The crimson glow of the setting sun, previously streaming through a slit in the stone sliding door, was abruptly severed.
With a heavy thud, the door shut firmly, as if urging the newly appointed Ma Gwang-ik Lord to steel his resolve. Jeong Yeon-shin took it as such.
The coarse texture of the door handle brushed against his fingertips.
Step.
He entered the inner quarters of the pavilion, the space prepared by Ma Jin, the current Ipwang Ma Clan Leader.
His uncle was a busy man, both in public and private matters.
Such was the burden of a new Clan Leader.
It was often said that the higher the martial prowess of a clan's members, the harder it was to maintain discipline.
The Ipwang Ma Clan was a prestigious family, one that even Ma Jin, with his single arm, found challenging to lead.
The letter Ma Jin had sent to Jeong Yeon-shin reflected that struggle. Lines about having much to prove were written with a certain weariness.
He hadn't even attended the duel between Jeong Yeon-shin and Seonmok Ryeong's Cheon So-so.
"It’s not that he wouldn’t, but that he couldn’t."
Jeong Yeon-shin recalled Cheongmyeong’s words, uttered alongside his advice.
The man subdued earlier by Cheongmyeong was undoubtedly one of Ma Clan's warriors.
There was only one unsettling reason for such a situation.
"Ju Yeon-jeong."
The movement of the Violet Expert was akin to a major mission in itself.
Ma Jin had gone out of his way at Jeong Yeon-shin's request.
He had secretly smuggled Ma Yeon-jeok out. It was an act that clearly exceeded his authority as a Clan Leader. Should the truth come to light, avoiding repercussions would be nearly impossible.
"Perhaps that’s exactly what Ju Yeon-jeong is aiming for."
Without any visible results, that would likely be the case.
In Ipwang Fortress, governed by strict laws, mediocrity wasn’t enough.
It didn’t matter.
Jeong Yeon-shin regarded the task with gravity, though not with undue difficulty.
He had the Jeong Family Dynamic Gong and the Grand Restoration Pill.
He was confident that vitality would return to his grandfather's body. That was precisely why he hadn’t sought the aid of the Ipwang Fortress Lord.
She wasn’t just a mentor but an almost unapproachable existence. The term "supreme" barely did her justice.
The thought of seeking her help for something within his and Ma Gwang-ik’s abilities never even crossed his mind.
It was far preferable to face Ju Yeon-jeong head-on.
Such decisiveness was no longer youthful recklessness.
It was the discretion of someone acting as the grandson of Ma Yeon-jeok and the current Clan Leader of Ipwang Fortress.
Lost in thought, Jeong Yeon-shin entered the room closest to the door. His gaze immediately landed on Ma Yeon-jeok, lying on a large bed.
The elderly man’s gaunt figure, with his eyes closed, looked far removed from the image of a peerless martial artist. His once-lustrous white beard appeared brittle and dry.
"Grandfather," Jeong Yeon-shin whispered cautiously.
No response.
It was only when he approached the bedside that Ma Yeon-jeok's wrinkled eyelids quivered. A moment later, blurred pupils emerged.
The old man’s eyes took in his grandson’s handsome face. The softened gaze pierced deeply into Jeong Yeon-shin’s heart.
"You’ve returned...," Ma Yeon-jeok murmured, his lips curling into a faint, compassionate smile.
It was the smile of a doting grandfather. For the first time since childhood, Jeong Yeon-shin felt the warmth of familial affection.
Because of this, he struggled to speak.
"The Small Return Pill was left for you. Why didn’t you take it?"
Jeong Yeon-shin already knew the answer, thanks to the letter from Ma Jin.
It was a pill from Shaolin, the Small Return Pill.
The letter had noted that it was still stored safely and suggested Jeong Yeon-shin retrieve it during his next visit.
Upon learning that the pill was a reward for his grandson’s mission, Ma Yeon-jeok had adamantly refused to take it.
"Yeon-shin, your grandfather’s stubbornness knows no bounds."
The letter had mentioned Ma Yeon-jeok’s stern warning to Ma Jin: should anyone attempt to force-feed him the pill, he would immediately cut ties with them.
Recalling those words, Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips tightened.
Ma Yeon-jeok’s smile deepened.
"Wasn’t it... a reward for your mission? How could I possibly take that?"
"I wanted you to have it," Jeong Yeon-shin replied firmly.
"What did you just... say?"
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The elder’s white eyebrows arched slightly.
He reacted instantly to the word grandson. His trembling eyelids betrayed a hint of emotion.
It was a term Jeong Yeon-shin had never used before. The strange warmth of the word tickled his mind, rising all the way to the top of his head.
Jeong Yeon-shin instinctively redirected the conversation.
"I came here today for something else."
"No, I asked... what you said just now."
"I’ve obtained the Grand Restoration Pill from the Murim Alliance. I intend to use it to restore your strength."
The newly appointed Ma Gwang-ik Lord spoke of one of the martial world’s most treasured artifacts as casually as if it were just another tonic.
He did so deliberately. He had no intention of using it for anything else.
