Barley Lotus Pool.
I stood before the Barley Lotus Pool. After reaching the peak and realizing the principles of life, I became aware of the Qi flowing between heaven and earth, awakening the sword energy and understanding the laws governing that flow.
If I hadn’t awakened the sword energy, I might not have noticed the extraordinary nature of this Barley Lotus Pool.
A small pond high in the mountains. Removing the peculiarity of being under a Bo Tree, it looked like a water puddle anyone could find anywhere, but the energy gathered in this pond was purer than anything else.
“Hmm.”
Rather than being pure, it might be more appropriate to say it was refined. It had only been a few days since I awakened my senses to feel the pulse of things, so I didn’t quite know how to express it.
“Seems like it would be quite beneficial for boosting my martial arts. Is it really okay for me to partake in something like this?”
“Don’t worry. This Barley Lotus Pool has the ability to regenerate itself. Though if a chunk of impurities like you jumps in, it may take a while to cleanse.”
What’s with the sudden burden?
Rano Jingbu, reading the discomfort on my face, chuckled and patted my back.
“Ha ha! You don’t need to feel too pressured. It’s been over a hundred years since this Barley Lotus Pool was last used. In the past, it was often used to expel the impurities of practitioners, but as the methods of Podalap Palace developed and the teachings were strictly followed, practitioners in need of the Barley Lotus Pool’s assistance disappeared.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.”
Rano Jingbu gazed at me for a moment.
“And above all, the impurities accumulated in your body are at a serious level. Your innate physique is so robust that it hasn’t caused major issues, but if your bones were those of a common person, you’d have met an untimely end. Though the world is vast, it seems there are few who need the power of this pond more than you.”
Honestly, I was in dire need of the Barley Lotus Pool’s efficacy.
I had sought the power of the Poison Doctor at the Tang clan to expand my limits once again, but then Jeong Cheol appeared and ruined it for me.
Thanks to that, my research into my own constitution had come to a halt.
With no clues, I had temporarily pushed it to the back burner, but getting rid of the blood toxins was a must. I needed to expand my limits up to the Hwa-gyeong to even think about reaching it.
“But why do you look so down?”
“Haha, what should I say?”
At Rano Jingbu’s question, I forced a smile.
What am I supposed to think in this situation?
It’s a method that fits my circumstances perfectly, so I can’t help but have doubts, we could call it disbelief.
To rise to the elite level, I nearly died after consuming the Spiritual Medicine from the Hyeon Cheon-ja.
What came next? How much did I struggle to gather the Spiritual Medicine to break through the gates to the peak?
Now I’m supposed to just jump into this pond, scrub myself clean and all impurities just vanish? I can’t help but feel like all that suffering was in vain.
“If such a convenient solution existed, I can’t help but wonder what I was working so hard for up till now.”
“Haha, I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
Rano Jingbu laughed heartily, smacking my back.
“Everything in the world is finite; even the purifying power of this pond has its limits. If you hadn’t been diligently removing impurities as you are now, the effectiveness you could see from this pond would have diminished greatly.”
That might actually be true. While the pond looked astonishingly miraculous, blood toxins ought to be notoriously dreadful.
Having solved everything I could with the healing arts before stepping into this pond could be a stroke of good fortune.
“You seem to be caught up in unnecessary thoughts. Once all the impurities from your body are removed, your mind will be clearer too.”
Rano Jingbu gently pushed me forward.
“Thank you, Lord of the Palace.”
“If you’re thankful, don’t forget that feeling and remember to thank Sara when she becomes the Lord of the Palace of Podalap Palace.”
“Haha, of course.”
After telling me how to properly use the pond, Rano Jingbu quietly left. Truly, aside from his doting fatherly side, he was quite a respectable person in many ways.
Deliberately shaking off those distracting thoughts and relieving my tension, I stripped and stepped into the pond. It felt as if the water was trying to pull my legs in like a swamp, but I ignored that sensation and pressed deeper.
What a mystical feeling.
While a person naturally浮 rises in water due to buoyancy, I was walking steadily along the bottom of the pond.
