Prologue + Chapter 1

Prologue- Chapter 0: The Master, the Taoist, and the Boy

The endless chain of mountains looked like waves in an ocean, undulating in the distance. A small group of about twenty Taoists were making their way along the narrow mountain path.

It was early spring, and the cold wind brushed past the Taoists, making them shiver and pull their robes tighter. Suddenly, a middle-aged Taoist leading the group lifted his head. He appeared to be in his late forties, his teeth clenched tightly.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his shoulders were shaking with an endless tremor.

"Mount Hua has suffered greatly in the war against the Demon Sect, and all we have to show for it is the cold indifference of the martial world. How fleeting is the goodwill of the world."

"Master."

"We will become stronger. So that the world can never look down on Mount Hua again."

The middle-aged Taoist's muttering was filled with a strong resonance. The Taoists following him bowed their heads, their fists clenched tightly.

They shared the same sentiments as the middle-aged Taoist.

However, only one person, a middle-aged Taoist with a clear and serene appearance, was shaking his head with his eyes slightly closed.

'Infinite Buddha! The Master has harbored poison.'

The middle-aged Taoist, who was emitting a chilling aura at the head of the group, was known as Hyuncheon, the esteemed leader of the Daehwasan faction, one of the nine major factions of the martial world.

Hyuncheon was filled with rage. His rage would guide Mount Hua's next move.

'Where will Mount Hua go now?'

The serene-looking Taoist, Hyunso, sighed softly.

"There's smoke over there."

Suddenly, a voice broke Hyuncheon and Hyunso's contemplation.

Smoke was rising from over the hill in front of them. The acrid smell carried by the wind made the Taoists grimace.

'Blood scent?'

"Let's go check it out."

Hyuncheon, stimulated by the smell of blood, tried to shake off his anger and spoke.

The Taoists hurriedly crossed the hill. Then, a horrifying sight unfolded before them.

"Ugh!"

They were speechless at the sight before them.

A small village was engulfed in flames. About thirty houses were either burning or had already collapsed into ashes, and the streets were littered with the bodies of villagers.

"Infinite Buddha! What on earth happened..."

"It seems like the village was attacked by a band of thieves. I've heard that thieves have been rampant in various places lately."

"This can't be!"

Hyunso's expression turned grim.

'Infinite Buddha! With the collapse of the Demon Sect, now the thieves are rampant. How are we going to deal with this?'

The Taoists scattered and searched the village thoroughly, but no survivors were found. More than a hundred people, including children and adults from about thirty households, had been massacred.

"How could they kill all the innocent villagers?"

"Great God, please look upon them."

As the Taoists prayed for the dead, Hyunso heard a faint moan. The moan was so faint that at first, he thought he was imagining it.

"Ugh!"

But when he heard the moan again, Hyunso realized that what he heard was not an illusion.

"Where is it?"

Hyunso looked around for the source of the sound.

From the ruins of what was once a precious home for a family, but now burned and collapsed into debris, a faint moan could be heard.

Hyunso hurriedly sifted through the debris. He moved a half-burned pillar and dug through the ashes with his hands.

"Master, why are you..."

"Master! What on earth..."

"There's a survivor here."

At Hyunso's words, the young Taoists joined in to remove the debris.

Had they removed about half of the debris? A half-burned body of a man appeared from the ashes.

The man, wearing a beast skin top and carrying a sword on his waist, looked out of place in the village. The calluses on his fists proved that fact.

Hyunso reached out to the thief's body. There was no warmth of a living person.

"Master must have been mistaken. It seems like this man has been dead for a while."

"But why did the thief die? Was there someone in the village who knew martial arts?"

Hyuncheon and Hyunso's brothers each made a comment, but no one could answer their questions.

It was then.

"Ugh!"

A faint moan was heard again. This time, not only Hyunso but everyone present heard it.

"Could it be?"

Hyunso quickly flipped the thief's body over.

The front of the thief, unlike his back exposed to the ashes, was relatively intact. The Taoists looking at the thief's body had their eyes shaking.

The thief's throat looked as if it had been torn by a beast, with the flesh torn and the trachea exposed. It seemed that the wound on the neck was the cause of death. But what surprised the Taoists was not the thief's wound.

Underneath the thief, who had been lying face down, was a small boy. He was just hidden by the thief's bulky body.

