Chapter 105: Misunderstanding (5)

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been lost in that state of selfless focus.

"Huu."

With a deep sigh, the turbulent torrent of Qi swirling around Jeong Hyeon subsided.

Pop.

As she opened her eyes, her pupils held a calm light like that of a still lake.

Her eyes opened, revealing pupils that held the serene clarity of an undisturbed lake.

Yet beneath that tranquil gaze, she experienced something entirely foreign—a sensation so alien it felt as though she'd been transported to another realm entirely.

The wind at her back seemed muted and the world around her seemed distant. In contrast, everything in front of her seemed to rush toward her with overwhelming intensity.

Pebbles twenty feet away looked like they were right under her nose. The target, several dozen feet further, seemed within arm's reach. Beyond the target, far in the distance, she felt she could even sense what was happening inside the pavilion. The subtle vibrations carried by the wind tell her stories of the events unfolding within.

In that strange state of perception, Jeong Hyeon released the bowstring she had been holding along with the arrow.

Twang!

The taut string snapped forward, launching the arrow.

Twang!

Before the first had even struck home, a second arrow was already nocked and loosed.

The five arrows she fired in quick succession clustered in the center of the target as if they had been one from the start.

The instant the first arrow hit the bullseye…

Crack-crack-crack!

The second punched through the shaft of the first, splitting it as it claimed the exact same spot. The third followed suit, and the rest repeated the scene. What made it truly miraculous was that each arrow had followed a different trajectory.

It was the result of imbuing the later shots with more power and, beyond that, sensing the flow of the wind in every moment to make minute adjustments to the arrows' angles.

"..."

The display was nothing short of miraculous that Il-mok stood stunned and silent as he witnessed the scene.

But that lasted only briefly.

"Huu."

The instant Jeong Hyeon lowered her bow with a deep sigh, Il-mok shot to his feet.

“Congratulations, Disciple Jeong!”

Unlike before, his praise was genuine as he approached her.

Of course, Il-mok, who was familiar with Jeong Hyeon's condition, didn't cross the line. He stopped at exactly ten feet away. Meanwhile, the immense mental strain began to take its toll, and Jeong Hyeon’s sensory field slowly reverted to its original shape.

Since this was a newly acquired enlightenment, controlling it freely right away was impossible.

The moment her perception, which had been stretched forward like a needle, snapped back into its usual sphere—

"!?"

Jeong Hyeon twitched as if struck by lightning, then went rigid as stone.

"What's wrong?"

Il-mok asked with a puzzled expression, but Jeong Hyeon, who had been looking forward, turned her body slowly with wooden puppet-like movements and simply stared at Il-mok with a pale face.

The reason Jeong Hyeon suffered from social anxiety was that her senses had become extremely sensitive due to the effects of the Ghostly Spirit Divine Bow.

Therefore, whenever someone approached within ten feet—where her senses were most acute—she would have a panic attack.

Knowing this, Il-mok had stopped at a safe distance. But there was one crucial detail they had both completely forgotten.

Jeong Hyeon’s mastery of her Demonic Art had grown with her recent enlightenment.

Only after her sensory field returned to normal did Jeong Hyeon realize it: her nest, the area she perceived so keenly, had gotten bigger.

“B-ba… back…” she stammered, her face white as a sheet, looking as though she couldn't breathe. A moment later, her eyes rolled white, and she collapsed.

"Disciple Jeong!"

Startled, Il-mok practically flew forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Looking down at Jeong Hyeon, who had fainted in his arms, a wry thought crossed his mind.

‘Is this the second time now?’

For some reason, it reminded him of their first meeting.

‘He’s pretty light for a guy.’

His stature was small for a man. Because he was always hunched over, his shoulders were narrow too. His hair was cut short, which was rare in this world, and his body was quite lanky. But if he were a woman, his stature would make him quite tall.

'Probably just malnourished.'

Il-mok began to think that he might just be underfed and hadn't yet reached his full height.

***

Il-mok carried the unconscious Jeong Hyeon to Instructor Eun Ryeo. Their first encounter had come to mind. Now that Jeong Hyeon was in the Upper Class, finding Chu Il-hwan might have been more appropriate, but for various reasons, he felt Instructor Eun Ryeo was the better choice.

