🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 05
“Ah, I’m the one bringing in the stir-fried thousand-year fleeceflower root!”
“Second Brother, that’s not fair! I wanna see the little kid’s face too!”
At the sudden commotion from his unruly grandsons, Namgung Ho furrowed his brow.
‘At this rate, the child’s going to lose his appetite.’
Feeling a throbbing pain in his forehead, Namgung Ho rose from his seat.
Startled by the grandsons’ noisy presence, Hong Seol’s chopsticks had already frozen midair.
“Hong Seol, cover your ears for a moment.”
At those words, Hong Seol set down his chopsticks and covered his ears with his tiny hands. Seeing that, Namgung Ho immediately opened the reception room door.
“Put the dish down and get out at once!”
“Uwaaaah!”
At the roar infused with a trace of internal energy, the second and third grandsons fled in terror.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Namgung Ho caught the dish that had bounced into the air.
Tap, tap.
The stir-fried thousand-year fleeceflower root that had scattered through the air likewise settled neatly back into the bowl with just a few gestures from him, as if by magic.
Meanwhile, Hong Seol was still tightly covering both ears exactly as instructed.
“Those noisy brats interrupted your meal for no reason.”
Returning to his seat, Namgung Ho picked up a slice of glossy duck meat and placed it onto Hong Seol’s rice bowl.
“Go on and eat.”
Only then did Hong Seol’s halted chopsticks begin moving again. But not long after, he set them down.
“Why aren’t you eating more?”
“No. I ate a lot.”
In truth, he wanted to eat a little more. It was his first time tasting food this delicious.
But Hong Seol forcibly suppressed those feelings.
‘You mustn’t be greedy. If you eat too much, they might throw you out of here too.’
As Namgung Ho gauged how much food remained, Hong Seol repeated himself.
“Really. I’m full.”
He thought he had hidden his true feelings perfectly.
But he couldn’t hide the way his eyes unconsciously drifted toward the candied snacks.
Noticing that, a faint smile formed on Namgung Ho’s lips. Hong Seol failed to notice it.
‘So he says he’s full, but like any child, he actually wants sweets.’
And yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask for them outright. It seemed Namgung Ho would have to offer the sweets personally before the child would even dare touch them.
But before that, there was something else to do.
“The sweets are fine, but first, try eating this.”
The next moment, if the maids of Changcheon Pavilion had seen it, they would have been shocked out of their wits.
Namgung Ho personally lifted his chopsticks and picked up a piece of stir-fried thousand-year fleeceflower root.
“Here, ah.”
The Supreme Head of the Namgung Clan was personally feeding a child!
It was something he had never once done even for his three direct grandsons.
“Ah…?”
Unused to being fed by someone, Hong Seol hesitated before opening his mouth. The lightly stir-fried slice of fleeceflower root, seasoned with salt and oil, slipped into his tiny mouth.
“Mmm…”
Unable to swallow it, Hong Seol merely chewed awkwardly.
‘It must be very bitter for a child.’
Namgung Ho deliberately spoke sternly.
“This is medicine for your body. You must chew it well and swallow it.”
After making a miserable face and chewing for quite some time, Hong Seol suddenly clenched both fists tightly. It seemed he had resolved himself to swallow it since he couldn’t spit out food someone had fed him.
Gulp.
“That’s right! Here, have a candied snack.”
After confirming the fleeceflower root had gone down, Namgung Ho placed the wooden skewer of sweets into Hong Seol’s hand.
With his cheeks reddening, Hong Seol hurriedly bit into one.
The melting sweetness was so wonderful that, for the first time, the child unconsciously smiled brightly.
Quietly watching him, Namgung Ho asked,
“Do you feel anything in your body?”
At the question, Hong Seol blinked in confusion.
“I mean the fleeceflower root you ate. Can you feel its energy?”
Now that he mentioned it, Hong Seol did feel something ticklish around his navel area.
It was definitely unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant. It felt refreshing, like drinking crystal-clear spring water deep in the mountains.
“I think… there’s something near my belly button…?”
“Yes! That place is your dantian. Now close your eyes and focus on the energy there.”
After briefly glancing around uncertainly, Hong Seol obediently shut his eyes tight.
The faint energy settled in his dantian trembled, gradually gathering into something firmer.
