Chapter 10: This Isn't Dark Arts, Is It?
After training, washing off the sweat with cold water in the shared bathhouse felt refreshing. Although the night was chilly, Dang Jinsan didn’t mind. Warming his body with inner energy wasn’t difficult, even for someone like him who was often called a good-for-nothing despite his lack of talent in martial arts.
He entered the room, drying his hair with a towel. Dan Mokunrae was sitting cross-legged on the bed, concentrating on his breathing technique.
It had been some time since they had arrived at Fierce Dragon Corps and shared the same room, yet they still felt awkward around each other. Today’s training session had been different, with the instructor actually teaching a proper class instead of the usual self-study. Perhaps that’s why Dang Jinsan felt more connected to his teammates.
“Hey,” he called out.
Danmok Unrae didn’t move, focused on his breathing.
“Hey, Danmok Unrae!”
he called louder.
Finally, Dan Mokunrae opened his eyes and looked at Dang Jinsan with a puzzled expression.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I’ve been holding back, but now I have to say it,” Dang Jinsan began.
“Huh?”
“You need to bathe.”
“I did wash up…” Dan Mokunrae replied quietly, surprised by the unexpected comment. He had just cleaned his hands, feet, and face.
“Have you ever taken a bath since joining the Fierce Dragon Corps?” Dang Jinsan asked.
Bath? Dan Mokunrae thought. Isn’t that something you do only a few times a year on special occasions? It was too cold for a full bath, and the communal bathhouse only had cold water.
“It’s too cold for a full bath, and you don’t bathe that often…”
“Phew,” Dang Jinsan sighed. “You sweat a lot during training. Just washing your hands and feet isn’t enough. It’s bad for your health. Come on,”
he said, pulling out a new towel and dragging Dan Mokunrae to the bathhouse.
Reluctantly, Dan Mokunrae followed. Without any inner energy, he couldn’t resist Dang Jinsan’s pull. The bathhouse was empty; everyone else had already washed.
“I wish I could heat the water for you, but I can’t do that,”
Dang Jinsan said, grabbing Dan Mokunrae’s wrist. Suddenly, a warm sensation spread through Dan Mokunrae’s body. Dang Jinsan was sweating slightly from the effort.
“That’s the best I can do. You’ll stay warm for about half an hour, so wash up quickly,” he said, pushing Dan Mokunrae into the bathhouse and tossing him a towel. “Wash up before your body cools down. I’m heading back.”
Returning to the room, Dang Jinsan opened the windows wide. “Phew. Finally, I can breathe,” he said. The smell of sweat from Dan Mokunrae’s unwashed body had been unbearable. He had tolerated it out of consideration for his teammate, who was already struggling.
‘Was I always this considerate?’ he wondered. Back in the city, he had been too focused on his own issues to care about others. Maybe the disciplined environment of Fierce Dragon Corps was changing him.
As he pondered his past, Dan Mokunrae returned, dripping wet and shivering slightly. Dang Jinsan grabbed his wrist again, infusing him with warmth. “Thanks,” Dan Mokunrae said, feeling the heat spread through his body.
“No problem,” Dang Jinsan replied, sitting by the window to keep it open a bit longer.
“Ugh,” Dan Mokunrae grimaced, finally noticing the smell in the room. It came from his own bedding. “Sorry…”
“Don’t worry about it. Just remember, for martial artists like us, keeping clean is crucial. Illness doesn’t discriminate,” Dang Jinsan said, trying to lighten the mood.
“I should’ve told you sooner,” he added.
“What about Baek Lipyung and Nak Woojin? Do they bathe too?” Dan Mokunrae asked.
“They wash their whole bodies daily. Even if they don’t soak in a bath, they rinse thoroughly,” Dang Jinsan replied.
Dan Mokunrae felt embarrassed. He was supposed to be from a martial family, yet he had been unaware of such basic hygiene. “You haven’t gotten sick yet, so just start washing regularly from now on. It’ll be easier after intense physical training.”
“Hey, Dang Jinsan, that thing you did with my wrist… that was inner energy, right?” Dan Mokunrae asked.
“Just call me Jinsan. If we were back in the city, you’d call me hyung because I’m four years older, but here, we’re just teammates. Yeah, that was inner energy,” Dang Jinsan confirmed.
“Can I learn to use inner energy too?”
“Ask the instructor. Now, I’m going to sleep,” Dang Jinsan said, closing the window and heading to his bed, satisfied with the night’s events.
***
The Next Day.
The five gathered at the training hall on time.
Hamu Baek also appeared punctually. Standing in front of the five, he spoke.
