麻豆工作室

 It was because Mok Riwon, who didn’t get much sleep due to excitement, woke up before sunrise and made a commotion.

 “Child, there is no need to worry. I am not going anywhere.”

 “Hehe… If you say so.”

 “Eating hastily is not a good habit for those learning martial arts, so make it a habit to eat slowly.”

 “Yes!”

 An earnest response.

 Mok Seon-oh smiled at that thought. Then, after a slightly early breakfast, he led Mok Riwon out to the courtyard.

 “From this moment forward, we will commence intensive training. Are you prepared?”

 “Yes!”

 “Truly?”

 Mok Seon-oh narrowed his eyes as he questioned the boy.

 Mok Riwon trembled at that intense gaze and briefly paused to reconsider, but upon realizing that there was nothing else he needed to prepare for, he answered.

 “Yes! Truly!”

 The boy’s eyes sparkled. In the afternoon, he would learn how to make stars cascade, so he was filled with anticipation at what mystical teachings the old man had for him today.

  Thump thump.

 As his youthful heart continued beating, the old man said.

 “Then, let us first begin with horse stance.”

 Mok Riwon’s expression suddenly went blank.

* * *

 Horse Stance.

 A stance achieved by bending one’s knees to form a right angle with the feet a shoulder-width apart.

 It was a lifelong training that every martial artist underwent, but Mok Riwon couldn’t possibly know that.

 As the boy lacked common sense, he was doubtful. For now, he simply performed as instructed, but wasn’t entirely aware of the connection between the stance and unleashing stars.

 The old man could tell by his expression and further explained.

 “Won, what supports a tree?”

 “T-The root…!”

 “Indeed, and will a deep-rooted tree sway in the gentle breeze?”

 “N… No!”

 “It is the same with martial arts. Martial arts revolves around internalizing and expressing the laws of nature within the human body. Therefore, before undergoing intensive training, you need to strengthen your lower body, which serves as the root of your physical form.”

 It was Mok Seon-oh’s strict voice as if to say that he would absolutely not budge on this.

 “When ranking martial artists, we distinguish between them by the stage of their internal cultivation. However, it is only a universal standard to that extent. In the end, martial arts is developed based on one’s physical body. No matter how developed their inner qi, as long as their body is lacking, is it not natural that they would be unable to display even a tenth of that power?”

 The boy couldn’t focus as the long explanation continued.

 Even with his overwhelming talent, the seven-year-old boy inevitably faced limitations due to his underdeveloped muscles and lack of physical strength. Concentrating intensely yet struggling, he could only groan as he maintained the challenging horse stance.

 “If you truly aim to become a master, focus more on building a solid foundation rather than solely advancing the realm of your internal cultivation.”

 ‘Root…! Foundation…!’

 The weather was unpleasantly sunny. Under the relentless glare of the sunlight, Mok Riwon, soaked in sweat, repeated the few words he had barely managed to catch.

 ‘A stable lower body.’

 His lifelong journey, beginning like any other, started from humble origins.

* * *

 Three months passed.

 Mok Riwon’s progress during this period could be encapsulated in a single word.

 Slow.

 It was so painstakingly slow that doubts arose about whether the one being taught was truly born under the Heaven-Slaying Star.

 However, the problem wasn’t Mok Riwon’s talent. Rather, it was rooted in Mok Seon-oh’s training methods.

 ‘It will be the moment he feels his qi.’

 Mok Seon-oh had anticipated this.

 He knew that the moment this child circulated qi within his body, he would complete his Microcosmic Orbit, reaching the Second Rate Realm.

 With the child’s overflowing talent, he would achieve the impossible in a single attempt. This was the reason Mok Seon-oh refrained from teaching him how to control his qi prematurely.

 ‘A body that cannot bear the cultivation technique will only hurt Won.’

 Typically, in proper martial arts, the three elements of ‘mind’, ‘qi’, and ‘body’ develop together in harmony and balance.

 However, what would be the outcome if he carelessly ignored those factors and immediately taught him how to use qi?

 If his body was unable to handle the overflowing qi within his body, then his meridians would be damaged and ruined.

