Chapter 62: Water Too Clear Has No Fish (10)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: Water Too Clear Has No Fish (10)
The moment Yeon So-wol arrived at the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall, he sought out Lee Yu-baek.
Having spent an unscheduled night out and missed his morning respects, it was only natural that he report in immediately.
Lee Yu-baek was sitting at a table, deep in thought with a brush and paper laid out before him. The moment he saw Yeon So-wol, he burst into a hearty laugh.
“You rascal. You reek of alcohol. Is that why you couldn’t come pay your respects this morning?”
Yeon So-wol smiled sheepishly.
“Well done. Emptying the frustrations built up from your closed-door training like that is a fine method.”
As he spoke, Lee Yu-baek glanced back down at the paper spread on the table. Even while conversing, his mind was clearly still on his work.
Yeon So-wol looked at his father and was slightly taken aback. The eyes of Lee Yu-baek, a first-rate expert, were bloodshot. The wine bottle that usually sat by his side at this hour was nowhere to be seen. Ever since the Mount Cheonro subjugation had been decided, Lee Yu-baek hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol.
He was simply busy, day and night. A sense of solemnity washed over Yeon So-wol.
“Are you getting any sleep, Father?”
“There is much to do. Far too many Jianghu folk have gathered. And if I am to oversee your cultivation, I need to get things done in advance.”
Yeon So-wol was suddenly reminded of his conversation with Jin Geol—about how there would be many tricky matters related to the expedition.
“Are you struggling to manage the martial artists?”
Lee Yu-baek nodded.
“That’s right. These Jianghu folk... every last one of them has a loud voice. So loud, in fact, that people from all over Guangdong have come all the way to Xinxing County just to raise their voices together.”
Yeon So-wol let out a small laugh. Hearing it put that way, it was true.
“With so many loudmouths gathered, what do you think would happen if I didn’t set the stage beforehand? At the decisive moment, their opinions would clash, and they’d end up fighting amongst themselves. That’s why I have so much to do. In the Jianghu, how you carry yourself is crucial. Like a flowing river, like an embracing lake. Broad and blue. But not too blue.”
Even as he said this, Lee Yu-baek looked utterly exhausted. Yeon So-wol wanted to help him if he could.
“What exactly needs to be done? Do you have an immediate goal in mind, Father?”
“I do. To build a strong base of support. To get more people to back me unequivocally.”
Lee Yu-baek glanced at Yeon So-wol and smiled with satisfaction, as if pleased his son had asked.
“At least one-third. To be safe, a majority. I plan to win them to my side. Then I can guide the crowd’s sentiment and set the overall direction. In the end, this subjugation began in my name. Everything will be my responsibility, so I must be the one to lead the way, one way or another.”
“I see.”
Yeon So-wol made a quiet resolution. I have to do my part.
Just as he had won the support of the first-rate expert Seong An-jin, if he could secure the promise of support from even a few more people, wouldn’t that lessen his father’s burden, even if only by a little?
“Father, please take breaks while you work. You seem to be overdoing it. You must get enough sleep.”
At those words, Lee Yu-baek let out a short laugh.
“So-wol, my son. You wouldn’t know. You wouldn’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment.” He looked out the window, toward the distant silhouette of Mount Cheonro. “As for sleep… I’ve had more than enough of it over the years.”
Yeon So-wol fell silent. With Lee Yu-baek putting it that way, there was nothing more he could say.
“By the way, what on earth did you drink? The aroma is peculiar. I’ve never smelled anything like it.”
“Ah, about that…”
Yeon So-wol told Lee Yu-baek everything that had happened the previous night.
“Is that really true?”
At first, Lee Yu-baek couldn’t believe his son’s story. In response, Yeon So-wol offered a piece of evidence.
Vwooom—
As Yeon So-wol drew his sword and infused it with True Qi, the blade hummed and a hazy light formed at its tip. It was a state where True Qi created both sound and visible changes in light—the hallmark of Lingering Fragrance, the late stage of a first-rate master.
It was undeniable proof that Yeon So-wol could now properly wield the internal energy of a late-stage first-rate martial artist. It was a level Lee Yu-baek had expected would take a considerable amount of time to reach, yet his son had mastered it in a single night.
Lee Yu-baek’s mouth hung open.
“You… just what are you…?” He sighed in astonishment. “This means everything you said was true. To think such exalted masters visited this Xinxing County.”
