EPISODE 7

The next day.

I opened my eyes, and an unpleasant smell assaulted my nose.

What was this smell?

The scent of roses?

I searched with my half-open eyes. Before long, I discovered the scent's source—a vase on the bedside table holding a bright red rose.

"How thoughtful," he said sarcastically.

Luan Badniker and roses—some things just didn't gel together.

There was a reason for this. One of the symbols of the Badniker family was the rose. In fact, the walls of the main house were covered with rose vines.

I staggered out of bed, groaning.

I felt a chill as I left the blanket. Was it late autumn or early winter? I couldn't quite remember.

The room was still dark.

My fatigue lingered as if I hadn't slept long.

"Is it still dawn?"

Frankly, I wanted to sleep longer, but I woke up early out of habit.

Though I was still tired, my fatigue had somewhat diminished.

I got out of bed, realizing that forcing myself to sleep longer would be a waste of time.

"Ugh." Pain shot through me from head to toe the moment I stood.

Was it a muscle pain?

I probably pushed myself too hard yesterday.

My body's condition made me sigh. Fortunately, it wasn't unbearable.

I groggily shuffled to the mirror.

It was a historic moment—the first time I faced myself since arriving in the past.

A skinny person stood in the mirror, staring back at me.

Of course, it was me.

"Isn't this worse than I thought?"

I already appeared frail with my platinum-blond hair and pale skin, but my current emaciated appearance made me look sickly.

Despite this, I had managed to use the White Sun Eclipse effectively with this skinny body.

First, I needed to address my condition, but doing so wasn't easy.

I didn't overeat, and I was born with a constitution that made it difficult for me to gain weight. Additionally, I was a picky eater, sensitive to the taste and texture of ingredients, and capable of imitating a gourmet's palate.

Nonetheless, I could never give up food. Even after my bones were broken from my master's beatings, I still worked hard to cook.

A refined palate was often seen as a noble virtue in aristocratic society. But as I looked ahead, all I saw were obstacles. It was a talent that truly required the right master to cultivate.

My stomach grumbled at the thought of food, a natural reaction since I hadn't eaten since the chaos of last night.

"I'm hungry."

In any case, I had returned to my hometown for the first time in years, which meant I could enjoy the local food.

Should I head to the dining room?

Though it was the crack of dawn, mornings in the kitchen always began early, and they'd offer me something if I went there.

I planned to leave my room to satisfy my hunger and look around the mansion for the first time in ages.

Creak.

I gasped in shock as I saw someone standing at the door.

The face looked vaguely familiar—likely one of the maids who had been in the room when I woke up the day before. She resembled a scared squirrel. I remembered she had been the most agitated when Kayan arrived.

"Y-young Master Luan. Did you wake up?" she asked.

"And you are?"

She bowed her head. "Lisa."

I nodded curtly. "I see. What brings you here at this hour, Lisa?"

"I-I came to check on you, Young Master Luan. I didn't notice anything unusual last night but... I was wondering if you were feeling unwell," Lisa explained.

"I'm fine except for being hungry. Speaking of which, can you get me something to eat?"

"Ah, yes. I'll make breakfast right away," Lisa replied.

"Ah, right. By the way, where is my mother?"

Lisa looked puzzled. "Madam Lucia went back home three weeks ago."

I had wondered why I hadn't seen her even after Kayan came, but now it made sense. Meanwhile, Arjan wouldn't have beaten me up with my mother around.

"I understand. You can go now."

"Yes." Lisa bowed and entered the room to replace the rose in the vase.

"Hey, that rose..." I paused.

"Yes?"

"Forget it. Just carry on with what you were doing," I instructed.

"Okay."

***

Soon, Lisa brought in a quick breakfast.

It tasted bland as if my appetite hadn't fully returned. I ate just enough to fill me up.

Then I washed up to rid myself of the unpleasant smell of the medicinal herbs.

The sun had fully risen by the time I washed up and stretched. The sunlight chased away the mansion's darkness and chill.

I instantly felt better, likely due to the martial art I practiced, or perhaps just because of human nature.

I preferred daytime over night.

