“Which village in Shaanxi Province?”
Shaanxi Province isn't some neighborhood name. Where in that vast and complex land could Sister Soso's family be living?
“Haaaah.”
With a deep sigh, Jeok Chu-yeong closed his eyes. Thinking of the Western Village residents he had forgotten, a deep sense of regret seemed to boil within him. That was exactly his reaction.
Jeok Chu-yeong slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward me. Before he could say anything, Gwang-hyo, who had been watching, suddenly interjected.
“That's enough. You'll talk about the rest with me.”
I was so close, but his sudden interference made anger surge within me. I scowled and glared at Gwang-hyo. Ordinary masters would have been provoked, but Gwang-hyo didn't even show a hint of displeasure.
“If I tell you where the Western Village residents are, won't you leave immediately to find them? If that happens, Master Jeok won't survive this winter.”
“Your memory seems to be fading already. I saved Master Jeok when he was on the verge of death last time." "Asking for the whereabouts of my hometown people in return doesn't seem like an unreasonable request, does it?”
“As I recall, Squad Master Bok has already paid the price for saving Master Jeok. Did you not receive a spiritual herb and a treasured sword?”
“Even before that, I made a promise with Squad Master Bok that I would get the answer I wanted once Master Jeok woke up.”
Without a word, Gwang-hyo tossed a scroll. I flinched, readied my stance, and reached out to catch it. After carefully studying his expression as he nonchalantly sipped his tea again, I unrolled the scroll.
A rather elaborate diagram of the human body was drawn from head to toe.
“What is this?”
“You know that Squad Master Bok obtained the assassin's inner cultivation method secret manual, right?”
“I do.”
“I summoned a physician skilled in pressure points and an artist to mark the path of circulation for that inner cultivation method.”
Come to think of it, Bok Ha-gyu did say something like that when he showed me the secret manual. I examined the diagram closely. A red line starting from the energy core traveled up the spine and spread throughout the body and limbs.
The names of pressure points were densely written in fine brushstrokes along the path of circulation. Is this what all inner cultivation methods are like? Up to the middle energy core, the path of circulation looked similar to that of the Heavenly Steel Saber Technique.
Of course, after that, it was completely different.
“What on earth is this martial art?”
The secret manual didn't mention the sect or the name of the inner cultivation method. I couldn't tell just by looking at the path of circulation either. I asked without much expectation, but surprisingly, Gwang-hyo knew.
“It is the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art.”
It was a martial art I had never heard of before. Gwang-hyo's following explanation left me dumbfounded.
“It is the inner cultivation method of the Kongtong Sect.”
My jaw dropped.
“The Kongtong Sect, the hegemon of Gansu province? One of the Nine Great Sects? Are you saying a master from the Kongtong Sect ambushed Master Jeok?”
“That is correct.”
I checked the path of circulation on the diagram again and asked Gwang-hyo.
“Is this a supreme secret art of the Kongtong Sect?”
“It is their basic art. It contains all the martial principles and identity of the Kongtong Sect's martial arts.”
“Why are you showing this to me?”
Gwang-hyo didn't answer right away. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and savored the aroma for a long while. His intention to seize the upper hand by making me impatient was plain to see.
When I didn't press him and waited with a feigned composure, Gwang-hyo finally revealed his true intentions.
“Learn it, and use the direct transmission of true energy to draw out the Hidden Force from Master Jeok. Then, I will tell you where in Shaanxi Province your hometown people are living.”
“Why don't you learn it yourself?”
Gwang-hyo was an absolute master who had reached a realm incomparably higher than my own. His understanding of martial arts would be profound. It was suspicious that he would so readily offer me the martial art of one of the Nine Great Sects, something any martial artist would go crazy for, without learning it himself.
As it turned out, there was a good reason.
“I have already tried. My qi and blood became twisted, making it impossible to circulate energy at all.”
“And yet you're telling me to learn this?”
