episode_0140

[Episode 140: The Master of Jiil]

“But, Master, wasn’t Heesun just here to watch? Why…?”

In a serene room that seemed to be for receiving training on the level of Jiil (地一), Heesun followed the master to receive guidance.

Sitting across from each other with a large desk in between, the person I was facing was not the master but Heesun.

“Wow… If I could just admire that face all day during training…”

Although it was a familiar face, it was a beauty that never failed to excite me every time I saw it.

It’s nice, but wouldn’t admiring such a captivating beauty be distracting during training?

How can one concentrate on the master’s words with such an elegant beauty in front of them?

“Haha… There is a specialist in this field; does this old master really need to struggle? This time, your inner self might be more helpful than me.”

“…Heesun?”

Tap.

With a perplexing remark, the master placed a pile of cloth on the desk and sat to our left.

Upon touching them, they were all ordinary fabrics.

“What are these for?”

“Haha…”

“Hehe…”

Why are they laughing like that without explaining anything to me!

It seems like they know what they’re doing, but what exactly are they planning to do…

As I pondered alone, the master smiled gently, trying to reassure me.

“Don’t get too frustrated; you’ll understand soon enough. Do you remember what the level of Jiil was about?”

“Um… projecting energy externally rather than using your physical body…”

“Yes, projecting energy externally. That’s the key. Can you extend your index finger and send out energy to make it solid?”

“Oh, yes..!”

Following the master’s instructions, I sent some energy to my index finger, intending to make it firm.

As the energy enveloped my finger, it faintly glowed white.

“Oh! You’re getting the hang of it quickly. You’ve truly reached the level of Cheonil! Haha! You can release the energy now; would you like to try the same on the cloth in front of you?”

“Yes… I’m not sure if I can do it, but I’ll give it a try?”

Though unsure of myself, I didn’t want to be someone who gives up without trying.

Encouraged by Heesun’s supportive gaze, I picked up one of the cloths spread on the desk and attempted to project energy onto it.

*Ting…*

Sparkle..!

Huh..?

Sparkle! Sparkle…!

It’s working..! The energy is being projected..!

Initially unresponsive, as I increased the amount of energy, the cloth began to sparkle little by little..!

Seeing signs of success, I eagerly sent more determination, hoping the cloth would become solid.

*Tock..! Tock..!*

Before I knew it, the limp fabric stood upright, stiff and shining where my finger lightly bounced off it!

“M-Master..! Look at this! I think I did it successfully, right? Like this… huh? Oh no…!”

Oops….

Did I drink cold soup or something?

Just as I tried to show off the glowing cloth to the master, the energy suddenly cut off, causing my hand to awkwardly retract as the cloth slumped back down.

“Hahaha..!”

“Hohoho..!”

Was it that comical?

Blushing and lowering my head deeply at the sight of the two bursting into laughter, I felt embarrassed.

“Haha, sorry for laughing… But don’t be too embarrassed. You did quite well for a first attempt.”

“That’s right. Sir! Honestly, we thought neither of us nor you could project energy at all…”

Hmph, they laugh so much and now they’re trying to comfort me, but it doesn’t help at all!

But it’s definitely different when I use energy on my body compared to this..?

It feels like… a clogged drainpipe? The energy keeps getting stuck somewhere, like…

“Ugh… Our little husband is being playful again? Hehe.. But you really did well! It was just too cute how my husband was enjoying himself like a child and then suddenly looked sulky.. hehe…”

“… Stop teasing me. By the way, Heesun, why do you seem so frustrated? I did send the offering for a moment, but it feels forced, doesn’t it?”

“Hehe.. I think it would be better if sir explained that..!”

“Yes, rather than the wife, it’s better for the teacher to explain. It might be a hassle, but try gathering the offering on your finger again.”

“Okay….”

Twinkle twinkle..!

“How does it feel different sending the offering to the cotton cloth before and now?”

“Oh.. Is it because it’s my own body? It feels more natural, and even though I used less offering than on the cotton cloth, it feels firmer?”

“Haha.. Yes, I hoped you would feel that difference directly in your body. As I mentioned before, offering is a blessing to receive and give. And that blessing only has meaning when you use it. But what did you do? Did you think of dividing the blessing you receive onto the cotton cloth?”

“……”

Hmm… Rather than thinking of dividing the blessing… Still, I seemed to understand what the teacher was pointing out.

