CDF Chapter 10

“Young Master.”

“…”

“Young Master?”

“…”

“Um… Y-Young Master?”

Anghwa was restless.

Three days ago, after returning from her master’s audience with the Cult Leader, the Young Master had changed a lot.

Usually, he would practice breathing techniques, eat his meals diligently, and visit the latrine six or seven times a day. He would sleep for at least three hours.

In other words, he ate well, relieved himself well, and slept well. It was an ideal schedule for a healthy life.

But what about the Young Master now?

He was sitting on the bed, blankly staring out the window, with saliva dripping from his gaping mouth.

She couldn’t dare wipe it without permission, so she left it, but at this rate, it seemed like it would cause a flood.

He wasn’t eating much, and she wasn’t sure if he was sleeping. He only went to the latrine two or three times. Well, it made sense since he wasn’t eating well.

At least he never skipped his breathing practice, which was a relief.

But after the practice, he would once again blankly drool. It was worrisome enough to suspect he had a serious mental illness.

While Anghwa was at a loss and fidgeting, Cheon Hajin’s mind was fiercely working.

‘What is it? What? What could it be? What is it? What?’

I don’t know. I really don’t know.

What does the Cult Leader’s words mean?

First, telling him to go back to his quarters and rest was self-explanatory, so there was no need to understand it.

But no matter how much he wracked his brain, he couldn’t understand the meaning of saying he would send someone in three days.

No, putting that aside…

‘Is he going to let me go or not?’

If he was going to let me go, he should have just said go. If not, he should have said no. Couldn’t he give a clear answer? Did he have to torture my mind like this?

Cheon Hajin rolled his eyes endlessly.

He’ll let me go, right? He’ll let me go, won’t he? He’ll let me go, right?

‘Of course he’ll let me go. You saw it, didn’t you? The disappointment on that bear-like Cult Leader’s face.’

I guarantee that wasn’t an act.

The level of martial arts doesn’t enhance acting skills. Rather, it’s the weak who are skilled at acting. Because they have to survive by being observant.

As a result, the Cult Leader wasn’t someone who would be good at acting, and he was in a position where he didn’t need to act.

Cheon Hajin clenched his fists.

‘I’ll be able to leave.’

Maybe he’s trying to give me good clothes since his once beloved disciple is going on a long journey.

It doesn’t seem likely that high-quality silk clothes can be made in just three days, but it could be a gift of similar caliber.

He’s someone with overflowing wealth anyway, so what can’t he provide?

Yeah, that’s probably it. Even the Cult Leader is human, so he must have a shred of affection.

Cheon Hajin, who had been rationalizing with enthusiasm, forced a smile.

“My thoughts must be right. Yes, definitely.”

But why am I feeling so anxious?

As Cheon Hajin was biting his fingernails for a while…

“Young Master!”

Startled, Cheon Hajin turned his head towards the source of the sound.

Anghwa’s face, who had mustered up the courage to shout, was slightly pale.

“Wh-what’s the matter? Did someone come?”

“What? Ah, no?”

“Then why?”

“You… should have a meal. You skipped breakfast too.”

Cheon Hajin rubbed his stomach.

Come to think of it, he had been wracking his brain so fiercely that he hadn’t even thought about eating.

“Oh, let’s eat.”

“Yes! I’ll bring it right away.”

Shortly after, a simple meal was served.

The thick and long chopsticks moved back and forth between the rice and side dishes without rest.

Cheon Hajin, who had stuffed his mouth full of food until his cheeks bulged, thought with an extremely serious expression.

‘Before I came back, the surrounding guard warriors were also cleared out.’

It was clear that an order had come from above. And that order must have come through the Cult Leader.

Why did they remove the guard warriors? I’m still the Third Young Master, aren’t I?

‘It means he’s going to let me go.’

Moreover, the physician who diligently came every two days hasn’t shown up either. This must also be the result of intervention from above.

‘For a master of the Cult Leader’s level, it’s possible to see through my physical condition at a glance.’

