“Come here, but you don't listen.”
The faint sound of rustling footsteps accompanied the Fortress Lord as she stepped forward.
It was directly in front of Jeong Yeon-shin. One step, then another half step closer.
“Perhaps it’s because you’re of age now.”
Her voice carried a trace of amusement, along with a faint, fragrant scent—a subtle aroma of fresh grass.
The two steps between them narrowed to half a step.
Having reached a growth spurt, Jeong Yeon-shin was now nearly as tall as her. Their eyes were at the same level.
Her gaze, filled with the consciousness of an absolute master, flooded his vision—a sea of deep green.
The boy faced the overwhelming presence emanating from the deep green glow of her eyes.
He could now understand why terms like Simjeuksal (the sword of the heart) or Uihyeonggeom (intentional killing)—the Sword of Intent—were spoken of in awe.
The mastery and precision she must wield to channel energy with such an overwhelming presence were beyond imagination.
He recalled the swordsmanship she had displayed when pressuring the Pure Devil Sect Lord. It was beautiful, as if moonlight itself had condensed into her blade, transcending the mortal realm.
This was the most striking eye contact he had ever experienced.
Jeong Yeon-shin stared into her black pupils, reflected in her eyes. It was his own gaze staring back.
Compared to the immense power in her eyes, his own dark pupils held only a fraction of strength.
He wondered: When will I ever be able to meet her gaze and confidently request the fruits of the Heavenly Tree?
‘Gwangryun.’
Inwardly, the boy summoned the wheel of divine energy to find composure.
It hadn’t been this overwhelming when he had received the Moon Spirit Harmony Technique. That was because the starting point of the foreign energy lay in the Myeongmun-hyeol (命門穴), a vital point on his back.
This was different. He was now in a position to learn a martial art technique.
“The senses of a master are not easily deceived. You must etch this fact into your mind.”
The Fortress Lord spoke softly, her gaze still locked with his.
Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t find her words strange.
Martial arts scattered across the world were so diverse that their forms of transmission varied greatly.
Even something like the Iron Palm Technique (鐵砂掌) of Shaolin required practitioners to train their hands by plunging them into scalding sand within mortars.
Her calm voice continued.
“However, once you grasp the essence of Hocheo (허초, 허招), even its principles can become a weapon.”
“Is it because of the faith masters place in their own senses?”
Jeong Yeon-shin asked plainly.
Her eyes blinked once, her long lashes casting faint shadows.
Her gaze deepened momentarily.
“You've hit on two points with a single phrase. You’re correct. It’s a method of turning strength into weakness, not by disrupting the five senses, but by scattering the sixth sense—Qi perception.”
“Ah.”
“It’s actually harder to use against lesser opponents because their perception is weak.”
“Then, the reason for standing before me like this is...?”
“Feel it for yourself. This will suffice for you.”
Her quiet whisper accompanied her movement as her face drew closer.
Swish.
Her smooth forehead gently touched his.
It was soft. Warm.
For a brief moment, Jeong Yeon-shin felt his mother’s presence. It was reminiscent of when he had received the Moon Spirit Harmony Technique.
A fleeting memory crossed his mind—a vision where the need for Jeong Family Dynamic Gong wouldn’t have existed.
If his mother, Ma Yeon-sang, were alive, wouldn’t she have held him as a child and shared this warmth?
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But the moment passed. The Fortress Lord silently pulled her forehead back.
Whoosh.
The world inverted. It was as though his entire orientation had flipped, with him rotating upside down around his head.
He felt as if he were standing inverted in the air. Even his vision reflected this.
It was without warning, accompanied only by a subtle breeze that seemed to toy with the perception of Neungbeop Gwangryun-gi.
It was as if his sixth sense, the Qi perception that enveloped his body, had been gently kneaded and manipulated.
“....”
Jeong Yeon-shin, seemingly standing on the air, met the Fortress Lord’s gaze. She stood firmly on the ground.
From this upside-down perspective, their foreheads were aligned. The boy’s breath faintly ruffled the greenish strands of her bangs.
‘What is this?’
Jeong Yeon-shin thought.
He felt confused. Was this some form of Illusory Sword (환검, 幻劍) meant to deceive the senses?
Or were her hair and even his own breath part of the illusion?
For an absolute master of her level to personally display such a technique, perhaps the essence of her swordsmanship extended into the realm of the supernatural.
Had his confusion shown on his face? The Fortress Lord smiled.
“Your expression is endearing. It reminds me of leaves from my younger days, swaying in the wind.”
It was truly mystifying.
