Chapter 18
The Jin patriarch, thirty warriors of the family, Jin Myeong-woo, and Jin So-hee all departed for the Changbaek Sect.
Jang Seo-yeong was there to see them off in the courtyard.
Only Jang Seo-yeong and I now remained at the Jin estate. I watched the departing group disappear into the distance, then finished seeing them off.
'So it begins.'
Having obtained authority as acting head and the elixir, I smiled as I considered how to win over Jang Seo-yeong.
I headed to the family head's office first. As the acting head, I had work to attend to.
Most of it involved managing the family's businesses and processing documents. The Jin patriarch's chief steward advised me and assisted with my work. With his help, I was able to handle everything without difficulty.
"Young Master, these are documents concerning the businesses around us. The family head has always considered this area important…."
I nodded at the chief steward's words. There was still a mountain of paperwork piled on the desk.
'How boring.'
The elixir tucked inside my clothes felt heavy. Once my work was finished, I needed to decide how to use it.
The work ended quickly. There was less to handle as acting head than I had expected.
The sun set, and moonlight began shining into the room. Now all that remained was to take the elixir. I didn't call Seol-hee that night; instead, I quietly sat cross-legged in my room.
Then I took the elixir from the box. A small, silver, bead-shaped pill glittered faintly. It was a precious medicine—the Jin family's elixir, capable of raising one's internal energy by an entire level.
'This should make me stronger.'
I placed the elixir glowing softly in my palm into my mouth.
At first, I tasted sweetness. Then, a warm energy slowly rose from my dantian. The heat gradually spread along my meridians.
I maintained a steady breath while sitting cross-legged. I could feel the elixir's energy circulating through my body and raising my internal energy by a level.
'This is going more smoothly than I expected.'
The energy gathered in my dantian grew even fuller. I could feel a deeper, more profound internal energy than before.
I quietly absorbed the elixir's effects in my room. I smiled as I slowly felt the changes taking place within my body.
Once the elixir had been completely absorbed, my body felt considerably lighter. Along with the rise in my internal energy, a new strength enveloped my entire body.
***
Several days passed after I absorbed the elixir. I could now handle my work alone without the chief steward's help.
After finishing my work quickly, I sat in the family head's office chair and received fellatio from Seol-hee. She was eagerly servicing me beneath the desk.
"Slurp… slurp…"
Her lips gently enveloped my cock. Each time her tongue stimulated the glans, pleasure coursed through me.
I grabbed Seol-hee's head and pushed my cock farther in. When it penetrated deep into her throat, Seol-hee gasped for breath.
"Hngh!"
Then I filled her mouth with semen. Her mouth was full of it.
"Gulp… gulp…"
She swallowed every drop without spilling a single one. It was obscene to watch her lick even the semen from the corners of her mouth.
"You may stand now.“
Seol-hee rose, placed her hands on the desk, and thrust out her hips seductively. The white flesh peeking out from beneath her skirt was alluring.
"…Young Master, won't you taste my pussy too?"
Seol-hee beckoned to me with an obscene expression. Her juices were trickling from beneath her skirt.
When I stood, her body trembled with anticipation. The taboo of doing this in the family head's office seemed to excite her even more.
-SMACK!
A bright red handprint appeared on Seol-hee's white buttocks with a sound like a whip. A sweet moan escaped her lips.
"Ahh!"
"That's enough for today. I have to go train.“
She looked up at me with a disappointed expression.
"Looking at me like that won't help. I'll give you plenty of attention tonight, so be patient."
"Yes… You have to tonight!"
Her voice was filled with anticipation.
I headed out of the office, leaving Seol-hee behind. To completely absorb the elixir's effects, I needed to train consistently.
I headed behind the estate. When I arrived, an old man was waiting for me in a small clearing.
"You've come."
"Yes, Elder."
I respectfully greeted the old man standing before me. In the Jin family, he was the strongest martial artist after the Jin patriarch.
'Gu Do-gwang.'
He was a martial artist who had reached the first-rate realm.
He was an old man who had led the Jin family alongside the previous family head. I had asked him to help with my training. I had expected him to refuse at first, so I was surprised when he readily agreed.
"Today, I'll simply assess your abilities. I heard you took an elixir."
"Yes, Father gave it to me."
"Hmm. Taking an elixir when your foundation in internal energy was so weak was dangerous. But it seems your body accepted it well."
Gu Do-gwang's gaze sharpened. The air of a martial artist could be felt in his eyes.
"To be honest, I still can't believe you're taking up training. Do you think you can endure it?"
"Yes, Elder."
A smile flitted across Gu Do-gwang's lips at my answer.
"Then let's see what you can do. Come at me."
Gu Do-gwang's voice brimmed with vigor. His aura was sharp enough to belie his age.
I drew my sword. I felt the internal energy gathered in my dantian flow through my entire body. It was an energy deepened by the elixir.
Gu Do-gwang stood in a relaxed stance without even holding a weapon. The pressure radiating from nothing but his gaze was immense.
'Is this the strength of a first-rate master…'
His presence was far more imposing than I had expected…. I raised my sword and assumed an offensive stance.
