Even if I’d realized Poison King’s little trick, maybe it would have been better to go back and press him. But when I checked ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) right after, the lights in Poison King’s quarters were already out.

‘That really is one sly old man.’

It was still early, so there was no way he’d be asleep already. That was purely—

‘—him telling me not to come back.’

Don’t come today.

That was what he was saying to me. Sure, maybe he actually was sleepy. His face had looked tired all through the banquet.

So there was a chance he’d really gone to bed.

‘But if you ask me, no way.’

Looking at Poison King’s personality, that didn’t feel like the real reason.

‘Tsk.’

Even if I thought so, it was awkward to barge in now. I had to head back for the moment.

Thinking that, I moved my feet.

With the night getting late, I wondered if I should go to my quarters.

But my steps didn’t head for my quarters.

They headed for the training grounds.

I still had sword swings left to do.

SWIIISH—!! SWISH—!!

The sword moved roughly, slicing through the wind.

I hadn’t lit any lamps so it was somewhat dark, but darkness wasn’t a problem for me.

Ever since Moon Eyes opened, night had become my advantage.

THUD—!

As I stomped the ground with my toes, I checked my flaws in my head at the same time.

‘Too much force. Cut it next time.’

I’d used more muscle than necessary, and I’d bent too much for no reason.

FWOOSH—!! The sword cut through empty air again.

‘This time my waist lacked power.’

The angle at my fingertips.

The power in my waist.

The movement of my wrist when I twist.

The difference in direction and speed at the sword tip caused by that.

As if I refused to miss even a single grain of error, I kept recalling every motion.

FWAAAAK—!!!

Blue light burst out in the darkness.

Blue Moon Sword Dance, First Form.

Moon Wave.

It was steadier and brighter than the first time I’d used it.

I could endure the recoil I’d felt back then to some degree now.

Thanks to that, I had less wobble, and it was much easier to execute.

‘Next.’

I linked the movement and raised my sword up toward the sky.

Then—

SWIAAASH—!!!

The sword tip slashed down toward the ground, splitting the darkness.

With the sound of air tearing open, a gust of pressure rushed out.

KOOOAAAH—!!

Blue Moon Sword Dance, Second Form.

Night Moon.

It looks like a simple downward cut, but if anything it’s harder to use than Moon Wave.

‘Only looks simple, that’s the problem.’

The flow of energy that goes in here, and keeping it stable while packing it into a single plain motion.

Yoo Cheongil had made it look effortless, but that was exactly why it was harder.

To carry the vast meaning of night—

a downward cut was too simple a shape.

Trying to paint depth inside that simplicity makes it endlessly difficult and complex.

‘Even finding the center is awkward.’

If I put too much strength into my legs, the motion breaks.

But if I loosen up, the energy unravels.

I am managing to use the art somehow, but—

‘There’s too much to think about.’

Using this in real combat was still hard for me.

What do I have to do to fix it?

I’d known the answer ages ago.

‘...What else. Train.’

If I’m too weak to control the recoil—

then I get strong enough that I can.

Knowing that is why I’m doing this crap in the middle of the night.

“Whew...”

I stopped my moving body and breathed out.

While settling my ragged breathing, I moved my hands and loosened what I had strapped on.

THUD—! THUD THUD—!

Sandbags fell to the floor in a heavy heap. One on each arm, and one on each ankle.

With all that weight off, it finally felt better.

“Agh.”

No matter how much I do it, it’s boring as hell. I’m sick of it, and yet I still do it every single day.

[Done?]

As I unfastened the sandbags, Yoo Cheongil asked.

“Yeah. More or less.”

I wanted to do more, but I’d only just taken off the bandages, so pushing too hard was a bad idea.

‘Funny.’

I thought as I looked at the arm that had been wrapped.

‘Is it because my realm went up? My recovery’s really fast.’

They say even if a master gets hurt, as long as they weren’t cut off or crushed, they heal in a few days and walk around fine.

Seems that’s exactly how it is.

Even now, as long as I’m careful, moving my arm doesn’t feel like a problem.

I was planning to do more barehanded training after this, but the sword practice was done.

Except for one last thing.

“Ss—”

I steadied my breathing. In that moment—

KIIIIING—! Internal energy moved inside me, spread through my channels, and flowed into my body.

It was the energy of Blue Moon Heart Art.

It flooded my body.

With the sandbags gone, the response felt much lighter and stronger.

Feeling that, I raised the sword.

“Whew.”

Energy mixed in with my breath as it came out.

That was the biggest change I’d felt after climbing into first-rate.

‘Can I do it?’

The doubt comes up, but I don’t hesitate over it.

Whether it works or not—

I can’t stop.

CLENCH—!

I tightened my grip on the sword and applied the energy.

FWAH—!

Blue energy began to connect, strand by strand, like threading a needle.

[Hooh.]

Yoo Cheongil’s reaction brushed my ear.

I ignored it and kept going.

‘Back then, this old man...’

What shape did he use?

How did he move the energy, how did he pack it in?

‘Remember. Pull it up.’

The first time, I’d pictured the moon.

The second time, I’d made night.

So for the third—

‘Something that pours out a brilliant light.’

To pour light into a moon that rises and stacks in night.

To express that on the sword.

That was the third Blue Moon Sword Dance Yoo Cheongil had shown me.

So—

FSSSSSS—!!!

—I layered light onto my sword to mimic it.