Achieving the state of Three Flowers Converging at the Crown was inevitable for him. Even given his limited time, that much was clear.
His grandfather, who might not live another day, took precedence over his own future.
"I’ve heard of your accomplishments," Ma Yeon-jeok said, his wide-open eyes softening into a faint smile. "You’ve truly done well. Your martial skill, Yeon-shin, has reached a level where you can contend with the world. Even that stubborn fool, Sword Fanatic Hyeon So-baek, is no ordinary elder..."
Ma Yeon-jeok chuckled faintly, deliberately altering the honorific title Sword Saint to Sword Fanatic.
It was a jest only someone like Ma Yeon-jeok could make.
"In any case, the Grand Restoration Pill... In my foolish youth, I might have dreamed of having it once. But it’s something you earned. It belongs to you. This old man can’t possibly take it."
"You saved me from the Bloodflame Cult Leader’s hands. If you had delayed even a moment, I wouldn’t have survived. Please, let me repay that debt. I am now the Clan Leader of Ma Gwang-ik. I refuse to live with unpaid debts."
For once, Jeong Yeon-shin’s words came in a rare, unbroken flow. His unwavering tone carried the firm conviction that this was the right thing to do.
The purpose of his contributions to the Murim Alliance had culminated in this moment.
Through Ma Yeon-jeok’s Demon-Slaying Blue River Palm, Jeong Yeon-shin had felt the unconditional love that only kin could provide. The sight of his revitalized grandfather would be the truest reward.
"I can’t take it. It’s a matter of duty and principle."
"No such principle exists in this world," Jeong Yeon-shin retorted.
He didn’t need the pill himself. Restoring his grandfather’s strength and the recognition he would gain for it were more than enough.
That was all he could hope for as he looked to the future.
However, Ma Yeon-jeok averted his gaze slightly, stubbornly ignoring him.
"This old man... has never truly been a grandfather to you. I cannot shamelessly accept such a gift. I’ll have to scold Ma Jin. How dare he move this frail old body for such a matter."
His words came haltingly, his face pale and lined with age.
Yet the crease in Ma Yeon-jeok’s brow revealed a flicker of genuine anger—directed at his son, Ma Jin.
Jeong Yeon-shin decided not to prolong the argument.
The look of resignation on his grandfather’s face reminded him of the man’s younger days.
Surely, in battle, he would have left his enemies bewildered with the same unyielding stubbornness. It likely mirrored the way he had treated his comrades.
Jeong Yeon-shin resolved silently. I will not become like Grandfather.
Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak.
"As you said, Grandfather, the Grand Restoration Pill belongs to me. Therefore, I will use it as I see fit. I believe there’s no room for you to intervene. I’ll handle this as I deem necessary."
"......."
"Let’s begin."
Jeong Yeon-shin retrieved the wooden box containing the Grand Restoration Pill from within his robe.
The box, no larger than the palm of his hand, was made of fragrant red sandalwood.
A faint, soothing scent wafted from it, carrying a mystical aura that was palpable despite the seal. This was no ordinary medicine—its divine energy was almost tangible.
The efficacy of this miraculous elixir, infused with the secret techniques of the sacred monks of Myeongjok, was said to be extraordinary.
From the moment he received it from Ye So-jeo at the Murim Alliance assembly, Jeong Yeon-shin knew it was genuine.
This was undoubtedly a treasure.
Click.
The lid of the now-warm wooden box opened with a soft sound.
As it did, the subtle fragrance disappeared, leaving only the sight of the white pill nestled inside, resembling a polished pebble. The pill seemed to guard its energy, as if it were alive, preserving its potency.
It was exactly as the stories of the martial world had described.
However, Ma Yeon-jeok didn’t spare the pill even a glance.
Instead, his eyes locked firmly onto his grandson's.
"This old man has already said he won’t take it. Are you truly planning to force it into my mouth?"
Jeong Yeon-shin didn’t reply.
He had previously administered the Small Restoration Pill to Yu Hyeon of the Mount Hua Sect, back when he was still at the White Rank.
But things were different now. With his mastery of Luminous Method Wheel Qi, his ability to manipulate energy had reached unparalleled levels.
He could do it better than before, far better.
Swish.
Without hesitation, Jeong Yeon-shin picked up the Grand Restoration Pill and swallowed it whole. It had neither taste nor scent.
The elixir melted down his throat naturally, exuding a calm yet powerful energy as it settled in his lower abdomen.
"Grandfather, forgive me for what I’m about to do."
Jeong Yeon-shin gently pushed aside the silk blanket covering his grandfather.
Ma Yeon-jeok’s eyes, which had been wide open and fixated on his grandson, hardened as Jeong Yeon-shin placed his hand on his lower abdomen.
"Energy transfer... through physical contact?" Ma Yeon-jeok muttered under his breath.
It was a technique to transfer energy to another person—a secret art that placed extreme strain on the practitioner.
But that wasn’t an issue for Jeong Yeon-shin.
He didn’t care about the potential backlash or side effects. What mattered now was urgency.
It’s fast.
There was no time to gauge his grandfather’s reaction.
