The Mending Studio - Chapter 21

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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 21
It wasn’t a misperception.
From the liver and the cured meat alike, she could sense refined Demon Energy.
The concentration was incomparable to common demons. It was the kind of aura you’d only feel from the Blood and Flesh of Great Demon that had reached the Geumdan Realm—at minimum.
At that level, the Blood and Flesh of Great Demon would rival an ordinary spirit medicine.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s fingers stiffened imperceptibly.

‘Using this as a side dish?’

How many people in the world would serve Blood and Flesh of a Geumdan Realm Great Demon as a casual accompaniment to drink?
Jang Hyeon Jinyin felt the gap between himself and Yeop Jang-cheong dawn on him once again.
Yet Yeop Jang-cheong had seasoned this Great Demon’s liver and meat as if it were nothing more than ordinary wild boar, presenting it as a simple drinking appetizer.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin found himself looking around the garden anew.
Odo Leaves served as tea, a Demon King raised like a dog, and flesh from a Geumdan Realm Great Demon offered as a drinking companion.
In this place, the common sense of the outer world overturned far too easily.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

Yeop Jang-cheong asked.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin snapped back to himself.

“Ah, forgive me. The aroma is quite remarkable.”

Yuk Mu-ssang, by contrast, reacted first to the fragrance tickling her nose before she could even detect the Demon Energy rising from the meat.

“You cook well too, don’t you?”
“Not particularly well—I’ve simply grown accustomed to it after preparing it for so long.”

Yeop Jang-cheong laughed.

“Go ahead and try it.”

Yuk Mu-ssang reached out without hesitation and picked up a piece of liver.
The moment she put it in her mouth and chewed a few times, her eyes widened slightly.

“Delicious—”

Before the word could finish, her face flushed crimson.

“Mmph!”

A scorching force surged up from her belly.
Her Vital Energy churned violently, and the Spiritual Power within her meridians began moving of its own accord. As heat spread to the tips of her fingers and toes, sweat beaded across her forehead in an instant.
Yuk Mu-ssang’s eyes flushed red as she drew in a sharp breath.

“Are you all right?”

Yeop Jang-cheong showed no great alarm at the sight.
Rather, as if entirely accustomed to it, he uncorked the bottle of liquor.

“The pepper here does have quite a bite to it.”

When he’d first tasted it, he’d been much the same.
These days, having eaten it often, the heat had grown milder to his palate, so today he’d simply added a little more pepper than usual.

‘So even ascetics don’t always handle spice well, it seems.’

Yeop Jang-cheong poured Health Preservation Liquor into a cup and slid it toward Yuk Mu-ssang.

“Try a sip. It should help.”

Yuk Mu-ssang lifted the cup without a chance to answer.
Gulp.
The cold liquor slid down her throat.
As the drink passed her lips, the vital energy and spiritual power that had been churning moments before seemed to settle.
But it was only temporary.
The intoxicating vapor surged into her head all at once.

“Ah…”

Yuk Mu-ssang’s eyes went blank.
She tried to set the empty cup down but collapsed face-first onto the table instead.
Thud.
Yeop Jang-cheong blinked.

“She cannot hold her liquor?”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin examined Yuk Mu-ssang’s condition and let out a soundless laugh.
A single cup of Seolyeong-yang mixed with the Blood and Flesh of Great Demon—neither was something a cultivator at the Geumdan Realm could handle lightly.
Yet this was no misfortune for her; it was a chance encounter fallen into her lap.
Yeop Jang-cheong could hardly have known the truth of the matter.

“It seems the lady truly cannot drink.”
“So it appears.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin replied, suppressing a smile.
Yeop Jang-cheong refilled two cups.
One he set before Jang Hyeon Jinyin, the other before himself.

“Then let us drink between ourselves.”
“With pleasure.”

Yeop Jang-cheong raised his cup in a light gesture of offering.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin, rather than merely clinking cups, lifted his with courtesy.
The two drained their cups nearly in unison.
Yeop Jang-cheong savored the taste.

“This is fine spirits indeed.”

Sweet and crystalline.
As it descended, a cool essence swept through him, leaving his entire body refreshed—though the intoxication itself seemed lighter than he’d expected.

‘Is this some sort of health preservation liquor?’

Compared to the green liquor he kept stored, there was almost no intoxication to feel.
He could drink an entire bottle alone and remain perfectly clear-headed.
Yeop Jang-cheong rolled the cup once between his palms. The aroma was pleasant, the taste smooth.
It felt less like spirits and more like medicinal wine meant to invigorate the body.

‘Judging from how the old man treasures it, it must be quite rare.’

Still, there was no need to compare it with other wines when standing before the one who had offered it.

“The aroma is excellent, and the aftertaste is clean.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s expression brightened slightly.
At least someone understood the taste of the wine he had treasured for nearly a thousand years. The simple fact of having someone with whom to share such precious spirits made today’s visit feel worthwhile.

“Yeop, this Seolyeong-yang is a drink whose intoxication comes late. Even I cannot drink more than three cups.”
“Three cups, you say?”

