I Became the Hidden Ruler of the Martial World

The day after Baek Yoonjun taught Cheon Suhye the internal energy cultivation method.

"You should just rest and do the internal energy cultivation method. Why are you going down?"

"Isn't it an important matter for you, older brother? My body is fine, so I'll be back."

Leaving behind the restraining Baek Yoonjun, Cheon Suhye came down from the mountain and headed for Luoyang.

"It's been a while."

Cheon Suhye muttered wistfully in front of the Luoyang city gate and headed inside.

Although there had been a commotion due to the attack on the alliance leader when she had just left Luoyang, it seemed there was no particular commotion now.

But that didn't mean it was quiet.

'This place is always bustling.'

Cheon Suhye walked the streets, parting the crowd.

'To gather information...'

It was common sense to go to beggars to gather information anywhere in the Central Plains.

Although most of it was nonsense and its reliability was questionable, there were few places to find out information other than beggars.

Cheon Suhye gave a pittance to any beggar she saw and asked about the whereabouts of the Sichuan Divine Doctor.

"Sichuan Divine Doctor? Wouldn't she be in Sichuan?"

"I heard she was kidnapped, but I don't know where she was kidnapped to."

"I heard the imperial palace kidnapped her."

"No! She was kidnapped by a suspicious group of assassins and is making suspicious drugs! I saw it with my own two eyes!"

"What nonsense! I heard from a beggar in the next village that she was seen mixed in with a suspicious group in Mount Cheon or somewhere!"

The beggars' words were all over the place.

After searching for beggars for a long time, Cheon Suhye felt skeptical.

'Is there any meaning to this?'

Although it was a pittance, money was money.

For Cheon Suhye, who didn't have much, it was a huge blow.

'Sigh, I'm running out of money, so let's stop asking the beggars around here.'

Although the stories were not reliable at all, since there might be a real one among them, she made sure to remember them.

'Hmm... what now?'

Cheon Suhye, who was walking the streets and worrying.

'Come to think of it, I wonder if those brothers are doing well.'

Suddenly, the brothers she had teamed up with in prison came to her mind.

'By the way, didn't they say they were staying at a tavern near here?'

Having remembered, Cheon Suhye decided to visit them once and set foot in the tavern.

"Waiter, I'm sorry, but I have something to ask."

As soon as she entered, she grabbed a waiter and asked about their whereabouts.

"Ah, you mean them? They've left."

Unfortunately, it seemed the people Cheon Suhye was looking for had already left.

"But it's a little strange, they left their luggage behind."

Although she had heard a slightly strange story.

"Well, it's not common, but there are sometimes people like that."

At the waiter's subsequent words, she just accepted it.

Leaving her disappointment behind, Cheon Suhye came out of the tavern and returned to her mountain residence without any gains.

As soon as she returned, she told Baek Yoonjun everything she had heard.

"This is what I heard from the beggars, older brother."

"You've worked hard."

Baek Yoonjun accepted Cheon Suhye's report as if it were natural.

Because even Baek Yoonjun, who was habitually cooped up in a corner of his room, had expected that it would be difficult to gather proper information in a neighborhood like this.

'I'll have to gather a little more information and then stir up all the places mentioned in the information.'

Since coming this far was impulsive in the first place, Baek Yoonjun decided to calm his mind a little more.

'Kidnapping... if there was no use for her, they would have just cut her neck on the spot, but since they kidnapped her, it means they are keeping her alive because she is useful, so let's approach it more leisurely and carefully.'

Although Baek Yoonjun's interpersonal relationships were shallow and his social skills were close to zero, since he was not unable to think, he reached a somewhat human-like thought.

"By the way, are there no places to get information other than beggars?"

"As far as I know, there are almost no places that specialize in that, and the best way would be to go around places with a lot of people like pawnshops, brothels, and taverns and ask around."

"Then you have to go around those places from now on."

"I will do my best! Older brother."

"It seems it will cost money, so take this."

"Thank you, older brother. I will never use it in vain."

Baek Yoonjun gave Cheon Suhye, who was full of spirit, some of the silver coins he had as activity funds.

Although Baek Yoonjun usually had no connection with money, since there was still quite a lot of money left that Hong Yungae had exchanged for the night-luminescent pearl, it seemed there would be no worries about funds for the time being.

'Then, for the time being, I'll have to do both searching and helping Sister Suhye with her training.'

And so, as Baek Yoonjun was organizing his thoughts.