Whether it was originally like that, or whether it was due to the thieves, the boy's arms and legs were grotesquely twisted. The horrific injuries made it easy to imagine the tragedy the boy had gone through.

"Ah!"

"Infinite Buddha!"

At the sight of the boy's gruesome appearance, the Taoists coughed or turned their heads away without realizing it.

The boy, who had been lying as if dead with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes.

"..."

Hyunso flinched at the boy's empty gaze and the desperate will to survive contained within.

"Hey, kid!"

Hyunso reached out to the boy with a pitiful heart. The boy turned his head with difficulty and spat out something he had been biting in his mouth.

Thud!

Something the size of a fist rolled on the ground. The object, which was crushed red, was clearly someone's flesh.

"That, that?"

A deadly silence descended on the Taoists of Mount Hua.

Chapter 1: Spring Comes Even to Mount Hua

A boy, who appeared to be barely sixteen or seventeen, was laboriously climbing a mountain. His thick eyebrows, tightly knitted over his forehead, the cold and stern eyes beneath them, and his firmly closed lips seemed to suggest an obstinate nature.

Suddenly, the boy lifted his head to gaze at the mountain peak.

He saw crags shooting towards the sky, like swords thrust into the earth in reverse. They were scattered like blooming lotus flowers, hence the highest peak was named Lotus Peak.

Lotus Peak, the home of the Hwasan Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects. To be precise, it was the symbol of the Hwasan Sect, where only the Jade Hall and the Royal Palace existed. However, people equated Lotus Peak with the Hwasan Sect.

Unlike the Mudang Sect, which was concentrated at the peak of Mudang Mountain, the Hwasan Sect was spread evenly across Mount Hwa.

The symbol of the Hwasan Sect's martial power, the True Martial Palace, was located at the peak of Cloud Peak. Other places like the Golden Heaven Palace, the Treasure Mystery Palace, and the Spirit Treasure Palace were nestled in locations invisible from the outside.

The most well-known places were the Jade Spring Institute at the foot of Mount Hwa and the Great Peace Palace midway up the mountain. The Jade Spring Institute was the only place accessible to ordinary people. Hence, the true nature of the Hwasan Sect remained a mystery to the world.

"Huff!"

A rough breath escaped the boy's lips.

The stairs he was climbing were known as the Hundred-Step Cliff, a narrow stone staircase carved between steep cliffs. The Hundred-Step Cliff was so narrow that only one adult could pass at a time, and its near-vertical incline made it extremely dangerous. The path stretched for almost a hundred steps, hence the name.

To climb the Hundred-Step Cliff, one first had to ascend three hundred and seventy stone steps. This near-vertical path, known as the Thousand-Step Pillar, was notorious for its rough and dangerous terrain.

Even martial artists who had mastered their skills found it difficult to ascend. The boy, however, was gritting his teeth and climbing. His legs felt as heavy as if he were carrying a lump of iron.

Sweat poured from his body like rain, and his face had long turned pale. His heart pounded as if it would leap out of his chest.

Each step he took felt more painful than death. Yet, the boy never complained of fatigue or took a break.

As he stubbornly climbed the stairs, suddenly, his left leg cramped.

The boy paused his ascent and looked down at his left leg. It was thinner and slightly bent compared to his right leg. Because it was bent below the knee, he couldn't exert full strength, and even walking normally was difficult.

So, the boy had no choice but to limp slightly. It was what people commonly referred to as a limp.

It wasn't a problem in everyday life, but for a martial artist learning martial arts, it was a fatal flaw.

Despite this flaw, the boy traveled back and forth every day between the Jade Spring Institute at the foot of Mount Hwa and the peak.

The path that even skilled martial artists found difficult.

'It's okay! I can do it.'

Gritting his teeth, the boy resumed his climb.

His body was drained, and his legs trembled endlessly, but his gaze was fixed on the peak of Mount Hwa.

The boy continued to move towards the peak of Mount Hwa. As he took one step at a time, he was eventually able to escape the Hundred-Step Cliff.

Escaping the Hundred-Step Cliff didn't mean he had reached the peak of Mount Hwa. He had only reached about half of his destination.

The boy paused to catch his breath and looked around. Far beyond the Poryong Pass, he could see Lotus Peak. The Jade Hall and the Royal Palace, symbols of the Hwasan Sect, were there. But that was not his destination.

