Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 83: Attacked by Assassins (3)

“I did not seek martial enlightenment solely within the pages of sword manuals. I found realization through the rhythms of daily life and the wisdom of the ancient sages. Martial insight does not reside exclusively in secret texts.”

As I threw those words out, the eyes staring back at me certainly grew more animated.

“The reason I have not learned Sound Transmission until now can be found in the teachings of Mencius. To put it another way, I gained a specific insight from his words: Flowing water does not move forward until it has filled every hollow.”

The members of the Blood Wind Squad and the Demon Subjugation Group blinked, clearly lost. The Black Spirit Ten Guards and Galwi furrowed their brows, while Lady Ham and Physician Ma wore expressions of deep thought.

Jeok Yeong and the Twin Heroes of Guiyang, in particular, looked at me with eyes full of reverence. They hadn't realized their sworn brother and lord was so well-versed in the classics.

“In other words, flowing water does not advance without first filling the pits in its path. It is said that Sound Transmission is a basic technique one masters naturally upon reaching one jiazi of internal energy. Precisely. I was simply waiting for my hollows to fill so the water would move forward of its own accord. However, my hollows have not yet overflowed, so the time has been delayed, and I have not yet learned the technique. Does that answer your question?”

When I finished speaking, some among them even closed their eyes, lost in contemplation. The members of the Blood Wind Squad were especially pensive. Having lost many comrades and crossed the line between life and death in this recent battle, they had much to reflect upon.

I recalled the words of Elder Third Rate: if there is realization within experience, it leads directly to martial insight.

I glanced at the Demon Subjugation Group. Not a single one of them was lost in thought.

I suppose their training is still lacking compared to the Blood Wind Squad.

As I’ve lived, I’ve realized that even enlightenment has grades. That is why some understand while others do not, even when hearing the same words.

There was one person, however, who was particularly stubborn in his lack of understanding. It was Galwi.

The fellow said to me, “If what you say is true, then demonstrate Sound Transmission right here. Do that, and I shall admit your words are correct.”

This guy was as persistent as a rope braided from bull sinew. But did he think I’d tuck my tail and run?

“If I succeed, simply admitting I’m right won't be enough. I have a condition. You must apologize for insulting my late father, and you must promise to assist Lady Ham to the very end, no matter what happens from this point forward. If you agree to that, I will accept your challenge.”

That should be a hard pill for you to swallow, you brat.

I waited for his answer, having set a condition I thought he would find difficult to accept.

“That is impossible,” the leader of the Black Spirit Ten Guards stepped forward and said. “The condition Young Hero Eo has set is too much for the Young Lord to accept unilaterally.”

“Shut up!” Galwi barked at the guard.

It seemed he felt the guard’s intervention wounded his pride even further. The Black Spirit Ten Guards were the direct escorts of the Black Lord. Naturally, they had to consider the Black Lord’s interests first. But since his own guards were openly interfering with his decision, Galwi’s temper was bound to flare.

With the internal affairs of the Nine Demons Chamber in such a precarious state, for Galwi to pledge full support to Ham Sobangju’s faction was equivalent to the Black Fortress itself providing that support. This was why the Black Spirit Ten Guards reacted so sensitively.

“Fine. I accept those conditions. However, I have a condition of my own. You must move your internal energy through the acupoints exactly as I instruct and succeed in Sound Transmission on your very first attempt. If you fail, you must serve as my attendant for one month. How about it? Do you accept my terms?”

So, he wanted a battle of pride. This was getting troublesome. No matter how irrational he was being, he shouldn't have been able to accept my condition so easily. He ought to have needed his father’s permission for something like that.

“You won't go back on your word?” I asked again, hoping he might waver.

“Everyone here is a witness. How could the Young Lord of the Black Fortress speak with a forked tongue while invoking the names of the Black Fortress and the Black Lord?”

In moments like this, his high-class upbringing showed. Even if one is raised in the Black Path Martial World, one should at least have that much dignity. For a fleeting second, he almost looked decent.

But I felt like I was digging my own grave. Succeeding at Sound Transmission on the first try was a massive gamble for me.

