Apparently not wanting to hear the increasingly faint murmuring of my master, the Grand Preceptor suddenly interrupted.

“Right, and I’ve also served you tea several times. The balance of your inner energy should be well adjusted by now.”

“Huh?”

“Tea of Ha Su O. I found one that looked around 60 years old. It would be better if it reached 100 years, but I can’t wait 40 years for it. Someone else would take it by then. So, I just harvested it and dried it well.”

My master fell silent. I was silent too.

‘…Out of the blue?’

The Grand Preceptor spoke so nonchalantly that it sounded trivial, but finding such a tea was not an easy task.

No, even 60 years alone is an entire era.

As we lost our words and contemplated, the Grand Preceptor added, raising his eyebrows.

“Why? If I’ve given you cold-natured spiritual pills, shouldn’t we balance it out with warm spiritual energy? It’s not as if you’re consuming it whole; it’s boiled into tea, so it’s neither risky nor excessive.”

Then he asked me.

“Didn’t the tea taste bad? I told you it would make you grow, didn’t I?”

It reminded me of the tea that the Grand Preceptor had personally served a few months ago in his hall. Since then, I had had the same tea several times.

‘…Could it be because of that?’

I had felt like my inner energy increased slightly every morning during my Qi cultivation. I even thought the rate of increase was a bit fast.

I felt awkward mentioning that I had grown, so I just chuckled to myself, feeling moderately proud.

I thought it was because I had trained consistently, but was it actually the effect of a potion?

I felt dizzy for a moment but soon corrected my thoughts.

‘…It’s a potion that can only be obtained by having the Grand Preceptor as my master of medicine and poison.’

I’m not sure why he only mentioned it now, but I should be thankful…

With that comment from the Grand Preceptor, the heavy and solemn atmosphere was completely dispersed. It was an excellent shock therapy in some sense.

My silent master spoke to the Grand Preceptor before I could.

“You’ve really taken great care in my absence. Thank you.”

“As I said, if you’re my disciple’s master, you’re like my own child.”

“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to greet me either. Right now, your job is to eat well and grow. So I deliberately didn’t say anything, but your master was getting too serious, so I snapped him out of it.”

The ambassador, who had extended his hand, briefly glanced at the sky to check the position of the moon. It seemed he was estimating how deep into the night it was. Then he gestured for me to come closer.

“If you hadn’t come to speak first, I would have brought it up tomorrow. The timing was good. I’ll personally inform the head priest. The test has been set for the day after tomorrow.”

As soon as I approached, he got straight to the point. I briefly widened my eyes, then stood up straight and answered.

“Understood.”

“Have you ever fully descended Lotus Peak since your initiation? At the base of the mountain, there’s a large temple called Cheongmaegwan. Normally, it’s where the disciples who guard the base of the mountain stay, and during the entrance exam, it’s where the candidates stay for a month. Have you heard about the test details from your sworn sibling?”

“Yes, it’s about climbing the volcano.”

“Correct. Descend tomorrow afternoon, spend the night, and start climbing the mountain around dawn. The guys at Cheongmaegwan will prepare some provisions and gunnysacks for you. If you arrive at the mountain gate by dusk, you pass.”

His explanation seemed prepared, as if he would have brought it up tomorrow if I hadn’t come first. My master, sitting, squinted his eyes and looked at the ambassador’s back.

I pretended not to see the tension between the ambassador and my master and calculated the time.

From dawn to dusk, it’s roughly 12 hours.

One of the Five Elements, a volcano. Naturally, there are no cable cars, and we’d be lucky to even find ropes on the cliffs covered in ice.

Even if it’s a rocky mountain and winter, so there are no beasts, it’s hardly a suitable place to ask kids to climb by evening.

“The one going with you will likely struggle a lot, and you won’t find it easy either. But you should be able to make it within the time.”

If the ambassador is that confident, it must be really doable. That would be true even if the standard was Moonlight, not me.

“If you can afford to, keep an eye on the one who could become your disciple.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be too generous. Understand?”

“Understood.”

Afterward, my master sighed again and approached me. He patted my head a few times and then opened his mouth.

“Ha Hyun.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I permit you to take the test with that child.”
Permission was granted. Come to think of it, the atmosphere had been as if permission was given, but the confirmation came just now. I quickly bowed to him.

“Thank you, Master.”

“Why should you thank me? Rather… knowing that you’ve grown a lot makes me happy.”

As he concluded his words, Master smiled faintly.

‘Hmm.’

If Master is happy because of me, then as a disciple, I’ve done my duty and can feel proud.

So, instead of making any particular response, I simply shared a smile with Master.