Book 22 Chapter 3

"I'm sorry, in the next life, I'll definitely…

―The Secret of the Three Powers

"Miss Eun, Miss Eun?"

Moyong Hwi, who was washing a rag by the well, stopped in his tracks when he spotted Eun Seol-ran appearing in the distance. But it was only for a moment, as he sprang up and, like lightning, carelessly shoved the rag and washing tools behind the well. He also sent the cleaning skirt he had tied around his waist flying behind the well like the wind.

"Done! Great, now to check my attire! Sleeves! Trousers!"

The ties that had gathered and fastened the cuffs of his sleeves and trousers were quickly dealt with. For anyone but a master, the entire process would have looked like a whirlwind passing by the well.

Finally, he shook his sleeves and puffed out his chest, when a clear and soft voice was heard.

"It's been a while, Young Master Moyong."

Thump! Thump!

His heart began to race as her name flowed from her lips.

"Ah, yes, it has been a while… indeed."

Moyong Hwi met Eun Seol-ran's gaze for a moment before quickly looking away. It was strange. Ever since he carried her, drunk, to his room that night, he had found it difficult to look her straight in the eye. His heart wanted to see her, but his body reflexively tried to run away. Or was it the other way around? Moyong Hwi himself was confused as to which part of him wanted to see Eun Seol-ran and which part wanted to avoid her.

He couldn't get a grip. The inability to understand his own state was terrifying. He was afraid. Still, looking at her like this, he felt like he was being drawn in. His eyes settled on her red lips.

Thump. His heart pounded fiercely once again. Moyong Hwi blamed himself again. He chastised himself for not being able to maintain his composure, attributing it solely to a lack of training. He didn't seem to think it was a natural reaction at all. But was it just his imagination, or was Eun Seol-ran's gaze peculiar?

'Does she think I'm a lecher?'

If so, the only path left for him was to jump off a cliff where not even a lucky encounter would occur.

"Young Master Moyong?"

"Yes? Yes! Ahem!"

At his clearly flustered response, Eun Seol-ran gave an awkward smile and pointed to her head with her finger.

"There, on your head…"

"Yes? My head?"

Moyong Hwi was bewildered by her abrupt remark. Why suddenly his head… Clack! As an unconscious reaction, his hand reached for his head and caught something flapping.

There was something! A cleaning headscarf…

"Ah, no… I mean… this is…"

It was an excellent preparation against dust, but not an appearance he particularly wanted to show others. Especially not to the woman he had feelings for.

"Hee hee! It suits you well. You look like a newlywed who's come out to do laundry."

As Moyong Hwi grabbed the headscarf with both hands and crumpled it, his soul ran towards a cliff with no lucky encounters.

"Come to think of it, it must be quite difficult for whoever marries Young Master Moyong. To maintain such a high standard of cleanliness."

"No, I would never intend to make Miss Eun uncomfortable… I can do the cleaning myself…"

As he quickly waved his hands, Moyong Hwi froze.

'Did I just say something I shouldn't have?'

Cold sweat trickled down his back. Prepared for a thunderous scolding, he nervously observed Eun Seol-ran's expression.

"…"

However, there was no reaction from her. Far from a thunderous scolding, Eun Seol-ran also seemed frozen, her head bowed in silence. Her cheeks looked somewhat flushed. A heavy silence settled between them.

'I have to get out of this crisis somehow!'

In his confusion, Moyong Hwi hastily searched for an excuse.

"Ah, no, I mean… I mean… I wasn't talking about Miss Eun… I was going to say 'the lady I will marry in the future,' but it just slipped out."

At his rambling excuse, the color drained from Eun Seol-ran's face.

"Is that so? I see. Now I understand clearly."

Her voice, sharp and cold as a blade, brought to mind a north wind and snow.

"Yes? Uh, what…"

He felt like he had made a huge mistake, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. No matter how skilled he was in swordsmanship, Moyong Hwi was like an idiot when it came to human relationships, especially with women.

"Whoever that lady is, she'll be lucky. I'm sorry for meddling in something that wasn't about me. Well then, take care."

Eun Seol-ran, her face set coldly, turned sharply. For a moment, her eyes seemed to glisten as if tears had welled up. Moyong Hwi's eyes widened.

"Wait, Miss Eun! That's not it! That's not it! It's not that it's not about Miss Eun… you can meddle anytime! Please meddle!"

He reached out towards Eun Seol-ran, shouting desperately without knowing what he was saying.

"…"

Eun Seol-ran, turning back with a blushing face, her large pupils filled with suspicion. Her gaze lingered on the fingertips of his outstretched hand.

"…What does that mean?"

Oops!

Spotting the crumpled headscarf in his extended hand, Moyong Hwi hastily hid it behind his back again.

"Th-this is not it."

"Then what did you mean by what you just said?"

