LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 107
Chapter 107: Followed for No Reason
“Young Master, how should we determine the route?”
At Hwayoung’s question, Byeok Taesan glanced at her.
She continued speaking calmly.
“I have already prepared a boat in advance. Horses and carriages are also ready, so you can choose whichever you prefer.”
Only then did Byeok Taesan stop walking and turn around.
Upon reflection, this was a serious issue.
He had not considered that they were still inexperienced.
Byeok Taesan intended to travel as quickly as possible. However, it was impossible for them to keep up with his speed.
“Young Master?”
Hwayoung looked at Byeok Taesan with a puzzled expression.
Instead of answering, Byeok Taesan swept his gaze over the people following him.
The one with the highest martial skills among them was Needle Master. Below him were Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
The rest were all around the same level, except for Heavenly Divine Healer and Cho Seoran, who stood out. Among them, Hwayoung ranked slightly higher, which was natural since she had mastered the Moon Spirit Martial Arts.
Byeok Taesan asked Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, “How proficient are you in running?”
It was a simple question, but as soon as they heard it, everyone present understood his intention.
Byeok Taesan planned to travel to Yichang by running.
“I’m neither exceptionally fast nor slow,” Cheon Kyungwan answered, causing Byeok Taesan to frown slightly.
“If you ran alone to Yichang, how long would it take?”
The distance from Wuhan to Yichang was nearly 1,000 li (approximately 400 kilometers).
Cheon Kyungwan’s thoughts became entangled in an instant.
Even if he did not rest, did not sleep, and assumed his internal energy would not deplete, he might reach there in a day at best.
But such a thing was impossible for a person.
No matter how immense someone’s internal energy was, it was not feasible to maintain the highest level of Spirit Wing Divine Art for an entire day.
Thus, he would have to adjust his pace.
Even with moderation, running without any breaks was unthinkable.
The complexity of the problem overwhelmed him.
“You’re the same as ever. You overthink everything,” Byeok Taesan remarked, snapping Cheon Kyungwan out of his thoughts.
“I just…” Cheon Kyungwan began, but Byeok Taesan had already turned his head to Yoo Seoyeon, clearly uninterested in his response.
“What about you?”
“If my internal energy were infinite, a day would be enough,” Yoo Seoyeon replied.
“Could you endure it?”
Yoo Seoyeon answered with determination in her eyes.
“I could endure it.”
Running without rest for an entire day, regardless of how abundant one’s internal energy might be, was no trivial task.
Yet she had declared she could manage it.
In truth, Yoo Seoyeon’s statement was meaningless. The assumption of infinite internal energy was absurd to begin with.
Everyone exchanged confused glances, unsure what to make of the pointless exchange.
Byeok Taesan, having concluded the conversation with Yoo Seoyeon, glanced over the group again before speaking slowly.
“From now on, I’ll teach you a very simple internal energy technique. It’s not the most efficient, but it offers decent speed and stability.”
With that, Byeok Taesan recited a formula for internal energy.
The group, being adept in martial arts and quick learners, memorized the formula after he recited it twice.
Of course, memorizing a formula alone would not make internal energy usable. Byeok Taesan broke the formula down further, demonstrating the technique and guiding each individual through practice.
Because the internal energy technique was simple, everyone learned it quickly.
However, they tilted their heads in doubt.
As Byeok Taesan had mentioned, the technique didn’t seem particularly efficient or stable.
After completing the instruction, Byeok Taesan addressed the group again.
“From now on, we’ll run to Yichang without stopping. Use your maximum speed, and don’t hold back on your internal energy. Make sure to use the internal energy technique I just taught you.”
Their faces showed clear signs of alarm. How could they possibly run to Yichang without resting, even at full speed?
Though his words seemed contradictory, no one dared to protest.
Byeok Taesan continued speaking.
“I trust that you’ll all manage. I’ll walk, so it won’t be too difficult.”
With that, Byeok Taesan turned and began walking.
The group hurriedly followed behind him.
But Byeok Taesan’s walking speed was astonishing. Though he was walking, it didn’t look like walking at all.
