Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Taoist Bok-cheon widened his eyes and pointed his finger at the Evil Sect members.

“I warn you not to defile our sect’s leader with that mouth. You will regret it.”

“Waaah! Waaah!”

The sound of a startled baby crying came.

Flower Snake Divine Woman shouted angrily.

“Why are you scaring our child and making him cry, you unlucky horse-faced Taoist bastard!”

Grind grind grind.

“This crazy thing…”

Veins even bulged on Taoist Bok-cheon’s forehead.

As the Qingcheng sect disciples showed anger along with Taoist Bok-cheon, an elderly Taoist stepped forward to calm them down, saying.

“It seems rumors are already circulating in the martial world that our Qingcheng is plotting something with the Evil Sect. You need not mix words with those things at all.”

Then one more person appeared.

“It would be troublesome if you don’t treat people as people. What’s so great about Taoists who at best just recite scriptures?”

A somewhat thin young man walked out, exuding cold sarcasm. He was about a head shorter than the others, with an ordinary sword at his waist and a rattan shield on his back. The shield wasn’t completely round but had a shape where the middle protruded upward like a bamboo hat.

“Gu Ryun of the Eight Flying Demon Heroes!”

On the outside, he looked thin and small, not seeming like a great person. However, even before his name was mentioned, the Qingcheng sect disciples who saw his appearance were already tense.

Gu Ryun of the Eight Flying Demon Heroes was originally a low-ranking soldier who had fought barbarians on the frontier from the age of fifteen.

However, he was lucky enough to make great contributions in rescuing a general who had fallen into an ambush, and as a reward, he obtained the general’s family martial arts. After that, he followed the general for twenty years, achieving remarkable military achievements on battlefields.

The reason he deserted was because the general, who was like his benefactor, died after being pushed out in a power struggle in the imperial palace.

Gu Ryun immediately deserted and slaughtered all the related ministers, and even attempted to assassinate the emperor but failed and became a fugitive.

Though it had been ten years since he became a fugitive, the fact that he was still wandering around fine proved how outstanding his martial arts were.

A person who was called virtually invincible in military circles.

Actually, looking at his history, he could be said to be closer to the Orthodox Sect than the Evil Sect. However, because he had attempted to assassinate the emperor, Orthodox Sect people couldn’t associate with him. Far from associating, to avoid being connected with him, they would have to catch him and hand him over to the authorities.

Therefore, he was a peculiar case of being treated as an Evil Sect member while not actually being one.

Gu Ryun of the Eight Flying Demon Heroes warned Taoist Bok-cheon.

“Don’t carelessly draw your sword. Unless you want to turn scripture pages with your toes.”

Taoist Bok-cheon showed a murderous smile and glared at Gu Ryun.

“Shall I split your proud shield in half along with your body? Hanging around with Evil Sect things, your behavior has become just like the Evil Sect.”

“Hmph. For decades I’ve roamed battlefields and no one in the world could split my shield, but can a mere Taoist like you do it?”

Their gazes clashed hotly in midair. An atmosphere where they might use force at any moment became pervasive.

The elderly Taoist stopped Taoist Bok-cheon.

“Stop it. They’re deliberately picking a fight.”

“Isn’t it a virtue not to refuse fights that come our way?”

“Don’t forget what the sect leader instructed.”

When Venerable Woo-am was mentioned, Taoist Bok-cheon frowned deeply. In a few more days anyway, Dan Ryeong-gyeong would come out in good health. It would be better not to cause unnecessary disturbance and complicate matters.

Taoist Bok-cheon bit his teeth tightly and glared at Gu Ryun while retreating.

“Hmph.”

Gu Ryun sneered.

“Such bluffing.”

Through the elderly Taoist’s mediation, the Qingcheng sect disciples also calmed their anger and retreated. However, the unstable confrontation continued for quite some time.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang kept pondering Venerable Woo-am’s words.

