The Mending Studio - Chapter 23

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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 23
Yeon Yangnian wanted to set his mind at ease only after he had confirmed this himself.
Yeon Bingsim’s eyes widened.

“The Elder?”

Yeon Bingsim stared at her father in shock. It was a decision far beyond what she had anticipated.
The air inside the hall grew heavy once more.

“But the Elder is in closed cultivation. He himself commanded that no one disturb him without good reason.”
“I know.”

Yeon Yangnian let out a sigh.
Under ordinary circumstances, he would never have considered seeking the Elder out.
But this matter was different.

“Yeop Jangcheong of the Soji Realm is someone whose Unique Skill even defies measurement of his Cultivation Realm.”

Yeon Yangnian’s expression darkened.

“I want to confirm whether he has intentions to use you.”

Yeon Bingsim’s face went rigid at once.

“That cannot be.”

Her reply came almost too swiftly. Yeon Yangnian narrowed his eyes at her reaction, observing her carefully.
It was rare to see his daughter defend anyone so fiercely.

“Bingsim.”
“Yeop is not that kind of person.”

Yeon Bingsim refused to yield an inch.
The time they had spent together in the Soji Realm was not long.
She knew well that she was the youngest princess of Daeyeon and that her talents were respectable; yet she had never once imagined herself standing on equal ground with someone like Yeop Jangcheong. She harbored no such ambitions either. Instead, her heart had already come to regard him as a teacher, a mentor worthy of reverence.
When she recalled the way Yeop had treated her all this time, it was difficult to accept her father’s suspicions.
He had welcomed her without doubt, a stranger he was meeting for the first time.
He had given her food and shelter, had never grown weary of answering her questions about the teachings, and when she left, he had written calligraphy for her and recited a poem urging her to remember her parents.
Above all, he had never once demanded anything in return for any of it.
When she had said it was time for her to return, he had not tried to keep her, only cautioned her not to leave her parents worried for too long. To hear such a person accused of trying to use her—it wounded her heart.

“If Father believes Yeop is that sort of person, then I will not go.”

Yeon Yangnian regarded his daughter with an air of helplessness.

“I am not trying to disparage him.”
“But you just said—”
“I only wish to confirm the matter.”

Yeon Yangnian lowered his voice.

“You are not ignorant of the depths of Unique Skill. Yet I am told his Cultivation Realm is beyond all reckoning. Even by the calligraphy you brought back alone, I must concede that he is no ordinary man.”

Yeon Bingsim fell silent.

“That is precisely why I must be cautious.”

Yeon Yangnian continued.

“Let’s just confirm whether there are any marks or signs on your body that we’re unaware of.”

Yeon Bingsim’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Is that truly all?”
“Yes.”

Yeon Yangnian nodded solemnly.

“I have no intention of insulting him, nor of making him an enemy. I lack the power to do either.”

A note of bitterness colored his final words.
If Yu Jangha’s judgment was sound, the very notion of the Daeyeon Imperial Family turning such a figure into an adversary was absurd.
Yeon Bingsim considered for a moment.
At last, she nodded.

“Then I shall go.”
“Good.”

Not long after, the two made their way deep into the Imperial Palace.
Twenty members of the Geumohwe escorted them front and rear, and Yeon Yangnian and Yeon Bingsim ascended a magnificent Bolyeon.
Daeyeon was one of the great vassal states.
The Imperial Palace itself was as vast and majestic as its name warranted.
The Bolyeon carrying the two proceeded through the deep palace grounds under the escort of the Geumohwe.
After nearly an hour had passed, the procession halted.
Before them lay a sprawling courtyard and ancient halls, while hundreds of cavalry clad in black armor stood guard on all sides.
Beyond them stood rows of ancient buildings that seemed to hold the weight of centuries.
Yeon Yangnian and Yeon Bingsim descended from the Bolyeon.
The two climbed hundreds of stone steps slowly upward.
At the highest point stood a single ancient hall, set apart from all the others.
As they reached the door, Yeon Yangnian first straightened his garments.
Yeon Bingsim, her expression serious, adjusted her posture as well.
Then an aged voice drifted from within.

