Sword God Reborn

Chapter 3 : Heaven-Shaking Soul Art

Cheon Mungyeong, the Chief of the Azure Star Escort Agency, felt a mix of bewilderment and joy for the first time in a long while.

Upon hearing the news that Cheon Mubaeck had woken up, he rushed to the escort agency, only to see his eldest daughter, Cheon Yuhwa, who rarely showed her emotions, running towards him with a flushed face.

"What? The youngest said that?"

"Yes. Why would I lie about something like this?"

"Huh. That can't be."

"No, it's true. That kid suddenly got all serious and said, 'Only by becoming strong can I protect you and our escort agency, wouldn't you agree?' and all that..."

As Cheon Yuhwa poured out what had just happened, Cheon Mungyeong's expression momentarily soured.

"Say that again."

"Pardon? Ah, Mubaeck just said that. He knelt down, smiled calmly, and said, 'Wouldn't I be able to protect you and our escort agency?' and wow. For a moment, I thought it was already time for him to get married."

"Huh."

Cheon Mungyeong's face contorted.

"Uh, Dad? What's wrong?"

"That brat Mubaeck..."

"Oh, are you upset because he said he wants to learn martial arts? Of course, learning martial arts is a bit dangerous, but"

"Why did he leave out his father?"

"Pardon?"

"Why did he only say he'd protect his sister and the escort agency? He's not going to protect his father?"

Cheon Mungyeong pursed his lips with a sullen look.

"Dad, are you jealous?"

"Jealous of what!"

Cheon Mungyeong crossed his arms as if displeased. At that sight, Cheon Yuhwa tried hard to suppress her laughter. Cheon Mungyeong, who had led the Azure Star Escort Agency this far, was a respectable father and a great person to Cheon Yuhwa.

But such a Cheon Mungyeong was a doting fool, to the point that everyone in the escort agency called him a 'fool for his youngest'. At Cheon Mungyeong's reaction, Cheon Yuhwa felt a strange sense of victory.

Even though Cheon Yuhwa treated him strictly, in truth, she was no different from a fool for her youngest.

Then, suddenly, Cheon Mungyeong uncrossed his arms and wore a worried expression.

"That brat Mubaeck. Him suddenly saying he'll learn martial arts and protect the escort agency. Could it be that he's noticed the current situation of the escort agency?"

"Hmm. I doubt it. It's only been a day since Mubaeck woke up, and even before that, he was so uninterested in the escort agency's affairs that he didn't even know if Dad was at home or out on an escort mission."

"Wait a minute. That sounds like he's not interested in his father, not the escort agency's affairs."

Cheon Yuhwa flinched but deliberately changed the subject.

"Anyway, he probably doesn't know about the escort agency's situation. No, I'm sure he doesn't know about that."

At Cheon Yuhwa's confident tone, Cheon Mungyeong crossed his arms again and narrowed his eyes.

"Then, why do you think Mubaeck is suddenly acting like this?"

"Well. Maybe he really came to his senses after being sick once."

"This is the first time he's been this sick, but wasn't he always a sickly child even before that?"

"Honestly, how would I know? If I were to guess, hmm, maybe it's because he thinks it looks cool?"

"Looks cool?"

Cheon Mungyeong tilted his head.

"Yes. Mubaeck is sixteen now, isn't he?"

"Sixteen... what does that... ah. Well, at that age."

"He could be going through puberty."

"Puberty."

"Boys at that age are usually like that, aren't they? They like cool things. And the people he sees at the escort agency are always escort warriors carrying swords."

"So he did it because he wanted to look cool?"

"Yes. Otherwise, why would he specifically say he wants to learn martial arts? He would have just said he'll exercise."

Cheon Mungyeong nodded as if it made sense.

"Then how about we try teaching him the escort agency's work too?"

"The escort agency's work?"

"I don't think Mubaeck has any talent for the escort agency's work, but I'm worried that this might just be a brief whim."

Cheon Yuhwa was Cheon Mungyeong's daughter in private, but she was also the Vice Chief of the escort agency. When it came to matters related to the escort agency, she had stricter standards than anyone else.

To be honest, Cheon Mubaeck had no talent for the escort agency's work.

Martial arts? He says he'll learn it now, but how long will it take for him to become as useful as the escort warriors?

