Becoming the Junior Sect Leader brought other changes as well.

I moved to a new residence deep within the inner garden. The house was larger, the training grounds were bigger, and the surrounding gardens and walking paths were far better than my previous residence. The number of servants attending me also increased significantly.

The first thing I did in the new residence was to rearrange the interior to my liking.

In truth, before regression, I had camped so often that I could sleep anywhere. But now, my sleeping place had become important.

As the Junior Sect Leader, I would be busy and training constantly. So this space was even more precious — it would be my refuge amid the busyness.

I replaced the bed with a large one and laid down soft, cozy, pure white bedding.

By the window where sunlight came in, I placed a desk and a comfortable chair for reading.

The bookshelf held books recommended by Hyeolcheondoma. My goal was to finish reading them all within the year, though I wasn’t sure I’d get through even half.

I pulled a book out and sat in the chair by the window.

Then I threw myself onto the bed with the book in hand, rolling around on the soft, pleasant white blankets.

“Yes, this is it.”

Lying down, I read.

Does reading poetry collections help martial arts training? It absolutely does. For the average practitioner, focusing solely on martial arts might help more, but once you reach my level...

“Ow!”

The book slipped and hit my face as I dozed off. Yes, even a master’s sword cannot evade this.

I lay on the bed for a while, enjoying a brief moment of peace. Once I got up, I’d have to train like mad and push forward. That’s why I truly appreciated this moment. Being grateful for the ordinary makes life happy.

It wasn’t just my residence that changed.

As promised to my guards, I tore down their old, cramped quarters and built a large, spacious residence with a training ground. The guards all helped the workers, so the residence was completed quickly.

I paid close attention to providing the best beds and furniture. Naturally, they all liked it.

“Thank you very much.”

Jeokyeon, their leader, thanked me on behalf of everyone. By keeping my promise, I was introducing myself as the kind of person I was.

“I will also focus on training for a while, so don’t come unless it’s important.”

I entered my personal training hall right after.

I had two training halls: one large outdoor hall and a smaller indoor one.

I trained in the indoor hall.

Though smaller than the outdoor one, it was larger than any indoor training hall I’d seen. Second only to my father’s.

You could tell at a glance—the eighteen weapons standing by the wall were far too fine for mere training tools.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were built sturdy enough to withstand any impact. Truly, becoming Junior Sect Leader changed everything.

Yes, new wine in a new bottle, new martial arts in a new training hall!

Starting serious training in the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill made my heart race.

An absolute martial art that no deception or dark magic could penetrate.

At last, the training I’d dreamed of began.

The Ninth Calamity Demon Skill consists of nine techniques.

Six are performed by a person, three by the Cheonma Spirit. Mastering just the six person techniques perfectly is enough for the pinnacle.

However, in that case, the Cheonma Spirit cannot use its techniques.

The Cheonma Spirit is strong on its own, but even stronger when it uses its techniques.

Imagine a giant like a demon king attacking as fast as a human using techniques!

So I must master all nine techniques perfectly and reach the pinnacle.

The Ninth Calamity Demon Skill was completely different from the Bitheon Sword Technique. If the Bitheon Sword Technique was swordsmanship, the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill was truly a demon skill.

Each technique consumed enormous internal energy, and its power was incomparable.

I began my training calmly, starting with the mental method.

This was the most important moment in training the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill.

If I made a mistake here, I might fall into the Path of Fire and Water. So I moved my internal energy slowly and carefully.

This was my first time training my mental method so cautiously and with such focus.

Fortunately, I succeeded in circulating internal energy around the lower dantian as the formula dictated. Without the essentials my father taught me, I would have been stuck at the mental method.

I hadn’t started technique training yet. First, I needed to be comfortable circulating energy with the mental method, then I’d begin full training.

One circulation, two, three.

After continuing like this, when I came to my senses, three hours had already passed. I was so absorbed in the mental method of the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill that I didn’t notice hunger.

Each circulation caused a different internal energy response at the dantian. I felt the gentle, grand internal energy slowly heating up.

While happy to have such an immersive martial art, I was also somewhat afraid. I sensed the path ahead was very long.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat first.”

I cooked myself today.

I chopped firewood, lit the fire, and prepared meat.

I mustn’t skimp and rush training. The more important the training, the better I should eat and rest to maintain the best body and mind.

I grilled plenty of meat and called the escort warriors to eat with me.

They were surprised I cooked myself, surprised I invited them to eat together, and even more surprised the food was edible.

“I’ll cook again next time. Look forward to it.”

Before they left, I called Jeokyeon aside.

“How’s training going?”

“They’re all doing their best.”

“I’ll check on them soon, tell them to train harder.”

“They’ll be happy.”

“Wait. Let me see your eyes.”

“They’re fine.”

“I’m not fine.”

Jeokyeon took off his eyepatch.

His eyes were redder than before. The pain must be considerable.

“If you keep enduring the pain, you’ll get a bad temper.”

I placed my palm on his eye and infused internal energy to soothe it. I could teach him how to do it, but his martial skills weren’t enough yet to achieve this effect. The eye required very delicate handling.

“This feels more comfortable than before.”

Maybe so. There might be differences I’m not aware of before and after learning the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill.

Jeokyeon bowed his head.

“Thank you, Junior Sect Leader.”

It was a small gesture for me but not for him.

“I always told the old guards I kicked out that forming attachments with escort warriors is like asking them to die for me—an underhanded act.”

I was curious how he’d respond.

Jeokyeon put his eyepatch back on.

“Whether there is attachment or not, I just fulfill my duty.”

Though it sounded cold, I knew he wasn’t guarding because he liked someone, but because he liked guarding. Yes, that was right. That’s why Ian was special.

“The meat was delicious.”

Jeokyeon bowed and left.

