Wei Yan-ho was extremely serious right now.
'I'm going to become a moknaei!' [TL/N: "Moknaei" means the youngest person in a group, often acting cute or playful.]
He had already heard things from Baek Mu-han, but after seeing Baek Mu-han's internal energy greedily devour the Green Forest King's internal energy just moments ago, his sense of crisis began rising endlessly.
'Calm down, you guys. Calm down...'
He desperately tried to soothe his internal energies, but whether his internal energy had inherited its master's twisted personality or not, it didn't follow Wei Yan-ho's control in the slightest.
The internal energies that had surged up through his fine meridians and major meridians began absorbing all the impurities accumulated in Wei Yan-ho's body.
Though Wei Yan-ho had returned to almost a primordial state while in the cave, having nothing but moss to chew on instead of proper cooked food, it seemed some impurities had accumulated during the brief time he'd been wandering outside.
Baek Mu-han's internal energy burned away all the impurities accumulated in Wei Yan-ho's body before extending all the way to the ends of his fine meridians.
'Ah, no.'
What would happen next was as clear as fire. Sure enough, the energies that reached the ends began devouring even Wei Yan-ho's own energies and started returning upward.
Wei Yan-ho began tensing up severely.
The mischief and leisure that usually filled him were nowhere to be found.
If the energies pushed into his Internal Core like this, it was obvious what would happen to Wei Yan-ho. All his life force would be sucked away. Even if he managed to preserve his life, he would lose all the internal cultivation he had built up until now.
'Absolutely not!'
Wei Yan-ho was a person who evaluated himself coldly. The only reason he received even basic human treatment was because his martial arts were strong. Without martial arts, Wei Yan-ho would be nothing but a universal nuisance.
Thinking he couldn't return to his old days of being mistreated even if it killed him, Wei Yan-ho began gathering energy in front of his Internal Core with the determination of burning his bridges.
'I won't let you through!'
Whether understanding Wei Yan-ho's feelings or not, the energies in his Internal Core instantly absorbed Wei Yan-ho's energies, then began charging upward at a violent speed toward his Internal Core itself.
Sweat began beading on Wei Yan-ho's forehead.
'Somehow... huh?'
Wei Yan-ho's body, which had been sitting cross-legged, began trembling. The energies that had been charging toward his Internal Core seemed to lose momentum, then instead of entering the Internal Core, began spinning around its perimeter.
'Huh?'
Wei Yan-ho tilted his head and observed those energies.
It didn't seem like they lacked the will to enter, but they couldn't get in....
'Ah!'
Only then could Wei Yan-ho understand the situation.
An Internal Core is a condensed mass of energy. Even with ordinary ability, one couldn't dare create something called an Internal Core. It could only be formed naturally after tremendous time passed, or by forcibly pushing internal energy in with tremendous ability.
In other words, for internal energy that had once escaped from there to re-enter, tremendous force would be needed....
'There's no one who could accomplish that except Master.'
It was impossible even for the internal energy itself.
Wei Yan-ho smiled with satisfaction and began gently coaxing the spinning internal energy to flow into his body. The internal energy that couldn't find anywhere to go eagerly rushed toward Wei Yan-ho's Lower Energy Center when he opened it and enticed them.
'Urgh.'
As tremendous internal energy rushed into his Lower Energy Center all at once like a flood, Wei Yan-ho grimaced in pain. Since his energy was mixed in, there wasn't severe incompatibility. Originally, the martial arts he had learned also came from Baek Mu-han, so there shouldn't be major problems, but the level of the rushing internal energy was so tremendous that regardless of compatibility, it was hard to endure.
'Krrruuung.'
But what could he do? Not blocking incoming internal cultivation and clinging to the trouser legs of departing internal cultivation—that's what a martial artist does.
Wei Yan-ho desperately began stabilizing and accumulating the internal cultivation rushing into his Lower Energy Center.
The amount of tremendous internal cultivation accumulating made it feel like internal cultivation was rising up to his throat. Come to think of it, the internal cultivation that escaped from Baek Mu-han's Internal Core alone was tremendous—and on top of that, it was mixed with all of the Green Forest King's internal cultivation. With Wei Yan-ho's internal cultivation also rushing back to his Lower Energy Center, it couldn't be easy to digest all this.
'It, it feels like it might flow back up?'
No matter how good one's digestive capacity is, if you keep shoving rice into your mouth, you'll eventually get sick.
Wei Yan-ho forcibly pushed down the internal energy that was trying to spew out.
'Can't spill a single drop.'
To become a true lazy person, you have to eat desperately when you can eat. Only then can you endure without moving until the next meal.
There's no lazy person in the world without greed.
With thorough greed, Wei Yan-ho received all the rushing internal cultivation without leaving any behind. Having barely managed to push the internal energies into his Lower Energy Center, Wei Yan-ho quietly observed his own body.
'Whoa, what is this?'
It felt like his internal energy had increased about five times, with some exaggeration.
Actually, it was true that Wei Yan-ho possessed an unreasonable level of internal energy for his age, but that was only when the modifier "for his age" was attached.
However, each of the internal energies that flowed from the Internal Core and the Green Forest King's internal energy now overwhelmed Wei Yan-ho's internal energy. Normally, it wouldn't be possible to absorb another person's internal energy so easily like this, but Baek Mu-han's internal energy was a bully in the internal energy world, so any internal cultivation had no choice but to be beaten into submission before it.
As a result, Wei Yan-ho had now absorbed all the internal energy from Baek Mu-han's Internal Core and the Green Forest King's internal energy. Thanks to this, power was overflowing from his body.
'It's good, but...'