"Young Master Luan, did you wake up?"

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere...?"

It would've been much better if these people hadn't barged in.

I glared at the mansion's servants, my gaze sharp. Their panicked retreat when Kayan entered was still vivid in my memory.

I didn't intend to criticize them for that alone. My temperament had been terrible back then. But if they were going to act this way, they could have at least been consistent.

They had fled as if not seeing anything. Once Kayan was gone, they flocked back and spouted insincere words of concern.

However, given my previous sins, it felt excessive to beat them up and kick them out.

I waited until their pretentious concerns subsided before saying, "Enough, you can leave now. I need more rest."

"Yes. B-by the way, Young Master Luan—"

"What is it?" I interrupted.

"What happened to your collection?" the other party asked.

"Can't you tell?" I waved my arms in the air to show them, but they just blinked in confusion. "The collection wasn't carried out."

"Huh?"

"I talked him down, and he left," I boasted.

"T-that is impossible..."

"Enough. Leave now while I am still nice," I ordered.

They still looked like they had more questions, but I pushed them away.

Before closing the door, I didn't forget to add, "Don't let anyone in for a while. Don't even knock."

"Huh? Yes, understood—"

Bang.

At last, silence returned to the room.

I enjoyed the quiet for a moment before opening the window. "It is a beautiful day even in the middle of winter."

The day was sunny but windy, and I liked it. The right amount of cold could awaken a tired mind.

I sat in front of the sunlit window with a smile.

This was the first time alone since returning to the past.

I straightened my back, crossed my legs, and closed my eyes.

I had returned to the past and started what I should have done first: practicing the internal energy circulation of the Supreme Art of All Time—the divine martial art of Bai Luguang, the First Under Heaven.

***

The Supreme Art of All Time was a mind method.

As a training method, it involved concepts that existed in this world.

With the sun at its zenith, it marked the ideal time to use the internal energy circulation.

The art was based on the five elements. According to this mind method, most humans could be classified into five attributes: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

Whether by design or coincidence, my master's five disciples each possessed a different attribute.

My attribute was Fire.

My master had instructed me to grow strong enough to swallow the sun, deeming a simple matchstick insufficient as my focal point.

Like all mind methods, the surrounding environmental factors played a crucial role in practicing the Supreme Art of All Time. Not only must the natural energies of the world be abundant, but I also needed to find a place that suited my attribute.

In short, if Wood were my attribute, I would be far more efficient in a forest or similar setting while circulating my internal energy.

I preferred to concentrate during the day, particularly when the sun was highest in the sky. The best locations were areas with intense sunlight, volcanic regions, or in extreme cases, places that had experienced fires.

Finding something like that is difficult in my current state.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I focused for several minutes before opening my eyes with a frown.

"Wow." I couldn't help laughing.

Looking in the mirror, I could see my body was in terrible shape. However, when I examined it more closely, it was even worse. A six-year-old child would be healthier than I was.

I hadn't been born with a poor physique. Perhaps years of indulgence and the recent beating had taken their toll, but now I resembled a man on the brink of death.

Can it be done in a month?

It would take at least half a year to make this body functional.

Among the many martial arts, the Supreme Art of All Time relied heavily on external techniques.

I need to manage my sleeping hours.

I focused my consciousness on the sunlight filtering through the cool breeze.

The heat, passing through the fabric, marked the starting point of the Fire attribute in the Supreme Art of All Time—the First Fire Technique.

First, the heat absorbed through my skin must be converted into Fire Qi and transformed into a flame I could control at will.

I sat motionless for a long time to form a nail-sized flame. Otherwise, all the Fire Qi that I had accumulated would dissipate.

I likened this task to keeping a match lit in the howling north wind—difficult, but not impossible.

How much time passed?

Before I knew it, my entire body was drenched in sweat. A crackling sound echoed as beads of sweat dripped from my chin, and a faint flame flared in my dantian.

This wasn't an actual flame, but it did mean I had developed Fire Qi with my internal energy.

I sighed deeply while taking a break.

Even this simple sigh carried the heat of a hot wind, marking the First Fire Technique's successful initiation.

It got a bit easier from here.