Yeop Jang-cheong gazed down at his empty cup.
He felt nothing.

‘Is that all?’

Outwardly, he made no show of his doubt.
Yeop Jang-cheong refilled Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s cup and poured more liquor into his own.
As the cups filled, he glanced once more across the table at the old man.
He’d traveled a long distance to come here.
He’d brought out rare liquor first.
It seemed odd to chalk it up to a simple visit.

“Jang Hyeon Jinyin.”
“Yes, Yeop Jang-cheong.”
“As the old saying goes, one does not climb the temple without business.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Yeop Jang-cheong smiled and set down his cup.

“You’ve come all this way deliberately today, so surely you have something to say. Don’t be shy — speak freely.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin fell silent for a moment.
Believing his true purpose had already been seen through, those words took on a different meaning for him.

‘So he knew all along.’

It seemed as though Yeop Jang-cheong could see right through to why he’d come in the first place.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin decided there was no point in concealing anything further.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll speak plainly.”
“Please do.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s gaze turned toward where the Taehyeon Jangcheong-do hung.

“I find your Taehyeon Jangcheong-do quite remarkable.”

He paused to choose his words carefully before continuing.

“If it were possible, perhaps……”

Yeop Jang-cheong’s expression brightened.

“That painting?”
“Yes.”

Yeop Jang-cheong drained the remaining liquor in his cup in one swallow.

“You have a discerning eye, Jang Hyeon Jinyin.”

That painting was among his recent works that he felt most pleased with.
Since he’d painted it after seeing Taehyeon Mountain himself and organizing his memories, the composition was stable, and he had few regrets even after setting down the brush.

“If it pleases you, take it with you.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s face went rigid.

“…I beg your pardon?”
“I’m giving it to you.”

Yeop Jang-cheong spoke as if it were nothing.

“A painting can always be painted again.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin shot to his feet.
The intoxication that had begun to cloud his mind cleared in an instant. He wondered if he’d misheard Yeop Jang-cheong’s words, and his lips parted slightly, but there was no trace of jest in the other man’s expression.
To his eyes, it was far more than a single painting.
It drew up the spiritual essence of Taehyeon Holy Ground, held countless principles within it, and above all, it was a blessing bestowed directly by the Sect Leader upon the Holy Ground itself.
Such a treasure offered without condition to him alone.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin forgot even to breathe. Until just moments before, he’d worried that merely mentioning his interest would border on rudeness.
Yet his counterpart had offered it before the request was even finished.
In that instant, all the inferences he had made before aligned like a single thread. The journey to Taehyeon Mountain itself, the spiritual essence of the Holy Ground contained within the painting, the way the other man had treated him as ignorant despite knowing his true identity.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s waist bent deeply in gratitude.

“I am profoundly grateful for your generosity, sir.”

Yeop Jang-cheong found such a reaction rather burdensome.

“There’s no need to go to such lengths.”
“On the contrary, it is truly precious to me.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin raised his head, his conviction deepening.

‘He knew my identity from the beginning. He knew why I wanted this painting.’

There was no other reason he would offer a painting imbued with Taehyeon Holy Ground’s essence so precisely to him otherwise.
To Yeop Jang-cheong, it was merely a painting handed to an old man who appreciated his work.
The thoughts of the two men still ran in entirely different directions.
For Jang Hyeon Jinyin, it was as sacred as a divine gift bestowed by the Sect Leader upon the Holy Ground. For Yeop Jang-cheong, it was simply a painting offered to a guest whose tastes aligned with his own. The same object carried vastly different weight.
Yeop Jang-cheong, unaware of any of this, refilled the Seolyeong-yang once more.

“Go on, sir.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin raised his cup.
Yeop Jang-cheong smiled.

“After this one, another follows.”

The corners of Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s mouth tightened subtly.
He had just said three cups was his limit, yet Yeop Jang-cheong showed not the slightest trace of intoxication. Jang Hyeon Jinyin suddenly found himself uncertain who ought to be concerned for whom.
But the cup was already raised.

“…Very well.”

The second cup was drained.
The cool fragrance of Seolyeong-yang spread across the table once more.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin finally emptied the third cup and set down his glass.
He did not reach out again.
Yeop Jang-cheong glanced at him sideways.
He himself had already downed eight or nine cups and remained perfectly lucid. He couldn’t tell whether Seolyeong-yang truly brought its intoxication late, or whether the old man was simply unusually sensitive to alcohol.
Still, he felt no inclination to press the matter.
Yeop Jang-cheong poured himself one more cup.
As the cool spirit slipped down his throat, he exhaled with satisfaction.

“Excellent stuff.”

Then Jang Hyeon Jinyin hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Sir.”
“Yes.”
“The Go Board I saw in the Back Garden just now.”

Yeop Jang-cheong’s eyes brightened at once.

“Do you play Go as well?”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin stiffened almost imperceptibly.

“I know only a little.”

He could hardly boast of understanding the game when he’d spent two hundred years wrestling with the Four Dragons Spitting Water alone and never solved it. And by now, he was almost certain of who he was facing.
Pretending to know too much could only make him a fool.
A smile spread across Yeop Jang-cheong’s lips.

