“Miss Ju, stay at the inn today.”
At Kwak Yeon’s words, Ju Yeoryeong looked bewildered and asked,
“What’s with that all of a sudden?”
“Aren’t you tired from looking after So-cheong every single day without rest?”
“Not at all.”
Ju Yeoryeong shook her head firmly and asked,
“Be honest. What are you up to?”
“......”
“You do know your thoughts are completely see-through, right?”
“I know.”
At Kwak Yeon’s imdiate acknowledgnt, Ju Yeoryeong clicked her tongue and said,
“What kind of Daoist lies that often? Even just yesterday—wouldn’t it have been better to just expose right then and there that it was all the Sang Gwan Family’s doing?”
“Do you think that would’ve resolved the matter?”
Ju Yeoryeong paused to think, then nodded.
“Well, that’s true. That Sang Gwan Family Head really was sothing else, after all.”
Ju Yeoryeong stopped speaking for a mont and looked at Kwak Yeon with a curious expression.
“But you were one step above that Family Head. Do they teach stuff like that at Wudang?”
“They don’t teach it separately.”
“I was joking, joking. You going all serious like that makes feel embarrassed.”
“......”
“Still, you’re honestly so strange. Sotis you’re like a true Daoist, and other tis like a strategist who’ll stop at nothing. And your hands aren’t exactly gentle, either.”
“It seems your grandmother entrusted you to because she found those very traits dependable.”
“In any case, if you won’t tell what you’re scheming, I’m going to go see So-cheong today too.”
“......”
“There’s no one else to take care of her but , is there? And the sooner she starts talking, the sooner we—no, you—can leave this place, right?”
“That’s why I’m asking you to stay behind today.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“So-cheong has co out into the world thanks to your efforts so far. Now it’s ti to lift the final fear.”
“So you're saying you're going to handle it today? And how exactly?”
“......”
At Kwak Yeon’s calm gaze, Ju Yeoryeong had no choice but to nod.
“Fine. If you insist that much, I’ll stay at the inn for today.”
“Thank you.”
As Ju Yeoryeong silently watched Kwak Yeon leave the inn’s dining hall, she noticed he was carrying a cloth-wrapped object.
‘Why on earth is he bringing that monstrous thing?’
After thinking for a mont, Ju Yeoryeong shook her head fiercely.
“Whatever.”
****
Wang Cheol-go’s barn was in the final stages of reconstruction.
Since skilled carpenters and stonemasons had built it, it was now larger and sturdier than before.
“Taoist Kwak, thank you so much.”
Wang Cheol-go greeted Kwak Yeon with a bright face.
“I got the land deeds back yesterday. Everyone in the village is grateful to you, sir.”
Kwak Yeon, noticing a hint of unease still lingering in Wang Cheol-go’s smile, spoke.
“Brother Wang, the King of Flas Syndicate’s docunts and contracts no longer exist. So no one will co looking for anything again.”
Kwak Yeon had burned all the docunts retrieved from the Cheongwu rchant House Lord’s safe.
To Wang Cheol-go, Kwak Yeon was no different from an immortal—his words moved him deeply.
“Thank you. Truly... thank you.”
Gu Chun-yang, the forr constable clerk, ca out from the barn.
“Taoist Kwak, you’re here.”
His face was visibly brighter than before, though his clothes and hands were still covered in dirt and dust.
“Yesterday, the Grand Scholar summoned us.”
He rushed to speak, as if he had been waiting for Kwak Yeon just to say this.
“He asked if we’d consider settling down here. So we’ve decided to open village schools. During the day, we’ll farm too. Honestly, after quitting the clerk work, we were all at a loss for how to make a living... but! I hold no resentnt toward you, Taoist!”
“......”
“That’s why everyone is pitching in with labor. We’re villagers now too. I’ve paid my respects, so I’ll get back to work. Got things to finish.”
As Gu Chun-yang reentered the barn, he shouted loudly,
“Let’s hurry up, folks! We’ve still got plenty to do!”
Kwak Yeon felt an indescribable emotion rise within him.
The constables’ transformation had co too suddenly. Even if their circumstances had changed...
‘Were they not such bad people to begin with?’
He recalled the saying: a position can make a man—or break him.
‘If they get their hands on even a sliver of power again, they might change back.’
Kwak Yeon rembered Master Hyeon-hae’s teachings: the human heart is never just one thing.
“As the of yesterday is not the of today, so too shall the of tomorrow be different still. Because the heart changes with each mont.”
Such differences, he’d said, are what give rise to anguish, and in turn, lay the foundation for contemplation and growth.
He vaguely began to understand Master’s words about how even a butterfly fluttering over a swamp embodied the Dao.
‘In any case, it was right not to take their lives. I didn’t need to agonize over whether I was worthy to do so.’
He realized he was beginning to form his own standard for who truly deserved to die.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Kwak Yeon turned, and Wang Cheol-go spoke cautiously.
“I’m truly thankful a village school is being set up. So-cheong won’t grow up a blind fool like her father.”
“......”
“To be honest, falling into the King of Flas Syndicate’s trap... that was because I’m illiterate.”
Kwak Yeon could feel the desperate sincerity in the father’s words.
Still, seeing such positive change lifted his mood.
“Brother Wang, is So-cheong in her room?”