This was his last chance. Even the dull Moyong Hwi realized that much. His instincts as a warrior, no, his survival instincts as a man, were screaming. This was a critical moment where something would be decided.

'If I mess up, I won't see tomorrow!'

Tense, he hurriedly searched for something to say to Eun Seol-ran. However, all his learning, including the Five Classics, collections of famous sayings, and knowledge of martial arts, was utterly useless at this moment. His lack of conversational experience with women, and his lack of flexibility, were cornering him at this moment. And as always, time was not infinite.

"That's it!"

Eun Seol-ran finally couldn't stand it and shouted.

"How can a man have so little courage! This is just a repeat of that day!"

Her voice was full of disappointment. Moyong Hwi's mind reeled in shock.

'Th-that day…'

He wished he had no idea which day she was referring to. But how could he forget the day she drank herself into a stupor and collapsed? His back still remembered her warmth.

As the memory of that day surfaced, his brain suddenly felt hot. His vision wavered.

"You don't know how much courage it took… to give up when there's only a hair's breadth left…!"

On that day, her defenseless face, seen up close enough to touch, filled Moyong Hwi's mind. Her hair, shining like black satin, her fair and warm skin, her beautiful eyes, her elegant nose, and her moistly shining red…

Moyong Hwi's face turned bright red, beyond ripe. His mind had gone blank, and he couldn't control his complexion with his internal energy. Amidst this, a question arose.

"…On that day, w-were you awake?"

"What if I was? Does it make any difference?"

Eun Seol-ran glared at him, her face equally red.

"Ah, no, it's not that…"

What more could he say when asked like that? He began to ponder what to write in his will that evening.

―Miss Eun, I'm sorry. In the next life, I'll definitely, really…

As Moyong Hwi, sweating profusely, contemplated the words for his will, Eun Seol-ran launched a follow-up attack.

"A philanderer is bad, but indecisiveness and dawdling are just as bad!"

Jerk!

Those words pierced Moyong Hwi's chest like awls.

"How long can you keep waiting? Is it fun to make a woman's heart ache? Does a woman always have to speak first? How embarrassing! I'm a woman too! Understand?"

"Ah, yes! I understand."

He answered reflexively, standing at attention.

"Idiot!"

After delivering the final blow, Eun Seol-ran gracefully disappeared. Moyong Hwi dared not try to stop her as she moved away. His courage was already at its limit, with no reserves left to draw upon.

"Idiot?"

Moyong Hwi, left behind, stared blankly at the words Eun Seol-ran had left behind. There was no room for rebuttal. It seemed her assessment was accurate.

* * *

With a vacant expression, Moyong Hwi gazed in the direction Eun Seol-ran had disappeared, when a familiar voice reached his ears.

"Tsk tsk tsk, what are you doing?"

Startled, Moyong Hwi turned.

"Old Man?!"

An old man, parting the branches of a tree behind the well, emerged with a pipe in his mouth, looking at him with a look of exasperation. It was Elder Hyuk-jung.

"Oh, you're here?"

"What use is a man who can't even read a woman's heart properly?"

Elder Hyuk-jung said, clicking his tongue. Moyong Hwi's face flushed.

"Tsk tsk, well, I can't say I'm an expert in that area either, so I'm not in a position to say anything… but, whatever. That aside, it's been a while."

It had been a good two months since the old man had left him with a few tasks and two wicked teachers, and then disappeared. They had parted ways at Cheonmu Academy, and he never expected to meet him at Machaengak. Of course, if this old man set his mind to it, there was no place in the martial world he couldn't go.

"Yes, it's been a while since I've seen you. How have you been?"

"Hmm? Ah, I was a bit busy handling some matters. Like looking for a lost child for miles…"

His tone was dismissive. He seemed unwilling to elaborate, so Moyong Hwi didn't press further.

"So, have you made any progress?"

Elder Hyuk-jung immediately got to the point.

"I apologize, Old Man."

Moyong Hwi bowed his head deeply. He had undergone harsh training from Yeomdo and Binggeom, but the results were not very satisfactory. An invisible wall stood in his way.

"Well, it's fine. I wasn't expecting much anyway. It's the progress of someone called not just a genius, but a martial god. No matter how talented you are, it's hard to master easily."

Moyong Hwi waved his hands, as if the words were too much to bear.

"G-genius? That's absurd. It's too extravagant a title for a commoner like me."

Moyong Hwi's face hardened. It was the unvarnished truth. Only those with the capability to change an era could bear the title of genius without shame. The Martial God had left an indelible mark on martial history while navigating eras of war. But he, still struggling and unable to take even half a step out of the shadow of the Sword Saint, was woefully lacking in such talent and spirit.

"Whether you are a genius or not is not something you can determine for yourself yet. Evaluation is always done by posterity. You just have to find a way to solve that secret and learn it."

"You mean the secret of the Heaven and Earth Harmony Scripture…?"

"Yes, that. How are those two?"

