Because she was unconscious, he was unable to give her Ho-seong's medicine.
In truth, it was quite dangerous for a person of Moorim to transfer their energy to another person if they had varying temperaments from one another.
But this was something that was irrelevant for Kang-hyuk's circ.u.mstance.
Around five years after he had first started learning martial arts, he encountered a situation where he became lost within a forest, and almost lost his life.
However, the powerful energy of nature that permeated the forest infused into his body, restoring it, and saved his life.
From then on, Kang-hyuk's Qi became incredibly similar to the very energy of nature itself, and because of that, even if he transferred his energy to others, there were no unpleasant side-effects.
Due to that incident, Kang-hyuk was able to elevate his cultivation at a rate faster than anyone else.
This was all due to the fact that the origin of martial arts was found in nature herself!
Kang-hyuk transferred just enough energy to Dang Eun-ah that she wouldn't lose her life.
With the awareness that the best source of energy for a martial arts pract.i.tioner was energy generated by their own body, he didn't transfer more than the bare minimum required.
He took a ring made out of Returning Qi Stone out of his sleeve and placed it in her hands.
The Returning Qi Stone was an artefact that would enable Dang Eun-ah's Qi levels to be restored as quickly as possible.
'The other Dang Family teachers working at the Academy will take care of everything else.'
Kang-hyuk carried her out of the cave, with Deuk quickly following behind him.
Outside stood Princ.i.p.al Eun Myeong-myeong, who was listening to a full account of the events from Yun Hseong, Oh-Tae, and the students.
"Kang Seonsaeng!"
Eun Myeong-myeong called out Kang-hyuk's name as he emerged from the cave. Kang-hyuk simply pointed at the cave.
"You can go in now."
"What happened to Dang Seonsaeng?"
"She collapsed just after she changed her clothes, as she began to relax a little bit. I think she's in need of urgent treatment, she's lost quite a lot of blood."
"We'll have a look!"
The teachers that cried out in response were from the Dang Family. Amongst them was Dang Du-go, who taught the first-year Am-gi weaponry course.
As Kang-hyuk handed Dang Eun-ah over to them, Eun Myeong-myong then addressed him.
"I would like to thank you. I had no idea that your intuitive senses were so powerful."
"It was nothing on my part, it's all thanks to Deuk, who I obtained by chance."
"Are you not Deuk's owner?"
"Well I guess you could say so.... "
Eun Myeong-Myeong turned his head around and looked at the students.
"Oh yes, I spoke whilst you were all in the midst of telling me what had happened. So you were saying when that b.a.s.t.a.r.d Hae-sak was about to violate Dang Seonsaeng, the ground started to shake?"
"Yes, exactly."
The students collectively answered. One of the students, who seemed to be representing all of them, then continued.
"And when the warriors were distracted and confused by the shaking, we took the opportunity to escape, and went over to Dang Seonsaeng...."
Eun Myeong-myeong raised his head to stop him speaking.
"There's something wrong with what you've just said."
"Sorry?" Bu-but it's true!"
"Going by what Oh Seonsaeng had said, there were around twenty warriors of the Black Snake Sect that had a peak level of cultivation. If they were unable to keep their balance steady, then you all should have fallen over."
Eun Myeong-myeong's suspicions had validity. It didn't make much sense that the students with cultivation ranging from second to third cla.s.s would be able to keep their balance.
Especially with their arms still bound with rope.
A student slowly raised his hand.
"It-it's because of the Weed Stance."
"Did you say the Weed Stance....?"
The students nodded.
"Our Horticulture teacher taught us a stance that would maximise the strength in our legs and abdomen whilst pulling out weeds. It was due to this technique that we were able to maintain our balance and move despite the ground shaking."
All eyes turned to Kang-hyuk.
"Are his words true?"
Kang-hyuk nodded at Eun Myeong-myeong's question.
"It's true. I had taught them the technique in cla.s.s, as its rather effective whilst de-weeding, but I'm glad that it was helpful in this situation."