This was different from the Small Restoration Pill. The Grand Restoration Pill dissolved instantly, flooding his body with energy.
It was as if a wildfire had ignited at the Stone Gate Point in his lower dantian, and the energy surged before he could even initiate the full circulation of his Greater Heavenly Circuit.
Wooooom—
A low resonance emanated from within his body, and his muscles felt as if they had turned into hollow caverns.
The vast, previously unknown energy of the pill filled his meridians, veins, and acupuncture points.
The power of the Grand Restoration Pill was immense.
Now he understood why Shaolin was revered as the greatest sect in the Central Plains. The pill was a sacred relic of Shaolin, crafted by monks over decades.
The energy spreading through his meridians didn’t feel like medicine—it felt purified, as if it had already been refined. It was clean, pristine, and impossible to believe.
The circulation of energy through his Jeong Family Dynamic Gong required almost no effort. It was that pure.
A steady pulse throbbed several times below his navel.
"Grandfather, do not use Harmonized Fire Energy. You must operate Jeong Family Dynamic Gong instead."
Even as he spoke during energy circulation, his voice remained steady—a testament to his innate mastery over internal energy control.
He drew the energy forward. From his fingertips, pressed against his grandfather’s lower abdomen, a transparent wave rippled outward.
Woooom.
Rejection here would risk mutual Qi deviation, a perilous fate for both.
"...Fine," Ma Yeon-jeok sighed faintly and closed his eyes.
A faint smile tugged at Jeong Yeon-shin’s lips.
For the second time, he examined the body of a Violet Absolute Master. First, it was the Sword Corps Leader, and now, the former Sword Corps Leader.
Jeong Yeon-shin’s consciousness descended into the cosmic-like body of his grandfather.
Even observing it brought a flood of revelations.
He discerned how the muscles and meridians must have been structured during their prime, which acupuncture points and muscle groups his grandfather had primarily used, and how his body’s systems had functioned. The shape of the three dantians was also clear.
He consolidated all this knowledge and began circulating the energy of the Grand Restoration Pill through his grandfather’s acupuncture points and meridians.
As he focused, a pivotal thought surfaced in his mind:
"Mother..."
The intent of the Jeong Family Dynamic Gong fused into the energy flowing into Ma Yeon-jeok’s body.
A daughter embraced her father.
Suddenly, Ma Yeon-jeok’s eyebrows darkened to an inky black. The wrinkles around his eyes smoothed out momentarily.
A prelude to something extraordinary.
***
“They say a request for reinforcements has come from Changcheon Corps. It seems they're struggling quite a bit.”
“I heard about it. The momentum of Geumsi Sect seems unusual. Who knows what those lunatics are scheming? At least the Tang Clan appears to be cooperating with Changcheon Corps in training... but there’s talk that the Changcheon Commander was defeated by the Geumsi Sect Leader. I wonder if he managed to survive.”
“Is Suncheon Ik still out of contact? I hear the carrier pigeon hasn’t returned.”
“There’s no branch office in the Xinjiang region, so what can we expect...?”
“That area is basically a demonic realm (Magyeong) to begin with. It’s also where the former commander lost a limb.”
“Was it really necessary to bring that up...?”
It was a conversation among the elite Azure-ranked warriors of Ma Gwang-ik.
Positioned around the pavilion, their sharp senses were as vigilant as blades, yet their demeanor remained composed.
Most of them had far more experience in the martial world than Jeong Yeon-shin, their leader. Their knowledge and insight extended far beyond his.
This demonstrated their ability to stay alert while keeping themselves relaxed—a balance forged through years of experience.
“The more concerning part is the masters of the heterodox sects, like the Great Alliance of the Demonic Ways (Dae Bang Pa). There’s a rumor that Lady Yeong and the Thousand Extremities Sect Master are touring the Thirteen Heavens. It seems the formation of the Alliance has left quite an impression on them.”
“The Thirteen Heavens creating an alliance? What a horrifying thought...”
“If that truly happens, even the Fortress itself won’t be able to handle it.”
“Enough. That’s not something those heterodox scum could ever accomplish.”
“Either way, these are unprecedented turbulent times. I suppose the famine is to blame. They say grain is scarcer than silver. The masters of Dae Bang Pa likely have no choice but to act boldly...”
It was then.
From beyond the main gate, in the distance—
“That much is true. Turbulent times are indeed upon us.”
The voice wasn’t raised, yet it rang out clearly and distinctly.
The Azure-ranked warriors had already sensed the presence. Unshaken, they turned their heads in unison.
A middle-aged woman draped in a jet-black silk robe stood before them.
Her figure, clad in flowing silk dyed as dark as pitch, exuded elegance. Her slender face radiated poise and authority.
Her overwhelming energy was wrapped in the Golden Immortal Eight Steps, a royal martial art. The sharp glint in her eyes seemed to survey the world from above.
She was Ju Yeon-jeong of the Ipwang Ma Clan.
“Yet here you are, sowing discord,” she said, her crimson lips parting slightly. “Meddling in the affairs of the family without knowing your place—have you no shame?”