Why had he said Jin Ja-gang lacked earnestness?

“Ah!”

After thinking for a long while, Jin Ja-gang exclaimed.

“Perhaps I was thinking wrongly all along.”

Jin Ja-gang had thought that since he needed to do delicate work, he should use as little internal energy as possible.

It might not have been something that could be accomplished by carelessly using little force while his senses were low.

He hadn’t tried the opposite approach.

If he raised his internal energy to the maximum, controlling it would become difficult, but his senses would be highly activated. As vitality became abundant, his entire body’s senses would fully awaken.

Trying to carve stones by controlling internal energy in that state was also worth attempting, even at the risk of danger.

He didn’t know what would happen, but that was the only method left.

Let’s raise internal energy to the maximum!

Jin Ja-gang placed the one remaining clam shell on his palm and activated Mad Blood Heaven technique.

One rotation, two rotations.

He continued circulating internal energy. Firmly blocking the three dikes at the middle dantian, Yongquan points, and Huiyin point, he continuously circulated internal energy through the small heavenly circuit. The internal energy that began with one breath of true qi drew in the energy hidden in Jin Ja-gang’s three meridians, gradually increasing in amount.

Pop, pop.

Unable to endure, the qi and blood of his right half ruptured and capillaries began bursting.

As wheels spun fiercely inside his body, his body swayed even while sitting. His collar swelled taut and the clam shell placed on his palm trembled violently.

The fear of ‘Will this be alright?’ also disappeared before long.

Jin Ja-gang endured the pain of feeling like his body would explode and concentrated solely on controlling his internal energy. Before he knew it, he had forgotten to breathe consciously.

As the pain reached its extreme, the flow of internal energy became fierce and fast.

Now Jin Ja-gang’s right half was at the point where blood drops continuously spurted.

Since there were three dikes, the limit of internal energy that could expand had also tripled.

However, the internal energy hidden in Jin Ja-gang’s three meridians alone couldn’t completely fill the three dikes. The amount was markedly insufficient and wouldn’t fill them.

When there were no dikes or only two, that thing that had come quickly – the kind of clarity reaction where pain felt like someone else’s and his soul seemed to separate – didn’t occur either.

It was already remarkable that he had triggered this much of his body’s latent internal energy with just one breath of true qi received through Baihui. However, now he had exhausted even the energy in his three meridians and there was nowhere else to draw power from.

Drip, drip!

Jin Ja-gang’s right eye had burst blood vessels and was filled with blood. Bloody tears flowed.

However, his left side was still fine.

In the shock and pain of an iron wheel on fire flowing through his body, Jin Ja-gang realized.

‘Ah.’

This was why Venerable Woo-am had scolded Jin Ja-gang for lacking earnestness. He had seen that Jin Ja-gang hadn’t tried his best. He had recognized that Jin Ja-gang had tried without even knowing his own limits.

Venerable Woo-am was right. Jin Ja-gang might have unconsciously looked down on just one Go stone. He should have concentrated as much as when facing a lifelong enemy in battle.

But how could he fill all three dikes and heighten his senses?

Venerable Woo-am had already told him the method.

Mutual Transformation of Yin and Yang!

His right half’s three meridians were empty. He would draw over the turbid energy blocking his left half’s qi and blood, send it to the three meridians, and then use it!

In other words, use turbid energy as internal energy!

The turbid energy blocking Jin Ja-gang’s left half wasn’t ordinary turbid energy. It was turbid energy possessing the poison of the Five Colors Five Poisons that boasted absolute toxicity, the energy of Hundred Flowers Valley Heart Pills made by boiling a thousand kinds of medicinal herbs, and Kunlun Sulfur Oil.

If he could use all of this, Jin Ja-gang would be able to use much stronger internal energy than now!

Jin Ja-gang had been gritting his teeth and circulating internal energy without breathing until then, but following Venerable Woo-am’s advice, he tried controlling inhalation and exhalation. It was by no means easy. It was like trying to regulate breathing while receiving fierce wind on a cliff of tremendous height.

