The Mending Studio - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 20
‘This is…….’

Yuk Musang and Yeon Byeongsim would have taken it for merely an unusual mist.
But Jang Hyeon Jinperson, the master of the sect, could perceive it.
Qi.
That intangible current tied to the rise and fall of entire schools—something no hand could grasp, no eye could see directly.
And it was pouring down over the Taehyeon Seongjji within the painting.
Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s breath grew ragged.
The recent arrival of unusually gifted disciples at the Taehyeon Seongjji.
Before that, such prodigies came perhaps once every few generations—yet this time, they had gathered all at once in an uncanny convergence. At the time, he had merely attributed it to good fortune smiling upon the sanctuary.
Won Geom Jinperson’s breakthrough of the Hwashin Realm, which he had said would take another thousand years.
The strange auspicious events that followed came together in his mind, one by one.
It was far too precise to be mere coincidence.
If Qi of this magnitude blanketed the entire Taehyeon Seongjji, then perhaps the current disciple selection and Won Geom Jinperson’s breakthrough were not the end of it. Greater fortune might yet unfold, and even he himself might see a path open in this lifetime to glimpse heights he had never reached before.

‘Could it be that this painting…….’

Jang Hyeon Jinperson looked at the painting again.
It depicted Taehyeon Mountain.
It held the Taehyeon Seongjji.
And above it, it bore an immense tide of Qi.
And the painting’s name was the Taehyeon Jangcheong Painting.
Jang Hyeon Jinperson had already connected Yeop Jangcheong and the ancestors of the Taehyeon Seongjji in his mind many times.
But until now, it had been nothing but speculation.
Now it was different.
The painting that captured Taehyeon Mountain so precisely, the Qi layered upon it, and the changes that had befallen the sanctuary in succession—all of it pointed to one truth.
His thoughts converged upon a single conclusion.
He suddenly tore his gaze from the painting and drew in a sharp breath.
Yuk Musang asked in surprise.

“Master, what is it?”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson turned to face Yuk Musang.
His face shone with amazement and joy at once.
He spoke each word with deliberate force.

“Now I am certain.”
“Pardon?”
“Yeop Jangcheong is none other than the ancestor we have brought into the Taehyeon Seongjji.”

Yuk Musang’s eyes widened.
This time there was no hesitation in Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s voice. It seemed the doubt he had harbored all this time had vanished entirely with the single scroll of the Taehyeon Jangcheong Painting.
Even the air in the courtyard felt different than before.
Yuk Musang could say nothing for some time.
Certainty filled Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s face.

“Master, are you truly so certain of this?”
“There is no room for error.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson pointed to the Taehyeon Jangcheong Painting.

“You saw the painting just now, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“Then you must have seen the Five-Colored Auspicious Clouds unfurling above the Taehyeon Hall, deep within Taehyeon Mountain.”

Yuk Musang nodded.
That part had struck her especially forcefully.

“What meaning lies in those clouds, Master?”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s eyes deepened with intensity.

“Qi. Fortune.”
“Qi…….”
“Not merely the fortune or misfortune of a single person. Rather, a current that can sustain the rise and fall of an entire sect.”

Yuk Musang’s expression hardened.
Only then did she begin to grasp what Jang Hyeon Jinperson had glimpsed to become this stirred.
He continued.

“The Five-Colored Auspicious Clouds draped above Taehyeon Seongjji in the painting—they are no mere atmospheric phenomenon. They are the manifestation of the Qi that Yeop bestowed upon Taehyeon Seongjji.”
“Is such a thing possible through a single painting?”

Her voice carried an awe she hardly recognized in herself.

“I have never witnessed such a method before.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson laughed, a sound hollow with wonder.

“To take heaven and earth as the canvas, countless principles as brush and ink, and thereby draw up the fortune of an entire sect. It is a technique that defies explanation at any level of cultivation I have reached.”
His gaze upon the Taehyeon Jangcheong Painting burned with intensity.

