Chapter 89

Dankook Hyunwoo easily played the pipa, having heard and practiced it several times. As he played, Ryeon hummed along, enjoying his performance. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled, and she put the xianglinzhi to her lips, blowing into the flute. When the soft melody spread, a deep resonance began to emanate from the depths of Dankook Hyunwoo's heart. He simply smiled softly and thought, "It was just Ryeon who was different!"

It wasn't that the other children were lacking, nor that his teaching was insufficient; it was just that Ryeon was different. Meanwhile, Ryeon carefully infused her breath with spirit energy as she blew into the flute. This was something she had been eager to try once she became proficient with the flute. Her spirit energy spread thinly and smoothly wherever the sound reached. The air around her began to feel as fresh and clear as in a deep, clear mountain. It was a different sensation from when she purified the air; it felt as if the air was filled with a transparent and cold presence.

A koi in a pond not far away flicked its tail, sending a splash of water droplets. One of the scales on its tail shimmered faintly, but no one paid attention to the brief glimmer of the koi's tail.

"Is there no special effect at all?" Ryeon wondered. She had thought that without doing anything, she would naturally become a master of sound attacks, but life wasn't that easy.

After enjoying the melody for a while, as he was about to wrap up, Dankook Hyunwoo spoke carefully, "I've been thinking about the children, Ryeon."

Dankook Hyunwoo, who was wiping the flute with a soft cloth, spoke gently. Ryeon tilted her head.

"Yes?"

"Are we going to the Jinghang Yunlian next spring?"

With winter approaching, spring wasn't far off. Ryeon nodded.

"At that time... how about taking some of the children? Since they are young, it would be difficult to take all of them, but at least those with high achievements. Our direct lineage is smaller than other families, so taking a few collateral children shouldn't be a big problem."

"Wow! That's a great idea!"

Ryeon was delighted and agreed. What could be more important than diverse experiences in childhood?

"But how do we select the children with high achievements?"

"I thought about having a test and selecting the top three."

"Hmm, how about saying we'll take anyone who can accomplish something? If we only select the top performers, those who have been lagging might lose motivation."

"But what if everyone accomplishes it?"

"If it's a difficult test and everyone passes, we should try our best to take everyone. I just thought of the test now."

Ryeon whispered this, and Dankook Hyunwoo clapped his hands, agreeing that it was a good idea.

* * *

As the air began to frost and breaths became visible when several people gathered, the children's training continued without a break.

"Who knows about the Jinghang Yunlian?"

When Dankook Hyunwoo asked, the children gathered in the training ground looked at each other with wide eyes. After a moment of silence, Ma Shinu cautiously raised his hand.

"It's where the sects near the Jinghang Canal gather."

"Ah! You know. Recently, it has been less frequent, but they have decided to gather again in the spring at the Nanzhi Li Cheng of the Nangong family."

The children still looked puzzled.

"It's a good opportunity to meet people from other families. I'm thinking of taking some of the hardworking children. Are you interested?"

"Wow!"

"Wow!"

"Jinghang Yunlian... me... us...?"

While some children excitedly shouted, Danmok Wan cautiously asked. Dankook Hyunwoo nodded.

"But only those who pass the test in a month can go."

"Ah..."

The expressions of the children who had barely made it into the family darkened.

Meanwhile, Dankook Hyunwoo smiled and drew a line quite far away. It was a distance where six adults could lie down in a row.

"From here to the end, only those who can reach the end with only three footprints can go to the Jinghang Yunlian."

At the same time, everyone's faces fell. Ma Shinu raised his hand.

"Can we use tools?"

A glint appeared in Dankook Hyunwoo's eyes.

"Of course, but only those that can be held in one hand. The test will be held in a month, so train hard until then!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The children responded energetically, but their eyes were fixed on the line Dankook Hyunwoo had drawn.

* * *

"Are we really going?"

"It's probably just talk. He set an impossible test."