The boy moved towards Cloud Peak on the opposite side. While the West Peak, known as Lotus Peak, the East Peak, known as Morning Sun Peak, and the South Peak, known as Falling Goose Peak, were gathered in one place, Cloud Peak stood alone. For some reason, it felt lonely.

Thick beads of sweat continuously trickled down the boy's forehead. His legs felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Especially his abnormal left leg, it hurt.

His waist and leg muscles swelled as if they were about to burst, and his joints ached as if they were being crushed. His lungs expanded to their limit to inhale more air, and his heart pounded madly to supply fresh air to his blood.

How long had he been walking? The boy entered a thicket near Cloud Peak. Beyond the thicket was a small path. The path was so secretive that it would be impossible to know it existed from the outside.

Following the path for a while, a small temple appeared at the edge of a precarious cliff. In front of the old temple was a small platform, and on the platform sat a middle-aged Taoist.

The Taoist was wearing a robe that had been mended countless times and had turned into rags.

After gazing at the scenery of Mount Hwa for a long time, the Taoist seemed to sense something and looked towards the boy.

A deep furrow formed between the Taoist's brows.

"Did you go down the mountain again?"

"Master."

"Why are you so stubborn? It's not like your leg will heal by doing so. But then again, you wouldn't listen even if I said so. If you would, you would have stopped long ago."

For the past five years, the boy had climbed Mount Hwa every single day without fail. It took half a day for a healthy person to climb Mount Hwa.

Especially for the boy, who had a disability in his leg. He was bound to be much slower than ordinary people.

Everyone said he was crazy. But still, the boy climbed the mountain.

The first time the boy climbed Mount Hwa, it took him three days. His heart had already reached the peak, but his legs couldn't keep up with his will.

Especially his left leg, which was twisted and had damaged muscles, caused the boy great pain. Yet, the boy never complained of being tired or took a break.

One step at a time, without a single break, he slowly climbed the mountain, and when he finally reached the peak, he was almost on the verge of death.

If the Taoist hadn't taken life-saving measures in time, the boy's condition was so critical that he could have lost his life.

A normal person would have stopped at that point. But as soon as the boy recovered, he climbed the mountain again. His determination was so strong that the Taoist had no choice but to watch his actions until now.

While climbing and descending the mountain, the boy regained his vitality. Muscles began to form on his once emaciated body. Now, after five years, he had developed the strength and cardiorespiratory endurance to climb Mount Hwa relatively quickly.

"Phew! Come here."

"Master, I'm fine now."

"You're not fine. Come here."

At the Taoist's words, the boy sat on the platform with a resigned expression. Then, the Taoist began to massage the boy's legs with his thin hands.

"Ugh!"

A moan involuntarily escaped from the boy's lips.

The Taoist's touch was not gentle. His rough touch made the boy's legs twitch.

But the moment of pain passed quickly. Instead, a cool sensation replaced it.

"Are you so reckless because you want to acquire the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect?"

"I'm sorry, Master."

"Merciful Buddha! What do you have to be sorry about? It's this useless master who should be sorry to you."

"No, Master."

At the Taoist's self-reproachful words, the boy hurriedly shook his hands.

To the boy, the master was a benefactor who saved his life. He saved him from dying, treated him, and took him as a disciple. If it weren't for the master, he wouldn't exist now.

"Hoya!"

"Yes, Master!"

"You... never mind."

The Taoist trailed off.

The Taoist, whose Taoist name was Hyunso, was one of the elders of the Hwasan Sect. And the boy whose legs he was massaging was named Damho. He was the only survivor rescued from a village attacked by a band of thieves five years ago.

Everyone gave up on Damho when they saw his injuries. But one person, Hyunso Jinin, was different.

He didn't give up on Damho, who was dying with broken limbs and severe malnutrition. He wasn't a doctor, but he did his best to treat Damho.

Whether it was divine intervention or not, Damho survived. However, due to the aftereffects of the injury, he had to limp with his left leg. That was something Hyunso Jinin couldn't help with, no matter how hard he tried.

'Poor Hoya, what can we do?'

A look of pity flashed in Hyunso Jinin's eyes as he massaged Damho's legs.

The talent he saw in Damho was exceptional. But what was more exceptional was his will.

Perhaps because of the great ordeal he faced at a young age, Damho had a much stronger will than boys his age.

If his body had been normal, he would have undoubtedly become an excellent martial artist.