The recent surge of exceptional disciples to Taehyeon Seongjji no longer seemed mere coincidence.
Won Geom Jinperson’s breakthrough past the Hwashin Realm wall nearly a thousand years ahead of expectation either.
Viewed separately, each was a blessing of chance.
Yet after seeing this painting, dismissing it as mere fortune became impossible.

“And look at the painting’s title.”
“The Taehyeon Jangcheong Painting…….”

Yuk Musang murmured quietly.
Taehyeon.
Jangcheong.
Two names joined as one.

“He painted Taehyeon Seongjji and inscribed it with his own name. And he drew the sect’s very Qi directly into the work.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson spoke with absolute certainty.

“If this is mere coincidence, then the word necessity holds no meaning in this world.”

Yuk Musang could no longer easily refute him.
Above all, she possessed her own direct experience.
A stroke of common calligraphy containing the essence of swordsmanship.
Brushwork that had led Won Geom Jinperson to his breakthrough.
A man who dispenses Odo Leaves as casually as tea, tends spirits as though they were hounds, and handles unknown Dharma Treasures like household implements.
The conclusion that Yeop Jangcheong was the legendary ancestor of Taehyeon Seongjji seemed unbelievable, and yet it offered the simplest explanation for all that had transpired.
Yuk Musang nodded slowly.
Suddenly she recalled that first moment when she and Jang Hyeon Jinperson had discussed the true identities of these two.

“My lord.”
“Speak.”
“Previously, you suggested that Yeop might be an entity descended from the Higher Realm.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson corrected her at once.

“Not a possibility. I consider it nearly certain.”

Yuk Musang’s eyes widened.

“To that extent?”
“Not just anyone can manipulate a sect’s Qi so effortlessly.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson gazed again at the Five-Colored Auspicious Clouds hovering above the painting.
To lay hands upon Qi carelessly meant bearing an equal and opposite consequence.
Yet in Yeop Jangcheong, there appeared neither burden nor hesitation.
Only the composure of someone who had simply sketched a painting that pleased him.

“If one can do something of this magnitude without the slightest strain, it’s fair to say he has already transcended the heights we understand.”

Yuk Musang fell silent in thought.
Then she asked carefully.

“Lord, may I ask one more thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve heard a tale before. That in this world, among those who have climbed to such heights, there are some who use countless lives like chess pieces to serve their own ends…….”

Her voice trailed off slightly.
Yuk Musang did not wish to harbor suspicion of Yeop Jangcheong.
Yet if he were truly a being who moved between the Higher Realm as the Lord had said, it would not be strange for him to be orchestrating things beyond their imagining.

“Could it be that he is also using the Taehyeon Seongjji……?”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson laughed.

“I’ve entertained that thought long ago.”

Yuk Musang lifted her head.

“And I’ve reached a conclusion.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s voice grew calm.

“Even if my ancestor is truly playing some grand game and the Taehyeon Seongjji is a piece upon that board, I have no objection.”
“……Pardon?”
“If anything, I would worry far more if he were not using us.”

Yuk Musang found herself at a loss for words.
Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s face held not a trace of jest.

“Think on it. My ancestor has already bestowed Qi upon the Taehyeon Seongjji, aided Won Geom Jinperson’s breakthrough, and granted Opportunity to you and Jang Myeong both.”

He laughed quietly.

“If the price of joining his game is the prosperity of our sect, I would gladly become such a piece.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson spoke with absolute sincerity. For one who leads a sect, the deepest fear is a single miscalculation that ruins the futures of countless disciples.
But what Yeop Jangcheong had shown thus far was not a grasping hand, but one that continually gave.
Even if some grand design lay hidden beyond his comprehension, the grace the sect had already received would not turn false.
A faint smile bloomed at the corners of Yuk Musang’s mouth.
Now that she heard it, his words rang true.
In all their entanglement with Yeop Jangcheong, the Taehyeon Seongjji had lost nothing.
They had only gained—and gained abundantly.