“This morning, we will focus on breathing techniques. Let's go.”
The five sat cross-legged.
Naturally, Baek Li-pyeong began training in the sect’s internal martial arts.
Hamu Baek gazed at the remaining four.
The movement of their inhalations and exhalations was clearly visible to Hamu Baek.
He couldn’t share the lost formula of the Samjae Technique.
It was a unique skill of Hamu Baek’s sect. However, it wasn’t difficult to teach them the technique without revealing the formula.
It was a decision Hamu Baek had made after much contemplation the previous night.
“Don’t move and concentrate on your breathing.”
Hamu Baek extended his hands and placed his palms on the backs of Yeon Hamin and Dan Mok-unlae.
His internal energy flowed from his palms.
The energy entered their bodies and slowly moved inside them, following their breath.
Their bodies flinched.
Especially Yeon Hamin, who trembled violently.
Dan Mok-unlae, having experienced Tang Jin-san's internal energy the previous night, only trembled slightly.
“Yeon Hamin. Focus.”
Soon, the trembling subsided.
“Keep breathing.”
The internal energy, moving very slowly with their breath, finally settled in their dantian.
Hamu Baek had controlled its movement.
The energy spread slowly, moving in line with the Samjae Technique’s breathing.
Hiding the lost formula in the movement, it encapsulated the essence of energy accumulation and vein nurturing.
“Good. Keep it up.”
Hamu Baek then repeated the same process with Nak U-jin and Tang Jin-san.
Watching the four fall into deep concentration on their breathing, Hamu Baek stepped back.
He glanced at Baek Li-pyeong.
“Baek Li-pyeong. Focus on your mental cultivation. Otherwise, you won’t gather any internal energy.”
Baek Li-pyeong flinched at Hamu Baek’s words.
He had noticed that Baek Li-pyeong couldn’t focus on his mental cultivation because he was distracted by Hamu Baek’s actions towards the other four.
Baek Li-pyeong felt somewhat left out.
However, he could never learn the Samjae Technique’s mental cultivation. He had the sect’s own internal cultivation method.
How much time had passed?
The four gradually opened their eyes.
Three looked uncertain, but Tang Jin-san was in shock, his mouth agape.
“What… Is this really possible?”
Tang Jin-san looked at Hamu Baek with trembling eyes. Hamu Baek just shrugged with a mysterious smile.
Dan Mok-unlae and Yeon Hamin looked puzzled, while Nak U-jin had a complex expression.
“Do you really not know?”
Tang Jin-san asked the three, feeling frustrated.
“What, what…”
Dan Mok-unlae replied, confused.
“Damn it. Don’t you feel the internal energy settled in your dantian?!”
“Uh?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
The three each let out a sound of realization.
Baek Li-pyeong opened his eyes and trembled all over. His gaze was also shaking violently.
Among them, Baek Li-pyeong probably understood best how incredible Tang Jin-san’s words were.
How hard had he worked to gather even a grain of internal energy in his dantian?
How fiercely had he trained to feel that internal energy?
Thinking of those days, Tang Jin-san’s words seemed utterly unbelievable.
Unless it was demonic cultivation…
“This, this is?”
Dan Mok-unlae rubbed his belly button area and looked down.
“Half a grain of rice… Even this size is ridiculous…”
Tang Jin-san sighed deeply.
Yeon Hamin placed his hand on his dantian and felt the internal energy.
Tang Jin-san looked at Hamu Baek with fierce eyes.
“This isn’t demonic cultivation, right?”
The mention of demonic cultivation made the three flinch.
“Of course not. This is The Murim Allience’s Hidden Dragon Hall. And I’m a person of The Murim Allience. It’s not demonic cultivation.”
“Damn it.”
Tang Jin-san ruffled his hair roughly, unable to accept the reality. It defied his common sense.
“But does this make sense?”
“You’ve experienced it yourself.”
“That’s why I’m going crazy. Is this even possible?”
Tang Jin-san couldn’t easily accept something so beyond common sense.
This was even more unbelievable than the duel with the chief instructor yesterday.
Of course, such things occasionally happen in the martial arts world. Elders of clans would help guide internal energy, making it easier to feel and accumulate it.
Tang Jin-san had benefited from this as well.
But to plant internal energy in four people’s dantians in such a short time, and two at once?
He had never heard of such a thing.
Hamu Baek smiled at Tang Jin-san again.
“I'm just like that.”
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As promised I hath Delievered! If you see any mistakes then please post comments. If we get 6 more reviews on The Novel Updates Page then I'll post 5 More chapters tomorrow!
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