But Damho had a problem with his left leg. It wasn't a problem in everyday life, but it was a fatal weakness for martial artists learning martial arts.

As with any sect, the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect placed great importance on footwork. Especially if you became a disciple of the main mountain and received the Lesser Clear Heart Decree, you had to learn the Nine Palaces Step.

The Nine Palaces Step, known for its brilliant changes, was a top-tier footwork that even talented disciples found difficult to master. It was too flashy for Damho, who had a disability in his leg. It was worth giving up, but Damho climbed the mountain every day, strengthening his leg muscles.

Whether he could learn the Nine Palaces Step was uncertain, but Damho trained himself every day without fail. In front of his disciple's efforts, Hyunso Jinin couldn't help but feel moved.

"Master, I'm fine now. You can stop."

"Let's do a little more. I want to."

"But..."

"I want to do it. Let's do a little more."

"Master."

Damho lowered his gaze.

For the past five years, Hyunso Jinin had always been the same. He cared for Damho with utmost sincerity, like a man desperate to do just a little bit more.

Without Hyunso Jinin's care, Damho wouldn't be where he was today. As Hyunso Jinin massaged Damho's legs with great care, he spoke.

"All a man needs is a firm will. If your will is unshakeable, the heavens will pave the way for you. So don't be too impatient, Hoya."

It was a statement befitting Hyunso Jinin, a true Taoist.

'Master, I don't believe in the heavens.'

Damho's response echoed only within his mouth.

***

Spring on Mount Hwa, known for its sharp, blade-like terrain, was fragrant. The rich scent of plum blossoms carried by the wind. At this time, plum blossoms were blooming all over Mount Hwa.

Damho was walking amidst the scent of plum blossoms. It felt as if plum blossoms were falling with each of his steps.

Damho paused for a moment and looked around.

The surroundings were filled with plum blossoms. The blossoming plums each boasted their own vibrant beauty.

Damho reached out his hand. As if by magic, a plum blossom petal was carried by the wind and landed in his palm. Damho stared at the plum blossom petal for a long time.

Spring on Mount Hwa was when the plum blossoms reached their peak. That's why people associated the Hwasan Sect with plum blossoms. Perhaps because of this, there were many martial arts in the Hwasan Sect that incorporated plum blossoms.

Plum Blossom Fist and Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword were prime examples.

Because of this, there was a preconception that the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect were light and superficial. In reality, a significant portion of the Hwasan Sect's martial arts were indeed of that nature.

The wind blew again, blowing the plum blossom petal from Damho's palm. Damho reached out to catch the plum blossom petal, but it slipped gently through his fingers.

Damho clenched his fist.

To him, the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect were like those plum blossoms. Seemingly within grasp, yet always eluding capture.

Damho shook his head and resumed his walk.

After a while, he arrived at the Great Peace Palace.

The Great Peace Palace was located on the largest flatland in Mount Hwa, known for its sharp, blade-like terrain.

Modeled after the thirty-six heavens of the celestial realm, the Great Peace Palace was incredibly vast. The major and minor events of the Hwasan Sect took place here, and it was also where the disciples of the Hwasan Sect trained in martial arts.

At the training ground, many people were practicing. They varied in appearance and age.

The youngest seemed to be about twelve years old, and the oldest appeared to be in their mid-twenties.

"Ha! Ha!"

Sweat poured down their faces as they continuously shouted.

The ones practicing the Bokho Fist, the foundation of the Hwasan Sect's martial arts, were the inner disciples. Towards these inner disciples, a figure was shouting instructions.

"When you throw a punch, you must put in solid strength. Use all the muscles in your body as if a tiger lying down is leaping out."

"Yes!"

At his roaring voice, the disciples practicing martial arts responded in unison.

"Transition from Bokho Chuldong (Crouching Tiger) to Daeho Chulse (Great Tiger Leaps)."

"Yes!"

With the response, the disciples' forms changed. A fierce and wild momentum was released, like a tiger leaping out of a cave towards the world.

Damho paused to watch their training for a moment.

The instructor teaching the inner disciples was Jinkyung, the youngest disciple of the Hwasan Sect and a master of the Plum Blossom Fist, known as the Fist Demon of Mount Hwa.

He was usually cheerful, but when teaching martial arts, he became a ruthless demon, which earned him the unflattering nickname "Heartless Demon" among the inner disciples.

As Jinkyung was instructing the inner disciples, he suddenly waved at Damho.

