Chapter 25: In the Jianghu, One's Body is Not One's Own (14)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: In the Jianghu, One's Body is Not One's Own (14)
Of one hundred children, five survived.
Eun-yeong was the fifth.
“To walk silently, you must evade the five senses and the Qi sense. Qi sense is judged by three criteria: Is it wide? Is it fast? Is it sensitive? You must make your own Qi sense wide, fast, and sensitive. Only then can you read the Qi sense of others first.”
The adults wore masks.
The masked ones had no names.
Instead, if you failed to obey, you were beaten, starved, or killed.
The children offered the masks their absolute obedience.
“Making it sensitive is difficult. Making it wide and fast is easy. Refine your floating collaterals and your skin. Then you will become quite sensitive.”
Fifty children were still alive when they first learned this method of self-cultivation. These were children who, after three years of desperate training, could exhale smoke from their mouths.
“As you were taught. Begin.”
The cultivation to enhance their Qi sense commenced.
Within a week, forty had died.
Their skin, charred black and festering, oozed fluid before being consumed by blisters.
Eun-yeong survived.
At that time, she was the first among the ten who remained.
“You have an innate talent for Qi sense, don’t you?”
The world, as seen through her Qi sense, was completely different than before. Eun-yeong became able to move undetected by eyes, ears, and even intuition. Conversely, she could sense beings approaching her while evading her own physical senses.
However, Eun-yeong had one problem.
“It’s not acrid. The power isn’t explosive.”
Eun-yeong’s Breath of Smoke and Clouds was purer than the others’, and it barely carried the scent of burning. It was a result of her genius-level Qi sense and a powerful survival instinct. Though untaught, her body instinctively sought to protect its Essence Blood, and her subconscious maintained a delicate Fire Phase of its own accord.
No matter how much the masked ones berated and threatened her, that one thing could not be fixed. It was a disposition forged from a solid mixture of instinct, subconscious, and innate talent.
When only five finally survived, she became the fifth.
*
Innate Qi sense.
However, internal energy circulation is too pure. Uncorrectable.
Unsuitable for implanting a Gu.
Designated as expendable.
*
Even a treasure of the world, if crafted by the hands of an unskilled artisan, will be flawed, broken, and ruined.
*
“You. You’re very good,” Eun-yeong said.
“Am I?”
“Yes. Better than me.”
What Yeon So-wol learned from Eun-yeong was how to broaden his Qi sense and utilize it effectively. To do so, he learned how to refine and cultivate his floating collaterals and his skin.
The floating collaterals are the outermost meridians. From the Twelve Standard Meridians branch the Fifteen Collateral Vessels; from those branch the Collateral Meridians; from those branch the Fine Collateral Vessels; and finally, from the Fine Collateral Vessels branch the Floating Collaterals.
They are called floating collaterals because they are like meridians floating on the skin, being closest to the epidermis. They possess a sponge-like structure that is fine, minute, and dense.
It seems similar to capillaries, Yeon So-wol thought, approaching the concept by forming a 21st-century image in his mind. If they’re like capillaries, I can’t just force Gathering Fire into them.
Doing so would be like making all his venules burst; the floating collaterals would rupture, and his skin would cook from the inside out.
The temperature must be as low as possible. The pressure, too, must be minimal. It must be as gentle and soft as it can be.
「Void Self-Fills.」
Instead of pushing, I should gently sweep across all the floating collaterals, as if slightly lowering the pressure.
If he gently emptied the energy within the floating collaterals, the flames would be drawn in by just that amount. There would be no need to meticulously control each and every collateral; the overall pressure would soften naturally.
「Use the Void to Conceal the Fire.」
The more the fire flows, the gentler it becomes. I’ll keep it moving without stopping.
By sequentially and gently sweeping the path ahead in the floating collaterals, making the energy flow continuously, the fire’s temperature became manageable. In this way, Yeon So-wol mastered the method of refining his floating collaterals.
Furthermore, he cultivated his skin.
This is truly strange.
At first, when told to cultivate his skin, Yeon So-wol had been skeptical. If you refine your skin, doesn’t it just disappear?