"By the way, there was something that was bothering me."

"Something that was bothering you?"

"That... you know the people who were in prison with me, right?"

"I remember."

Baek Yoonjun recalled the people who had gone to prison with Cheon Suhye.

He remembered that they were not people with distinct characteristics, as their impressions were faint.

"It seems they have left Luoyang."

"If they came from another region, they could leave, couldn't they?"

"That... they left their luggage behind."

"That is certainly strange."

"But the waiter said that although it's not common, it does happen, so I just thought that was the case."

At Cheon Suhye's words, Baek Yoonjun felt a very uneasy feeling.

When he stealthily looked at Cheon Suhye's reaction, it seemed that even she, who had told the story, couldn't get a grasp of it.

'Let's just worry about more important things.'

Although something was very uneasy, since he didn't know what it was, and since it wasn't that he had nothing to do, he decided to put this problem aside for now.

"Then let's think about that problem later, and since you seem to be in good shape today, let's start training."

"Please take care of me! Older brother!"

Since the time for inquiries in the village was over, it was time for training.

"Then, for now, let's start with swinging the sword."

"Yes!"

At the words 'swinging the sword', Cheon Suhye's expression brightened.

Since the part she had been looking forward to the most when she asked Baek Yoonjun for teachings was swordsmanship, her joy seemed even greater.

"Martial arts are maximized when the movement of the internal energy inside and the movement of the body outside are in harmony. Although you know both, since you don't know the part where they harmonize yet, for now, let's try swinging the sword as I have taught you."

"Yes! I will work hard!"

At Baek Yoonjun's words, Cheon Suhye immediately took a ready stance and swung her sword.

Although her proficiency with the sword did not seem to have increased, perhaps because she had learned how to move her internal energy at will, her movements had become much more plausible.

"It's better than before. But it's still unbalanced. In the first movement you just did, try moving your internal energy as before while pulling your foot back a little more."

"Like this?"

Just by pulling her foot back in the first movement as Baek Yoonjun had instructed, Cheon Suhye's movements had improved even more.

In this way, Baek Yoonjun gave small instructions and sometimes corrected her posture by hitting her with a tree branch, thus continuously guiding Cheon Suhye.

As if to mock the fact that he had evaluated her as having no martial talent before, the level of Cheon Suhye's martial arts began to rise steeply.

Her steps became light and soft, and her sword was swung in a graceful curve.

'An illusion?'

Cheon Suhye's sword, which had not been imbued with any mystery, took on a faint purple hue and gradually became more and more varied.

Although the movements had not changed much, the previous clumsiness was gone, and a splendid sword spread in all directions.

That appearance was like plum blossoms scattering.

Baek Yoonjun was greatly flustered inwardly at Cheon Suhye's change.

'How can a person change so much overnight?'

Although he had guided her, it was an unbelievable speed.

Baek Sowol, who had been evaluated as having some martial talent, had long since been surpassed, and it was even faster than Zhuge Hyun, whom Baek Yoonjun had evaluated the highest.

'It's too fast.'

The speed of Cheon Suhye's martial arts development was abnormal.

Whether Baek Yoonjun was feeling complicated emotions or not, Cheon Suhye fell into a state of self-absorption and unconsciously continued to swing her sword, and at the tip of her sword, a single flower bloomed and then scattered.

In that process, a splendid plum blossom fragrance was scattered in all directions.

Baek Yoonjun, who was watching that, felt an unknown sense of displeasure.

'Jealousy? No, that doesn't seem right...'

Baek Yoonjun's mind became complicated.

There was no problem with the swordsmanship itself.

A realm that Cheon Suhye would someday reach after Baek Yoonjun had taught her the internal energy cultivation method.

But it was a realm that could never be achieved now.

'Right, this feeling is like a truck with broken brakes.'

Although Baek Yoonjun realized the reason for his displeasure, he could not understand why.

While Baek Yoonjun was lost in an unknown worry, Cheon Suhye's sword dance-like sword strike ended.

"Phew..."

Cheon Suhye collected her energy and opened her eyes.

Although she had performed a swordsmanship that she could never have performed herself, she looked strangely calm.

"O-older brother? Did you see?!"

Cheon Suhye, who had been calm for a very short time, jumped with joy and her eyes sparkled as if she had never been calm.

"Did I really do that? I don't know, but it seems to be on a different level from before!?"