I wasn’t breathing, but somehow I didn’t feel short of breath at all.
It felt as if oxygen was being supplied through my skin.
As I moved a bit further, I found a spot that bulged out like a cushion. I settled down there and crossed my legs.
Brrrrr!
I exhaled all the air. My lungs filled with water in place of air, but it wasn’t painful at all. I inhaled and exhaled water instead of air.
Confirming that everything was unfolding just as Rano Jingbu had described, I felt assured that I wouldn’t die in this water.
Suuuu…
As water flowed into my body in place of air, I began circulating Qi using the Cheonwon Heart Method. My double helix technique had become completely natural.
Thus, one week passed, two weeks, and three weeks…
Possibly due to being underwater or the impediment of impurities from uncoiling my spiral flow, my circulation was progressing unusually slowly, but I persevered.
Brrrrrr!
Changes began inside my body.
—
‘Hmm, this is something…’
Okryong scratched his head.
Okryong enjoyed interacting with people, and his abilities in that regard were quite exceptional. However, there were a few reasons why he found it difficult to become friends with Ho Cheon-an’s team.
First, they were all beautiful women.
‘If any misunderstanding arises…’
The mere thought sent shivers down Okryong’s spine as he shook his head. He had gotten into a few misunderstandings before when he tried to strike up conversations with young women just wanting to get to know them without any romantic interest.
Remembering those past experiences filled Okryong with a sense of injustice. It would have been preferable if there was at least some romantic tension to lessen the barriers, instead, he had to suffer from misinterpretations leading others to forcibly play matchmakers, or he received unnecessary scrutiny from other guys.
Secondly, the individuality of each member of the group was too pronounced.
He couldn’t help but keep his distance from Black Cat, whose very appearance was a weapon.
Then, there was Tang Do-yeon, who was constantly troubled about how to fully use his Bicheongmacha.
And then, Tang So-yeol, whose thoughts were impossible to decipher.
While Miss Yeo Il-ye had the most straightforward personality, unlike the unknown figures in the Martial World, her name was well-known as a hero whose reputation thundered across the land. Thus, Okryong felt a burden even to approach her casually.
“Oh, Susu! Are you going for training?”
“Indeed. And you?”
“Haha, as always, I’ll be training. I look forward to this week’s performance!”
Okryong felt more at home with the practitioners of Podalap Palace than with Ho Cheon-an’s team. Greeting a passing practitioner warmly, Okryong entered the training hall.
He noticed Sara standing before Miss Yeo Il-ye, holding a sword.
Okryong admired the scene. It wasn’t for nothing that Yeo Il-ye was praised as a great hero.
Everyone could speculate that Miss Yeo Il-ye had feelings for Ho Cheon-an, considering her supportive actions, though they had the grace of having received her kindness before.
But then, Sara openly mixed Black Cat and Ho Cheon-an together.
Wasn’t Miss Yeo Il-ye the one who adored Sara? And, while not quite at Black Cat’s level, Sara seemed to show signs of following Miss Yeo Il-ye, too.
Yet having suddenly orchestrated such a situation could understandably evoke a sense of betrayal in Yeo Il-ye, yet there she was diligently assisting with sword training.
‘Is this the nature of a great hero?’
“Today, we’ll be practicing Ma-bo.”
“Eh?”
“Ma-bo.”
“Ah, no…”
“Ma—bo.”
“Yes, yes!”
…Only then did Okryong finally notice something unusual. On Yeo Il-ye’s normally tranquil and composed forehead, a pronounced vein was popping out.
Okryong thought to himself that Sara’s trembling legs while performing Ma-bo weren’t solely from the struggle.
“During training, one must maintain focus despite any disturbances.”
“Eek!”
Yeo Il-ye grabbed Sara’s cheeks, then proceeded to pinch them! It seemed there was just enough force to transform Sara’s face into that of a rice cake.
“Ow, ow.”
Okryong internally sighed, averting his gaze from the brutal (?) scene.