"What are you doing, moving as slowly as a grub? Come on.“
I raised my sword toward Gu Do-gwang and charged.
Gu Do-gwang's palm came flying through the air. I slashed at his hand with my sword, but his palm slipped past the blade like a ghost and flew toward my chest.
-THUD!
I went rolling across the ground from a single blow. Blood sprayed from my mouth.
"Hahaha. Contrary to what that Jin fellow said, you're hopeless."
Gu Do-gwang's voice rang in my ears. Before I could even stand, his foot flew toward my stomach.
-BOOM!
My body went flying through the air once more. Every part of me ached.
'Damn it.'
The internal energy I had raised with the elixir and the stats I had built up were both useless before him. The wall separating me from a first-rate master was this high.
"How long are you planning to lie on the ground?"
Gu Do-gwang slowly approached. Each of his steps radiated pressure.
I stood again and assumed my stance. No further attack came. Gu Do-gwang seemed to be contemplating something as he watched me.
"That's enough for today. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin your serious training."
"…Thank you."
Gu Do-gwang nodded and turned away.
The next day, Gu Do-gwang's voice cut through the dawn air. The training ground was still cold.
"Your foundation is ruined from the ground up. Your swordsmanship is like trying to crush the weak with sheer strength…."
I nodded at his words. Indeed, when I thought back on all my fights since the Dungeon Conquest, I remembered little besides overpowering everything with brute strength.
The only person who had come close to me was Jin Myeong-woo, and even then, I had gained the upper hand through the physical abilities raised by my stats.
"We'll begin with your breathing. Sit cross-legged."
I sat down in position. Gu Do-gwang examined my posture.
"Breathe in and gather your qi in your dantian. Slowly."
I followed his instructions and inhaled. When I tried to gather qi in my dantian, my unstable internal energy scattered.
"No. You're trying to do it too quickly. Slow down further and let it flow naturally."
I tried again. This time, I breathed as slowly and naturally as possible. A faint energy began gathering in my dantian.
"That's it. Gather the qi, then slowly spread it throughout your body."
The energy in my dantian began flowing along my meridians. It was unstable at first, but gradually became smoother.
When the sun had climbed high into the sky, Gu Do-gwang spoke.
"It's becoming more stable now. But you still have a long way to go.""…..""We'll continue tomorrow, so that's enough for today. Keep practicing your breathing."
I stayed in the training ground and kept practicing. I still had a long way to go.
Training continued even after the sun set. The energy gathered in my dantian gradually grew more stable.
'I'm finally starting to get a feel for it.'
As the sun began to set, Seol-hee approached.
"Young Master, I brought you dinner."
"Thank you."
She sat beside me and carefully fed me the food she had brought.
Days passed like this.
Training continued every day, and I was gradually improving under Gu Do-gwang's tutelage.
"You're finally starting to look the part.“
After receiving Gu Do-gwang's instruction, I could clearly feel my breathing growing steadier.
"Now we'll move on to the next step."
His gaze changed. I sensed that true training was only beginning now…
"Pick up your sword."
At Gu Do-gwang's words, I drew my sword.
”I'll stand still, so attack me.“
I swung my sword at Gu Do-gwang.
"You have far too many openings."
Gu Do-gwang deflected my sword barehanded.
"All your movements are rigidly patterned. And yet, something is strange. Your swordsmanship is complete, but…"
His palm brushed past me and struck my chest.
-THUD!
My body was pushed backward.
"You aren't using your body properly. Your upper and lower body are moving separately."
Gu Do-gwang slowly circled me. His gaze swept over the flaws in my posture.
"The strength from your waist and legs drops away whenever you swing your sword. That's why your center loses balance every time you attack."
He blocked my sword barehanded again. My stance collapsed in an instant.
-THUD!
His palm clipped my shoulder, making me stagger.
"Did you see? Your sword carries none of the strength from your waist and legs. You swing using only your arms, so your balance collapses."
'I see…'
Until now, I had relied solely on my Advanced Swordsmanship trait to swing with my arm strength. I had overlooked the importance of my lower body.
"Assume your stance again. This time, watch my movements carefully."
Gu Do-gwang raised his sword. I saw how his feet and waist moved as one.
Every time he planted his foot, he stamped forcefully against the ground, using the recoil to twist his waist. That force flowed directly into his sword.
'Is this true swordsmanship…'
"I can see your next move clearly. Your fundamentals are good, but you're too formulaic."
Gu Do-gwang was right. The Advanced Swordsmanship trait had given me perfect technique, but that was nothing more than the 'basics.' I had never learned how to respond unpredictably in actual combat.
"I'll show you just how sloppy your movements are."
Gu Do-gwang's sword cut through the air. A sharp aura completely different from before emanated from it.
I raised my sword and blocked his attack.
-CLANG!
"Look at how rigid your stance is."
His sword slid smoothly up along mine.
-SMACK!
His sword slammed into my wrist, and I dropped the sword I had been holding.
"A perfect stance can sometimes allow an enemy to predict your next move. In actual combat, what's important is surviving even when your stance falls apart."
His sword came flying at me again.