Chapter 92

"So, if you become proficient in footwork, you can naturally do it, right?"

"Is footwork more important than sword techniques?"

"There's nothing that isn't important. Everything is important."

The children had puzzled expressions. After all, they were at the age where they loved to compete.

'No, martial artists don't just cling to ranking until they die.'

They were so fond of arguing over who was the best that even elderly gentlemen with gray hair would gather and argue over who was first.

"So, you're saying we have to try hard... isn't it difficult?"

At Dangmok Gyu's playful question, Dangmok Wan quickly nodded.

"How do you know that so well, Young Master? Are you a genius?"

"No, I'm not a... genius..."

'Real geniuses might be Bia and Ruen.'

Even though he was wrapped in Heart Sight, Harmony, and Purification, the achievements of Dangmok Bia and Huayun, who had none of those, made his jaw drop.

Huayun's progress amazed him when he tried to teach him, and Dangmok Bia, who learned from Dangmok Tianji and demonstrated it to him, was also extraordinary.

"You can all do it. Really. It's just that you're not used to it yet. If you see it often and get used to it, it will feel easy soon."

"Can we see it in the martial arts manual?"

"You can read the martial arts manual and watch others perform it."

"How many times have you seen it, Young Master Lian?"

For a moment, he was speechless. He thought if he said he had only seen it once, the children might cry.

"I, I've seen it many times. I... about a hundred times..."

"You don't have to say that for our sake, Young Master! It's okay, it's okay!"

Dangmok Wan closed his eyes tightly and shouted. His face was red, as if he was trying hard to overcome his embarrassment.

"We'll try hard too!"

"Me too!"

"But can you show us one more time...?"

"One more time!"

The children clamored and pleaded while watching Lian's reaction. It seemed they had finally gathered the courage to ask after wanting to see it many times.

Lian smiled broadly and rolled up his sleeves.

"Two, three times, it's fine!"

Then he picked up the wooden sword and said, "Watch carefully," and reenacted the footwork and sword techniques he had just shown.

"What was the reason for this step going in this direction here?"

"......"

"......"

The children strained their eyes and racked their brains. After a long silence, Maixinyou raised his hand slightly and answered.

"To retreat."

"Right, right. To retreat. Why?"

"Since we defended an attack from the left, to prepare for an upward strike, we take a step back..."

* Maixinyou's Learning 1 *

Xue Jilin's Learning 1

Yuxianhun's Learning 1

Current Luck Value: 47 / 120 (3▲)

"Right, right! Xin You, then what's the reason for the left foot moving from behind to the right here?"

"Hmm..."

After a moment of thought, Maixinyou raised his arm to demonstrate and said hesitantly,

"To reduce the exposure of the left side when making a sweeping motion from left to right..."

"Right, right! Does anyone understand?"

* Maixinyou's Learning 1 *

Xue Jilin's Learning 1

Dangmok Wan's Learning 1

Current Luck Value: 50 / 120 (3▲)

Dangmok Wan and Xue Jilin cautiously raised their hands. Lian looked at them with a broad smile.

'To see them grow so quickly! I don't know what I can do with the luck value yet, but seeing it accumulate makes me feel full.'

Just like seeing a handful of rice grains fill his hand, joy filled him.

'Sending letters to the children who were eliminated had some effect, but seeing it in person is the best.'

After the collateral selection, he wrote to the children who were eliminated about the path to studying martial arts. This also occasionally increased his luck value, but not as intensely as now.

Lian called Dangmok Wan and had him hold the wooden sword, then reenacted the scene Maixinyou described.

"So, like this, and then, oh, Wan!"

"Ah, Young Master! Sorry, sorry...!"

As Dangmok Wan, who was focused on Lian's wooden sword, stumbled, Lian, surprised, tried to catch him, and they almost fell sideways together.

Maixinyou and Xue Jilin caught them simultaneously, and the children couldn't help but burst into laughter at the comical scene.

"Ah, sorry, sorry...!"

"It's okay, it's okay. Wan has good concentration!"

As Lian was smiling and comforting Dangmok Wan, who was making a sad face.

Suddenly, a light flashed in Lian's vision.

"Ah, Young Master? Are you okay?"

* Dangmok Xianwu has escaped from Heart Demon! *

Current Luck Value: 58 / 120 (8▲)

'What?'

The luck value, which had been gradually accumulating, suddenly soared. This meant Dangmok Xianwu's Heart Demon was quite severe.

Lian, surprised, lifted his head and looked around, but he couldn't see Dangmok Xianwu.

'Uncle? How did he escape from Heart Demon?'

"I... I just remembered something urgent! I need to go! Did you see where Uncle, the Deputy Head of the Medicine Hall, went?"

"Just that way..."

As someone pointed over the wall, Lian dashed in that direction.

Sure enough, Dangmok Xianwu's back soon came into view. He was leaning against a tall tree trunk, his back hunched.

"Uncle! Uncle, are you... Uncle?"

"Ah, Lian, you came?"

This time, Lian was surprised and stopped in his tracks. Dangmok Xianwu hastily wiped his face, but it was too late.

His cheeks and sleeves were soaked, and tears were still streaming down his eyes.

"Uncle... Uncle? Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine! I'm fine. Something got in my eye. Suddenly, what...?"

Trying to make excuses didn't stop the tears.

"Oh, this uncle is fine, fine. Why are you here? You should be with the children."

"Uncle suddenly disappeared... Why are you crying? Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened. Really, nothing happened... This uncle just... our Lian..."

Dangmok Xianwu, unable to continue, squatted in front of Lian and looked into his eyes. Then he brushed Lian's hair and cheek.

"Seeing you play and laugh with your peers made me so happy, so..."

"Ah..."

Only then did Lian realize.

In his past life, Lian had never been able to show anyone that he could mingle with friends.

And in this life, he had never been able to do so either.

Dangmok Xianwu was seeing Lian play and laugh with his peers for the first time today.

"Uncle, I..."

"It was my wish."

"Wish?"

Dangmok Xianwu, with tears streaming down his face, smiled broadly and nodded slowly, continuing hesitantly.

"Seeing you laugh and play with your friends... was this uncle's wish... You... You, because of me, because I couldn't protect you, you spent your entire childhood..."

Lian, after a moment of hesitation, opened his arms and embraced his uncle. The grown man hugged Lian tightly and began to sob.

Lian felt his shoulders getting wet and heard his uncle repeatedly saying sorry. For some reason, his eyes welled up with tears.

"Uncle... It's okay now. I was always okay from the beginning."

His long-standing self-reproach washed away with the tears. The young man, who couldn't bear to blame himself, cried for a long time.

* * *

"Standing outside and crying for a whole hour in this cold weather, how can you not get sick! We're about to leave for the Nangong family, and what a state you're in."

Dangmok Xianyao spoke sharply and sighed, then left after instructing to bring in another stove.

But Dangmok Xianwu was still smiling.

"I have a fever, but my body feels light. I could even do the Floating Step! But, don't come too close. What if I give you a cold?"

Dangmok Xianwu quickly covered his mouth with a blanket and moved away from Lian. While Lian was laughing, Wei Zhiqing entered with a warm decoction.

Seeing this, Dangmok Xianwu was flustered again.

"Deputy Head! You should send this through a servant..."

"It's fine. By the way, Lian, Bia said she wants to feed the carp with you. Since your uncle can't take care of the carp, will you do it for him?"

Lian, realizing they were about to have a conversation, quickly nodded and left the room.

Alone with Dangmok Xianwu, who wasn't really running a high fever, he was at a loss.

Then, avoiding Wei Zhiqing's eyes, he quickly continued.

"......"