Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Chang'an Ink Sword Grove Tang Pharmacy (4)
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The heat had completely faded away, and now a refreshing coolness was distinctly settling in.
By the solar calendar, it had to be around October, since the Cold Dew solar term had only just passed.
Tang Sohye had spent nearly a month in Ink Sword Grove before she finally got around to properly reorganizing the pharmacy here.
There were still some minor things left to handle, but those could be taken care of step by step.
Nothing that needed to be wrapped up right away.
Thanks to that, Tang Sohye now had some free time and could start frequenting the training grounds in earnest.
No matter how you looked at it, she was still a martial artist from the Tang Family.
Even if she was handling the pharmacy and intelligence operations, she couldn't neglect her martial arts training.
"Absorption seems to be going well. Nine cycles already."
"Yes, Grove Lord. It's all thanks to your guidance."
Tang Sohye's dantian was indeed expanding at an impressive rate.
The vast amounts of spirit elixirs poured into Tang Myeong-un hadn't been wasted; she'd absorbed them all, and her inner energy was growing exponentially.
Moreover, these were elixirs tailored specifically for the Tang Family, amplifying their effects even further.
Before long, among kids her age, there wouldn't be anyone with more inner energy than her. That much was certain.
The problem was that all that inner energy was useless if she couldn't put it to good use.
That was just how the Tang Family's martial arts worked. The amount of inner energy that could be infused into hidden weapons was limited.
It wasn't like wielding a sword or saber, where you could pour in inner energy freely.
So, she needed a way to efficiently expend that overflowing inner energy.
"Tang Sohye."
"Yes, Grove Lord."
"The Tang Family's skill with hidden weapons is superb. I won't deny that. But those hidden weapons have a fatal flaw. You know what it is, right?"
"Yes, that's true."
"What do you think it is? Tell me."
"The limit on how many you can carry, and the fact that you can't retrieve them one by one."
"Exactly. That's the biggest issue."
She was spot on. That was the primary weakness of hidden weapons or arrows: low sustainability.
Hidden weapons and arrows were consumables. With a limited quantity you could carry, you couldn't use them recklessly.
"So, what are some ways to solve that?"
"The Tang Family has a secret technique: formless hidden weapons."
Right. That was the ultimate solution.
Those who used hidden weapons or bows inevitably had to develop formless hidden weapons or formless arrows.
Of course, it was more efficient to just project raw inner energy instead.
Why bother shaping it like a hidden weapon or arrow? Might as well just shoot it straight.
But that approach didn't allow for "technique."
Hidden weapon arts. Archery. Lifelong skills honed to perfection.
When infused into formless hidden weapons or arrows, that technique multiplied their destructive power and utility several times over.
That's why they strove to create something familiar to them.
"Right, that's the solution. But to achieve that, you need to at least be able to wield aura. Isn't that so?"
"Yes, Grove Lord."
"You can't yet."
"I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. It's not easy. It requires enlightenment and reaching a certain realm. But there's a bit of a shortcut—though calling it a cheat might be a stretch—to using formless hidden weapons a little sooner. Interested?"
Her eyes widened at my words.
No way she wouldn't be. Even if I called it a shortcut, if it had minimal side effects, it would be revolutionary.
"Better to show you than explain. Watch closely."
With that, I circulated my inner energy and solidified aura in my palm.
A small needle-shaped hidden weapon. The kind commonly called a feather needle.
Unlike the commonplace feather needles, this one made of aura contained an immense amount of inner energy.
"Couldn't you make it even more effortlessly than this, Grove Lord? This is..."
"Spot on. This is me making a formless hidden weapon at your current level. See? Does it make sense?"
Tang Sohye examined the formless hidden weapon in my palm with intense focus.
Then, I formed one in my left hand at my full capability.
"Ah..."
She let out an exclamation, as if grasping something profound.
Smart kids are the best. They get it after just one demonstration.
The difference between the two was stark.
The formless hidden weapon in my right hand, shaped for her level, was quite crude.
It was like a stone tool, roughly chipped.
You sharpen a stone against another until an edge forms. Crude, endless labor.
That's why it consumed a massive amount of inner energy to create just one.
Pounding your inner energy into shape, literally.
Yeah, like a blacksmith in this era forging a sword.
Just like the countless hammer strikes and tempering needed for a decent blade.
In contrast, the one in my left hand was different.
It was like a factory product, mass-produced.
As if slicing stainless steel with a laser to form a sword.
If you knew how to wield aura, you could craft them refined, clean, and swiftly.