"I'm curious about such a technique that would allow one to keep their balance in a circ.u.mstance that even peak level warriors became unbalanced."
Kang-Hyuk answered with a sigh.
"Well, I'll tell you what the technique entails, it's not a secret anyway."
And so, Kang-hyuk explained the details of the Weeding Stance in great detail to Eun Myeong-myeong. As Eun Myeong-myeong listened, his eyes widened.
"What's wrong?"
Eun Myeong-myeong cleared his throat at Kang-hyuk's query.
"Ahem, ahem ahem. It's nothing. Let's finish the story. So, what happened after that?"
As Eun Myeong-Myeong hurriedly changed the subject, the students, Oh-Tae and Yun Hsung continued their account of what had occurred.
Eun Myeong-myeong then nodded after hearing the full account.
"So that's what happened. It's a miracle that no one lost their lives!"
He continued, "Nonetheless, all of you shouldn't have been so crazed to obtain the red ribbon that you would leave the safe zone! I'm sure that there will be no objection to the punishment I will give you for this."
The students bowed their heads silently. Their silence meant that they had no objection to it.
Eun Myeong-myeong then addressed Chuk-hak, who had accompanied the teachers during the rescue.
"What is your opinion?"
"I have no objection. What more can I say, seeing as this was a situation that had arisen from my own lack of foresight."
The kidnapped students looked guilty as he calmly spoke.
Eun Myeong-myeong then addressed the teachers.
"Well then, let's get back to the campsite! Also, make sure to keep quiet about this happening, so that the other students don't panic!"
"Understood!"
At his words, Kang-hyuk began to head back to the camp site.
The work that remained was for the warriors, not the teachers. He felt that it was best that the teachers put their full attention on their actual job.
After he had walked a few steps, he stopped, and looked up at the sky.
'....'
Far up into the sky, he could see a hawk flying off to somewhere. He felt a suspicious energy surrounding the hawk.
'The Blood King Valley b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.... '
That hawk was most definitely the very hawk that Oh-Tae had spoken of. The hawk that stole the red ribbon to bait the students.
But Kang-hyuk simply smiled, and let the hawk fly away.
In truth however, he wasn't really about to let the hawk go just like that.
He pulled out a needle from in between the knot that attached his Rain Bead to his waist. The needle was so tiny that it could barely be seen.
Then, pretending to lift his head up slightly, he threw the needle in the direction of the hawk.
*Whoosh!*
The needle precisely lodged into the hawk.
The needle wasn't harmful to the hawk, and would be invisible to all except for Kang-hyuk.
It was known as the 'Mile Chasing Needle', and was filled with a special kind of energy that would inform Kang-hyuk whenever the target it was embedded in was within a ten thousand step distance of him.
"Kang Seonsaeng! Come quickly!"
A teacher was calling Kang-hyuk from a distance away.
"Ah! You can go ahead without me! I'll follow behind."
Kang-hyuk then began walking once more after responding to the teacher.
*Woof!* *Woof!*
Suddenly, Deuk, who had been following behind Kang-hyuk, began to bark.
Kang-hyuk gestured at him, and whispered in response.
"I already know."
He had deliberately walked down along the mountain path, and soon enough, open s.p.a.ce had appeared.
Kang-hyuk deliberated that the field trip had been rather eventful from its very first day.
'There are two days left in the field trip right?'
He clenched his fists.
'How is Mu-jin managing this property that such twisted events are happening within it!?'
Kang-hyuk ground his teeth.
It was then…
*Rustling*
Kang-hyuk looked back at the sound of the rustling vegetation.
Standing there was an old man.
The old man looked at Kang-hyuk with complete disdain.
The old man pointed at Kang-hyuk's waist with his long smoking pipe and asked, "Where did you get that Rain Bead from?"
***
Going back in time, in the forests near Goseon Mountain.
There was a village. This village was on the countryside of Hwacheon, and was initially formed around seventy-eight years ago.
