Chapter 70
Chapter 70
It felt like cold water had been splashed on me, instantly sobering me up. I wasn't even drunk, but my mind cleared in a flash.
The unbelievable sight left my mouth agape.
The force that had blown the door off its hinges was Dang Jung's Inner Energy, creating a flow of Qi. He had become the eye of the storm.
Wasn't the saying that peak experts were walking natural disasters just an exaggeration? How could a typhoon suddenly erupt while drinking?
I dodged the flying furniture, glancing sideways at Dang Jung.
He was grinning, baring his fangs.
His sparkling eyes were dyed with blue Inner Energy, shining brightly and full of life. His cheeks were rosy, and his excitement was palpable.
"Eek!"
I screamed, dodging a flying bottle, and Dang Geunmyeong pulled me back.
"Don't disturb him. He has attained enlightenment."
I know, but…
The pavilion roof just flew off! I'm about to fly away with it!
"Ah, Uncle! Please hold onto me!"
I clung to Dang Geunmyeong like a life raft and crawled out of the pavilion.
The sight outside the pavilion was even more terrifying. A dragon tornado soared, tiles flew, and dark blue Inner Force flashed like lightning.
"At this rate, the pavilion will collapse."
"It will collapse. We'll have to do some repairs for the first time in a while," Dang Geunmyeong replied as if it were obvious.
Are you doing the repairs yourself? Hire some workers.
I rubbed my goosebump-covered arms, watching Dang Jung wreck the pavilion.
If he gets enlightenment twice, the entire Tang Clan manor will be blown away.
I'm glad Grandpa is on my side.
Imagine if Dang Jung was some Demonic Sect bishop Villain Role. The novel protagonist and I would both have our life difficulty doubled.
Meanwhile, Ju-ryeong silently appeared and climbed onto my body.
"Kkuluruk."
"Ju-ryeong, why are you here instead of napping?"
"Kkuluk. Kkyuu."
"What are you saying? Did you come because you sensed Grandpa's Qi?"
Ju-ryeong nodded at my question. It seemed he had woken up from his nap, startled by the enormous Qi.
I patted Ju-ryeong, who was burrowing into my sleeve, seemingly frightened, and looked up at the dragon tornado, which was beginning to shrink. The wind was gradually dying down.
Thump, thud! Bang!
The furniture that had been flying in the air lost its power and fell to the ground with a loud crash. I stepped back, avoiding the debris flying in all directions.
"Eek. Ack. Oh, that was expensive. What a waste."
With just one of those bookshelves, I could stay at an inn for three months. It's neatly split in half.
When the wind completely stopped, the pavilion's pillars, which had barely been holding on, slowly tilted. The roof tiles slid to one side and collapsed, and dust settled down.
Rumble!
I coughed in the thick dust, fanning the air. A figure emerged from the dense dust.
Dang Jung had a more refreshed look on his face than ever before. His skin, which was already as clear as jade, was glowing, and his eyes were sharp.
His hair, which had been tied up tightly, was now loose and swaying around his waist. It seemed the hair tie had been blown away by the wind.
He tossed his long hair and smiled brightly.
"Ahaha, I've found the clue. I've found the clue!"
"Congratulations," Dang Geunmyeong said, clasping his hands in salute, creating a scene as if the Demonic Sect leader had finished his seclusion.
Uncle, we're the Orthodox Faction.
I blinked with a bewildered expression, but Dang Jung didn't seem to notice my expression.
"This pretty thing. This clever thing. Where did something like this roll in from?"
He picked me up and spun me around. I matched the excited Grandpa's energy and smiled weakly.
"Wow…"
"How did you think of that? Huh? How did you think of that? Tell me again. So-hye, what do you think the flow is?"
"Well, I don't know…"
"Riding the flow. Why couldn't this old man think of that? It's so clear."
I stared at the cloudless sky with lifeless eyes.
…I don't think I'll ever adapt to the Martial Arts World.
\ \ \
Dang Jung, excited, immediately grabbed a brush and ink and went into one of the annexes of my detached residence, not coming out. He skipped meals and repeatedly wrote something down, then tore it up.
Whenever a pile of messed-up paper came out in front of the door, Dang Geunmyeong would collect the discarded paper and bring new paper.
Judging by the fact that the light didn't go out even at night, he seemed to be organizing his thoughts day and night.
"Grandpa, are you okay? You haven't eaten for four days. I think you should eat something."
"It's something the Elder will take care of himself. You do your own thing."
