108.The amount of your inner force is small, but it is pure and untainted.
Sowoon put a piece of rice and meat into his mouth and chewed slowly.
With his cheeks puffed as he worked the food, he looked every bit the child he still was.
Watching him, Lady So-gun's gaze softened, almost maternal.
"Aunt, it's delicious. You should try some too."
"No. I already ate."
In truth, the meal had been prepared especially for him.
When he did not wake, she had reheated it, adjusted it, and set it aside again.
"Ah, I see. I missed mealtime and didn't even notice. But Aunt…"
"Yes?"
"Why did you take my pulse earlier?"
"It was because the way you practiced your sword was remarkable. I wanted to see for myself."
"See what?"
"The foundation of your martial art. The depth of your inner force."
"Oh, that? You could have just asked. It hasn't been long—three or four months at most. I trained hard, of course, but it's nothing impressive. I hardly have any internal energy to speak of."
So-gun shook her head gently.
"No. The amount of your inner force is small, but it is pure and untainted. That is why such power emerges. Young General Yu Sowoon… I am proud of you. You even defeated the barbarians."
"Thank you. When I fought them, I truly gave everything I had. Perhaps that's why my strength grew. Training helped too. But Aunt, did you also learn martial arts?"
"I did, a little. Ours is a martial household. I learned by watching from the side. I practiced some in my maiden days and forgot most of it. It has been a long time since I laid down the sword."
"I see… Even so, please teach me a little. I've trained without a master and strayed often. When others see what I do, they step back as if something feels strange. Perhaps there's something off. I cannot see myself, so I cannot tell. Just a little guidance, please."
So-gun studied him quietly.
She remembered the blade flashing beneath the moon at the winter gate.
"No, Sowoon. You are already beyond what someone can simply teach. You are crossing realms by your own strength. I do not know how you came to this, but it is so."
She recalled the feel of his pulse beneath her fingers.
It was the wrist of a child, the beat deep and calm.
The quantity of inner force was not great.
Yet it was steady, without dispersion or impurity.
"I thought you would continue your studies and sit for the higher civil examination. Your reputation was remarkable. You passed the provincial exam at a young age and are already a licentiate. Even your comrades call you Scholar Yu. I hoped you would keep studying here."
"I did. Before the barbarians trampled Yu Manor, I was preparing for the metropolitan examination. It may sound like an excuse, but I no longer prepare for it. General Lee said what he did for another reason—to persuade you. I truly have no intention of sitting for it now."
So-gun listened in silence.
"The world around me has changed too much. Had I never known, perhaps it would be different. But now that I have seen it, the dream of becoming a magistrate feels distant. I have seen too many ignoble intentions. Why should I strive to become a tool of a tyrant?"
"Yes… war does that. Your father too did not remain long in office for that reason. How alike you are."
A moment of quiet passed.
"How could one think of examinations while standing in a furnace of war? It is only natural. Still, if ever the thought returns, I prepared this small residence for you. It is secluded and quiet—good for study."
"Thank you, Aunt. But I think it will be difficult. I understand now why my father returned home. I understand why the Grand General resigned. Power thinks not of the people nor of peace, but only of itself. My father may have believed the world would improve by the time I entered service. Yet I fear it has worsened."
He continued calmly.
"In times like these, I question whether it is right to receive a stipend as an official. I no longer believe I could gather the small measures of justice allowed within that frame and call myself a worthy magistrate."
"I see. Then what do you intend to do?"
"For now, I will devote myself to training."
"And after that?"
"I cannot say with certainty. I wish to think again at the end of that path. I want to live in a world where I refine myself."
"Do you mean to turn your back on the world?"
"I do not yet know its shape. Like Boyi and Shuqi who retreated to the mountains, part of me wishes to leave this land. But there is still study unfinished."
"The martial art you displayed earlier?"
"Yes."
Sowoon closed the lid of the food box.
The soft click rang clearly in the moonlit pavilion.
The dishes had been completely emptied.
"Your grandfather worries for you as well. Starting tomorrow, greet him each morning and join us at meals."
"Yes, Aunt."