Try Living Well Without Me

“Master, you’ve worked hard again today.”

“Phew… Supervisor, you’ve worked hard as well.”

“Well then, I shall see you tomorrow morning.”

“…”

“You must get used to this. You are the undisputed head of the family now, after all.”

“I’ve started to think the reason Father fell ill might have been overwork.”

“Haha, well, that’s quite an obvious thing to say.”

“Yes…?”

“It’s nothing. Well then, I shall take my leave.”

“Yes… Stay strong, all of us.”

After dismissing the supervisor, Gayoung Jin slumped into her chair as if collapsing.

After the head of the family passed away, with the troubles involving the elder council’s purge, eliminating informal power brokers, and more, the affairs of the Taewon Jin clan were more than plenty.

So much so that they kept her occupied the entire day without giving her a break.

Still, the fact that there was a capable supervisor allowed her some time to rest even at this late hour of the night.

“Hehe.”

Yet, she was happy.

It was tiring and exhausting, but she didn’t mind.

Too busy to move from her desk, constantly processing documents that seemed never-ending…

“Now… This is just the beginning…”

Still, she was glad that her long-awaited life as the head of the family had started.

That sense of joy made even the hard work itself feel delightful, even pleasant.

The fact that the family business had been saved from her uncle’s grasp, and that they were rising as the new power of Jinxi province like a rising sun, was excellent.

‘This is all thanks to you, uncle.’

She regretted that she made a vow to help him but ended up receiving help from him.

‘I must repay him.’

Considering all she was doing as a foundation to practice his belief in justice was comforting.

Instead, her determination to follow the path of ‘Sword Sage’ only grew stronger.

“But… Haah, this is really exhausting.”

Of course, physical fatigue was a completely separate matter from such thoughts.

Her exhausted body lay limp, as if it couldn’t move a muscle. Gayoung Jin sat back in her chair, unable to even lift a finger.

She wanted to go to bed and lie down quickly, but the energy to do so was the real problem.

“Maybe I should pick up some elixirs… No, I need to save our limited budget…”

Knock, knock.

At that moment, the sound of a light, rhythmic knock echoed.

“Miss, may I come in?”

That was followed by a coarse voice like grating metal.

It was a unique voice among the hundreds of people within the estate.

“Yes, please come in.”

Even while exhausted, Gayoung Jin mustered the strength to respond.

Because the voice belonged to her ‘uncle’.

Squeak.

The door opened, and a man with a couple of scars on his face walked in, his silver hair flowing down to his neck.

His hair had grown quite long, now reaching halfway down his neck.

“You look tired.”

“I’m fine, these are just the things I need to endure.”

“I’m glad you see it that way.”

Supervisor Byul Rak walked into the office and faced Gayoung Jin, who had tried to stand from her chair but collapsed back down due to shaking legs.

Having once been the head of the Namgung family, he was well aware of the perils of overwork.

Perhaps because there are times when documents are scarier than any monster.

“Miss, may I share a little secret with you?”

“A secret?”

“A simple method for easily dealing with tedious and boring tasks.”

As it was exactly the advice she needed at the moment, Gayoung Jin’s tired eyes sparkled.

Then, with his lips close to her ear, Byul Rak playfully whispered.

“Just perceive boredom as peace.”

“You sound like a sage.”

“It’s true. Once you see that boredom as peace, monotonous tasks soon become rest.”

“That would be too easy. If it were, everyone in the world would already have attained enlightenment.”

“Surprisingly, there are quite a few enlightened people in the world.”

“…Phew, tell me the real reason you’re here. You bring some object like this and just babble nonsense?”

Chuckling, Gayoung Jin asked about his intent.

Even so, she felt her fatigue ease somewhat from the brief conversation.

“Yes, your martial technique is complete.”

“Eh? Martial technique? What are you talking about… Oh.”

Having been through such a hectic day, Gayoung Jin hadn’t understood what Byul Rak was saying, but then she remembered what he’d been doing.

“Would you recognize this item?”

Thud!

Byul Rak dropped a massive axe, as large as himself, onto the floor with one hand.

Although the floor remained unscratched, the massive shaking clearly indicated the weight of the axe.

“Isn’t that… the item that the Founding Patriarch used? How did you bring it out?”

“They gave it to me when I asked.”

“I see. Well, it’s fine since it’s you, uncle. But why did you bring it here?”

“In order to explain, I must first tell you about the Taewon Jin family’s True Heavenly Ice Flame Sword Technique.”

“The True Heavenly Ice Flame Sword Technique? You mentioned you were working on correcting some issues, but what does this axe have to do with it?”

“You’ll understand once you hear my story.”

The tale that flowed from Byul Rak’s mouth sent Gayoung Jin into a state of great shock.

“Wha… What was that noise just now…? Is this… a lie, isn’t it? Right? It’s a joke, isn’t it?”

It was the kind of revelation that no martial artist would easily accept—finding out that their lifelong efforts were wrong from the start.

“I will personally show you. The true form of the True Heavenly Ice Flame…the ‘Moon’ Method.”

“No… Uncle, please stop this nonsense…”

“Is that so?”

“Still… What am I supposed to do now…? All this time, I’ve been practicing the wrong sword technique… Do I need to change it? Now??”

In a panic, Gayoung Jin’s mind was in disarray as she asked.

And with calm assurance, Byul Rak replied.