Problems with qi and blood are a clear sign of impending qi deviation. That's why Do Gwang-il had warned me until my ears hurt to immediately stop and withdraw my inner energy if anything felt even slightly off during circulation. If even an absolute master like Gwang-hyo couldn't learn it properly, this was not something I should meddle with.
“The inner cultivation method I learned is unrelated to the Kongtong Sect. Forcing my inner energy through the path of circulation of the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art is like trying to squeeze into clothes that don't fit. It's only natural that my meridians cannot withstand it.”
Gwang-hyo stared at me intently with eyes that held a bluish, clear light.
“You are different. When you carried Master Jeok on your back and circulated your inner energy, the Hidden Force responded and subsided. That proves you share the same martial lineage.”
At his out-of-the-blue remark, I couldn't help but tilt my head.
“I am not a disciple of the Kongtong Sect.”
“I know. The saber technique you use is not a martial art of the Kongtong Sect. But your inner energy is different. I do not know which school you belong to, but it must have its roots in the Kongtong Sect.”
“This is the first I'm hearing of it...”
There was nothing like that in the secret history of the Blue Mountain Sect that Do Gwang-il had told me. Seeing my complete disbelief, Gwang-hyo clicked his tongue softly.
“Do you know of the Quanzhen School?”
“I do not.”
“It is a Daoist sect founded by a Daoist named Wang Chongyang on Mount Zhongnan during the Southern Song era. It has since disappeared, but its successors continued the martial lineage through the Zhongnan Sect and the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Are you saying the Zhongnan Sect and the Mount Hua Sect are from the same school? This is the first I've ever heard of it.”
“They would probably be puzzled too. The name Quanzhen School has been completely erased over many generations. The sword of Mount Hua is fast and flashy. The sword of Zhongnan is heavy and deliberate. At a glance, they seem like completely different martial arts, but the nature of their inner energy is quite similar. It's just that the inner cultivation method is a sect's utmost secret, so no one has had the chance to confirm it.”
Suddenly, I thought of the Blue Mountain Sect's Saber Sect and Sword Sect. Their principles and forms were completely different, but both were martial arts of the Blue Mountain Sect, and their inner cultivation method was the same.
“The school of the master who taught you martial arts probably has a connection to the Kongtong Sect if you trace it back far enough. So, even though the form of the martial art may have changed, the nature of the inner energy is the same.”
Coincidentally, I had heard that the Blue Mountain Sect was also in Gansu province, same as the Kongtong Sect. Even now, Gansu province was notorious in the Central Plains for its lack of security. It was originally barren land, and as it had long been an important trade route to the Western Regions, foreign tribes frequently came down.
When I roamed the Central Plains as a wandering swordsman, I had entered Gansu province a few times. There were more dark path members and swordsmen there than in Jiangxi or Hunan, which were territories of the dark paths. There were authorities, but the officials only showed up to collect taxes and didn't even patrol properly.
It was also in Gansu province that the real Pyo Hol-deuk, the Murim Alliance Inspector, raided the demonic warrior opium merchant along with martial artists from the Kongtong Sect. The only righteous sect established in Gansu province is the Kongtong Sect. And even they are holed up in Mount Kongtong, on the southernmost border of Gansu with Sichuan.
If it's like this now when the Central Plains are stable, it must have been like a living hell during the wars. Whether it was the barbarians or the Red Turban Rebels, looting, murder, and arson followed wherever they went. Martial artists with swords were especially an eyesore to them.
With Shaolin burned down and the Wudang, Mount Hua, and Emei Sects sealing their gates, all of the Nine Great Sects either suffered disaster or lay low. Even the absolute masters who boasted and strutted about as the Number One Under Heaven, the Sword Emperor, or the Saber Emperor could not overcome the age of chaos.
I heard that the Murim Alliance was established by gathering strength, never forgetting the humiliation they suffered back then. There was no way the Kongtong Sect could have been unscathed. They probably suffered a greater disaster, their sect shattered or greatly weakened.
