Chapter 28. Moonlit Night (2)
"Shh!"
In the dead of night, Tang Sowol slipped into my room with a mischievous smile, pressing her finger to her lips in a gesture for silence.
Good heavens.
I froze, startled by her unexpected appearance. Before I could speak, Tang Sowol leaned in close and whispered softly.
"If Father finds out, we'll both be in trouble, so promise me you'll stay quiet, alright?"
I nodded silently, and only then did she remove the hand she had clamped over my mouth.
As the warmth of her touch faded, I couldn't help but feel a faint sense of disappointment. I opened my mouth to ask, "What brings you here at this hour?"
"Why, to talk with you for a bit, of course."
"Talk?"
"Yes! I would've preferred to do so during the day, but since you were asleep, now is the only chance I have."
"If that's the case, couldn't it wait until tomorrow?"
"Well, that's true, but…"
Tang Sowol pouted her lips slightly before continuing, "It's such a bright moon tonight, and I couldn't sleep, so I thought of you. Surely, you're not saying you dislike me visiting like this?"
Before my regression, Tang Sowol had often sneaked into my room after a particularly intense battle against the Demonic Cult, using various excuses.
She'd say things like, The moon is too beautiful to waste tonight, come look with me. Or, Let's celebrate surviving another day with a drink. Or even, Since I saved your life, you owe me some company.
In hindsight, her reasons were often absurd, but at the time, I didn't mind them.
And even now, I found I didn't mind.
"How long are you going to just stand there staring?"
"Eh?"
"You said you wanted to talk, didn't you? Go ahead, make yourself comfortable."
"Oh… Alright?"
She smiled, then perched herself on the edge of my bed. It felt awkward lying down next to her, so I slowly sat up and settled beside her.
"Well? What did you want to talk about?"
"There's something I wanted to ask, but before that, let me check one thing. How's your body holding up? If you're still in pain, I can give you a little more paralytic poison."
Tang Sowol stuck her tongue out teasingly, and I couldn't help but let out a faint laugh, shaking my head.
"It still aches a little, but it's nothing I can't bear."
"So, you're saying it does hurt."
She scooted closer, her shoulder brushing against mine. I gulped instinctively at her sudden proximity.
Then she leaned in and whispered near my ear, her tone sly, "Were you perhaps expecting something?"
"What do you mean?"
"That I'd lick your wounds again, like I did earlier today."
"I wasn't."
"Oh my, so defensive. Brother Cheon, you really shouldn't try lying—it's too easy to read you."
She giggled softly, then grabbed my arm and placed her palm against mine, pressing them together.
"That time, I had to lick your wounds to stop the bleeding. But if it's just about relieving the pain, holding hands works just as well. Besides…"
Her voice dropped to a mock-serious whisper. "Father scolded me earlier for being improper, so this will have to do instead. But don't worry, I'll hold your hand for a long time, so you won't feel disappointed."
"I wasn't disappointed to begin with."
"Of course, of course. If you say so, then it must be true."
Ignoring my protests, Tang Sowol began channeling her poison arts, guiding a faint trace of poison through the contact of our palms. I could feel the subtle venom flowing into me, dulling the pain.
Before long, the lingering discomfort in my body began to ease, and the pain that had been tolerable faded into something almost pleasant.
Noticing the improvement in my condition, Tang Sowol withdrew slightly, still close but now leaving just a faint gap between our shoulders.
We were still holding hands, though. Her dark eyes, tinged faintly with green, glimmered under the moonlight as she spoke.
"Now then, shall we get to the main topic?"
"There's a main topic?"
"Of course! I always knew you were strong, Brother Cheon, but I didn't expect you to be this strong. How on earth did you manage to take on two martial artists of higher realms at once?"
Ah, so that's what she was curious about.
I chuckled faintly and shook my head.
"Well, first of all, I don't think you're quite correct about them being 'higher realms.' What do you think determines the strength of a martial artist?"
"Well, obviously it's their realm, isn't it?"
"I don't think so. I believe it's their strength."
"Aren't realm and strength the same thing?"
"No. Realm and strength are two separate things. It's true that someone in a higher realm has an advantage, but that doesn't mean they're invincible. By the way, what do you think determines a martial artist's realm?"