“Musang.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“Remember this alone: the existence of my ancestor is not a curse upon the Taehyeon Seongjji, but a blessing.”
“I shall keep it in mind always.”

Meanwhile.
Yeop Jangcheong was escorting Yeon Byeongsim and Yu Jangha to the edge of Sojijin.
As they drew near the village’s outskirts, a formal procession of guards came into view in the distance.
Sturdy men stood in neat ranks, each one fully armed.
Yeop Jangcheong’s pace slowed without his realizing it.

‘With an escort like that, there’d be little to worry about once they step outside.’

He had imagined Yeon Byeongsim’s family was of considerable standing, but seeing it in person exceeded his expectations.
With such an honor guard in tow, bandits and wild beasts seemed hardly worth concern.
For a moment, the desire to follow them down the road swelled again in his chest.
The world beyond Sojijin suddenly felt vivid with possibility.
If opportunity ever came, he wanted to venture out and see it with his own eyes.
In particular, the Daeyeon Metropolis—where people and goods converged—was a place he longed to witness at least once.
Five years since settling in Sojijin.
The farthest he had ever traveled was the lower slopes of Taehyeon Mountain.
Meanwhile, the vast world beyond Sojijin remained almost entirely unknown to him. He had no wish to spend the rest of his life growing old in this place.
He wanted to see with his own eyes what the Daeyeon Kingdom’s metropolis, which Yeon Byeongsim had spoken of, was truly like—and what the cities where cultivators gathered actually looked like.
But he could not simply announce that he too would accompany them.
Yu Jangha stopped and turned back.

“I am deeply grateful that you came all this way to see us off, Yeop.”

He bowed deeply.
The wariness and arrogance from when he first entered Sojijin had long since vanished without trace.
In the Knights Order, he had been accustomed to being called the finest of their number.
Most cultivators barely registered in his estimation.
Yet having met Yeop Jangcheong, such pride seemed laughable.
The gulf between them was far too great.
And yet Yeop Jangcheong had treated him as an ordinary guest from beginning to end.
He had brewed tea with Odo Leaves and accepted Hyeonbing Wine without displaying the slightest avarice. He had never once pressed to learn that Yu Jangha belonged to the imperial household.
To Yu Jangha, that unassuming manner felt like a glimpse of an even higher realm.

“You needn’t be so formal,” Yeop Jangcheong said with a smile.

He laughed gently.

“Do visit again when you have time.”

Yu Jangha hesitated for a moment.
When he understood those words as an invitation, his heart grew warm.

“I will certainly return and pay my respects.”

Yeon Byeongsim stepped forward as well.

“Yeop.”
“Yes.”
“I really will come back.”
“I’m certain you will.”

Yeop Jangcheong nodded with a smile.

“Spend good time with your parents.”

Yeon Byeongsim’s face brightened with a radiant smile.
Yeop Jangcheong remained standing until the procession grew distant.
Only after Yeon Byeongsim vanished from sight among the guards did he turn his gaze away.
By then, Heuk Hwang had settled into a crouch beside him.
Yeop Jangcheong looked down at Heuk Hwang.
His build had improved since before, yet in his master’s eyes he remained just an ordinary black dog.

“You’re something else, aren’t you.”

Heuk Hwang’s ears perked up.

“More than a year wandering outside, and you still look presentable but prove utterly useless.”

Heuk Hwang’s body went rigid.
Yeop Jangcheong sighed and turned away.
To him it was merely the sort of reproach one leveled at a dog that had been absent from home so long.
But for Heuk Hwang, it meant something altogether different.

‘The master is disappointed in me.’

A fierce light kindled in those black eyes.

‘I must grow stronger.’

It sounded like an echo of unworthiness—that he lacked even the right to stand by his master’s side.
Heuk Hwang bared his teeth, watching Yeop Jangcheong’s departing back.