When Il-mok appeared carrying Jeong Hyeon, Instructor Eun Ryeo let out a light sigh for some reason.

“Haaah. Alright. Let’s hear what you did to Disciple Jeong this time.”

Il-mok felt wronged by those suspicious eyes.

Instructor Eun Ryeo took Jeong Hyeon from him as if snatching him away, laid him on a bed, and then led him out of the room. He then recounted the day’s events like an accused defending his name before a judge.

After hearing Il-mok's full explanation, Instructor Eun Ryeo nodded and spoke.

"Though I'm not certain, it was likely due to the enlightenment. As Disciple Jeong's mastery deepened, the side effects probably became more severe.”

Il-mok nodded, finding her explanation plausible. “Ah, that seems to be the most likely reason.”

Instructor Eun Ryeo looked at Il-mok with a complicated expression for a moment before speaking. “I will talk to Disciple Jeong to be sure. You should head back for now. And just in case, try to keep a little more distance from now on.”

“I will be careful.”

After Il-mok departed, Instructor Eun Ryeo returned to the recovery room. She closed the door and kept her distance from the bed, knowing that Jeong Hyeon might panic upon waking.

With the room occupied by Jeong Hyeon and herself, she dropped her characteristic cold mask and looked at Jeong Hyeon with a face full of worry.

‘Hah. I really don't know if getting involved with the Young Master is a good thing for this child.’

From Il-mok's account, Jeong Hyeon's enlightenment this time was largely thanks to him. As a martial artist, a companion who could lead you to such breakthroughs was an invaluable treasure.

Yet...

'She's too fragile to withstand the young lord and his lecherous ways.’

As a woman herself, Instructor Eun Ryeo couldn't help but worry about Jeong Hyeon’s future.

***

The following morning brought training as usual.

Fortunately, Jeong Hyeon participated in training in good health.

“I heard what happened from Instructor Eun Ryeo,” Chu Il-hwan said. “Just in case, you should stand a little further back during practice.”

“Th-thank you, I-Instructor.”

At his instruction, Jeong Hyeon, who was already isolated, moved even further away from the group.

Though the exchange was brief, Il-mok was able to piece things together.

‘So the side effects did get worse because of the enlightenment.’

When training began, Il-mok half-heartedly swung his sword as usual while sneaking glances at Jeong Hyeon’s practice. He soon noticed something new.

'Hmm? He seems fine today?'

Just as she had in the clearing the day before, Jeong Hyeon was demonstrating archery skills that bordered on divine, despite a dozen or so of her peers training nearby.

But that didn't last long. After firing a few shots, Jeong Hyeon lowered his arms with a deep sigh.

"Eek!"

He made a startled face and began darting anxious glances around him.

Il-mok couldn’t understand why he would suddenly act that way when he had been shooting fine, but for Jeong Hyeon, it was unavoidable.

She had achieved enlightenment, sure. But she was still too inexperienced to control it freely.

Il-mok couldn't fathom the sudden change, but Jeong Hyeon's limitations were clear enough to her. The enlightenment remained beyond her full control, draining her mental reserves each time she manipulated her awareness.

Twisting her sensory field required a massive amount of mental energy.

As a result, she could only manage it for short bursts when she was in peak condition. Once her mental energy ran low, she would snap back to normal and be overwhelmed by anxiety.

‘Hmm. I guess he hasn’t completely gotten used to people’s eyes yet.’

Satisfied with his assessment, Il-mok looked away and went back to swinging his sword half-heartedly.

***

That afternoon, Il-mok headed to the clearing with Ju Seo-yeon.

"Yesterday was all archery," Il-mok suggested. "How about some actual sparring today?"

Since this training was designed for Jeong Hyeon, who still had difficulty dealing with people, the two ended up starting the spar about twenty feet apart from each other.

The Hall of the Demonic Way clearly prohibited all manner of unofficial sparring and matches, but unfortunately, all four people present couldn’t care less about that.

'Th-this isn't right... I-Instructor Eun  Ryeo clearly said we shouldn't do this....'