The shock was so great that Lee Yu-baek’s lips moved silently for a long while before he could finally speak again.
“In the Jianghu, such an alcohol is called Spirit Wine. It is a mystery that can only be brewed by renowned physicians or Daoists who have attained a deep understanding of the world’s principles. Their martial arts would have to be profound as well, and the ingredients must have been extraordinary. This was a fateful encounter. A truly fateful encounter.”
Lee Yu-baek was silent for another long moment before speaking again.
“I have heard the title ‘Immortal Doctor’ before. I thought it was merely a legend of the Jianghu... The people you met were most likely peerless masters of at least the Transcendent Realm. They wouldn’t be subordinates of General Commander Chu Seong-ho, whom we saw before. They might even be his superiors. This truly was a fateful encounter. No… perhaps it was destiny.”
Lee Yu-baek looked at Yeon So-wol with a strange glint in his eyes.
“So-wol.”
“Yes.”
“I truly have nothing left to teach you now.”
“…That’s not true.”
“Oh, but it is. Once I teach you about the Small Heavenly Circulation, there will be nothing more. It seems we must truly find you a master. As soon as this subjugation is over, I will ask the Chief Daoist of Yanggwang for a favor and find you a proper master.”
“Father…”
“Don’t make that face. I’m happy. Happy that you’ve grown stronger. Not some other bastard, but my proud son has grown strong. The subjugation of Mount Cheonro will be the smallest of the many great things you will accomplish.”
Lee Yu-baek reached out and ruffled Yeon So-wol’s hair.
“Thanks to this, I’ve got a bit more time on my hands now. The time I need to spend overseeing your cultivation has been reduced.”
He let out a hollow laugh, one that seemed both pleased and wistful.
*
For the next few days, Yeon So-wol practiced the Small Heavenly Circulation. It was the final lesson Lee Yu-baek had taught him.
The Small Heavenly Circulation was a method for evenly warming the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
First, he gathered the blazing True Fire in his dantian, heating the Conception, Governing, and Penetrating Vessels all at once. Using that heat, he slowly made the Eight Extraordinary Meridians squirm.
Within the meridians, solid-like Essence and liquid-like Qi were mixed in a viscous blend. As the meridians grew hot and began to stir, the Qi within slowly started to flow.
Then, he pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, just behind his front teeth. The tip of his tongue connected to the Yinjiao Acupoint, the end of the Governing Vessel, while the root of his tongue connected to the Chengjiang Acupoint, the end of the Conception Vessel, thus linking the two.
The slowly moving Qi traveled up his back along the Governing Vessel, crossed over his tongue, and descended down his chest along the Conception Vessel. As this hot Qi began to circulate, the heat spread evenly throughout the Conception and Governing Vessels, melting the Essence and refining the Qi into a purer form.
Lee Yu-baek had told him:
‘Though we call it Qi, not all Qi is the same. Impurities exist in all things in this world, and anything tainted by them will have its nature altered. Our Pungryu Sect pursues a pure Qi with minimal impurities—that is, the energy of the Five Elements. That is the very purpose of the Small Heavenly Circulation. Through it, you can create the pure energy of the Five Elements.’
Yeon So-wol was experiencing those words in real time.
I thought my energy was already clear…
He slowly simmered his Qi, circulating it round and round along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. The process was much like distilling clear rice wine to produce soju, which contained a purer alcohol.
Careful not to let it burn, circulating it endlessly, delivering heat to every nook and cranny of his meridians, Yeon So-wol painstakingly distilled his own Qi.
The Qi grew clearer and clearer. It became lighter and purer, until at the very end, it melted into the energies of the Five Elements: Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth.
‘So-wol, the unrefined Essence and Qi within you are called the ‘medicine.’ The cultivation of internal energy is the process of gathering and decocting that medicine to create a ‘Dan.’ You have finally taken your first step into the true internal cultivation of the Orthodox Faction.’
Yeon So-wol could now truly understand what it meant for his body to be an ‘Alchemy Furnace.’
Melting Essence to create Qi. Then decocting that Qi to create an even purer Qi. Yeon So-wol gazed at the energy of the Five Elements created at the end of the process. It was clear, pure, and held infinite potential for harmony.
“…With this energy, I’ll be able to handle True Qi much more easily.”
He had thought he’d seen the end of the late first-rate stage after drinking the Spirit Wine, but just by refining his energy once more, he had taken another step forward.