And is it even possible with his pathetically weak constitution?

Or a porter?

She didn't want that. It wasn't that she looked down on porters, but she'd rather let her youngest brother play his instruments to his heart's content than use him as a mere baggage carrier.

Then what about overseeing the escort missions, including practical negotiations?

Unfortunately, he had no talent in that area either.

He showed great interest and even talent in music, painting, and art, but he was terrible with numbers, and he couldn't lead or command anyone.

Then there was nothing else in the escort agency's work that could be entrusted to him.

However, Cheon Yuhwa understood how Cheon Mungyeong felt.

It was her youngest brother who had come out of his room after a long time and said he wanted to do something.

When she recalled the past when it was hard to even see his face because he was cooped up in his room every day...

Cheon Mungyeong would want his youngest to change for good.

Cheon Mungyeong didn't seriously think he would be helpful to the escort agency's work either. He just wanted Cheon Mubaeck to gradually change while working at the escort agency.

Cheon Yuhwa thought for a long time and then nodded.

"Alright. Let's think more about what work to entrust to him. But before that, let's make sure Mubaeck gets his health in order first."

"Right, we should do that."

"In his current physical condition, we can't entrust anything to him. Since he said he wants to learn martial arts himself, let's at least get his health in order before entrusting him with work."

"I understand. I'll talk to Chief Instructor Jang."

Cheon Yuhwa slowly nodded.

She hoped it wasn't just a fleeting interest of her adolescent brother.

Learning martial arts was a perilous task, but if it could be of help.

'I hope he changes, even just a little.'

* * *

Jeombak found it hard to understand the situation that had unfolded in a day or two.

"No, I'm saying it's good that you're learning martial arts. But isn't it too soon, Young Master? It's only been a day since you got up from your sickbed..."

It was Cheon Mubaeck who had never done any exercise other than breathing, let alone martial arts.

Suddenly wanting to learn martial arts. From his way of speaking to his actions. It was hard to get a grasp of him.

"It's something I have to do anyway, so what's the point of putting it off? Look. All the muscles in my body are stiff."

"Muscles? Where?"

There were no muscles, just skin as soft as tofu when touched.

I want to poke it once.

Cheon Mubaeck himself seemed to know that he had no muscles and wore an awkward expression.

"Hmm. If you look closely, you'll find them somewhere."

You'll have to look very closely.

"Why are you suddenly talking about muscles? And you suddenly said you'll learn martial arts..."

"I've only caused my father and sister to worry because of my poor health, so I thought I'd train a little."

"Huh."

Jeombak let out an exclamation without realizing it.

Isn't that a very cool image?

However, it would have been more sincere if it weren't for his past of wasting his days playing instruments as he pleased, thanks to Cheon Mungyeong's doting.

Well, whatever.

'Still, this is better than him having lost his mind.'

Although Jeombak grumbled, he was very fond of the youngest young master who was ten years younger than him.

It was a bit disrespectful, but how many times had he felt like he was his own younger brother?

When such a Cheon Mubaeck collapsed with a fever for a month, he really thought his world was falling apart.

He says he'll train his body himself, so it's questionable how long that passion will last, but it's not bad.

Whether Jeombak thought so or not, Cheon Mubaeck was deeply engrossed in his own thoughts.

'Sword Kiuk, Sword Kiuk.'

When he ended his past life as the Sword God, he thought there was no higher realm to climb.

He might have been intoxicated by the empty name of Sword God himself.

Because the martial world praised him so much as the Sword God, he had fallen into a rut, as if he had truly reached the one and only realm.

But now he had a new goal.

He had confirmed that there was another realm beyond the realm of his past life.

The end of the sword.

When he defeated the egg that blocked his path to the underworld, he could finally say that he had reached the position of Sword Kiuk.

To do that, he first had to build his body.

"Ugh. This damn trash-like body."

"Ahem. Young Master, you shouldn't say such things."

"Shut up! I'm calling a trash-like body trash-like!"

"...Sigh. Puberty is coming in a strange way."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jeombak nonchalantly prepared the martial arts uniform.

Cheon Mubaeck looked at Jeombak with a strange gaze and then looked at his face in the bronze mirror.