Not just the Cult Leader, but any decent peak expert would be able to tell.

This body no longer requires further treatment. There is room for improvement, but it can be sufficiently compensated for by individual effort.

The guard warriors have been removed, and the physician has been stopped. In other words, the intention is to reduce the waste of manpower.

There’s only one answer that intention points to!

“I cang leab…”

“Pardon? Young Master, do you have any orders?”

“Huh? Ngo… Gulp! No, nothing.”

“Ah, yes!”

He once again stuffed his mouth with rice.

He was energized by the hopeful and positive interpretation. There would be many more things to work hard on in the future, so he had to eat well first.

After finishing his meal in such a combative manner, Cheon Hajin sat cross-legged.

“Grunt! Shall we begin?”

Food is nutrition, and nutrition is a substance that humans can obtain from outside to maintain life.

As soon as food enters the stomach, the internal organs move more actively to absorb the nutrients.

And what could further accelerate that process was none other than internal energy and breathing techniques.

Let’s first refine the body. If a person grumbles, they can’t even do what needs to be done.

Cheon Hajin closed his eyes.

After a while…

Sizzle sizzle sizzle.

A faint haze rose above his shoulders.

Anghwa, who was standing to one side, pursed her lips.

‘It’s going to get stuffy.’

Whenever Cheon Hajin utilized his breathing technique, the air always became stuffy. It wasn’t that there was a particular smell, but the air became humid and heavy enough to make breathing uncomfortable.

‘He said it was because he was expelling turbid energy, right?’

A look of reverence flickered on Anghwa’s face.

Although it was just for self-protection, she was also a demon disciple who practiced breathing techniques.

She knew to some extent how difficult it was to expel a large amount of turbid energy with a body that had almost no internal energy.

Perhaps the Young Master’s condition had improved not because of the acupuncture and medicine, but because of his personal efforts.

After some time had passed…

‘Huh?’

Anghwa tilted her head.

‘Strange.’

She thought the air would become heavy, but today it wasn’t like that.

Rather…

‘Ah, it’s refreshing.’

Anghwa unknowingly flared her nostrils. The air was so clean that she wanted to take deep breaths constantly.

As Anghwa grinned unexpectedly at the refreshing sensation…

‘What?!’

Cheon Hajin was inwardly startled.

‘What is this?’

The circulation of the Boundless Energy was different from usual.

To be precise, the realm had suddenly jumped up.

‘Third Stage?!’

The Boundless Energy is divided into stages from the First Stage to the Fifth Stage.

Among them, it wasn’t difficult to reach up to the Third Stage as long as one practiced diligently, but from the Fourth Stage onwards,

one needed exceptional enlightenment in the Boundless Energy itself to take each step forward.

In his previous life, when he was at the peak of his rampage as the Assassin King, the realm he had reached was the very end of the Fourth Stage.

Considering his abilities that had earned him a place among the top ten experts in the world, it showed how troublesome the Boundless Energy was.

But now, he had reached the end of the Third Stage. It seemed like he could easily settle into the Fourth Stage with just a couple more circulations.

‘How is this possible?’

It was utterly absurd.

He said it wasn’t difficult to reach the Third Stage, not that it was easy.

Even with enlightenment, he thought it would take at least five years to reach that realm.

The reason was that, more than enlightenment, the degree of integration between the martial art and the body was important.

Even if he had only focused on the Boundless Energy for three months, how could he already be aiming for the Fourth Stage?

‘Could it be…?’

Cheon Hajin’s expression turned serious.

‘Because I’m a genius?’

This is not the time for jokes, you fool.

‘I really can’t understand it.’

Whooooosh.

A pleasant vibration spread from his body.

When he inhaled, the subtle turbid energy floating in the room seeped into his body, and when he exhaled, the purified energy transformed the air in the room into a pristine state.

Cheon Hajin’s expression brightened.

‘Even the Purification Technique is being used naturally.’

