Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Chang'an Ink Sword Grove, First Day of the First Lunar Month (2)
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"Disciple."
"Eek! Master! Why are you up at this hour..."
"You're awake, so is it strange for me to be up too?"
"Ahaha... You're right."
The kid scratched his cheek with an innocent look.
I had no idea what kind of life this guy had lived.
Still, if he'd been a guest of the orthodox sects, he probably hadn't done anything too wicked.
Plundering, mistreating women, robbery... nothing like that?
That's what being a guest of the orthodox sects meant.
Your reputation was your life. Even the slightest rumor could get you cast out. That was the life of a hanger-on.
So he probably wasn't that vicious.
More precisely, he didn't seem to have that ruthless of a personality. Right?
Though that didn't mean he hadn't killed before.
"Oh, right. Master. Happy New Year. May all your endeavors go well."
He bowed deeply as he said it. Seeing that, I couldn't help but chuckle.
It felt pretty strange.
Exchanging greetings like this, me receiving them—it was all so novel.
Yeah. This was that kind of place. Familiar yet alien.
"Good. Happy New Year to you too, disciple. Guess that means I owe you some New Year's money."
"Pardon!?"
From what I'd heard, they had the concept of New Year's money here too. Putting cash in a red envelope... Well, I didn't need to know the details.
"Follow me."
"Uh, where are we going?"
"Sheesh. When your master says come, just come. No backtalk."
"Yes, Master."
The kid grabbed his sword and scurried after me. I headed back to the inner chambers.
"Wait there a sec."
I stepped inside, and there was Seolha, just stirring groggily. She sat up in a hurry when she saw me.
"Why'd you get up? Go back to sleep."
"How could I lie there when the hero is up... Besides, it's Spring Festival today. There's prep to do."
"Isn't that the maids' job? Oh, right. You're in charge of the inner quarters, so you have to handle it."
"Yes."
Seolha smiled prettily as she answered.
The other two were still out cold, but she was the only one bustling about.
I pulled Seolha into my arms by the waist and kissed her deeply.
Her tongue tangled right in, lewdly playful.
After a moment, I pulled back. I parted the front of her loosened robe and suckled once on her full, luscious breast.
A thin breath escaped her, her respiration quivering faintly.
But that was it.
As I released her, Seolha gazed at me lovingly, a hint of regret in her expression.
"Not enough from last night?"
"The hero's affection... No matter how much I get, I always want more..."
She really knew how to say the sweetest things. Truly.
It made me want to whisk her away and shower her with love.
But with the kid waiting outside, I gave her plump rear a couple pats and spoke tenderly.
"I'll give you plenty of affection later. For now, could you grab two spirit pills? The Great Return Pill and the Demonic Spirit Divine Pill."
Seolha's eyes widened at my words.
The soft, mushy mood from moments ago vanished in an instant.
"The Demonic Spirit Divine Pill...?"
"Yeah."
She looked like she had a ton of questions, but true to form, Seolha fetched them without asking.
"Yes, hero."
She glided out lightly and soon returned with two wooden boxes.
"I'll be in the disciple's room. Come there if you need me."
"Yes, hero."
I patted her rear again and stepped out.
Yang Cheonhak had been standing idly but straightened up when I emerged.
"To your room."
"Yes, Master."
We went to his room, and I set the two spirit pills on the table.
"Master. Those are..."
"Want me to explain it all nice and slow?"
"Ack. Sorry, Master."
He shut his mouth and eyed me cautiously.
Honestly, I still wasn't used to this master-disciple thing.
To be frank, our relationship felt less like master and disciple and more like researcher and test subject.
Might be a bit harsh on the kid.
"Alright, disciple. Do you know what you have in abundance and what you're lacking?"
"I don't know what I have in abundance. As for lacks, there are too many to list right now."
The guy had good self-awareness. A bit overly humble, too.
"Fine. I'll spell it out simply. You have an incredibly sturdy body. One suited for martial arts, capable of holding more internal energy than anyone. That's the Heavenly Martial Body. But compared to that body, your dantian and internal energy are pathetically weak."
Yang Cheonhak's mouth fell slightly open as he nodded.
Why was he so dopey? That expression needed fixing.
"Martial arts can be learned. Internal energy can be built up. And conveniently, I can provide both."
"W-with those?"
Yang Cheonhak glanced at the two pills on the table.
His gaze held more worry than greed.