"Cheongyeong Disciple."

Just a moment ago, he was like a roaring tiger, but now he was smiling warmly. Damho bowed his head slightly in response.

Cheongyeong was the Taoist name he received from the Hwasan Sect.

Although he had received the Taoist name three years ago, he still wasn't used to it. It felt as uncomfortable as wearing someone else's clothes.

However, Damho didn't show his feelings and approached Jinkyung.

"What brings you here? Did you come to see this old man?"

"I was on my way to the Youngbogung."

"Youngbogung?"

A spark of interest flashed in Jinkyung's eyes.

Youngbogung was where the Hwasan Sect kept their martial arts texts. It was one of the most important places in the Hwasan Sect, heavily guarded and with strict entry requirements.

Inner disciples were naturally forbidden from entering, and even among the main disciples, only those of the first generation and above were allowed entry.

Although Damho was Jinkyung's younger brother, he was also a first-generation disciple of the Hwasan Sect. Naturally, he was allowed to enter. However, there weren't many useful martial arts texts in Youngbogung. Most of the texts were Taoist scriptures related to the Taoist path.

The true secrets of the Hwasan Sect couldn't be learned from books. The experiences and insights that couldn't be conveyed in a few lines of text were passed down through direct teaching.

The reason why the Hwasan Sect, one of the nine great sects, had once declined was because they lost all their masters who could pass down their insights at once.

Now, the Hwasan Sect was slowly regaining its former glory, but it still fell short compared to its heyday. There was a lack of masters who could provide proper instruction.

What's more, for some reason, Hyunso Jinin, who took Damho as his disciple, did not practice martial arts. He was the only scholar in the Hwasan Sect.

When he said he would take Damho as his disciple, everyone opposed it.

What the Hwasan Sect needed now was a powerful martial artist. There was no way a scholar who studied scriptures and did not practice martial arts could provide proper martial arts instruction to a disciple.

Even if Hyunso Jinin, an elder of the Hwasan Sect, insisted on taking Damho as his disciple, it became a significant obstacle for Damho to learn martial arts. The elders who had opposed it were reluctant to pass on martial arts to Damho.

"You're quite diligent. If you keep working hard like this, you'll surely overcome your limits one day."

Jinkyung's gaze unconsciously drifted towards Damho's left leg.

A fatal weakness for a martial artist. It was a fact known to every disciple in the Hwasan Sect.

He said so, but Jinkyung didn't believe that Damho could overcome his weakness. The martial arts of the Hwasan Sect were not so easy that a limping person could master them.

Damho read the pity in Jinkyung's eyes. But he bowed his head as if nothing was wrong.

"I'll go to Youngbogung now."

"Alright, take care."

Damho passed by Jinkyung and headed towards the back of the Great Peace Palace.

"Is that limping guy really a first-generation disciple of the Hwasan Sect?"

"Can he even properly execute martial arts with that body?"

As he walked away, the inner disciples murmured.

"Who dares to chatter during training?"

At Jinkyung's roar, the inner disciples clamped their mouths shut like clams. But their voices had already reached Damho's ears.

Still, Damho didn't stop walking. It was a story he had heard countless times, and the gaze was familiar. His heart was not so weak as to be shaken by just this much.

He passed the Great Peace Palace and arrived at Youngbogung.

It looked ordinary from the outside, but the entrance to Youngbogung had a sophisticated mechanism. Unless the guards protecting Youngbogung deactivated the mechanism, no one could approach it.

The master of Youngbogung was Hyunmu Jinin, Hyunso Jinin's elder brother and one of the elders of the Hwasan Sect. The guards protecting Youngbogung were first and second-generation disciples who had been taught by Hyunmu Jinin.

Jongkyung, a first-generation disciple, recognized Damho.

"You're here again today."

"Yes, Elder Brother."

"Are you going into Youngbogung?"

"Yes!"

"You're quite diligent. Go ahead."

"Thank you."

Damho bowed his head in thanks and entered Youngbogung. Then, Jongkyung personally deactivated the mechanism.

Inside the Youngbogung, bookshelves lined with texts stretched out. The collection was diverse, housing not only martial arts texts of the Hwasan Sect but also a variety of general books.

Despite the Youngbogung being sealed off on all sides, a soft light permeated the space, making it possible to read the texts.

