The Secret of the Samjae Technique:
Even after the duel was decided, Yeon Hwi-tae's daily routine remained unchanged.
He didn't know the exact date of the match, but since the Geumho Manor wasn't far from the Mount Hua Sect, he could roughly guess.
"It'll probably be about three days from now. I need to get myself into top condition by then."
Even in his past life, it had been the same. Forcing intense training right up until match day was something only third-raters did. But that didn't mean slacking off and playing around was any better.
"At times like this, it's best to maintain your usual rhythm."
Rather than trying to learn something new, it was more about reviewing and organizing what he'd already learned. So he stuck to his regular training schedule, and whenever he had free time, he practiced mental sparring.
"Since she's a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, she'll definitely be using a sword. And since it's just a friendly match and we're both young, we'll probably be using wooden swords."
From what he'd found out, his opponent was a nine-year-old girl—his same age. It was said that she wielded the Six Harmonies Sword Technique proficiently, but he wasn't particularly worried.
"She's still just a kid, after all."
Modern martial arts had many close-combat techniques. Some involved fierce infighting like boxing, while others focused on grappling, takedowns, and submissions.
What had shocked Yeon Hwi-tae the most after reincarnating and learning about martial arts in this world was that most techniques here were based on striking.
"I was speechless when I heard the reason was because grappling was considered undignified."
In his previous life, refusing to use ground techniques and insisting only on stand-up striking was the same as handicapping yourself. But here, people chose to impose that limitation on themselves. Yeon Hwi-tae couldn't understand that mindset—nor did he want to.
"Well, for me, it worked out nicely."
Even if internal energy enhanced the effectiveness of stand-up striking, Yeon Hwi-tae believed that it equally boosted the effectiveness of ground techniques. After all, internal energy enhanced strength, reaction time, agility, and stamina—benefiting both striking and grappling.
"I mean, it's not like I dislike striking. I just don't get why you'd willingly shackle yourself."
Above all, the reason he was confident he wouldn't lose lay elsewhere. A few days ago, he'd nearly fallen into qihuo (deviation) and, as a result, had gained a significant insight—more than enough to become a stepping stone toward becoming a master.
Yeon Hwi-tae suddenly circulated his internal energy. It flowed smoothly through his meridians, and before long, a faint fist aura formed around his clenched fist.
If he had been holding a sword instead of clenching his fist, it would have been sword aura.
Yes—whether it was sword aura or fist aura, the manifestation of qi into a tangible form was the definitive proof of reaching the Peak Realm. At only nine years old, Yeon Hwi-tae had already reached this realm.
If others had known, they would've been in utter shock, declaring it unprecedented in the history of the martial world.
After briefly confirming his level, Yeon Hwi-tae returned to training.
Until the duel began, his father didn't interfere at all—which, at least, was nice.
Far off in the distance, two figures could be seen walking leisurely along the road toward Geumho Manor.
Among them, a pretty young girl chattered innocently.
"Master? I see the manor!"
"Yes, that's my friend's residence. Looks like we've arrived."
The middle-aged man wearing a Mount Hua Sect uniform adorned with elegant plum blossom embroidery answered gently. The girl, clearly his disciple, sped up excitedly.
"Master! Hurry up, come on!"
"Heh, can't wait, can you?"
"Ugh, it's already been three days since we left. I just want to wash up!"
Mount Hua elder Gi Hyeok-do gave in with a chuckle and quickened his steps. His disciple grinned from ear to ear, chatting non-stop—and he understood her well.
"Even if it's a rare outing, for a child this young, walking for days must be boring…"
Even though she was young, being a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect meant physical endurance wasn't a concern. Compared to her daily training, walking like this was nothing. Still, for a child bursting with energy, walking endlessly over a long distance was undeniably tedious.
At last, the master and disciple stood before the wide gates of the grand manor. Being the largest estate in the Yunsung County of Shanxi Province, its size and splendor were awe-inspiring.
"Woooow… it's huge."
"Haha, my friend is the head of Geumho Manor—one of the ten major merchant clans in the Central Plains. He's not only talented but also generous and widely respected."
After the brief introduction, Gi Hyeok-do knocked on the gate and waited.
"Who's there?"
A servant opened the door from within, and Gi Hyeok-do replied with a composed expression.
"I am a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect. The master of this manor is an old friend of mine. He sent a letter a few days ago inviting me and my disciple. If you tell him we're here, he'll know."
"Ah, yes, we were told in advance. You must be Plum Blossom Sword Gi Hyeok-do, right? The manor lord said to treat you with the utmost respect. Please come in."
Clearly prepared, the servant guided them in without any surprise. Inside, many workers, attendants, and maids were bustling about, and Kang Yun-hwa looked around with wide-eyed curiosity.
"I'll notify the manor lord immediately. Please wait a moment."
