Using the Agriculture Official’s achievements as an excuse, my father gave me a grand reward.
There were ten intermediate Healing Potions, the remaining profits from selling Pyreun, and he even procured a high-grade Magic Stone for me to use in my magic training.
There was also one more newly acquired Magic Book. It contained a Fourth Circle spell. Considering how Magic Books become rarer as the circle increases, it must have cost a significant amount. For my father, who never spends the Spiritual Land’s funds recklessly, this was a massive expenditure.
It was safe to say he viewed my contributions as truly remarkable.
‘It’s almost a burden.’
Lately, when he looked at me, his eyes were so intense it felt awkward. My brother, seemingly without any jealousy, would also gaze at me with warm eyes just like Father did. Whenever that happened, I felt like I truly should do my best for my family.
Regardless.
“I can definitely increase our combat power with this.”
I intended to make proper use of everything given to me.
“Let’s see. My current funds are around 3,000 gold. If I include the money Kelton will bring, it should easily exceed 4,000 gold.”
Myuron’s monthly salary was five gold. With 4,000 gold, I could employ him for a lifetime and still have money left over.
This money came from a portion of the Pyreun profits, my allowance, and funds gathered from the organization. If I lived on this alone and spent frugally, I could live a life of comfort.
‘The problem is that it’s not enough to maintain a noble lifestyle.’
However, the issue was that I would have to be frugal. While I didn’t intend to live extravagantly, I did want to live comfortably. Whether remembering a past life or not, anyone would want to live a life of ease.
A life where food is prepared without lifting a finger and the sleeping arrangements are sweet — that is the best. To achieve that, I needed people.
Butlers, maids, mansion maintenance, knights, and so on. Using them all required money. Thinking about that, 4,000 gold was absolutely not enough. I also had to consider the time when I would eventually leave my family and become independent.
“Hmm… This money should be used for the next step.”
Therefore, I couldn’t just throw money away. This money would serve as seed money for the future.
‘A shop would be good. Maybe magic items. Hmm… new technology would be good too.’
I would grow it steadily and one day turn it into a fortune I could use freely. But that was for later. Besides the seed money, I also had to raise the “seeds” — my subordinates.
“Gajei, come here.”
“Kh-! Yes!”
I first called Gajei, who spent every day training. Out of the three, he was the most diligent and showed the best results. I held out one of the potions Father had granted me. An intermediate Healing Potion. It was a treasure worth over 100 gold.
“Drink it.”
“Pardon? You want me to drink this?”
Gajei looked at me with startled eyes as I spoke nonchalantly.
“Why would I drink this? I don’t even have a scratch on me right now.”
“I know.”
“I’ve heard that some nobles drink it as a health tonic… but that’s not it, is it?”
“Of course not. Why would I give this as a tonic? Just drink it first.”
“Understood.”
*Gulp.* Contrary to his worried words, Gajei downed the intermediate Healing Potion quickly.
“You trust me, right?”
“Of course. If I don’t trust the Young Master, who would I trust?”
Good. Though it hadn’t been long, he had become my loyal vassal. A good vassal deserved a reward.
“From now on, don’t scream. If you scream, the Soulforce will leak out.”
“Pardon?”
“Just accept it. Endure.”
*Thwack! Thud!* My hand struck Gajei’s chest. It was a strike infused with internal power. Even if I minimized the destructive force, it was impossible for there to be no impact.
“If you endure this, you will definitely become stronger. Don’t open your mouth.”
“Kh… Mmph…!”
*Thwack! Thud!* As expected, Gajei followed my instructions perfectly. My hands brushed against various Meridians throughout his body. Gajei, who had been in agony every time my hand struck, reached a point where…
“….!”
He stopped even groaning. Instead, his eyes widened in circles.
‘It’s about time.’
The Soulforce was being stimulated. As I continued to tap his body, the pain was surely being replaced by a surging sense of refreshment.
*Chugung-gwahyeol.* A radical method used by masters in the Murim to stimulate their disciples’ Meridians for training. Because it stimulates each Meridian, it is extremely painful at first. However, if one can endure the beginning, the Meridians are stimulated and Soulforce begins to rise.
Blocked Meridians are opened and strengthened. In the Murim, there were countless people desperate to receive this Meridian Stimulation.
‘It’s going well.’
Gajei had even consumed an intermediate Healing Potion before this. Though he might not fully understand it, he must be feeling a significant amount of internal energy swirling inside him. The more I stimulated his Meridians, the larger that energy would grow.
*Thwack!*
“Listen while you’re being hit. You must lead that energy to the place I told you. You understand, right?”
“…”
He only moved his head instead of answering, but that was enough.
“Endure!”
*Thwack! Crack!*
I might have touched a particularly… sensitive spot.
The remaining two were no exception once Gajei was finished. Originally, such things were meant to be treated fairly.
“Cough! Urgh…!”
“Haaa….”
Once the Meridian Stimulation ended, their reactions varied.
‘It worked properly.’
In Gajei, who had been the most focused, a Danjeon had been formed. While there are methods to create a Danjeon through meditation and breathing techniques, it can also be naturally generated this way.
In the ancient Murim, before breathing techniques were highly developed, they often ignorantly induced and created Danjeons in this manner. It was extremely primitive, but sturdy. Although Gajei practiced external martial arts, having a Danjeon couldn’t possibly be unhelpful.
‘I should start teaching him cultivation methods soon.’
Harmonizing the naturally created Danjeon with his external arts would make him several times stronger.