Damho's fingers skimmed over the books on the shelves. Although the Youngbogung was said to house all the martial arts texts of the Hwasan Sect, the collection was smaller than expected. This was due to a significant loss of texts during a major fire decades ago.

Over time, Damho had visited this place countless times. As a result, he knew the location of each book, even with his eyes closed.

Thud!

An old book caught Damho's finger. Without hesitation, he pulled it out.

The Bamboo Leaf Hand.

That's what was written on the old book.

The Bamboo Leaf Hand was one of the most basic martial arts of the Hwasan Sect, along with the Bokho Fist and the Six Harmonies Fist. Because of this, it was primarily taught to inner disciples. It wasn't a martial art that Damho, a first-generation disciple, should be learning. Yet, Damho couldn't take his eyes off the book detailing the Bamboo Leaf Hand.

The Bamboo Leaf Hand was composed of three major techniques.

Bamboo Leaf Breaks the Void.

Flying Leaf Travels a Thousand Miles.

Leaf Pierces the Sun.

Despite their grandiose names, each technique was simple yet efficient.

With his gaze fixed on the book, Damho mimicked the techniques of the Bamboo Leaf Hand with his free hand.

Swish!

Stabbing, swinging, thrusting, pulling - a series of movements flowed seamlessly. The air in the Youngbogung rippled with Damho's movements.

Even in the narrow space between the bookshelves, Damho freely executed the Bamboo Leaf Hand. After completing the sequence from start to finish, Damho looked back at the book, lost in thought.

'The Bamboo Leaf Hand is undoubtedly swift. However, it lacks weight, which is a drawback as it can't exert proper power until a certain level of mastery is reached.'

Of course, once mastered, the Bamboo Leaf Hand could exert a power comparable to swinging a sledgehammer. It was said that in the past, some masters of the Hwasan Sect could split a large rock in two using only the Bamboo Leaf Hand.

But those days were long gone. Now, the disciples of the Hwasan Sect considered the Bamboo Leaf Hand as a passing study, not delving deeply into it.

If Damho's legs were healthy, he wouldn't have been fixated on the Bamboo Leaf Hand. It was one of the few martial arts of the Hwasan Sect that didn't require learning a separate footwork technique.

For Damho, who couldn't learn proper footwork, it was the most suitable martial art.

He delved obsessively into the techniques and principles that were already etched into his mind. Even in the darkness, his eyes shone with a steely determination.

His gaze had softened considerably compared to before. When he first arrived at Mount Hwa, his eyes were filled with a fierce determination. It was so intense that even the elders of the Hwasan Sect shook their heads in disapproval.

Five years had passed since then, and Damho had aged. His gaze had also become much calmer. So, people thought that Damho had mellowed significantly.

But that was their misconception. Damho had not mellowed at all. He had merely gained enough patience to hide his fierce gaze.

Damho could feel the beast lurking within him.

An infinitely ferocious and brutal beast was breathing alongside him. The beast was waiting for the day Damho would unleash it.

Suppressing the beast within him, Damho pulled out another book.

The Bokho Fist.

It was the martial art currently being taught to the inner disciples at the training ground of the Great Peace Palace. It was one of the basic martial arts of the Hwasan Sect, like the Bamboo Leaf Hand, and it was simple yet possessed a significant weight.

Damho, with the book in one hand, executed the Bokho Fist with his other hand.

Thump!

The air exploded from a punch that didn't even carry his inner energy.

It was a punch that was fast, concise, and carried a considerable weight.

The Bokho Fist had been with the Hwasan Sect since its inception. It was there when the Hwasan Sect first settled on Mount Hwa, and it had shared the history of the Hwasan Sect.

But as time passed, many superior martial arts techniques were created that far surpassed the Bokho Fist.

In the end, like the Bamboo Leaf Hand, the Bokho Fist fell to the status of a basic martial art that only the inner disciples learned. Everyone considered the Bokho Fist as a stepping stone to other advanced martial arts and didn't delve deeply into it. Even the elders of the Hwasan Sect did the same.

However, Damho delved obsessively into the Bokho Fist. As his mastery deepened, he felt a question forming.

'The Leisurely Heart Technique is not suitable for learning the Bokho Fist.'

The Leisurely Heart Technique was a basic inner energy technique learned along with the Bamboo Leaf Hand, Bokho Fist, and Six Harmonies Fist. Inner disciples could only begin learning the Bokho Fist and others after mastering the Leisurely Heart Technique.