"They are the same as ever."

"Tsk, they're still bickering because of old grudges, I see. They say only those who defeat them both are worthy of seeing it, but they really should put an end to it. Tsk, pathetic things."

In the old man's view, their condition wasn't about finding truly skilled individuals, but simply a tantrum born from their unwillingness to cooperate.

"But it's also true that you have to be at least that capable. The enemies you will face in the future will be even higher-level masters."

What kind of enemies would he have to fight? Moyong Hwi was dumbfounded. His current goal was only to repay the humiliation at Mount Hua. Unseen enemies felt so unreal that he even doubted their existence. If there hadn't been the calamity at Mount Hua, he would still feel that way.

"Alright! Then I'll teach you the secret method to defeat them! Be grateful and kowtow! Hahahaha!"

He roared with laughter and spoke in a confident tone.

"Is there really such a thing?"

The gap was not something that could be easily bridged by mere tips or secret methods. The more he trained, the more he realized that gap. Compared to them, he was still a green novice. The path to where they stood was still long.

"Of course, there is. I was planning to teach you this later, but I have to change my plans. After all, if you don't realize this, you can't move to the next stage…"

"What is it?"

"I don't know exactly."

The answer was delivered as if it were thrown away.

"What?"

He was taken aback, but it didn't seem like a joke.

"Ah, don't misunderstand, child. I'm just a messenger. I don't know absolutely nothing, but I can't say I've grasped the essence. This is what my friend left me, and he called it the key to the Heaven and Earth Harmony Scripture."

In other words, if he didn't grasp this principle, he couldn't learn the martial arts of the Heaven and Earth Harmony Scripture.

"Please teach me."

Moyong Hwi knelt before the old man and bowed his head. The ultimate teachings deserved an equivalent reverence.

"I will now impart to you, Moyong Hwi, the teaching I was asked to give my friend long ago."

"I humbly receive your teachings."

"Realize the principle of the Three Powers!"

And then he said,

"The end!"

It was too short to be called the transmission of a secret method, and he even doubted if it was a real secret method. He even suspected if he was being played.

"Your expression is like a frog hit by a rock. Don't worry, it's not a joke."

It seemed his thoughts were read. Moyong Hwi reflected for a moment, wondering if his face was that transparent.

In any case, whatever profound meaning was hidden within it, one thing was certain: it would be absolutely impossible to see results in a short period.

"Um, by the Three Powers, do you mean Heaven, Earth, and Man?"

He asked for confirmation.

"Yes, that's right. Are there any other Three Powers?"

His tone implied that he was asking an obvious question for no reason.

"Is it the Three Powers from when you say 'Three Powers Sword Technique'?"

"Yes, that's it!"

As he suspected, it was indeed. But was there something so grand hidden in those Three Powers that it was considered a secret?

The Three Powers Sword Technique. The name is sword technique, but it's just a collective term for the three basic stances: the horizontal cut of Earth, the vertical cut of Man, and the thrust of Heaven. It was the ABCs of sword techniques, the most basic of basics.

"Isn't that the most basic of basics?"

How could that be a secret method for the Flame Ice strategy?

Snap! Sparks flew from Moyong Hwi's head.

"Shame! Don't disregard the basics. Everything always starts from the basics! Why is it that young people nowadays always want to get results right away? Tsk tsk tsk."

Crying 'This is the end of the world!', Elder Hyuk-jung clicked his tongue. The model student Moyong Hwi was flustered and at a loss for what to do. He was even more embarrassed because his true intentions had been pointed out to some extent.

"Are you reflecting?"

Elder Hyuk-jung asked, glancing at Moyong Hwi.

"Yes, my thinking was shallow."

Moyong Hwi replied, lowering his head.

"Hmm, then it's fine. Just don't do it again next time. I believe you're not the kind of person who repeats the same mistakes."

"Thank you, Old Man."

Only then did the old man nod with satisfaction.

"Shall we start again? Open your ears and listen carefully. Without clearly understanding the basics and foundations, all study is like a castle in the air. I don't know when Heaven, Earth, and Man becoming one changed to just standing upright with a sword, but the profound meaning within it is not so simple."

'Is that so?'

No matter how he thought about it, there seemed to be nothing more to extract from the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

"My dear friend told me this: When you realize the secret of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and Man—the path to the Great Ultimate will open!"

Moyong Hwi braced himself and deeply engraved those words in his heart.

"Without pondering the meaning of these words, you will never reach the principle. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I will keep it in mind."

His answer was firm, but the secret of the Three Powers. It was a topic suddenly thrown at him, something he had taken for granted as naturally as breathing and had never pondered. It was impossible to get an answer immediately.

"Sigh, what now? Until I solve this secret for a while, I'm just… well, is that it?"

He thought he was still in the crawling stage, but even that he couldn't walk properly and was just taking steps? At this rate, he wasn't even crawling, he was just shuffling.