“No, you really don’t need to go that far for me...”

I waved my hands when the two elders said they would teach me a martial art they had created.

I hadn’t been asking them to pass down their martial arts.

It was only because if I contracted Moji and Soji, I might gain their abilities, and so I wanted to learn a martial art related to healing.

Moji and Soji’s ability was healing.

And to use it, I figured I needed at least one healing-related martial art of my own. That was why I sought their advice.

'In fantasy worlds, healers are nobles. Well, I wanted to become a noble too.'

Then Yakseon Elder thundered at me.

“You brat, what nonsense have you been listening to? Learning just anything won’t help you!”

And then came Uiseon Elder’s kind voice.

Their carrot and stick.

“Yes, So-ryong. Martial arts related to healing are really only Naega-yosang Art or acupuncture. But with your lack of knowledge about meridians, acupuncture would be useless to you right now. That leaves Naega-yosang Art. And if you only learn the low-grade Naega-yosang Art floating around in Murim, it won’t help much.”

“Right. Such petty Naega-yosang Arts barely stabilize qi, and even that with difficulty.”

From what I had already heard from Hwa-eun and Gun Hye-rin, martial arts related to healing were basically just acupuncture and Naega-yosang Art.

Acupuncture: injecting internal energy into needles to achieve superior effects over ordinary acupuncture.

Naega-yosang Art: using one’s own qi to stabilize another’s qi when they suffer internal injuries.

That matched what the two elders were saying now. But apparently, learning just any technique would be a problem.

“I-I see...”

I scratched my head, and Uiseon Elder spoke in his benevolent voice.

“Then, isn’t it that your children’s abilities are special powers that restore the body? In that case, it is indeed fitting for you to learn our Naega-yosang Art.

Our Naega-yosang Art is a martial skill that uses qi to repair damaged meridians and stabilize qi.”

“I see.”

Listening to their explanation, it was clear that rather than learning something random, it would be better to learn their martial art.

Moji and Soji’s ability was recovery of qi and regeneration of wounds.

I hadn’t tested it on severed limbs, but even grievous wounds damaging the viscera could be healed quickly.

So as they said, learning their art was the right choice.

Healing twisted or damaged meridians with qi was close to Moji and Soji’s ability.

I quickly bowed low.

Uiseon Elder might have let it go, but Yakseon Elder might have refused if I’d turned them down again.

From my experience with the two so far—

“Thank you, both of you.”

At my gesture, the two chuckled and said,

“Look at him, acting like he’s refusing, only to bow down flat.”

“If you’d refused one more time, I wasn’t going to teach you. You rascal.”

As expected, Yakseon Elder admitted that if I’d refused again, he would have withheld it.

But as soon as I bowed, another worry struck me.

“But... am I really allowed to learn this?”

“What do you mean? If we’re offering to teach you, what’s the problem?”

“Well, I’m the Tang Clan’s son-in-law... and you both have disciples.”

Since the source of my martial arts was the Tang Clan, I could be considered its disciple.

So I wondered if I was really allowed to learn their martial arts too.

I had already learned the Iron-Sledge Technique from the Martial Alliance Leader, but that had just been given freely.

If I received another technique for free, it would be fine... but after one such gift, I realized it wasn’t so simple.

The masters themselves thought of it as simply giving and receiving, but those around them naturally assumed I was a disciple.

Even though the Martial Alliance Leader never saw me as one, the people around him did. That had been quite troublesome.

At my words, Yakseon Elder grinned and scolded me.

“You fool! That’s something you should’ve [N O V E L I G H T] thought about before bowing! You bowed, so it’s settled.”

It was like he was saying what’s written can’t be taken back.

Within Yakseon Elder’s scolding, Uiseon Elder added,

“It’s fine. We’re not taking you as a disciple. This martial art is one even our disciples cannot easily learn.

Without sufficient internal energy, it cannot be used.

We created it, but even we collapse after treating just one part of the body. As a Flower Realm master, you should be able to wield it well.

If you’re that worried, I’ll get Mandok Shingun’s approval for you.”

If they would even get Mandok Shingun’s permission, then clearly they weren’t concerned about appearances.

I spoke cautiously.

“No, I’m grateful if you would even get Grandfather Mandok Shingun’s permission. But, you see, after receiving the Alliance Leader’s martial art as a gift, I realized—it’s not a simple matter. He and I don’t see it that way, but the people around us do...”

I barely finished before Yakseon Elder shouted.

“You brat! If you can learn such a fine martial art for free, you should endure that much!”

“R-Really?”

Well, yes. Their martial art was practically a treasure.

I should accept it even if it meant enduring others’ stares.

As I scratched my head, impatient Yakseon Elder called outside.

“Someone out there, fetch Mandok Shingun.”

And shortly after, Grandfather Mandok Shingun arrived. Without preamble, they said,

“We intend to pass down our sect’s martial art to So-ryong. That’s all right, isn’t it?”

“To So-ryong, the two of you?”

“Yes. It’s a martial art we created late in life. So-ryong says he needs such a skill, and we also wish to entrust it to someone who will use it properly. We’re not talking about forming a disciple bond.”

Grandfather Mandok Shingun looked at me and nodded.

“So-ryong, you are receiving a great favor. You must treat them as if they were your parents.”

“Yes, Grandfather.”

It was like saying—even if not a disciple, I should still show utmost respect.

