Chapter 12
After a short moment of reunion, Samaryun checked Yeonhwa’s pulse by holding her wrist and then pressed the back of her neck. This was a method Yeonhwa’s mother had once taught him to check someone’s health.
Just like the doctor Hwang Jo-ryang said, some dark energy (magical energy) was blocking the natural flow of her internal energy.
When he had earlier given her some of his energy, he hadn’t noticed it. But now it was clear—something was interfering with her.
‘Unless someone learned special martial arts from the Wudang sect, a person shouldn’t be able to hold two different types of energy at once.’
Usually, energy like “qi” can be changed depending on the martial arts you learn after building it up in your core. But for Yeonhwa to have both good energy and dark energy… it didn’t make sense.
‘Did she somehow learn a martial art that lets her use both?’
As far as Samaryun knew, only the Wudang sect’s Yang-Eui-Shimgong could do that. Anyone else with both types of energy would go out of control and possibly die.
Yeonhwa, sensing something was wrong, turned her head and asked carefully, “Master… is something wrong?”
Samaryun let out a deep breath. “I need to ask you something. Have you ever learned martial arts?”
“No…?” Yeonhwa looked confused.
He sighed. “Your body has good energy fighting against dark energy.
The dark energy isn’t completely winning, but it’s blocking your energy flow like a poison would.”
Even Hwang Jo-ryang was shocked by her condition, so Samaryun’s mind was all over the place.
He continued explaining. “Normally, only someone trained in special martial arts can handle both kinds of energy.
But even then, it’s rare.”
He paused for a moment and finally said quietly, “The dark energy in your body… it must’ve come from some unknown martial art—probably from the Demon Sect.”
The room went silent. Even breathing seemed too loud.
Samaryun’s heart was racing. He didn’t want to believe it, but he had to consider the possibility that Yeonhwa’s roots might be from the Demon Sect.
After all, her mother, Ju Dohee, had once worked undercover in the Demon Sect.
And Yeonhwa seemed to be older than the time her mother left that world.
He considered a solution: perhaps Yeonhwa could stop using her current energy and train in a new martial art. But it could be dangerous.
Still, a thought came to him—if Yeonhwa could learn to control the dark energy properly, she might become even stronger.
“We’ll have to ask the Grand Elder when he returns. He’s on a battlefield right now,” he said gently, stroking Yeonhwa’s back.
Her small shoulders were trembling.
“Am I… weird?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
“What?”
“I mean… is there something wrong with me?”
“Of course not,” Samaryun said firmly. “You’re just a special girl. Nothing strange or sick about you.”
Yeonhwa looked up at him with teary eyes. Feeling bad for scaring her, he added softly, “There’s nothing to worry about. You’re just… a bit more special than others.”
“Special…?” she asked.
“Of course. You’re my student, aren’t you?”
That comforted Yeonhwa. She cried for a while, letting her emotions out—and soon fell asleep in peace.
The next morning, Yeonhwa ate breakfast with Samaryun. Her eyes were swollen from crying, but she was cheerful.
“Meat is the best!”
The breakfast had delicious pork, and Samaryun laughed and gave her even more.
“Eat a lot so you can grow strong and become a great swordswoman.”
“Yes!” she replied happily. As expected, good food helped her forget her worries.
While she was enjoying her meal, Samaryun’s aide Ju Oh-yoon unrolled a scroll beside him.
“Here’s your schedule for the day, sir.”
“…Go ahead,” Samaryun said with a sigh.
“You look annoyed. Very different from how you talk to Yeonhwa.”
“If you were paying attention, you’d realize that’s the point.”
Unbothered, Ju Oh-yoon began to read from the scroll.
“After breakfast, you have several matters to handle. The most urgent is a protest by merchants over increased protection fees.”
“Is this about the inns in the center of Hangju?”
“Yes. A man in white clothes is leading a resistance with some innkeepers.”
BANG! Samaryun slammed his hand on the table. Yeonhwa jumped but quickly went back to eating.
“Don’t worry, Yeonhwa. Keep eating.”
“Yes!” she replied, still focused on the meat.
Samaryun turned back to Ju Oh-yoon.
“He must’ve heard of the Black Gate’s name.”
“We sent two squads, but it’s not enough. What should we do?”
“Send in Baekhandang or Heukmoonbi. Whichever one’s available. Let’s end this properly.”
“Understood.”
Those two groups were elite squads of the Black Gate. In other words, Samaryun was planning to crush the rebellion completely.
‘So my master is a villain, huh…’ Yeonhwa quietly thought as she munched her food.
The work reports continued endlessly. Now she understood why her master often disappeared during training—he was busy with all this.
After the reports ended, Samaryun looked at Yeonhwa and said, “Starting today, I’ll return to my normal duties.
You might feel lonely, but you can explore the Black Gate a bit and get used to it.”
“Can I go look around? Not just the training grounds?”
“Of course. You’re the Princess of the Black Gate now.”
Yeonhwa smiled brightly. She still couldn’t fully believe her new title, but the idea of exploring excited her.
However, her face soon drooped like a sad puppy.
“Then… when will I see you again?”
“Maybe around sunset? We can eat dinner together and talk then.”
Yeonhwa looked disappointed. She had hoped that being the princess meant spending more time with her master.
Samaryun chuckled softly.
“I’ll have someone look after you while I’m gone. A teacher to help you train and someone to teach you reading and writing, too.”
That meant she was getting new teachers. He added gently, “Don’t worry. I won’t leave you alone.”
Even with the kind words, Yeonhwa still looked unsure. She played with her fingers and asked quietly,
“Isn’t being the princess too much for someone like me?”
She was just a normal village girl. It felt like too much.
“Do you think I can do it?”
Samaryun just smiled.
“Of course. You’re already my amazing student.”
