"Really?"
"Yes."
He took off his upper garment and held his sword in his right hand, aiming at the middle of the target. He stood like that for a long time, and his upper body was soaked with sweat.
The cold autumn wind made a translucent mist on his body. His breathing was somewhat rough, but his breath was not loud.
"How did it look?"
"Excuse me?"
"How did they look together?"
Kang Yoon told him honestly what he felt.
"It was very brief, so I couldn't tell much. But the atmosphere didn't seem bad."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
The lieutenant, who had been staring at the tip of his sword for an hour, finally relaxed his posture.
Swoosh.
The sound of the sword entering the scabbard was smooth like a song.
'Did he order it himself?'
The lieutenant was puzzled by Kang Yoon's report.
The eldest hated the second so much that he treated him as if he didn't exist.
And the lieutenant knew why the eldest hated the second.
But he confessed that he ordered it himself? Why?
"Anything else unusual?"
"Nothing."
"I see."
Kang Yoon bowed his head politely.
"I'll call the master of the Law Blade Pavilion."
"That's fine."
"Excuse me?"
"You don't have to call him."
Kang Yoon's face, which was stiff like a wooden puppet, showed a sincere question.
"Are you not going to question the student for his crime?"
The lieutenant silently watched Kang Yoon.
Kang Yoon's face turned pale. He felt a shock as if hundreds of swords pierced his body when he met the lord's eyes.
"Kang Major."
"Yes, yes!"
"Don't forget your rank."
"I'm sorry!"
"That's all."
Kang Yoon bowed his head and retreated politely.
The lieutenant looked up at the sky.
There was not a single cloud in the sky. The wind was cool, and the sunlight was moderate.
'Maybe it's not a big deal.'
He was surprised when he saw the eldest hug the second unexpectedly at the ancestral ceremony.
People's tongues are easily soaked in lies, but actions are hard to be tainted by lies. The eldest's face, who hugged the second and was moved, was full of sincere emotion.
And to himself too.
He felt an inexplicable embarrassment at the sight of the eldest, who had never approached him like that before.
'Is he thinking something absurd?'
He was eighteen. He was grown up. If he were not a child of the martial arts world, he would have been married by now.
But the eldest had not shown any adult-like appearance yet. The lieutenant, who was his father, did not know what the eldest was thinking and living.
The lieutenant pulled out the sword from his waist and threw it to the weapon rack.
Thud!
The rack shook violently. It looked like any other sword, but it was a heavy sword that weighed twenty catties, specially made.
"Wang Jeon."
"Yes, my lord."
A faint voice came from the empty air.
"When did they say they would arrive from the Namgung family?"
"They said it would take about four days."
"Did they say the Namgung family's child was coming too?"
"Yes, it's the youngest daughter of the Namgung lord. She came to visit the academy where the student is studying. She arrived a few days ago."
"Is that so?"
He had no interest in the lord's daughter. But one of the leaders of the Namgung family was visiting his family. It was like receiving a big guest after a long time.
"Tell the master of the Empty Guest Hall, He should finish preparing for the guest in two days."
"I understand."
A faint fatigue lingered in the lieutenant's eyes.
It didn't seem to be because of his two sons.
* * *
Three days passed very quickly.
It was because he had a lot of things to think about and sort out. It was a punishment, but it was a very precious time for Yeon Ho-jeong.
Yeon Ho-jeong entered his room and organized his thoughts.
"This is what I have to do. Prepare and prevent."
The Yeon family will be exterminated in a year and five months.
Furthermore, twenty years later, the Evil Lust Sect will turn the Central Plains into hell.
Neither of them was a trivial problem. The Yeon family was his clan, and the Evil Lust Sect's rebellion burned the entire Central Plains. If he couldn't stop the Evil Lust Sect, his clan would be in danger too.
Moreover, the place where the Evil Lust Sect started its first strike in the Central Plains was Jiangsu Province, where the Yeon family was.
'There are two more enemies that rival the Evil Lust Sect. It's not enough to prepare from now on to block their offensive.'
His head felt overheated.
He calmed his mind with a few deep breaths and made a decision.
'Forget it. The Evil Lust Sect or whatever, that's not important right now. The important thing is the main house.'
He had returned to the past, so he could do many things that he couldn't do before.
But Yeon Ho-jeong didn't set too many goals. He was quick to judge what was the most important thing in any situation, and what he had to do first for his goal.
The important thing now was the clan.
To protect the clan?
Yeon Ho-jeong slapped his cheek lightly.
"Let's start with the body."
He checked his body after putting on a weighted vest under the bed.
'As expected.'
He had checked it several times in the interrogation room, but it was still disappointing.
'I don't know where to start.'
His internal strength was considerable compared to his peers. Even Yeon Ji-pyeong, who overwhelmed him, was below him in terms of internal strength.
But as with everything in the world, quality was more important than quantity.
'Fei Yan Heart Method is at the seventh stage?'
Fei Yan Heart Method was the basic heart method of the Yeon family of Mount Byeok. It was not of high level, and the power to release internal energy was not strong.
It was literally basic, but he only reached the seventh stage at the age of eighteen.
Yeon Ho-jeong felt bitter.
'I definitely didn't have a good talent.'
To switch to the next martial art, he had to reach at least the ninth stage of the Fei Yan Heart Method.
Yeon Ho-jeong barely achieved the ninth stage a few days before his clan was exterminated. But Yeon Ji-pyeong reached the perfection of the Fei Yan Heart Method at the age of sixteen.
