take quite some time for that father and daughter to grow closer.
Rain was falling outside the study.
Lee Juwon held out his hand to the rain and said,
"Nergal lost. Burned to death in an extremely bright flame."
The Teacher stared up at the sky with a grave expression.
Nergal had fallen.
A piece that should never have been broken had been shattered.
"Did Yu Hyeonseong kill him? I don't think he has that level of skill."
"It wasn't Yu Hyeonseong. That kid killed him."
"Lee Seoha?"
"That's right."
The Teacher looked at Lee Juwon as if asking whether that was even possible, but Lee Juwon merely shrugged.
"He was wrapped in golden flames, fighting like a war god."
"…I didn't expect the failure of the Baekdu Sword Ghost to spiral like this."
If he'd known, he should have sent Nergal to Lee Seoha from the start.
But what was done was done.
"We need to revise the plan. If we can't secure Yu Arin, the operation will be compromised."
"Then we'll need someone to replace Yu Arin."
"Replacement is impossible."
A berserk Yu Arin displayed power even greater than that of an ordinary Rakshasa.
There was no one who could fully replace her.
"We'll have to keep trying."
"If we move right now, it'll cause chaos. There must already be traces left since we've failed once."
"Not now."
The Teacher bit his nails before speaking.
"Let's proceed with another plan first."
"The next plan?"
"It's time to start gathering the Rakshasas."
It was time to begin wearing down humanity's strength.
Cheongsin.
Returning to the main house after a long time, it was as plain as ever.
I taught Arin the basic training method for the Immovable Mind Technique.
She's a smart kid—she'll be able to train the basics on her own.
Honestly, there wasn't much for me to teach.
The Immovable Mind Technique is something one must practice alone.
"Am I going to get scolded?"
There was only one week of vacation left.
With just a week remaining, I couldn't really complain even if I got scolded for coming back.
"I wonder if Sanghyeok is doing well."
Since Sanghyeok couldn't return to Unseong, he decided to spend his vacation in Cheongsin.
After all, he was learning the One Sword Style and was a warrior sponsored by Cheongsin, so providing him with a dormitory at Cheongsin Academy wasn't difficult.
As I headed toward the inner quarters where my grandfather was, I noticed Lee Junha training in the practice yard.
"Oh…"
That was genuinely surprising.
Even after entering the martial division, Lee Junha had still had a potbelly. But the Junha I saw today had transformed into a decent physique in just six months.
More than that, the person training with him looked familiar too.
Who was it again?
At that moment, Lee Junha and his friend noticed me.
"Lee Seoha…!"
Lee Junha frowned upon seeing me, but the man training with him hurried over and bowed.
"Young Master. It's been a while."
"Young Master? Oh! Kim Yongho. From the Seongmu Academy entrance exam."
"Yes. Thanks to you, I was able to enter Cheongsin."
"Hey! I'm a Young Master too, so why are you only being polite to him?"
When Lee Junha complained, Kim Yongho smirked at him.
"You're weaker than me, so what are you talking about? In Cheongsin, power is authority. You're a Young Master and don't even know that?"
"Wow…"
"Anyway, Young Master Seoha. I'll serve you with the loyalty of a dog or horse."
"I'd appreciate that. Keep up the good work. And you too, Junha. You've lost a lot of weight. Still weaker than Yongho, though—you've got a long way to go."
"You bastard…"
Lee Junha spoke roughly, but he couldn't hide the fear in his eyes.
I patted Junha on the head and headed toward the inner quarters.
Perhaps because he remembered what happened before, Junha couldn't say a word and just trembled.
That's what you get. If you'd behaved properly before, I would've taught you martial arts and treated you well.
When I arrived at the inner training yard, my grandfather noticed me mid-training and broke into a wide smile.
"My boy is here! Hahaha!"
He tossed me high into the air and caught me.
That's how you die from a fall.
Without letting me speak, he boomed,
"I heard you killed a Rakshasa in Hwagang. Defeating a Rakshasa at your age! Hahahahaha!"
"Well, it was while he was missing an arm and had holes in his stomach."
"But still a Rakshasa, wasn't he? You'll be the first warrior to kill a Rakshasa at fifteen."
A win is a win.
I'll take the praise.
"By the way, where is my friend Sanghyeok? He said he'd be at Cheongsin."
"He went back."
"Back where? To the academy?"
"No. He left the day before yesterday, saying he'd stop by Unseong briefly."
"I hope he doesn't get beaten up. You allowed it?"
"I tried to stop him, but he was determined. He's an Unseong kid, after all. He must have his reasons. Come inside. Sangwon! Seoha is here."
My father came out of the apothecary and smiled when he saw me.
"You're back. Are you feeling alright?"
"Yakseon took care of me."
"Hahaha, then there's nothing for me to check. You might even be healthier than before."
"Of course. I came back even healthier."
My father smiled bitterly, placed a hand on my shoulder, and said,
"I'm really glad you're safe."
I could imagine how he must have reacted when he heard I killed a Rakshasa.
My grandfather, purely delighted.
My father, shocked and asking whether I was alive.
That was the difference between the two.
I smiled and said,
"I'm back."
And just like that, my first vacation came to an end.