Episode 23
Episode 23: Unexpected Results
There are two ways to quickly increase internal energy.
One is demonic techniques like the Absorption Art, which steals the internal energy of others.
However, this method comes with many side effects and takes the life of the other person, so it was naturally not an option.
That left only one method—elixirs.
These were medicines imbued with strong energy, capable of increasing internal energy in a short period of time when consumed.
A representative example was wild ginseng.
However, ginseng capable of meaningfully increasing internal energy was not only difficult to obtain but also extremely expensive, so he decided to use another method instead.
It was a medicinal pill created by combining various herbs to amplify their energy, producing effects similar to an elixir.
Like the Great Restoration Pill of Shaolin found in martial arts novels.
And in Baek Seung-chan’s mind, there existed numerous secret methods for creating such pills.
That was why he had come to the medicinal herb market.
"Look at this ginseng. Isn’t it very fresh?"
"No, it’s too small. If we’re going to buy, let’s go to that shop over there."
"That place is expensive."
Though it was early morning, the market was already bustling with many customers.
Baek Seung-chan walked through the market, breathing in the sharp scent of medicinal herbs.
The market was quite large, lined with dozens of herb shops.
Among them, finding high-quality herbs required effort and careful searching.
His eyes sharply observed the herbs arranged in front of the shops and the movements of the merchants’ hands.
One neatly arranged shop caught his attention.
The herbs were well-prepared and neatly placed, and the shop’s exterior was relatively clean.
As Baek Seung-chan approached and examined the herbs, an elderly man, who appeared to be the owner, came out from inside.
"Looking for something?"
The old man asked, examining Baek Seung-chan.
"I’m just looking around for now. May I take a closer look at the herbs?"
"Well, you can, but there’s no need. We’ve got the best quality here."
The old man spoke confidently.
"Ah, I see."
Baek Seung-chan smiled and picked up the herbs to inspect them.
They were well-processed, but something felt subtly lacking.
The texture of the herbs felt unnatural, and their original energy seemed diminished.
"I’ll come back next time."
"Why? Don’t you like them?"
The old man asked with a slightly disappointed expression.
"It’s not that. I just want to look around a bit more first."
"Alright, take your time."
The old man waved with a smile, but Baek Seung-chan had already turned toward another shop.
"It would be nice if there were herbs in their natural, unprocessed state…"
What he needed were herbs in their natural state.
Compared to well-processed ones, herbs retaining their wild vitality were more suitable for making medicinal pills.
He looked through other shops with a hint of disappointment.
"There’s nothing as good as I expected."
After checking several more shops, the situation was similar.
Most herbs were of low quality, and even the better ones were only mid-grade at best.
"Well, it’s not easy to find high-quality herbs in this day and age."
Baek Seung-chan accepted it as natural.
As civilization advanced, nature had been gradually damaged, and herbs imbued with natural energy had disappeared along with it.
In an era where natural energy had weakened, finding top-grade herbs might be an unreasonable expectation.
"I guess I’ll just settle for something decent."
He gave up on finding the best materials and turned back toward a shop he had marked for relatively good herbs.
That was when it happened.
"Hm?"
A fresh yet rich scent of herbs brushed past his nose, and Baek Seung-chan stopped in his tracks.
This was not the scent of ordinary herbs.
It carried the energy that could only be felt from at least high-grade medicinal materials.
Without hesitation, Baek Seung-chan followed the scent into an alley.
At the end of the narrow, secluded alley stood a shabby herb shop.
On the signboard, the simple word "Herbs" was written in green letters on a white background.
The exterior looked old and worn, so unassuming that it was easy to overlook its existence.
Knock knock.
Baek Seung-chan stood at the door and lightly knocked.
"Is anyone inside?"
"Who is it?"
A rough old man’s voice came from inside, and the door opened to reveal an elderly man.
His sharp features carried a stubborn aura.
"What brings a young man here?"
"I followed a fresh scent of herbs. Could I purchase some medicinal herbs?"
"A fresh scent of herbs?"
The old man raised his eyebrows with interest.
"Yes."
"You can smell that?"
"Of course. It’s a scent that only fresh herbs have."
The old man’s eyes gleamed.
"Come in first."
The old man nodded and went inside, and Baek Seung-chan followed him in.
"Wow…"
The moment he stepped inside, Baek Seung-chan couldn’t help but marvel at the overwhelming scent of herbs that made his head spin.
The shop was filled with a rich herbal aroma, and everywhere were piles of natural herbs still covered in soil.
All of them appeared to be high-grade, and some could even be considered top-grade.
"There are so many fresh and high-quality herbs here. I never expected to find a place like this."
"Well now, looks like you really can recognize the scent of herbs."
The old man looked at Baek Seung-chan with interest.
"Did you gather all of these yourself?"
Baek Seung-chan asked, noticing the soil-covered herbs yet to be sorted, as well as the dirt on the old man’s shoes and clothes.