The Leisurely Heart Technique was indeed an excellent inner energy technique. It was quite stable and didn't interfere with learning other advanced techniques.

Because of this, it was suitable for disciples with low mastery or beginners, but it didn't match well with the Bokho Fist or the Bamboo Leaf Hand.

'Why is that?'

Everyone naturally learned the Leisurely Heart Technique before moving on to the Bamboo Leaf Hand and the Bokho Fist. But Damho had doubts.

The doubts that started a while ago grew like a snowball as time passed.

Damho lost track of time as he immersed himself in the Bokho Fist.

Numerous questions filled his mind, but his hands executing the Bokho Fist were as sharp as ever.

Time passed inexorably for Damho.

***

Damho left the Youngbogung long after the sun had set. Lanterns were lit throughout Mount Hwa as darkness fell.

The plum blossoms illuminated by the lanterns sparkled like snowflakes. Damho stood still for a moment, taking in the sight.

The day's activities at the Hwasan Sect didn't end just because night had fallen. Lights shone brightly in the Taoist houses scattered around Mount Hwa, and the Taoists were still bustling about.

Then, a group approached Damho.

They were Taoists dressed in ceremonial robes. An extraordinary aura emanated from them.

Damho bowed his head towards them.

They were the first-generation disciples of the Hwasan Sect. The Taoist in his mid-thirties leading the group was Mookyung, a disciple of Hyuncheon Jinin, the chief scholar of the Hwasan Sect.

Mookyung had been a prodigy since his youth, carrying the hopes of the entire Hwasan Sect. His martial arts mastery was also exceptional, and rumors circulated that he had already begun learning the Great Purity Heart Decision, a technique that only elders and above could learn.

His character was as outstanding as his martial arts, and there was no one among the disciples of the Hwasan Sect who didn't respect him.

Beside Mookyung were his closest confidants, Woonkyung and Han Soyu.

Woonkyung was Mookyung's martial brother and the leader of the Thirty-Six Plum Blossom Swordsmen, a pride of the Hwasan Sect. His cold, settled gaze spoke volumes about his personality.

Han Soyu was a rare female disciple in the Hwasan Sect. She too boasted exceptional mastery, being one of the Thirty-Six Plum Blossom Swordsmen.

Mookyung smiled.

"Cheongyeong."

"Elder Brother."

"Are you heading back to your quarters?"

"Yes."

"How is Master Hyunso?"

"He is well."

"That's good to hear. I've been meaning to visit him, but I've been too busy."

"Master will understand."

At Damho's reply, Mookyung's smile deepened. However, Woonkyung, standing next to him, looked at Damho with cold eyes.

"How's your leg?"

"It's the same."

"And yet you're still obsessed with martial arts? Even when your limitations are clear. Wouldn't it be better if you, like Master Hyunso, focused on Taoist studies instead of martial arts?"

"Elder Brother!"

Mookyung exclaimed in surprise at Woonkyung's harsh words. But Woonkyung's expression didn't change.

"There's nothing more foolish than wasting time on futile endeavors. Remember my words."

"Thank you for your advice, Elder Brother. I will take it to heart."

Damho bowed deeply.

Woonkyung watched Damho with a chilly gaze. Seeing this, Mookyung shrugged helplessly and turned to Han Soyu.

Han Soyu stepped lightly towards Damho. As she did, a faint, pleasant fragrance filled the air.

Damho lifted his head to look at Han Soyu. Her face, as delicate as the plum blossoms of Mount Hwa, came into view.

"Don't take Woonkyung's words to heart, Damho. He doesn't mean any harm."

"I understand."

"If you ever need help with martial arts, come find me. I'll do my best to help."

"Thank you."

"I believe in you, Damho."

Han Soyu flashed a bright smile. It was a captivating smile that could shake the hearts of many men.

"I should get going now."

After bowing to the three, Damho moved on.

The three watched Damho's retreating figure. Woonkyung, who had been watching Damho's limping figure, had a look of pity on his face.

Mookyung turned to Woonkyung.

"Do you realize how cold your words can be? How can you say such things right in front of him?"

"I'm saying this for Damho's own good."

"How is that for his own good? He's already upset about his leg."

"What Damho needs is not empty comfort or encouragement, but cold, hard advice."

"You?