With each light step forward, he covered a vast distance, making it impossible to keep up at a normal walking pace.
From the start, everyone had to utilize internal energy.
And from that moment on, they had to run with all their might.
There was no other option. If they didn’t, they would lose sight of Byeok Taesan.
“If walking is like that, what’s it like when he runs?” Needle Master muttered in disbelief.
Fifteen minutes have passed since they started running.
The group members varied in martial prowess and the amount of internal energy they possessed. Naturally, the point at which their internal energy would deplete differed from person to person.
The first to run out of inner energy was Soso.
Soso wiped the sweat beading on her forehead with a quick motion, then looked at Byeok Taesan with a regretful expression.
She thought that, with her inner energy depleted, she would no longer be able to keep up.
But at that moment, something astonishing happened.
“Huh?”
The inner energy she thought was exhausted rippled faintly within her dantian.
Although her dantian wasn’t completely full, it held enough energy for her to use light-foot techniques.
Soso gathered her strength and once again performed her internal energy technique. Somehow, she felt faster and more stable than before.
One by one, the attendants began to run out of inner energy.
Yet they, too, experienced the same phenomenon as Soso.
All of them looked at Byeok Taesan’s back with eyes filled with amazement.
The next to exhaust their inner energy was Cho Seoran.
Unlike the attendants, her reaction was different.
She was shocked and stared at Byeok Taesan with an utterly baffled expression.
How could this be possible?
She guessed it had something to do with the internal energy technique Byeok Taesan had taught them earlier.
But understanding how it worked was completely beyond her.
It was natural for someone like her, who had diligently trained in martial arts for years and accumulated extensive knowledge, to react differently from the attendants, who had barely encountered martial arts for even a year.
One by one, more people began to share in the astonishment.
As everyone experienced this incredible miracle, their pace quickened.
Byeok Taesan, as if fully aware of the situation, slightly increased his speed at precisely the right moment.
Thus, the real ordeal began.
“Damn it… He’s really not letting up.”
Needle Master felt as though he was about to collapse. Not literally, but that’s how it felt.
It was unbearably exhausting. He had long since surpassed his limits, and the venomous energy that had barely kept him going had now completely drained.
What kept Needle Master moving now was sheer pride.
“There’s no way I’ll collapse before that guy.”
He glanced to the side.
Heavenly Divine Healer was running alongside him, his expression clearly mirroring Needle Master’s own.
Needle Master refocused on his internal energy technique. This was no time to be distracted.
His gaze fixed on Byeok Taesan’s back.
The distance between them was a mere ten steps.
Yet no matter how hard he ran, those ten steps refused to close.
The truly baffling part was that the rest of the group following Byeok Taesan also maintained an even pace.
Despite the varying skill levels and stamina among them, their speeds should have differed, naturally stretching the group out into a long line.
Instead, they ran as if packed tightly together.
No one could calculate how long they had been running. They knew for sure it had been over an hour, but beyond that, time was a blur.
All they knew was that they had started early in the morning, and now the sun had risen high into the sky.
“Damn it, I shouldn’t have come. I should’ve just stayed back and made medicine.”
Needle Master regretted his decision the entire time he was running. But regret always comes too late.
And yet, he thought, perhaps they really could reach Yichang within a single day.
This was not just Needle Master’s thought but a notion shared by everyone running with him.
They continued for what felt like an eternity.
One by one, the group began to feel their limits again.
This time, they all knew for certain—they couldn’t push past this limit.
If they did, they would surely die.
Needle Master and Heavenly Divine Healer felt this most acutely.
Both were older than the others and naturally lacked the stamina and strength of their younger companions.
“Brother, I think I’m going to collapse.”
“Don’t talk. So am I.”
“If I collapse, carry me on your back.”
“I’ll collapse first, so you carry me.”
“I’ll go first.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Ah, damn it.”
“Did you just say ‘damn it’?”
“It’s just an exclamation, brother.”
“Damn it.”
The two exchanged words aimlessly, a last desperate attempt to hold on.
After a few more exchanges, they fell silent, as if by mutual agreement.
Slowly, their gazes began to drift upward.