"Congratulations. The achievement of your martial arts has changed beyond recognition."

At that expectant gaze, Baek Yoonjun put his displeasure and discomfort aside for a moment and sincerely congratulated her.

"Wow! Waaah! Wow! Aaaah!!"

Cheon Suhye cheered with a babble like a baby who had not learned to speak, jumped up and down, and ran around in all directions.

An appearance of being unable to control her joy, no matter who saw it.

Seeing that, Baek Yoonjun forgot the displeasure and discomfort in a corner of his heart and let out a chuckle.

"I know you're happy, but since you've done enough, let's sit down now, operate the internal energy cultivation method sufficiently, and rest."

"Yes, yes! I'll do it right away!!"

Cheon Suhye immediately sat down on the spot, sat in a cross-legged position, and operated the internal energy cultivation method.

The internal energy moved awkwardly along Cheon Suhye's blood vessels, and after quite some time, one circulation was over.

As soon as Baek Yoonjun saw that, he immediately cleared the spot.

"Now, that's enough, let's rest."

"I can do more."

"If you overdo it, you'll just ruin your body. Rest as I say."

"Yes..."

At Baek Yoonjun's command, Cheon Suhye reluctantly got up from her seat and turned her feet towards her residence.

Behind such a Cheon Suhye, Baek Yoonjun quietly opened his mouth.

"I have something to do, so I'll be away for a while. Don't train excessively just because I'm not here, and really rest well."

"I'll rest well as you say, so don't worry."

After confirming that Cheon Suhye was returning to her residence, Baek Yoonjun immediately left the spot.

The search that he had asked Cheon Suhye to do.

He had no intention of leaving it entirely to Cheon Suhye.

'A person has a conscience. When there are no people, let's go around and listen for rumors.'

Although Baek Yoonjun also had the intention of searching, since it was a low-level group with a lot of people, he was thinking of secretly looking around at night and gathering information.

Of course, it was not a method of directly confronting people, but just listening in a place where rumors were likely to circulate.

While Baek Yoonjun was doing such a stealthy search, Cheon Suhye, who had washed her body and was lying on the bed, tossed and turned for a long time.

'I can't sleep.'

She couldn't forget the sensation she had felt earlier.

'I want to train.'

Although she wanted to train very much, she could not disobey Baek Yoonjun's instructions.

'Phew, let's just take a walk.'

Judging that this much would not be disobeying his instructions, Cheon Suhye lightly got dressed and left her residence.

Although it had already become a dark night, for some reason, Cheon Suhye felt that her surroundings were clearly visible.

'To be able to see my surroundings so clearly even on such a dark night, is this also an achievement of my training?'

Although she was surprised at first, since it was weak compared to the achievement during her training earlier, she did not think much of it and slowly walked around.

At that time, she reached the entrance of her residence.

'Older brother cut down the bandits here in one fell swoop.'

Cheon Suhye recalled the scene of that time in her mind.

Although her first impression was that of a frail, refined young master, when she arrived here, he had shown a martial prowess that she could not believe even after seeing it.

The sword strike that was continuously unfolded.

Although at first, it was impossible to even grasp what had happened, the more she saw it, the more that sword strike.

'It was cruel but beautiful.'

Cheon Suhye slowly walked the path as if she were recalling a long-lost memory.

'It hasn't been that long, but it feels like a long time.'

The Baek Yoonjun that Cheon Suhye thought of was a very strange person.

Although he looked sloppy and frail, when he performed his martial arts, its depth was indescribable.

'A strange person.'

Cheon Suhye smiled without realizing it.

Although she didn't understand why he looked so sloppy when he was so strong, it didn't look that bad.

No, rather, she had a favorable impression.

Recalling her own older brother, who had been only sloppy in his childhood, she had called him older brother, making an excuse that didn't make sense.

'He even allowed and accepted that.'

Feeling something warm, Cheon Suhye, who was walking, reached a cliff.

'I acted so foolishly here.'

Baek Yoonjun had saved her when she was about to fall after running without even knowing there was a cliff.

As the scene of that time came to Cheon Suhye's mind, she felt her face become hot.

'Sigh.'

Cheon Suhye, who had cooled her face in the night breeze for a moment due to the embarrassment.

'Although I can see, since it's a dangerous place, let's go back.'

She turned her feet.

At that time.

"Krrrrrrrrrrrr."

A sound as if a person were imitating the cry of a beast was heard in her ear.

(End of Chapter)