I carefully expanded the flames, mindful not to extinguish them. At the same time, I spread the Fire Qi to envelop my entire body.

Impurities had accumulated in my blood vessels and internal organs. I burned away the initial impurities I encountered with flames, then parted my lips slightly, releasing a wisp of black smoke.

Whoosh...

The foul odor made me uncomfortable, but it was a necessary part of the process. It was much better than other mind methods. Usually, the accumulated impurities were filtered out through the pores during energy circulation.

And what did that look like? Foul-smelling sludge pouring from the mouth and sweat pores all over the body.

"Ugh..." Just thinking about it made me uncomfortable, so I stopped thinking.

The First Fire Technique was the most effective of all the Supreme Art of All Time techniques for purging impurities—just burn them, and it was over.

Naturally, a lack of proficiency could damage the blood vessels and organs, but I would never make such a rudimentary mistake today.

It is more fun than I thought.

I had assumed it would be boring because it was a cleaning process, but it turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable.

Maybe it was because the task was much easier now than when I first started using the First Fire Technique.

At first, I moved cautiously, but once I got used to it, my speed was literally on fire.

This is why it is good to learn martial arts from a young age.

I realized once again how fortunate I was: a mature mind in an immature body.

Thanks to this mature mind, I could accurately identify my body's strengths, weaknesses, and problems.

No matter how excellent my master was, such sharp insight would be impossible. After all, the one who knew you best was yourself.

The speed at which I build my internal energy will be much faster than before.

The internal energy accumulated in this way would also be purer.

Evidently, if I regained the power I had on Spirit Mountain with this body, I would become far stronger than I was before.

Now I understood a bit of my master's intention in sending me back to the past.

If I succeeded in the First Fire Technique, gradually strengthened my body, and completed the White Sun Eclipse, I could eventually compete with Eldest Senior Brother.

However, that didn't answer all my questions.

Why had Eldest Senior Brother been expelled, and why didn't my master take matters into his own hands? Besides, why choose me out of his remaining four disciples? What did this have to do with sending me back in time?

I can't think about it now.

I pushed aside the questions racing through my mind. The answer likely rested with my master or perhaps Eldest Senior Brother, but at my level, knowing the truth would be pointless. It was simple: I was too weak.

First, I have to become stronger.

I recalled my master's words and concentrated on the circulation of internal energy.

***

Since then, I locked myself in my room and focused on the First Fire Technique.

I ate the disgusting, tasteless food while pouring all my energy into clearing the impurities from my body.

It required a certain amount of patience.

Though I had escaped from Spirit Mountain and returned home, I was confined to my room. It was natural for me to feel trapped, yet I couldn't skip this step.

A week passed this way.

My body, though in a terrible condition, showed some improvement.

An improvement was an improvement, but it didn't mean anything had fundamentally changed.

First of all, I knew my biggest issue at this time: I had too little internal energy.

I compared it to my dantian after spending ten years on Spirit Mountain, and naturally, it felt emptier. Nevertheless, it was still lacking.

"It would be perfect if I could consume one elixir."

I couldn't help but laugh as I said this.

An elixir wasn't a blade of grass that could be found on the streets. Especially now, with the fierce competition between Great Families at its peak, even low-quality elixirs were hard to come by.

"Should I still look for one?"

Obtaining an elixir, even the lowest-quality one, would be a huge help.

In any case, I had already planned to go outside today. If I searched the neighborhood outside the mansion or a nearby city's night market, I could be lucky enough to find the lowest-quality elixir. After all, I had a pretty good discerning eye.

"Good."

I opened the door excitedly and walked briskly through the halls, heading toward the gates.

I had planned to leave, but a group of knights in red armor stopped me. "Good morning, Young Master Luan."

I paused, puzzled. These weren't the mansion's knights. I didn't recognize their faces, but I had seen their distinctive red armor before.

"I am Osel of the Fang Knights," one of them introduced himself.

The Fang Knights were a group directly under the command of the Iron-Blooded Lord of the Badniker family.

"The family head ordered us to bring you back to the main house," Osel informed me.

They appeared out of nowhere.