The Hwacheon Countryside was a place where people gathered in an attempt to escape from the suppression of administration so that they could experience a more peaceful existence. However, the place wasn't entirely free of issues.
The main issue was the danger of bandits.
However, the countryside near the Goseon Mountain was safe from such dangers.
The reason for this was an old man who had entered this part of the Hwacheon countryside around five years earlier. The old man was nicknamed 'Pipe Grandfather.'
It was a nickname based on the fact that the old man always had a white pipe hanging from his mouth.
When he had first entered the village, he hadn't gotten along too well with the village folk.
This was, of course, to be expected.
It was a possibility that he was an informant for someone who was aiming for the villagers.
But their thoughts on him had a complete transformation around half a year after he had first arrived.
This was a result of them having witnessed him attacking a group of bandits with his white pipe.
After the bandits retreated, the head of the village had cautiously asked him a question-what on earth his true ident.i.ty was.
The Pipe Grandfather had replied vaguely, "I'm just an old man that wants to live out the rest of his years in peace. Come to think of it, I've noticed a few tigers in the area, would there be an issue if I caught a few of them?"
It was only then that the village folk realized why the past six months had pa.s.sed without them facing any difficulty. It had all been due to the presence of the Pipe Grandfather.
Henceforth, the Pipe Grandfather melted into the Hwacheon Countryside as though he was part of the scenery.
Holding a brush, the Pipe Grandfather was sitting on a bench in front of his cottage, and seemed to be agonizing over a piece of paper.
"Grandpa! Pipe Grandfather!"
All of a sudden, a young boy who looked around seven in age came running out from behind him. The boy then jumped onto the bench.
"Grandfather! Mother made some noodles!"
"Is it that time already?"
The Pipe Grandfather lifted his head, judging the time by the position of the sun in the sky.
"Huh? Anyways, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to pick some orchids after such a long time. How is your study of the alphabet going?"
"Yes, it's going well! I've already learned five letters!"
"That's great! Do you want to come to eat some noodles with me?"
And then.
*Thud-!*
A loud boom emanated from somewhere.
The boy looked around to find the origin of the sound. But the Pipe Grandfather had a quite different response to the noise.
He looked a little perplexed.
"What's wrong Grandpa?"
"...."
"Grandfather?"
"Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
The Pipe Grandfather coughed at the boy's pressing and said.
"Sorry, but I don't think we can eat noodles together today."
"Huh? But why?"
"There's someplace I urgently need to go."
"But where did this sound come from?"
"A bear must have collided with a tree."
He simply left it at that, and immediately disappeared within the forest. His eyes were trembling.
'I felt the energy of Dark Cultivators a while back, but didn't move as it was too bothersome, but what is this energy I'm sensing now! This familiar energy!'
He sped up his Gyeonggong.
'If my energy detection is correct, elder Hyung-nim is most definitely in the area!'
The very elder Hyung-nim that he had spent over fifty years with.
He was detecting none other than Kang-hyuk's energy.
There was no possibility that Kang-hyuk's energy would go undetected by the Pipe Grandfather.
This was because the Pipe Grandfather's true name was Ji Cheol-mok!
He had been part of Kwaepungdae with Kang-hyuk, and later, when Kang-hyuk had become the Clan Leader, he became the head of Kwaepungdae.
After running for some time, the Pipe Grandfather, or rather, Ji Cheol-mok, realized that he was now in the Goam Mountains.
And within the many caves of the mountain, he could feel the energy of warriors.
'I can feel the presence of the warriors of Baekdo, along with the energy of Dark Cultivation warriors!
Also, I can feel elder Hyung-nim's energy! But....'
He tilted his head to the side.
Kang-hyuk lived within the forests of Sacheon.
Whilst Ji Cheol-mok was surprised at his detection of Kang-hyuk's energy, he realized that Kang-hyuk only came out of retreat once every four years, for the Autumn Moorim Festival.
'How could elder Hyung-nim be here, and with warriors at that?'