The origin of the Blue Mountain Sect was refugees who fled to Blue Mountain to escape the flames of war. Among them were quite a few martial artists. They became the core, formed a sect, and protected the people from wild beasts and external enemies.
It wouldn't be strange if a surviving internal arts master from the Kongtong Sect had hidden their identity as someone from a fallen martial family and joined them. I snapped out of my thoughts and turned my eyes to the diagram. At this point, it seemed possible to circulate energy just by looking at the picture.
“Couldn't you find a martial artist who has never learned inner energy and have them learn the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art?”
Gwang-hyo asked back with a puzzled face.
“How did you learn your inner cultivation method? Did you pick up a secret manual in some deep mountain valley? Nine times out of ten, you must have been guided through the path of circulation by a master's direct transmission of true energy." "The only ones in the world who can provide direct transmission for the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art are the masters of the Kongtong Sect. They are the ones who sent the assassin; do you think they would help?”
“The path of circulation is drawn on this diagram, isn't it? If I circulate my inner energy according to this...”
Gwang-hyo shook his head, cutting me off.
“'From the perineal point, immerse through the rapids of the pursuing ribs, follow the thoracic vertebra point, and at the wind mansion point, separate the pure from the impure.' That is the principle of circulation written in the secret manual. Do you understand what that means?”
“I do not.”
I vaguely remembered reading it, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
“As a spring flows down from a mountaintop, through valleys, into streams and rivers, and out to the sea, do you think its speed and volume remain constant? Sometimes it flows shallow and fast, other times deep and slow, meandering. Circulating energy is the same.”
After giving me a moment to think, Gwang-hyo continued.
“You cannot learn an inner cultivation method simply by circulating inner energy along its path. Each time you move energy from one pressure point to another, you must adjust the speed and flow of your inner energy according to the principles. Do you think such a feat is possible just by looking at a secret manual?”
Do Gwang-il had also stated with certainty that it was impossible to learn an inner cultivation method from a secret manual alone.
So, what he was saying was that even though he went to the trouble of drawing the path of circulation on the diagram, the only person who could learn the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art from it was me, because I possessed a similar inner energy.
“If my inner energy and the inner energy of the Hidden Force are the same, can't I just draw it out with a direct transmission?”
Gwang-hyo's eyes narrowed.
“The nature is similar, but not exactly the same. For now, the Hidden Force is likely just not hostile to your inner energy. If you try rashly and the Hidden Force suddenly turns and runs rampant, Master Jeok will be in danger. Using the path of circulation of the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art for the direct transmission is the best way.”
Gwang-hyo was frighteningly serious. His sincere desire to save Jeok Chu-yeong, no matter what it took, shot toward me from his eyes like a strong fighting spirit. There is no room for compromise with someone who has that kind of look in their eyes.
I couldn't break him with force, and Jeok Chu-yeong's condition was too poor for me to act coy and play hard to get. I was also somewhat tempted. The martial art of the Kongtong Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects...
It wouldn't be too late to talk again after finding out whether it actually worked or not.
“I will think about it.”
Whether I learned this or not wasn't a decision to be made here. I couldn't just sit in a full lotus position and leisurely circulate my inner energy when I didn't know what Gwang-hyo might do.
“May I take this?”
“Go ahead. When you are ready, send word to Squad Master Bok.”
Gwang-hyo seemed confident that I would attempt the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art. Both to find my longed-for hometown people, and because of the fighting spirit of a martial artist who would stop at nothing to become stronger. I tucked the scroll into my robes and went outside.
Bok Ha-gyu was waiting.
“Did the talk go well?”
“For now, yes.”
“That's a relief.”
Bok Ha-gyu didn't ask any more questions, perhaps Gwang-hyo had explained the situation to him beforehand. As I walked silently toward the main gate, a question suddenly popped into my mind.
“About the Dragon Sky Escort Agency, do you know anything about its agency master?”
