Chapter 94

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“Well… Of course, there are good people who don’t do that….”

Baek Yiming stuttered.

“Just do as you see fit. While you have him, make sure he doesn’t have any funny ideas and educate him well.”

“Edu… educate?”

Baek Yiming, who had never considered such a thing, fumbled. The boy raised an eyebrow.

“Then what did you plan to do by keeping him around?”

“Just feed him, clothe him, and let him sleep….”

“Try to teach him well so he doesn’t have any funny ideas.”

“How am I supposed to teach him?”

“If you really don’t know, maybe brainwash him at the Danmu Clan to prevent any mischief.”

“Mi….”

The words “Are you crazy?” rose to the tip of his tongue. If not for the painful memories of the Chujun Gohyul, he would have said it.

‘Is this person really Baek? He doesn’t seem like it.’

He had jokingly thought that this person might be a great master who had returned to youth, but when he realized it was someone from the Danmu Clan, he just coughed awkwardly.

But perhaps his initial thought was correct?

“Sir, what is your name… how… how should I address you…?”

“I said my name is Hwaryun.”

“What’s your surname…?”

Although he had heard it was Wu Hwaryun before, Baek Yiming asked again with a desperate heart.

The boy frowned and looked at him.

“Why are you suddenly asking this?”

‘Why won’t you tell me?’

When Baek Yiming pretended to have forgotten and asked, the boy could have just said “Danmu Hwaryun,” and Baek Yiming would have believed it, whether it was true or not. But the boy didn’t help.

Baek Yiming mustered his last bit of courage and asked.

“…Are you really from the Baek Clan?”

“Do you want to die?”

“Ahaha, no, no, I was just asking….”

‘No, no! It’s not you! No, no!’

If not from the Baek Clan?

The Black Heaven Sect? The Devil Heaven Sect?

‘Who among the Wu Clan is a demon master?’

Or….

‘Not the Blood Demon Valley, right? No, it can’t be. They all died, and if this elder was from the Blood Demon Valley, I wouldn’t be alive.’

I would have been found as a dried-up piece of meat in some alley, drained of blood!

Anyway, if he’s not from the Baek Clan, why is he getting involved in Danmu Clan affairs?

“Well, anyway, that… since he’s from the Danmu Clan, there shouldn’t be any problem if I keep him, right?”

It was true that he felt a burden in his heart knowing the child was from the Danmu Clan. Even if the child had followed him voluntarily and he had no choice but to take him….

“The branch family has been removed from the clan registry. Now, he has no relation to the Danmu Clan.”

“…!”

Baek Yiming had never dreamed of any reward for taking care of the child, but he didn’t expect such a cold relationship.

“At least he’s better off with you than in a family that beats him, even if you’re lacking.”

“Why do you keep saying I’m lacking?”

“Are you smart?”

“Usually, I am.”

“Thinking that way is what makes you lacking.”

The boy clicked his tongue and shook his head. After a moment of hesitation, he extended something from his pocket to Baek Yiming.

“H… What a waste.”

“What, what is it?”

“Dumplings. Go and share them with him.”

“Dumplings? What dumplings…?”

“Good things should be enjoyed on good days. If he does anything strange, bring him to me or tell me.”

“A, yes, yes!”

The boy, who had turned to leave, paused and turned back.

“Why, why, why are you doing this?”

Feeling an unpleasant gaze, Baek Yiming hunched his shoulders and stuttered.

“You should know you’re really lucky.”

“A, I know….”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stumbled upon the rare opportunity to receive the Chujun Gohyul technique while walking down the street.

The boy crossed his arms and asked.

“What cultivation method are you practicing?”

“Huh?”

Baek Yiming, caught off guard by the sudden topic, blinked and then cautiously answered.

“S… Samjae Gigung….”

“Samjae, what, what?”

“Samjae Gigung….”

Baek Yiming answered in a small voice, feeling somewhat deflated.

Samjae Gigung (三才氣功), also known as Samjae Shimbeop. It was a third-rate cultivation method that could be bought for the price of a piece of paper in the marketplace.

Along with the Six Harmonies Fist and the Samjae Sword Technique, they were known as the three brothers of third-rate martial arts.

“Well, where would you go to learn any cultivation method?”

“Um, maybe you could teach me something….”

Baek Yiming looked at him with a desperate expression, but the boy waved his hand.