But as he listened, it made a strange kind of sense.
So I’m not refining the entire skin, just the sweat pores and hair follicles?
He sort of understood, but not quite.
Since pores and follicles are already openings, does it mean that even if the substance turns into Essence, not much changes? Perhaps the Essence doesn’t evaporate but instead gathers in those holes…?
Eun-yeong’s explanation omitted the detailed principles, so it wasn't entirely clear. Still, Yeon So-wol decided to accept it for now. He buried his lingering curiosity, hoping a day would come when he would understand it in more detail.
By cultivating his skin and floating collaterals, even just a little, he awakened his senses and began to see a world he had never perceived before.
“Ah.”
Amidst the unfamiliar sensations, Eun-yeong’s voice reached him.
“The world. It trembles. Read it. Find a place. Where no one. Has placed their mind.”
The world is filled with energy. When a person’s mind touches that world, the world’s energy trembles ever so slightly. By reading that trembling, one can know where a person’s focus lies.
You can burst into a place where people have set their minds and reveal yourself. You can slip into a place where no one has set their mind and hide. You can even shake another area to prevent them from focusing on you.
“Ah…”
It trembled. It was taut—the weft and warp that connected the entire world.
The sound of sand crumbling. The sound of blood being pumped through the vessels of the entire body. The sound of air being pushed into and out of the lungs. The warmth and coolness brushing against fabric. The interplay of light and shadow, illuminating all things and then casting them in darkness. The smell of sweat and oil evaporating, of something burning and drying.
Flowing through all of it was a trembling. An invisible something, touching everything. The subtle workings of the Spirit.
“Ah.”
A third gasp. Yeon So-wol suddenly felt that the world was flat, as if he were looking down at a drawing on a piece of paper. Everything was laid bare, visible at a single glance. And scattered above it were fluttering threads.
Yeon So-wol finally realized. Was this also Qi sense?
At first, he had simply thought that because he came from a world without Qi, he was just more sensitive to it. That was likely part of it, but more important was the fact that Yeon So-wol had crossed dimensions.
The experience of crossing a boundary where the principles of heaven and earth flattened into meaninglessness, only to fall into another world where entirely new principles existed, had changed him. It was no different from having disassembled the universe, glanced at its blueprint, and then watched it being reassembled.
Yeon So-wol’s Qi sense could probe the essence of the world more deeply and sensitively than anyone else’s—so much so that the thick, rich world appeared flat to him. But until now, he had only handled it in the realm of his subconscious, without knowing what he possessed or how it worked.
All this time, I’ve been walking around blind, naked, and swinging a cane wildly.
Only now had he managed to put on a scrap of cloth. Only now could he barely feel his way around.
While Yeon So-wol was lost in his epiphany, Cho-ran was chiding Eun-yeong. She had come along to supervise, ensuring Eun-yeong was teaching properly.
“Eun-yeong. How can you explain it like that? Be a little more detailed.”
“Don’t know. Me too. Was made. Like this.”
“There you go again! I told you people aren’t ‘made.’ Really… you make me so sad.”
“Ugh…”
Eun-yeong thought for a moment, then decided to show him herself.
Fwoosh—
She moved, evading Yeon So-wol’s Qi sense. No matter how wide and sensitive one’s Qi sense was, a person couldn’t place their mind everywhere at once. There was always a gap. Eun-yeong dove into the space where Yeon So-wol’s mind did not reach.
But—
Swish!
Yeon So-wol swiftly moved his feet, dodging Eun-yeong’s approach. His Qi sense was no longer narrow and slow. It was much wider, with fewer gaps, and it moved nimbly to fill those that remained. He was like an eagle surveying the ground from high above.
Eun-yeong glanced at Cho-ran. “See. He learned it all. Not easy. Anymore.”
Cho-ran sighed. “Eun-yeong, why did you suddenly attack him like that? You’ll startle the Young Master.”
“It’s fine.”
“Oh, my. Young Master Yeon, were you startled? Our Eun-yeong might surprise you from time to time, but she doesn’t hurt people. So please don’t worry.”