The difference in talent between the two was that big.
Yeon Ho-jeong closed his eyes.
'Now, the Fei Yan Heart Method should be easy. It would be better to finish it now.'
He still remembered the essence of the heart method vividly after twenty-six years.
He recited the essence of the heart method.
Sss.
A faint mist rose from his body with the weighted vest on.
It was still before the true energy became visible. His internal strength was enough, but his body was not used to releasing energy.
But that was only for a moment.
Whing.
A signal came from the elixir field.
Compared to the Black Darkness Era, the elixir field, blood vessels, meridians, and muscles and bones were all in a poor state. But his head had completely decomposed the Fei Yan Heart Method. It was possible to attach it to his body somehow.
A moment later.
Whiing! Whiing!
A faint green light was attached to the mist rising from his shoulders.
It was still not very bright, a faint color that repeated flickering.
Sweat formed on Yeon Ho-jeong's forehead.
'It's not easy.'
But it was not impossible.
Pik!
His shoulder twitched.
Thuk! Tuduk!
From the upper arm to the lower arm, the whole arm wriggled on its own.
It was the same for the legs with the weighted vest on. The true energy stretched out to the limbs and gradually opened the blocked blood vessels.
That's how another half hour passed.
Tuduk! A sound came from Yeon Ho-jeong's nose soaked with sweat.
Jureuk.
Dark red blood flowed from his nose. The true energy had risen to the head, where many acupoints were concentrated.
'It's done.'
A small smile hung on Yeon Ho-jeong's lips.
'If I do the One Week Heaven at the end.'
Jiing! Jiiing!
A slightly brighter green mist came out of his whole body.
"Hoo."
He breathed deeply and opened his eyes to loosen the weighted vest.
"I thought it would be easy, but it was harder than I thought."
He got up from his seat.
He clenched and unclenched his fist repeatedly and nodded his head.
"It's a little better."
His body was the same, but the nature of his internal strength had changed and his blood vessels had opened up a lot more. He had finally laid the foundation for learning proper internal strength.
It was a terrifying speed of cultivation.
"Now it's important."
Yeon Ho-jeong shook his head after a moment of hesitation.
"I've already made up my mind, so why are you still hesitating? Don't waste time."
He took a clean bath and changed his clothes, then headed straight to the lord's room.
As he walked there, many people greeted Yeon Ho-jeong.
"Greetings, great prince."
"Great prince."
They were polite and formal greetings, without any lack of etiquette.
But there was no respect or awe for their superior in their greetings. Nor did they look at him with ridicule.
They seemed cold enough to be stiff and blunt. Whatever they thought inside, their words and actions seemed to fit a rigid frame.
'It's a law-abiding atmosphere that lacks flexibility.'
He felt the clan's atmosphere anew.
And he naturally compared it with the atmosphere of the Black Darkness Castle.
'Maybe it's better than the Black Darkness Castle.'
In the long run, the Yeon family's atmosphere seemed better. It might seem stingy with emotion, but at least it was strict with obedience.
But it was too stiff even if it was stiff. This kind of atmosphere had a lot of potential to cause problems in some form in the future.
'Is it my concern?'
Soon, he stood in front of the lord's room building.
The entrance of the building was guarded by two gatekeepers. They were middle-aged warriors, each wielding a sword and a blade.
"Greetings, great prince. Are you here for business?"
"I'm here to see my father."
The gatekeeper's eyes sparkled.
The great prince had never visited the lord first.
"Did the lord give you any orders without us knowing?"
"No, he didn't."
"Then you can't go in."
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.
"It's urgent. Let him know inside."
"I'm sorry. The lord ordered not to let anyone in until noon."
Even an order?
"Bad timing. Then can I at least pass on a message later?"
"Of course."
"Good, then just pass on my message."
"Please speak."
"Tell him I'll learn the Biro True Secret in advance."
The gatekeepers' eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
"Didn't you hear? I'll learn the Biro True Secret in advance, so let him know."
Yeon Ho-jeong turned his back.
"Then take care."
"Hey, wait!"
"Huh?"
"Did you just say the Biro True Secret?"
"So what?"
The gatekeepers licked their lips.
Yeon Ho-jeong frowned.
"Don't tell me you're really deaf."
"…"
"Make sure you pass it on. Don't make any excuses later."
As he walked past the shocked gatekeepers, Yeon Ho-jeong saw a boy.
"Ji-pyeong?"
"Huh? Brother, you were here?!"
"Uh, I came to see my father."
Yeon Ji-pyeong looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with surprised eyes.
Among the clan members who wore stiff masks, Yeon Ji-pyeong showed the most honest and human reaction. Yeon Ho-jeong smiled without knowing.
"Uh, what for?"
"Just for this and that. But what are you doing here? Did you come to see your father too?"
Yeon Ji-pyeong pouted his lips.
"I was looking for you because you weren't at the residence."
"Me? Why me?"
"I told you I'd buy you a meal. I even found a good inn."
"Oh?"
Yeon Ho-jeong coughed as if he remembered.
"Well, do we have to eat outside? We can eat enough inside…"
Yeon Ho-jeong couldn't finish his sentence. He saw Yeon Ji-pyeong's eyes moisten.
His mouth felt dry.
"Then let's go out and have a meal, and get some fresh air."
Yeon Ji-pyeong's face brightened up.
"Yes!"
Yeon Ji-pyeong led Yeon Ho-jeong to the gate with a confident stride. He looked like a general.
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed inwardly.
'Wait, Biro True Secret.'