The reason he couldn't purely rejoice was because Baek Mu-han's Internal Core firmly settled in his stomach. Even though it had released only a small portion of its original power and produced this much internal energy, he felt endlessly anxious about just how tremendous the energy would be if all the power contained within was released.
But being anxious wouldn't provide any particular solution, so Wei Yan-ho, who decided to worry about it later, opened his eyes with a flash.
"Uracha!"
Wei Yan-ho sprang up from his seat.
"Hm?"
Looking around, Wei Yan-ho tilted his head when he saw few people remaining nearby.
"Where did everyone go?"
Wei Jeong-han answered with a displeased expression.
"First... couldn't you put away that dangling hideous thing before we talk?"
"Hideous thing?"
Only then looking down, Wei Yan-ho was startled and covered his crotch with both hands.
"Where did my clothes go?"
"Something was flashing, then everything burned up completely."
"Whoa..."
Wei Yan-ho's face turned despairing.
"Then everyone saw it?"
"You were sitting cross-legged, so they probably didn't see it properly."
"This isn't something that would be hidden by that..."
"Don't shake it, you bastard! No matter how much I'm your father, I don't want to see that sight!"
"Hehe."
Wei Jeong-han sighed and held out clothes he had prepared for Wei Yan-ho. Taking the clothes and unburned accessories, Wei Yan-ho put on the clothes and stuffed the accessories including the golden sword into his sleeves.
"All done!"
When Wei Jeong-han called outside, those who had been waiting rushed in. The one who ran in at the very front was Dae Ho-gun. Dae Ho-gun stood right next to the Green Forest King, then looked at Wei Yan-ho with an anxious face and asked.
"Is, is he okay now?"
"I don't know."
"You, you don't know?"
"I did what I was told to do, but I don't know how it worked out either. I'm not a physician."
Actually, he roughly understood.
But now was the time to play innocent. If he spoke wrong now, questions would arise about why the internal energy disappeared.
"Physician! Please check!"
When Dae Ho-gun called desperately, Jin So-ah came forward.
"Huh? Why are you so pale?"
"..."
Jin So-ah, who had been looking at Wei Yan-ho with murderous eyes, let out a deep sigh.
'I'd rather die than suffer like this.'
It was fine until Wei Yan-ho, who had been emitting light, floated into the air. It wasn't bad. But the problem started from the moment the light emanating from Wei Yan-ho grew stronger and suddenly blew away all his clothes.
His sister was so shocked she buried her head in the ground, and that Mount Hua girl also screamed and shot through the ceiling.
They say men and women should not sit together after age seven, so how could he commit such a lewd act?
'I can't say anything since it wasn't intentional.'
If the blinding light hadn't been emitted, an even more embarrassing situation would have occurred, but fortunately the light half-covered his body.
Wei Yan-ho, who had been looking into Jin So-ah's eyes, slyly approached and whispered quietly.
"It wasn't intentional. Cover for me well."
"What?"
Wei Yan-ho patted Jin So-ah's shoulder as if asking for a favor.
'Huh?'
What trouble has this guy caused again?
Jin So-ah's face began to grow slightly anxious. Didn't he already have experience being dragged into incidents Wei Yan-ho caused and suffering terribly? Jin So-ah knew that even ordinary matters would start growing mercilessly once Wei Yan-ho got involved. Because of this, his anxiety was gradually amplifying.
'There's only one thing he could have caused trouble with...'
Jin So-ah's gaze toward the lying Green Forest King began trembling anxiously.
Fortunately, his complexion looked better than before, but if this person had been properly healed, Wei Yan-ho wouldn't have said such things. He must have caused tremendous trouble.
Hoping he was at least alive, Jin So-ah grabbed the Green Forest King's pulse with trembling hands.
"Huh?"
Jin So-ah tilted his head.
"Complete recovery?"
Dae Ho-gun's eyes bulged.
"Co, complete recovery?"
With a bewildered expression, Jin So-ah carefully took the Green Forest King's pulse once more, then opened his eyes wide.
"He's completely recovered!"
"Really?"
"Yes. The blocked blood vessels have been cleared very cleanly. They're as clean as a child's."
"Wa, wait a moment..."
Surprised, Dae Ho-gun grabbed the Green Forest King's wrist pulse. No matter how much of a bandit he was, he was still a person of the martial world. Unlike an illiterate like Wei Yan-ho, he could at least examine blood vessels.
"This?"
Dae Ho-gun looked at Wei Yan-ho with moved eyes.
"Su, surely you performed Marrow and Meridian Cleansing?"
"...Haha."
Wei Yan-ho laughed awkwardly.
Of course, well, that wasn't much different from Marrow and Meridian Cleansing. Marrow and Meridian Cleansing involves clearing blocked fine meridians and removing impurities. What Baek Mu-han's internal cultivation did was exactly that.
Except that it brought along some things it shouldn't have.
"Great Hero!"
Dae Ho-gun grabbed Wei Yan-ho's hands tightly with moved eyes.
"Thank you! Thank you so much."
"...You don't need to do that."
"How could I not give thanks! Just treating him would have been moving enough, but Marrow and Meridian Cleansing! If I don't know how much tremendous power it takes to clear the fine meridians, I should throw away the name Dae Ho-gun! Great Hero's grace, I will never forget."
"Haha, hahaha..."
When Wei Yan-ho laughed awkwardly, Dae Ho-gun went 'Kweuk' and bowed his head, then opened his eyes with a flash.
"This Dae Ho-gun! How can I call myself a man without repaying this grace! Please wait just a moment! I'll go plunder the neighboring mountain stronghold and bring more wealth!"
"It's, it's fine..."
"Don't worry! Great Hero! This Dae Ho-gun is not such an easy mark."
The situation was getting more and more tangled.