"That’s right. I gathered them all myself."
The old man answered confidently.
He was a ginseng digger, and while searching for ginseng, he also collected medicinal herbs.
"May I buy some of these herbs?"
"Well, I brought them to sell, so it’s up to you."
"Then I’ll take a look."
Worried that other customers might arrive, Baek Seung-chan quickly began examining the herbs.
A shop like this would surely have regular customers.
"Look at this guy."
The old man watched Baek Seung-chan with amusement.
He was picking out only the highest-quality herbs among them.
"This should be enough."
After a while, Baek Seung-chan selected all the herbs he needed and approached the old man.
"You’ve taken all the best ones and now you say it’s enough."
"I can’t just ignore the good ones."
The old man spoke in disbelief, and Baek Seung-chan replied with a smile.
"Excuse me, sir. Could I borrow a decoction pot as well?"
Baek Seung-chan said, looking at a large decoction pot in the corner.
In his past life, he would have had to watch over the pot all day, but in the modern world, that wasn’t necessary.
"Go ahead."
The old man nodded, as if resigned.
"Thank you."
Smiling, Baek Seung-chan began creating the elixir.
Early dawn, deep in the mountains.
After looking around, Baek Seung-chan found a secluded spot and carefully took out a small wooden box from his bag.
As soon as he opened it, a refreshing yet rich fragrance spread out.
Inside the box were four pills the size of quail eggs, each glowing with a faint blue hue.
Looking at them, Baek Seung-chan smiled in satisfaction.
They were the elixir ‘Taecheongdan,’ the result of three days of effort going back and forth between the herb market and his home.
Taecheongdan was a basic elixir of the Wudang Sect.
He left three pills for his family and took one, placing it into his mouth.
The blue pill melted smoothly as soon as it entered his mouth and slid down his throat.
The taste was surprisingly soft and refreshing.
It felt like eating soda-flavored ice cream.
Baek Seung-chan sat cross-legged on a nearby rock and took deep breaths, feeling the energy of Taecheongdan spread throughout his body.
"Not bad at all."
He was slightly surprised by the strong energy of Taecheongdan.
In truth, this Taecheongdan was not a perfectly complete elixir.
Some ingredients were unavailable, so he had substituted them with herbs of similar effects.
At first, he thought achieving even 50 percent of the original effect would be fortunate, but the energy he felt now exceeded that.
"It feels like about 70 percent effectiveness. If things go well, I might achieve even better results."
Satisfied with the unexpected effect, he focused on his cultivation method.
"Ha…"
After about an hour, Baek Seung-chan slowly opened his eyes.
A satisfied smile appeared as he felt the smooth and pure energy within him, incomparable to before.
Instead of reaching the expected first level of Cheonyeong Simbeop, he had advanced to the second level.
"I should check how much I’ve changed."
To confirm the change, Baek Seung-chan stood up.
Thud!
He kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air.
He easily jumped over two meters, then rotated his body and landed lightly.
It looked like a wire action scene.
"Nice."
His movements had clearly become incomparably lighter.
Thinking of quickly treating his parents, he headed home.
That evening, Baek Seung-chan called his father, who had returned home early.
"Dad, lie down here."
"You’re going to do it again? You don’t have to."
Although he said it was unnecessary, his father lay down in front of him as if he wanted it.
"Today might feel a bit different, so even if it feels strange, just stay still."
"Alright."
Baek Seung-chan slowly moved his hands and began massaging his father’s back, while gently circulating internal energy to examine his condition.
"Not just his back, his knees aren’t in good condition either."
Reading the flow of energy, Baek Seung-chan assessed even his father’s knees.
It was the trace left by a life of hard labor.
"Dad, haven’t your knees been hurting lately?"
"You little rascal, you’re like a ghost. Maybe it’s age, but yeah, they do hurt."
His father spoke with surprise.
"Since I’m at it, I’ll treat your knees too."
Baek Seung-chan continued, focusing on both the back and knees.
"Seung-chan, this feels even better than before."
His father smiled comfortably.
This massage was indeed different from before.
He was gently stimulating the pressure points using internal energy.
Although the amount of internal energy wasn’t enough to produce miraculous effects, with consistent repetition, his father’s condition would definitely improve noticeably.
"Zzz…"
Perhaps due to fatigue, his father fell into a deep sleep before the massage even ended.
At that moment, the sound of the front door opening signaled his mother’s return from work.
"Oh my, what time is it already? He’s asleep?"
His mother said softly upon seeing his sleeping father.
"He must’ve been tired. Mom, sit here. I’ll loosen your shoulders and back too."
"Alright."
Normally, she would have refused, but lately she had been unusually tired, so she quietly sat down.
"This feels even better today."
As Baek Seung-chan began massaging her shoulders, she showed a relaxed expression as her fatigue gradually melted away.
"······."
As he gently circulated internal energy to examine her condition, Baek Seung-chan’s expression darkened.