Actually, Jeong Hyeon was worried about it, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

As for Baek Cheon and Ju Seo-yeon, they weren't the types to care about rules.

‘Won’t it be fine as long as we don’t get caught?’

And Il-mok was the type of person who only cared about rules when they were useful to him.

In the end, unable to resist the pressure from the three, the sparring began.

“Hmm.”

Watching the fight, Il-mok let out a small hum.

‘I guess focusing on martial arts for three months has paid off. She has improved.’

Ju Seo-yeon’s movements were definitely faster and more concise than when they had first been grouped together.

However, Jeong Hyeon was the one controlling the spar.

Ju Seo-yeon's spear work was fluid and flashy, deflecting the incoming arrows with practiced ease, that is until—

"Hiik!"

A strangled cry escaped her lips as she threw herself into a desperate Lazy Donkey Roll.

While she'd been focused on the direct shots, a cunningly arced arrow had appeared from nowhere, aimed squarely at her head.

‘Just as I thought. He couldn't show his true skill during the last competition because there were too many people.’

No matter how much Jeong Hyeon had improved, the gap between his skill now and what he’d seen at the tournament was just too vast. At the time, he’d assumed he’d lost so easily because, as an archer, starting a fight in an open space at a mere twenty-foot distance was a disadvantage. But now, he could safely conclude that the audience watching from the sidelines had been the bigger problem for Jeong Hyeon.

While Il-mok was lost in thought, the spar continued.

Ju Seo-yeon deployed spear techniques focused on the principles of illusion and transformation. She flashily wielded her single spear to deflect the arrows and desperately moved her legs to close the distance.

Clang!

But for every move she made, Jeong Hyeon would quickly fire an arrow and move to widen the gap even more.

Eventually, Ju Seo-yeon failed to close the distance, and a situation unfolded where she could only deflect arrows endlessly.

Thunk!

With a blunted arrow landing cleanly on Ju Seo-yeon’s ribs, the sparring came to an end.

"Hahaha. That was truly an excellent match."

Baek Cheon, ever the attention seeker, fulfilled his role as a teacher and poured out praise while speaking exaggeratedly.

“Disciple Jeong’s intuition is truly excellent. If you could just practice seeing the bigger picture, it would be perfect. For example, instead of always retreating backward like this, you should consider moving in a circular pattern like this…”

Baik Cheon provided his best explanation and even demonstrated his advice by utilizing his lightness skills and throwing hidden weapons.

And surprisingly, Ju Seo-yeon listened intently to his advice, even nodding her head eagerly at the display.

It seemed she was trying to figure out a counter-strategy by listening to Baek Cheon’s advice to Jeong Hyeon.

Watching the three of them chatting enthusiastically and continuing their training and sparring, Il-mok nodded satisfactorily.

'Perfect. Now I can truly relax.'

With the group functioning independently, he was free to do as he pleased.

He spent a good while grinning to himself, pondering how best to slack off alone, when a sound broke his reverie—

"Huu."

"It would be good to stop here for today. Hahaha."

Jeong Hyeon’s deep sigh and Baek Cheon’s hearty laugh reached Il-mok’s ears.

“Well, I suppose we should be heading back.”

Il-mok stretched his stiff muscles from prolonged sitting around doing nothing. Ju Seo-yeon, covered in sweat and dust from rolling on the ground, beamed.

"That's a good idea, Young Master!"

Then she turned to the person who made her roll on the ground and beamed.

“Since we’ve bonded over this spar, why don’t we wash up together? It’s been a while, Disciple Jeong.”

Il-mok's expression turned strange at her words.

“What do you mean by bathe together, Disciple Ju?”

“??? I meant we should take a bath together, Young Master. We’ve run into each other at the bathhouse before.”

"Doesn't the Black Dragon Pavilion have separate baths for men and women?"

Three sets of eyes fixed on him with expressions of profound confusion, as if he'd asked why water was wet.

Under their collective gaze, Il-mok's thoughts began to churn. He replayed the events of the past few months in his head and finally realized he had gotten something terribly wrong.

With a bizarre expression on his face, he turned to Jeong Hyeon with caution in his voice.

“Disciple Jeong… by any chance… are you a woman?”

