Murim Hacking 101
The western sky had been dyed a deep crimson.
Still reeling from the shock of his qi circulation attempt, Ouyang Qiangang sat propped up against the headboard of his bed, his expression frozen.
Every inch of his body ached, but that was nothing compared to the storm raging in his head — his thoughts were so tangled he could feel a headache coming on.
"Akasha, did you finish analyzing what happened with the qi circulation exercise?"
"Yes, Doctor. Data processing is complete. Though I should say — the results are quite fascinating."
"Fascinating? I nearly died, you know."
"That is precisely what makes it fascinating. Your struggle through the crisis produced several unexpected discoveries."
Ouyang Qiangang pulled the silk pouch holding his Everlasting Warm Jade from beside him and closed his hand around it. A gentle warmth seeped into his palm.
"Start by telling me exactly what happened back there."
Akasha explained in her usual calm, measured voice.
"The trace amount of qi energy generated by the *Cho Yeon Heart Sutra* circulation ran into trouble as it passed from the Great Vessel toward the Chong Meridian. At the entrance to the Chong Meridian, a sudden energy collision occurred, which caused the flow of qi to reverse completely."
"Energy collision? What kind, specifically?"
"A collision between the cold energy of your Nine Yin Severed Meridians and the yang energy you yourself generated. The reaction was as violent as fire meeting ice."
Ouyang Qiangang frowned.
"So you're telling me that even attempting martial training is basically suicide for me?"
"Not necessarily. There were hopeful findings as well."
"Such as?"
"My activation level increased by 0.001 percent. Thanks to that, we have confirmed that the nanobot system can now detect and analyze qi energy."
Ouyang Qiangang's eyes went wide as the implication hit him.
"You're saying you can use qi as your operating energy!"
"That is correct."
"Well then. I officially have a reason to train in martial arts."
He pressed on.
"Akasha, how much control do you have over the nanobots now?"
Akasha's voice turned a touch sheepish.
"With the energy I currently possess, I cannot control them. However, real-time monitoring of your physical condition is within my capabilities."
"I'll take what I can get. Thank you, by the way. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead right now..."
"It was nothing."
She continued, sounding almost shy.
"From now on, whenever you train, the nanobots will analyze your condition in real time, and based on that data, I can propose optimal responses."
"Hmm... that's basically a cheat code, isn't it?"
"There are still many limitations, Doctor. The energy shortage makes any active intervention impossible — for now, I can only offer simple advice and analysis."
Ouyang Qiangang suddenly smacked his knee.
"Wait a second. That means I can approach this body as a complete 'system,' doesn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I treat my own body as one massive machine — one complex program. The Nine Yin Severed Meridians are a system error. Martial training is a system upgrade. And you and the nanobots are my debugging tools and monitoring suite."
Akasha sounded faintly exasperated as she replied.
"How very like you, Doctor. In any case, if we adopt that framing, then what happened earlier can be analyzed as a simple 'system conflict.'"
"Exactly! So all we have to do is find a way to prevent the conflict — or handle it safely when it does occur, right?"
"According to the data the nanobots recorded, the qi reversal occurred when energy collided violently at a specific point along the meridians. If we could predict such collisions in advance, or make fine adjustments to the pressure at the collision point..."
"Ooh, that's a good idea. Like load balancing to keep a system from overloading?"
"Precisely. We distribute the qi flow across multiple pathways, or modulate its speed at any point where a collision is anticipated."
The light in Ouyang Qiangang's eyes sharpened.
"So in theory, I could circulate my qi safely while completely avoiding the Nine Yin Severed Meridians?"
"It's possible. But we'll need far more data and much more precise analysis. And..."
"And?"
"To activate me further, I require more qi energy."
"Qi is an energy that can be accumulated. It'll take time, but one day I'll be able to power you fully."
Just then, Hwang Nodae's voice came from outside the door.
"Young Master, dinner is ready."
"One moment, please."
Ouyang Qiangang spoke to Akasha.
"Akasha, keep collecting data on my physical condition and anything related to my martial training."
"Understood. Although... Doctor?"
"What is it?"
"You're not giving up, are you? It was genuinely dangerous..."
Ouyang Qiangang answered with a wry grin.
"Give up? Don't make me laugh. I'm the man who failed thousands of times before I built you. If I folded at a setback like this, I wouldn't deserve the name. Besides, I have the best partner in existence, don't I?"
There was no trace of the terror he had felt during the circulation exercise in his eyes — only a bright anticipation for the challenge ahead.
"Let's hack this world's entire martial system, Akasha."
"Yes, Doctor. Fighting!"
The hour of the pig had just begun — around nine in the evening.
Ouyang Qiangang sat at his desk with the secret manual of the *Cho Yeon Heart Sutra* spread open before him, several sheets of blank paper laid out beside it. A single candle held back the darkness, its flame flickering across his pale, fatigue-lined face.
"Akasha, using the data you gathered during the circulation exercise, let's completely deconstruct the Cho Yeon Heart Sutra."
"Understood. I recommend we begin by analyzing the energy efficiency of each individual stage of the circulation."
Ouyang Qiangang lifted his brush and began copying the first passage of the *Cho Yeon Heart Sutra* onto paper.
As he did, Akasha spoke up.
"Doctor, yesterday's data shows that nanobot responsiveness improved dramatically under a specific breathing rhythm — four seconds inhaling, two seconds holding, six seconds exhaling..."