"Honestly, what are the chances that Damho will ever master the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect? A martial artist who can't learn footwork is only half a martial artist. And right now, the Hwasan Sect doesn't need half martial artists."

"Wow! You really are cold-hearted."

"I have no choice. It's my role to think and judge calmly in any situation."

"Really..."

Mookyung shook his head, but his face didn't show any displeasure.

If Mookyung symbolized the power of the Hwasan Sect as its chief disciple, then Woonkyung was in a position where he had to constantly advise him with cold reason.

They were raised that way, and they believed it was for the best of the Hwasan Sect.

Han Soyu interjected into their conversation with a laugh.

"Alright, alright! Let's stop talking about Damho. We have more important things to deal with."

"That's true..."

Mookyung nodded.

The Hwasan Sect was at a critical juncture.

They needed to select promising disciples from the inner disciples and accept them as core disciples. But that wasn't the end. They had to train them into proper martial artists.

The Hwasan Sect desperately needed new power. For that, disciples like Mookyung and Woonkyung had to work tirelessly.

"Let's go."

Mookyung led the way. Damho was no longer in his thoughts.

***

Damho walked the night road, guided by the moonlight. He was heading to a small valley located beneath the Cloud Peak.

There was a fairly large pond at the bottom of the valley. It was a place rarely visited by the Taoists of the Hwasan Sect because it was hard to find. It was Damho's refuge when he felt suffocated.

Damho stripped off his clothes and entered the pond.

Although it was spring, the valley water still held a chill. His senses sharpened as the icy water touched his skin.

'It's okay, this is nothing...'

Damho gritted his teeth.

The intense cold seemed to seep into his bones, not just his skin. But Damho didn't leave the water. Instead, he submerged his head completely.

In the water, Damho sat cross-legged.

Numerous thoughts passed through his mind.

His peaceful life, the peace shattered by a sudden attack by bandits, the unexpected salvation, and his life on Mount Hwa.

For the first few months after his limbs were broken, he couldn't move on his own. The one who took care of him and treated him was his master, Hyunso Jinin.

Without Hyunso Jinin's devoted care, he wouldn't have been able to walk on his own. Although he had lost one leg, he was still alive.

Being alive was important to Damho. He could hope for the future as long as he was alive.

'Father, Mother, Gareung.'

The images of them were vivid in Damho's mind.

He failed to protect them.

At the age of twelve, being powerless was just an excuse. They were no longer of this world, and he was still alive.

There were things he had to do because he was alive. For that, he needed power.

Splash!

Damho stood up, causing water to splash in all directions.

"Huff! Huff!"

Damho took deep, ragged breaths.

His gaze fell on his left leg. Compared to his healthy and strong right leg, it was pitifully weak. Despite countless climbs up and down the mountain, the muscles hadn't grown much.

With a leg like this, he couldn't properly execute the brilliant footwork of the Hwasan Sect.

"The footwork of the Hwasan Sect doesn't suit me. I need something else."

Over the past five years, Damho had felt this truth painfully.

The problem was that he didn't know how to solve it.

It would have been nice to have a good master to guide him at times like this, but unfortunately, he only had Hyunso Jinin around him.

In the end, he had to find a breakthrough himself.

"I'll do what I can for now."

Damho moved his left foot back and forth in the water. Perhaps because it was underwater, he felt a significant resistance.

His thigh was fine. The problem was his knee.

The cartilage and muscles were crushed, restricting movement. It was a wound that couldn't be healed with any potion. The only possibility was to experience the legendary bone transformation, but that was an impossible dream.

"I'll increase and train the strength of my left leg. I'll think about the next step after that."

Damho got out of the water.

He quickly dried off and put on his clothes.

He felt the cold, but his mind was clear. The memory of being ignored by his martial brothers was no longer in his mind.

From the next day, Damho started climbing the mountain with a sandbag tied to his left ankle.

"Huff! Huff!"

Damho gritted his teeth and took heavy breaths. The weight was only slightly increased, but the weight he felt was beyond imagination. It felt as if a large iron weight was attached to his ankle.

Damho gritted his teeth and moved on. Thick beads of sweat rolled down his back without pause.

"Sigh!"

Watching Damho, someone sighed in secret. It was Damho's master, Hyunso Jinin.

"That boy's obsession with martial arts is endless. What am I to do?"

Hyunso Jinin's sigh was carried away by the wind.

He missed his old master, Cheongungja, who had passed away a long time ago.