In that moment, the boy understood. He realized how deeply intertwined his five senses and Qi perception were.
To react swiftly to a blade or spear flying from behind, one’s entire body’s senses and internal energy perception had to be tightly linked.
This seemed to be the phenomenon at play. Deceiving perception translated directly into the miraculous ability to manipulate the senses.
“They say the more integrated Qi perception is, the stronger a master becomes.”
This was why exceptional martial artists could handle entire groups on their own.
And this was why the method used on him now was terrifying.
Although the Fortress Lord had described it as intangible Hocheo, its follow-through, the tangible strike that followed, could land almost unerringly by disrupting the opponent’s internal energy perception.
It was a chain of techniques that could culminate in instantaneous lethality.
Its utility was immense, though it seemed just as difficult to execute.
A master’s Qi perception was incredibly sharp and intricately structured.
The network of Twelve Standard Meridians (십이경맥) and Secondary Channels flowing through their body was often likened to a microcosm.
Overcoming this with a single intangible Hocheo was no small feat.
Jeong Yeon-shin asked without thinking.
“How is it done?”
“Why else would I stand before you like this, if not to teach with my body?”
Her calm voice posed the rhetorical question.
He understood. Jeong Yeon-shin slowly closed his eyes.
He did not retreat into introspection. Instead, he entrusted his consciousness to the intangible power emanating from the Gwangryun within his heart.
Simultaneously, he began to sense the Fortress Lord’s Qi enveloping his body.
It was an unusual technique. It wasn’t just a burst of energy shock.
It moved as if imbued with intent, wrapping around the opponent’s Qi like a wave.
It climbed along the emitted energy, confusing the perception of the target.
‘So, this is it.’
He understood immediately.
No one could endure such a method for long.
For a master deeply attuned to their energy, they would sense something amiss within a few breaths during a fight.
It truly was intangible Hocheo. Difficult to execute and harder to maintain.
And yet, it was deeply alluring.
To deliberately adjust perception to this degree seemed impossible for anyone but the Fortress Lord, someone operating beyond human limits.
Yet, even disrupting an opponent’s rhythm for a single breath could classify this technique as a masterpiece. It was extraordinarily effective as an intangible Hocheo.
Jeong Yeon-shin focused his mind.
Buzz!
The radiant wheel in his heart began spinning as a separate layer of perception emerged. His vision overlapped for a moment.
He could see himself gazing at the Fortress Lord’s lips while standing inverted, as well as himself on the ground, meeting her gaze directly.
The latter was his true perception.
The boy quickly adjusted his focus.
A slight heat rose in his head—the result of his upper energy center igniting.
Slowly.
He traced the Fortress Lord’s Qi, which enveloped him, in reverse.
He meticulously examined the form of energy she was emitting and simultaneously deciphered its formula.
Words etched themselves into his mind. The operational principles of Hocheo, unspoken by her, appeared clearly in his thoughts.
It wasn’t a dead technique written in a manual but a living art transmitted directly through the body. This was a teaching method unique to someone like Jeong Yeon-shin.
“Good. That’s it.”
Her whisper reached his ears. Her breath, tinged with amusement, brushed against his lips.
She seemed acutely aware of how the boy’s perception was dissecting her Qi. Her mastery was astonishing.
“This won’t be usable in combat without significant training.”
Jeong Yeon-shin thought as he mentally recorded the principles.
When he figuratively placed the final period at the end of the unseen text, his vision returned to normal.
At the edge of the Qi flow he had traced, there was a faint smile. The Fortress Lord.
Swoosh.
The wind that had enveloped them dispersed. It was the flowing current of energy that had deceived his perception.
“What did you feel?”
Her lips moved as her gaze, shimmering with curiosity, rested on him.
Perhaps it was the brief resonance they shared or the familiarity from their intertwined perceptions.
Jeong Yeon-shin spoke without hesitation.
“It feels... difficult for now.”
“Difficult?”
“It seems difficult to execute properly—controlling one’s qi to penetrate the opponent’s senses and disrupting perception during combat.”
The boy’s tone was steady as he spoke.
The Lady of Iphwang Fortress didn’t reply immediately. Her jade-like green eyes calmly studied him, as if to ask whether he truly found it overwhelming.
How much did she expect from a talent like Seomye? On the surface, her demeanor seemed detached, but there was something beneath the surface.
Jeong Yeon-shin only realized the weight of his words after speaking them. She was still an intimidating presence, and not simply because she was the guardian of the Celestial Tree. Anyone would find it difficult to remain composed before an absolute master.