"A 4-2-6 pattern? That's completely new. The original Cho Yeon Heart Sutra doesn't have anything like that breathing method."
"Correct. But it is a pattern optimized for your biological rhythms and the nanobot system. Think of it as a form of 'custom-tailored firmware.'"
Ouyang Qiangang's eyes gleamed.
"Good. Then let's build a completely new version. Cho Yeon Heart Sutra 2.0 — Ouyang Qiangang Custom Edition. How's that sound?"
"I will refrain from comment."
Through the night, Ouyang Qiangang repeated the cycle of analysis, revision, and re-analysis with Akasha, over and over. He reshaped the conventional straight-line circulation of qi into a spiral, and abandoned the powerful, forceful breathing method in favor of a fine-tuned micro-control approach.
By the time the sun crept over the horizon, the modified version of the *Cho Yeon Heart Sutra* was complete.
The candlelight caught half of Ouyang Qiangang's face, where the light of joy shone unmistakably.
"It's finally done! Let's call it... the Nano-Assisted Cho Yeon Heart Sutra Protocol 1.0."
"Your naming sense is... somewhat lacking. How about simply 'Cho Yeon Heart Sutra Plus'?"
"Plus works for me. Alright then — time for a beta test?"
"Doctor, you must be extremely careful. Even with all the safeguards we've built..."
"I know. I barely have any internal energy to speak of anyway, so there's not much to worry about."
Ouyang Qiangang settled comfortably onto the floor, drew out the Podaehwasang jade, held it in his hand, and closed his eyes. He drew in a deep breath, counting to four, paused for two seconds, then exhaled slowly over six.
"Vital signs stable. Heart rate within normal range. Please continue."
By the unwritten laws of the Murim, conversing with anyone — or anything — while circulating qi was a cardinal taboo. It disrupted the flow of the exercise, and in the worst cases, the probability of falling into qi deviation multiplied geometrically.
But Ouyang Qiangang and Akasha, whose knowledge of the Murim and its martial arts came entirely from wuxia novels, had no idea.
The *Cho Yeon Heart Sutra Plus* they had engineered included a protocol that allowed the two of them (?) to converse even in the middle of a circulation session.
In essence, it was an early prototype of the Daoist art of communicating mind-to-mind during cultivation — though once again, neither of them had the faintest appreciation for just how extraordinary a thing they had created.
Ouyang Qiangang focused on the warm energy radiating from the jade in his hand, imagining that warmth spreading through his entire body. This time, instead of channeling intensely into his dantian the way he had last night, he tried to generate only the faintest thread of warmth — as cautiously as one lights a tiny candleflame.
At first, he felt nothing at all.
But after ten minutes, then twenty, he could sense a faint yet unmistakable warmth stirring in his dantian.
Slowly, carefully, he began to guide it along the Great Vessel, steering clear of the first major acupoint of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
"Warmth distribution pattern: good. You are bypassing the cold energy of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians with a perfect detour."
"Oh... really?"
"Yes. Are you not in pain?"
"Nope."
Truly, none of last night's agonizing torment was there. Instead, there was only a cozy, stable steadiness.
"The data shows your energy output is at one one-hundredth of your first attempt. But your control precision has improved enormously."
Ouyang Qiangang began circulating that faint warmth, starting from his dantian and moving it along the meridians as slowly as a snail's crawl. From the dantian, the warmth passed through the Chong Meridian to the Great Vessel at his waist, then curved back toward the dantian — tracing a small, perfect circle.
A single circuit took nearly thirty minutes, but he completed it without a single problem.
Ouyang Qiangang slowly opened his eyes.
"It is only one meridian, but that was a perfect circulation."
"This... did it really work?"
"Analysis confirms a 97.8 percent reduction in biological strain and an 85.2 percent improvement in energy control precision compared to the previous method."
His whole body felt clear and refreshed — a heaven-and-earth difference from the crushing exhaustion of his first attempt.
"Wow... this feels completely different. Forget no pain — I actually feel better than before."
"That is correct. Though the quantity is minuscule, the continuous circulation of qi is improving your blood flow and metabolism. The cold energy of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians is also being neutralized, if only by the tiniest degree. Of course, it's rather like scooping a single bowl of water out of the Pacific."
Ouyang Qiangang clenched his fist and thrust it into the air.
"A bowl is still a start!"
"I cannot say how much this is worth in your terms, Doctor, but in my assessment, you have accomplished something truly remarkable. You have reinterpreted the entire existing system of martial arts from first principles and created a training method entirely your own."
"None of it would've been possible without you, Akasha."
A faint, bitter smile crossed Ouyang Qiangang's lips as he went on.
"But we still have a long road ahead. At this trickle of qi energy, it would take decades to fully cure the Nine Yin Severed Meridians."
"What matters is that we have proven the possibility. As energy efficiency improves, and once I gain control of the nanobot system, the pace of your treatment will accelerate dramatically."
Ouyang Qiangang tidied the sheets of paper on his desk, dense with the diagrams of the training method he had designed through the night. He let out a long breath.
"Akasha... for the first time, I think I can actually see hope."
"Yes, Doctor. We have developed 'scientific martial arts.' It may well be the first in the history of this world."
"It really is. If only I could publish it as a paper someday..."
"How does 'Development of a Personalized Internal Energy Training Method Utilizing a Nanobot-Assisted System' sound as a title?"
"Too long. Let's just call it 'Murim Hacking 101.'"
"Doctor... your naming sense, truly..."