Though he seemed blunt and diligent, I still didn’t fully know him.

When looking at someone, you must look closely—even remove their eyepatch.

In the evening, I trained the Sicheon Secret Technique.

The problem was the Sicheon Secret Technique. The Ninth Calamity Demon Skill felt like slowly taking one step after another, but the Sicheon Secret Technique was utter darkness.

I tried this way, then that. I kept experimenting. Since it’s so difficult, no wonder the leader of Pungcheon Sect said it’s impossible.

If only someone would say, “Ah, it’s this!” — that one sentence would suffice. But no one has ever said it, so no one has succeeded yet.

Still, I didn’t give up. To reach the twelve-stage pinnacle of the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill, I must master the Sicheon Secret Technique—up to the stage where time difference is clearly perceivable.

“Ugh, I don’t know either!”

Snap!

I snapped my fingers and opened my favorite space.

A transparent sea with white sandy beaches, blue skies, broad-leafed trees, a comfortable chair, and even a little crab crawling beside it.

“Good, good!”

I flopped down there. I didn’t know why this place was so pleasant.

Lying here with my eyes closed felt wonderful. The gentle breeze made me sleepy.

The hopeful thing was that since learning the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill, the Sicheon Secret Technique’s difficulty felt somewhat eased.

Jeokyeon said his eyes felt more comfortable too; maybe the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill had some effect without me realizing.

Jeokyeon came to my residence.

“Junior Sect Leader!”

I answered from inside the training hall.

“Come in.”

When Jeokyeon entered, I wasn’t visible. Instead, incense burned in the center of the hall.

‘I definitely heard a voice inside.’

Suddenly, Jeokyeon appeared from behind, holding incense.

“Where have you been?”

I wondered if he had been practicing invisibility, but he gave a strange answer.

“I hoped to be in a different time from you.”

“Huh?”

Jeokyeon compared the incense sticks inside the hall and the one he held. Seeing they were the same length, he sighed. The Sicheon Secret Technique was a string of failures.

“What’s going on?”

Jeokyeon quickly reported after looking at the incense.

“We received news from Akingeok Valley. Cheonhwa Rujoo is leaving today.”

When we arrived at Akingeok Valley, mute guests were preparing carriages to escort Cheonhwa Rujoo.

“Aren’t you coming because you’re busy?”

“If Rujoo is leaving, of course we must come to see her off.”

Cheonhwa Rujoo hadn’t appeared yet, and only Geugak Soma was in the yard.

“Aren’t you sad?”

“I am.”

I was surprised. I expected Soma to say, “Now that your body has healed, everyone should live their own lives.”

“Then why are you letting her go? Shouldn’t she stay longer?”

“She has big dreams. I think the best way to support her is to watch from a step back.”

I hadn’t known Soma thought this way.

“That’s really admirable.”

As Soma tried to say something, Cheonhwa Rujoo appeared from inside the building.

Before leaving, she had put on pretty makeup and beautiful clothes to look good for Soma.

“Thank you for everything.”

I expressed my regret to her as she bid farewell.

“With you here, the gloomy main hall shone brightly, but now it will become darkness again.”

Cheonhwa Rujoo smiled broadly at my words.

“Though I know it’s not true, it feels good to hear it. Maybe I’m getting older.”

“Stay longer.”

She glanced at Soma and said,

“Brother’s body has healed, and he’s busy. It’s time to go.”

Her eyes hoped for Soma’s response.

This was another test!

And Soma chose the right answer, avoiding wrong ones.

“Stay longer. Work can be delayed.”

A smile appeared on Cheonhwa Rujoo’s face.

“If I said I was busy, I’d have unpacked again.”

She looked at Soma, expressing regret at parting.

The two silently gazed at each other.

That made the farewell more poignant.

She said goodbye to me too.

“You will be a fine Junior Sect Leader.”

“Can {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} you see my future?”

She shook her head.

“Not because it’s a future you cannot hear.”

“Then you should tell me. You’re my benefactor.”

The moment I saved Geugak Soma, I became her benefactor.

“Those with great fates like yours, I cannot see. You carry a fate I cannot bear.”

She added finally,

“Please take good care of our brother.”

As always, I replied with the same greeting.

“That’s what I should say!”

With that, Cheonhwa Rujoo left.

Having come for the first time in a while, I didn’t want to leave, so I walked Akingeok Valley with Soma.

I confided in him.

“My martial arts training has hit a wall recently.”

“If even the Junior Sect Leader is stuck, it must be a tremendous martial art.”

He probably guessed the Ninth Calamity Demon Skill was the problem, but the real issue was the Sicheon Secret Technique.

After a moment of silence, Soma suddenly spoke of Cheonhwa Rujoo.

“You said earlier how great your feelings for her are.”

“It’s not easy to watch over someone like that.”

“It’s not that hard. We’re not clinging to each other.”

We naturally stopped walking. I didn’t understand what he meant.

“I first met her for my own benefit—to get information through her network. It’s the same now. If she controls all the network, I will have all that information. It’s selfish.”

“Well, Rujoo would be the same.”

It wouldn’t have been easy without Soma’s help.

In some ways, they might be an ideal pair. They cared for each other and also clearly knew their business goals.

“Soma and I keep a distance. That way, we can see each other better than when we cling.”

He spoke to me with clear eyes.

“Junior Sect Leader, take just one step back from that martial art. Just one step.”

Hearing that, I realized how impatiently I’d been clinging to the Sicheon Secret Technique. I thought I had to hold it tightly to the point of suffocation to gain anything.

“Taking one step back might be harder than clinging.”

He and I stood facing each other one step apart. That’s why I could see clearly. Not just the clear eyes behind his mask, but Soma’s intention to help me in any way.

I filled my expression with gratitude and said to him,

“See? You’re the one I should rely on.”