That energy.

That method.

I remembered all of it and poured it into the blade.

If I do it like this, I should be able to form sword force like Yoo Cheongil did.

Thinking that, the light gradually rose along the sword, but—

the light that built up—

POP—! CRACK—!

“...!”

—couldn’t reach the tip.

It shattered and collapsed.

“...Damn.”

Fragments of energy scattering down to the floor.

Seeing their shape, I clicked my tongue.

‘Failure.’

I failed.

‘What was the problem this time?’

I don’t know. What was wrong?

Using the energy and shaping it didn’t feel that different.

“Hm.”

With the rest, I could see what to fix on my own, but this alone—I couldn’t.

CLICK.

I slid the sword back into its sheath and looked up into empty air.

Yoo Cheongil was there in the darkness, staring at me.

“How do you do this?”

I asked flat-out.

“I feel like I did everything I could, but something’s off.”

Was my energy amount too small? No. When Yoo Cheongil used my body, he had less energy than I do now.

‘Then is it the way I’m applying it?’

Or maybe it’s because my body isn’t fully healed yet, but—

‘...I don’t know.’

Either way I couldn’t be sure, so asking the guy who knew the answer was best.

But—

[Hmm. Hmmm.]

Yoo Cheongil looked at me with odd eyes and tilted his head.

Ah, no. That ugly look always meant trouble.

Sure enough, Yoo Cheongil made a face like he was pondering.

That wasn’t a “how should I explain this” face.

That was a “should I tell you or not” face.

Seriously, what a rotten old man.

“...Can’t you just tell me? Don’t go pulling some petty stunt again.”

[Huh? Look at this brat. Who’s being petty? I’m just pondering because I’m thinking how to explain it as kindly as possible.]

Yeah, right.

He knows and I know that’s bullshit.

[Hmm.]

After mulling it over like that, Yoo Cheongil finally nodded.

[I can tell you, sure, but explaining it with words sounds like kind of a pain.]

“...Then what, are you going to possess me again?”

If he was going to show me one more time, that wasn’t bad.

But—

‘Feels like you’re short on possession time.’

I figured he’d overused it in the archive, so he wouldn’t have much time left.

Maybe it wasn’t just my guess, because the old man said, sounding troubled.

[No, that might be hard... hmm.]

Tap tap. He tapped his thick fingers against his monstrous forearm.

How hard could this explanation be?

[Fine. Let’s sleep first and think about it after. That’ll be better.]

“...No...”

So you’re telling me nothing. I was stunned.

When I looked at him with my face twisted up, Yoo Cheongil made an awkward expression.

[Don’t glare so scary. I really think I can explain it well after I sleep.]

“What does sleeping now have to do with any of this?”

[You sleep and your head turns faster and your body heals quicker, isn’t that how it works?]

“Give me a break. You don’t sleep, old man.”

[......]

Yoo Cheongil looked like he’d lost his words.

Watching that, I shook my head.

‘Even if I pick a fight with him like this...’

When has that man ever once backed down to me.

“Ugh.”

I picked up the sandbags I’d thrown on the floor.

As I got ready to leave, Yoo Cheongil asked with a puzzled face.

[Huh? Why are you wrapping up? You said you were going to train more.]

“You told me to go sleep. And I can’t really do more anyway.”

I thought about pushing it, but my condition said rest was the right call.

[Hmm? Okay...?]

Yoo Cheongil reacted like he was disappointed, but he didn’t push me to keep going.

I brushed myself off roughly and walked out of the training ground.

How much time had passed since I started?

Judging by where the moon was, I’d trained for a decent while.

‘Strange.’

It really is strange.

I should have a mountain of things to think about, but the moment I start training, none of it comes up.

Before, most of my time was eaten by stray thoughts.

Even now, honestly, I’m in a situation where I should be thinking about other things first.

‘...Heaven-Breaking Palace, Special-grade weapons, stuff like that.’

Those bastards whose faces I don’t even know.

The compensation Tang promised.

And even besides that—

‘...Yeongsun, too. And on top of that.’

Jegal Jin.

This connection to the Jegal Clan that popped out of nowhere should be on my mind right now, too.

But instead of thinking about any of it, the instant I started training, I got sucked in.

“Hm.”

How did I end up like this?

I wasn’t this bad before.

‘This is all that old man’s fault.’

If I have to pin the blame on someone, Yoo Cheongil is the obvious culprit.

What else can I say.

‘After seeing that, how could I forget it.’

Even saying “seeing” is funny.

I used such an art with my own body.

I can’t forget it, so I keep grabbing the sword.

Because it feels like I have to, no matter what.

So I end up lifting it.

What’s even funnier is—

‘It’s fun.’

Learning martial arts and training is fun.

Me, who used to think all martial artists were perverts and recoil inside—

I feel like I’m slowly becoming just like them.

It’s uncomfortable.

But at the same time—

it feels good.

Ridiculously so.

I returned to my quarters and went to sleep first.

Partly because of what Yoo Cheongil said.

But also because even if I ignore that, there’s a lot I need to do once I wake up.

I wanted to wrap things up fast and get out of Sichuan, too.

Thinking that, I fell asleep.

And then—

“...Ah, you goddamn bastard.”

A world that had turned completely white.

The moment I opened my eyes there, I had to spit out a curse.

Because it was a place I knew far too well.

And in a very bad way.