"Understood."
While they were waiting, sipping tea prepared by a servant in the inner quarters, the lord of Geumho Manor, Yeon Chae-ho, finally entered the room.
"Hahaha! Well, if it isn't you!"
"It's been a while, my friend."
As the two men warmly reunited, Yeon Chae-ho's eyes were drawn to a very lovely little girl. From her strong bone structure and sharp eyes, he could immediately tell she was a prodigy.
"So you're Gi Hyeok-do's direct disciple?"
"Hello. My name is Kang Yun-hwa."
Her clear voice and polite greeting made a great impression on him.
He even thought to himself that he wouldn't mind making her his daughter-in-law.
'Tch. And yet, my only son is basically a little old man wrapped in a snake's skin...'
The thought of his son brought a frown to Yeon Chae-ho's face.
Sensing this, Gi Hyeok-do chuckled knowingly.
"Seems like you're thinking about your son again."
"Ugh, you're quick to catch on. He's my own kid, but really, he's just so... dull."
Yeon Chae-ho clicked his tongue bitterly and continued.
"He's not a bad kid. He doesn't cause trouble or anything, but he just doesn't act like a child."
"Well, not acting like a child isn't necessarily a flaw, is it? I've heard he's polite and never causes any problems."
On the way over, Gi Hyeok-do had already looked into the son of the friend who had invited him and his disciple. Surprisingly, the boy wasn't a troublemaker or a thoughtless brat. In fact, his reputation was quite good—people even said he had matured early despite being raised in a wealthy household.
"That's true in its own way. But he's the same age as your disciple, and yet he acts like some middle-aged man. Can you imagine how that feels?"
"You exaggerate."
"No, I'm serious. If you meet him in person, you'll honestly start wondering how many old snakes are coiled up inside that small body."
Despite the fact that he was criticizing his own child, Yeon Chae-ho's complaints only made his friend more curious.
"Then I'd like to meet this son of yours. His name was Yeon Hwi-tae, right? Where is he now?"
"Come on, what's the rush? You'll see him soon enough. For now, just relax. Dinner will be served shortly, so take it easy."
"Haha, I just hope we're not imposing."
"Imposing? Not at all. If anything, we're the ones imposing on you. Besides, your lovely disciple will be sparring with my son tomorrow—she needs some rest too."
At those words, Kang Yun-hwa leaned in and asked softly,
"How old is the boy I'll be sparring with?"
"He just turned nine this year—same age as you."
"I heard he taught himself martial arts. Is he strong?"
Her bold question made Yeon Chae-ho burst into laughter. She was already full of fighting spirit for an opponent she hadn't even met. Everything about her seemed admirable and charming.
"Yun-hwa, it's rude to ask questions like that."
"No, it's fine. These days, seeing that kid training on his own is just frustrating. Honestly, it'd be refreshing if she gave him a good thrashing."
As Gi Hyeok-do lightly scolded his disciple, Yeon Chae-ho instead encouraged her.
That comment made Gi Hyeok-do even more curious about the unusual martial arts the boy had supposedly taught himself.
"What kind of martial arts has your son been learning that's got you so riled up?"
"Don't get me started. According to the servants, it's some kind of striking art, but the forms are utterly bizarre."
"How bizarre are we talking?"
"You know I've been around the martial world enough to know a thing or two. But the way he lifts and swings his legs, the strange dance-like movements, and the way he trains by lifting and slamming down pillars—none of it exists in any known style."
"Good heavens…"
Gi Hyeok-do had expected something odd, but not to this degree.
He even began to suspect it might be some kind of evil or demonic martial art.
"Wait a minute…"
"I know what you're thinking, but I can assure you it's definitely not evil or demonic. From what I've heard, the only internal technique he's been using is the Samjae Method."
"What?"
All martial arts were built on internal energy cultivation techniques, known as mind arts (shim-gong).
And he was using nothing but the Samjae Method—a third-rate technique so common it could be bought in a marketplace?
"Is that even possible?"
"I was skeptical too, so I had Jang Myeong, who's guarding him, check his pulse. You know Jang Myeong is close to the Peak level himself, right? He said the boy's internal energy is incredibly clean and stable. That kind of balance is extremely rare."
"Hmm… then he must not have much internal energy built up."
A reasonable conclusion. The Samjae Method was famous for being safe and stable—but also notoriously inefficient, making energy accumulation very slow.
"That's what I thought too… but that's not the case."
To Gi Hyeok-do's surprise, Yeon Chae-ho gave an unexpected reply.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Well… that boy's internal energy is already at half a cauldron."
"What?!"
Gi Hyeokdo was utterly shocked. Unless it was demonic cultivation, there was no way a child not yet even ten years old could have accumulated that much internal energy. How could someone develop such internal power using only the Samjae Method? But as Yeon Chaeho continued speaking, a wave of helplessness washed over him.
