[Shall We Go on a Trip?]

Seo-yeon headed towards a nearby inn. Perhaps because it was located on the path leading to the city, the inn was bustling with all sorts of Martial artists.

"Looks like a popular place."

Hwa-ryeon, who was next to her, muttered.

There were so many customers that they had to wait for a while. A waiter hurriedly approached and asked to take their order first, so Hwa-ryeon ordered a few dishes she wanted to eat.

"I heard you can earn a lot of money if you enlist as a soldier these days? The western barbarians don't seem that strong. Should I enlist this time?"

"I'm worried that the war might get too big, but it seems you're not."

While listening to the stories of passersby who loved to gossip about the world, a seat became available.

On the first floor of the inn, Wanderers with fierce impressions were sitting, but they lowered their gaze after seeing Seo-yeon's unusual aura and the sword tied to her waist.

Seo-yeon stared at the Wanderers with a blank expression for a moment.

"……."

The Wanderers, sensing Seo-yeon's gaze, whispered among themselves and then disappeared outside the inn, as if fleeing.

Did something urgent suddenly come up? It didn't seem like it.

"Do you know them?"

"I mistook them for someone else."

Seo-yeon gently stroked Hwa-ryeon's hair as she ate Candied Fruit and looked around. What would she have been like in the past? Wouldn't she have been afraid to make eye contact with men, lowered her head, and thought about running away first?

There is a saying that people cannot be fixed. This is because their innate nature does not change easily.

Then how did she change?

Was it because she felt pathetic for having lived secluded from the world for so long? Or because she decided to be brave? Because she had a relationship to protect? Because she thought she couldn't live like this anymore? Or was it because she gained enlightenment, as they say?

No.

It was because she felt pity for the peasant girl.

Seo-yeon inadvertently looked down at Hwa-ryeon. Her round eyes were looking up at her.

Seo-yeon was someone who believed that people could not be fixed, but at the same time, she realized that they could change with a very small trigger. Because that's what happened to her.

It was an enlightenment like lightning. It may be trivial to some, but it was not trivial to Seo-yeon, whose balance of Essence, Qi, and Spirit was strangely distorted.

Because she had a talent that would never exist again throughout history, Seo-yeon had already reached the heavenly realm with just her innate abilities of Essence and Qi. But her Spirit was not. It was weak, young, and immature for something that belonged to an absolute being.

This is because the human spirit can only grow through self-reflection and true awakening.

Because she had closed her heart and lived in a remote place, she had not accumulated worldly experience, and because she had devoted herself to carving and disciplined her mind and body, she had no worries.

Therefore, there was no opportunity to gain enlightenment.

It was different now.

She worried, acted, and achieved something small.

Seo-yeon struggled to grasp the understanding that seemed to be within reach. Usually, she would sit in a lotus position and circulate Inner Energy, but she had no experience with that yet, so she couldn't do it easily. She only instinctively closed her eyes, calmed her breathing, and concentrated.

She had seen in Martial Arts novels that it was dangerous to circulate Inner Energy in a noisy and variable inn, but she didn't even know that what she was doing was a type of Inner Energy circulation.

It was fleeting. A faint wind spread in all directions, carried by Seo-yeon's body.

Ordinary people just thought it was the wind and ignored it, but it was different for those who had learned martial arts.

They reacted immediately.

"What is this……?"

"Why is my body suddenly……."

They instinctively stiffened, and many suddenly trembled.

But because their martial arts level was not very high, they could not figure out the cause of the strange phenomenon.

But Hwa-ryeon was different. She felt awe.

"Master……."

This was because her martial arts level was much higher than others.

She felt the Nature Essence rushing in and warmly embracing her whole body. It felt as if a gentle energy was flowing through her Meridians.

Hwa-ryeon barely calmed her panting breath with emotion and stood up. She was going to protect her master.

Regardless of whether they are low-level or high-level, all Martial artists become most vulnerable during Inner Energy circulation. This is because they pour all their energy into observing the inside, so they can fall into Qi Deviation with even a small variable.

Her master must know that, but enlightenment comes at an unexpected moment.

That's why Hwa-ryeon vigilantly guarded her surroundings with fierce eyes.

Seo-yeon.

Not long after closing her eyes and immersing herself, she arrived in a dark space. It was an empty space where nothing could be felt, but a strange sense of comfort enveloped her.

"……."

On closer inspection, it was not a completely black space. Just like the flesh-colored light that seeps through the eyelids when sleeping, the inside was also like that. However, the light was so faint that it was mistaken for darkness unless one concentrated.

It felt like being inside an eggshell. When she tried to approach, she felt something like a wall. Without much thought, Seo-yeon raised her fist and knocked on the wall.

It was harder than she thought. Seo-yeon knocked on the wall a few more times, then sat down in a comfortable position.

'How did I fall into this place?'

Seo-yeon vaguely guessed that this was in her mind. Therefore, she was sure that she would be able to return to reality over time.

Ordinary masters would usually use this time to reorganize their blocked Blood Points, gather newly acquired energy, or accumulate Inner Energy in their Dantian by repeating the Small Heavenly Cycle and Grand Heavenly Cycle.

But Seo-yeon, whose Twelve Principal Meridians and Eight Extraordinary Meridians were not only open but completely assimilated with nature, was in a slightly different situation.

Her body and Inner Energy had already reached the sky. If she wanted to go further, her spirit had to grow.

But no one had told her that, so Seo-yeon simply continued to breathe in the comfortable space.

'It's comfortable.'

Whether she lived like a coward or now, the world is the same.

The only thing that has changed is her mindset.

Time seemed to have slowed down tremendously.