"Still, it would be nice if we could go. What's the Nangong family like? Are there kids like us there too?"

Expectation and disbelief mingled among the children.

Meanwhile, Ma Shinu sat in the shade of the training ground, frowning as he looked at the line Dankook Hyunwoo had drawn.

"What are you thinking so deeply about?"

Danmok Kui approached and asked. Ma Shinu frowned even more and looked at Danmok Kui.

Even though he had spoken to him so harshly last time, Danmok Kui often approached and asked strange questions, like whether he had awakened a cultivation technique.

"I was thinking about what 'three footprints' means."

"Doesn't it mean to cross in three steps?"

"Could you do that?"

"Huh, there's something like Xukong Tabor (Walking on Air)..."

To walk on air, one would need to be extremely proficient in a lightness technique that could make the body light and a body technique that could maintain balance in empty space. It was still a dream for them.

"Is that something we can do now? Only the Grand Patriarch can do it."

"Probably not."

Seeing Danmok Kui's cheerful response, Ma Shinu shouted.

"Xue Jilin! Come and take this guy away!"

"But, but, I was talking nicely. I didn't say anything strange!"

While Danmok Kui was complaining, Xue Jilin and Danmok Wan approached.

"What's going on?"

"Danmok Kui said to cross using Xukong Tabor."

"Shinu, I didn't mean that. I was just thinking about how to do it, and Xukong Tabor came to mind. Really."

Seeing Danmok Kui stammer, Xue Jilin patted his back. Ma Shinu had already turned her gaze to the distance.

'There must be a reason he said 'three footprints' instead of 'three steps'.'

Why did Dankook Hyunwoo say 'three footprints' instead of 'three steps'?

Does it mean that it doesn't matter if it's more than three steps?

"Even if he said it's okay to take more than three steps..."

The answer was still not clear. Danmok Wan glanced at Ma Shinu's muttering.

At that moment, Danmok Kui clapped his hands and exclaimed as if he had a realization.

"Ah! Maybe he means to go together using combined strength?"

"Combined strength?"

Surprised by the unexpected suggestion, everyone in the training ground turned to look at Danmok Kui.

Danmok Kui continued, putting on an air of authority.

"For example, if five people link their hands and feet and roll like a wheel, wouldn't each person leave about three or four footprints? Then, in the middle, they could stand on one foot..."

"Xue Jilin! Take him away!"

"But I'm not his nanny. Why are you telling me to do this?"

"You came to the courtyard. Isn't it your responsibility to take care of such things? Take him away quickly."

"Ha..."

As Xue Jilin slumped his shoulders, the other children in the corner were sparkling with excitement.

* * *

'This kid... a genius is a genius.'

As the training of the collateral children entered a more intense phase, Ryeon began her sword training with Huayun, which had been delayed.

Since Danmok Bi had finished learning the Thousand Character Classic and was learning sword techniques from Danmok Tianji, Huayun had more free time.

'It's not like I'm learning through my mind's eye and performing it harmoniously, but it feels more instinctive.'

If she were simply copying and applying it to her body, Huayun seemed to be grasping the subtleties of sword techniques instinctively. As she progressed through the forms, she seemed to understand them instantly.

It's like trying to imitate something you can see, and in the moment of imitation, you suddenly realize, "Ah, it's like this!"

"Like this, up to here... Is this correct?"

After completing the twelve forms, Huayun swept her hair from her forehead to her shoulder and turned to Ryeon.

"Yes, like that!"

Wu Huayun's Learning 3

Luck Value: 40 / 120 (3▲)

'Really? Like this?'

Ryeon's mouth dropped open at the fact that her luck value had increased by '3' in one go. Was it because she had helped a talent like a young master of the Ma Qian Jiao? Or was it because he had achieved something significant enough to increase his luck value by '3'?

You really are a genius, she thought, but the words stuck in her throat.

How can anyone's life be without ups and downs and setbacks? There will be times when he lags behind. She was worried that he might be held back by the label of being a genius from a young age.