“If only that guy hadn’t been around, I would have been able to pinch those cheeks too in exchange for skipping class…”
With envious eyes, Okryong turned to look at Tang So-yeol, who was puffing away at his cigarette, and then to Tang Do-yeon, who seemed to be enjoying the current situation with a wry smile, before finally focusing back on Black Cat.
From Okryong’s view, the eye of the storm right now was Black Cat.
That eye of the storm, Black Cat, was intently watching Yeo Il-ye, who was roughly pinching Sara’s cheeks, and reflecting on her thoughts. While she had some suspicions that Yeo Il-ye had feelings for Ho Cheon-an, she was disturbed.
But.
There was a puzzling incongruity in how Yeo Il-ye had appeared cold yesterday and Ho Cheon-an’s response. The sweat pouring from Ho Cheon-an, attempting to cover up something, and Yeo Il-ye’s markedly frigid reaction lingered in her mind.
‘What happened yesterday would have been a sudden shock for the senior too, so I can understand a bit of confusion. And Yeo Il-ye openly revealing her feelings for the senior can be understood…’
“Ow, ow…”
‘I see now.’
Black Cat realization came as she looked at Sara, casting a plea for help. Yeo Il-ye was blatantly revealing her discomfort to the situation. She was openly displaying her feelings for Ho Cheon-an.
Why had someone like her let Ho Cheon-an be until now without any specific actions?
‘…She’s already conveyed her feelings.’
Black Cat reached that conclusion.
Then, should she check? Black Cat felt confident that Yeo Il-ye would not hide such a fact from her now.
“Come here, Sara.”
As if waiting for Black Cat’s call, Sara tried to escape, but was halted by Yeo Il-ye’s grip on her cheeks.
“This is my time to teach Sara swordsmanship.”
The two’s gazes locked. Just from staring into each other’s eyes, an electrifying tension filled the air, and the trembling Sara in between them shook even more.
Black Cat thought back to Yeo Il-ye’s actions. When had it happened? On their journey rushing toward the chapter? Or was it when they were staying with the Tang clan? Or perhaps during personal matches at the Outcast Inn?
Black Cat shook her head inwardly. None of them were right.
In that case….
“Clearance Ceremony.”
Upon hearing Black Cat’s words, Yeo Il-ye flinched. In that moment, Black Cat found certainty.
“Did you perhaps confess to the senior back then?”
“Confession? That’s not all.”
Yeo Il-ye fiddled with her lips. The meaningful gesture caused Black Cat’s expression to harden. No way? Before me?
Yeo Il-ye locked her gaze onto Black Cat’s, which shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“I even applied some saliva.”
With Yeo Il-ye’s declaration, Black Cat instinctively closed her eyes. That was an absolutely dizzying and mind-boggling revelation!
In the midst of that chaos, Black Cat felt something fiery brewing deep within her.
It was anger.
It wasn’t just simple anger; it was a catalyst that ignited long-hidden grievances toward Yeo Il-ye inside her heart.
For example, when they were with Rye-ah and Black Cat had to sacrifice her share of petting time.
When Yeo Il-ye took on the role of Ho Cheon-an’s martial arts mentor, precious time together shrank.
When she felt like the frequency of contact was far too frequent while teaching Ho Cheon-an martial arts.
There were grievances that had been buried deep beneath the urgent situation and Ho Cheon-an’s astounding martial arts progress that now surged forth.
“…It seems we have much to clear up between us.”
“Yes, I’ve been thinking the same.”
Certainly, Yeo Il-ye too must have had her grievances toward Black Cat.
How many times had she been asked by Ho Cheon-an to keep an eye on Black Cat?
Every time, Yeo Il-ye had yielded various things to maintain a cordial relationship with Black Cat.
“For the sake of the senior’s growth.”
“For the sake of Honorable Person’s request.”
The two, who had been suppressing their discontent toward each other for Ho Cheon-an, began to gather their Qi.
Kaaah!
Sssss!
Yeo Il-ye’s vast inner strength caused wind to whip throughout the training hall as Black Cat’s Nine Yin technique spread, frosting the ground.
And.
Kwaaaang!
The clash of their powerful energies heralded the beginning of their duel.