Yeon So-wol tilted his head. She doesn’t hurt people?
For him, having read The Ghost Story of Xinxing County, that was hard to believe. Wasn’t it Young Miss Eun-yeong who paid a visit to anyone who mistreated the courtesans or inn servants?
The mere thought sent a shiver down his spine. Eun-yeong was scarier than any ghost story.
“Right, Eun-yeong? You don’t hurt people, do you?”
“…Yes.”
Yeon So-wol saw it. He saw Eun-yeong’s eyes slide away, avoiding Cho-ran’s gaze.
Cho-ran smiled brightly. “See? I told you. At first, Eun-yeong was a bit sharp and might have hurt some people, but after Great Hero Lee Yu-baek scolded her, she stopped.”
“My father?”
“Yes. He came to see her one day and told her not to kill people. Ah, that’s not to say Eun-yeong was just going around killing people… Anyway, after that, she stopped hurting people. Right, Eun-yeong?”
“…Yes. Sister. I don’t… kill.”
“Right? See what I mean?”
“…”
Yeon So-wol thought to himself: She said she doesn’t kill, not that she doesn’t hurt people.
But he didn’t dare say the words out loud. He was still afraid of Eun-yeong. Instead, he continued to process his earlier epiphany.
Now I can activate the power of the Heavenly Killing Star faster and more consciously. I can see more threads, and see them more easily.
He was now consciously wielding the Qi sense he had once used subconsciously.
As my martial arts improve, the power of the Heavenly Killing Star will also…
Yeon So-wol clenched his fist under his sleeve.
*
“Thank you for today. I don’t know how I can ever repay you. I haven’t done anything for you…”
In front of the Cheongun Pavilion, Yeon So-wol gave a deep cupped-fist salute. Eun-yeong remained indifferent, but Cho-ran beamed.
“Not at all. I truly believe that you, Young Master, will make Xinxing County a better place to live. Just as Great Hero Lee Yu-baek did, Young Hero Yeon So-wol will do even more.”
She curtsied slightly.
“Please become strong, Young Hero. Not the bad guys—you. So that when Eun-yeong and I build a house and live together later, we can be happier in an even better Xinxing County.” She stuck out her tongue playfully. “So, it’s all an investment. An investment.”
Yeon So-wol bowed again. His heart felt heavy, but for some reason, the air seemed to carry a fragrant scent.
He walked toward the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall. For some reason, he didn’t feel like using Qinggong. He strolled along, looking at the sliver of a moon.
“…”
Then, his steps came to a halt. The surrounding energy was trembling sharply—something he wouldn’t have consciously noticed before. But Yeon So-wol instinctively knew what it was.
Killing intent…?
From the shadows of the alleyways, a group of men poured out, surrounding him.
“Yo.”
The one who swaggered forward was Mad Dog.
“…”
As Yeon So-wol stared at him in silence, Mad Dog’s lips twisted. “I’m curious about something, so how about you give me an answer?”
“…”
“Fuck. This bastard, right to the end. Hey. Did I ever do anything wrong to you?”
“…”
“Did I ever curse at you? So why did you glare at me like that the first time you saw me? Huh? Why me! Why single me out!”
“…”
“Fucking hell. Who the fuck are you to look down on me?”
After a long silence, Yeon So-wol replied, “Thank you.”
“What?” Mad Dog laughed. “Yeah. Right. Thanks to you, too. You snapped me to my senses. I’m leaving this shitty Xinxing County to become a Unit Leader.”
Glint.
Catching the faint moonlight, a blade flashed. The energy of the surroundings trembled.
Yeon So-wol read it in minute detail. The world flattened on its own, and from the ground, the sky, and the people, threads bloomed—from things he couldn’t see clearly before. He scanned everything with his Qi sense.
Sshhhhaaa!
A suddenly thrown dagger signaled the start of the fight. Yeon So-wol didn’t dodge it. Instead, he rushed toward it. Clearly captured in his Qi sense, the dagger bloomed with a clear thread. He stopped it in mid-air with his palm.