“Enter.”

Creak.
The tightly sealed door swung open of its own accord.
Father and daughter exchanged a single glance before stepping inside.
The interior of the hall was dim.
Hundreds of candles burned along both walls, but their light fell short of illuminating the entire vast space.
At the far end.
An elderly man of slight frame sat with his back turned.
He did not move at all.
From a distance, he resembled less a person than a stone statue that had stood in that spot for countless years.
Yeon Yangnian and Yeon Bingsim knelt simultaneously.

“Your descendant Yeon Yangnian pays respects to the Patriarch.”
“Yeon Bingsim pays respects to the Patriarch.”

After a moment of silence, the aged voice spoke again.

“It seems young Bingsim has obtained a considerable fortuitous opportunity while abroad.”

Both raised their heads.
The old man had already vanished from where he sat.
The next instant.
An elderly man in a gray long robe stood directly before them.
The Patriarch of the Daeyeon Imperial Family.
Yeon Cheonsan.
Deep wrinkles lined his face, and a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

“Both of you, rise.”

Yeon Yangnian was the first to get to his feet.
Yeon Bingsim followed, and her expression softened almost at once.

“Grandfather.”
“What is it?”
“While I was away—did you think of me at all?”

Yeon Cheonsan let out a quiet laugh.
The solemn atmosphere that had filled the hall gave way a little at Yeon Bingsim’s words.
Yeon Yangnian watched the exchange and swallowed his envy in silence.
Among the countless princes and grandsons of the Imperial Family, there were precious few with whom Yeon Cheonsan was this at ease.
It had been the same when Yeon Bingsim was born.
The moment her Extreme Ice Affinity Spiritual Root was confirmed, Yeon Cheonsan—who had hidden himself away for ages—emerged in person and even bestowed a name upon her.
From that day forward, Yeon Bingsim became someone extraordinary within the Imperial Palace.
Among all the princes and grandsons, it was unmistakable: Yeon Cheonsan cherished Yeon Bingsim in a way he cherished no other.
Yeon Cheonsan left the hall with Yeon Bingsim.
Below the high stone steps, the roofs of the Imperial Palace sprawled out in the distance.

“So then.”

He gazed upon his young descendant.

“What fortuitous opportunity did you find this time, out in the world?”

Yeon Bingsim’s eyes met his grandfather’s for a moment.

“Within the Taehyeon Holy Land, I met someone.”
“Someone?”
“Yes. The rise in my cultivation rank, and most of the insights I gained in other matters—I owe them all to that person.”

Interest flickered in Yeon Cheonsan’s eyes.

“Then this person must be quite remarkable.”

Yeon Cheonsan had already discerned the faint traces of qi lingering on Yeon Bingsim’s body and the subtle signs of disrupted cultivation practice.
From that alone, he could infer that the person she had met was no ordinary individual.
Yeon Cheonsan asked:

“Tell me—what manner of person are they?”

Yeon Bingsim fell silent for a moment.
When it came time to explain, she found herself at a loss.
Yeop Jangcheong had never told her his cultivation realm.
He had never disclosed which sect he came from, or what path he walked. All she knew was his name and the fact that he ran a sundries shop in the Soji Realm.

“Is it difficult to speak of him?”

Yeon Cheonsan smiled.

“Or did he ask you not to reveal anything about himself?”
“No, that’s not it.”

Yeon Bingsim shook her head.

“It’s only that…… there is much I simply do not know about him.”
“His name?”
“Yeop Jangcheong.”
“Yeop Jangcheong…….”

Yeon Cheonsan repeated the name slowly to himself.
It was unfamiliar to him. No face came to mind, no memory stirred.
Yet he could not dismiss what Yeon Bingsim had said.
The faint aura that clung to her and the slightly disheveled state of her cultivation spoke plainly: this man was no ordinary figure.