Dammit. I’m trapped now.

Still, it wasn't impossible. The manual given to me by the Phoenix King included the method for Sound Transmission. And since that manual was highly compatible with me, I might just pull it off on the first try.

Once again, I placed my faith in the Circulating Dantian. Since I had to use the acupoints Galwi specified, there was no guarantee of success. If I failed, I’d have to play his servant for a month, but honestly, I didn't mind that much. I didn't possess a noble, polished pride like his.

In fact, I felt a strange surge of confidence. After my upper dantian became a Circulating Dantian and I managed to perform the Scattering Light Red Sun Flash, my confidence in my martial arts had grown. If I could perform the Scattering Light Red Sun Flash—which normally requires two jiazi of energy—with only half a jiazi, surely I could manage a measly Sound Transmission.

When I remained silent, lost in thought, Galwi asked, “If you lack the confidence, speak honestly now. If you do, I’ll reduce the service to one week.”

He was trying to crush my pride to restore his own. It seemed he was looking for a way to compromise. After I had explained my reason for not learning Sound Transmission with such plausible words, he seemed to have started acknowledging me as a master. After all, he too had looked pensive after hearing my speech. He likely believed that someone capable of giving him such a realization couldn't possibly be inferior to him.

“Just tell me the points. I’ll give it a try.”

He smirked at me. “Transmit your voice through the Amun, Pungbu, Cheondol, Yeomcheon, and Seungjang points.”

I stole a glance at the people around us. Some tilted their heads in confusion, some knit their brows, and others looked surprised. Just as mental cultivation methods vary by sect, the specific acupoints used for Sound Transmission differ as well. Some agreed with Galwi’s method, while others found it strange.

Hearing his instructions, I couldn't help but feel discouraged inwardly. The Amun and Pungbu points belong to the Du Meridian, while the Cheondol, Yeomcheon, and Seungjang points belong to the Ren Meridian. To put it simply, the Ren and Du Meridians are pathways that only truly open once one reaches one jiazi of energy. Through my Small Heavenly Cycle, I had only managed to unblock about half of those meridians.

This is bad. What do I do?

Hearing the actual acupoints for the technique, I felt the premonition of defeat. Among those points, I had only unblocked the Amun, Pungbu, Cheondol, and Yeomcheon. One needs to unblock the Seungjang point as well to perform Sound Transmission properly, but I hadn't reached that point yet.

In truth, if one has one jiazi of internal energy, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Ren and Du Meridians should be fully unblocked. That is why the term "first-rate" is used for those with one jiazi. Only after unblocking these meridians can internal energy be properly utilized to execute techniques with precision.

Just as I was about to sigh and give up, a phrase flashed through my mind like a bolt of lightning. I remembered a passage from the manual the Phoenix King had given me.

It said that once one achieves a Circulating Dantian, one can perform Six Harmonies Voice Transmission.

The manual stated that Sound Transmission is possible when one's internal power reaches one jiazi and the upper dantian is opened. It also mentioned that if the upper dantian becomes a Circulating Dantian, one can achieve Six Harmonies Voice Transmission.

However, this was a memory I really didn't need right now. Six Harmonies Voice Transmission? I couldn't even do basic Sound Transmission! Six Harmonies Voice Transmission was an advanced stage of the technique that required one to surpass the first-rate and super-peak realms to enter the peak of mastery.

Me? Even if I had a Circulating Dantian, it seemed impossible. But in a situation like this, I figured I had nothing to lose and mustered the will to try.

I recalled the section in the manual discussing Six Harmonies Voice Transmission. Normally, Sound Transmission requires guiding internal energy through the tongue's acupoints—the Yeomcheon, Geumjin, and Ok-aek—to release it. However, Six Harmonies Voice Transmission requires guiding the energy to the hyoid bone. This causes the vibrations of the energy to spread in all directions, creating the effect of the voice being heard from everywhere at once.

I hadn't even unblocked the Geumjin or Ok-aek points, so I couldn't guide my energy there. That was why I had to attempt Six Harmonies Voice Transmission by guiding it to the hyoid bone. The hyoid bone is literally a bone at the base of the tongue, not an acupoint, so I could guide my energy there even at my current level.

