‘From now on, if she sulks, I’ll have to soothe her mood with spirit herbs.’

Gong Son Wu smiled contentedly as he watched Na Rin, who was as happy as a child entering a toy store.

It’s amusing and astonishing to think that someone who can be so innocently joyful like this was so gloomy at the Myeonggung.

But what can you do?

Na Rin’s tastes are peculiar.

“Take your time looking around and choose what you like.”

“Wowaaa!”

“Don’t go too far!”

Na Rin spent quite a while running around the backyard of Dongcheon Palace, which spanned several thousand pyeong, examining the spirit herbs.

Could this be the Peach Blossom Spring?

Artificial ponds, valleys, caves, and fields divided into four seasons according to the energy needed for each spirit herb.

The sight of spirit herbs thriving in this amazing environment was truly surreal.

‘What should I ask for? This is good for this reason, and that’s good for that reason.’

Na Rin was standing under a tree labeled “Ten Thousand Year Vine Fruit” (fruit of a thousand-year-old wisteria), contemplating the purple fruit when it happened.

Rustle, rustle.

A man wearing a straw hat straightened up and made eye contact with Na Rin.

“……”

“…Ah, hello−.”

“Intruder! An intruder has appeared!”

“What, intruder?”

“What kind of X is this!”

Ugh?!

Startled by the momentum of the farmer rushing over with a hoe or rake in hand and wearing a straw hat, Na Rin started running away at full speed.

“Catch them!”

“It’s a spirit herb thief!”

“I’m not a thief!”

If I had actually stolen something, I wouldn’t feel so wronged!

As Na Rin injected inner force into her legs, her running speed increased exponentially.

Naturally, the farmers chasing Na Rin also imbued their steps with inner force.

“Stop right there!”

“Get them!”

Theoretically, there was no way Na Rin could be caught.

Na Rin was an absolute master, and even if her condition wasn’t the best, 2 geupja of inner force was by no means a small amount.

However, there was one variable:

‘My legs are too short!’

What’s the use of running so fast and hard?

With such short legs, she couldn’t even reach half of half her usual speed.

“Got you!”

“I’m caught!”

Na Rin’s collar was grabbed, and her body was lifted into the air.

The farmer, gasping and catching his breath, said:

“You, you impudent, little one! You, huff… are in big, trouble, now. Huff, huff…”

“What did I do!”

“Do you think, huff, huff, I didn’t see you drooling while looking at the Ten Thousand Year Vine Fruit?”

“So what! Can’t I drool as I please with my own saliva!”

As Na Rin struggled and protested, Gong Son Wu was suddenly standing in front of her and the farmers.

He tilted his head as if he had no idea what the situation was about.

“What are you doing?”

“De, Defender sir. We, caught a thief… Huff, huff.”

“A thief?”

Gong Son Wu chuckled.

Strictly speaking, it was his oversight for not notifying them in advance, thinking it was his own backyard, but he had no regrets.

Because Na Rin’s troubled face was quite amusing to see.

“Put her down. That little one is not a thief, but the sect leader’s page.”

“What?”

“I said put me down!”

As soon as the farmer put Na Rin down, she scurried over to Gong Son Wu and hid behind his legs.

After all, he was the only one who would take her side in this situation.

“Na Rin. These are my men. They’re members of the Blue Dragon Unit.”

“Aren’t they farmers?”

At Na Rin’s question, the Blue Dragon Unit members’ faces turned red.

Even they thought their appearance looked exactly like farmers.

‘No wonder they were too fast to be just farmers.’

I don’t know why the Blue Dragon Unit, the main force of Dongcheon Palace, was leisurely farming instead of training.

Na Rin scratched her head once, then decided to forget about what had just happened and returned the greeting to the Blue Dragon Unit members.

“I’m Ju Na Rin. It’s an honor to meet the renowned Blue Dragon Unit members.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you.”

How awkward.

After finishing the awkward greetings with Na Rin, the Blue Dragon Unit members hurriedly returned to their work.

“So, did you find any spirit herbs you like?”

At Gong Son Wu’s question, Na Rin’s eyes rolled around.

She had examined the spirit herbs diligently, but it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

‘If I were really a little kid, it might have been easier to choose.’

But Na Rin’s true identity was a martial arts master with 2.2 geupja of inner force stored in her lower dantian, the inner force warehouse.

Moreover, she was an absolute master with her middle dantian, which acts as an inner force amplifier, fully opened.

It would be best to eat a spirit herb with balanced yin and yang energy to minimize side effects…

After contemplating for a while, Na Rin carefully broached the subject.

“Perhaps… you don’t have any Void Clear Stone Oil?”

Void Clear Stone Oil.

It referred to a milky liquid that was said to accumulate one drop every hundred years in a mysterious cave where the energies of heaven and earth are in perfect harmony.

‘Of all things, this kid had to look for that.’

Gong Son Wu was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Choose from the ones that can be cultivated.”

“Yes…”

I guess it’s not possible after all.

In the end, Na Rin chose the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp that was being farmed in a hot pond.

The golden carp spirit beast. Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp.

It had flesh full of heat absorbed from the hot environment, and an inner core containing cold energy that allowed it to withstand that hot environment.

It was one of the rare spirit herbs found in nature that contained both yin and yang energies.

“Not a bad choice. I’ll stew it right away, so go rest.”

“Yes.”

And about two shichen later.

Gong Son Wu appeared with the steamed Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp, sweat beading on his forehead.

“Did you make it yourself?”

“Of course. I poured out my inner force to make it.”

According to Gong Son Wu, who proudly puffed out his chest, it normally takes at least a month, or up to half a year, to stew a Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp for consumption.