Skin that was not just white but pale from not seeing a single ray of sunlight.

Limbs so slender that Jeombak tilted his head at the word 'muscles'.

Every time he moved his body, it creaked instead of being smooth. His posture was also stooped and not good. He had been hunched over every day, either painting or studying instruments, so even his posture was not good.

Moreover, once he was engrossed in arts and music, it was common for him to skip meals, so his nutritional status was also very poor.

'It's the worst. It would be better to have blocked meridians.'

He didn't have blocked meridians that would prevent him from learning martial arts, but his physical condition felt even more serious.

If he had blocked meridians, the Sword God could at least treat them in a way he knew.

This state was not good.

No matter how much internal energy contributed to the power of martial arts, the basic foundation had to be there.

Even if one had formidable internal energy, the body had to be prepared.

To fully display the power of martial arts, one had to have a naturally good constitution.

People talk about constitution, but Cheon Mubaeck's standards were endlessly high.

But in his current physical condition...

In the end, the most urgent thing was basic physical strength.

Along with basic physical strength, he had to overhaul his body. Even if it wasn't a sturdy body that would make others exclaim in admiration, shouldn't he at least polish it into a human-like, man-like body?

"Jeombak."

"Yes, Young Master."

"Go outside for a moment and don't let anyone into the room."

"Pardon? Then what about your meal...?"

"Don't let anyone in until I call for you."

As Cheon Mubaeck's voice became somewhat stiff, Jeombak nodded with a reluctant face.

After sending Jeombak out, Cheon Mubaeck quietly sat in a cross-legged position.

"Damn it."

After observing his body for a moment, Cheon Mubaeck's face contorted.

"If I train like this, I'll only ruin my body."

You don't get stronger just by training your body blindly.

His muscle meridians were not just weak, but so ridiculously weak that they would snap if touched even a little.

If he were to do strenuous exercise in this state, he might end up with a lifelong disability. That's how messed up Cheon Mubaeck's basic constitution, muscle meridians, and even his physical constitution were. If he were to train blindly in this state, he would only ruin his body.

Cheon Mubaeck thoroughly observed his own body. The movement of his muscles, his reaction speed.

This was possible because Cheon Mubaeck had walked the path of martial arts countless times.

After observing his body for a long time, Cheon Mubaeck made a decision.

'First, I need to accumulate at least a little internal energy.'

In other words, he needed a device to protect his body first.

The power to protect the muscle meridians that would be torn by training.

That was internal energy.

But accumulating internal energy in a body with nothing does not change the constitution and physical constitution itself.

"Ugh. Still, it's not entirely impossible."

Although his constitution was terrible, it wasn't without its advantages.

"The upper dantian is completely open."

General internal energy cultivation methods accumulate energy in the lower dantian.

And there are many cultivation methods that also accumulate energy in the middle and upper dantian.

But the reason why martial arts that accumulate energy in the lower dantian occupy ninety percent of the martial world was that it was that much easier to develop the lower dantian.

In other words, that meant that the middle and upper dantian were difficult to utilize in the first place, and contained the risk of easily falling into qi deviation.

But Cheon Mubaeck's body strangely had an open upper dantian.

In a past life, he had seen a supreme master who had internal energy that utilized the upper dantian.

He was inwardly surprised, but at that time, he thought it had nothing to do with him, so even though he knew how to further develop the utilization of the upper dantian, he passed it over as insignificant.

A faint smile appeared on Cheon Mubaeck's lips.

The upper dantian.

This was an unexpected harvest.

Countless cultivation methods and martial arts floated in Cheon Mubaeck's mind.

All of them were divine arts that would shake the martial world.

All the martial arts of the orthodox sects, and various rare martial arts that had disappeared into history after their sects were annihilated.

Among them were cultivation methods that looked down on the world, and martial arts that had made Cheon Mubaeck reign as the strongest in the martial world several times.

It would take a whole day just to explain the various martial arts that were hard to describe as simply outstanding.

Among those many martial arts, Cheon Mubaeck had no need to hesitate.

A martial art that could overcome the weakness of a congenitally weak constitution and perfectly utilize the upper dantian.

"Heaven-Shaking Soul Art."

Cheon Mubaeck's eyes flashed.

(End of Chapter)