Chapter 105: Misunderstanding (5)

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been lost in that state of selfless focus.

"Huu."

With a deep sigh, the turbulent torrent of Qi swirling around Jeong Hyeon subsided.

Pop.

As she opened her eyes, her pupils held a calm light like that of a still lake.

Her eyes opened, revealing pupils that held the serene clarity of an undisturbed lake.

Yet beneath that tranquil gaze, she experienced something entirely foreign—a sensation so alien it felt as though she'd been transported to another realm entirely.

The wind at her back seemed muted and the world around her seemed distant. In contrast, everything in front of her seemed to rush toward her with overwhelming intensity.

Pebbles twenty feet away looked like they were right under her nose. The target, several dozen feet further, seemed within arm's reach. Beyond the target, far in the distance, she felt she could even sense what was happening inside the pavilion. The subtle vibrations carried by the wind tell her stories of the events unfolding within.

In that strange state of perception, Jeong Hyeon released the bowstring she had been holding along with the arrow.

Twang!

The taut string snapped forward, launching the arrow.

Twang!

Before the first had even struck home, a second arrow was already nocked and loosed.

The five arrows she fired in quick succession clustered in the center of the target as if they had been one from the start.

The instant the first arrow hit the bullseye…

Crack-crack-crack!

The second punched through the shaft of the first, splitting it as it claimed the exact same spot. The third followed suit, and the rest repeated the scene. What made it truly miraculous was that each arrow had followed a different trajectory.

It was the result of imbuing the later shots with more power and, beyond that, sensing the flow of the wind in every moment to make minute adjustments to the arrows' angles.

"..."

The display was nothing short of miraculous that Il-mok stood stunned and silent as he witnessed the scene.

But that lasted only briefly.

"Huu."

The instant Jeong Hyeon lowered her bow with a deep sigh, Il-mok shot to his feet.

“Congratulations, Disciple Jeong!”

Unlike before, his praise was genuine as he approached her.

Of course, Il-mok, who was familiar with Jeong Hyeon's condition, didn't cross the line. He stopped at exactly ten feet away. Meanwhile, the immense mental strain began to take its toll, and Jeong Hyeon’s sensory field slowly reverted to its original shape.

Since this was a newly acquired enlightenment, controlling it freely right away was impossible.

The moment her perception, which had been stretched forward like a needle, snapped back into its usual sphere—

"!?"

Jeong Hyeon twitched as if struck by lightning, then went rigid as stone.

"What's wrong?"

Il-mok asked with a puzzled expression, but Jeong Hyeon, who had been looking forward, turned her body slowly with wooden puppet-like movements and simply stared at Il-mok with a pale face.

The reason Jeong Hyeon suffered from social anxiety was that her senses had become extremely sensitive due to the effects of the Ghostly Spirit Divine Bow.

Therefore, whenever someone approached within ten feet—where her senses were most acute—she would have a panic attack.

Knowing this, Il-mok had stopped at a safe distance. But there was one crucial detail they had both completely forgotten.

Jeong Hyeon’s mastery of her Demonic Art had grown with her recent enlightenment.

Only after her sensory field returned to normal did Jeong Hyeon realize it: her nest, the area she perceived so keenly, had gotten bigger.

“B-ba… back…” she stammered, her face white as a sheet, looking as though she couldn't breathe. A moment later, her eyes rolled white, and she collapsed.

"Disciple Jeong!"

Startled, Il-mok practically flew forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Looking down at Jeong Hyeon, who had fainted in his arms, a wry thought crossed his mind.

‘Is this the second time now?’

For some reason, it reminded him of their first meeting.

‘He’s pretty light for a guy.’

His stature was small for a man. Because he was always hunched over, his shoulders were narrow too. His hair was cut short, which was rare in this world, and his body was quite lanky. But if he were a woman, his stature would make him quite tall.

'Probably just malnourished.'

Il-mok began to think that he might just be underfed and hadn't yet reached his full height.

***

Il-mok carried the unconscious Jeong Hyeon to Instructor Eun Ryeo. Their first encounter had come to mind. Now that Jeong Hyeon was in the Upper Class, finding Chu Il-hwan might have been more appropriate, but for various reasons, he felt Instructor Eun Ryeo was the better choice.