Since it’s a carp that lives in hot water to begin with, its flesh won’t cook with ordinary heat.

“So you’re saying you stewed the carp with Sammaejinhwa for two whole shichen?”

“Our Na Rin is so smart. Even knowing about Sammaejinhwa.”

Gong Son Wu laughed heartily.

‘Good heavens.’

It was a much more burdensome show of sincerity than readily offering the abundant spirit herbs in the backyard.

The Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp stew made by the Defender, the second-in-command of the Demon Sect, simmering it with his inner force’s flame for two shichen.

‘At this rate, I won’t even be able to say I’m left with a debt.’

Gong Son Wu had done more than enough.

It was impossible not to acknowledge it.

“I’ll eat well.”

“Good.”

Na Rin scooped up small portions of the steaming Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp’s flesh and inner core onto her spoon and put them in her mouth.

It was to absorb the yin and yang energies as balanced as possible, even if not perfectly.

“You must not speak while eating spirit herbs.”

Na Rin nodded while chewing, following Gong Son Wu’s advice.

She guessed it meant to be cautious as speaking could cause the energy to dissipate or go out of control through the mouth.

Na Rin diligently chewed the flesh and inner core of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp together with her small mouth.

‘Now I need to circulate the energy.’

Na Rin’s concentration focused on her lower dantian as she sat in a cross-legged position.

‘First, let’s try mixing the energies of the flesh and inner core of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp.’

Na Rin tried to mix the yang energy-containing flesh with the yin energy-containing inner core while keeping her own inner force unchanged.

‘The energy of the inner core will probably be slightly superior to that of the flesh.’

If mixed well, it should become a cool energy that’s somewhat digestible.

Na Rin thought she had chosen well in selecting the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp as she mixed the two energies together.

However…

Bang!

‘Huh?’

Kaboom!!

‘This isn’t right?’

Na Rin couldn’t help but be flustered.

She thought they would naturally mix well since they were two spirit medicines from the same spirit beast.

But these energies were clashing as if they were mortal enemies.

‘Ugh. It feels like an earthquake is happening inside my body!’

Bang!

The impact, like massive rocky mountains colliding and shattering, violently shook Na Rin’s lower dantian.

As cold sweat beaded on Na Rin’s forehead, Gong Son Wu noticed and asked worriedly:

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

At that moment, Na Rin, who had grasped a clue, gritted her teeth.

‘It’s because of you!’

Gong Son Wu’s Sammaejinhwa was so powerful that it could soften the flesh of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp, which normally takes months to cook, in just two shichen.

Where did all that hot yang energy go?

‘Of course, it permeated the well-cooked flesh! Damn it!’

The yang energy of the flesh, strengthened by Gong Son Wu’s inner force, became nearly equal to the yin energy of the inner core, which should have been superior.

As a result, the two energies engaged in an endless battle in Na Rin’s lower dantian.

“This won’t do. I’ll guide the energy for you!”

Na Rin’s voice transmission urgently reached Gong Son Wu.

Gong Son Wu’s eyes widened in surprise, not knowing Na Rin could use voice transmission.

“Na Rin…? You…”

‘Damn. I’ve been found out.’

At this point, there’s no choice but to push forward.

Whether I’m driven out as a suspicious child or killed, there’s no turning back now.

If that’s the case! I should at least make all the energy of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp mine to avoid regret!

Na Rin gritted her teeth and concentrated all her nerves.

‘Once it’s in my mouth, it’s mine! Literally mine, even if I die and come back to life!’

The 2 geupja of inner force she originally possessed began to stir.

As if to make the newcomer pay for daring to disturb the settled stone, the massive inner force fiercely confronted the energy of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp.

And like rough waves eroding a rock, just like that!

Kwaaang!

‘Ah! Damn! I’m going to die!’

Na Rin barely managed to hold back the blood that was about to burst out, keeping it in her mouth.

Though her eyes were closed, they must have been bloodshot.

Still, she endures, she can endure. No, what if she can’t endure! Endure it!

As Na Rin’s incredibly stubborn energy once again loomed as if to devour the energy of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp, the conflicting energies of the flesh and inner core began to cautiously observe each other.

Perhaps they realized they needed to join forces to face Na Rin’s overwhelmingly fierce inner force.

Na Rin could feel the energy of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp, which had balance but lacked harmony, slowly mixing and achieving yin-yang harmony.

Accordingly, Na Rin’s complexion became a bit more relaxed.

‘Good. It’s good that they’ve mixed on their own for now.’

Before long, a massive wall stood before Na Rin’s inner force.

A large and solid wall of inner force built from the energy of the Ten Thousand Year Fire Carp that had achieved yin-yang harmony on its own.

Faced with such overwhelming energy that seemed impossible to even crack despite using all her strength, Na Rin couldn’t help but feel a sense of insignificance.

‘Am I supposed to… put this in my middle dantian and amplify it?’

Qi deviation was just a step away.

Qi deviation, simply put, refers to the phenomenon where inner force becomes too abundant or strong and gets stuck in the dantian.

Naturally, as the energy can’t flow smoothly, it tries to find other paths, causing the qi and blood to tangle. With blockages everywhere, the inner force rampages out of control as if about to burst.

If this rampaging inner force escapes the lower dantian, rushes up to the middle dantian, and finally destroys the upper dantian, one becomes insane or dies on the spot.

‘Well, dying is… fine, I guess. I can accept that if I really have to.’

Dying ten times or eleven times.

To others, it might be different, but to Na Rin, death wasn’t such a big issue.

The real problem was that there was no guarantee that qi deviation wouldn’t carry over to the next life.