"I had my doubts too, so I pressed him about it... but it seems it's all thanks to elixirs."
"Elixirs? What on earth did you feed him to produce that kind of result? Besides, the more potent the elixir, the more harmful it can be to a young child."
"Well, our family is fairly well-off, as you know. But I didn't give him anything like the Shaolin's legendary pills. Just common elixirs that any decently wealthy family might provide."
"..."
Gi Hyeokdo was speechless. When he was young, the elders of the Mount Hua Sect recognized his talent and only then did he barely get access to elixirs. That had helped him reach a high level early on. But now, his damn friend was acting like feeding a child "a few common elixirs" was no big deal—as if flaunting his wealth.
As he sat there momentarily stunned, something odd occurred to him.
"But that makes even less sense. If that were the case, then all the children from rich families would have at least half a cycle of internal energy by now!"
When Gi Hyeokdo pressed for a more detailed explanation, Yeon Chaeho let out a sigh and continued.
"Well, that brat figured out a trick to it. He found a sort of loophole in the Samjae Method."
"A loophole?!"
No matter how stable a cultivation method was, if you distorted it, that was a shortcut to energy deviation—or worse.
"Well, I wouldn't call it a loophole exactly... it was more of a ridiculous idea."
"What the hell was it? Just tell me already!"
Seeing his friend so flustered, Yeon Chaeho began to explain calmly.
"That kid said that if you master the Samjae Method perfectly, you can use its stability to accumulate internal energy more efficiently. According to him, he's mastered it to the point that it's second nature—he can use it subconsciously while breathing. So he doesn't need to sit cross-legged or meditate. He can keep running the Samjae Method while sleeping, walking, even eating. Aside from times when he's sweating heavily from intense activity, he essentially operates the method for twenty hours a day. And all that energy has been adding up. It's been four years now."
"...!"
Gi Hyeokdo stiffened, his eyes wide open.
Yeon Chaeho, unfazed, kept speaking.
"And since he's constantly running the Samjae Method, he's been steadily absorbing the remnants of the elixirs throughout his body. He's smart, but instead of using that internal power to learn other martial arts, he just keeps refining it—and it drives me crazy… Hm? What's wrong with you?"
Noticing his friend still frozen in shock, Yeon Chaeho asked.
"Phew…"
Gi Hyeokdo finally snapped out of it, exhaling deeply with an exasperated look that suggested complete and utter defeat. His reaction only made Yeon Chaeho more confused.
"Your son… your son is…"
"What about him?"
Seeing his friend's innocent, clueless face, Gi Hyeokdo felt his insides churn. To think his friend's son had stumbled upon a cultivation insight that could shake the entire martial world, and the father was just brushing it off!
"Your son might be a once-in-a-millennium genius—or the luckiest man alive."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Don't go spreading this around. What your son discovered about the Samjae Method… it could cause a huge stir in the martial world."
"...!"
Yeon Chaeho wasn't entirely clueless. If he couldn't understand after hearing this much, there was no way he would have risen to the top of the Ten Great Merchants of the Central Plains. In a whisper, he asked:
"It's really that serious?"
"...Yes. Now that I think about it, it's an incredibly innovative idea. And it makes sense. If you fully master the Samjae Method and turn it into a habit, you can operate it constantly without fear of deviation. As the saying goes, 'many grains make a mountain.' Over time, the internal energy accumulated would be massive. Add to that a steady intake of minor elixirs, and the effect would double. And since the Samjae Method is a basic foundation, it won't interfere with learning more advanced methods later—in fact, it might even enhance them."
"..."
"When you break it down, it's such a simple idea. I don't know why no one thought of it before. But your son figured it out on his own and proved it works. Do you understand the scale of what he's done?"
Gi Hyeokdo, as much as he wanted to keep this hidden and turn it into a secret technique of the Mount Hua Sect, couldn't bring himself to do it. He was, after all, a man of honor known as the Plum Blossom Knight. And so, rather than becoming shameless, he chose to share the insight with his friend.
Yet Yeon Chaeho was still silent, perhaps unable to fully grasp the immense value of what his son had discovered. Though he had one foot in the martial world, he was ultimately a merchant—not part of the great martial clans—and his understanding had limits.
Meanwhile...
"Why are my ears so itchy?"
Yeon Hwi-tae stopped his training and scratched his ear, mumbling to himself. Even after pausing his training, he was subconsciously running the Samjae Method. At this point, not using it made him feel uncomfortable.
"Now that I think about it, I really did get a lot of help from the wuxia novels I read in my previous life. The way I use the Samjae Method now—it was in one of those books, right? I think it was the one where the protagonist was the heir of the Namgung Clan? Anyway, it's been useful."
Muttering to himself, Yeon Hwi-tae resumed his training once more.