“I’ve already learned a good cultivation method, what more can I teach you?”

“B… But it’s Samjae Gigung! I mean, a third-rate cultivation method. Sir, you….”

“I don’t know what I can teach you, and you’re just learning blindly.”

Baek Yiming’s heart skipped a beat, and he closed his mouth.

The boy, seeing this, burst into laughter, scratched his forehead, and recalled.

“Samjae Gigung… you’ve learned it well. For your situation, that’s perfect. Just focus on the techniques. When you inhale, do it deeply. Hold your breath for as long as it takes for the energy to spread throughout your body, then exhale slowly for the same amount of time. Got it?”

“Y… Yes… Yes?”

“Your energy channels have been twisted and straightened, so it’s better to start with something simple rather than something complex. Don’t try to learn strange cultivation methods; focus on this. Spread the energy throughout your body when you inhale, and gather it to expel the bad energy when you exhale.”

“Y… Yes! But could you please repeat it once more…!”

The boy glared at him and quickly repeated it before turning and disappearing.

Baek Yiming, left behind, stood there for a moment before hurriedly recited the technique and moved on.

“Inhale deeply, spread throughout the body, same time, same time….”

* * *

“Wow! This is really delicious. I’ve never had such tasty meat dumplings before. Really!”

“But where did the dumplings come from? This early in the morning?”

“It seems they’ve been making a lot of dumplings since the day before yesterday.”

“Is it someone’s birthday?”

“It’s Danmu Lian’s birthday.”

“What!”

The news of Danmu Lian’s birthday was delivered by Ma Shin Yu, and Danmu Wan, who was eating dumplings, jumped up.

While the children gathered and chatted, eating dumplings, Lian also ate dumplings at her quarters.

Wu Jiqing watched Lian eat the dumplings with satisfaction but didn’t forget to serve dumplings to Danmu Bi and Hwaryun.

“This year, the dumplings taste even better. Should we have had a party…?”

“It’s cold, and it’s better to share dumplings together. And since I didn’t have a birthday party for Danmu Seong, I can’t change the rules just for me.”

Danmu Seong, born in January, had inquired about how Lian usually celebrated her birthday as it approached.

Perhaps they wanted to align their celebrations, but upon hearing that they only shared dumplings, he decided to do the same.

Even though Danmu Xianyao was disappointed and lay on the ground—since it was supposed to be the first grand birthday party in the clan—Danmu Seong didn’t budge and insisted on making and sharing dumplings with everyone.

“So, you should have had a birthday party for Danmu Seong too.”

“Ah, but Danmu Seong and I both think this is better.”

After Lian said this several times, Wu Jiqing finally smiled and nodded.

“Still, it’s good that you’re having a birthday meal with your mother before leaving for a distant place.”

“I like it too!”

Danmu Bi said this and, with a loving gaze, offered her share of dumplings to Lian.

Lian kissed Danmu Bi’s cheeks several times and then doubled the number of dumplings and returned them. A broad smile spread across Danmu Bi’s face.

After the meal, it was time for Lian and Wu Jiqing to play Go.

Unlike her slow progress with the flute due to physical limitations, Lian’s Go skills improved rapidly, thanks to her mother’s excellent teaching.

“Your father was good at everything except Go.”

“Really?”

“Did I tell you how we met?”

“No! Please tell me now!”

Lian’s eyes sparkled. Wu Jiqing, looking down, moved the Go stones gracefully and spoke.

“When I was in Xianxi Province… Your father probably visited the Wulin Alliance and was on his way back to Hangzhou. We met at the Yi Ge (Medical Pavilion) at the foot of Huashan. We both were waiting for the doctor and started playing Go out of boredom.”

Lian’s heart ached at the mention of the Yi Ge.

At that time, her father had already suffered irreversible injuries from the battle with the Blood Demon Valley, and her mother was suffering from a congenital illness.

“But he was so bad at it. He was a little better than others, but even worse than you, Lian.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But he said he had something to say if he won, and insisted on saying it only after winning, no matter how many times I let him play.”

Their rematch was interrupted when the doctor arrived, but they continued to play every time they met at the Yi Ge for about two months.

“One day, he said he would tell me something if he won. I had to let him win, or I would never hear what he had to say….”

“Did you let him win?”

Wu Jiqing winked and smiled.

“It was very difficult. Even if I made a deliberate mistake, he could somehow tell.”