When I grabbed Dang Geunmyeong and asked, he looked at me with a bewildered expression, as if he had heard something strange. He didn't seem to understand my concern.
It was a natural reaction. A master who could blow away a pavilion with Inner Energy wouldn't have anything happen to him just because he skipped a few meals.
But just because you're okay without eating doesn't mean you're not hungry. You have to eat well to think well.
I hovered in front of the door where he was, repeatedly reaching for the doorknob and then withdrawing my hand.
Should I call him to eat now?
…No. He'll probably hate it if I interrupt the flow.
But it's been four days. He should at least drink some water.
Should I call him? Should I wait a little longer?
Perhaps sensing my troubled expression, Dang Jung, who was flipping through the papers, chuckled.
"Come in."
"Oh, are you finished?"
"Yes. It's mostly organized."
I ran to the door and opened it, and a pile of paper rushed out as if overflowing from a tightly packed box. I panicked and let out a shriek, and Dang Jung waved his hand as if to say it was okay.
"You can step on it. I'm going to throw it all away anyway."
I crunched through the traces of countless thoughts and approached Dang Jung.
Unlike the letters that filled the room in disarray, a single character was written on a new piece of paper on the desk in a powerful script.
Heart.
Dang Jung looked at the character he had written with a peaceful expression. His eyes were very clear and deep. His pupils, burning with blue Inner Energy, seemed to contain blue flames.
He blinked slowly and smiled at me.
"To think that I can achieve another accomplishment even at this age, life is truly unpredictable."
"What's wrong with Grandpa's age? Grandpa's age is youth, youth."
"What? Youth? I'm too old for that. Nothing grows anymore."
Dang Jung snorted as if he was dumbfounded by my flattery. I chuckled and asked.
"Are you going to eat now? You haven't eaten for four days."
"Yes. Let's eat."
Dang Jung nodded and slowly got up.
\ \ \
Unlike readily sitting at the table, Dang Jung couldn't concentrate on the meal. He seemed to have his mind elsewhere.
Dang Jung's eyes were still dyed blue. It was proof that he was still circulating Inner Energy while holding his chopsticks.
I rested my chin on my hand, joking at Dang Jung's dazed appearance.
"Grandpa, you're only thinking about martial arts all day. Shouldn't you go into secluded training or something?"
Then Dang Jung's face brightened.
"Yes. That would be good."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, we have to rebuild the pavilion. If I go into the Seclusion Cave, it will be repaired by the time I come out. To continue this clue, I need a quiet place…"
Dang Jung, who was excitedly spewing out words, changed his expression as if he had almost made a mistake when he met my eyes.
"...Pretend you didn't hear that. I can't leave you, So-hye. This grandpa misspoke."
Regret dripped from his face as he calmly took a breath. It was too intense of an expression change to pretend I didn't hear it.
I smiled and slowly put down my chopsticks.
"Go. Grandpa."
"Don't say such nonsense. How long do you think seclusion will take? If this old man leaves, they'll come at you from all sides, hissing and making noises."
Dang Jung frowned and raised his voice.
I knew his concerns.
But even I, with my meager martial arts skills, know what it means to have obtained a clue to overcome the wall of martial arts.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Dang Jung. An opportunity that Dang Jung, who had dedicated his life to seeing the end of martial arts, had been waiting for.
In game terms, it was like a limited-time quest that could only be unlocked if special conditions were met.
If Dang Jung missed this clue, he might never have another chance to overcome the wall. I didn't want him to lose the opportunity.
I refused to be an obstacle to someone who was skipping meals and devoting himself to martial arts.
"I know."
"If you know that…!"
"But you still have to go. If you miss this opportunity because of me, I'll blame myself for holding you back for the rest of my life. You don't want that, do you?"
"Baby. Don't say that. This is a matter of your life. Your life and this mere training…"
"You know better than anyone that it's not something to call mere training. I like being your joy, but I don't want to be your burden."
Dang Jung's face was submerged in worry at my gentle refusal.
"I've already had my Coming-of-Age Ceremony, and if I go to the Poison King Hall, Aunt On-jeong won't leave me alone if something happens. You know she likes me, right?"
"Baby…"
"Once I'm engaged, the Patriarch will protect my life to maintain the marriage alliance. I can protect myself now. That's what you taught me. Don't worry too much. Uncle Geun-myeong is also there. Don't you trust him?"
"That guy can't step up even if something happens to you. No, aren't you scared? You should be stopping me from going, but why are you trying to push Grandpa into the Seclusion Cave?"
Dang Jung, with a distorted face, rubbed his face roughly.