However, he would accomplish it.

Without fail!

Jin Ja-gang rotated the wheel of internal energy even more fiercely. Powerfully enough to drag the turbid energy from the left side to the right!

‘I can feel it!’

As the turbid energy was drawn over and added to his internal energy, internal energy began filling Jin Ja-gang’s dikes. In the midst of massive whirlpools swirling enough to burst the dikes, Jin Ja-gang finally felt his senses awakening.

Following the grain of the clam shell in his hand, hard and weak parts naturally distinguished themselves. He could feel all the density and sparse parts of the tissue that were completely unknowable from the outside.

Where to touch would make it break, where it wouldn’t break.

* * *

Venerable Woo-am’s nose twitched.

The smell of blood.

On Jin Ja-gang’s blood-soaked palm, a white Go stone was shining.

Unable to do it with bare hands like Venerable Woo-am, he was holding a short sword in his opposite hand. It seemed he had carved the Go stone using sword energy.

Hum, hum.

The short sword trembled and resonated while containing sword energy.

Jin Ja-gang struggled to grip the Go stone and place it on the Go board.

Click!

Though not as clear as Venerable Woo-am’s, it was quite a clear sound.

Jin Ja-gang panted and took long breaths.

“It’s your turn, Venerable.”

A smile spread across Venerable Woo-am’s lips.

Though he couldn’t see with his naked eyes, he could feel it sufficiently.

Jin Ja-gang had once again overcome his own wall.

After regulating his breathing, Jin Ja-gang said.

“I cannot deny it. Killing people is easier.”

Making a Go stone with no cracks that produced a clear sound was an art of extreme skill.

“One should find killing people difficult to avoid becoming an evil spirit.”

Venerable Woo-am smiled contentedly and put down the bag he had been holding behind his back.

Clatter.

The bag contained hundreds more clam shells.

Venerable Woo-am took his seat.

“Then shall I teach you the next move?”

* * *

“I’ll guard this corner like this.”

Venerable Woo-am placed a stone in a spot forming the character for “day” from where he had first placed his stone.

“If I do this, this entire corner becomes my territory. You should place yours in the corner opposite to where you placed earlier.”

Venerable Woo-am placed one move and went back down.

Jin Ja-gang laboriously raised his internal energy. It still took over half a watch period to carve even one Go stone. Occasionally he failed.

So while Venerable Woo-am was away, Jin Ja-gang made Go stones in advance, and when Venerable Woo-am came, they placed them one by one.

“I’ll make a corner enclosure. If you make a corner enclosure like this, it becomes difficult for the opponent to build territory in the corner.”

Venerable Woo-am placed a stone forming another “day” character from where Jin Ja-gang had placed his stone.

“Connect in a knight’s move. Then I’ll take the opposite corner. Now stones have been placed in all four corners.”

It took eight more days just to build basic territories.

“What should you do now?”

“Since I learned corner enclosure, I’ll try making a corner enclosure.”

“A good move. I’ll skip one space to extend along the side to connect my two corners.”

“I’ll do the same.”

“Then I’ll make a corner enclosure on this corner. You should block this stone’s path to expand your influence. I’ll maximize my territory while you block it.”

The time that had taken so long at first gradually decreased.

Now even without reaching the clarity phenomenon, he could get a rough sense just by touching the clam shells. Once he understood the characteristics of clam shells, he could carve one Go stone sufficiently using just the power of one dike without having to raise all his internal energy.

Now, by raising internal energy with one breath, he could carve at least three stones at once.

Though his qi and blood hadn’t become fundamentally stronger, the burden was less and the frequency of qi and blood destruction also decreased.

As the time to carve Go stones decreased, Jin Ja-gang could gradually concentrate on Go itself. Jin Ja-gang lost track of time as he filled the Go board densely together with Venerable Woo-am.