Most people would be drooling with anticipation.
"Exactly. First, I'm going to skyrocket your internal energy. Far beyond what you could've built normally with ascending arts at your age—hundreds of times more."
"Heh..."
"Fix that face. No dumb looks either."
"Ack. Yes, got it, Master."
His expression improved. Good. At least that much would keep him from getting chewed out.
Sharper eyes would make it even better.
"You're twenty-five—no, twenty-six after Spring Festival. Late for a martial artist, but I'll make up for all that lost time in one go. It'll be rough, though. Not easy."
"It's fine. I can endure."
"Good. Hope so. If you can't handle a chance like this, it'd be pathetic, right?"
"Yes! Exactly, Master!"
His reply was crisp... but who knows how long that spirit would last.
"This is the Shaolin Great Return Pill. You know it, so no need to explain. And this is the Demonic Spirit Divine Pill. Heard of it?"
"The Demonic Cult's... Demonic Spirit Divine Pill?"
"If someone else made one, the Demonic Cult would swarm and wreck the place."
I opened the two wooden boxes.
Two spirit pills emanated energies—one clear and refreshing, the other intensely ominous.
Yang Cheonhak swallowed hard as he stared.
Tension, not desire.
Fair enough. The Great Return Pill was one thing, but anyone would tense up at the Demonic Spirit Divine Pill.
Watching my disciple, I popped both pills into my mouth.
"Gasp!?"
As Yang Cheonhak cried out in shock, the two pills slid down my throat, unleashing a mad surge of energy.
This wasn't something to do lightly.
For most people, it'd be the most expensive suicide method.
But I deftly separated the two energies, wrapped them in qi, and fused them into one.
Insanely difficult—but whatever. I'd have died dozens of times over if it killed me.
The Great Return Pill. Supreme pure yang energy. Nothing concentrates it denser.
The Demonic Spirit Divine Pill. Pinnacle of yin energy. For non-demonic arts users, it's poison in equal measure.
Once, there was yin and yang.
They didn't just oppose each other.
Yin and yang clashed but also harmonized often.
That was the Taiji.
Why the white and black dots in the Taiji symbol.
They mix, repel, create chaos and order.
I blended the two energies inside me.
Distinct yet evenly mixed.
Rotation and harmony. Division and embrace.
Taiji. Two energies becoming one.
Yin and yang meet to form harmony, then return to nothingness.
Excess empties, deficiency fills.
Yang and yin merge into one, but the energies don't vanish.
Rather, as yin-yang dissolves, the held energies collide, bursting forth immense power.
Whew. Thrilling as ever. Overwhelming.
My lips curled involuntarily.
Excited, I compressed the energy with qi.
A single orb. Crystallized power of vanished yin-yang.
I'd once called it Wuji.
The limitless. Pure impartial essence.
Well, back when I first saw it and went "wow."
"Alright, that's good enough. Now cross-legged, sit properly."
"N-no way. M-Master!? That... that... thing!?"
Even a third-rate with crap qi sense could feel the Wuji's abnormality.
Hell, a normal person with no internal energy would feel insane unease around me now.
"Told you it'd be rough."
"Hah... Hah..."
He was panting already, and we hadn't even started.
But Yang Cheonhak swallowed, took a deep breath, and assumed position.
Good. Hesitating at this would be disappointing.
"Your Heavenly Martial Body should hold. And would a master kill his disciple? Do as I say. Got it?"
"Yes, Master!"
Determined tone.
I sat behind him, palms against his back.
Thus, the Wuji flowed into Yang Cheonhak's body.
And from that instant, his body trembled violently.
Oh. Heavenly Martial Body indeed. Smoother than expected.
"Don't open your mouth no matter what. Got it? Ah, don't answer. Answering now means you're screwed."
With a light tease, I released just a fraction of the Wuji inside him.
It obliterated his dantian instantly, replacing it with a new one.
Damn. Clean as hell. Heavenly Martial Body rocks. Handles this without issue.
If I tried this on a hundred martial artists, a hundred or two would die.
Plus bystanders caught in the fallout.
Only possible with Heavenly Martial Body.
Why I couldn't help but salivate over him.
Honestly, how could I resist? Prime material.
Even now, his internal energy had surpassed first-rate.
Problem was, this was just the start. So much left.
Time to keep going. Curious how much he can take without loss.
I missed the optimal point on my first try, after all.