Tuk—
With a sensation like something snapping—Clang!—the blade shattered in mid-air, its fragments scattering to the ground.
“…What?”
They had expected him to dodge; no one had imagined he would simply break the weapon and keep coming. For a moment, they lost their breath. Their Qi sense narrowed and grew sluggish.
Yeon So-wol saw it—the countless gaps where their minds did not rest.
Tap.
With the lightness of Flying Wind Drift, he closed the distance in an instant. He wrapped his hand around the wrist of a dazed man.
Tuk—
As the thread snapped and the man collapsed, Yeon So-wol snatched the sword from his grasp.
Wooooong—!
The Eight Extraordinary Meridians writhed. The meridians resonated. He raised his True Qi and swung wildly.
CRUNCH!
Before the body could even fall, he struck its neck again, sending the head flying.
“Huh?”
“Ugh!”
The men flinched, startled by the spray of hot blood. Their surprise made their Qi sense grow even more rigid. The gaps in their minds widened.
CRACK! SPLAT!
A second and third head flew into the air. One man tried to block with his sword, but—CLANG!—when Yeon So-wol reached out and touched the blade, the longsword broke helplessly in two.
“What the—!”
The horrified Mad Dog’s eyes widened. The surrounding Qi trembled more violently, but its range grew even narrower.
“Your heart is wavering, isn’t it?” Yeon So-wol whispered.
Perhaps because his Qi sense had broadened, he was calm and composed, as if observing the world from a distance. He was so cold it surprised even himself.
“There was always this uncomfortable corner in my heart because I couldn’t kill you.”
A dark night, with only a crescent moon in the sky. A street in Xinxing County with no one watching.
“If there are no spectators, I guess we don’t need the WWE.”
Muttering words Mad Dog couldn’t understand, Yeon So-wol kicked off the ground and soared—over their heads, into the gaps their minds could not reach.
*
When the blood-soaked Yeon So-wol arrived at the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall, Lee Yu-baek was standing alone at the gate, as if he had been waiting.
“Who did you kill?”
“Mad Dog and his men from the Black Path. Not Smiling Dog or Resentful Dog.”
“Witnesses?”
“None.”
Lee Yu-baek smiled. “See? Didn’t I tell you an opportunity would come?” He approached and patted Yeon So-wol’s blood-stained shoulder. “If you add that technique you’re hiding, three or four of them would have been no problem.”
Patting him gently, he asked, “So. How many did you kill?”
“Thirteen.”
“…”
“…Father?”
“Ah. Right. Yes. Good job. Uh.” Lee Yu-baek stammered, which was unlike him. “Still. Isn’t thirteen a bit… excessive?” He narrowed his eyes. “You. Your disposition has changed, too. You’re consciously guarding your mind. That’s not something that happens overnight…”
“Ah. About that.”
Yeon So-wol told him what he had learned from Eun-yeong that day. When Lee Yu-baek heard about the method of cultivating the skin’s hair follicles and sweat pores, he was amazed.
“It makes sense. It makes perfect sense. With a method like that, one could consciously awaken their Qi sense. Is that how assassins did it? This… is worth investigating. However,” he looked at Yeon So-wol intently, “you only have the knack for it, not a proper method.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. If you do it the way you learned, eight or nine out of ten would die in agony, their skin festering. And that’s based on reasonably talented children who have already reached the Fire Phase at the right time.”
Yeon So-wol flinched, his shoulders trembling. Eun-yeong’s indifferent face flashed through his mind.
“This… is less a teaching method and more a way to filter out the lucky and talented. The way of the assassin, indeed. I’ll have to study it carefully over a long period of time. I must at least lower the death rate to one or two out of ten…”
Lee Yu-baek was intrigued, but Yeon So-wol’s mind was in turmoil.
What the hell.
She just taught me something like that? Without a single word of warning?
Lee Yu-baek suddenly looked back at him. “So-wol. Your mind is suddenly wavering, isn’t it?”
“…No, sir.”
Yeon So-wol thought to himself: Today, once again, Old Man Jo Man-seok was right.