Their vision blurred, the world around them wobbling like a mirage.
Just as they were about to collapse, Byeok Taesan’s voice rang out like a miracle.
“We’ll stop here. Take a short break.”
At his words, everyone collapsed to the ground. And in an instant, they lost consciousness.
Cho Seoran blinked slowly.
With every blink, the surroundings became clearer.
The area was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. It seemed to be nighttime.
As her vision cleared, the night sky came into view, adorned with twinkling stars scattered like jewels.
“Ah… I must have fainted.”
Only then did the memory of losing consciousness resurface, sending a shiver through her body.
Earlier, it had felt as though she had stepped one foot into hell.
It was the first time she realized that someone could push themselves this hard.
Even though Cho Seoran had been training in both medicine and martial arts, demanding more effort than most warriors or physicians, this experience had been far beyond anything she had endured.
Achieving just one discipline was difficult enough, and mastering both simultaneously was an extraordinary challenge.
Yet today’s ordeal made all her past efforts feel like a child’s play.
Honestly, she hadn’t thought it would be possible.
‘But where have we gotten to now?’
Cho Seoran rose while pondering that question. It seemed she was the first among the group to regain her senses.
Looking around, she saw others lying nearby. They were all companions who had been traveling with her from Wuhan.
Near her were Byeok Taesan’s attendants, and a bit further away were Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
Farther still, Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master lay sprawled.
Everyone appeared to be dead asleep.
‘Where is Young Master Byeok?’
Cho Seoran scanned the area for Byeok Taesan. Since everyone had collapsed the moment he told them to rest, it was likely he had laid them down like this.
There was a high chance Byeok Taesan had been guarding them until now.
But no matter where she looked, she couldn’t see him.
Anxiety began creeping in. Cho Seoran shook her head to dispel the unsettling thoughts.
‘First, I need to assess my condition…’
After such a grueling march, her body couldn’t possibly be fine. It was necessary to evaluate how much of a hindrance her condition would be for the tasks ahead.
Closing her eyes, Cho Seoran focused inwardly to examine her body.
Her eyes flew open in shock.
“What… What is this? How is this even possible?”
Her common sense had already been shattered during the run, and now it was breaking apart once more.
Her body felt as if it had been fully restored after days of intense recovery following rigorous training.
No, “perfect” wasn’t enough to describe it.
She had grown stronger.
Cho Seoran was bewildered.
‘Could it be that the torturous run served as training? But we didn’t even run for a full day… How is this possible? It makes no sense!’
Her dantian had expanded, her internal energy had increased, and her bones and muscles were sturdier and more flexible than before.
Her thoughts gradually centered on the internal energy technique Byeok Taesan had taught them during the run.
There had to be some secret hidden in that technique.
She recalled the internal energy formula and Byeok Taesan’s explanations, carefully analyzing them step by step.
Of course, no tangible results came of her efforts.
Meanwhile, the others began waking up one by one.
Watching them, Cho Seoran let out a faint chuckle.
Their reactions were completely different from hers.
It was as if they accepted everything as a matter of course.
Needle Master approached her.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m so fine that it’s almost a problem.”
Needle Master smirked, understanding exactly what she meant.
“Just accept it. It’s easier that way.”
“But…”
“Nothing was lost, and you’ve only gained. What’s the problem?”
Cho Seoran closed her mouth. Needle Master’s words were right.
“By the way… where has our Young Master gone this time?”
Muttering that, Needle Master scanned the area.
They were at the base of a small mountain, not far from the main road.
There were no visible villages or houses nearby, nor were there any signs of wild animals.
It wasn’t a dangerous location.
Still, Byeok Taesan wouldn’t have abandoned them and wandered off too far.
Sure enough, he emerged from the forest.
With a flick of his hand, an enormous wild boar soared through the air and landed amidst the group.
Boom!
The impact was so intense that the ground shook.
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
The group stared blankly at the scene before them. Then, spurred into action by Byeok Taesan’s words, they scrambled to move quickly.
“If you’d rather not, we can leave right now.”
Watching his companions spring into action faster than they had while running, Byeok Taesan allowed a faint smile to grace his lips.