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Taoist Bok-cheon widened his eyes and pointed his finger at the Evil Sect members.

“I warn you not to defile our sect’s leader with that mouth. You will regret it.”

“Waaah! Waaah!”

The sound of a startled baby crying came.

Flower Snake Divine Woman shouted angrily.

“Why are you scaring our child and making him cry, you unlucky horse-faced Taoist bastard!”

Grind grind grind.

“This crazy thing…”

Veins even bulged on Taoist Bok-cheon’s forehead.

As the Qingcheng sect disciples showed anger along with Taoist Bok-cheon, an elderly Taoist stepped forward to calm them down, saying.

“It seems rumors are already circulating in the martial world that our Qingcheng is plotting something with the Evil Sect. You need not mix words with those things at all.”

Then one more person appeared.

“It would be troublesome if you don’t treat people as people. What’s so great about Taoists who at best just recite scriptures?”

A somewhat thin young man walked out, exuding cold sarcasm. He was about a head shorter than the others, with an ordinary sword at his waist and a rattan shield on his back. The shield wasn’t completely round but had a shape where the middle protruded upward like a bamboo hat.

“Gu Ryun of the Eight Flying Demon Heroes!”

On the outside, he looked thin and small, not seeming like a great person. However, even before his name was mentioned, the Qingcheng sect disciples who saw his appearance were already tense.

Gu Ryun of the Eight Flying Demon Heroes was originally a low-ranking soldier who had fought barbarians on the frontier from the age of fifteen.

However, he was lucky enough to make great contributions in rescuing a general who had fallen into an ambush, and as a reward, he obtained the general’s family martial arts. After that, he followed the general for twenty years, achieving remarkable military achievements on battlefields.

The reason he deserted was because the general, who was like his benefactor, died after being pushed out in a power struggle in the imperial palace.

Gu Ryun immediately deserted and slaughtered all the related ministers, and even attempted to assassinate the emperor but failed and became a fugitive.

Though it had been ten years since he became a fugitive, the fact that he was still wandering around fine proved how outstanding his martial arts were.

A person who was called virtually invincible in military circles.

Actually, looking at his history, he could be said to be closer to the Orthodox Sect than the Evil Sect. However, because he had attempted to assassinate the emperor, Orthodox Sect people couldn’t associate with him. Far from associating, to avoid being connected with him, they would have to catch him and hand him over to the authorities.

Therefore, he was a peculiar case of being treated as an Evil Sect member while not actually being one.

Gu Ryun of the Eight Flying Demon Heroes warned Taoist Bok-cheon.

“Don’t carelessly draw your sword. Unless you want to turn scripture pages with your toes.”

Taoist Bok-cheon showed a murderous smile and glared at Gu Ryun.

“Shall I split your proud shield in half along with your body? Hanging around with Evil Sect things, your behavior has become just like the Evil Sect.”

“Hmph. For decades I’ve roamed battlefields and no one in the world could split my shield, but can a mere Taoist like you do it?”

Their gazes clashed hotly in midair. An atmosphere where they might use force at any moment became pervasive.

The elderly Taoist stopped Taoist Bok-cheon.

“Stop it. They’re deliberately picking a fight.”

“Isn’t it a virtue not to refuse fights that come our way?”

“Don’t forget what the sect leader instructed.”

When Venerable Woo-am was mentioned, Taoist Bok-cheon frowned deeply. In a few more days anyway, Dan Ryeong-gyeong would come out in good health. It would be better not to cause unnecessary disturbance and complicate matters.

Taoist Bok-cheon bit his teeth tightly and glared at Gu Ryun while retreating.

“Hmph.”

Gu Ryun sneered.

“Such bluffing.”

Through the elderly Taoist’s mediation, the Qingcheng sect disciples also calmed their anger and retreated. However, the unstable confrontation continued for quite some time.

* * *

Jin Ja-gang kept pondering Venerable Woo-am’s words.