“Father thought that if you saw the work directly, you might recognize what manner of person Yeop Jangcheong is.”

Yeon Bingsim spoke.
At that moment, Yeon Yangnian stepped forward.

“Grandfather.”
“Speak.”
“Bingsim received a piece of calligraphy from him.”

Yeon Cheonsan showed no particular reaction.

“Calligraphy?”
“Yes. It would be more accurate for you to see it directly, Grandfather.”

Yeon Bingsim opened the Storage Vessel.
A carefully preserved scroll emerged into her palm.
At first, even Yeon Cheonsan regarded it lightly.
What could one truly discern from a single piece of calligraphy?
But the moment the scroll appeared in her hands—
Yeon Cheonsan’s eyes changed.

“Wait.”

He turned his body.
The ease that had marked his face moments before vanished.

“Unfold it.”

Yeon Bingsim carefully untied the cord.
The scroll opened slowly.
Black characters emerged.
Yeon Cheonsan’s pupils constricted sharply.

“The Sword Path Profound Meaning……?”

He stepped closer without thinking.
Stroke upon stroke.
And another.
Within the characters lay sword intent so layered and profound it was nearly beyond measure.
The depth of the Sword Path Profound Meaning contained in this single scroll far exceeded Yeon Cheonsan’s imagination. It was incomparable to any calligraphy he had ever seen.

“This cannot be……”

His voice trembled—for the first time, his composure cracked.

“How could a single scroll of calligraphy contain such profound meaning……?”

Yeon Yangnian watched in silence, his lips pressed together, observing his grandfather’s reaction.
The sheer surprise Yeon Cheonsan displayed at the sight of this calligraphy was itself enough to understand the magnitude of what it contained.
It surpassed even the shock he had felt.
In that alone, the weight of Yeop Jangcheong shifted. Now he understood why Yu Jangha had said his cultivation realm could not be measured.
Yeon Cheonsan’s gaze remained fixed on the scroll for a long time.
Then he turned his gaze slowly toward Yeon Bingsim.

“Bingsim.”

Yeon Cheonsan called to his granddaughter without lifting his eyes from the calligraphy. His voice carried a tension that hadn’t been there moments before.

“Yes, Grandfather.”

Yeon Cheonsan’s expression grew grave.

“Is this calligraphy truly from the hand of Yeop Jangcheong, as you said?”
“Grandfather, is something wrong with it?”

Yeon Yangnian’s brow tightened as he saw the weight settle into Yeon Cheonsan’s face.

“Grandfather, this calligraphy is undoubtedly written by Yeop Jangcheong himself.”

Yeon Bingsim glanced at her grandfather once more, then added firmly.
Yeon Cheonsan did not answer.
His gaze remained fixed on the unrolled scroll before him.
After a moment, a low exclamation escaped him.

“The brushwork alone is extraordinary.”

His fingertip traced slowly across the characters.

“Like water flowing and clouds drifting—without obstacle, yet each stroke sits in perfect balance with no space wasted. This alone is calligraphy that could overturn the entire literary world.”

Yeon Yangnian’s eyes grew heavy.
Yeon Cheonsan shook his head.

“But the true treasure is not the brushwork.”

His gaze fixed on a single stroke.

“It is the Sword Path Profound Meaning.”

The air in the chamber fell silent.
Yeon Cheonsan had spent thousands upon thousands of years wielding the blade.
Yet even he fell silent for a long moment before this single scroll.

“Grandfather also…….”

Yeon Yangnian ventured to speak, his tone cautious.
Yeon Cheonsan exhaled shortly.

“I have cultivated the sword path for thousands of years.”

His tone was calm, but his eyes were anything but.

“And yet, compared to the Sword Path Profound Meaning contained in these characters, I have still come so far short.”