In fact, when I said ‘offering,’ I intended to pour the offering onto the cotton cloth as if infusing inner strength into a sword in a martial arts novel to create a blade of offering? Something like that.

It seems I still don’t quite grasp the essence of the power of offering.

“Now.. This teacher must have shown you a ring before. It has been quite a long time since you performed the offering, so now you can use it effortlessly, but if we were to break down each action for you, it would look like this.”

“……”

“I wanted to be a good teacher to you. That’s why I hoped you would find interest in the actions I showed you. And to achieve that, I chose the ring. That’s why I wished for the land beyond a hundred steps to fold and reveal my path in the next step. Later, I sent the offering to the land, and the offering responded to my wish.”

“……”

“Do you understand the difference between you and me?”

“Changing the external world, but realizing it’s for oneself?”

Thud!

“Haha! Exactly that!”

The teacher seemed very pleased with my answer, clapping his hands all the way to his knees in delight.

“To add a bit more, understanding alone is not enough. You must truly believe that it is for yourself. Offerings or requests, they all depend on your emotions. No matter how much you intellectually acknowledge that it’s for yourself, if you don’t deeply believe it, the offering will never respond. Just like last time when you kept picking up and dropping the stone, and the offering didn’t even flicker.”

“……”

Yes… It seems true emotions are important….

Indeed.. Even thinking back on the instances where I awakened, I was incredibly earnest at the time…

Ugh..! Let’s not dwell on that….

“Phew.. I somewhat understand now. But teacher? I’ve been curious since earlier. So why does Heesun help with this training…?”

“Haha, it’s simple. Heesun has mastered the first stage, so there is no match for her in the heavenly realm.”

“What..? Heesun?”

Uh… Well… Of course, I knew that our Heesun was exceptional in terms of status, beauty, and skill in making clothes…

But to say that Heesun has no match in using offerings was quite surprising.

Moreover, even in a world where the esteemed teacher possesses mystical powers, he is treated as the youngest…

I look at Heesun with astonishment.

“Cough..!”

[Heesun, with her chest puffed out and a proud expression on her face…]

In my opinion, she seemed to be trying to show off in some way… but to me, she just looked cute.

But that cute girl being considered the best, surpassing all those divine beings in heaven, is somewhat hard to believe.

“Oh… was our Heesun really such an amazing person?”

“Of course, sir! While her general abilities may fall short compared to other divine beings.”

“In what way?”

“Hehe, how should I put it… Divine beings must learn various abilities to govern the world. Skills like geomancy, manipulating the five elements, shapeshifting, and so on. But I feel like my abilities are more focused on clothing-related skills.”

“So, she’s recognized as the best with just one ability related to clothing?”

I still didn’t quite understand.

But wouldn’t the ability to dazzle with flashy techniques be more impressive?

Ah! Not that I’m belittling Heesun’s abilities.

The skill of weaving fabric and crafting clothes alone is enough for me to confidently say that Heesun is the best in this world and even in my hometown.

All the clothes I’m wearing right now, weren’t they all made by Heesun?

From the shine, beauty, to the soft and cozy feeling when worn.

It’s almost unbelievable that these were made solely by human hands.

And aren’t Heesun’s clothes incredibly sturdy, standing up even against a tiger’s attack?

To think that this thin piece of cloth could withstand a tiger’s claws? And not just any tiger, but a top-tier monster-level tiger!

Hmm… But wouldn’t you want armor-like clothes for defense? Or would you choose the ability to shoot gusts of wind from your hands and teleport? In that case… wouldn’t everyone choose the latter?

“Haha… seems quite perplexed, don’t you? No need to overthink it. Heesun’s greatness lies in the durability of her abilities.”

“Durability?”

“That’s right. The clothes you’re wearing, it goes without saying that Heesun made them, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well then. Have you ever seen those clothes fade or lose their luster?”

“Yes. Once when I was doing laundry, I accidentally scrubbed too hard and it faded.”

“I see, you haven’t… huh? It faded? Really? Unfading fabric?”

“…Yes.”

Did I make a mistake somehow? I just stated it as it was…

The master seemed slightly surprised by my answer, his mouth slightly agape, while Heesun, looking a bit flustered, touched her forehead as if confused, nodding slightly…

Um… why is everyone reacting like this?