And even those "factory swords" outperformed the famed blades of this era's master smiths.
Tang Sohye couldn't do that yet, so she had to use the crude method.
It was inefficient, guzzling inner energy, but it still produced a "masterpiece" sword.
For her overflowing reserves right now, it was the best option.
No need to retrieve them. Their durability and strength far surpassed regular hidden weapons.
For her at this stage, nothing could be better.
"Got it? As you practice shaping them like this, your realm will rise and you'll get more proficient. Efficiency will improve, and eventually, you'll craft ones like the one in my left hand."
"I understand."
"You won't whip them up perfectly right away. It'll take time. But like all martial arts, practice makes perfect. Right?"
"Yes, Grove Lord."
"The principle is simple. Pour your inner energy into forging a single hidden weapon. Faster and faster. More familiar each time. Think of yourself as the blacksmith, hammering endlessly. You'll get it."
Tang Sohye nodded, her gaze fixed on the formless hidden weapons.
Though she glanced more at the one in my left hand than the right.
Makes sense. The left-hand one was the epitome of an ideal formless hidden weapon.
As a Tang Family member, she couldn't help being captivated.
"And there's another method besides formless hidden weapons. What could it be?"
"Another method?"
She pondered calmly, still watching my hands.
Handing her the answer was easy, but that wouldn't help her grow.
She needed to figure it out herself. She probably already knew.
She was from the Tang Family. She knew hidden weapons better than I did.
"The Tang Family uses threads tied to hidden weapons for retrieval."
"Exactly. Great minds think alike. It'd be tough for tiny ones like feather needles or steel pellets, but darts are perfectly feasible. Got a dart? Of course you do."
As I spoke, a dart was already in her hand.
Her sleight of hand was so swift that most wouldn't even notice when she'd drawn it.
Yes, that was her art. A waste not to use it.
She gripped the dart by the blade and offered it to me. I took it.
Then, without infusing inner energy, I hurled it purely with arm strength.
It whistled through the air and embedded in a distant tree.
Nothing special. Just average accuracy—fortunately, it didn't miss.
"Tying a thread to retrieve hidden weapons isn't much different from this."
I extended my hand and pulled the dart back with telekinetic grasp.
It yanked free from the tree and returned neatly to my palm.
I tossed it into the air a few times, caught it, then threw it again.
This time, with inner energy infused, it flew blindingly fast, twisted mid-flight in flashy maneuvers, and struck the tree.
"Ten thousand flows return to one—it's nothing special. All martial arts converge at the most efficient turning point before the end. Understand?"
"A little... I think so."
Tang Sohye answered, and Seolha and Yeonhwa, who'd been listening from the side, nodded as if comprehending something too.
"Peak, transcendent, Transformation Realm, Manifestation Realm... They're just arbitrary milestones for climbers. Rest stops on the way to the summit. Got too philosophical. Anyway, not the time. Your hidden weapons are the same. Even the Tang Family does it that way. Tying threads for retrieval is just a countermeasure for those without telekinetic grasp. Swap the thread for inner energy, and you don't need the hassle."
With that, I retrieved the dart instantly.
But not with plain telekinetic grasp. This time, a thread of aura connected to the dart, and I simply reeled it in.
"Sword qi leads to sword aura—that's why it's called aura. You bundle multiple strands of qi like threads. That's why it has so many applications. Even at your level, you can twist projected qi into threads. Connect it to a hidden weapon, and you can alter its path or retrieve it."
Tang Sohye nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling as she absorbed my words.
She probably knew this already. Tang Family basics. But now she'd truly grasped it, hence the reaction.
"And the reason I'm bringing this up? See those? Seolha's Cloudflow Sword and Yeonhwa's Solitary Isle Sword?"
I pointed to Seolha's sword and Yeonhwa's, and Tang Sohye's eyes widened slightly before she replied.
"Yes, Grove Lord."
"Thinking of making one for you. But you don't use swords, right? So it should be a dart. It'd be ridiculous if you hesitated to throw because retrieving it every time was a chore. That's why I'm telling you."
"Ah..."
"Train hard. I'll make you a good one."
"Thank you, Grove Lord."
Her face lit up with determination.
No martial artist could resist the allure of a fine weapon.
Her reaction was perfectly natural.
With the discussion over, Tang Sohye began practicing what I'd shown her.
Her enthusiasm was infectious. A satisfying attitude.
Pleased, I peeled off a piece of Black Wall and started carving a dart.
Might as well make it sleek and elegant, to suit her.