Why had he said Jin Ja-gang lacked earnestness?

“Ah!”

After thinking for a long while, Jin Ja-gang exclaimed.

“Perhaps I was thinking wrongly all along.”

Jin Ja-gang had thought that since he needed to do delicate work, he should use as little internal energy as possible.

It might not have been something that could be accomplished by carelessly using little force while his senses were low.

He hadn’t tried the opposite approach.

If he raised his internal energy to the maximum, controlling it would become difficult, but his senses would be highly activated. As vitality became abundant, his entire body’s senses would fully awaken.

Trying to carve stones by controlling internal energy in that state was also worth attempting, even at the risk of danger.

He didn’t know what would happen, but that was the only method left.

Let’s raise internal energy to the maximum!

Jin Ja-gang placed the one remaining clam shell on his palm and activated Mad Blood Heaven technique.

One rotation, two rotations.

He continued circulating internal energy. Firmly blocking the three dikes at the middle dantian, Yongquan points, and Huiyin point, he continuously circulated internal energy through the small heavenly circuit. The internal energy that began with one breath of true qi drew in the energy hidden in Jin Ja-gang’s three meridians, gradually increasing in amount.

Pop, pop.

Unable to endure, the qi and blood of his right half ruptured and capillaries began bursting.

As wheels spun fiercely inside his body, his body swayed even while sitting. His collar swelled taut and the clam shell placed on his palm trembled violently.

The fear of ‘Will this be alright?’ also disappeared before long.

Jin Ja-gang endured the pain of feeling like his body would explode and concentrated solely on controlling his internal energy. Before he knew it, he had forgotten to breathe consciously.

As the pain reached its extreme, the flow of internal energy became fierce and fast.

Now Jin Ja-gang’s right half was at the point where blood drops continuously spurted.

Since there were three dikes, the limit of internal energy that could expand had also tripled.

However, the internal energy hidden in Jin Ja-gang’s three meridians alone couldn’t completely fill the three dikes. The amount was markedly insufficient and wouldn’t fill them.

When there were no dikes or only two, that thing that had come quickly – the kind of clarity reaction where pain felt like someone else’s and his soul seemed to separate – didn’t occur either.

It was already remarkable that he had triggered this much of his body’s latent internal energy with just one breath of true qi received through Baihui. However, now he had exhausted even the energy in his three meridians and there was nowhere else to draw power from.

Drip, drip!

Jin Ja-gang’s right eye had burst blood vessels and was filled with blood. Bloody tears flowed.

However, his left side was still fine.

In the shock and pain of an iron wheel on fire flowing through his body, Jin Ja-gang realized.

‘Ah.’

This was why Venerable Woo-am had scolded Jin Ja-gang for lacking earnestness. He had seen that Jin Ja-gang hadn’t tried his best. He had recognized that Jin Ja-gang had tried without even knowing his own limits.

Venerable Woo-am was right. Jin Ja-gang might have unconsciously looked down on just one Go stone. He should have concentrated as much as when facing a lifelong enemy in battle.

But how could he fill all three dikes and heighten his senses?

Venerable Woo-am had already told him the method.

Mutual Transformation of Yin and Yang!

His right half’s three meridians were empty. He would draw over the turbid energy blocking his left half’s qi and blood, send it to the three meridians, and then use it!

In other words, use turbid energy as internal energy!

The turbid energy blocking Jin Ja-gang’s left half wasn’t ordinary turbid energy. It was turbid energy possessing the poison of the Five Colors Five Poisons that boasted absolute toxicity, the energy of Hundred Flowers Valley Heart Pills made by boiling a thousand kinds of medicinal herbs, and Kunlun Sulfur Oil.

If he could use all of this, Jin Ja-gang would be able to use much stronger internal energy than now!

Jin Ja-gang had been gritting his teeth and circulating internal energy without breathing until then, but following Venerable Woo-am’s advice, he tried controlling inhalation and exhalation. It was by no means easy. It was like trying to regulate breathing while receiving fierce wind on a cliff of tremendous height.