‘How humble.’

Among those who claimed to know only a little, truly knowing that little was rare. And if an elder who had lived to such an age, there was a good chance he’d played quite a number of games simply to pass the time.
Yeop Jang-cheong drained the remaining wine in his cup at once.

“Then let’s play a game.”
“I wouldn’t dare presume before you——”
“It’s only a game. What’s there to presume about?”

Yeop Jang-cheong rose first from his seat.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin hesitated for a moment, then followed him up.
The two men settled themselves facing each other before the Go Board in the Back Garden.
Yuk Mu-ssang remained bent over the table, sleeping deeply.
Yeop Jang-cheong arranged the stones that lay upon the board.
He placed the white stones before himself and the black stones before Jang Hyeon Jinyin.

“Please make the first move.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin nodded.
He picked up a black stone and placed it in the corner.
Tap.
Yeop Jang-cheong’s eyebrow twitched, ever so slightly.
For an opening move, it was unremarkable.
He too lifted a white stone and placed it in the opposite corner.
Tap.
Another black stone was laid.
A white stone followed.
The two men’s hands exchanged moves several times.
From the very first, Jang Hyeon Jinyin had been gathering his concentration.
He already knew the board before his eyes was no ordinary object.
The ninth black stone was placed.
Tap.
That instant.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s vision inverted.
The courtyard before his eyes vanished.
Neither sky nor earth nor Yeop Jang-cheong remained visible.
The world split into two lights alone: black and white.
Black and white Qi tangled without end, forming a vast chaos. As the two forces parted, the Yin and Yang Fish that filled heaven and earth revealed themselves.
Boom——!
An indescribable oppressive force crushed Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s soul.
He could not breathe.
He could not move his body.

‘This… is a Go Problem?’

Each stone was a law unto itself.
The black and white stones pushing against each other felt like the circulation of Yin and Yang itself. The more he tried to grasp a single move, the more a vast current pressed in around him, and the harder he chased that current, the more his mind was drawn inward.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s face had gone pale.
There was no opponent to strike down, no direction to flee.
Only an incomprehensible vastness of Yin and Yang principle and crushing pressure bore down from all sides.
In the real world, beads of sweat formed thick upon his brow.
Veins bulged at his temples.
Yeop Jang-cheong was considering his next move when he realized his opponent had gone still.

“Jang Hyeon Jinyin?”

There was no response.
Yeop Jang-cheong looked up.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin sat rigid, as if caught in a nightmare.

“What’s wrong now?”

A look of bewilderment crossed Yeop Jang-cheong’s face.
It had been much the same when he played Go against Yeon Bing-sim before.
Just when he thought he’d finally found a worthy opponent, a few moves in and it happened again.

‘Playing a single game of Go shouldn’t be this difficult.’

Yeop Jang-cheong let out a soft sigh.
Then Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s body convulsed violently.

“Gasp!”

His gaze snapped back to the present.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin breathed hard for a long moment.
Simply breaking free from that oppression had left him drained, as if every muscle had come loose. One step deeper and his mind realm would have shattered, his divine soul grievously wounded.
His eyes drifted to the edge of the Go board.
Two characters were carved there.
Divine Machine.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s pupils trembled.

‘A false Divine Vessel… or perhaps a legendary Divine Vessel from the tales.’

The Yin and Yang principle alone contained within the Go board eclipsed the countless Dharma Treasures he had encountered in his lifetime.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin steadied his breathing and rose from his seat.

“Yeop, I fear my skill is insufficient to continue playing.”

Yeop Jang-cheong was disappointed but did not press him.

“That’s alright.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin hesitated a moment, then withdrew a folded sheet of paper from his sleeve.

“But there is one thing I wish to ask you.”

He unfolded the paper.
A diagram of the Four Dragons Spitting Water Go Problem was drawn upon it.

“Would you happen to know the solution to this problem?”

Yeop Jang-cheong took the paper and examined it.
His eyes swept over it several times before his brow furrowed.

“Is this one truly so difficult?”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s lips hardened.
From the Ja Cheong Holy Ground, this single Go Problem had tormented Taehyeon Holy Ground for two centuries.
Yet the expression on Yeop Jang-cheong’s face suggested it was nothing of consequence.

“The white stones show considerable variation, making it difficult for black to find purchase in this structure.”

Yeop Jang-cheong pointed to several places on the paper with his finger.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin’s eyes ignited in an instant.

“Could you… teach me the solution?”
“Of course.”

Yeop Jang-cheong set the paper beside the Go Board.
Compared to the problem he’d constructed when he competed in the national youth championship tournament, this was far simpler.

‘There don’t seem to be many go masters in this world.’

He picked up several black and white stones.

“There are roughly twelve variations.”

Jang Hyeon Jinyin immediately stepped beside him.

“Let’s begin with the first one.”

Yeop Jang-cheong placed the first stone.
Click.
Jang Hyeon Jinyin gazed down at the Go Board without drawing a single heavy breath.

—————
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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