Tang Sowol tilted her head, pondering for a moment, before replying, "The depth of their understanding, perhaps? Even if each person's insights are different, if the depth is similar, they'll reach the same realm, won't they?"
"Then what exactly is this 'understanding'? Who decides how profound it is? Does superiority exist in understanding? Or are we simply assigning too much meaning to fleeting thoughts? What do you think, Tang Sowol?"
"Uh… um… I, uh…"
Tang Sowol stammered, clearly at a loss for words. The spark of curiosity in her eyes had dimmed, and now they spun in circles, her expression flustered.
It was amusing. She was likely grappling with thoughts she'd never had to consider before.
I shrugged and continued, "Think about it more carefully later. There's no fixed answer, but you should at least find one that you can accept for yourself."
"Then… may I ask how you define understanding, Brother Cheon?"
"Technique," I thought. The technique to kill more effectively. The technique to survive in this harsh world.
But that was my definition, and I couldn't simply lay it bare to Tang Sowol.
"If I were to tell you, it might influence your own thoughts. Once you've found your answer, we can talk about it."
"You sound just like Father when I ask him these kinds of questions."
"Any martial artist who cares about your future would probably say the same."
"Hmph. Flattery, huh?"
Though I hadn't meant it as flattery, Tang Sowol seemed pleased, so I let the comment slide.
"Now, let's return to the original question. What do you think the criteria for dividing realms are? It's something every martial artist learns at the very beginning of their training."
"Something every martial artist learns…?"
Tilting her head this way and that, Tang Sowol finally spoke hesitantly, "Is it the harmony of jing, qi, and shen?"
"There you go. See? You already knew the answer. That's correct. Whether you call it jing, qi, and shen or Mind, Energy, and Body, it doesn't matter. What's important is achieving harmony between all the elements that make up oneself."
All humans are born with a physical body (jing), kept alive by the primal essence deep within them (qi), and guided by will and thought (shen).
The journey from third-rate to first-rate martial artist is the process of mastering the physical body. It's the most basic step, achievable by anyone through hard work, even without talent or unique experiences.
Once the body is mastered, the next step is internal energy. When one can freely extend their internal energy outward as an extension of their body, they reach the level of peak masters, acknowledged as high-level martial artists.
Those who master both the body and internal energy then challenge the realm of will and thought—what is often called intent.
"…But I haven't reached that level yet, so I can't say for certain."
"You talk like you've experienced everything leading up to it."
"Well, I have one foot in the door, don't I?"
"Oh."
She seemed to recall the brief glimpse of sword energy I'd shown earlier, her eyes widening in realization.
"Now, let's review. As you said, realms are divided by the level of harmony achieved. When internal energy is handled as naturally as moving one's limbs, it's called the peak realm. But none of this determines how well someone fights."
"True, someone with sword energy has an advantage, but even a one-armed fighter's strikes can kill if they hit a vital spot."
"That's why I was able to win today. My technique simply outmatched theirs, making the difference in realms irrelevant."
"I think that's even more impressive."
"Coming from the daughter of the Tang Clan, known for its mastery of poison and hidden weapons?"
"Hmph."
Tang Sowol awkwardly scratched her head, embarrassed by the remark.
***
The conversation shifted naturally into more personal topics, as the moonlight illuminated Tang Sowol's serene, yet pensive face.
And then, softly, she said, "When we return to the Tang Clan, the engagement ceremony will be held, won't it?"
"Yes, it will."
"Honestly… I'm looking forward to it. I thought I might never marry—or that, if I did, it would be rushed with a stranger I barely knew."
"People might think we're already getting married, but this is just an engagement."
"True, but I have no intention of breaking off the engagement. So, to me, this ceremony might as well be a wedding."
She chuckled quietly, her gaze turning to meet mine.
"Which is why I wanted to ask you something before the ceremony."
"What is it?"
Tang Sowol smiled softly, a wistful curve on her lips.
"Brother Cheon… Are you seeing someone else when you look at me?"
For a moment, she looked so much like the Tang Sowol from my memories—the woman I had loved.
"If you tell me now, I'll let it go. But I'd like an answer."
And so, I couldn't respond right away. Perhaps, it was because of that resemblance.