“I’m going to place my finger on your body for a moment, so don’t be startled.”
Keeping his eyes closed, Hong Seol nodded. Somehow, he felt this grandfather was someone he could trust.
Taking a deep breath, Namgung Ho lightly pressed his sturdy finger against Hong Seol’s frail shoulder. From there, an energy as clear as the blue sky carefully flowed into him.
“Huh…?”
Hong Seol tilted his head.
“Do you feel something?”
When he gave a slight nod, Namgung Ho replied in a pleased voice.
“Your sensitivity to energy is exceptionally sharp.”
The energy Hong Seol sensed from Namgung Ho was strange.
It was as light as wind drifting through the blue sky, yet at the same time as solid and seamless as a stone wall built over countless years.
If Namgung Ho wished, it was an energy that could transform at any moment into a swift sword that split the air, or a heavy sword capable of cleaving the world apart.
“From now on, I’ll guide my energy through every corner of your body.”
He meant he would help him circulate his qi, something any martial artist should normally learn to do on their own.
The thousand-year fleeceflower root was a spiritual medicine containing immense energy.
No matter how beneficial such medicine was, if consumed improperly, it could instead become poison. There were countless people who, blinded by greed to increase their inner energy, recklessly swallowed thousand-year fleeceflower root only to collapse because they couldn’t withstand its power.
That was why proper qi circulation was absolutely necessary to absorb the fleeceflower root’s energy correctly.
‘But a child whose meridians are completely damaged wouldn’t possibly know the proper pathways for internal energy.’
So Namgung Ho intended to personally guide the flow of energy.
The Supreme Head of the Namgung Clan himself, a man who had cultivated internal energy techniques every single day for seventy years.
A pitiful child abandoned by the Myo family.
Yet within this child lay the seed that would one day master the Yin-Yang Divine Art—the very “Yin-Yang Divine Art” he had long wished to witness with his own eyes.
Namgung Ho intended to help this small child with all his strength until that talent bloomed beautifully.
“Follow me and imagine sending the energy of the thousand-year fleeceflower root gathered in your dantian throughout your body.”
Like this?
Tilting his head, Hong Seol followed Namgung Ho’s guidance and pushed with all his might at the energy gathered near his navel.
Then something astonishing happened.
The strands of energy split apart and began spreading throughout every corner of Hong Seol’s body.
Namgung Ho’s energy led the way in front, while the thousand-year fleeceflower root Hong Seol had eaten quickly followed behind it.
“Uh, huh?”
And that wasn’t all.
Everywhere the energy passed, it felt as though something was changing. He didn’t know why, but wherever that refreshing energy traveled, strength naturally welled up within him.
When the energy of the thousand-year fleeceflower root completed one full circulation through his body—
“Stop!”
Namgung Ho’s shout rang out.
Hong Seol grasped the energy moving through his body and halted it.
“Well done!”
When Hong Seol opened his eyes, Namgung Ho was grinning from ear to ear.
It was incredibly rare for him to smile so brightly. That alone showed how genuine his joy was.
“Hong Seol is truly clever!”
Flooded with praise and warm smiles, Hong Seol felt dazed. He had never experienced anything like this before.
‘Is he… happy because of me?’
Ever since waking up in this place, the discomfort that had weighed on his heart finally began to warm slightly.
I want to do even better.
I want to be praised!
Hong Seol’s small heart pounded rapidly.
The fact that an adult had genuinely praised him made him both happy and astonished.
Namgung Ho was equally astonished.
‘Can this child truly have never trained in martial arts before?’
Hong Seol’s sensitivity to qi was extraordinary.
Judging purely by talent, he was comparable even to Baek, Heuk, and Jeok, the direct descendants of the Namgung Clan.
Even seasoned martial artists required a long time to sensitively perceive the energy of spiritual medicine and guide it according to their will.
Yet Hong Seol accomplished it effortlessly.
Even with Namgung Ho’s assistance, it was still unbelievably impressive.
‘According to the ancient sages, those born suffering from Yin-Yang Severed Meridians are said to possess brilliant minds and exceptional spiritual sensitivity.’
Namgung Ho looked at the tiny child before him.
‘As expected, my eyes were not mistaken. This child is an unparalleled martial talent!’
“Hahaha!”
Namgung Ho burst into hearty laughter and asked,
“Well then, how does it feel?”