“Martial arts are incredibly deep.”
A smile hung on Yeon So-wol’s lips as he spoke.
*
Having completed the Small Heavenly Circulation, Yeon So-wol now had free time.
I’ll help Father.
Yeon So-wol grabbed some gold taels and headed out. According to Jin Geol, the easiest way to win people’s favor was to pay for their drinks. His plan was simple: go out, buy people drinks, and start currying favor.
Yeon So-wol headed for the main street of Xinxing County. It was the street where the most martial artists in the county were currently gathered. At every stall lining the street, martial artists with weapons at their sides sat drinking, eating, and talking.
Yeon So-wol walked slowly, his eyes scanning like a hawk for a place to join in.
It was then.
“My, my. The young hero’s realm is quite extraordinary, isn’t it?”
A man suddenly appeared beside Yeon So-wol. It was quite a rude approach, but Yeon So-wol offered a polite fist-and-palm salute. After all, he was on the streets to win everyone’s favor.
“A pleasure to meet you, Senior. I am Yeon So-wol of the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall.”
“Ah, so you are the Vivid Red of Xinxing County!”
The man appeared to be in his late twenties, or perhaps right around thirty. He slowly looked Yeon So-wol up and down, his voice filled with admiration.
“Truly incredible. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve reached the realm of Lingering Fragrance. Is that correct?”
Yeon So-wol was a little surprised. Discerning an opponent’s realm was no easy task. It required a fundamentally sensitive Qi Sense, and secondly, a broad knowledge and insight into various martial arts.
Yeon So-wol himself had more than enough Qi Sense, but he lacked the knowledge and insight into martial arts, which sometimes prevented him from accurately perceiving an opponent’s realm.
“Thanks to my father, I have been blessed with a realm beyond my years.”
“Ho ho, surely not. How could one reach the realm of Lingering Fragrance through another’s merit? Does that mean you’ve learned swordsmanship as well?” the man asked, his gaze now shifting to the sword at Yeon So-wol’s waist.
At this point, Yeon So-wol was actually starting to feel a bit offended. The man’s rudeness—prying with questions without even revealing who he was—was getting on his nerves. But Yeon So-wol, needing to curry favor, did not let his smile falter.
“Yes. I have learned the Pungryu Sword.”
“My goodness.” The man let out a long sigh. “I’m so envious. Truly. At your age, I was told the basics were most important, so I wasn’t allowed to learn swordsmanship. I just had to practice ten thousand basic slashes a day. Those of us who are untalented and foolish like me must walk such a path. I truly envy you, Young Hero Yeon.”
At this point, Yeon So-wol felt a strange sense of déjà vu. The way this man spoke tickled a corner of his memory. Something was on the tip of his tongue.
Could it be…?
The man continued.
“In fact, I still practice ten thousand slashes every day. I’m so hopelessly untalented that my sword tip loses its way otherwise. Would you like to see?”
Before Yeon So-wol could say anything, the man drew his sword.
“Like this. It’s just a basic sword drill, a single swing. I still haven’t been able to move past this.”
Swish—
The man’s sword cut through the air. The sound of the blade was almost inaudible. The manifestation of his True Qi was barely perceptible.
And yet.
Tuk.
A single leaf from a tree ten paces away was cleanly severed and fluttered to the ground. A ghostly manifestation of sword qi.
The passing martial artists’ eyes went wide with admiration.
“An incredible expert!”
“Is he not a ghost of the sword…?”
But the man who had displayed such divine skill wore a bitter expression and belittled himself.
“It has been nearly twenty years since I first picked up the sword, yet I am so ashamed that I still haven’t moved beyond this dull level. Seeing a brilliant talent like you, Young Hero, makes me feel even more ashamed.”
At that moment, Yeon So-wol thought: This effortless humblebragging… Is it him? I think it is.
As he became about ninety percent certain, voices from the crowd filled in the final ten percent.
“That guy’s at it again.”
“The Overrated One, No Hee-deok. Is he now doing that to a junior who’s not even of age?”
“He’s incorrigible. Absolutely incorrigible.”
The Overrated One! No Hee-deok!
The Jianghu Roster!
Yeon So-wol felt a jolt of excitement.
*
<Entry 18. The Overrated One, No Hee-deok>
He always demeans himself, claiming his fame is undeserved for his skill, but in reality, he subtly boasts and looks down on others, earning him the moniker ‘The Overrated One.’
*