When Il-mok appeared carrying Jeong Hyeon, Instructor Eun Ryeo let out a light sigh for some reason.

“Haaah. Alright. Let’s hear what you did to Disciple Jeong this time.”

Il-mok felt wronged by those suspicious eyes.

Instructor Eun Ryeo took Jeong Hyeon from him as if snatching him away, laid him on a bed, and then led him out of the room. He then recounted the day’s events like an accused defending his name before a judge.

After hearing Il-mok's full explanation, Instructor Eun Ryeo nodded and spoke.

"Though I'm not certain, it was likely due to the enlightenment. As Disciple Jeong's mastery deepened, the side effects probably became more severe.”

Il-mok nodded, finding her explanation plausible. “Ah, that seems to be the most likely reason.”

Instructor Eun Ryeo looked at Il-mok with a complicated expression for a moment before speaking. “I will talk to Disciple Jeong to be sure. You should head back for now. And just in case, try to keep a little more distance from now on.”

“I will be careful.”

After Il-mok departed, Instructor Eun Ryeo returned to the recovery room. She closed the door and kept her distance from the bed, knowing that Jeong Hyeon might panic upon waking.

With the room occupied by Jeong Hyeon and herself, she dropped her characteristic cold mask and looked at Jeong Hyeon with a face full of worry.

‘Hah. I really don't know if getting involved with the Young Master is a good thing for this child.’

From Il-mok's account, Jeong Hyeon's enlightenment this time was largely thanks to him. As a martial artist, a companion who could lead you to such breakthroughs was an invaluable treasure.

Yet...

'She's too fragile to withstand the young lord and his lecherous ways.’

As a woman herself, Instructor Eun Ryeo couldn't help but worry about Jeong Hyeon’s future.

***

The following morning brought training as usual.

Fortunately, Jeong Hyeon participated in training in good health.

“I heard what happened from Instructor Eun Ryeo,” Chu Il-hwan said. “Just in case, you should stand a little further back during practice.”

“Th-thank you, I-Instructor.”

At his instruction, Jeong Hyeon, who was already isolated, moved even further away from the group.

Though the exchange was brief, Il-mok was able to piece things together.

‘So the side effects did get worse because of the enlightenment.’

When training began, Il-mok half-heartedly swung his sword as usual while sneaking glances at Jeong Hyeon’s practice. He soon noticed something new.

'Hmm? He seems fine today?'

Just as she had in the clearing the day before, Jeong Hyeon was demonstrating archery skills that bordered on divine, despite a dozen or so of her peers training nearby.

But that didn't last long. After firing a few shots, Jeong Hyeon lowered his arms with a deep sigh.

"Eek!"

He made a startled face and began darting anxious glances around him.

Il-mok couldn’t understand why he would suddenly act that way when he had been shooting fine, but for Jeong Hyeon, it was unavoidable.

She had achieved enlightenment, sure. But she was still too inexperienced to control it freely.

Il-mok couldn't fathom the sudden change, but Jeong Hyeon's limitations were clear enough to her. The enlightenment remained beyond her full control, draining her mental reserves each time she manipulated her awareness.

Twisting her sensory field required a massive amount of mental energy.

As a result, she could only manage it for short bursts when she was in peak condition. Once her mental energy ran low, she would snap back to normal and be overwhelmed by anxiety.

‘Hmm. I guess he hasn’t completely gotten used to people’s eyes yet.’

Satisfied with his assessment, Il-mok looked away and went back to swinging his sword half-heartedly.

***

That afternoon, Il-mok headed to the clearing with Ju Seo-yeon.

"Yesterday was all archery," Il-mok suggested. "How about some actual sparring today?"

Since this training was designed for Jeong Hyeon, who still had difficulty dealing with people, the two ended up starting the spar about twenty feet apart from each other.

The Hall of the Demonic Way clearly prohibited all manner of unofficial sparring and matches, but unfortunately, all four people present couldn’t care less about that.

'Th-this isn't right... I-Instructor Eun  Ryeo clearly said we shouldn't do this....'

