4.
The military grain had been in the village warehouse. Fortunately, only about one seom of rice was missing.
Perhaps the villagers, fearing punishment, had filled their bellies in haste and not dared to lay a finger on anything more.
The root of the problem was a young man, a native of this village who had entered a sect called the Cheonhwa Sword Gate, visiting his hometown after a long absence.
When the sight of the starving villagers and his sick younger sibling weighed upon his eyes so that he could not bring himself to leave, he had discovered a transport unit passing through the nearby mountain trail, and an incident erupted.
“You’ve done well. On my way back, I shall reward you and your unit handsomely.”
Hundred-Man Commander Gosang was overjoyed at the news that the military grain had been recovered before his own unit even arrived.
“Thank you, sir.”
“But you mean to say that you subdued the martial artists entirely on your own?”
“Fangsa Wonil’s assistance was immense,” Squad Leader Gu Jangwon replied honestly. At that, Gosang’s gaze turned to Wonil.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Wonil was a man under Thousand-Man Commander Yangjeong, not affiliated with the army itself. Thus, even a Hundred-Man Commander could not treat him carelessly.
“Not at all. If it weren’t for Squad Leader Gu Jangwon’s martial arts, we would all have lost our heads. Above all else······.”
Wonil subtly turned his head to look at Wi Cheonsaeng.
Wi Cheonsaeng merely clenched and unclenched his fist with an expression that showed no interest in the conversation. He only wished to refine the Gungsin Tanyoung and Nakhwa Sword techniques he had newly acquired.
“Above all else?”
“No, it is nothing. Please reward the soldiers properly, as you said. Well, Thousand-Man Commander Yangjeong will likely reward them separately as well.”
They had routed the bandits, including martial artists, and secured both the military grain and the captured transport unit.
It was certainly a rare feat.
“Of course. Such things cannot simply be overlooked.”
Gosang looked at Gu Jangwon with a pleased expression. The squad’s merit was also the merit of himself as the commander. He could not help but be pleased.
While Gosang was smiling contentedly, Wonil approached Wi Cheonsaeng.
“Could you spare me a moment?”
“Yes.”
Wi Cheonsaeng followed Wonil to a quiet place.
“In truth, you are the primary contributor to this affair. Ganho also emphasized that the one who brought down that master was none other than you, and that he himself was merely support.”
“If Ganho had not been there, I would be dead.”
The difference in skill was clear.
He had barely managed to defeat him thanks to various factors: Ganho’s help, the enemy’s injuries, and his own lack of real combat experience.
‘If we crossed blades a few more times, I might find a way, but······’
It was a meaningless thought. Real combat was always only once. One could not prepare spare lives.
For Wi Cheonsaeng, who was battle-hardened, that was the ultimate truth.
“I chose not to report your merit separately to Commander Gosang. I judged that drawing awkward attention at this time would not be beneficial.”
“Is that so?”
Wi Cheonsaeng had not fully grasped Wonil’s words, but the current situation was not bad for him. Drawing unnecessary attention and having it revealed that he had taken that master’s sword would be troublesome.
‘Yes. You are not one meant to remain a mere foot soldier.’
Wonil did not say that much. Though they had traveled together only a few days, Wi Cheonsaeng’s martial prowess was developing day by day.
Though the man was not a martial artist, he could not overlook Wi Cheonsaeng’s monstrous talent.
‘Moreover, that is not the extent of his talent.’
Wonil took out a bundle of talismans from his bosom.
“You mentioned last time that you were interested in the art of talismans.”
“Yes. Are you truly going to teach me?”
Jangwon had said that seeking teachings recklessly was a grave breach of etiquette, but Wi Cheonsaeng simply could not keep his mouth shut.
‘It truly was an incredible art.’
He had seen with his own eyes how a slip of paper flying from Wonil’s hand created a mysterious phenomenon.
In some ways, it piqued his interest even more than martial arts.
“Yes. Though we hid it from Commander Gosang, you rendered great service, and there must be a reward.”
“Thank you!”
Wi Cheonsaeng was overjoyed at the fact that he could learn sorcery.
Wouldn’t a marvelous art be far more profitable than a few silver coins?
“As I mentioned before, sorcery is of a different order than martial arts.”
Regardless of innate talent, anyone could achieve some small results in martial arts if they devoted a long time to it.
But sorcery was different.
The majority of people could not even imitate spells even if they devoted their entire lives to it.
“Those not born with a connection to spirits may be unable to even mimic sorcery, even if they dedicate their whole lives.”
“······Would I be like that too?”
Wi Cheonsaeng felt slightly intimidated by Wonil’s words. Certainly, compared to martial arts of wielding blades, sorcery was something unknown that could not be understood even when witnessed with one’s own eyes.
“Of course not.”
Wonil had already perceived Wi Cheonsaeng’s aptitude with his eyes last time.
He smiled brightly and approached a nearby great tree.
“There happens to be a good spot. It is a place where tributaries of the earth veins flow. Would you sit here?”
Wi Cheonsaeng obediently sat beneath the tree as Wonil instructed.
Then Wonil affixed a talisman to the tree.
“It is a talisman that concentrates the flow of the earth veins. Now the earth veins in this vicinity will focus here. Feeling the energy of the earth veins—this is the foundation of sorcery. If you cannot detect this, it sadly means you have no connection to sorcery.”
“I see. Then what should I do now?”
“Close your eyes and feel the energy flowing around you. Unlike the natural energy used by martial artists, there will be a heterogeneous energy possessing consciousness. From now on, you will train to detect it.”