“The agency master? You mean Gam Hu-jeong? Hmm... I've never met him, so I don't know.”
“Have you ever clashed with the escort agency?”
“There were many in the early days. Those escort agency bastards kept poking at the Black Night Gang's territory, pretending to be a righteous sect. They were probably trying to gauge the Black Night Gang's strength. We also got a rough idea of the agency's power back then.”
“How strong is the Dragon Sky Escort Agency's martial force?”
Bok Ha-gyu narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin.
“The escorts have varying levels of martial ability, but the escort leaders are all formidable. Their discipline of following orders from above is also strict, and I heard the agency master was quite a figure in Sichuan.”
Escorted out by Bok Ha-gyu, I left the Black Night Gang. As soon as I returned home, I bolted the main gate and my room door, then spread the diagram on the table. I had heard that with inner cultivation methods, qi deviation awaits if you stray from the designated path of circulation.
Even an absolute master like Gwang-hyo had his qi and blood twisted. Could I really learn this? If I succeed, I can go see Sister Soso soon.
If I fail, I'll probably fall into qi deviation. Even though my inner energy had responded to the Hidden Force, I couldn't bring myself to dare try. Should I have pushed a little harder to get the answer from Jeok Chu-yeong earlier?
A sense of regret came over me, but it was impossible for me to defeat Gwang-hyo. It was a great fortune that Gwang-hyo hadn't harmed me and had offered a deal instead. Let's at least give it a try.
If it doesn't work, it can't be helped, but I can't give up without even trying. Gwang-hyo sincerely wanted to save Jeok Chu-yeong. As of now, I was the only cure to resolve the Hidden Force.
If it were a hopeless endeavor, he wouldn't have recommended this method to me. I steeled my resolve, got on the bed, and sat in a full lotus position. Slowly, I roused the inner energy from my energy core.
I drew out the inner energy as finely as possible, smaller than a single strand of silk thread. At this level, even if my qi and blood got twisted, I should be able to stop immediately and recover.
After slowly sending the downy, fluttering inner energy to my middle energy core, I pushed it into the path of circulation drawn on the diagram. A chill ran down my spine as I deviated from the path of circulation of the Heavenly Steel Saber Technique.
Horrifying images of becoming a cripple, a madman, or dying while vomiting blood flashed before my eyes. I quickly cleared my mind and focused on circulating my energy. Fortunately, my qi and blood did not flow backward.
As if taking one step at a time in pitch-black darkness, I exerted extreme concentration and sent my inner energy along the path of circulation of the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art. The clear inner energy creepily burrowed into the unfamiliar meridians like a slender snake. My whole body trembled at the eerie sensation.
I kept my senses on high alert, prepared to stop the circulation at any moment. Contrary to my worries, the inner energy spread smoothly without any blockage. My qi and blood didn't get twisted, nor did it go against my meridians.
I finally felt relieved when the inner energy completed a full circle inside my body following the path of circulation and returned to my energy core. I settled my inner energy and checked my condition. I was quite tired from concentrating so hard, but there were no internal injuries whatsoever.
This time, I circulated the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art with the thickness of a single silk thread. The awkward sense of disharmony grew a little stronger, but my qi and blood were stable. There was no change in the nature of my inner energy either.
I withdrew my inner energy, rested for a moment, and then circulated it along the path of the Heavenly Steel Saber Technique. There was nothing wrong at all. To be able to circulate two inner cultivation methods with a single inner energy...
Only then did the parts that didn't sit right with me become clear. The history of the Blue Mountain Sect was about a hundred years at most. While being cooped up in the mountains without any interaction with other sects, where on earth did they get such a precious inner cultivation method?
And how did they produce an absolute master who used Body-Flickering techniques? A martial lineage from the Kongtong Sect... I wonder if Do Gwang-il knows.
Imagining the usually stoic old man being startled brought a faint smile to my face. After boiling some tea and eating it with jerky for a short break, I immersed myself in the Primordial Chaos Unified Qi Art once again.