“There is no need to change the sword technique.”

“Wha… Really? But just now you said the True Heavenly Ice Flame was incorrect…”

“Simply change your weapon.”

“…”

“It’s simple. In fact, it could even be easier. If you think about it, chopping wood with a sword is like flying with an axe.”

“…”

“Since it’s too late at this hour… we’ll start tomorrow. In this year’s Seven Flowers Tournament, if you follow my guidance, you’ll be unbeatable by anyone except Jade Flower.”

“…”

“You only need to move your body.”

‘This moving the body thing is already too overwhelming…’

Though she wanted to say something deflating to the clearly enthusiastic Byul Rak, she didn’t voice it out loud.

A resonance arose within Gayoung Jin’s dantian.

She seemed unaware of it but was indeed resonating.

The resonance that occurred when the first Patriarch’s Great Moon interacted with her Ice Flame qi in her body was undeniable.

Of course, the resonance of ordinary internal energy with a weapon doesn’t happen so easily.

Resonance itself is the small, narrow gap between levels of martial prowess.

If such resonance happened merely by encountering any weapon, everyone would be searching for weapons suited to their martial arts.

Thus, this suggests there is something special about the Taewon Jin family’s True Heavenly Ice Flame Arts.

“Since I’ve learned more after discovering the Haomen secrets, I haven’t visited them lately.”

It might be time to visit the Haomen.

I must learn about this head of the Taewon Jin clan, why they wield such a peculiar weapon like an axe, and why this has remained unknown.

After Byul Rak left.

Gayoung Jin walked sluggishly to her bed to rest her exhausted body.

She had been so tired that as soon as she lay down, she fell asleep.

The resonating sound from the axe left behind by Byul Rak went unnoticed.

– How dare this presumptuous heir not recognize his ancestor… No, it’s an heiress, isn’t it?

Of course, it mattered little to the ‘axe’.

It was better that she was asleep.

Since it was within ten steps, it could infiltrate her unconsciousness and manifest within her dreams.

– Let’s see… can you sleep peacefully despite seeing your ancestor’s face?

As a mist, it slowly escaped from the axe, slipping into the seven apertures of the sleeping Gayoung Jin.

Still, she slept soundly, unaware of anything.

– You presumptuous heir… You dared to leave me neglected in some corner all this time?

The menacing presence from the mist as it seeped into her was interrupted by an unexpected voice.

– Wait a moment!

It was abruptly stopped by an external force.

– Hmm? Where did you come from… Keh, keh! Why won’t my soul respond…!

– What did you intend to do to Miss?

Although just a mist, Byul Rak was applying pressure with his internal energy.

– Ah, it’s nothing! I just wanted to try some dream manipulation!

– Elaborate further. Why did you want to manipulate her dreams? Are you intending something harmful towards Miss?

– No! Absolutely not harmful! She’s my descendant! Why would I do such a thing?

– Descendant? Could you be the Founding Patriarch?

– Yes! So, please let this go! If you keep this up, I’ll really choke to death! As a ghost, I don’t really have anywhere else to go if I die again!

– Should you make even the slightest false move, I will cause your immediate annihilation. Act accordingly.

– Kek! Keh-hek! Oh the pain! What an ignorant brute…

As Byul Rak released the force in his hands, the mist timidly pulled away from Gayoung Jin’s body.

Though grumbling, the mist’s owner was carefully avoiding escalation.

This man gave off a menacing premonition that he might truly be capable of eradicating him.

Certainly, due to being isolated for too long, his socialization and consideration were absent.

– Damn, I had just escaped the Moonlight Division and now bad luck finds me.

To avoid waking Gayoung Jin sleeping nearby, Byul Rak continued the conversation through mental transmission.

– Moonlight Division? Is that the name of the axe?

He had unconsciously begun addressing the other side more respectfully.

– Yes, it’s called the Moonlight Axe. Stop calling it some mundane names such as Great Axe. Acknowledge and call things by their true names. This item once ruled the heavens alongside me.

– So it’s a named weapon; I suspected it might not be just any ordinary axe.

– Haa, let’s enter your body for a bit. I just enjoyed some fresh air, but it’s all gone to waste thanks to you.

– Is that aimed at me?

– Are you refusing? Let’s stop talking. I don’t like forcing myself into people who don’t want me anyway.

– No, I have things to discuss with you. Come in.

– Fie, what a sorry state I’ve come to. Once a ruler of the world, I’ve become so unwelcome…

Complaining incessantly, the mist fully vacated Gayoung Jin’s body and moved into Byul Rak’s seven apertures.

Entering a single body with two spirits is usually forbidden, but as the Founding Patriarch of Taewon Jin from long past, it went unnoticed in the annals of the realms.

Sensing the soul in his body, Byul Rak silently exited Gayoung Jin’s residence.

He closed his eyes and entered the meditative realm.

There, waiting for him, was the First Patriarch sitting in a lotus position.

“You have arrived.”

With a long beard flowing down, he looked every bit the part of a sage.

“I have matters I wish to discuss with you.”

“Before that, offer your respects first. Etiquette must be observed.”

“…? Pay respects?”

“Boy! What kind of daughter-in-law doesn’t bow to her father-in-law?”

“…???”

Though his severe lack of social graces matched the gravity of his tone, it contradicted his current sage-like demeanor.

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