 ‘The correct method is to strengthen his vessel slowly.’

 As soon as he could sense qi, he would fully ascend to Second Rate, with his body prepared to endure the flow of qi within.

 The past three months were for that purpose.

 He had taught Mok Riwon the horse stance, as well as how to run up mountains, and the fundamentals of a proper fist and kicking straight.

 All to bring his body to its optimal condition for today.

 “Enough.”

 Mok Seon-oh’s words caused the boy who had been doing horse stance to collapse onto the ground.

 Those words caused the boy who had been maintaining horse stance to collapse onto the ground.

 His entire body was drenched with sweat as he let out exhausted breaths. The old man stared with satisfaction at that appearance and then said.

 “It is time.”

  Spark-!

 The boy’s eyes widened as he turned to his master dumbfoundedly.

 “For internal cultivation?!”

 It was natural that he shouted excitedly.

Why wouldn’t he?

 Wasn’t this the reason why he had been enduring all of the struggles so far?

 The old man merely nodded his head and laughed.

 “Indeed, Won, the time has come for you to learn how to feel your qi.”

 Mok Riwon groaned as he got to his feet before sitting upright and looking at his master.

 “I’m ready!”

 “Ready? With all that sweat dripping down, how can you focus? Go wash up by the stream and return.”

 The boy hurriedly ran to the stream.

 Was he so eager to learn?

 Mok Seon-oh could only laugh as he watched the boy run away, excited and shaking.

* * *

 It was quiet in the front yard.

 The child’s restless heart was the cause of the stillness.

 “Won, sit in lotus position. Do you remember what I taught you?”

 “Yes!”

 Mok Riwon sat upright. When he had first learned this meditation pose, his legs had been extremely sore, but now he could do it in the blink of an eye.

 “Now, what was the cultivation technique we were going to learn today?”

 “It’s the Star God Technique!”

 “What kind of martial arts is the Star God Technique?”

 “It’s a martial arts that engraves constellations within oneself!”

 “You have memorized it well. Very impressive.”

 As Mok Riwon was grinning from ear to ear, unable to stop smiling, his master placed one hand on his back and said.

 “The Star God Technique was created by our founder who said, ‘I have left behind a star that shines even in the darkest night, with it you must vanquish the dark clouds which loom over the martial world.’”

 “Yes!”

 “It is because of that, the Star God Technique is a martial arts meant to help others. It is also the martial arts of humanity. Won, you must absolutely never forget this as you continue your training.”

 “Yes!”

 Mok Riwon answered back energetically while reminding himself of the theories he had learned until now.

 ‘I’ll aim for all 10.’

 The highest achievement one could attain for the Star God Technique was ten stars, with the number of stars ranging from one to ten.

 Each star would be engraved within the practitioner’s mind as they reached the next level, and successfully engraving all ten stars meant that one could ascend to immortality with this powerful martial arts.

 ‘I’m going to become a second rate martial artist now.’

 Today, he succeeded in engraving a single star. This achievement marked his arrival at the Second-Rate Realm and qualified him to be recognized as a martial artist.

 An unceasing smile emerged on his face at that thought.

 Mok Seon-oh couldn’t help but do the same as he watched the boy, and soon started the training.

 “Then let’s start. Do you remember what you have to do?”

 “Yes! As I mentally go through the technique step-by-step, I will follow Master’s guidance to circulate my qi through the microcosmic orbit!”

 “Indeed, I am glad you have remembered well.”

 Mok Seon-oh didn’t say anything else as the inner qi within the dantian started to release.

  Whoosh–

 The old man unleashed a chilly starlight from his body, wrapping it around the boy.

 Mok Riwon felt a bizarre sensation.

 The sensation of a new world overlapping with the one he had always known.

 As well as the sensation of an intangible matter against his skin, making him wonder how he hadn’t been aware until now.

 Mok Riwon could finally feel qi, the fundamental essence of all in the world.

 ‘Amazing…’

 How could it be so warm?

 How could it be so cosy?