Yeon Bingsim’s eyes widened.
Yeon Yangnian fell silent as well.
Yeon Cheonsan lifted his gaze to the distant ceiling.

“I did not know there was anyone in this world who had grasped the sword path to such a degree.”

He laughed, as if dispirited.

“Today you’re finally seeing clearly.”

Yeon Yangnian’s chest grew heavy at those words.
There had been two reasons for coming all this way.
One was to examine Yeon Bingsim’s body through secret techniques, to check whether any marks or traces he and the others didn’t know about had been left behind.
With a daughter still young and not yet at a high cultivation rank, he couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility that she’d fallen under someone’s influence without his knowledge.
The other reason was the calligraphy before his eyes.
Yeon Cheonsan was among the strongest in the Daeyeon Imperial Family, and he’d spent particularly deep years mastering the sword path.
So Yeon Yangnian had thought that by observing the Sword Path Profound Meaning embedded in this calligraphy, he might glean something of its creator’s cultivation realm.
But instead of gauging the realm, Yeon Cheonsan had admitted the gap between himself and the author.
And he was a man who’d cultivated the sword path for thousands of years.

‘Just how far does this go?’

Yeon Yangnian’s expression hardened.
Yu Jangha’s words came back to him—that he couldn’t sense Yeop Jangcheong’s cultivation realm at all.
At the time, he’d thought of it only vaguely as high.
But now, that very vagueness frightened him.
Just then, Yeon Cheonsan turned his gaze to Yeon Bingsim.
Unlike the surprise from moments before, his eyes now gleamed with unmistakable anticipation.

“Bingsim.”
“Yes, grandfather.”
“You said that person is within the Taehyeon Holy Land?”

Yeon Bingsim nodded.

“Yes. He resides in a realm called the Soji Realm.”
“Is he still there now?”
“Yes.”

Yeon Bingsim answered without hesitation, drawing on no effort of memory.

“When I asked, he said he had no intention of leaving the Soji Realm for the time being.”

Yeon Cheonsan’s eyes grew even brighter.
Yeon Bingsim continued.

“And before I left, he gave me permission to visit again if I wished.”
“Is that truly so?”

Excitement appeared on Yeon Cheonsan’s face—something rarely seen.
Yeon Bingsim, watching him, quickly grasped his intention.

“You wish to meet him as well, grandfather?”

Yeon Cheonsan offered a bitter smile.

“You ask what is obvious.”

He gazed down at the calligraphy again.

“That person’s mastery of the sword path has likely reached the true zenith. If fortune were kind enough to let me meet him even once and hear fragments of his teaching, it might be worth more to me than a thousand years of ascetic training.”

His voice grew quieter.

“If I could only see him…….”

Yeon Cheonsan fell silent for a moment, then his expression grew calm.

“Even if I never take another step forward from this Cultivation Realm, I would have no regrets.”

Yeon Bingsim stared at the old master in silence for a moment.
The Yeon Cheonsan she knew was not one to elevate someone easily.
Yet here he was, speaking this way of Yeop Jangcheong, whom he had never even met.
Yeon Yangnian’s expression darkened further.
There was still something he needed to confirm.

“Master.”
“What is it?”
“Several days ago, Bingsim and I were resting in Cheonghaseong.”

Yeon Cheonsan’s gaze turned toward Yeon Yangnian.
Yeon Yangnian chose his words carefully before continuing.

“But when Bingsim woke from sleep, she was in the Soji Realm—inside the very house where Master Yeop stays.”

Yeon Cheonsan’s eyebrows shifted.

“Bingsim, is this true?”
“Yes.”

Yeon Bingsim nodded without hesitation.

“I myself do not know how I was moved there.”

Yeon Yangnian watched the old master’s face carefully.

“Which is why I ask, Master.”

He paused for a moment.

“Is it possible that he has some desire regarding Bingsim, or harbors some other intention?”

—————
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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