‘I will train without fail. Never again will I betray such faith.’

Unaware of any such resolve, Yeop Jangcheong returned calmly to the shop.
Heuk Hwang lingered in that place, his gaze fixed on his master’s receding form.
As Yeop Jangcheong entered the courtyard, Jang Hyeon Jinperson and Yuk Musang approached at once.

“Master.”
“Senior.”

Their manner seemed more deferential than before, though Yeop Jangcheong gave it little thought.
With Yeon Byeongsim gone, his spirits had settled into a peculiar quiet.
He found himself thinking of drink.

“Will you have some wine?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Do you drink?”

A glimmer crossed Jang Hyeon Jinperson’s eyes.
Yuk Musang shook her head with a hint of embarrassment.

“I’m not much of a drinker.”
“I can manage a little.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson drew a bottle from a wooden cabinet.

“As it happens, I’ve brought something.”

A cool aura radiated from the white, translucent vessel.

“It’s called Snow Spirit Liquor—brewed from the Snow Spirit Flowers that bloom on Manyeon Snow Mountain. It’s cold and smooth, making it perfect for a season like this.”

Though Jang Hyeon Jinperson spoke lightly of it, he had treasured this single bottle for nearly a thousand years, refusing it even when Won Geom Jinperson had pleaded more than once for just a single taste.
Today, he felt no reluctance whatsoever.
Yeop Jangcheong’s eyes brightened.

‘So the old man had fine wine in his possession after all.’

At first he’d taken this elder for someone rather miserly.
But now that he’d brought out the liquor too, his expression shifted slightly.

“Then please wait just a moment.”

Yeop Jangcheong rolled up his sleeves.

“Good liquor deserves good company—some appetizers, I mean.”
“You’re preparing them yourself?”
“It won’t take long.”

Yeop Jangcheong smiled and headed toward the kitchen.
The moment he disappeared into the kitchen, Yuk Musang’s gaze drifted to the white jade bottle sitting on the table.
A faint chill traced along its surface.

“Master.”
“What is it?”
“Is that liquor perhaps the Snow Spirit Liquor that Master Won once mentioned?”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson chuckled, stroking his beard.

“The very same—the one Won Geom Jinperson pestered me endlessly to let him taste, just once.”

Yuk Musang’s eyes widened.
Won Geom Jinperson wasn’t a man who ordinarily enjoyed spirits. For such a master to have brought it up more than once—it couldn’t possibly be ordinary wine.

“Is it truly that exceptional?”
“Exceptional doesn’t begin to cover it.”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson gazed down at the bottle.

“It’s a spiritual wine brewed from Snow Spirit flowers, aged over centuries. Even at my level, three cups is the limit. Beyond the fourth, I make no promises.”
“Even you?”

Yuk Musang blinked, her disbelief plain.
Jang Hyeon Jinperson seemed to enjoy her reaction—a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“I’ve been hoarding this single bottle for nearly a thousand years. If Yeop hadn’t mentioned wanting a drink today, I wouldn’t have brought it out at all.”

Yuk Musang’s attention returned to the bottle.
After a moment, she spoke carefully.

“Then… might I trouble you for a cup as well?”

Jang Hyeon Jinperson let out a quiet laugh.

“One cup should be harmless enough.”

Yuk Musang’s face brightened at once.
A moment later, the scent of grilling meat wafted from the kitchen.
It carried the sharp tang of spices beneath the aroma of oil.
Soon after, Yeop Jangcheong emerged carrying two plates.

“I trust you haven’t been waiting long?”

One plate held pork liver glistening with red sauce; the other bore thinly sliced smoked meat arranged in neat rows.

“Please, do try these.”

Yeop Jangcheong set the plates down on the table.

“As a drinking accompaniment, this should suffice.”
​
Jang Hyeon Jinperson stopped just as he reached for his chopsticks.
A faint wisp of essence was emanating from the meat.
​
‘Spirit?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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