However, he would accomplish it.

Without fail!

Jin Ja-gang rotated the wheel of internal energy even more fiercely. Powerfully enough to drag the turbid energy from the left side to the right!

‘I can feel it!’

As the turbid energy was drawn over and added to his internal energy, internal energy began filling Jin Ja-gang’s dikes. In the midst of massive whirlpools swirling enough to burst the dikes, Jin Ja-gang finally felt his senses awakening.

Following the grain of the clam shell in his hand, hard and weak parts naturally distinguished themselves. He could feel all the density and sparse parts of the tissue that were completely unknowable from the outside.

Where to touch would make it break, where it wouldn’t break.

* * *

Venerable Woo-am’s nose twitched.

The smell of blood.

On Jin Ja-gang’s blood-soaked palm, a white Go stone was shining.

Unable to do it with bare hands like Venerable Woo-am, he was holding a short sword in his opposite hand. It seemed he had carved the Go stone using sword energy.

Hum, hum.

The short sword trembled and resonated while containing sword energy.

Jin Ja-gang struggled to grip the Go stone and place it on the Go board.

Click!

Though not as clear as Venerable Woo-am’s, it was quite a clear sound.

Jin Ja-gang panted and took long breaths.

“It’s your turn, Venerable.”

A smile spread across Venerable Woo-am’s lips.

Though he couldn’t see with his naked eyes, he could feel it sufficiently.

Jin Ja-gang had once again overcome his own wall.

After regulating his breathing, Jin Ja-gang said.

“I cannot deny it. Killing people is easier.”

Making a Go stone with no cracks that produced a clear sound was an art of extreme skill.

“One should find killing people difficult to avoid becoming an evil spirit.”

Venerable Woo-am smiled contentedly and put down the bag he had been holding behind his back.

Clatter.

The bag contained hundreds more clam shells.

Venerable Woo-am took his seat.

“Then shall I teach you the next move?”

* * *

“I’ll guard this corner like this.”

Venerable Woo-am placed a stone in a spot forming the character for “day” from where he had first placed his stone.

“If I do this, this entire corner becomes my territory. You should place yours in the corner opposite to where you placed earlier.”

Venerable Woo-am placed one move and went back down.

Jin Ja-gang laboriously raised his internal energy. It still took over half a watch period to carve even one Go stone. Occasionally he failed.

So while Venerable Woo-am was away, Jin Ja-gang made Go stones in advance, and when Venerable Woo-am came, they placed them one by one.

“I’ll make a corner enclosure. If you make a corner enclosure like this, it becomes difficult for the opponent to build territory in the corner.”

Venerable Woo-am placed a stone forming another “day” character from where Jin Ja-gang had placed his stone.

“Connect in a knight’s move. Then I’ll take the opposite corner. Now stones have been placed in all four corners.”

It took eight more days just to build basic territories.

“What should you do now?”

“Since I learned corner enclosure, I’ll try making a corner enclosure.”

“A good move. I’ll skip one space to extend along the side to connect my two corners.”

“I’ll do the same.”

“Then I’ll make a corner enclosure on this corner. You should block this stone’s path to expand your influence. I’ll maximize my territory while you block it.”

The time that had taken so long at first gradually decreased.

Now even without reaching the clarity phenomenon, he could get a rough sense just by touching the clam shells. Once he understood the characteristics of clam shells, he could carve one Go stone sufficiently using just the power of one dike without having to raise all his internal energy.

Now, by raising internal energy with one breath, he could carve at least three stones at once.

Though his qi and blood hadn’t become fundamentally stronger, the burden was less and the frequency of qi and blood destruction also decreased.

As the time to carve Go stones decreased, Jin Ja-gang could gradually concentrate on Go itself. Jin Ja-gang lost track of time as he filled the Go board densely together with Venerable Woo-am.

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