“She’s out in the backyard today. Seems she’s still a bit uncomfortable around the front courtyard. But... Miss Ju...?”
“She’s taking a break today.”
“Ah! I see. It’s a hard thing, looking after a child, after all.”
“I’ll take care of So-cheong today. Please tend to your work.”
“Taoist, I’m so ashad.”
****
In the backyard, So-cheong was staring at a butterfly perched on the broom-brush fence.
“Want to catch that butterfly for you?”
Startled, So-cheong turned to look at Kwak Yeon.
“......?”
Reading the question in her eyes, Kwak Yeon spoke.
“Your sister’s tired today, so she’s taking a break. Let’s play together instead. How about it?”
So-cheong nodded.
“But do we really have to catch that butterfly?”
“......”
“I an... wouldn’t that make the butterfly suffer? Isn’t a butterfly more butterfly-like when it’s flying freely?”
So-cheong nodded again.
“Good. Then let’s play a different ga. It’s called the ‘Bravery Ga.’ If you don’t flinch no matter what you see, you win.”
“......?”
“Just like when you held on to the marble. You can do it, right?”
Nod, nod.
Seeing her nod, Kwak Yeon said,
“If you win, I’ll give you a prize.”
So-cheong’s eyes sparkled.
Looking into her expectant eyes, Kwak Yeon hesitated for a mont.
‘Is she truly ready?’
When she had clutched the marble, he’d believed she was.
“To dress a wound, you must first expose it. It will hurt at first, but only then can you apply dicine and bind it tightly. That is the proper way to heal.”
Kwak Yeon recalled what Elder Jang had said while tossing knotted firewood into the stove.
‘Yes, if I leave it be, she’ll grow warped and eventually break.’
Kwak Yeon activated the Primordial Harmonious Art. Soon, the soft pulse of True Source Qi enveloped the child’s body.
He began unwrapping the cloth bundle he had brought.
The black bakdo gradually revealed itself.
“......!”
So-cheong flinched and tried to back away.
‘No!’
Instead of shouting, Kwak Yeon t her gaze and shook his head.
She trembled, but eventually stopped.
A surge of emotion welled up in Kwak Yeon’s chest.
Because he could understand just how much courage this child had summoned.
“So-cheong, you won.”
As he reached out to pat her head, she flinched and dodged.
Kwak Yeon realized she hadn’t fully shed her shell.
He pulled his hand back and said,
“Now I’ll give you your prize for winning the ga.”
“......!”
So-cheong’s eyes widened with anticipation.
“Your father said he wished he had a big hamr. So I’m thinking of making one from this as your prize. What do you think?”
Her eyes doubled in size as she nodded.
“But I’ll need your help. Will you?”
Nod, nod!
Seeing her enthusiastic nod, Kwak Yeon dug a hollow in the center of the backyard.
Then he said,
“Bring that hunk of iron, please.”
“......”
“You promised to help, didn’t you?”
So-cheong hesitated briefly, then grabbed the bakdo’s handle and dragged it over.
“Well done. Now ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) I’ll show you so Daoist magic.”
“......?”
To the wide-eyed girl, Kwak Yeon whispered gently,
“This technique is a secret between just the two of us. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Nod, nod!
Drawing on the Yang Heart Divine Art, Kwak Yeon summoned the heat-fire force.
Wuuuuuung!
The bakdo began to glow red.
As he fed more heat into it, the blade began to soften from the tip and lt away.
Pssssssss!
Before long, the bakdo had lted entirely—even the handle—and flowed into the earthen pit, forming a lump of molten steel.
Kwak Yeon felt extre fatigue.
Though it was just ordinary iron, lting it all had consud a considerable amount of his internal qi.
Looking at So-cheong, who stared with round rabbit eyes, he said,
“I’m tired from performing the magic, so I need to rest for a mont. In the anti, I need you to watch over . Think you can do that?”
Startled, So-cheong blinked, and Kwak Yeon added,
“Rember how you guarded the marble? Just make sure no one cos too close.”
She nodded.
Kwak Yeon sat cross-legged and began circulating his qi.
During sitting ditation like this, one was completely defenseless—dangerous in any environnt.
He could’ve perford active circulation or standing ditation, but those would take longer to recover, and there were no signs of people nearby. So he chose to sit.
He also wanted So-cheong to feel like she had played a part.
Fssshhhhh...
Perhaps thanks to his deepening mastery of the Primordial Harmonious Art, just a single cycle of circulation nearly restored all of his spent energy.
Opening his eyes, Kwak Yeon saw So-cheong looking around nervously, her whole body tense.
She likely understood nothing about ditation or martial arts—but she was trying to keep her promise.
“So-cheong, it’s done. And you did really well.”
As he saw her eyes brighten, Kwak Yeon stood.
The molten iron had cooled enough for him to coat his hands with Yin energy and retrieve it, shaping it into a hamrhead.
He then pierced a hole through the center using his palm force.
It was rough in form, but the hamrhead was complete.
He picked out a sturdy piece of wood from the pile beneath the eaves and brought it over. Then he drew his Cheonggang Sword and began to shave it evenly.
Shaak! Shaak!
He made sure So-cheong watched the entire process.
It was to rid her of her fear of blades.
To show that a sword was nothing more than shaped tal—and that it wasn’t only ant to harm.
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