 It began settling in Mok Riwon’s mind that even though he was feeling this for the first time in his life, it felt more familiar than anything else in the world.

 The qi touched his skin.

 It permeated and flowed through his flesh.

 As the boundary between the physical world and himself blurred, a vast current began to engrave itself into his young body.

 The Spiritual State of Perfect Selflessness.

 It was an enlightenment so profound that an ordinary martial artist might struggle to experience even once in their lifetime, where one forgets even their own existence.

 Mok Riwon, who was born with the fate of a slaughterer, upon feeling qi for the first time, was bestowed such enlightenment.

 A star emerged in his mind.

It was a star of possibilities, whose colors could not yet be fully defined.

 One that was gradually beginning to find its place.

 Creating a star the same day one felt qi was a phenomenal achievement, but Mok Riwon was not satisfied.

 A mere single star was not enough, he desired a higher realm.

 To that faintly visible second star.

 The moment Mok Riwon reached enlightenment, the moment his hand reached out–

 “Enough!” Mok Seon-oh yelled out.

 Flinch-

 His eyes opened in the blink of an eye as his body jumped.

 What was reflected in Mok Riwon’s eyes as he immediately turned his head was none other than Mok Seon-oh, staring at him while dripping cold sweat.

 “Master…?”

 Mok Riwon tilted his head.

 However, there was no response.

 It was because of an unexpected trait of Mok Riwon.

 It wasn’t a problem related to the depths of his internal cultivation.

 Mok Seon-oh had kept this situation in mind from the first moment he set his heart on teaching the boy.

 It was not a problem of attaining enlightenment too early either.

 After all, it was only natural for those with exceptional martial talent to experience waves of enlightenment, as he had done himself.

 There was only one singular reason for the panic on Mok Seon-oh’s face.

 ‘His meridians…’

 It was because Mok Riwon’s meridians were different from ordinary humans.

 No, there was a more fitting way to describe it.

 ‘…It is flowing in the opposite direction.’

 His meridians were reversed.

 The pathways through which his blood, qi, and life flowed ran in reverse to those of an ordinary person.

 Mok Seon-oh knew what this body meant.

 The human body was created based on nature, and meridians were meant to follow this natural order as well.

 Nevertheless, Mok Riwon’s meridians flowing in reverse meant that he would walk a path that defied the heavens themselves.

 …Indeed, it meant his body was created for demonic arts.

* * *

 The training had been canceled.

 Mok Riwon pouted while kicking rocks in the courtyard.

 It had already been a week.

 He was kicking rocks out of frustration because Mok Seon-oh had told him that it was too early for internal cultivation training.

 ‘Did I do something wrong?’

 He wondered if he had done something wrong by chance during the process of circulating his inner qi. If that was not the case, then perhaps he had not trained his body up to the standards of his master.

 Mok Riwon’s expression became sulky.

 As he continued thinking, he came to the conclusion that he had disappointed his master.

  Thud.

  Thud.

 There were only the sounds of his toes kicking rocks in the courtyard.

 In the midst of that, the corner of Mok Riwon’s eyes gradually teared up.

 The moment tears began to well up as a result of his sadness.

 Step-

 The sound of footsteps resonated throughout the area.

 Mok Riwon suddenly raised his head.

 He assumed it was probably in the straw-thatched house, but the sound came from the opposite direction.

 ‘A stranger…?’

 The only living being he had ever seen was his master, so he felt very nervous at the thought of his first meeting with a ‘stranger’.

  Step.

  Step.

 The sound gradually grew louder and closer.

 Mok Riwon swallowed dryly as he stared at the source of the noise.

  Rustle-

 It was a filthy middle-aged man who emerged from the forest thickets.

 With an appearance he definitely hadn’t washed, and tattered clothes that had become rags, Mok Riwon knew that the word ‘beggar’ was a way to express people like this.

 “A b-beggar?”

 The beggar blinked, then approached Mok Riwon while taking big steps.

 And then.

  Flick–!

 “It’s Beggar King, you brat!”

 The beggar—Beggar King, Ma Il-seok, flicked Mok Riwon’s forehead.

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