“Aren’t you going to continue training?”
“Can’t we skip today’s training?”
“You’re certainly bold. Give it a try. You’ll feel that your body has changed.”
“Ugh… I understand.”
Hoden and Sian, unfortunately, did not manage to form a Danjeon. That was why they were currently groaning in pain. Still, it wasn’t without merit. Even without a Danjeon, the blocked Meridians throughout their bodies had been significantly cleared.
In Sian’s case, the Meridians in her legs had been strengthened while she practiced her movements.
“I-I’m fast. All I did was get hit, how is this…?”
Their physical bodies had become sturdier, and their recovery rates had improved. They had properly received the effects of the Meridian Stimulation. As their bodies felt lighter during training, both showed clear signs of surprise. Gajei would also feel the effects once his meditation ended.
“Did you really think I was hitting you just to torment you for no reason?”
“…”
“Hoden.”
“N-No, of course not!”
“What ‘no’?”
“……Ahem. S-Should I train more?”
That brat Hoden. I clearly saw him flinch.
‘He’s losing his focus more and more. I wonder how I should train him.’
He was cautious at first, but as time passed and he became more comfortable, his true personality started coming out. Hoden was naturally optimistic and lazy. If you taught him one thing, he understood five, yet he tended to avoid learning even that one. He often looked for shortcuts.
Thus, he required a lot of attention. Since he was talented, there was a certain satisfaction in teaching him as long as I hit him… appropriately.
The other two were model students in terms of attitude. Especially Gajei; thanks to his insane training as if his life depended on it, his progress was the fastest despite his lack of talent. Since he had formed a Danjeon today, that gap would only widen.
“Everyone, focus.”
“Pardon? Are you not training with us today, Young Master?”
“Yes.”
That was enough for today. While those three moved for their training, I had to move as well.
‘Rest is good, but there’s much to build up.’
Using the excuse of researching Aura Cultivation Methods, I left the training ground and headed toward my own workshop.
“It’s about time to start making them.”
Inside, plenty of paper and pens were prepared. I called them artifacts, but in reality, they were tools to organize my knowledge of the Murim.
I had to translate and interpret Mugong into the language of this place. Once I recorded it on this paper, the Mugong would be transformed into the “knowledge of a Dragon.”
To think the Warlock’s Tomb would become a Dragon’s legacy.
‘Thanks to that, the things I originally prepared have become useless, but…’
Initially, I had intended to move under the plausible excuse of having found a Mage’s dungeon or a secret dungeon to learn Mugong. I had started by thinking of how to make it sound believable, but then I ended up exploring an actual dungeon. I had gained an unexpected stroke of luck there.
As a result, the story I delivered to my family became a fairly plausible tale of a Dragon’s artifact. Since things had become larger than planned, I had to prepare something befitting that scale. It was a pity I couldn’t use the martial arts manuals I’d prepared in advance, but it didn’t matter.
“In fact, it’s better.”
Since it was a Dragon’s legacy, it wouldn’t be strange regardless of how many martial arts manuals poured out. I wouldn’t just teach a few Aura Cultivation Methods; I planned to fully interpret and transmit Mugong.
I would use the orthodox martial arts of the Jegal Clan as the foundation.
‘I’ll have to minimize the conflict with existing Aura Cultivation Methods. It shouldn’t matter much since they don’t have Danjeons, but still…’
I planned to hand over martial arts that suited each family member’s characteristics.
For my sister, who had innate swordsmanship but was weak in defense, I would give her an external art. For my brother, a natural-born commander, I would give a martial art that enhanced his vision and a movement technique to compensate for his slow body.
As for Father…
‘To think he actually became an Aura Master.’
Once I reached a certain level, I realized his hidden power was considerable. I wasn’t sure if it was triggered by his realization of “rotation,” but he had reached the realm of an Aura Master. In Murim terms, he was at the level of a Super-peak Master.
What befitted him more than a specific Mugong was increasing his understanding of Aura itself.
‘I should fill it with insights.’
During my time as Jegal Hyeon, I had researched Qi obsessively to cure my Jeongmak. Even if I only provided a portion of those research results, Father would become stronger.
‘Perhaps his realm will rise even further. As for Mother… the Jade Maiden Art would be perfect.’
Finally, for Mother, I would finish by bringing her a cultivation method for beauty and longevity. She would likely be the most satisfied out of everyone in the family.
“Right. Shall I do this properly?”
Just thinking about the expressions of joy on my family’s faces when I brought them the Aura Cultivation Methods made me feel energized.
*Scratch. Scratch.*
I picked up the pen and began writing down the cultivation methods that filled my head. I filled the records carefully, ensuring nothing was conveyed incorrectly.
“Hmm… How should I fix this part?”
Internal power and Aura were essentially the same thing. However, explaining them by changing them into the concepts of this world became a study I hadn’t anticipated.
“The concept of Emptiness is… hmm…”
The Five Elements became the concept of Elements, and Taiji became the concepts of Chaos and Order. Just by changing them one by one…
“Ah… I see. This would work like this.”
I felt my understanding of my own Mugong rising. This was a new experience.
“This is good.”
It felt as though I was building a tower in advance that would eventually allow me to reach the highest realm.
I wonder how long I had been refining the cultivation methods in deep thought?
*Knock— knock—*
A presence was felt at the door of the training room, a place where people rarely approached.
“Hmm? Ah. Is it that time already?”
Organization of the Aura Cultivation Methods. It was time to perform the next task.