That was the reason I was attempting Six Harmonies Voice Transmission, a technique far more advanced than standard Sound Transmission. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was the only method that had even a ten percent chance of working.

Experimentally, I guided the energy from my upper dantian to the Yeomcheon point and then flowed it into the hyoid bone. My tongue vibrated violently, and for a moment, it went numb. It was a side effect of my tongue receiving internal energy for the first time. Furthermore, because the energy of the Circulating Dantian has a strong tendency to radiate outward, the energy gathered at the root of my tongue surged out, leaving my tongue stinging as if it had been slapped.

I realized then that it was precisely this radiating nature of the Circulating Dantian's energy that made Six Harmonies Voice Transmission possible.

I hope my tongue doesn't split open.

A slight worry crept in, but I wasn't in a position to fret over such things. After a moment, the numbness faded, and I let out a silent sigh of relief.

As I remained still for a while, the people around me kept a silent vigil, assuming I was attempting the technique. Galwi stood with his arms crossed, watching me with a "do it if you can" expression. I had a sudden urge to smack that smug face of his, but instead, I gave him a bright smile.

Looking at him, my stubborn streak flared up. So, this time, I hurled a string of insults at him in my mind.

Hey! You insolent bastard! If you're a master, you should act with the dignity of one. Just because you were born to a good father and everyone bows to you, do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you think you're some kind of emperor? Let me give you a piece of advice: if you want to be a true master, you need to show consideration for others. You have no idea how exhausting it is for the people around a narcissist like you. Look! Do you think the Black Spirit Ten ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Guards stay ten feet away from you just for protection? It's because they can't stand the sight of you, you half-wit!

I grinned at him while hurling these insults and guided my energy toward the hyoid bone. I was only doing this as a test. I didn't expect the Six Harmonies Voice Transmission mentioned in the manual to actually work, not even by a hair's breadth.

But I was wrong.

The insults I had just thought suddenly echoed through the air. Starting with "You insolent bastard!", the tirade rang out from the front, back, left, and right, continuing until the very end and leaving me utterly mortified.

By the time the insults finished, Galwi’s gaze was fixed sharply on the Black Spirit Ten Guards. He was silently asking if what I said was true. And to make matters worse, the guards were indeed standing about twenty feet away, which only added a sense of "truth" to my words.

Feeling awkward, I said to him, “Ah, my apologies. I didn't think this would actually work, so I just spoke my inner thoughts... I didn't expect it to manifest.”

As I cupped my fists in apology, Galwi’s face turned beet red before he suddenly let out a laugh. It seemed he wanted to appear magnanimous.

“It is fine. I shall keep your advice well in mind.”

However, he was grinding his teeth so hard I could hear it, which made me flinch inwardly. Realizing that claiming victory here might provoke him unpredictably, I took a step back.

“The original condition was to succeed at Sound Transmission, but since I performed Six Harmonies Voice Transmission instead, let’s call this bet a draw. It’s not as if I failed, after all.”

At this, he actually flew into a rage. He thought I was insulting him.

“What do you take me for? Do you think me a petty coward who cannot keep his word? You succeeded in the transmission, so my promise shall be kept.”

Seeing him react this way out of sheer temper, I cupped my fists again.

“I am grateful. As expected, Young Lord Gal has a vast heart. This Eo is truly impressed.”

When I spoke with a look of genuine admiration, Galwi glared at me for a moment before his expression softened. He realized I wasn't mocking him.

“It is nothing. If a man cannot keep his word, he has no business carrying his manhood between his legs.”

“In that case, Lady Ham will surely be forever grateful to Young Lord Gal.”

My plan to dump my responsibilities onto him was a success. Looking at it this way, I really am a lucky fellow. To think I’d pull off Six Harmonies Voice Transmission, of all things, in a bet like that.

However, from that point on, the frequency of the Black Spirit Ten Guards looking at me with resentment increased significantly.

I’ve made one clumsy master an ally and ten true masters my enemies, I thought with regret every time the guards glared at me.