I answered respectfully, and Yakseon Elder approached with a grin.

“Then shall we begin right away?”

“Right now?”

I knew he was hasty, but at his words I widened my eyes. Grandfather Mandok Shingun just laughed heartily and headed for the door.

“Then I’ll excuse myself.”

Clearly, he was stepping aside because it would be discourteous to witness the passing of a martial art—especially at the very moment of transmission.

But Uiseon Elder waved his hand.

“No need. It’s not as though it has any set forms. You may stay.”

“Is that so?”

As soon as the Martial Alliance Leader—who had half-risen—sat back down, Yakseon Elder turned to Uiseon Elder.

“It seems I should do it, right?”

“Then I’ll do it, brother?”

“Come on! We’re hardly different in age! Even my bones ache in the winter these days... Guess there’s no helping it. Uwek!”

I was wondering what on earth they were talking about when, the moment they reached some agreement, Yakseon Elder suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Startled, I shouted,

“Yakseon Elder!”

As I rushed to support him, he tousled my hair and said,

“It’s fine. To learn this martial art, someone has to take an internal injury.”

“What?”

While I was reeling from those words, Uiseon Elder guided my hand to Yakseon Elder’s chest and spoke.

“Close your eyes and carefully sense how I move the qi.”

So that was it—Naega-yosang Art was a martial art for treating internal injuries.

Which meant they had deliberately created a patient on the spot for me to practice on.

By reversing qi circulation or overstraining the flow.

“No way...”

I faltered, but the treatment began.

“Stay focused. If you don’t grasp it in one go, this old man will have to suffer again.”

“Yes, So-ryong, stay sharp. At my age, doing this twice would kill me.”

At their words, I shut my eyes tight, and Uiseon Elder’s voice followed.

“First, as if you were exhaling qi through your fingertips, release your qi.”

Following his instructions, I released qi, and it seeped into Yakseon Elder’s chest against my will.

Then came the flow of moving qi.

“Here—this is the dantian. If it shatters, you lose your martial arts. And when you suffer internal injuries, the meridians around it are usually damaged.

The great force that begins in the dantian harms the meridians.

So treatment goes like this: now, inject ten times the qi.”

As he said, I poured tenfold qi through my palm.

My internal energy spread into Yakseon Elder’s chest.

I felt my qi wrap completely around his dantian, then the qi clogging it began to loosen and spread outward.

“You suppress the dantian to prevent further damage to the meridians, then use qi to stimulate the wounded meridians, muscles, and bones around it.”

From the sound of it, it wasn’t about healing him directly with my qi—it was about using my qi to activate his body’s natural healing ability.

As the energy spread, I began to feel Yakseon Elder’s meridians around the dantian stabilize quickly.

“Do you understand the feeling?”

“Yes.”

“Then try moving it yourself from the beginning.”

I withdrew my qi briefly, then tried again from the start just as I had been taught.

After a few minutes, Yakseon Elder suddenly spewed out dark blood.

“Uwek!”

The fact that he vomited that black-red blood meant the internal injury had been healed.

“Oh! That was fast?”

I looked surprised at how quickly the treatment worked, but Uiseon Elder smirked and said,

“It’s only because I gave him a small wound, knowing he’d be the patient.”

“No, brother, if you’d made it any bigger, he’d have been bedridden for days even after the treatment. What are you talking about!”

“Enough. Next is the leg.”

“Ggh.”

Yakseon Elder bit his lip, grimacing in pain.

Seeing my alarmed face, Uiseon Elder explained with a smile.

“Usually when we say ‘internal injury,’ we mean the dantian. But that’s not the only case. Any wound caused by forcing qi upward is an internal injury.

If the meridians are damaged, it’s all internal injury. Now I’ll teach you how to treat limbs.”

At that, I asked carefully,

“Then after this, will it be the arm?”

“Yes. Arms, legs, hands and feet—that should be enough. As for the head, even we’ve never treated that. You’ll have to develop that yourself.”

“But... Yakseon Elder, are you really all right?”

At his age, with injuries to his arms, legs, and dantian...

I couldn’t help but worry.

***

As I expected, Yakseon Elder ended up bedridden.

Even for a younger man it would have been hard. Having taken wounds all over, his qi was the issue despite being treated.

Because what Naega-yosang Art does is draw on one’s natural healing ability—which is no different from burning through one’s qi reserves.

“I’m sorry. It’s because of me.”

“Bah, nonsense. What annoys me is that I’m sick, yet I still have to boil my own medicine.”

So for two days I studied Naega-yosang Art—and then it was time to depart.

The destination was the capital of the Daewol Kingdom.

We prepared to leave at sundown, and as we did, Bini grumbled while seeing us off.

Tzrrt. 『And I can’t go again.』

Because Hyang was small and served as armor, and Cho helped with transport, they always came along. But Bini, being large and unable to fly, couldn’t follow, so she was sulky.

“I’ll be back quickly, Bini. I’m sorry.”

Chrr. 『Fine. Pee.』

Still, she had grown a little—her whining had lessened.

I hugged her tightly in farewell. Then Sister Jeokwol carried me into the sky, with Gun Hye-rin, Hwa-eun, and the princess following, riding Cho and Yeondu upward.

'Please, let it not be the worst...'

As we departed, I prayed in my heart that the situation was not the very worst.