Actually, Jeong Hyeon was worried about it, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

As for Baek Cheon and Ju Seo-yeon, they weren't the types to care about rules.

‘Won’t it be fine as long as we don’t get caught?’

And Il-mok was the type of person who only cared about rules when they were useful to him.

In the end, unable to resist the pressure from the three, the sparring began.

“Hmm.”

Watching the fight, Il-mok let out a small hum.

‘I guess focusing on martial arts for three months has paid off. She has improved.’

Ju Seo-yeon’s movements were definitely faster and more concise than when they had first been grouped together.

However, Jeong Hyeon was the one controlling the spar.

Ju Seo-yeon's spear work was fluid and flashy, deflecting the incoming arrows with practiced ease, that is until—

"Hiik!"

A strangled cry escaped her lips as she threw herself into a desperate Lazy Donkey Roll.

While she'd been focused on the direct shots, a cunningly arced arrow had appeared from nowhere, aimed squarely at her head.

‘Just as I thought. He couldn't show his true skill during the last competition because there were too many people.’

No matter how much Jeong Hyeon had improved, the gap between his skill now and what he’d seen at the tournament was just too vast. At the time, he’d assumed he’d lost so easily because, as an archer, starting a fight in an open space at a mere twenty-foot distance was a disadvantage. But now, he could safely conclude that the audience watching from the sidelines had been the bigger problem for Jeong Hyeon.

While Il-mok was lost in thought, the spar continued.

Ju Seo-yeon deployed spear techniques focused on the principles of illusion and transformation. She flashily wielded her single spear to deflect the arrows and desperately moved her legs to close the distance.

Clang!

But for every move she made, Jeong Hyeon would quickly fire an arrow and move to widen the gap even more.

Eventually, Ju Seo-yeon failed to close the distance, and a situation unfolded where she could only deflect arrows endlessly.

Thunk!

With a blunted arrow landing cleanly on Ju Seo-yeon’s ribs, the sparring came to an end.

"Hahaha. That was truly an excellent match."

Baek Cheon, ever the attention seeker, fulfilled his role as a teacher and poured out praise while speaking exaggeratedly.

“Disciple Jeong’s intuition is truly excellent. If you could just practice seeing the bigger picture, it would be perfect. For example, instead of always retreating backward like this, you should consider moving in a circular pattern like this…”

Baik Cheon provided his best explanation and even demonstrated his advice by utilizing his lightness skills and throwing hidden weapons.

And surprisingly, Ju Seo-yeon listened intently to his advice, even nodding her head eagerly at the display.

It seemed she was trying to figure out a counter-strategy by listening to Baek Cheon’s advice to Jeong Hyeon.

Watching the three of them chatting enthusiastically and continuing their training and sparring, Il-mok nodded satisfactorily.

'Perfect. Now I can truly relax.'

With the group functioning independently, he was free to do as he pleased.

He spent a good while grinning to himself, pondering how best to slack off alone, when a sound broke his reverie—

"Huu."

"It would be good to stop here for today. Hahaha."

Jeong Hyeon’s deep sigh and Baek Cheon’s hearty laugh reached Il-mok’s ears.

“Well, I suppose we should be heading back.”

Il-mok stretched his stiff muscles from prolonged sitting around doing nothing. Ju Seo-yeon, covered in sweat and dust from rolling on the ground, beamed.

"That's a good idea, Young Master!"

Then she turned to the person who made her roll on the ground and beamed.

“Since we’ve bonded over this spar, why don’t we wash up together? It’s been a while, Disciple Jeong.”

Il-mok's expression turned strange at her words.

“What do you mean by bathe together, Disciple Ju?”

“??? I meant we should take a bath together, Young Master. We’ve run into each other at the bathhouse before.”

"Doesn't the Black Dragon Pavilion have separate baths for men and women?"

Three sets of eyes fixed on him with expressions of profound confusion, as if he'd asked why water was wet.

Under their collective gaze, Il-mok's thoughts began to churn. He replayed the events of the past few months in his head and finally realized he had gotten something terribly wrong.

With a bizarre expression on his face, he turned to Jeong Hyeon with caution in his voice.

“Disciple Jeong… by any chance… are you a woman?”