The Purification Technique of the Boundless Energy.

The essence of the Boundless Energy is to expel turbid energy from the body and maximize the ability to heal injuries.

However, the Boundless Energy has a unique technique called the Purification Technique, which literally purifies the surrounding air.

Contrary to expelling turbid energy, it draws in turbid energy. Naturally, the air from which the impure energy had disappeared could only become clean.

If you inhale the turbid energy that you should be expelling, wouldn’t it put a strain on the body?

‘Not at all!’

The remnants of turbid energy left in his body shrank due to the power of the Boundless Energy and became internalized as internal energy.

Of course, it was an extremely small amount, even smaller than a sparrow’s eye crust, and the internal energy obtained by normally circulating the Boundless Energy was much greater.

Nevertheless, the reason the Purification Technique was important was because of the virtuous cycle.

It made the air in the surrounding area pure, and then when one accumulated true energy using other internal techniques, one could obtain higher quality energy than usual.

Naturally, the achievement of divine arts would also be faster, and the body would become even stronger.

Although it might not be noticeable right away, after a year or ten years, a jaw-dropping difference would emerge.

‘What a windfall!’

He felt like dancing with joy. After clinging to the Boundless Energy for three months with a bloody determination, this kind of blessing came!

‘Now it’s done! I can regain it much faster.’

He had roughly estimated that it would take three to five years to regain his previous martial prowess.

Of course, that was based on the premise of obtaining elixirs from the safe house.

However, if he could use the Purification Technique, that period would be further reduced.

‘Wasn’t this body’s age said to be twenty-three?’

If he recovered it in three years at most, it meant he would possess the martial arts of a top ten expert in the world at the age of twenty-six.

‘Wow… With this, I might really be called the greatest genius in history, right?’

Cheon Hajin’s expression turned greedy.

Although he had bid farewell to the gangho, how could he not have the desire for fame?

Moreover, if he wielded the martial arts of a supreme expert in this young body and shook the gangho, it would truly be a thrilling life.

The martial arts world would cheer for the appearance of a genius, right? Even women who are not assassins would take notice of me at least once, right?

As fame rises, money would naturally follow, right?

‘…Gulp.’

Cheon Hajin, who had been indulging in his own fantasies, soon shook his head roughly.

‘Stupid bastard. Even after going through that, you still don’t know? The martial arts world is not a place for people to live.’

They would cheer for the appearance of a genius?

They probably would. They would cheer while holding a dagger in their clasped hands behind their backs.

Women would also be happy that a guy who would suck them dry had appeared, but they wouldn’t genuinely understand me.

Fame? Can you eat that? There’s already a lot of money in the safe house.

Most importantly, whether it’s three years or five years, a young man is still a young man. Getting excited over a slightly shorter training period, you’re really a simple fellow.

‘Know your place and live.’

Let’s not ruin our lives for a momentary desire.

Half a day later.

“Aaaaah!”

Cheon Hajin stretched.

Anghwa prostrated herself.

“Congratulations, Young Master!”

“Huh? For what?”

“What? No… Just…”

She couldn’t say that she felt like he had achieved something.

Cheon Hajin roughly ruffled Anghwa’s hair.

“Haha! Why are you so tense? Anyway, thank you.”

Anghwa’s body momentarily stiffened.

‘…The Young Master ruffled my hair?!’

It was incredibly honorable.

At the same time, she felt a bit sulky.

‘I put effort into styling it today…’

She had spent more than half an hour working on this hairstyle.

But well, since the Young Master likes it, it’s fine. She could style her hair again.

As one young man was crying with joy and one girl was at a loss due to her complex feelings…

Bang!

Cheon Hajin’s head swiftly turned towards the window.

The main gate of the residence, visible in the distance.

“A message from the Demon God Palace! Third Young Master Seo Ryang, quickly open the door and receive the Cult Leader’s holy command!”

Cheon Hajin grinned from ear to ear.

“Come in! Please come in quickly!!”