Wi Cheonsaeng closed his eyes.
“But how will I know whether I have detected it or not?”
“There is a way. Hold this.”
Wonil took out a new talisman and held it out to Wi Cheonsaeng.
“The moment you detect the earth vein energy, the talisman will react.”
“Yes. Understood.”
“You must remember that detecting earth vein energy is not a talent that can be mastered overnight. You must devote a very long time.”
“Did it take you a long time as well, Wonil?”
“It is embarrassing to sound as though I am boasting, but I accomplished it in one year. At that time, my martial brothers were very envious of me.”
Wonil smiled bashfully as he recalled the past.
“One year······. That is no small feat.”
“Yes. But that is precisely why each small achievement is so joyful.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Wonil looked at Wi Cheonsaeng sitting quietly with his eyes closed, focusing according to his instructions, and smiled contentedly.
He had thought he was not yet at the level to take a disciple, so he had no experience teaching anyone, but seeing the youth act under his guidance made him feel proud.
‘Did my master feel this way too?’
Wonil thought of his master, whom he had not seen in a long time.
“Wonil.”
“Yes?”
“I think I feel something.”
“Haha, you must not use internal energy. It is an entirely different concept from natural energy.”
Wonil burst into laughter. How long had he even been sitting to say he had detected the earth vein energy?
He was clearly mistaking natural energy for it.
“It does not seem to be internal energy. I think I hear some incomprehensible sounds······.”
Wi Cheonsaeng slightly furrowed his brow at the strange noise ringing in his ears.
“Hearing sounds? What do you— Huk!”
At that moment, Wonil let out a gasp.
‘D-did the talisman react?’
It was something he could not believe even with his own eyes.
Wasn’t the yellow talisman gripped in Wi Cheonsaeng’s hand standing stiffly upright like a sheet of metal?
“Did something go wrong?”
At Wi Cheonsaeng’s question, Wonil involuntarily raised his hand to cover his mouth.
“Th-this······. It does not simply happen in one go like this?”
Gazing at the stiffly standing talisman, Wonil once again recalled the past.
‘You have talent.’
When he had detected the earth vein energy after one year, those were the words his master had spoken to him with a pleased smile.
“No, Master. I was the greatest dullard in the world.”
If he was not a dullard······ then Wi Cheonsaeng was a monster.
“Have you truly felt the energy?”
“Yes. It feels clearly different from internal energy? I cannot absorb this.”
At Wi Cheonsaeng’s words, Wonil nodded.
“That is correct. Earth veins are the energy of spirits possessed of will. They are different from natural energy, which lacks will. We fangsa wield power by communicating with that will.”
It was unbelievable, but the evidence was clear. Since the talisman had stood upright, Wi Cheonsaeng could not be lying.
Therefore, Wonil forcibly calmed his surprised heart and continued the lesson.
“It is impossible to converse with spirits in human tongue. Thus, we communicate through a promised language. One such language is the talisman. The ancient characters written on talismans are precisely that promised language.”
“I see. Then what should I do now?”
“Now stand up and try removing the talisman I affixed to the tree.”
The talisman Wonil had stuck to the tree was not something an ordinary person could easily remove. Of course, Wi Cheonsaeng, who had only just felt the earth vein energy, would not be able to remove a talisman imbued with Wonil’s power.
But he was so astonished that Wi Cheonsaeng had detected the earth vein energy so quickly that he wanted to test him.
“I cannot remove it.”
Right, of course. Yes, this is normal.
“Yes. When I attached that talisman, I requested the spirits to not let it fall. Communicating with the spirits and borrowing their power—this is the fundamental principle of sorcery.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Have you heard of the incantation called Geupgeup Yeoyulryeong?”
Wi Cheonsaeng shook his head.
“As I mentioned earlier, normal communication with spirits is impossible. That is why the incantation Geupgeup Yeoyulryeong was created. ‘Act with haste as though by decree.’ While reciting this incantation, you reiterate your wish in your mind and request it of the spirits.”
“So you mean I should ask them to let it fall while removing it.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
Of course, it was not as simple as it sounded. That was merely the principle. It would likely take a long time for Wi Cheonsaeng to comprehend the meaning and proper usage of this incantation.
‘Until then, it will be a quite rewarding time.’
Recalling his own training days, Wonil grew slightly excited at the thought of guiding Wi Cheonsaeng.
Though they were not formally master and disciple, they would slowly be able to build memories as teacher and student.
Wonil greatly looked forward to those days.
“As I said before, the path of the sorcerer is not accomplished in a day, so do not be impatient and take it slowly······.”
“Geupgeup Yeoyulryeong.”
The talisman stuck to the tree fluttered like a falling leaf and dropped to the ground.
“!”
“?”
“······.”
“······.”
Silence flowed for a moment.
“Sorry, I did not catch that. Could you please say it once more?”
Wi Cheonsaeng asked back with an innocent expression devoid of even a speck of ulterior motive.
But to Wonil’s ears, Wi Cheonsaeng’s words sounded slightly different.
‘Not accomplished in a day, what?’
It seemed he would not have as much time to build many memories as he had thought.
‘Ha! That crazy bastard······’
Only now did he understand the exclamation Gu Jangwon had uttered when Wi Cheonsaeng imitated the Gungsin Tanyoung in a single breath.
“W-well, we shall stop here for today.”
Wonil decided to buy himself some time for now.
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That is exactly it.