She was in a semi-trance. As she repeated her breathing and her mind became peaceful, a subtle crack finally began to appear on the hard shell that was blocking Seo-yeon.

Seo-yeon also noticed it. But the crack that continued stopped spreading at some point.

'What is it?'

It was as if it was saying that this was not enough. This, could it be referring to understanding?

Then, the moment her mind became hazy and she came out of her trance, her eyes flashed open as if cold water had been poured on her.

"Ah……."

Regret and exhaustion washed over her at the same time.

When she opened her eyes again, Hwa-ryeon was looking at her with her face right in front of her.

*****

When she came to her senses, all the food she had ordered was cold. When she asked Hwa-ryeon, she said that more than half an hour had passed.

"Why didn't you eat first?"

"Of course, Master should eat first. And I was fine because I ate Candied Fruit."

Seo-yeon chuckled and called out to a waiter passing by. Because they were occupying the seats without eating the food, the waiter's face was full of displeasure.

"Could you please reheat the cold food and pack it, and also bring out new food?"

Seo-yeon handed over a generous amount of money. It meant that he could keep the change.

"I'll bring it right away, hero!"

In an instant, she went from being a heinous criminal to being treated like a hero. The waiter skillfully took the order and then handed over the warm food packed in bamboo tubes. That was all included in the price.

Hwa-ryeon asked.

"Are you going to eat this later?"

"I'm going to give it to those people. If the food comes out in the meantime, eat first."

Seo-yeon took the food and went outside the inn. She was heading to the beggars she had seen before entering.

It wasn't that she suddenly felt pity and wanted to share. If they were ordinary beggars, the waiter would have already chased them away. The fact that they were sitting there so brazenly meant that they were likely beggars officially affiliated with the Beggars Clan.

The righteous people Seo-yeon had met so far all knew their manners. She thought they deserved this much treatment. Even if they weren't affiliated with the Beggar Clan, it didn't matter. There was no harm in giving when she was so relaxed.

The old beggar, seeing Seo-yeon approaching, said cautiously.

"Are you going to give it to us?"

"Yes."

"……Really?"

"Of course."

The old beggar scratched his head as if this was the first time this had happened.

"I'm not from the Beggar Clan, I think you're mistaken."

"It doesn't matter. I was going to give it to you anyway."

"If that's the case, I'll gladly accept it."

The old beggar bowed his head in thanks, then looked around and shouted loudly.

"Come and eat! This person gave it to us, so everyone say thank you!"

Beggars who had appeared from somewhere bowed their heads to Seo-yeon. Seo-yeon stared at the beggars, then took out a carving knife from her pocket, broke off a branch, and began to make spoons on the spot.

"……."

The beggars, who were about to eat with their bare hands, watched Seo-yeon carefully. Then, realizing that her skills were unusual, they exclaimed in admiration.

"Her skills are not ordinary."

"Amazing."

"Her skills are good, what do you think, brother?"

"She's good."

"Is that all?"

"If she's good, she's good. What would a bumpkin like me know?"

Seo-yeon rinsed the spoons in the nearby water and handed them to the beggars. The beggars held the spoons with both hands and clicked their tongues.

"It's shining even though it's not lacquered."

"We could sell it to the rich for a high price."

"Is it worth at least one tael?"

Seo-yeon watched the beggars and then got up from her seat.

"Then enjoy your meal. I need to eat too."

As she said that and was about to enter the inn, the old beggar she had met at first opened his mouth.

"Do you have many relatives or acquaintances around the age of thirty?"

"Why do you ask?"

"If there is anyone who is thinking of joining the military, I want to tell them not to. The atmosphere near the border is unusual. If they go, they won't be able to return in one piece."

The playful old man from just now seemed to have disappeared, and the atmosphere had changed completely. Because it had suddenly become too quiet, Seo-yeon had no choice but to open her mouth.

"Thank you for letting me know. But I don't have any male acquaintances, so I don't think you need to worry."

Answers that seemed to be scolding her came back from here and there.

"I told you, she looks like an only child."

"Even brother makes mistakes sometimes."

"I'm sorry. Our brother is like this sometimes. He's senile, you know?"

"Go and apologize. What are we going to do about this atmosphere?"

"Don't take his nonsense to heart. Okay?"

Seo-yeon watched the beggars chuckle and then laughed along. Seo-yeon realized for the first time that she liked this detached atmosphere. Was that why? She asked again for no reason.

"Do you know of any places where I can take a young disciple to see the sights?"

The beggars pondered for a moment and then answered.

"They say they're holding an event at Mount Song in about seven days."

"Does the county matter? If not, how about Shanxi? I heard that Mount Hua and Zhongnan are going to have a showdown soon."

"It's good to play in the water when you're having fun, but there's no suitable lake in Henan……."

Then the old beggar opened his mouth.

"Have you been to the Longmen Grottoes? From what I can see, your carving skills are very good, so you'll have a lot to gain from going there."

She had heard of it. It was a deep cave with 100,000 Buddha statues and murals. She thought there were also huge statues over five yards tall.

The beggar next to him continued.

"Luoyang is definitely close. It won't take two days by carriage. There are many things to see. Maybe it's because it was the capital of the old dynasties. You can go on a food trip as well."

There would definitely be a lot of inspiration to gain. Large merchant guilds often gathered there, so it would be a feast for the eyes.

While she was pondering, one of the beggars who had been deep in thought opened his mouth.

"Come to think of it, I think the Carving Arts Competition that the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild is holding is also in Luoyang? With your skills, it wouldn't be difficult to get into the finals."

The beggar asked.

"How about that one?"

Seo-yeon smiled and replied.

"It seems like it will be more than enough to pay for the meal."