“Still,” he added hastily, almost stumbling over his words—a rare occurrence for him.
“I’ve understood how to handle qi and sword energy. The guidance you’ve shown me has revealed much about this terrifying art. I also realize how profound Hocheo truly is.”
“That’s why I stood this close to you. From a normal distance, it would be far harder to affect someone this way.”
Her voice was as serene as ever.
Jeong Yeon-shin nodded silently.
If it could be used from any distance, it would no longer be martial arts but something closer to sorcery.
“Think of it as stealing a single breath from your opponent. Any more than that would be unnecessary,” she explained.
“I’ve memorized the principles clearly. I believe I can eventually put them to use, though it will require diligent training,” he replied confidently.
A faint smile curved her lips.
“You’ve entered the path.”
Her soft exhale brushed against Jeong Yeon-shin’s face. At that moment, her pale hand gently pushed against his chest.
Rustle.
Her touch left a faint sound as her fingers brushed the fabric of his robe. Her quiet laugh followed.
“It won’t take long. It may even be part of your ascension to the Black rank.”
“Ah...”
The realization struck Jeong Yeon-shin, prompting a short exclamation.
In his focus on the lesson, he had momentarily forgotten about the impending trial. Both the White and Blue ranks had required duels during their promotion ceremonies.
The Black rank, he imagined, would not be any different—perhaps only with additional formalities and considerations. He would likely face an opponent of exceptional skill, someone whose martial prowess would test his limits.
They will be formidable, he thought.
Slowly, Jeong Yeon-shin raised his hands in a gesture of respect, expressing his gratitude for the valuable teachings he had received.
“I will strive to honor your instruction and ensure that I am worthy of the reputation entrusted to me.”
“Simply display your true potential,” she replied calmly.
Her tone signaled the conclusion of their lesson.
Turning slowly, she seemed to head back to her quarters.
Suddenly, Jeong Yeon-shin spoke again.
Before he could fully articulate his question, she paused, as if sensing his intent even before the words left his lips.
“There’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Speak.”
She answered without turning, her voice carrying easily across the space between them.
“Is it truly impossible to create a sword of the heart? The Simgeom of Simjiksal, I mean.”
Jeong Yeon-shin’s question carried the earnest curiosity of a young prodigy. Though he resented his own nature at times, his innate love for martial arts drove him to seek answers.
"Your path is different from mine."
Her luminous voice flowed out, resonating against his ears, indifferent to the bustling noise outside. It filled the desolate backyard with a profound sense of solitude.
"But perhaps you might achieve it. Someday."
That was the end of her words.
The wide sleeves of the Sovereign of Ip Hwang Castle were painted with the hues of the setting sun.
A silent radiance rippled through her hair like waves, as though bearing witness to a day so brimming with fullness that no blade was drawn.
Rustle.
She moved away slowly, her long strides melding with the descending twilight.
Even as she disappeared, Jeong Yeon-shin did not release his clasped hands.
"I’ve grown stronger again. There’s so much to ponder."
Clad in the borrowed black robe, the boy had stepped into the realm of Hocheo. And it was none other than the Sovereign of Ip Hwang Castle who had bestowed this guidance upon him.
***
The Next Day.
Jeong Yeon-shin entered through the main gate of the fortress with his companions. They had finally returned.
Stepping between the two large, open gates, Hyeon Won-chang, who was walking alongside him, let out a deep sigh filled with emotion.
"Well, we made it back alive somehow. It was a tough journey."
"I hope the reward is generous. I've run out of opium poppies, and there's no alcohol left."
Tae Yeom-ryong suddenly alighted from the carriage. His movements were remarkably light.
He lightly tapped the young leader on the shoulder and spoke smoothly.
"Could you lend me some silver? Everything here is great, but the pay is too stingy. I can't manage my expenses."
"A drunkard and an opium addict. I don't want to waste money I won't get back."
As he said this, the boy glanced at Tae Yeom-ryong's hand.
It was trembling slightly.
It didn't seem to be withdrawal symptoms. It was likely due to the intense yang energy of the Solar Divine Meridians, which was known to cause constant pain.
At the same time, Jeong Yeon-shin sensed an unusual atmosphere within the vast fortress grounds.
He saw crowds gradually appearing—not just a few people.
Amidst the commotion, the air was filled with excitement.
There were many whispers. The conclusion was the same: voices saying that the protagonist of the Black Rank Promotion Ceremony had arrived.
It was entirely different from when he had advanced to the Blue Rank.
It seemed the fortress was preparing for a rare event.
"At last."
The greatest event in Ipwang Fortress awaited the boy.